Doris Y. Wilkinson facts for kids

Doris Yvonne Wilkinson (born June 13, 1936 – died June 23, 2024) was an important sociologist from Lexington, Kentucky. She helped make the University of Kentucky more welcoming for everyone. She was the first African American student to graduate from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's degree in 1958.

Later, in 1969, Doris Wilkinson became the first African American woman to be a full-time teacher at the University of Kentucky. She taught in the Sociology Department. She was known for her important ideas in sociology, especially about critical race theory (which looks at how race and racism affect society) and the sociology of health and illness (how society and health are connected). The University of Kentucky even named a conference room after her to honor her work.

Early Life and Education

Doris Y. Wilkinson was born in 1936 in Lexington, Kentucky. She went to Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. She was a very bright student and was the top student (valedictorian) of her graduating class. She was also crowned homecoming queen!

In 1954, Doris started college at the University of Kentucky. She was part of the first group of African American students to earn a bachelor's degree from the university. While at the University of Kentucky, she started several important groups and programs. She created the Forum for Black Faculty, which was the first social club for Black women at the university. She also started the Carter G. Woodson Lecture Series and the Black Women's Conference. She helped create and direct the Black Studies program, which she later renamed the African American Studies and Research Program.

Doris Wilkinson earned her bachelor's degree in sociology in 1958. She continued her studies, getting her master's degree in sociology from Western Reserve University in 1960. In 1968, she earned her doctorate degree in Medical Sociology from Case Western Reserve University. She also earned a master's degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in 1985.

Making the University of Kentucky Fair for Everyone

Doris Wilkinson started at the University of Kentucky in 1954. This was just a few months after the U.S. Supreme Court made a big decision called Brown v. Board of Education. This ruling said that separate schools for Black and white students were not fair.

Doris was part of the first group of African-American students to graduate from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's degree. She earned her degree in sociology in 1958.

After getting her doctorate, Doris Wilkinson made history again in 1969. She became the first African American woman to be a full-time teacher at the University of Kentucky. She joined the Sociology Department.

Her Career in Sociology

Doris Wilkinson was a very important leader in the field of Sociology. She held many high positions in different groups, showing how respected she was. She was the President of the Eastern Sociological Society, the Vice President of the American Sociological Association, and the President of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. She also served as President of the District of Columbia Sociological Society.