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Portrait 01 of 17

John Irick

Alum · Class of 1965

  • Civil Rights
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  • Pioneer
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Portrait of John Irick
John Irick · 1964-1965 · as printed on the magazine pagePomfret in the Civil Rights Era (Fall 2005)

Consent and recordNo signed consent record is on file for this photograph. It was previously published in Pomfret in the Civil Rights Era (Fall 2005) and is reproduced here unaltered, as an archival record; Detail shows the full scan at its own size. To ask for a correction or for the photograph to be removed, contact the school through the School Directory, as the privacy policy explains; changes are logged under Corrections & changes.

In their words

"For me, Pomfret was a dream come true; it provided an opportunity for an excellent education but more importantly, a chance to demonstrate that students committed to exercising mutual respect for each other, regardless of their race, could live, study, and play together."

John Irick · 1964-1965

The story

John Irick

First African American student to enroll at Pomfret (Fall 1964) and the first to graduate (June 1965). Born in Calhoun County, SC in 1947 and raised in Orangeburg. Attended Northeastern University and Boston College Law School. Returned in 2005 for the 40th anniversary of his matriculation to receive the "First Step Towards Diversity" plaque from VOICE.