Dr. Audrey Mackey is a trailblazer… and a bit of a prodigy—starting college at age 16 at the newly merged Huston-Tillotson University. After serving in Vietnam, he used his GI bill to attend graduate school and eventually received his PhD in Biology from UT Austin.

Dr. Mackey led his 50-year career much like his life—with determination and grace, despite any obstacles he faced.

As a young boy, he moved from the country to bustling East Austin, where he experienced firsthand the effects of segregation. He remembers the great Thurgood Marshall arguing before the US Supreme Court in Sweatt v. Painter after Heman Marion Sweatt was denied admission to the UT School of Law because he was black. This sparked something in young Audrey; “It was a big deal”, he says, to see a prominent black leader fighting for the rights of other black community members.

During his time in college, Audrey quickly found a community with the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, becoming a brother. Here he became connected with the “Go to High School, Go to College” initiative that mentored students to pursue a higher education. Dr. Mackey reflects, “It was really rewarding to visit a college during a presentation and having a student approach us to tell us that hearing our stories inspired them to go to college and pursue their own passion.” At 89, Dr. Mackey still volunteers with the initiative when needed after serving as the Area Director of the group for several decades.

Throughout his career, Dr. Mackey taught at many different levels but later returned to where it all began—at Huston-Tillotson University as an adjunct professor.

Dr. Mackey’s care for helping future generations succeed is evident. His parting advice to young people everywhere would be to find your niche. “If you don’t enjoy where you are, you won’t get the results you’re looking for, so find what you’re passionate about!”