Mississippi State Honors Trailblazer Dr. Richard Holmes
The university dedicated a plaza and monument to the first Black student who integrated Mississippi State in 1965.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in African-American
Dr. Richard E. Holmes, who became the first Black student at Mississippi State University in 1965, died October 16 at age 82. The university dedicated the Dr. Richard E. Holmes Plaza and a monument in his honor on August 21.
Why it matters
Holmes integrated Mississippi State without violence, but faced refusals from white students who would not sit with him in the library or cafeteria. His return decades later as a campus physician marks a lasting link between the university and its desegregation history.
Holmes earned a medical degree from Michigan State University in 1977 after enrolling at Mississippi State in 1965 and completing his bachelor's degree in 1969. He was honored as the first Black National Alumnus of the Year in 2006.
The players
Mississippi State University
A public land-grant university in Starkville, Mississippi, which integrated in 1965 and later honored Holmes with a plaza and monument.
Dr. Richard E. Holmes
A physician and trailblazer from Chicago and Starkville who integrated Mississippi State and later served as a campus physician there.
Wiley College
A historically Black college in Marshall, Texas, where Holmes completed two years of pre-med coursework before transferring to Mississippi State.
The details
Holmes enrolled for summer classes on July 19, 1965, after two years of pre-med courses at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. He left full-time study in 1967 to teach school in Alabama, completing his degree through night and correspondence courses, and later worked as an emergency room physician in Birmingham.
Timeline
July 19, 1965: Holmes enrolled at Mississippi State for summer classes.
1967: Holmes left full-time study to teach school in Alabama.
2003: Holmes joined the Longest Student Health Center staff in Columbus.
October 16, 2026: Holmes died at age 82.
August 21, 2026: Mississippi State dedicated the Holmes Plaza and monument.
Legal Context
Holmes's enrollment came three years after the 1962 integration of the University of Mississippi, which required federal marshals. His quieter entry at Mississippi State shows how desegregation of Mississippi's public universities unfolded in different ways across campuses.
Visitors to Mississippi State's campus can see the new Holmes Plaza and monument, which honor the university's first Black student. The dedication offers a direct way for students and residents to learn about the institution's desegregation history.
The takeaway
Holmes's path shows that integration often depended on individuals who persisted through isolation and then returned to serve the institutions that once excluded them. The university's recognition reflects how campus history is now being formally acknowledged.
Further reading
For more on the history of Black culture and community in the region, explore African-American coverage from Starkville.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Inland Valley News " Inland Valley News.
