An Interview With Wesley Pugh '73

Biography

Wesley Pugh '73 in football uniform (1972)

Dr. Wesley C. Pugh ‘73 was born in 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up in Cherry Hill and was extremely active in his high school, participating in activities including lacrosse, football, the school newspaper, and Upward Bound. As an All-State athlete and highly successful student, he was recruited to play football for Dartmouth and matriculated in 1969. 

Dr. Pugh was a member of some of the greatest varsity football teams in Dartmouth’s history, including the 1970 undefeated winners of the Lambert Trophy. He is still considered one of the greatest safeties in Dartmouth history. During his undergraduate career, Dr. Pugh also participated in a number of student activities, including Casque and Gauntlet, the Afro-American Society, the Talladega College exchange program, and the foreign study program in Sierra Leone.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Dartmouth, Dr. Pugh attended the Harvard University School of Education for his master’s degree and the University of Pennsylvania for his Ph.D in education. Dr. Pugh began his professional career as director of a professional development program within the American Foundation for Negro Affairs (AFNA). He was employed by the School District of Philadelphia as a central office research associate.

Following his work in the social impact sector and public education, Dr. Pugh became a Professor of Education at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. He was a Lindback Distinguished Teaching Professor and served for two years as Interim Dean of the School of Education and Graduate Studies. Dr. Pugh has held numerous other positions throughout his career at Cheyney, all with the goal of providing opportunities to high-achieving, minority students.

Prior to his retirement in 2018, Dr. Pugh established the first curriculum of study at an HBCU that addressed trauma education and pedagogy for school leaders and teachers. He currently resides in Philadelphia with his wife.

Dr. Wesley Pugh

Interview

This interview was held on October 25, 2021. The discussion begins with Pugh’s childhood in Baltimore, Maryland, and it concludes with a reflection on working in higher education and his current relationship with the Dartmouth community. Along the way, he also covers a variety of other topics, including an extensive look at his Dartmouth football career and his personal experiences with events like the Vietnam War. Throughout the interview, Pugh discusses themes of Black equity in education, which will be a central theme in this exhibit. For a more detailed look at this interview, the transcript and audio recording below provide a verbatim account (besides minor edits for clarity). Dr. Pugh’s life is a powerful testimony to the legacy of the Black community at Dartmouth, as well as the importance of continuing reform and inclusion.

An audio recording of the interview is linked here. A full transcript can be viewed by clicking on the page below.