Richard E. Holmes, the first Black student to enroll at Mississippi State University, died Friday. He was 82.
Holmes enrolled at the previously segregated university in Starkville on July 19, 1965, three years after James Meredith integrated the University of Mississippi amid violent opposition.
MSU president Mark Keenum, remembered Holmes as a man of courage, vision and patience who left a lasting impact on the university.
“Dr. Holmes cast a long, productive and impactful shadow over this institution, a shadow that also leaned forward,” Keenum said in a statement. “I will miss his company and his counsel.”
Holmes, a Starkville native, earned a liberal arts degree from MSU in 1969 and a master’s degree in microbiology in 1973. He received his medical degree from Michigan State University in 1977 and later worked as an emergency room physician in Birmingham, Alabama.
Holmes returned to Mississippi and joined MSU’s Longest Student Health Center in 2003, where he served as a staff physician.
The university named its cultural diversity center in his honor in 1991 and recognized him in 2006 as its first Black National Alumnus of the Year. Holmes and his wife, Judie, also established an endowed scholarship supporting minority students.
Mississippi State’s first African American student, Dr. Richard E. Holmes, died Oct. 16, 2026 at age 82. In August, MSU held a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Dr. Richard E. Holmes Plaza. The monument marks Holmes’ significant contributions during his time as a student, staff member and alumnus. Credit: Grace Cockrell/Mississippi State UniversityMost recently, on Aug. 21, MSU dedicated the Dr. Richard E. Holmes Plaza in recognition of his contributions to the university.
For generations of Black alumni, Holmes’ legacy extended beyond the university honors he received.
Edward Sanders, co-founder of Mississippi State University Black Alumni Weekend, recalled bringing Holmes and James Meredith together during the event’s inaugural gala in 2016. Hearing the two men reflect on their experiences integrating Mississippi’s universities left a lasting impression, he said.
“Both were full of wisdom and advice and it was one of the few times we got to see them interact together,” Sanders, a 2006 MSU graduate, said. “His passing will leave a huge void, but there are others from his time and era at Mississippi State that will continue to hold a torch.”
Judy Meredith, James Meredith’s wife and a 2007 MSU graduate, said Holmes’ courage opened doors for generations of Black students.
“He did it,” Meredith said. “And it allowed me to do it. For that, I’m grateful for him and his legacy.”
Camille Scales Young, who became the MSU National Alumni Association’s first Black president in 2012, said Holmes’ legacy also inspired her own leadership.
Alumni named a tailgating tent “Marvelously Maroon 1965” to commemorate Holmes’ historic enrollment. When she told Holmes about the tribute, Young recalled, he was honored and pleased.
“All graduates have a responsibility of carrying on his legacy and dedication to the school he loved so much,” Scales Young said.
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