 The school began admitting African American students following the landmark ruling Brown v. Board of Education . In September 1954 , 10 African @-@ American students enrolled at City College . The school board also sent two African American men , Eugene Parker and Pierre H. Davis , to teach at the school in 1956 . Parker taught at City College for 30 years . Davis taught for one year , but returned as the school 's first black principal in 1971 . In 1978 , at the urging of concerned alumni , City College underwent its first major capital renovations . When the campus reopened , the high school welcomed women for the first time . The all @-@ male tradition did not end easily ; alumni had argued for the uniqueness of a single @-@ sex educational system and convinced the task force studying the issue to vote 11 – 6 in favor of keeping the all @-@ male tradition . The Board of School Commissioners , in a reversal , voted to admit women citing constitutional concerns . 
