Vivian Malone Jones was one of the first African-American woman to enter the University of Alabama in 1963, along with fellow black student James Hood. Their entry resulted in then Governor George Wallace standing in the door of the university in an attempt to halt their admission. They entered the university but only after an agreement was reached between the White House and Wallace's aides. Ms. Jones further distinguished herself as the first African-American to graduate from the University of Alabama in 1965 with a degree in management. She moved to Washington, DC and joined the U.S. Department of Justice as a staff member of its Voter Education Project.

Following that assignment, she moved to Atlanta and took a position with the Environmental Protection Agency, where she was director of civil rights and urban affairs. She also helped pioneer the concept of environmental justice at the EPA regional office. She retired in 1996 remaining active in civil rights organizations. Her alma mater endowed a Vivian Malone Jones Scholarship Fund and in her honor hung her portrait in the building that houses the College of Commerce and Business Administration.

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• Article is reprinted from the NWHM Newsbyte Archives
• Photo: National Public Radio