Kelley Dolphus Stroud ’31 was one of the most prolific scholars and elite athletes to ever emerge from the Pikes Peak region, despite years of assaults, persecutions, and opportunities denied him because of his race. Stroud began at Colorado College in 1926, having been accepted at Harvard University but unable to attend because of funding. He was the sole Black student until his sister, Effie, joined him the following year. He graduated from CC cum laude in 1931 with a degree in political science, receiving As in all his classes but one, and was the first Black CC student ever elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
The Stroud family story, one of tragedy and triumph, is honored in a new space in Ed Robson Arena, the Kelley Dolphus Stroud ’31 Club Level, sponsored in partnership with Saunders Norwood Construction. The space was formally dedicated at a ceremony with the Stroud family on Dec. 14, and the story is a permanent fixture in the space. Members of the CC and broader community are invited to explore the Kelley Dolphus Stroud space during arena events or anytime during regular business hours.