The
late Rachel B. Noel played a significant role in Denver’s—and Metro
State’s—diverse history. Beginning this semester, Noel’s legacy at
Metro State lives has taken on another dimension: a newly established
scholarship in her name.
Noel was a civil rights leader noted for proposing an historic
resolution in 1968 to the Denver School Board, to which she was the
first African American elected, to integrate Denver’s public schools.
The resolution went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld
it in 1973. Noel also came to Metro State in 1969 as a professor of
sociology and African American Studies, a department she chaired from
1971 to 1980. The Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship
was initiated in 1981 to honor this history and to foster
multiculturalism, diversity and academic excellence at the College. The
professorship brings renowned artists and scholars of distinction to
Metro State, to conduct performances and lectures for students, faculty
and the larger Denver community.
“For many years, the Noel community event has been held in the
Shorter AME Church, the largest AME church in Denver and a significant
cornerstone of the African American community here,” said Wilton
Flemon, professor of chemistry and chair of the Metro State Rachel B.
Noel Distinguished Professorship committee. Flemon and the church’s
pastor began to discuss ways to strengthen the ties between the College
and the church, and came up with the idea of the scholarship. “It
really honors both Noel’s legacy at the College and in the city and her
commitment to education,” Flemon says.
Flemon wrote a proposal to the Financial Aid Office and Scholarship
Center for the scholarship in Noel’s memory, and received one-time
funding for the 2008-09 academic year.
Junior music education majors Yolanda Calderon and Joshua Jackson
are the first recipients of the Noel scholarships, each receiving
$1,750 for the fall 2008 semester. Flemon is working with
representatives of Shorter AME to identify potential recipients for the
spring 2009 semester.
With the funding set to expire at the end of the academic year,
Flemon and his committee are working to find an ongoing funding source
for the scholarship.
“I’ll continue to pursue it,” Flemon said, “because I think it’s
such an important initiative. It really strengthens our ties with the
African American community and honors Noel’s legacy as a leader in
education.”
The members of the Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Professorship Committee are:
Myron Anderson, Institutional Diversity
Charles Batey, Equal Opportunity
Carrie Besnette, Institutional Advancement
Gail Bruce-Sanford, Counseling Center
Alton Clark, Student Support Services
Skip Crownhart, Academic Advising
Brooke Dilling, Student Activities
Wilton Flemon, Chemistry -- chair
Joan Laura Foster, Letters, Arts and Sciences
Joan M. Foster, community representative
Clare Hays, Biology
Robert Hazan, Political Science
Kenneth Keller, Anthropology
Chris Lawson, College Communications
Cathy Lucas, College Communications
Janell Lindsey, Alumni Relations
Nancy Munser, community representative
Cherrelyn Napue, Development and Alumni Relations
Akbarali Thobhani, International Studies
Frederick Watson, History
Rick West, Development
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