A legacy of perseverance at UCLA

In 1931, Edith Keyser was on the verge of graduating as part of the second cohort of students to complete their degrees at UCLA's new Westwood campus. But there was one "technicality" standing in the way: a physical education requirement, and Keyser was just not very good at PE.

Her solution was folk dancing - something she could do well and that fulfilled the requirement. Everything seemed to be on track until she discovered the class required physical contact with other students. Her classmates refused to hold Keyser's hand because she was Black.

Whether accommodations were made or attitudes softened has been lost to history. What remains is the presence of deep UCLA roots, which took shape after Keyser graduated with that bachelor's degree in history in 1931, becoming the first Bruin in what would become a multigenerational UCLA family rooted in resilience, pride and service.

Keyser's daughters, Teresa White Riddle and Alice White Parrish, would follow her to Westwood decades later. White Riddle shared her mother's story with the UCLA Alumni Association - and addressed the barriers her mother faced after leaving campus in the 1930s.

Keyser had wanted to work in education after graduating, but Los Angeles city schools did not hire Black secondary teachers at that time. Instead, she worked as a social worker for Los Angeles County. During World War II, when hiring restrictions eased, she joined the Los Angeles Unified School District, where she served as a truant officer for about 20 years.

In 1958, Keyser and her husband moved their family to Silver Lake. Concerned that a seller might refuse to sell to the Black family, she asked a fair-skinned cousin to purchase the lot and transfer it to her. They built their home and moved in. Soon after, a neighbor announced he would not live next door to Black residents, ultimately picking up his family and moving away. Keyser and her family remained.

Throughout White Riddle's childhood, one constant remained: her mother's love for UCLA. "She programmed us to go to UCLA," White Riddle said.

Each fall, Keyser brought her children to campus open houses, pointing out classrooms and offices from her student days. White Riddle enrolled in 1964. Her sister followed a year later.

Living on the Hill in the 1960s, both sisters forged their own paths. White Riddle's first assigned roommate, however, refused to live with her because she was Black. The student moved out but was told by the university that she would not be given another room. White Riddle would go on to become the first African American house advisor in campus housing history. White Parrish, who earned a bachelor's degree in 1969, built lifelong friendships and a lasting connection to the university.

After graduating, both sisters served 34-year careers with LAUSD. White Riddle, who received her bachelor's in 1968 and master of education in 1976, eventually became principal of Paul Revere Middle School in Brentwood - the first woman and the first person of color to lead the campus in its 50-year history.

For this family, UCLA is more than a shared alma mater. "UCLA is the most important place in my life," White Riddle said.

Read the full story of Keyser's Bruin family legacy from UCLA Alumni Association.