When Lelia Thompson Flagg, a 1960 graduate in civil engineering, arrived at Missouri S&T for the first time, there were no dorms for her to stay in. Instead, she stayed with a Black family south of campus while earning her degree.

Flagg was the first Black woman to graduate from Missouri S&T and was one of only 11 women during her freshman year in 1956. She excelled at math in high school and was encouraged by her teachers to study engineering.

After graduation, Flagg headed to California to work at the Bureau of Sanitary Engineering. Later, she returned to S&T and became assistant director of admissions until 1998.

Share This Story

Spark a Memory?

Share your story! Fill out the form below to share your fondest memory or anecdote of S&T. If you'd prefer not typing, you can also share by phone at 833-646-3715 (833-Miner150).

Alyssa Purdy and Ryon Owings

Alyssa Purdy and Ryon Owings

Alyssa Purdy and Ryon Owings met during Opening Week in August 2014. Both lived in TJ Hall’s north tower –…

Rebuilding a flooded town

Rebuilding a flooded town

At its happening, the Flood of ‘93 was one of the worst crises to have ever impacted the St. Louis…

Amanda (Kay Hansen) and Chris Byrd

Amanda (Kay Hansen) and Chris Byrd

It was a fire drill at TJ Residence Hall in September 1999 that first brought Amanda (Kay Hansen) and Chris…

Houston, we have a slight case of nausea

Houston, we have a slight case of nausea

NASA referred to its KC-125 aircraft as the “weightless wonder” because it carried college students and their experiments into micro-gravity…

Brandi (Andersen) and Patrick VerSteeg

Brandi (Andersen) and Patrick VerSteeg

Brandi (Andersen) and Patrick VerSteeg met during Opening Week in 2006. “My roommate and I knew Patrick’s roommate from Jackling…

Movie magic

Movie magic

The technology used to create Davy Jones from “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” and characters from other films…