Who is Clara Belle Williams?

Clara Belle Drisdale Williams was born on Oct. 29, 1885, in Plum, Texas, to Isaac and Malinda Drisdale. She is the first black student to graduate from the New Mexico College of Agriculture & Mechanic Arts (now known as New Mexico State University NMSU). She enrolled in the university in the fall of 1928. Mrs. Williams taught at Booker T. Washington Elementary School in Las Cruces, New Mexico for more than 20 years, during a time when Las Cruces’s public schools were segregated. While teaching she was taking courses only offered during the summer and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in English from NMSU in 1937 at the age of 51.

The black and white photograph depicts a woman sitting on an old-style, dark-colored chest, which likely serves as a bench. She is seated slightly to the left, angled towards the right. She is wearing a light-colored, sheer, delicate dress adorned with patterns and lace details. The dress features a V-neckline and sheer, elbow-length sleeves with visible lace strips running horizontally across them. Her hair is styled neatly and close to the head, and she wears glasses. The expression on her face is calm and thoughtful. Around her neck, she has a beaded choker necklace. The background is a simple, plain wall.

Clara Belle Williams continued her education well beyond her graduation date, taking graduate-level classes into the 1950s. She succeeded despite significant obstacles of discrimination placed upon her while pursuing her higher education. In 1961, New Mexico State University named Williams Street on the NMSU-Las Cruces campus in her honor. She received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from NMSU in 1980. Mrs. Williams passed away on July 3, 1994, aged 108.