The Dilemma of the Genteel Tradition: Birmingham-Southern College in the Civil Rights Era, 1957-1965.

An essay is presented concerning the dilemmas facing students and administrators of Birmingham-Southern College (BSC) in Birmingham, Alabama, between 1957 and 1965. It discusses the concept of the genteel tradition of higher education in an atmosphere of social change, the history of BSC, and a 1959 article in the periodical "Harpers Magazine" by journalist David Boroff on student life at BSC. It discusses then-BSC president Henry King Stanford, African American minister Fred Shuttlesworth, and BSC student involvement in civil rights demonstrations.