Doris Y. Wilkinson was born in 1936 in Lexington, Kentucky to Howard T. and Regina L. Wilkinson. She attended Paul Lawerence Dunbar High School, while attending she was awarded status of Valedictorian of her graduating class while also being crowned homecoming queen. In the fall of 1954, Wilkinson enrolled at the
University of Kentucky, being a part of the first group of African American students to earn an undergraduate degree from University of Kentucky. During her time at University of Kentucky, she created a social club called the Forum for Black Faculty, which is considered to be the first social club for Black Women at the University of Kentucky. She also created the Carter G. Woodson Lecture Series for untenured faculty, the Black Women's Conference, and was a founder and director of Black Studies which she also renamed the African American Studies and Research Program. Wilkinson graduated with her BA in sociology in 1958. Wilkinson earned her master's degree in sociology from
Western Reserve University in 1960. In 1968, she earned her doctorate's degree in Medical Sociology from
Case Western Reserve University. Doris also earned her master's degree of Public Health degree from
Johns Hopkins University in 1985. ==Desegregation of University of Kentucky==