Preview
Challenges
- Led TSU during campus invasion by Houston police
- Event was preceded by student protests over dismissal of Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and faculty advisor.
- SNCC supporters barred doors to classrooms and blocked traffic on Wheeler Avenue.
- Protests culminate in the shooting death of rookie officer, Louis Kuba.
- Police arrested more than 400 students. All were released except five men charged in the death of Kuba.
- The murder charges were eventually dismissed.
Accomplishments
- Though Pierce served the shortest tenure of any TSU president, retiring due to health concerns, the university enjoyed record graduation numbers during his stint.
Tenure
1966-1967