Abstract Dr. Walter N. Ridley (1910-1996) was an accomplished professional in the world of higher education. In 1953, Dr. Ridley became the first black person to receive a doctorate from a Southern public university, after the State of Virginia integrated its all-white university system in 1950. Dr. Ridley ended his professional career as the Chair of the Department of Secondary Education and Professional Studies at West Chester University (then West Chester State College). Throughout his professional...