MC dedicates Dr. Barbara Diggs Lyles House in honor of first female Black graduate
Marietta, OH (12/20/2023) — When Barbara Diggs Lyles '51 arrived on campus in the 1940s, the young woman was met by College administrators with anything but enthusiasm. Despite having immense pressure and expectations to be a perfect student, Lyles became the first female Black graduate of Marietta College.
During Homecoming, the campus community joined together to honor the memory of Lyles, who passed away in 2012, by dedicating the Dr. Barbara Diggs Lyles House, formerly the Arts & Humanities (A&H) House. Among those in attendance were Lyles' daughters, Jocelyn and Lauri Lyles.
"I am so very overwhelmed and emotional about this, and I want to thank each and every one of you for your power, for your energy, for everything you've done to make this possible," Jocelyn Lyles says.
The Barbara Diggs Lyles House houses the Multicultural Center, as well as a residence hall devoted to diversity. Funds raised during Day of Giving supported the renovation of the Multicultural Center and the addition of signage. Tony Mayle, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Diversity & Inclusion, says future fundraising will focus on renovating the kitchen, residential rooms and HVAC.
Mayle invited various student and alumni representatives to talk about the organizations that utilize the Multicultural Center, including Brother2Brother, Global Connections, Black Student Union and Women in Leadership. He also pointed out a special plaque on the wall featuring the names of Marietta's African-American graduates up to 2014. Lyles is the 13th name listed.
"I never met Barbara Diggs Lyles, but I wish I had," says Marietta College President, Dr. Margaret Drugovich. "When I read the Board's resolution recognizing her efforts, I read in that resolution admiration for her accomplishments as a scholar and a pioneer. When I read about her career, I read about a woman who was determined to unlock the future for others; in other words: to battle ignorance through her teaching and her scholarship. When I read her own words about her experience at Marietta, I read someone capable of understanding and capable of forgiveness. I look at her photo in the yearbook, and I see cool determination with an eye to the future. She must have been both cool and determined to be the first African American female graduate of Marietta College."
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Lauri Lyles and Jocelyn Lyles (left) celebrate their late mother during the dedication of the Dr. Barbara Diggs Lyles House and Multicultural Center. Barbara was the first African-American woman to graduate from Marietta in 1951.