Honors College History

In the 1960s, as student organizers pressured universities to fully include Black students, they advocated for full inclusion in honors programs. A group known as the Congress of Racial Equity (CORE) “sought racial desegregation at the university… [and] struggled mightily in 1966 and early 1967 against…white indifference concerning race relations at the University of Maryland” (Andrea Levy, “Meeting the challenge of diversity 1968-1976: The Intensive Educational Development Program and change at the University of Maryland,” Chapter 2, 2010). CORE charged that university President Wilson Elkins ignored Black student concerns. The organization’s president, Earl Wynn, pushed Elkins to step up integration, Black history courses, and recruitment, among other concerns. At the time, the university was not well regarded as a race-friendly campus, and for this:

“Black students did not often consider the University…. College-bound Black high school graduates…were more likely to attend one of the [state’s four HBCUs]…. Maryland’s higher education system…was as racially segregated as it had been before the 1954 Brown…decision.” (Levy, Chapter 2, 2010)

According to a Diamondback student newspaper article on April 26, 1968, CORE pressured the university to recruit Black honors students. President Elkins was quoted as saying, “We only recruit athletes.” Portz then corresponded with Elkins welcoming the opportunity to recruit Black honors students. Portz was ahead of the institution’s official progress but his efforts were undoubtedly part of an accumulating effect. In the early 1970s, the campus began to support the recruitment of Black students.

It became clear that the University would have to place greater emphasis on minority student recruitment. Prior to 1970, there had been no formal mechanism for bringing African American students into the pool of applicants for admission to undergraduate status. Targeted recruitment had been left to CCAR [Campus Coalition Against Racism] students and IED [Intensive Educational Development] program staff. This began to change in 1970-71 when, in partial implementation of the University’s desegregation plan, “two full-time recruiters were hired by the Admissions Office specifically to recruit Black students…” (Levy, Chapter 3, 2010).

Portz also suggested to Elkins in his correspondence that the University set aside several honors scholarships for Black students. In addition to this, he promised that the Honors Student Council would contribute $500 annually to the scholarship fund to be given to Black high school graduates admitted to the General Honors Program. As Director, Portz and his wife, Edythe (who, according to records, was not a university staff or faculty member but appeared to be deeply involved with the program) contributed personal funds to support scholarships for Black honors students. 

The Honors Student Council also agreed to assist in recruiting Black honors students. In reaching out to and having conversations with the CORE faculty advisor, Portz announced offering honors seminars that emphasized Black history and culture. President Elkins agreed that of the approximately 30 scholarships awarded to National Merit Finalists, five would be held for Portz to award to incoming Black honors students (May 2, 1968).