The University of Georgia plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the graduation of the first African-American to earn a degree from the school.

Mary Frances Early received her master's degree in 1962. She is set to speak at a ceremony commemorating her graduation on Aug. 15.

An Atlanta native, Early got a bachelor's degree in music education from Clark Atlanta University in 1957 and had started postgraduate work at the University of Michigan when she transferred to Georgia to complete her studies in the summer of 1961.

Earlier that year, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, who attended school at the Washington Street school in Covington, and Hamilton Holmes had become the first African-American students to enroll at Georgia.

Early has had an extensive career in music an education, most recently as music department head at Clark Atlanta.