List of Southern University alumni

This is a list of notable Southern University alumni.

## Athletes

[edit]

Name  | Class year  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|
|

Fred Bailey | 1996  | former CFL player  |
Al Beauchamp | 1968  | former National Football League linebacker  |
Mel Blount | 1970  | member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
William Breda | 1950  | Negro league outfielder, 1950 - 1954  | [1]
Lou Brock |  | record-setting base-stealing Major League Baseball player  |
Harold Carmichael | 1971  | member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
Darren Clark | 2006  | former MLB baseball player, New York Mets, SU Hall of Fame  |
Willie Davenport |  | gold medalist in men's 110 m hurdles at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games for the U.S. track team  |
Donnie Davis | 1962  | former NFL, CFL and WFL player  |
Marvin Davis | 1974  | former NFL and CFL player and Grey Cup champion  |
Matthew Dorsett | 1995  | former pro football player, Super Bowl XXXI champion  |
Ken Ellis | 1970  | former NFL player, Green Bay Packers |
Oliver Ford |  | former 100m world record holder |
Charlie Granger |  | former NFL player  | [2]
Tommie Green | 1978  | former National Basketball Association player, New Orleans Jazz |
Rich Jackson | 1966  | member of the American Football League Hall of Fame  |
Avery Johnson | 1988  | 1999 NBA Champion, 2006 NBA Coach of the Year, University of Alabama head basketball coach, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee  |
Brian Johnson |  | United States Olympic long jumper |
Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones |  | President and baseball coach at Grambling State University, 1936–1977  | [3]
Tyrone Jones | 1983  | former Canadian Football League all-star and MVP  |
Fred Lewis |  | Major League Baseball player  |
Bob Love |  | former NBA All-Star and second leading scorer in Chicago Bulls history  |
Rod Milburn |  | gold medalist in men's 110 m hurdles at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games |
Jordan Miller | 2011  | NFL defensive tackle  |
Bobby Phills |  | NBA basketball player  |
Isiah Robertson | 1971  | six-time NFL Pro Bowler  |
Bernie Smith |  | former Major League Baseball player  |
Donnell Smith | 1971  | former NFL player  |
Godwin Turk | 1974  | former NFL player  |
Rickie Weeks |  | Major League Baseball player  |
Aeneas Williams | 1991  | member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
John Williams Jr. |  | former NFL player  | [4]
Lenny Williams | 2004  | former NFL and CFL player  |
Jerry Wilson | 1995  | former NFL player  |
Ken Winey | 1987  | former CFL player  |

## Entertainers and personalities

[edit]

Name  | Class year  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|
|

David Banner | 1997  | music recording artist, producer, actor  |
Jay Scalez | 2015  | music producer, executive  |
Alvin Batiste | 1955  | jazz artist and educator  |
James Booker |  | rhythm and blues keyboardist  |
Donald Harrison | 1979  | jazz artist  |
Maurice Brown |  | jazz artist  |
Isiah Carey |  | television news reporter  |
Van Lathan |  | journalist, producer, podcaster, and political commentator  | [5]
Randy Jackson | 1979  | musician, record producer, former American Idol judge  |
Faith Jenkins |  | Miss Louisiana 2000, Miss America runner-up 2001, attorney, TV personality, star of Judge Faith |
Branford Marsalis |  | jazz saxophonist  |

## Politicians, judges and public officials

[edit]

Name  | Class year  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|
|

Diana Bajoie |  | member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature (1976–2008); member of the New Orleans City Council (2012–2013)  | [6]
Kirt Bennett |  | Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in 2003  | [7]
Jay Blossman | 1991 (Juris Doctor)  | former member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission |
Troy E. Brown |  | Member of the Louisiana State Senate from 2012 until his resignation in 2017  |
Barbara West Carpenter |  | Dean of international relations at Southern University; African-American Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives since 2016  | [8]
Israel B. Curtis |  | Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives (1992–2008) and the Rapides Parish School Board (1976–1992), former Alexandria educator and insurance agent, did graduate study at Southern  | [9]
Herbert B. Dixon  |  | Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives (2008–2014) and the Rapides Parish School Board (1992–2008), did graduate study at Southern  | [10]
Irma Muse Dixon |  | first African-American elected to the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC)  |
Cleo Fields |  | former state senator and U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district |
Mike Foster | 2004 (Juris Doctor)  | 53rd governor of Louisiana |
Randal Gaines |  | member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes since 2012  | [11]
Hunter Greene | 1994 (Juris Doctor)  | Republican former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, family court judge in East Baton Rouge Parish  | [12]
Kip Holden |  | Mayor-President of Baton Rouge 2005–2017  |
Dalton W. Honoré |  | member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 63 in East Baton Rouge Parish since 2010  | [13]
Hilry Huckaby III | 1969 (Juris Doctor)  | Member of Shreveport, Louisiana city council (1978–1990, 1998–2001), Caddo District Judge (1992–1995)  | [14]
Jason Hughes |  | member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 100 in Orleans Parish |
Marcus Hunter | 2002  | member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 17 in Ouachita Parish | [15]
Melvin Irvin |  | member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 58 (based in Ascension Parish) 1984–1988; educator and real estate developer, died in 2014  | [16]
Alphonse J. Jackson | 1951  | member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Caddo Parish, 1972–1992; owner of a public relations agency in Baton Rouge  | [17]
Edward C. James |  | member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 101 in East Baton Rouge Parish; Baton Rouge lawyer  | [18]
William J. Jefferson |  | former Representative, U.S. Congress |
Okla Jones II |  | federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana  |
Edmond Jordan |  | Democratic member since 2016 of the Louisiana House of Representatives for West and East Baton Rouge parishes; lawyer in Brusly, Louisiana  | [19]
James A. Joseph | 1956  | Ambassador to South Africa (1996–1999)  | [20]
Isiah Leggett |  | County Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland 2006-2018  |
Robert M. Marionneaux |  | Louisiana state senator since 2000 from Baton Rouge area  | [21]
Dustin Miller | Pending study to be nurse practitioner  | African-American Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 40 in St. Landry Parish since 2016  | [22]
Randy Moore |  | first African-American chief of the United States Forest Service | [23][failed verification]
Jewel Joseph Newman |  | member of the East Baton Rouge City Parish Council, 1972–1984; member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1984–1988; community organizer in the Scotlandville neighborhood of Baton Rouge  | [24]
Abe E. Pierce, III | 1956  | first African-American mayor of Monroe, Louisiana (1996–2000)  | [25]
Vincent Pierre  |  | state representative for Lafayette Parish since 2012  | [26]
Jewel Prestage  | 1951  | first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D in Political Science  | [27]
Rupert Richardson |  | African-American civil rights activist and civil rights leader who served as president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1992 to 1995  |
Chris Roy, Jr. | 1987  | attorney, former state legislator from Rapides and Vernon parishes  | [28]
Jesse N. Stone |  | attorney, educator, served as Dean of the Southern University Law Center and as president of Southern University  |
Dorothy Mae Taylor |  | first African-American woman to serve in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1971–1980  | [29]
Ledricka Thierry | 1999  | state representative for St. Landry Parish since 2009  | [30]
Taylor Townsend |  | state representative from Natchitoches Parish (2000–2008)  | [31]
Pinkie C. Wilkerson |  | Louisiana House of Representatives (1992–2000)  | [32]
Alfred C. Williams | 1972  | member of the Louisiana House from Baton Rouge since 2012; former school board member and attorney  |
Patrick C. Williams |  | state representative for Caddo Parish since 2007  | [33]
Tom Willmott |  | Louisiana House of Representatives from Jefferson Parish since 2008  | [34]

## Military commanders

[edit]

Name  | Class year  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|
|

Joe N. Ballard |  | lieutenant general (retired), first African-American Chief of Engineers and Commander, United States Army Corps of Engineers |
Sherian Grace Cadoria |  | brigadier general (retired), first African-American woman to reach the rank of general in U.S. Army  |
Paris Davis |  | colonel (retired), one of the first African-Americans to become an officer in US Army Special Forces, awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in the Vietnam War |
Russel L. Honoré |  | lieutenant general who commanded the U.S. military support of recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita |

## Academics

[edit]

Name  | Class year  | Notability  | Reference(s)

|
|
|

Karen Butler-Purry | 1985  | professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University | [35]
Kathie Stromile Golden | 1976  | Provost, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, and professor at Mississippi Valley State University | [36]
William Moore | 1963  | first African-American to graduate with a PhD in chemistry from Purdue University  |
Jewel Prestage | 1951  | first African-American woman to earn Ph.D. in Political Science  |
Morgan Watson |  | one of the first African-American engineers at NASA, beginning in January 1964  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Jackson, Marion E. (May 20, 1950). Sports of the World. Atlanta Daily World. p. 5\. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
2. ^ "Charlie Granger Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards - databaseFootball.com". Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
3. ^ "Ralph W. E. Jones, Ex-Head of Grambling". The New York Times, April 10, 1982. April 11, 1982. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
4. ^ "NFL News, Scores, Standings & Stats".
5. ^ "Mayor congratulates Baton Rouge native for Oscar win". WBRZ. April 21, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
6. ^ "Diana E. Bajoie: 2006 Honoree". dom.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
7. ^ Willmarine B. Hurst, "A New Breed with New Vision and New Leadership for a New Louisiana", May 30, 2003, at kirtbennett.com
8. ^ "Barbara W. Carpenter". intelius.com. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
9. ^ "Israel "Bo" Curtis obituary". The Alexandria Town Talk. February 24, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
10. ^ "Herbert Bernard Dixon". intelius.com. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
11. ^ "Randal L. Gaines' Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
12. ^ "Rep. Greene, Hunter (R)". mobilelgs.com. Retrieved July 14, 2011. [permanent dead link]
13. ^ "Dalton W. Honoré". house.louisiana.gov. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
14. ^ Casey, Billy R. (October 30, 2001). "Memorial for Hilry Huckaby, III". First Judicial District Court, Louisiana. Shreveport Bar Association.
15. ^ "Rep. Marcus Hunter, D-LA". al--ala.capwiz.com. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
16. ^ "Melvin Irvin, Jr., obituary". Baton Rouge Advocate. June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
17. ^ "Alphonse Jackson, Jr". Baton Rouge Advocate. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
18. ^ "Edward C. "Ted" James, II". house.louisiana.gov. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
19. ^ "Edmond Jordan Announces Candidacy for Louisiana House District 29". swagher.net. July 15, 2015. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
20. ^ WAFB Staff (February 19, 2023). "SU mourns death of alumnus, former US ambassador to South Africa". WAFB. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
21. ^ "Unglesby & Marionneaux". unglesbyandmrionneaux.com. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
22. ^ Cheryl Devall (April 12, 2015). "Dustin Miller makes it four candidates for District 40". The Opelousas Daily World. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
23. ^ "Leadership Biographies". February 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
24. ^ "Jewel Joseph Newman". Baton Rouge Advocate. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
25. ^ James O. McHenry (2010). The Indigenous Black People of Monroe, Louisiana and the Surrounding Cities, Towns, and Villages: A 100-Year Documentary. Self-published. pp. 174–182. ISBN 978-1-4535-8859-8. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
26. ^ "Vincent J. Pierre's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
27. ^ "SU mourns passing of beloved educator Dr. Jewel L. Prestage". August 2014.
28. ^ "Christopher J. Roy". mobilelgs.com. Retrieved August 3, 2011. [permanent dead link]
29. ^ Michael Radcliff (June 14, 2011). "Remembering Dorothy Mae Taylor: The First Lady of 1300 Perdido St". The Louisiana Weekly. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
30. ^ "Ledricka Thierry's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
31. ^ Thomas T Townsend
32. ^ "State Rep. Wilderson Killed in Auto Accident". Louisiana House of Representatives. Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
33. ^ "Patrick Williams". house.louisiana.gov. Archived from the original on May 2, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
34. ^ "Rep. Tom Willmott". lmgma.capwiz.com. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
35. ^ "Karen Butler-Purry". Texas A&M Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
36. ^ "MVSU names Stromile Golden as Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs". Mississippi Valley State University. August 7, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2020.