The year 2025 has marked 60 years since James Fitzgerald, Lipscomb’s first Black student, enrolled at the university. To honor this anniversary, Fitzgerald’s family reflected on his personal history, legacy and the importance of this milestone.  Fitzgerald enrolled at Lipscomb University, then David Lipscomb College, in 1965. He came to the school to study the Bible and enhance his work as a preacher. However, it was not always a given that Fitzgerald would have the opportunity to attend college. Fitzgerald was born in Thompson Station, Tennessee, during the Jim Crow era. Like many other African Americans in the South, Fitzgerald had limited access to educational resources. While white students had…