---
title: Trailblazers Honored at Dedication of Johnson-Whittle Hall
date: 2022-09-30T16:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/trailblazers-honored-at-dedication-of-johnson-whittle-hall"
section: Articles
---
# Trailblazers Honored at Dedication of Johnson-Whittle Hall

*September 30, 2022* — by [Maryland Today Staff](/author/maryland-today-staff)


> Namesakes Elaine Johnson Coates, Hiram Whittle Broke Barriers at UMD

*Johnson Whittle Dedication 09302022 SC 1558 1920x1080 — From left, Vice President for Student Affairs Patty Perillo; Glenise Whittle, the late Hiram Whittle's niece; Elaine Johnson Coates '59; and university President Darryll J. Pines cut the ribbon to dedicate Johnson-Whittle Hall today.*

The University of Maryland today dedicated [Johnson-Whittle Hall](http://reslife.umd.edu/halls/heritage/johnson-whittle/), named for two pioneers who forged a path for Black and African-American Terps for generations to come.

The residence hall, which opened this semester, honors Elaine Johnson Coates ’59, the first African American woman to earn an undergraduate degree at UMD; and Hiram Whittle, the first African American man admitted to the university, in 1951. Whittle, an engineering major, enrolled at a time when the university was still segregated. Johnson Coates attended on a full scholarship and completed a B.A. in education. Both received honorary doctorate degrees at UMD’s Spring 2020 commencement ceremony.

“Our newest residence hall will bear the names of Ms. Elaine Johnson Coates and Mr. Hiram Whittle, making them a permanent part of our campus and acting as a reminder to the entire Terrapin community about diverse excellence,” UMD President Darryll J. Pines said at today’s ceremony. "It is our privilege to honor trailblazers here at the University of Maryland, and we thank them for the doors they have opened and the lives they have inspired."



*Johnson Coates speaking — “I am thrilled to be a part of the university’s honor, recognition and promotion of diversity and inclusion,” Johnson Coates said at today's dedication.*




**Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)


**Tags:** [Multicultural Community](https://today.umd.edu/topic/multicultural-community)


**Units:** [Division of Student Affairs](https://today.umd.edu/topic/division-student-affairs)