Parren Mitchell was a decorated war veteran, who, after initially being denied from the University of Maryland’s graduate school because of his race, was ultimately accepted into the graduate program and earned his master’s degree in sociology in 1952. He went on to become the first black congressman from Maryland, and the first from any state south of the Mason-Dixon Line since 1901. Throughout his career, Mitchell was know as a strong advocate for civil rights.
The proposal to rename the Art-Sociology building was unanimously agreed upon by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents. In 2015, The Division of Administration and Finance, along with the Facilities Naming Committee, confirmed the naming of the Parren J. Mitchell Art-Sociology Building to honor Mitchell’s accomplishments.