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.