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.

Baltimore native Elmo Douglass graduated from Johns Hopkins in 1954 with a degree in civil engineering. After graduation, Douglass joined the Army Corps, and later had a long career in highway and transit engineering for the California Department of Transportation. In this history, Douglass recounts his time at Hopkins as one of the first African-American undergraduates in the school of engineering. This oral history is part of the Hopkins Retrospective oral histories series.

Ross Jones, a native of Haddonfield, New Jersey just outside Philadelphia, graduated from Johns Hopkins in 1953 with a B. A. in History, after which he served for three years in the U. S. Army. While at Hopkins, Jones was highly involved with many student groups and activities, including the News-Letter, for which he was co-editor. He received a masters degree in journalism from Columbia University before moving back to Baltimore to work at Hopkins in 1961 as the executive assistant to then-president Milton S. Eisenhower. Since then, Jones has occupied many positions with the university including, most notably, as vice president of the university. In this oral history, Jones describes his experiences at Hopkins as a student in the 1950s, his work under multiple Hopkins presidencies (since 1961), and how Hopkins has changed in the last half-century. This oral history is part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.

Margaret Sparrow was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She earned her undergraduate degree from Goucher College in 1950 and her graduate degree in political science from Johns Hopkins University. Sparrow served as the executive director of the Baltimore Council of Fire Girls from 1955 until 1965. After moving to White Plains, New York, Sparrow took a position as the executive director pf the Southwest Connecticut Girl Scout Council for 5 years. She spent the remainder of her career as an executive director of the Constituent Leagues for the National League for Nursing in New York. Sparrow was also active in Republican politics and ran for a spot on the Baltimore City Council in 1950. In this history, Sparrow talks about her life, growing up in Baltimore, and Girl Scouts. This oral history is part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.

Susan Terranova ('76 BA, '77 MA SAIS) was a member of one of the first undergraduate classes to admit women and was the first woman to join the Johns Hopkins ROTC program. After graduating from the School of Advanced International Studies in 1977, Terranova embarked on a career as an Army officer, teaching at West Point and serving in Korea, Germany, the United States, and Colombia. After retiring from the Army, she began a second career as a foreign languages teacher. In this interview, Terranova recounts her early family life, ROTC at Hopkins during her time, and her career in the Army and as a teacher. This oral history is part of the Hopkins Retrospective oral histories series.