Roy Wilkins, 1968, University of Texas
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Roy Wilkins was a twentieth century American political activist. Wilkins began his career in activism after graduating from the University of Minnesota, as the assistant to the head of the NAACP. He went undercover to discover the poor conditions for black workers in Mississippi, leading to legislative change. In the mid-1930s, he became chief editor of the NAACP magazine, and in 1955 he became the organization’s leader. Wilkins was instrumental in the passage of several pieces of reform legislation, including the Civil Rights Acts. He also expanded NAACP membership by over 1600%.
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