212
Reprinted with permission from Purdue University College of Pharmacy.
Dolores Cooper Shockley–
Dr. Dolores Shockley passed away at the age of 90 on October 10th, 2020 when this issue of The Pharmacologist was in preparation. She had been an ASPET member since 1980 and made a lasting impact on the field of pharmacology. Dr. Anderson was grateful to have had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Shockley and her family during the preparation of this article.
The Pharmacologist • December 2020
Trailblazer Extraordinaire Rebecca J. Anderson, PhD On February 3, 1956, Autherine Lucy attended her first day of graduate school at the University of Alabama—the first African American student admitted to the university in its 121-year history (1, 2). NAACP attorneys Thurgood Marshall (later a US Supreme Court Justice) and Arthur Shores had prevailed in their 3-year legal battle on Autherine’s behalf (1, 2). Autherine encountered no resistance on her first two days of class. But in the evenings, groups of white students became increasingly agitated (1, 2). On the third day, Autherine passed through a hostile crowd of about 300 white protesters, who shouted hate-filled epithets (1, 2). By the end of class, the crowd had grown to more than 2000, and university officials arranged for an escort to drive Autherine to her next class (1). Along the way, their car was pelted with rotten eggs (1, 2). Autherine arrived safely at the Education Library building, but after that class, she had to wait two hours so that arrangements could be made to take her to her off-campus lodgings. While a friend created a diversion, she was safely driven in a patrol car, lying hidden in the back seat (1, 2).