Sweet Moment Between History-Making Black Georgia Tech Grad And Granddaughter is Caught on Video

Ronald Yancey made history in June 1965 as the first Black graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology. And last weekend, the Atlanta native made a trip back to campus for a very special reason – to present his granddaughter, Deanna Yancey, with her master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering at the school’s May 3 commencement ceremony.

The university shared the tender moment in a May 4 Instagram clip. Deanna is shown walking across the stage to her grandfather, who greets her with a smile and a hug.

Deanna, who received her bachelor’s degree in engineering from Penn State University in 2020, says she didn’t tell her family she was applying to her grandfather’s alma mater for her master’s program until she was accepted. And his reaction to the surprise was worth keeping the news a secret.

“When I got in, I got to read the acceptance email to my grandfather,” Deanna Yancey said in a statement. “He was so happy. He almost started jumping; he was so excited.”

Ronald’s road to Georgia Tech was not an easy one: Always a strong student, he was rejected by the school when he applied for an undergraduate program. He went on to Morehouse College and majored in math and physics. But because the school didn’t have an engineering program, he applied to Georgia Tech again in 1961 – and was rejected, according to a story published by the university.

He was finally accepted in 1962 under the condition that he would retake the SAT and take a summer chemistry class. And when he finally arrived on campus, he was warned not to take public transportation or go to any of the school’s athletic events for his safety.

Yancey was also subjected to extraordinary requirements that his white classmates were not, including maintaining a B average and taking 18 exams during the last weeks of school, while other seniors did not have to take finals. But he was eventually given the degree he so rightfully earned in 1965, making him the only Black man of the 300 students in his graduating class. A sculpture dedicated to Yancey was erected on the campus in 2019.

As his granddaughter completes her master’s program, Ronald Yancey says he couldn’t be prouder.

“We are extremely proud that Deanna took the initiative to select her field, to quietly and quickly apply, arrange her curriculum and follow through with the completion of her matriculation,” he said in a statement to the university. “Deanna’s graduate degree is truly an impressive achievement.”