The University of Colorado at Boulder has announced a new scholarship program that will honor the legacy of Charles Nilon, the first Black faculty member at the university, and his wife Mildred Nilon, the first Black librarian at the university.
The Charles and Mildred Nilon Scholarship will be offered to students who “are committed to advancing educational opportunities in under-resourced schools, especially those that serve African American communities.”
Charles Nilon was hired as the first Black faculty member at the University of Colorado in 1956. He taught in the English department and founded the Black studies program on campus. Professor Nilon retired in 1985 and died six years later.
Mildred Nilon was hired as the university’s first Black librarian in 1962. She is now 95 years old and lives in a retirement community in Boulder.
