List of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alumni

An early image of A&T Alumni, with President James B. Dudley (center), at their 1915 reunion

This list of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alumni includes graduates, non-graduate former students, and current students of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T), a public, coeducational, high research activity, land-grant university, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States.

North Carolina A&T is one of 16 public universities that constitute the University of North Carolina System, and one of the first public universities in the United States. ^[1] Founded in 1891 as the "Agricultural and Mechanical college for the Colored Race," N.C. A&T was the first land grant college for people of color in the state of North Carolina. ^[2] Over the 100 plus years of the university's existence, the academic scope expanded to encompass other disciplines. The North Carolina General Assembly redefined N.C. A&T as a regional university and through legislation made it a member of the University of North Carolina System in 1971. ^[2]

As of 2025, North Carolina A&T had over 70,000 living alumni. ^[3]

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

Alumni

Education

Harold L. Martin

Alumni	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Harold Franklin		First Black student to attend Auburn University
James A. Hefner	1961 (B.S.),	Economist; seventh president of Jackson State University; sixth president of Tennessee State University	[4] [5]
Melvin N. Johnson	1968 (B.S.)	Economist; seventh president of Tennessee State University (2005–2011)	[6]
Harold L. Martin	(B.S.) (M.S.)	Engineer; twelfth chancellor of Winston-Salem State University; twelfth chancellor of North Carolina A&T; first and only alumnus to serve as chancellor of the university	[7]
Lynn Perry Wooten		Ninth president of Simmons University	[8]

Science and technology

Ronald Mcnair

Quincy K. Brown

Alumni	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Quincy K. Brown	1995 (B.S.)	Computer scientist and former Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy	[9]
Ronald McNair	1971 (B.S.)	Physicist and NASA astronaut; died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L	[10]

Civics

Alma Adams

Edolphus Towns

Jesse Jackson Jr.

John A. Houston

Alumni	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Alma Adams	1969 (B.S.) 1972 (M.S.)	Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives; 58th District	[11]
Elreta Alexander-Ralston	1937 (B.S.)	First African American Judge elected in North Carolina	[12]
Patrick Cannon	1991 (B.S.)	Former Democratic Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina	[13] [14]
Henry Frye	1953 (B.S.)	First African American Justice and Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court; first African American member of the North Carolina General Assembly	[15] [16]
John A. Houston	1974 (B.S.)	Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of California	[17]
Jesse Jackson Jr.	1987 (B.S.)	Former politician who represented Illinois's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives (1995–2012)	[18]
Quincy Murphy	1974 (B.S.)	Businessman and Democratic politician who served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives; 127th district (2002–2013)	[19]
Poon Chi-fai	(B.S.) no year given	Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and Kwun Tong District Board	[20]
Johnnie B. Rawlinson	1974 (B.A.)	Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit	[21]
Michael S. Regan	1998 (B.S.)	First African American male to serve as administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (2021-2024); Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (2017–2021)	[22]
Edolphus Towns	1956 (B.S.)	Retired politician who represented the state of New York in the United States House of Representatives (1983–2013)	[15]
Jake Wheatley	1956 (B.S.)	Democratic politician representing the state of Pennsylvania; 19th District	[15]

Civil rights

Jesse Jackson

Franklin McCain

Joseph McNeil

David Richmond

Alumni	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Randolph Blackwell	(no year indicated)	Civil rights activist; emphasized economic development for poor African Americans; former program director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; former director of Southern Rural Action	[23]
Walter P. Carter	(no year indicated)	Civil rights activist and a central figure in Baltimore's civil rights movement, organizing demonstrations against discrimination throughout Maryland	[24]
Jacqueline Jackson	(no year indicated)	Author; peace activist	[25]
Jesse Jackson Sr.	1964 (B.S.)	Civil rights activist; Baptist minister; candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination (1984 and 1988); shadow U.S. Senator for the District of Columbia (1991–1997); founder of the organizations that merged to form Rainbow/Push Coalition	[26]
Jonathan Jackson	1987 (B.S.)	Business professor, entrepreneur, social justice advocate, national spokesman for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition	[27]
Jibreel Khazan (born Ezell A. Blair, Jr.)	1963 (B.S.)	Civil rights activist and member of the Greensboro Four/A&T Four; staged a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter in downtown Greensboro on February 1, 1960	[28]
Franklin McCain	1963 (B.S.)	Civil rights activist and member of the Greensboro Four/A&T Four; staged a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter in downtown Greensboro on February 1, 1960	[29] [30]
Joseph McNeil	1963 (B.S.)	Civil rights activist and member of the Greensboro Four/A&T Four; staged a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter in downtown Greensboro on February 1, 1960	[29]
David Richmond	(attended) 1990 (PhD) [Notes 1]	Civil rights activist and member of the Greensboro Four/A&T Four; staged a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter in downtown Greensboro on February 1, 1960	[29] [31]

Corporate and business

Alumni	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Janice Bryant Howroyd	(no year indicated) (B.A.)	Entrepreneur; founder and CEO of ACT-1 Group, the largest minority woman-owned employment agency in the US	[32]
Joe Dudley	1962 (B.S.)	Businessman and hair care entrepreneur; founder, president and CEO of Dudley Products Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of hair and skin care products for the African American community	[33]
Hilda Pinnix-Ragland	1977 (B.S.)	Businesswoman and philanthropist; first African-American vice president at Progress Energy Inc and Duke Energy	[34]

Arts and entertainment

Taraji P. Henson

Terrence J

Alumni	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Lou Donaldson	(no year indicated)	Jazz alto saxophonist; 2012 inductee to the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame	[35]
Taraji P. Henson	Transferred to Howard University	Actress	[36]
Terrence J	2004 (B.A.)	Actor and television personality; host of BET's 106 & Park ; co-anchor of E! News	[37]
Sybil Lynch	1985 (B.A.)	R&B and pop singer–songwriter	[38]
Warren Ballentine	(no year indicated)	Motivational speaker, attorney, political activist, and radio talk show host	[39]

Military

Clara Leach Adams-Ender

Alumni	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Clara Leach Adams-Ender	1961 (B.S.)	Former Chief of the United States Army Nurse Corps (1987–1991); first woman to receive her master's degree in military arts and sciences from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; first African-American nurse corps officer to graduate from the United States Army War College	[40]

Athletics

Al Attles

Bob Beamon

Alumni	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Tom Alston	(No Year Indicated)	Former Major League Baseball first baseman; first African-American player for the St. Louis Cardinals	[41]
Tevester Anderson	1971 (M.S.)	Retired college basketball coach; former men's head coach at Jackson State University and Murray State University	[42]
Al Attles	1960 (B.A.)/(B.S.)	Retired NBA player; one of the first African-American coaches in the NBA when he was named player-coach of the Golden State Warriors during the 1969–70 season	[33] [43]
Bob Beamon	(Transferred to University of Texas at El Paso)	Former Olympic athlete; known for setting a 22-year world record in the long jump at the 1968 Summer Olympics	[44]
Christopher Belcher	2018	World class international sprinter, broke 10-second barrier in 100 meters	[45]
Elvin Bethea	(no year indicated)	2003 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee; played with the NFL's Houston Oilers; first N.C. A&T alum elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame	[46]
Joe Binion	1984	Retired NBA player; played for the Portland Trail Blazers	[47]
Dwaine Board	1979	Former NFL player and coach; played for the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints (1979–1988); four-time Super Bowl champion (XVI, XIX, XXIII and XXIX)	[48]
Jessie Britt	(no year indicated)	Former NFL player for the Pittsburgh Steelers	[49]
Joseph Bunn	(Transferred to Old Dominion University)	Professional basketball player	[50]
Tarik Cohen	2017	NFL player for the Chicago Bears
Warren Davis	(no year given)	Former ABA and NBA player	[51]
Curtis Deloatch	2003	Former NFL player; played with the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, and Carolina Panthers	[52]
Hugh Evans	(no year indicated)	Former NBA referee (1972–2001); currently assistant supervisor of officials in the NBA front office	[53]
Harold Hair	No Year Indicated	Negro League baseball player for Birmingham Barons and Kansas City Monarchs
Maurice Hicks	2002	Former NFL player; played with the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Minnesota Vikings	[54]
Al Holland	No Year Indicated	Retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher; 1983 National League Relief Pitcher of the Year and 1984 MLB All Star	[55]
Mamie Johnson	no year indicated	Former professional baseball player; one of three women, and the first female pitcher, to play in the Negro leagues	[56]
Jamal Jones	2003	Former NFL player; played with the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints	[57]
Connell Maynor	1995	Head coach of the Hampton Pirates	[58]
Ruth Morris	(no year indicated)	Sprinter who represented the United States Virgin Islands at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympic Games; first A&T athlete to ever compete at the Olympics	[59]
Brandon Parker	2018	NFL player for the Oakland Raiders	[60]
Mel Phillips	(no year indicated)	Former NFL player, now coach; played his entire 12-year NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers; assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins (1985–present)	[61]
George Ragsdale	1975	Former professional football player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; current college football coach	[62]
Randolph Ross	2022	Sprinter, gold medalist at 2020 Summer Olympics in the 4 × 400 metres relay
Rodney Rowe	2018	World class international sprinter for the United States	[63]
George Small	1979 (B.S.)	College football coach at Florida A&M University; coached N.C. A&T to 2003 MEAC football championship	[64]
J.D. Smith	1955	Former NFL player; played with the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Dallas Cowboys; fifth all-time on the 49ers' career rushing yardage list (4,370 yards)	[65]
J.R. Smith	2025	Two-time National Basketball Association Champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers; joined the A&T golf team upon enrolling in 2021
Maurice Smith	1999	Retired NFL player; played with the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers	[66]
Trevor Stewart	2020	Sprinter, gold and bronze medalist at 2020 Summer Olympics in the 4 X 400 and mixed 4 x 400 meter relays
Claude Williams	1988	Professional basketball player	[67]

Miscellaneous

Alumni	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed	1986 (B.S.)	Senior leader of Al-Qaeda, "principal architect" of the September 11 attacks	[68] [69]
Ryan Wesley Routh	Dropped out after two semesters	Suspect in an attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump in September 2024.	[70]

Notes

1. David Richmond was posthumously awarded an honorary doctorate of humanities degree at his funeral services on December 12, 1990.

• Al Attles graduated from N.C. A&T with both a B.A. in History and a B.S. in Physical Education.
• Franklin McCain received bachelor's degrees in both biology and chemistry from A&T in 1964.

References

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