Marguerite Scott, LaVerne Higgins, and Linda Turner: The First African American Women at Tech

The stories of Marguerite Laurette Harper Scott, LaVerne Higgins, Linda Edmunds Turner, are those of resilience. The African American community, the women of Virginia Tech, and the Hokie Nation have been irrevocably bettered by the lives of these three women. Marguerite, Laverne, and Linda, were three of the first African American women to attend Virginia Tech. Many different paths led these women to Blacksburg, Virginia. Each story inspiring in its own respect, Marguerite, Laverne, Linda, and their peers faced insurmountable barriers as they left home for their freshman year.

When they first enrolled at Virginia Tech in 1966, Marguerite, LaVerne, and Linda were unaware they were the first African American women on campus. They found themselves a minority in southwest Virginia. At a time when the Confederate Flag was still on full display during football games, and there had to be approval for an interracial couple to date, these women used their voices and intellect to make a positive impact on Tech’s campus.

Shaping the culture of Virginia Tech, Marguerite, LaVerne, and Linda did not only use their time to redefine their own lives, but the lives of countless Hokies to come.

Virginia Tech challenged these women; nevertheless, in the face of great adversity, these women became advocates for the voiceless.

These women contributed to the changing landscape of Virginia Tech. The impact of Marguerite, LaVerne, and Linda has reverberated throughout all generations of Virginia Tech students. The Hokie Nation owes so much of it’s rich, diverse spirit to women like Marguerite, LaVerne, and Linda. While Virginia Tech challenged these women in unexpected ways, they overcame adversity, becoming pillars of acceptance within the Hokie Nation.