Dr. James Cross is an engineer and professor who graduated from Hopkins in 1960 with a degree in electrical engineering. Cross details his experiences as one of the first Black students at Hopkins. He mentions befriending one Black student who was also living on campus at the time, Ernie Bates, and attending a sit-in at a local restaurant with another Black student, Victor Dates. During his undergraduate years, Cross was a member of ROTC, he ran track, and strongly committed to his studies and education as a form of civil rights activism. In the interview, Cross touches on his early life growing up in rural Virginia, his experiences abroad while in the Army, and the various educational and professional paths his life took in his post-Hopkins years. He remains an active member of his community and speaks fondly of his family's endeavors and accomplishments. Dr. Cross was nominated for the Indispensable Role of Blacks at Hopkins Exhibit and has spoken about his life and career at the Fred Scott Brigade Annual Dinner. This oral history is part of the Hopkins Retrospective oral history series.

John Gryder, a longtime chemistry professor at Hopkins, was a noted civil rights activist in Baltimore. He attended the California Institute of Technology for his undergraduate and some graduate work and received his Ph.D in chemistry from Columbia University in 1948 before coming to Hopkins to teach later that year. Gryder partnered with Rev. Dr. Chester Wickwire, the campus chaplain for many years, to help desegregate Baltimore and provide equal educational opportunities for African Americans during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s. In this oral history, Gryder discusses being a professor and administrator on campus through various Hopkins presidencies and how Hopkins has changed as an institution from the 1950s forward, especially during the heyday of the student movement in the 1960s. This oral history is part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.

Chester Wickwire was born in Nebraska. He completed his undergraduate work at Union College and went on to earn a graduate degree from Yale Divinity School. Wickwire graduated in 1953, and was hired to work at Johns Hopkins University, eventually serving as University Chaplain. Wickwire was a social activist on campus and in the greater Baltimore community, advocating tirelessly for social justice and civil rights for all. In this interview, Wickwire discusses his time as Chaplain as well as his activism. This oral history is a part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.

"S.B." is a member of the Johns Hopkins University graduating class of 2018, and majored in biomedical engineering. S.B. was born in Ecuador and raised in Delaware. In this interview, S.B. discusses their educational journey prior to college, including their time as a student at the Delaware Military Academy. S.B. goes on to describe their experience as a first-generation student at Johns Hopkins, discussing various academic programs, internships, and life on campus. This oral history is part of the First-generation Students oral histories series.