PHOTO GALLERY: Wigginton, Classmates Celebrate UKPT Class of 1984
By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director
When Tassa Wigginton came to UK in the Physical Therapy Department in the early 1980s, she was a nontraditional student, married with children, and she took on a mother figure role to the class while also making lifelong friends.
She also happens to be black, and she went on to become the first black PT student to graduate from the University of Kentucky.
On July 13, Tassa, now 79, helped celebrate the 40th anniversary of that group with her classmates in The Commons Room at the College of Health Sciences. Many former students walked into the special celebration and formed a line, waiting to give Tassa a big hug.
“We knew you as an amazing wife, amazing mother, and an incredible person,” Cathy Murphy-Rau, who lives in Mansfield, Ohio, told the crowd.
During the reunion, which actually occurred over a two-day period, the alumni were treated to a tour of the College, games, food and lots of laughter. The former students flipped through baby pictures, shared memories and even took an impromptu anatomy pop quiz (The prize for the best grade? A $10 Starbucks gift card). In all, 30 of 36 in the class were able to attend.
After lunch, superlatives were handed out — everything from those who had published books to those who had traveled the farthest to get to the reunion. But for Tassa, there was one special recognition — she was presented the with the group’s Trailblazer Award.
“I thank you so much for this special recognition,” Tassa said.
Those academic days were long, she said. Tassa would catch the 6 a.m. bus for her 8 o’clock class, then her husband would come pick her up at 11 p.m. She went on to become a physical therapist for the V.A. Medical Center.
“I was just trying to keep up with you guys,” she told the others in the room. “Know that every time this award is given out, I’ll will always be with you.”
Tassa wiped away tears as the applause finally eased. “Thank you so, so much,” she said.
It seemed everyone in the room felt the same thing: The reunion was a smash hit.
“This was all just amazing,” said Becky McDowell Eisman, who traveled from Atlanta, Ga. “I’m so glad we came.”
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Lyman T. Johnson’s historic legal triumph against the University of Kentucky, a milestone that marked him as the first Black student to integrate the University.
Each month, the College of Health Sciences will explore another story that honors Johnson’s legacy, from trailblazers who led the way in healthcare to those who personally benefited from his accomplishments.
Look for the CHS stories on the college’s website and social media.