The University announced on Monday that the man who helped integrate Auburn athletics will be the guest speaker at the University's two summer graduation ceremonies this Saturday, Aug. 3.
Thom Gossom, Jr., the first black athlete to graduate from Auburn, will deliver the graduation address for both the 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies at Auburn Arena.
The Birmingham native walked-on and later received a football scholarship as a wide receiver on the 1972-1974 teams. He was a member of "The Amazins," the 1972 Shug Jordan-coached squad that went 10-1 and is best remembered for the "Punt, Bama, Punt" victory in the Iron Bowl.
Gossom graduated with a bachelor's degree in mass communication in 1975 and later received his master's degree from the University of Montevallo.
In addition to his work as a writer and communications consultant, Gossom is an actor who has appeared in numerous films and television shows. He was a recurring cast member on the long-running Southern crime drama "In the Heat of the Night," which was on network television from 1988-1995.
Gossom wrote a memoir on his days at Auburn titled "Walk-On: My Reluctant Journey To Integration." The critically acclaimed book was released in 2008 and was featured on CNN and HBO's "Breaking the Huddle" documentary.
He now splits his time between acting, writing, speaking and consulting for Best Gurl Entertainment, a production company he started in 2005.
For those who are unable to attend the Auburn Arena on Saturday, Gossom's addresses and the entire graduation ceremonies will be available to be viewed live at auburn.edu/graduationlive.
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