As the NMSU campus celebrates Black History Month, the Open Stacks hopes to highlight the achievements of Black students, faculty, and staff, as well as those throughout New Mexico and the Borderlands.
Clara Belle Drisdale Williams made history in 1937 when she became the first African American to graduate from the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now NMSU). She was born on October 29, 1885, in Plum, Texas to Isaac and Malinda Drisdale. While growing up, Clara remembered her parents, sharecroppers who taught themselves to read and write, stressing the importance of education. In an interview with a Chicago newspaper, she recalled that her grandfather would bounce her up and down on his lap saying “This is going to be my little school teacher.” Clara’s parents wanted their children educated at any cost. It is evident that Clara took her family’s advice in pursuing her education, although it was not an easy path due to racial segregation and discrimination.
Image of Clara Belle Drisdale, undated (UA2004-065-0005)
Clara was educated in a one-room schoolhouse near her family residence in rural Texas. In 1901, Clara obtained a four-year scholarship to the Prairie View Normal and Industrial College in Prairie View, Texas (now Prairie View A&M University) where she obtained a teaching certificate. She was the valedictorian of her class in 1905. Upon graduating, she accepted a teaching position at Prairie View and that is where she met her husband, Jasper Williams. Although she and Jasper met in 1907, they were married ten years later in 1917. A few years into their marriage, the couple moved to El Paso, Texas, where they purchased a drugstore and raised a family. While living in El Paso, the couple became parents of three sons – Jasper, James, and Charles.
In 1924 after a fire destroyed their drugstore, Jasper and Clara left Texas and moved near Las Cruces, New Mexico where they homesteaded 640 acres of land. The Williams utilized the land and planted pinto beans, corn, and cotton, and raised livestock. The motivating factor which led to their move to Vado, NM near the Las Cruces area was a teaching job. The teaching job was at an all African-American school, that paid $100 monthly. Clara accepted the job, but teaching at the school had its obstacles, as families were resistant and did not welcome Clara as a teacher. During the first three months of teaching, her students consisted of her two sons and three other students.
After the short distance move from Texas to New Mexico, Clara continued her education. She took correspondence courses from the University of Chicago, and then in 1928, she enrolled at New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Clara would take courses at New Mexico A&M during the summer months while teaching at Booker T. Washington, although her experiences were not the same as her classmates. Despite the racial injustices that Clara faced while enrolled in college, she managed to receive a bachelor of arts in English at the age of 51. While Clara was unable to participate in the 1937 commencement ceremony, it did not impede her from pursuing her graduate studies at NMSU. Clara’s perseverance in furthering her education drove her to take graduate-level courses in the 1950s. It was evident that Clara’s educational journey was not an easy one. She encountered challenges and racial injustices along the way, but despite the challenges, she was determined to further her education to serve as an example to her children.
Clara at a celebration along with her family, undated – NMSU University Archives
Clara’s three sons – Jasper, James, and Charles – all followed her educational lead and they obtained their medical degrees and became physicians. In 1951, after 40 years of teaching in Las Cruces, Clara retired and left the City of Crosses. She moved to Chicago to be closer to her sons and assisted with the opening of the Williams Clinic, and opened its doors in 1960. The clinic operated for 30 years and Clara served as the receptionist until the age of 91.
In 1994, Clara passed away at the age of 108 in Chicago, but her legacy continues. The list of her accomplishments is remarkable regardless of the injustices and obstacles she encountered while pursuing her dream of obtaining a higher education.
Clara Belle Williams holding a resolution presented by the New Mexico State University Board of Regents, undated (02100012)
At New Mexico State University Clara’s legacy lives on. Below is a list of honors and awards:
- In 1961, she and her family were awarded the outstanding alumnae of the year and Williams Avenue on the main NMSU campus was named in their honor;
- In 1980, Clara received an honorary doctorate degree from the university;
- In 2005, NMSU dedicated the English building, renaming it Clara Belle Williams Hall;
- Lastly, a scholarship to honor her legacy is available to students needing financial assistance.
Archives and Special Collections (ASC) is pleased to share a video recorded in 1980 of Clara Belle Williams describing some of the experiences she endured while teaching, along with losing the family drugstore and other life events.