List of Southern University alumni

This is a list of notable Southern University alumni.

Athletes

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
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 [2]
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
Lenny Williams 2004 former NFL and CFL player
Jerry Wilson 1995 former NFL player
Ken Winey 1987 former CFL player

Entertainers and personalities

Name Class year Notability Reference(s)
David Banner 1997 music recording artist, producer, actor
Alvin Batiste 1955 jazz artist and educator
James Booker rhythm and blues keyboardist
Isiah Carey television news reporter
Donald Harrison 1979 jazz artist
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
Van Lathan journalist, producer, podcaster, and political commentator [3]
Branford Marsalis jazz saxophonist

Politicians, judges and public officials

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) [4]
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; Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives since 2016 [5]
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 [6]
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 [7]
Kip Holden mayor-president of Baton Rouge 2005–2017
Hilry Huckaby III 1969 (Juris Doctor) member of Shreveport, Louisiana city council (1978–1990, 1998–2001), Caddo district judge (1992–1995) [8]
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 [9]
Edward C. James member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 101 in East Baton Rouge Parish; Baton Rouge lawyer [10]
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 [11]
James A. Joseph 1956 ambassador to South Africa (1996–1999) [12]
Isiah Leggett county executive of Montgomery County, Maryland 2006-2018
Robert M. Marionneaux Louisiana state senator since 2000 from Baton Rouge area [13]
Randy Moore first African-American chief of the United States Forest Service [14]
Abe E. Pierce, III 1956 first African-American mayor of Monroe, Louisiana (1996–2000) [15]
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
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 [16]
Ledricka Thierry 1999 state representative for St. Landry Parish since 2009 [17]
Taylor Townsend state representative from Natchitoches Parish (2000–2008) [18]
Pinkie C. Wilkerson Louisiana House of Representatives (1992–2000) [19]
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 [20]
Tom Willmott Louisiana House of Representatives from Jefferson Parish since 2008 [21]

Military commanders

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

Name Class year Notability Reference(s)
Karen Butler-Purry 1985 professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University [22]
Kathie Stromile Golden 1976 provost, senior vice president for academic affairs, and professor at Mississippi Valley State University [23]
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

  1. ^ Jackson, Marion E. (May 20, 1950). Sports of the World. Atlanta Daily World. p. 5. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  2. ^ "Ralph W. E. Jones, Ex-Head of Grambling". The New York Times, April 10, 1982. April 11, 1982. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Mayor congratulates Baton Rouge native for Oscar win". WBRZ. April 21, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  4. ^ "Diana E. Bajoie: 2006 Honoree". dom.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  5. ^ "Barbara W. Carpenter". intelius.com. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  6. ^ "Israel "Bo" Curtis obituary". The Alexandria Town Talk. February 24, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  7. ^ "Randal L. Gaines' Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  8. ^ Casey, Billy R. (October 30, 2001). "Memorial for Hilry Huckaby, III". First Judicial District Court, Louisiana. Shreveport Bar Association.
  9. ^ "Rep. Marcus Hunter, D-LA". al--ala.capwiz.com. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  10. ^ "Edward C. "Ted" James, II". house.louisiana.gov. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ WAFB Staff (February 19, 2023). "SU mourns death of alumnus, former US ambassador to South Africa". WAFB. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  13. ^ "Unglesby & Marionneaux". unglesbyandmrionneaux.com. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  14. ^ "Leadership Biographies". February 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ Michael Radcliff (June 14, 2011). "Remembering Dorothy Mae Taylor: The First Lady of 1300 Perdido St". The Louisiana Weekly. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  17. ^ "Ledricka Thierry's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  18. ^ Thomas T Townsend
  19. ^ "State Rep. Wilderson Killed in Auto Accident". Louisiana House of Representatives. Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  20. ^ "Patrick Williams". house.louisiana.gov. Archived from the original on May 2, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  21. ^ "Rep. Tom Willmott". lmgma.capwiz.com. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  22. ^ "Karen Butler-Purry". Texas A&M Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  23. ^ "MVSU names Stromile Golden as Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs". Mississippi Valley State University. August 7, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
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