This Black History Month, we’re honoring two trailblazing University of Maine alumni whose legacies reflect leadership, service, and lasting impact, both on campus and beyond.
Jim Varner ’57, was one of UMaine’s first Black student-athletes, competing in football and track & field. He later returned to UMaine as Assistant Director of Admissions for Minority Recruitment and has remained deeply involved in civil rights work through the NAACP and Maine Human Rights Coalition.
Nancy Dymond ’97 became the first Maine-born African American to graduate from the University of Maine System and then teach in Maine, earning her elementary education degree in 1997 and going on to shape the lives of young learners for over a decade.
Their legacy lives on at UMaine and here at the UMaine Alumni Association!