ASU archivists hoping to learn more about early African American students
Written by Black Hot Fire Network on February 11, 2024
The eyes grab you first. They stare at you from the black-and-white photo, soft and, it seems, inquisitive.
Zoom out, and you notice the man’s appearance. Well-dressed in a suit jacket, a white dress shirt and a tie that is knotted perfectly. His hair is short.
His name is Benton James and, in 1924, he became the first African American graduate of Arizona State University, then known as Tempe Normal School.
Research has provided some biographical information about James.
He was one of three Black students who . . .
