Tom Sealy - A Man of Action: Fighting for Justice in War and Peace

Tom Sealy of Midland, Texas was an insightful, thoughtful attorney and public servant who provided leadership and notable contributions in law, government, education, business and civic life in the twentieth century. In the aftermath of World War II, Sealy marshalled a team of U.S. Armed Services attorneys who secured landmark convictions of Nazi war criminals. As Chair of the Board of Regents at the University of Texas, Sealy issued the order to allow admission of African American students at all levels in 1955, making UT the first public university in the South to overturn segregation. Sealy hired the young Darrell Royal who became the legendary Longhorn football coach. In subsequent years, Sealy was instrumental in providing many new opportunities for remarkable changes that provided justice and advancement in both public and private institutions. Tom Sealy's story can now be told in context with the many important changes that took place in Texas and the United States during the twentieth century.