Virginia, where James Madison University is located, was a former Confederate state and had a history of racial segregation and discrimination. Until the late 1960s, racial segregation was legal and practiced in many aspects of public life, including education.
Therefore, it is likely that during the university's early years as a private institution, from 1908 to 1938, it did not admit black students due to the prevailing societal norms and segregation policies. However, this information should be verified through credible historical sources.