NEWARK, Del. -- Irvin H. “Irv” Carty, Jr., who became the first black student-athlete to earn a varsity letter for the University of Delaware athletics program in 1951, passed away last week at his home in Wilmington, Del.

Carty (at right), who was also the first black student to live on UD campus, died at the age of 77 on June 12 and services were held on June 17. His family requested that donations be made in his name to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 1012 French Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.

A native of Wilmington, Carty attended Howard High School before enrolling at the University of Delaware in 1951.

He was a two-year member of head coach Ken Steers’ Blue Hen men’s cross country teams and led the team to a 5-1 dual record and sixth place finish at the Middle Atlantic Conference championships in 1951 and a 4-1 mark and fourth place finish at the MAC meet in 1952. He earned two letters, becoming the first black student-athlete to earn that distinction at UD in 1951.

He entered the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division and left the service as lieutenant and later rose to the rank of Major with the National Guard. He worked for the Delaware Department of Welfare as a case worker and later served 30 years with the United State Postal Service, retiring in 1989 as director of employee labor relations for the state of Delaware and the eastern shore of Maryland.