List of Shaw University people explained

This is a list of Shaw University people from Shaw University a historically black private college in Raleigh, North Carolina; it includes alumni, faculty, and presidents.

Notable alumni

Academics

• Ezekiel Ezra Smith (A.B. 1878), president of Fayetteville State University and U.S. Ambassador to Liberia (1888–1890)^[1]
• Edward Hart Lipscombe (A.B. 1879, A.M. 1882), educator, minister, principal of the Western Union Institute
• Charles L. Purce, (A.B.) president of Selma University and Simmons College of Kentucky^[2]
• James B. Dudley (A.B. 1881), professor and president of North Carolina A&T State University (1896–1925)^[3]
• Peter Weddick Moore (A.B. 1887), founder and first president of Elizabeth City Normal College, (now Elizabeth City State University)^[4]
• James E. Shepard (A.B. 1894), founder and first president of North Carolina Central University^[5]
• John O. Crosby (1914), founder and first president of North Carolina A&T State University^[6]
• Benjamin Arthur Quarles (B.A. 1931), historian, administrator, scholar, educator, and writer^[7]
• James E. Cheek (B.A. 1955), president of Shaw University, president emeritus of Howard University, 1983 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom^[8]
• William L. Pollard (B.A. 1967), president of the Medgar Evers College (2009–2013)

Arts and entertainment

• Shirley Caesar (B.S. 1984), pastor and gospel music artist^[9]
• Gladys Knight (B.A. 1966 and honorary doctorate), singer, Gladys Knight & the Pips, member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame^[10]
• Kayden Carter (B.A. 2012), professional wrestler in WWE
• Lords of the Underground (attended), hip-hop group that was founded in the early 1990s, when all three of its members were students attending Shaw University^[11]

Business

• Calvin E. Lightner (1907 or 1908), architect and mortician^[12]
• Ida Van Smith (1939), one of the first African American female pilots and flight instructors in the US^[13]
• Lee Johnson (1975), president and CEO of Mechanics & Farmers Bank^[14]
• Celeste Beatty (1984), first black female brewery owner^[15]
• Willie Otey Kay (1912), prominent dressmaker in Raleigh
• William Gaston Pearson (1886), prominent principal, colloquially referred to as "Durham's Black Superintendent", in Durham, NC, and co-founder of Mechanics & Farmers Bank^[16]

Civil rights

• Max Yergan (1914), civil rights activist; Spingarn Medal recipient^[17]
• Ella Baker (1927), leader of SNCC and civil rights activist^[18]

Government

• Edward A. Johnson (B.L. 1891), first African-American member of the New York state legislature when he was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1917^[19]
• Col. James H. Young, prominent North Carolina politician and first African American to hold the rank of colonel in the United States of the volunteer regiment during the Spanish–American War^[20]
• Henry Plummer Cheatham (A.B. 1882), Republican member of the United States House of Representatives 1889–1893^[21]
• Adam Clayton Powell Jr., (D.D. 1934), Congressman from New York, 1945–71^[22]
• Angie Brooks (B.S. 1949), first African female President of the United Nations General Assembly and Associate Justice to the National Supreme Court of Liberia^[23]
• George H. Jackson, Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1892 to 1893^[24]
• Rita Walters (1952), member of Board of Library Commissioners for the Los Angeles Public Library^[25]
• Vernon Malone (1953), Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly, 14th Senate district, including constituents in Wake County^[26]
• Charles D. Walton (B.A. 1971), first African-American member of the Rhode Island Senate^[27]
• Luther Jordan (B.A. 1997), member of the North Carolina Senate 1993–2002^[28]
• Thomas O. Fuller, state senator of the North Carolina Senate in 1898^[29]

Law

• Roger Demosthenes O'Kelly (B.L. 1909), lawyer, first deaf and black lawyer^[30]
• Glenford Eckleton Mitchell (B.A. 1960), member of Universal House of Justice (1982–2008)^[31]
• Willie E. Gary (B.A. 1971), one of the world's wealthiest attorneys, known as the "Whale Killer"; co-founder of the Black Family Channel^[32]

Journalism

• Lenard Moore (B.A. 1980), first African American President of the Haiku Society of America^[33]
• Shelia P. Moses (B.A. 1983), best-selling author, nominated for the National Book Award and NAACP Image Award^[34]

Religion

• Richard Gene Arno, founder of the National Christian Counselors Association
• William R. Pettiford (1912 honorary), Birmingham, Alabama minister and banker
• Lucius Walker (1954), Baptist minister best known for his opposition to the United States embargo against Cuba^[35]

Science and medicine

• Louise Celia Fleming (1885) black medical missionary (1862–1899)^[36]
• Manassa Thomas Pope (1885), prominent physician in Raleigh; ran for mayor in 1919^[37]
• John P. Turner (1906), surgeon, hospital administrator, and educator
• Dr. John Eagles, pharmacy owner in Raleigh, North Carolina; son of John S. W. Eagles, sergeant in U.S.C.T., public official, and state legislator in North Carolina

Sports

• Carrenza M. "Schoolboy" Howard, Negro Leagues pitcher
• Charlie Brandon (1964), Grey Cup champion and all-star CFL football player^[38]
• Van Green (1973), NFL player^[39]
• James "Bonecrusher" Smith (B.A. 1975), first heavyweight boxing champion with a college degree^[40]
• Ronald "Flip" Murray (2002), professional basketball player^[41]
• Julius Gregory (2011), Arena Football League player^[42]

Notable faculty

• Helen Asemota, Nigeria-born biochemist and agricultural biotechnologist; professor from 2005 to 2012^[43]
• Gaston Alonzo Edwards (1875–1943), African American architect, and educator; founded the building department^{[44] [45]}

List of presidents of Shaw University

Presidents of Shaw University (* indicates alumni)!Name!Tenure!Notes

Henry Martin Tupper	1865–1893	^[46]
Nicholas Franklin Roberts	1893–1894 (acting)	^[47]
Charles Francis Meserve	1894–1919	^[48] ^[49]
Joseph Leishman Peacock	1920–1931
William Stuart Nelson	1931–1936
Robert Prentiss Daniel	1936–1950
William Russell Strassner	1951–1962
James Edward Cheek	1963–1969	^[50]
King Virgil Cheek	1969–1971
J. Archie Hargraves	1971–1977
Stanley Hugh Smith	1978–1986
John Lucas	1986–1987 (interim)
Talbert O. Shaw	1988–2002
Clarence G. Newsome	2003–2009
Dorothy Cowser Yancy	2009–2010 (interim)
Irma McClaurin	2010–2011
Dorothy Cowser Yancy	2011–2013
Gaddis Faulcon	2013–2015 (interim)
Tashni-Ann Dubroy	2015–2017
Paulette Dillard	2017–present

Notes and References

1. Web site: Smith, Ezekiel Ezra NCpedia . 2022-03-26 . www.ncpedia.org.
2. Book: Pipkin, James Jefferson . The Story of a Rising Race: The Negro in Revelation, in History, and in Citizenship : what the Race Has Done and is Doing in Arms, Arts Letters ... and with Those Mighty Weapons ... the Shovel and the Hoe . 1902 . N.D. Thompson . en.
3. Web site: Dudley, James Benson NCpedia . 2022-03-26 . www.ncpedia.org.
4. Web site: Moore, Peter Weddick NCpedia . 2022-03-26 . www.ncpedia.org.
5. Web site: Shepard, James Edward NCpedia . 2022-03-26 . www.ncpedia.org.
6. Web site: Rice . Jennifer . 2019-09-16 . University Archivist presents undiscovered research at "I am a Crosby Kid Symposium" The A&T Register . 2022-03-26.
7. Web site: Quarles, Benjamin Arthur Encyclopedia.com . 2022-03-26 . www.encyclopedia.com.
8. Web site: James Cheek's Biography . 2022-03-26 . The HistoryMakers . en.
9. Web site: 2022-03-23 . Pastor Shirley Caesar: Celebrating Women's History Month 2022 - Center for Racial and Social Justice . 2022-03-26 . crsj.org . en-US.
10. Web site: Gladys Knight Biography . 2022-03-26 . musicianguide.com.
11. Web site: Gingerelli . Angelo . 2019-06-20 . NJ Next: Dupre "DoItAll" Kelly (Lords of the Underground) . 2022-03-26 . The Pop Break . en-US.
12. Web site: Lightner, C. E. (1878-1960) . 2022-03-26 . ncarchitects.lib.ncsu.edu.
13. Web site: Honoring Black History Month at the Air Zoo - Ida Van Smith . 2022-03-26 . www.airzoo.org . en-us.
14. Web site: History & Mission . 2022-03-26 . Greater Atlanta Alumni of Shaw University . en-gb.
15. Web site: Alumna Celeste Beatty Brews Beer, Breaks Barriers Shaw University . 2022-03-26 . www.shawu.edu.
16. Web site: 2020-02-19 . William Gaston Pearson . 2022-03-26 . Student U . en.
17. Web site: Yergan, Max Encyclopedia.com . 2022-03-26 . www.encyclopedia.com.
18. Web site: Ella Baker Center for Human Rights Who Was Ella Baker? . 2022-03-26 . ellabakercenter.org.
19. Web site: Edward A. Johnson (Edward Austin), 1860-1944 . 2022-03-26 . docsouth.unc.edu.
20. Web site: Young, James Hunter NCpedia . 2022-03-26 . www.ncpedia.org.
21. Web site: CHEATHAM, Henry Plummer US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives . 2022-03-26 . history.house.gov . en.
22. Web site: Adam Clayton Powell . 2022-03-26 . www.nndb.com.
23. Web site: Liberia's first female attorney - Angie Brooks Shaw University . 2022-03-26 . www.shawu.edu.
24. Book: Jones, Angela . African American Civil Rights: Early Activism and the Niagara Movement: Early Activism and the Niagara Movement . 2011-08-15 . ABC-CLIO . 978-0-313-39361-7 . 223 . en.
25. Web site: Remembering Rita Walters Los Angeles Public Library . 2022-03-26 . www.lapl.org . en.
26. Web site: WRAL . 2009-04-18 . Funeral arrangements set for Sen. Vernon Malone . 2022-03-26 . WRAL.com . en.
27. Book: Campbell, Patrick T. Conley and Paul R. . South Providence . 2020 . Arcadia Publishing . 978-1-4671-0576-7 . 155 . en.
28. Web site: Senator Luther Jordan Jr. . 2022-03-26 . senatorlutherhjordanjr.synthasite.com.
29. Web site: Fuller, Thomas Oscar NCpedia . 2023-01-13 . www.ncpedia.org.
30. Web site: O'Kelly, Roger Demosthenes Gallaudet University Library Guide to Deaf Biographies and Index to Deaf Periodicals . 2022-03-26 . liblists.wrlc.org.
31. Web site: 2004-01-24 . Beliefnet.com . 2022-03-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20040124214853/https://www.beliefnet.com/boards/message_list.asp?boardID=35421&discussionID=182130 . 2004-01-24 .
32. Web site: Grayson . Anitka . March 14, 2006 . Willie E. Gary . March 26, 2022.
33. Web site: American Haiku Archives Honorary Curator Lenard D. Moore . 2022-03-26 . www.americanhaikuarchives.org.
34. Web site: Georgia Authors Georgia Center for the Book Supporting Libraries, Literary Programs and Georgia's Rich Literary Heritage . 2022-03-26 . www.georgiacenterforthebook.org.
35. Web site: Schepers . Emile . 2010-09-09 . Reverend Lucius Walker, 1930-2010 . 2022-03-26 . People's World . en-US.
36. Web site: 2014-02-10 . Louise Celia "Lulu" Fleming (1862-1899) • . 2022-03-26 . en-US.
37. Web site: Dr. M. T. Pope House-- Raleigh: A Capital City: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary . 2022-03-26 . www.nps.gov.
38. Web site: Charlie Brandon CFL Stats - Pro Football Archives . 2022-03-26 . www.profootballarchives.com.
39. Web site: Van Green Stats, News and Video - DB . 2022-03-26 . NFL.com . en-US.
40. Web site: 2020-12-08 . Best I Faced: James Bonecrusher Smith . 2022-03-26 . The Ring.
41. Web site: 2020-02-19 . SHAW ATHLETICS CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH: RONALD "FLIP" MURRAY . en.
42. Web site: Julius Gregory football Statistics on StatsCrew.com . 2022-03-26 . www.statscrew.com . en.
43. Web site: Members: Instrumentation & Measurement Society . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190327122045/http://ieee-ims.org/content/members . 2019-03-27 . ieee-ims.org . en.
44. Book: Wilson, Dreck Spurlock . African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865–1945 . March 2004 . Routledge . 978-1-135-95629-5 . 186–189 . en . Gaston Alonzo Edwards (1875–1943).
45. Web site: Bishir . Catherine W. . Edwards . Hazel Ruth . 2009 . Edwards, Gaston Alonzo (1875–1943) . North Carolina Architects and Builders . The NC State University Libraries.
46. Web site: December 1, 2009 . December 1865 - Henry Martin Tupper and the Founding of Shaw University . This Month in North Carolina History . University of North Carolina Libraries.
47. Chang, Derek. Citizens of a Christian Nation: Evangelical Missions and the Problem of Race in the Nineteenth Century. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011. p147
48. Book: Amis, Moses Neal . Historical Raleigh: with sketches of Wake County (from 1771) and its important towns; descriptive, biographical, educational, industrial, religious . 1913 . Raleigh, N.C., Commercial Printing Co. . The Library of Congress . 110 . Internet Archive.
49. Book: Ashe, Samuel A'Court . Biographical History of North Carolina From Colonial Times to the Present . 1905 . Greensboro, N.C., C.L. Van Noppen . New York Public Library . 342–348 . Internet Archive.
50. Web site: September 20, 2011 . Black College residents: The Cheek Brothers . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150723132948/http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2011/09/black_college_presidents_the_cheek_brothers.html . July 23, 2015 . The HistoryMakers . The Root.