This symposium stemmed from a 2002 panel at the APSA Annual Meeting in Boston, MA. The panel discussed the major professional contributions of several political scientists who graduated between 1935 and 1955. They attended graduate school during “separate but equal” in many Southern states. Yet, they achieved and made major contributions at many black and white universities. Many black students were motivated to study political science, enter graduate school, and pursue a pivotal career in political science and law. The preponderance of these early political scientists was employed at black or African-American universities. They established strong programs at these institutions and encouraged students to pursue degrees in political science and law.