Penn State's Award-Winning Black Alumni
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Pe n n St a t e ’S aw a r d -wi n n i n g Bl a c k al u m n i Penn State Alumni Association aB o u t t h e aw a r d S “ma y o u r l i v e S B u t S w e l l t h y f a m e , Distinguished Alumni Award The Distinguished Alumni Award, established in 1951, recognizes the achievements of de a r o l d St a t e , d e a r o l d St a t e .” outstanding alumni “whose personal life, professional achievements, and community service exemplify the objectives of The Pennsylvania State University.” Alumni are nominated by trustees, faculty, staff, and alumni, then chosen by the Board of Trustees. Penn State, in its more than 150 years, has grown from a small agricultural college to a preeminent research university. Along the way, our alma mater has earned a repu- tation as one of the finest public universities in the country, due in part to the great Alumni Fellow Award professional and personal lives of alumni. The Alumni Fellow Award is the most prestigious award given by the Penn State Alumni Association. Administered in cooperation with Penn State’s academic colleges and campuses, This booklet shines a spotlight on some of the highest achieving black alumni—those the program, established in 1973, provides recipients with the opportunity to return to who have been honored with Penn State’s and the Penn State Alumni Association’s campus to share their knowledge with the University community. highest awards: Distinguished Alumni, Alumni Fellow, and Alumni Achievement. These lives have but swelled Penn State’s fame indeed. Alumni Achievement Award The Alumni Achievement Award, begun in 2005, recognizes alumni who are 35 years of age and younger for their extraordinary professional accomplishments. Nominated by an We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of honoree information; however some historical information academic college or campus, these prominent young alumni return to campus to interact may not be completely updated. with students and the University community, demonstrating that Penn State alumni succeed in exceptional fashion at an early age. ** On bios, denotes the individual is deceased. Historical Note: The first alumni award, the Distinguished Alumni Award, was established in 1951. In 1971, the University recognized the first black alumnus with a Distinguished Alumni Award. Outstanding black alumni have been recognized since. Jo h n am a e c h i ’94 th o m a S Je f f e r S o n an d e r S o n Jr. ’51g cy n t h i a ac k r o n Ba l d w i n ’66, ’74g **Jo h n t. Bi g g e r S ’48, ’48g, ’54g Alumni Achievement Award, 2006 Alumni Fellow Award, 1982 Distinguished Alumni Award, 1995 Distinguished Alumni Award, 1972 Distinguished Alumni Award, 1990 Alumni Fellow Award, 2000 Former professional basketball player (eight seasons) One of America’s foremost black composers whose Partner, Duane Morris LLC law firm; retired justice Acclaimed muralist with murals at Penn State, Texas and only Englishman in the NBA Hall of Fame works include Soldier Boy, Soldier and Scott Joplin’s opera, of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; first African Southern University, and the Houston Public Library; (2000); philanthropist and founder, ABC Founda- Treemonisha; Guggenheim Fellowship (1989) and winner American female judge, Allegheny County Court of founder and chair, Art Department, Texas Southern tion; sport and current affairs pundit, BBC, ITV, of numerous competitions and awards; former chair, Common Pleas; trustee and former chair, Penn State University; one of the first African American artists to and SKY; author, New York Times best seller, Man in the Department of Music, and Austin Fletcher Professor Board of Trustees; first African American president, visit Africa, UNESCO Traveling Fellowship (1956); Middle; first NBA player to identify himself as gay. of Music Emeritus, Tufts University. Penn State Alumni Association; J.D., Duquesne Uni- Texas Artist of the Year (1988). versity School of Law. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] ch a r l e S l. Bl o c k S o n ’56 gu i o n S. Bl u f o r d Jr. ’64 k. da v i d Bo y e r Jr. ’73, ’82g Jo h n l. Br a x t o n ’66 Alumni Fellow Award, 1981 Distinguished Alumni Award, 1983 Distinguished Alumni Award, 2000 Alumni Fellow Award, 1996 Distinguished Alumni Award, 2007 Alumni Fellow Award, 1986 Emeritus Curator, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Retired U.S. Air Force colonel and America’s first Founder and CEO, Global Watch Technologies, a Retired judge, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Collection, Temple University (prints, slave narratives, black astronaut; mission specialist, Space Shuttle leading information security consulting and software (1981-95); former chair, Judicial Council, National manuscripts, and more than 500,000 photographs); Challenger (1983, 1985) and Space Shuttle Discovery engineering firm; co-founder (with wife, Felicity Bar Association; board chair, Philadelphia Com- foremost expert, author, and lecturer on the Under- (1991, 1992); decorated fighter pilot, U.S. Air Force Belford Boyer ’81g), TROY Systems, Inc. (1984-2001); mercial Development Corp. (1991-96); member, ground Railroad; founding member, African American (144 combat missions in Vietnam); NAACP Image member, Commonwealth of Virginia Treasury Board; Board of Governors of the American Red Cross Museum, Philadelphia; track and field and football Award (1983); founder and president, Aerospace Minority Small Business Person of the Year (1991); (2004-07); adjunct professor, Temple University teams, Penn State. Technology Group. Member, Alumni Council and Executive Board, (1985-95); member, Pennsylvania Minority Business Penn State Alumni Association; President, Society of Development Authority (1975-81); decorated U.S. Distinguished Alumni. Army veteran, Vietnam. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] m. ch r i S t o P h e r Br o w n ii ’97 wi l l i a m e. Br o w n Jr. ’49 ce d r i c x. Br y a n t ’84g, ’89g **mi l d r e d Se t t l e Bu n t o n ’32 Alumni Achievement Award, 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award, 1981 Alumni Fellow Award, 2006 Distinguished Alumni Award, 1973 Dean, College of Education, University of Nevada, Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General; Commander Chief science officer, American Council on Exercise; Arrived at Penn State in 1929 as the first black female Las Vegas; vice president, programs and administra- of Allied Air Forces, Southern Europe (1982-85); author or co-author of 21 books and more than 200 student on campus; distinguished career as director tion, American Association of Colleges for Teacher flew 125 combat missions over Korea and 50 over articles on exercise and fitness; fellow, American College of dietetics, Freedmen’s Hospital (now Howard Uni- Education; director, social justice and professional North Vietnam; commander, Air Defense Weapons of Sports Medicine; chair, Scientific Advisory Board, versity Hospital), and associate professor of medical development, American Educational Research Asso- Center, Tyndall Air Force Base (1978-80); commander, American Council on Exercise; member, Advisory dietetics, Department of Allied Health Professions, ciation; executive director and chief research scientist, 17th Air Force, Sembach Air Base, West Germany Board, Center for the Study of Sport, Seattle University. Howard University, Washington, D.C. Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute, United (1980-82). Negro College Fund; associate professor of education and senior research associate, Center for the Study of Higher Education, Penn State University. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] Ja c k l. Bu r l e y ’65 **ar t h u r h. co l e m a n ’41 Ju l i a n aB e l e co o k Jr. ’52 ro n a l d r. da v e n P o r t ’58 Distinguished Alumni Award, 1999 Distinguished Alumni Award, 1979 Distinguished Alumni Award, 1985 Alumni Fellow Award, 1973 Retired vice president, H.J. Heinz Co.; one of Ebony Physician, attorney, and founder of one of the nation’s Senior judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern First non-Catholic dean, Duquesne University School magazine’s 50 Top Black Executives in Corporate first community health centers (1968); National District of Michigan (appointed in 1978 by President of Law (1970-80); former partner, Buchanan Ingersoll; America; board member, Urban League of Pittsburgh Medical Association Certificate of Merit (1978); Jimmy Carter following 30 years in private practice); co-founder and chair, Sheridan Broadcasting Cor- and Bidwell Training Center; member, executive fellow, American Academy of Forensic Sciences; J.D., Georgetown University (1957); LL.M., Uni- poration; former board member, U.S. Committee for committee, Campaign for Penn State; former board president, American College of Legal Medicine; San versity of Virginia (1988); NAACP Distinguished Economic Development, National Urban League, member, Penn State Smeal College of Business Francisco Board of Supervisors Certificate of Honor Citizen of the Year (1970); U.S. Army Signal Corps and the John Heinz History Center; former host, Alumni Society; Cornerstone Society, Penn State for humanitarian work; M.D., Howard University. (1952-54). “You and the Law” television series. McKeesport. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] Ju d i t h lo f t i n da v e n P o r t ’61 mu r r y n. dePi l l a r S ’76g ta bb e t h a a. do bb i n S ’02g wi l l i a m a. do n a n ’68 Distinguished Alumni Award, 1995 Alumni Fellow Award, 1989 Alumni Achievement Award, 2007 Alumni Fellow Award, 1994 Alumni Fellow Award, 2001 Distinguished Alumni Award, 2006 Retired dentist; co-founder, Sheridan Broadcasting Artist, former dean, and professor emeritus, Vir- Assistant professor of physics, Louisiana Tech Uni- Retired president, Baxter International