Trailblazers
The archival materials presented in this collection hope to foster exploration of the University’s historical relationships with Black faculty, staff, students, and the broader community. Below is a selection of resources that illustrate parts of the University’s racial story and celebrate some of the trailblazing figures in our history. Our research is ongoing, and we will continue to highlight new aspects of the University's Black history as part of our campus work.
Louis Stanley Brown
In 1919, Louis Stanley Brown became the first African-American graduate of The University of Scranton, then St. Thomas College, earning a commercial degree. Brown was one of five children and spent the majority of his lifetime in Scranton where he attended St. Cecilia's Academy, worked as a shoe shiner, coal mine laborer, and later for G.W. Brown, a local Black-owned trucking company. Brown was described by his contemporaries as "ambitious and industrious" and as someone who possessed an "enjoyable wit and good will."
In 2016, in celebration of Black History Month, the University dedicated the building at 600 Linden Street as Louis Stanley Brown Hall in his honor. In 2021, the Louis Stanley Brown Black Student Union was created on campus to advocate for the needs of Black students, provide a safe space to engage in conversation about the Black experience, and provide leadership to foster community.