'''Ervin Sewell Perry''' (1935–December 14, 1970)<ref name=obit>{{cite news | newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas) | date=December 15, 1970 | page=1 | title=Prof Dies | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99425696/perry-death-announcement/}}</ref> was an American civil engineer who became the first Black faculty member at a predominantly White university in the South when he was appointed in 1964 at the University of Texas at Austin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cockrell.utexas.edu/an-accomplished-engineer-ervin-perry-made-history-as-uts-first-black-faculty-member |title=An Accomplished Engineer, Ervin Perry Made History as UT's First Black Faculty Member |publisher=University of Texas at Austin |access-date=9 April 2022}}</ref> Perry–Castañeda Library, the main central library of the University of Texas at Austin library system, is named in his honor. Perry received the Young Engineer of the Year award from the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1970.<ref name=kelly>{{cite news | newspaper=Austin American-Statesman (Texas) | date=September 14, 1977 | page=55 | title=New UT library found awesome, yet accessible | last=Kelly | first=Lee | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99423901/perry-castaneda-library/}}</ref>
== Early life and education ==
Perry was born and raised in Coldspring, Texas. He was one of four sons and four daughters born to Willie and Edna Perry.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=San Jacinto News-Times (Shepherd, Texas) | date=September 12, 1968 | page=1 | title=Willie Perry Services in Coldspring | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99427227/perry-father-obit/}}</ref>
He graduated from Prairie View A&M College in 1956 and received its Distinguished Graduate Award. He earned his Master of Science degree in 1961 and his Ph.D. degree in 1964, both at the University of Texas.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=San Jacinto News-Times (Shepherd, Texas) | date=November 17, 1977 | page=1 | title=U of T library dedicated | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99426004/perry-library-edu/}}</ref><ref name=intern>{{cite news | newspaper=The Austin American (Texas) | date=May 3, 1967 | page=13 | title=UT Prof Chosen For Internship | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99424907/perry-intern/}}</ref>
== Career ==
After graduation, Perry taught at Prairie View A&M and Southern University. In 1964, Perry joined the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Texas.{{r|intern}} He was promoted to associate professor in 1969.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Austin American-Statesman (Texas) | date=September 19, 1969 | page=45 | title=150 Promotions Announced Thursday for UT Faculty | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99425275/perry-promotion/}}</ref>
For the 1967–68 academic year, Perry was selected by the American Council on Education for an academic administration internship at Drexel Institute of Technology.{{r|intern}}
== Personal life == Perry and his wife, Jean, had three daughters.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=The Austin American (Texas) | date=December 15, 1970 | page=29 | title=Ervin Sewell Perry | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50508751/obituary-for-ervin-sew-ell-perry-perry/}}</ref> Perry died in Houston on December 14, 1970, of cancer.{{r|obit}}<ref>{{cite book | last=Goldstone | first=D. | title=Integrating the 40 Acres: The Fifty-Year Struggle for Racial Equality at the University of Texas | publisher=University of Georgia Press | year=2012 | isbn=978-0-8203-4085-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Py0twYbZZ0C&pg=PA141 | access-date=April 9, 2022 | page=141}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perry, Ervin}} Category:Prairie View A&M University alumni Category:University of Texas at Austin faculty Category:1935 births Category:1970 deaths Category:20th-century American engineers
{{US-engineer-stub}}