The University of Alabama community is mourning the death of its first Black faculty member, Dr. Archie Wade.
Wade, a Stillman College graduate and athlete, was a minor league baseball star before joining the St. Louis Cardinals and spending time in the majors.
At the invitation of then-President Frank Rose, he helped integrate the football stadium at UA during the Tide’s 1964 game against Georgia, and UA says Wade then worked recruiting for Paul “Bear” Bryant and earned his doctorate from the Capstone.
Finally, in 1970, President David Matthew chose Wade to be the first African American faculty member at Alabama…