Six African-American students from Arkansas pioneered the integration of the University of Arkansas through its School of Law between 1948 and 1951. Silas Hunt was the first to enroll, but he died of illness in 1949. The first to graduate, in 1951, was Jackie Shropshire, who became an attorney in Indiana. Enrolling in 1949 were George Haley, who went on to become U.S. ambassador to Gambia; Chris Mercer, who became a Little Rock attorney; and Wiley Branton, who served as dean of the Howard University law school. The sixth pioneer was George Howard, Jr., who became U.S. District Judge, Eastern District of Arkansas.