▁in ▁September ▁with ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 8 6 ▁students ▁in ▁its ▁first ▁class . ▁The ▁college ▁moved ▁to ▁its ▁main ▁campus ▁on ▁Washington ▁Street ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁Ord way ▁Hall . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁Wars ▁it ▁seemed ▁as ▁though ▁everything ▁would ▁be ▁affected , ▁and ▁Am ar illo ▁College ▁was ▁no ▁exception . ▁Through out ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁Am ar illo ▁College ' s ▁Def ense ▁School ▁and ▁other ▁classes ▁trained ▁for ▁w art ime ▁building ▁efforts . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁college , ▁Dr . ▁M ead , ▁was ▁commission ed ▁to ▁the ▁Army ▁and ▁forced ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁leave ▁of ▁absence ▁to ▁help ▁in ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁Am ar illo ▁College ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁three ▁public ly ▁supported ▁Texas ▁college ▁to ▁have ▁ra cially ▁integrated ▁under grad uate ▁classes , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁AC ▁had ▁its ▁first ▁African ▁American ▁gradu ate . ▁ ▁The ▁other ▁colleg es ▁to ▁admit ▁African ▁Americans ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁were ▁Texas ▁South most ▁College ▁in ▁Brow ns ville ▁and ▁Howard ▁County ▁Junior ▁College ▁in ▁Big ▁Spring . ▁( The ▁AC ▁Story : ▁Journal ▁of ▁a ▁College , ▁Joe ▁F . ▁Taylor , ▁ 1 9 7 9 ) ▁ ▁Am ar illo ▁College ▁was ▁the ▁host ▁of ▁a ▁men ' s ▁basketball ▁team ▁from