New research uncovers first black student at Webster University; long before other colleges

Webster University
Photo of Vada Lee Easter in the Alton Telegraph in 1940. Photo credit Webster University

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Historians have long considered the desegregation of Saint Louis University a milestone when it started admitting black students in the summer of 1944. The first institution in Missouri to do so.

History books show Webster University was the second in Missouri when it enrolled its first two Black students in 1947, Irene Thomas and Jeannette Jackson.

But that history is incomplete, and the full picture of when and where integration began is finally coming into focus.

Webster University Professor Annie Stevens and DEI AVP Vincent Flewellen joined Total Information A.M. Thursday to discuss the recent discovery that Vada Lee Easter was the first student to be enrolled at the University, nearly a decade earlier before official desegregation policies were announced.

Stevens said that beginning two years ago, she was originally working on a project for the Sisters of Loretto community and while she was reading about the group's history, she came across learning that black members of the Sisters started taking summer classes at Webster University in 1940.

"I looked up some historic newspapers to learn more about that and at the end of one article, there was a mention of a music contest and the second prize winner was Ms. Vada Lee Easter, who was a student at the student at the time at Sumner High School," said Stevens. "I went 'oh my goodness she's black and she was a music student at Webster and it's 1940.'"

Webster University said that to double-check Steven's research and make sure Webster wasn’t mentioned in error, they turned to the Missouri Historical Society to search other public records for mentions of Easter, with the society eventually finding numerous articles from several newspapers that reviewed concerts performed by Easter, all identifying her as a Webster College student.

"Vada Lee Easter was hiding in plain sight," said Stevens. "It was out there in multiple newspapers from St. Louis, St. Louis County, from other parts of the county."

Stevens says as she started digging deeper, eventually learning that Easter, while a student at Sumner, she was taking classes at Webster and after she graduated high school, she still continued to take classes at Webster for another two years.

"Her mother was a music teacher, and Easter's first music teacher. Her mother eventually realized that she needed more training by the time she was in high school," said Stevens. "Vada Lee Easter was performing across cities across the country. I found out recently she was nominated the president of the junior Department of the National Black Musicians in 1937 at just the young age of 14."

Featured Image Photo Credit: Webster University