Simkins College

The Simkins Advisory College is named in honor of Dr. George Simkins Jr., DDS, a prominent dentist in Greensboro and a dedicated civil rights activist. Dr. Simkins served as president of the local NAACP chapter from 1959 to 1984, championing equality and social justice throughout his career. In 1955, he and several other Black men were arrested for trespassing after playing nine holes at the segregated Gillespie Park Golf Course. Their convictions were appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against them by a narrow 5-4 vote. However, their sentences were later commuted by Governor Luther Hodges. Dr. Simkins continued to fight for equality by successfully suing to desegregate Wesley Long Community and Moses Cone hospitals, as well as public libraries and municipal tennis and golf facilities. His life and work exemplify the spirit of diversity and the relentless pursuit of equal access for all, values we aim to foster in the students of the Simkins Advisory College.