MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Luther C. McClellan, one of the "Memphis State Eight" has died, The University of Memphis Alumni Association reports.
According to the U of M Black Alumni Chapter, Luther McClellan passed away Friday July 12 surrounded by love ones.
McClellan was one of the "Memphis State Eight" - the first group of African- American students admitted to the university in 1959.
He was the first African-American to graduate from Memphis State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in 1962 and is the namesake of the campus's alumni mall.