Hannibal Kershaw: Grinnell’s First Black Graduate

Three-Minute History: Mini-Stories from Grinnell College’s Past

Hannibal Kershaw 1879 from Florence, South Carolina, was the first Black student to graduate from Grinnell College. According to the Iowa College News Letter, Kershaw was “an earnest, conscientious student, a fluent society speaker, and a man whom all respected for his high moral and religious character.” He would later become a teacher, minister, and a South Carolina legislator. 

Kershaw died tragically young at the age of 26, just four years after graduating from Grinnell, but his legacy at the College continues to inspire Grinnellians to strive for their goals. 

Kershaw Hall, a white limestone residence hall on East Campus, was named in his honor in 2005.

Learn more about Grinnell College history.