James Meredith, accompanied by federal officials, enrolls on October, 1, 1962, at the University of Mississippi. In September 1962, a federal court ordered the school to accept Meredith, a 28-year-old, black Air Force veteran. Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett said he would not allow the school to be integrated. After white students rioted, President John Kennedy sent 10,000 soldiers to ensure Meredith’s safety on his first day of classes. Because he had earned college credits elsewhere, Meredith graduated a year later. (Library of Congress)