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Alumni News
NEWS I EVENTS I IN MEMORIAM
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ALUMNI RELATIONS
Alumni Relations develops, coordinates and fosters programs to keep you informed and involved with NCCU. For information, call 919-530-6363, email alumni@nccu.edu or visit nccu.edu/alumni.
BAKER DOZIER MA'AT
I ‘79, ‘85 I Pamela Teel Wright has published “Our Cake Lady - A Collection of Lessons Learned, Recipes and Loving Memories From My Mama.”
I ‘80 I James “Jim” Holland was named as chair of the Chesterfield County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors for 2021. Holland is the Dale District supervisor and longest tenured current member of the board. He holds an MBA degree from NCCU.
I ‘84 I Rosalind Baker was sworn in on June 2, 2021, as a North Carolina District Court judge in Judicial District 22B, serving Davidson and Davie counties. Baker, a School of Law graduate, is the first African American judge to serve in either county.
I ‘91 I Esu Ma’at was named chief officer for diversity, equity and inclusion by the NBA’s Orlando Magic in December 2020. Ma’at earned his undergraduate degree in marketing at NCCU.
I ‘02 I Shauna Dozier, elections and registration director in Clayton County, Georgia, was presented the Democracy Action Hero Award by the University of Southern California’s Schwarzenegger Institute in December 2020 for showing “true leadership, bravery and commitment to American democracy.“
‘83 I ’86
THOMAS A. STITH III, a double-Eagle who majored in business administration, was named as president of the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges in December 2020. He was a member of the Durham City Council from 1999-2007.
Post Office and School Named after Julius L. Chambers
The late Emeritus Chancellor JULIUS L. CHAMBERS '59 was honored in February 2021 with the naming of the U.S Post Office on Derita Avenue in Charlotte as the Julius L. Chambers Civil Rights Memorial Post Office. In July 2021, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools renamed Vance High School after the civil rights icon.
Three Eagles Named to the Chief Justice’s Commission on Fairness and Equity
The Chief Justice’s Commission on Fairness and Equity was created by an October 2020 order of the Supreme Court of North Carolina and is charged with recommending plans “to reduce and ultimately eliminate disparate treatment, impacts, and outcomes in the North Carolina judicial system.” The Eagles named to the commission were Judge Michael Morgan ‘79, Law School Dean Browne Lewis and Parole Officer Debra Teasley ‘84.
MORGAN LEWIS TEASLEY
DR. HOWARD FITTS JR. CELEBRATES 100TH BIRTHDAY
HOWARD MONROE FITTS JR., PH.D., who celebrated his 100th birthday on June 8, 2021, is one of the oldest living graduates of NCCU. Fitts grew up in Wilson, N.C., and relocated to Durham in 1938 to attend North Carolina College for Negroes. Graduating with a degree in biology in 1941, he taught school for a brief period before being drafted into the U.S. Army.
In 1945, Fitts re-enrolled at NCCU, earning a master’s degree in public health education and, later, a doctorate from the Teacher’s College of Columbia University in New York. Throughout his career, Fitts was dedicated to improving life for North Carolinians through teaching, public health advocacy and support for civil rights. From 1954 to 1987, he served as a professor and chair of the NCCU Department of Health Education.
NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION INC. For news, events, information and/or to join a local alumni chapter, visit NEWS & EVENTS nccualumni.org or email info@nccualumni.org or call 919-530-5222.
GIVING BACK TO NCCU IS A LONG STANDING TRADITION of the NCCU Alumni Association Inc. President Tomeika Bowden and members of the NCCU Alumni Association presented Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye with a $25,000 donation on behalf of its 1,800-plus members to support the university and students.
Pictured (L-R): Gia Soublet, Ph.D., vice chancellor of Institutional Advancement; LaMisa McCoy Foxx ‘95, assistant vice chancellor of Alumni Relations; Tomeika Bowden ‘00, president of the NCCU Alumni Association; Jamie Patterson ‘00; Faith Patterson ‘04; Chancellor Akinleye; Jonathan Leach ‘04, ‘10, interim treasurer, NCCU Alumni Association; Janelle Terry ‘99, ‘00, and her daughter, Bailey Terry.
MEETING SCHEDULE 2021 Alumni Award Recipients
Every year, the NCCU Alumni Association honors dedicated alumni for their service to the community, their chapter and others.
THE 2021 HONOREES ARE:
COLEMAN
DAVIS-GREEN
HARPER
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
› TANYA COLEMAN ‘94
Metro/DC Alumni Chapter
TRUTH & SERVICE AWARD
› NIKIA DAVIS-GREEN ‘98 Charlotte Alumni Chapter
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD
› JIM HARPER II ‘94 & ‘97
Durham Alumni Chapter
CHAPTER OF THE YEAR AWARD
› DURHAM ALUMNI
CHAPTER
OCT. 16, 2021 Council Meeting I Virtual I Noon ET
FEB. 5, 2022 Council Meeting I Virtual I Noon ET
JEFFREYS
PRESIDENT'S AWARDS
› THE LATE DR. HAROLD L.
JEFFREYS III ‘66 & ‘71
Raleigh-Wake Alumni Chapter
îFor more information, visit nccualumni.org.
PERRY › MONICA PERRY '93
Metro/DC Alumni Chapter
2020 & 2021 Graduates–Welcome to the NCCU Alumni Association Inc.
Keep NCCUwith you after graduation. By joining the NCCU Alumni Association, you will join a worldwide network of more than 40,000 loyal NCCU Eagles! As a member of the NCCU Alumni Association, you’re always close to friends. Our gift to the graduates of the class of 2020 and 2021 is a complimentary one-year membership to the NCCU Alumni Association.
Sign up here: www.nccualumni.org/young-alumni-membership/
Eagles Excel in Education
HESTER
WHITE
FLOYD
COOK BRACY JONES NEWKIRK SR. SIMMONS
The leadership skills I learned at NCCU have equipped me for my initial success. I am humbled that my colleagues trust and respect me enough to
allow me to lead.” — TAYLOR-GRACE WHITE
I ‘93 I LaShonda B. Hester has been named principal of South Mebane Elementary in Alamance County. She formerly served as founding principal at Cardinal Charter Academy at Wendell Falls.
I ‘95 I Eric Bracy, Ph.D., has been appointed superintendent of Johnston County Public Schools in Smithfield, N.C. He earned his bachelor’s in education from NCCU.
I ‘04 I Assistant Principal Kirtisha Jones of Northside Elementary School was named as Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools' Assistant Principal of the Year in May 2021.
I ‘07 I Vann R. Newkirk Sr., Ph.D., who earned a master’s in library science from NCCU, was appointed as president of Fisk University on February 15, 2021. He previously served as interim president and provost at Fisk. I ‘09 I Tarryn Lael Simmons received the Advisor of the Year award from Johnson C. Smith University. She received a bachelor’s degree at NCCU and is now pursuing a doctorate in education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
I ‘13 I Taylor-Grace White, who has taught English at the City of Medicine Academy for the past seven years, received the 2020-21 Teacher of the Year award given by Durham Public Schools.
I ‘13 I Eugenia Floyd was named 2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year on April 9, 2021. She has served as a fourth-grade teacher for the past eight years at Mary Scroggs Elementary School in Chapel Hill.
I ‘86 I Sharon Warren Cook, Ph.D., was named provost and vice president for academic affairs at West Virginia State University on Nov. 9, 2020. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from NCCU.
BRIEFS
HOBBS
ARMSTRONG I ‘10 I Sierra Hobbs was named as director of sports medicine for the Alabama State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics in Montgomery.
I ‘11 I After a nationwide search, the Wake County, N.C. town of Apex selected Jason Armstrong as the new police chief. Armstrong a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, will be the first African American police chief in the nearly 150 year history of Apex. He formerly served as chief of police in Ferguson, Missouri, for the past two years.
A for Alpha
HBO sponsored film --------------submitted by REGGIE LOCHARD
Alumnus Reggie Lochard Releases Second Film
I ‘08 I A lifelong love of film turned into a meaningful career for Eagle alumnus Reggie Lochard.
Lochard received a bachelor’s degree in political science and English literature from NCCU in 2008 and also participated as a track and field student-athlete.
Following his parents’ firm advice about obtaining a practical education, Lochard ignored his artistic aspirations and focused on academics while at NCCU.
After he graduated in 2008, Lochard took screenwriting courses through the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, which led him into the film industry.
He believes his liberal arts education at NCCU has contributed significantly to the analytical thinking and processing skills required of screenwriters and film directors.
Lochard's first feature film, "When the Well Runs Dry," was released in 2018.
His most recent work, ‘A’ For Alpha, sponsored by HBO, is being screened at several film festivals for the 2021 season.
I ‘15 I Travis Taylor, assistant athletics director for football at NCCU, participated as a panelist on the NFL’s HBCU forum in December 2020. He earned his master’s degree in public administration from NCCU.
I ‘20 I Jayla L. Cole began serving as assistant district attorney for Chatham County, Georgia, in May 2021. She was a Dean’s Ambassador while attending NCCU’s School of Law.
ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT
Alumnus to Manage New York City’s Local CBS News and Television Market
JOHNNY GREEN JR., ’99, has been named president and general manager of CBS News and Television Stations’ local businesses in the New York City news market. He will begin his new role after serving as interim news director at WCBS-TV and vice president of News Services at CBS News, where he managed Newspath, the division’s affiliate news service.
Previously, he served as vice president and news director of CBS-owned WBZTV and WSBK-TV in Boston. In this role, Green produced local news coverage and ovesaw the development of newscasts and additional stories. Prior to this role, Green served as assistant news director for the station.
The Emmy award-wining journalist also served as executive producer at WCAU-TV in Philadelphia. In that position, he oversaw the hiring of cast and crew, as well as writing and editing content.
Green also worked as an executive producer at WPDE-TV in Myrtle Beach, S.C., for 15 years. Prior to joining WPDE-TV, Green served as special projects executive producer at WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, Penn.
He began his career in New Bern, N.C., as a news producer at WCTI-TV before stints as a news producer at WRAL-TV in Raleigh; and WSOC-TV and WCNC-TV in Charlotte.
Green earned a bachelor’s degree in history and media communications from North Carolina Central University.
I ‘10, ’13 I Former NC Central volleyball player Naima Stennett, MD, is doing big things and has plans to do more. She's ready to crank up a cycling program at her alma matter. As a sports medicine physician, it's Stennett's job to put people on the right path to health, and she believes getting on a bike is a good way to start. Stennett played volleyball for the Jamaica National Volleyball Team and at NCCU. Now she is a board-certified family medicine physician and completing a fellowship in sports medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
TELL US YOUR STORY Did you land a new job, receive a promotion or earn a degree or professional award? These are accomplishments we want to announce. Email now@nccu.edu with a 300 dpi photo and include your graduation year, college and major.
WITH THIS Ring EAGLES CELEBRATE THEIR NUPTIALS
Ajamu Amiri Dillahunt ‘19 and Samone
Bullock Dillahunt ’19 didn’t let the coronavirus pandemic steal their chance to celebrate love. The couple wed on Aug. 15, 2020, in Raleigh, N.C.
Jonathon Leach ‘00 and Alethea Byrd Leach
were married Oct. 19, 2020, in Durham, N.C.
Jamie Patterson ‘00 and Faith Bynum Patterson
'04 were married Dec. 12, 2020. They met at NCCU in the early 2000s. Jamie pledged the Tau Psi chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and Faith pledged the Alpha Chi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
AJAMU AND SAMONE DILLAHUNT
JONATHON AND ALETHEA LEACH JAMIE AND FAITH PATTERSON
SHARE YOUR MILESTONE Share photos of your milestones such as weddings, births, legacy announcements, reunions with classmates or memories from your days on campus for potential publication online, on social media and/or in our magazine. Photos must be digital and 300 dpi or higher and can be submitted by emailing to now@nccu.edu.
YOUNG ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Geography Guides Path to Oyster Business
Alumnus harvests lessons from geospatial sciences program to cultivate oyster business
Working in the food service industry is chaotic and demanding, but it teaches soft skills many people never have a chance to learn. Pairing those soft skills with technical skills isn’t always easy.
Photo by Baxter Miller
However, it was that combination that led alumnus Ryan Bethea, ’14, on his journey to owning one of the most prominent oyster farms in North Carolina.
During a period as a bartender during a college hiatus, Bethea often listened to the clacking of his shoes on the hardwoods in the hall as he strode between the restaurant’s kitchen and dining room.
Photo by Baxter Miller
“The noise was something that made me think I’m affecting people’s lives, but I also realized it was time to find a different path and find some purpose in life,” Bethea said.
Bethea returned to finish his degree at NCCU and enrolled in the Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences (EEGS) program.
About that time, he read a magazine article that said the North Carolina coast is ripe for oyster farming, but few people are willing to put in the work. That ultimately led to Bethea’s business, Oysters Carolina.
“Ryan’s a really voracious learner and an energetic guy,” said Bethea’s EEGS adviser, Tim Mulrooney, Ph.D. “He had the soft skills to go along with the technical skills that we were able to teach him.”
Mulrooney said he never anticipated one of his GIS students would become an oyster farmer, but the program ticked all the boxes for Bethea to do just that.
Data-driven decision-making is paramount for efficient planning and design, and geospatial studies offer deep insight into factors affecting an outcome, Bethea said.
Geospatial information is widely used in various fields – from determining the site of the next big-box home improvement store to drawing legislative electoral maps. Web app developers and corn farmers also use geospatial information. While these skill sets are developed and honed by the EEGS program, mastery also requires patience and curiosity, Bethea said.
He said his classes with professors William Harris, Ph.D., Chris McGinn, Ph.D. and Mulrooney all contributed to his success.
“They were great professors,” Bethea said. “I took oceanography with Dr. Harris where we studied sand formations, Coriolis effects, currents, and a lot more.”
This area of study, known as geomorphology, continues to be of use in his business. “Understanding how these processes are taking shape is information I use every day,” Bethea said.
After graduating from NCCU, Bethea earned a certificate in oyster genetics and aquaculture from the William & Mary Virginia Institute of Marine Science. He then taught science and social studies at Terrell Lane Middle School in Franklin County for three years as his plans for an oyster farm in Westmouth Bay near Harkers Island started to take shape.
“I was teaching during the week, and over the weekends and summers, I was building the oyster farm,” he said. “You have to have a lot of patience in oyster farming. It takes one to two years for an oyster to fully mature, and sometimes you’re not completely sure if it will yield the results you need.”
Now, Bethea paddles into the bay to check the oyster cages daily, following sustainability practices that include hand picking the oysters from their cages. His goal is to harvest his oysters and deliver them the same day– anywhere in North Carolina.
His efforts have already gained statewide attention. In 2016, Bethea’s harvest won the North Carolina Seafood Festival’s “Oyster of the Year” award.
Bethea hopes oysters will someday be as synonymous with North Carolina as barbecue and craft beers.
TIM MULROONEY, PH.D. Advisor and Professor Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences
BY ROBERT LEWIS
MASON '40
’40 I Edna Mae Mason, 101, Durham, N.C., April 9, 2021 '43 I Thelma Delores Lee, 97, Durham, N.C., Dec. 17, 2020
‘44 I Ruth Perry Watkins, 98, Rockingham, N.C., Feb. 6, 2021
’44, ’59 I Margaret Evans York, 98, Wilmington, Del., Sept. 20, 2020 ’46 I Thereasea Clark Elder, 93, Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 5, 2021
‘47 I Celia Oliver Rackley, 95, Burlington, N.C., Jan. 14, 2021
’47 I Mable B. Wright, 93, Raleigh, N.C., Nov. 5, 2020 ’51 I Barbara A. Brisby Perry, 90, Washington, D.C., Feb. 22, 2021
‘52, ‘59 I Cecilia Isham Hayes, 89, Durham, N.C., June 15, 2020
‘52 I Doris Scipio-Dees, 90. Chadbourn, N.C., Dec. 28, 2020
SIMEON HOLLOWAY
’50 | Simeon Holloway, an actor in Trouble Man, Hill Street Blues, Sanford & Son and many other productions, died Dec. 30, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 100.
A native of Gary, Indiana, Holloway enrolled at NCCU in 1941 to study music and theater. However, a year later his education was interrupted by the U.S. Navy when he was commissioned, along with 44 other musicians from across the nation, to form the first all-Black U.S. Naval Band. Holloway proved himself a versatile talent, with command of the clarinet, baritone saxophone and several other instruments.
Honorably discharged in 1946, he returned to NCCU to compete his degree and begin a three-decade-long teaching career.
Meanwhile, he also worked for many years as an actor, appearing in television shows and commercials alongside celebrities like Redd Foxx and Juanita Moore.
Holloway was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. He was also an expert swimmer, continuing to teach swimming and competing in the Senior Olympics until shortly before his death.
He and his wife of 56 years, Dorothea Holloway, who died in 2002, raised five children.
’52 I Richmond Edward Stewart, 91, Durham, N.C., Nov. 1, 2020
’52 I Elwood James Streeter, 90 89, Pasadena, Calif., Dec. 2, 2020
’53 I Jesse Lee Allen, 89, Durham, N.C., July 15, 2020 ’54 I Mary Knight Clifton, 88, Winston-Salem, N.C., March 8, 2021
’54 I Anna Harkley, 88, Raleigh, N.C., Aug. 1, 2020 ’54 I Katie Camel Nixon, 95, Wilmington, N.C., Oct. 17, 2019
’54 I Savannah Craighead Thomas, 89, Henry County, Va., April 4, 2021 ’54 I Barbara Kelly Tillman, 86, High Point, N.C., Sept. 24, 2020
’55 I Clarke A. Egerton, Jr. 88, Durham, N.C., Oct. 18, 2020
REBECCA PALMER EDMONDS
100, an alumna and longtime employee of NCCU, died July 27 at her home in Durham. Edmonds was the daughter of the late Eddie L. and Lucille Dixie Palmer of Bluefield, West Virginia, where she attended public school.
An outstanding student, she enrolled at Hampton Institute (University) in 1939 to complete her high school education. In 1941, she began classes at North Carolina College for Negroes to study commerce and economics. She also joined the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
After graduating in 1943, Edmonds accepted a job with NCCU’s secretarial pool, while continuing her studies at the college to earn a Master of Arts degree in guidance and counseling. She went on to hold a series of positions with the college, including secretary to the chair of the of Home Economics Department, secretary to the Dean of Students, and director of campus housing. In 1974, she became the university's purchasing director, a role she held until her retirement in 1986.
Edmonds earned many awards and much recognition for her dedication and leadership during her years as an NCCU employee, which began during the administration of founder James E. Shepard and continued under Presidents Alfonso Elder and Samuel Massey, President and Chancellor Albert N. Whiting, and Chancellor LeRoy T. Walker. Other members of her family also had long careers at NCCU, including husband Harry J. Edmonds Sr.; sister-in-law Helen G. Edmonds; son Harry J. Edmonds Jr.; daughter, LuAnn Edmonds-Harris Raley; and daughter-in-law Ann J. Edmonds. Edmonds was a member of Durham’s St. Titus Episcopal Church, Jack and Jill of America, and was a charter member of the Durham Chapter of The Links. On Founders Day, Oct. 29, 1993, she was inducted into the Society of Golden Eagles. The university considered Edmonds an Eagle hero for her commitment to the university's ideals of Truth and Service, her generosity and her many good works on behalf of North Carolina Central University.
JEFFREYS ’66, ’71
’55 I Doris Smith Herrell, 88, Winston-Salem, N.C., Aug.18, 2020 ’55 | Willie Blanche Baker Hill, 99, Durham, N.C., Nov. 9, 2020
‘56, ’60, ’72 I Gwendella Guinevere Gilmore Clemons, 86, Durham, N.C., May 11, 2021 ’56 I Jean L. Moore, 86, Washington, D.C., June 11, 2021
’57 I Douglas Campt, Mount Ranier, Md., May 11, 2021 ‘57 I Earlene B. Satterfield, 84, Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 20, 2020
’58 I Margaret Anderson Barnes, 83, Lanham, Md., April 3, 2019 ’61 I William Ralph “Sonny” Stroy, 80, Miami, Fl., Aug. 2, 2020
’62 I David George Bond, 79, Pomona, N.Y., June 10, 2020
’62 I Robert "Bob"Lee Covington, 78, Las Vegas, Nev., Feb. 19, 2021 ’62 I James Mann, 62, Upper Marlboro, Md., Nov. 6, 2020
‘61 I Thelma Odessie Walton Myles, 81, Whitsett, N.C., Jan. 28, 2021
‘62 I Clifford Outlaw, 81, Coral Springs, Fla., Feb. 6, 2021
’62 I Jessica Euzelle Patterson Smith, 101, Chapel Hill, N.C., Sept. 19, 2020 ‘63 I Ardetha S. Smith, 79, Duplin County, N.C., Dec. 5, 2020
‘63 I John David Stokes, 81, Goldsboro, N.C., Dec. 25, 2020
'64 I Joanne Peterson Boykin, Hillsborough, N.C., May, 18, 2021
’64 I Norman Lovick, Sr., 79, Bowie, Md., June 11, 2021
‘64 I Perry Ann Murphy, 59, Zanesville, Ohio; Aug. 2020 ’64 I Billy D. Shropshire, Washington, D.C., Dec. 2020 ’65, ‘74 I Albert D. Burnette, Jr., 79, Durham, N.C., Sept. 10, 2020 ’65 I Doris Peaks Jones, 88, East Point, Ga., March 10, 2021
’66 I Virginia L. Flintall, 76, Bronx, N.Y., April 22, 2020 ’66 I Paul D. Harrison, Sr., 81, Durham, N.C., Aug. 15, 2020 ’66, ’71 I Harold L. Jeffreys, 77, Garner, N.C., April 29, 2021
JOSEPHINE RAY SHERIN STRAYHORN
’44 | Josephine Ray Shearin Strayhorn, 97, a former NCCU Trustee and one of the nation’s first African American women to reach the higher echelons of banking, died Feb. 11, 2021. Strayhorn was born and raised in Durham, where she attended Hillside High School before completing her bachelor’s degree in business at NCCU in 1944 and then a Master of Business Administration degree from Atlanta University.
In 1958, she went to work at Mutual Savings & Loan Association, part of Durham’s “Black Wall Street,” where she rose from clerk through the ranks until being promoted in 1982 to vice president-secretary of the financial company.
Strayhorn was a member and trustee at St. Joseph A.M.E. Church and was an early member and officer for the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People.
She served on NCCU’s Board of Trustees from 1973 to 1980, taking on the role of secretary for several years, and was a member of the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
Her survivors include daughter Cheryl StrayhornWilliams, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
STRAYHORN '44 ALSTON '73
’66 I Leroy Walker, Jr., 78, Durham, N.C., Jan. 8, 2021
’67 I Jessie Bernadine Carroll Davis, 92, Lillington, N.C., Jan. 21, 2021
'67 I Doris Hill, 82, Feb. 7, 2021
'67 I Thomas Johnson, 68 , Fairfax, Va., June 20, 2021 ’67 I Melvin Wall, Charlotte, N.C., May 8, 2021 ‘69 I Joseph Arrington, Sr., 83, Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 1, 2020
’69 I Carolyn Augustus Wyatt, 72, Charlotte, N.C., Nov. 23, 2019
’70 I Charlotte Johnson Carlton, Voorhees, N.J., Sept. 10, 2020 ’70 I Dewana Gail Bagley, 72, Raleigh, N.C., Aug. 15, 2019 ’70 I Charles E. Fuller, 74, Baton Rouge, La., May 10, 2021 ‘70 I Rosetta Maxine Holmes Nobles, 73, Kinston, N.C., Feb. 4, 2021
’70 I William Henry Proctor, 75, Baltimore, Md., Oct. 13, 2020
‘70 I Dennis Lee Robinson, Sr., 74, Hyattsville, Md., Dec. 28, 2020
SA’ID ABDUL-SALAAM
’59 | Sa’id Abdul-Salaam served NCCU as a communications operator in the Office of Communications and Marketing for more than 15 years and passed away on July 12, 2021.
Abdul-Salaam was also an Eagle alumnus, having earned his degree in biology in 1959. Additionally, he played on the men’s basketball team.
After serving in the U.S. Airforce and working at agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for many years, Abdul-Salaam returned to serve his alma mater by directing callers from the university’s main phone line to departments throughout campus. He was active in the Durham community and served on the board of directors of Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman, Inc.
Abdul-Salaam leaves his wife, Karen, and two daughters, along with a host of family, friends and colleagues to cherish his memory.
’71, ’78 I Linda Joyce Tucker Johnson, 72, Mooresville, N.C., June 19, 2021
’71 I Granger R. Martin, 70, Dunn, N.C., Sept. 10, 2020 ‘71 I Linda Lee Tate-Suiter, 72, Durham, N.C., June 10, 2020
’71 I Kenneth Purcell Thompson, 73, Greensboro, N.C., Dec. 28, 2020
’71 I Carolyn Rose Trice Walker, 84, Colonial Heights, Va., March 1, 2021 ‘72, ‘76 I Freddie LeRoy Lee, 69, Hanover, Md., Jan.26, 2021
’73 I Johnny Alston, 74, Durham, N.C., Sept. 15, 2020 ’73 I Gary Devon “Germ” Henderson, 70, Durham, N.C., March 17, 2021
’73 I Leroy Douglas McClain, Jr., Orangeburg, S.C., July 25, 2020, Age 77
JOHN CLARENCE (SKEEPIE) SCARBOROUGH III
’62 I John Clarence (Skeepie) Scarborough III, 83, longtime president and CEO of Scarborough & Hargett Celebration of Life Center in Durham, died Nov. 7, 2020, after a brief illness. Scarborough, a member of the NCCU Class of 1960, attended Temple University’s former Eckels College of Mortuary Science before joining Scarborough & Hargett in 1961. He later became the fourth generation of Scarborough’s to oversee the business co-founded by his great-grandfather in 1871. He served as the 36th president of the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association.
Scarborough was born on Sept. 12, 1937, to J.C. and Hattie Strong Scarborough. He grew up in the Hayti neighborhood of Durham just as the area reached its apex as a thriving Black residential and commercial district in the mid-20th century.
In 1949, Scarborough was a plaintiff in a court case filed by a group of African American parents seeking equal funding for Black schools, a case that was settled in their favor in the early 1950s, shortly before the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision.
Later in life, he especially enjoyed sharing his memories of the Hayti community, including touring visitors around Hayti Heritage Center, a former church that was among few structures remaining after urban renewal obliterated most of the neighborhood beginning about 1960. Scarborough was on the boards of the NCCU Foundation, Mechanics & Farmers Bank, St. Joseph‘s Historic Foundation, and John Avery Boys and Girls Club. He was a member of the Human Relations Committee of the Durham Chamber of Commerce. In 2005, he was awarded with the Hayti Legacy Award.
He was a proud member of both Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and Alpha Tau Boule-Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, as well as a Shriner and 32nd degree Mason. He was an active congregant at St. Joseph A.M.E. Church. A skilled tennis player, Scarborough played at the historically Black Algonquin Tennis Club in Durham against the likes of Arthur Ashe.
He is survived by his wife, Queen Marble Bass-Scarborough; a son, J.C. (Scottie) Scarborough IV; and a daughter, Tonya Colleen Scarborough, as well as three grandchildren.
Photo courtesy of Discover Durham
’73 I James Garland Scales, 70, Silver Spring, Md., Nov. 2, 2020
'74 I Kay Francies Lawson-Demery, 69, Durham, N.C., April 6, 2021 ‘74 I Nafiskas Johnson Covington, 68, Holly Springs, N.C., Dec. 23, 2020
'74 I Ronald McNeil, 68, Raleigh, N.C., Nov. 7, 2020 ’74, ’79 I Anne Kornegay Gregory, 88, Durham, N.C., May 9, 2021 ‘75 I Mae Wanda Freeman-Reid, 69, Glenarden, Md., Oct.21, 2020
’76 I Ronald G. Blanchard, 72, Oak Island, N.C., March 31, 2021
’76 I Alexander Killens, 66, Fairmount, N.C., Dec. 28, 2020
’76 I Lillian Edge Taylor, 73, Durham, N.C., April 1, 2021 ’77 I Jimmie J. Devone, 64, Upper Marlboro, Md., Aug. 7, 2020 ’77 I Leroy Hope, 75, Graham, N.C., Aug. 9, 2020 ‘77 I James E. “Brute” McKoy, 65, Durham, N.C., Jan. 26, 2021
’79 I Joyce Ann Campbell, 64, Durham, N.C., April 1, 2021 ’79 I Vincent L. Pledger, 64, Chapel Hill, N.C., May 12, 2021 '80 I Rose Christian Wooten Allen, 65, Whispering Pines, N.C., June 9, 2021
‘83 I Beulah Graham 81, Silver Spring, MD, July 24, 2020
ROSELINE McKINNEY
’72 | Roseline (Rose) McKinney died on May 17, 2021. McKinney was initiated into Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. in 1970 through the Alpha Lambda Chapter at NCCU, where she received her bachelor’s degree in business education. She joined the ranks at National Headquarters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. on October 16, 1972, as the sorority’s first assistant comptroller and was appointed as executive director in 1990, a position which she held for nearly 30 years. She retired after 45 years of committed service in 2017. McKinney oversaw the growth of the sorority from 460 chapters and only 10 staff members, to over 1,000 chapters and a staff of more than 50 workers by the end of her tenure. She attended every National Convention since 1973 (22), most regional conferences since that time (154) and served under 11 past national presidents of the sorority.
DOUGLASS WILKERSON
’73 | Douglass Wilkerson died on February 21, 2021. He was a professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL)for the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) and San Diego Chargers (now Los Angeles Chargers). Named to the Pro Bowl three times, he was also a three-time All-Pro, including a first-team selection in 1982. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame. He also played one season in the Austrian Football League. In 15 NFL seasons, Wilkerson played in 204 regularseason games, starting 195. He ended his Chargers career with 195 games played, the second most in franchise history. In his later years, Wilkerson was the strength and conditioning coach for the Los Angeles Raiders (1990–1994) and player relations executive for the St. Louis Rams (1995–1996).
McCORKLE '90 DOUGLAS '10
’86 I Celeste Banks Chandler Brown, 77, Henderson, N.C., Aug. 12, 2020 ’86 I Beverly “Babs” L. Watts-Vaughn, Chevy Chase, Md., Aug. 10, 2020 '87 I Tyra J. Kinsler, 55, High Point, N.C., Feb., 21, 2021
’88 I Doris Evans, 82, Raleigh, N.C., Feb. 7, 2021 ’90 I Brian McCorkle, 52, Charlotte, N.C., Feb. 26, 2021
‘92 I Sherricca Privette Fennell, 62, Raleigh, N.C., Jan. 24, 2021
‘92 I Sylvia Tionne Kelly Little, 50, Raleigh, N.C., Dec. 7, 2020
'92 I Marcus "Tennessee" Smith, 51, Wake Forest, N.C., Feb. 10, 2021
’93 I Richard Anthony “Sticks” Robinson, 53, Durham, N.C., March 24, 2021
’96 I Larry Johnell DeBerry, Sr., 70, Durham, N.C., Nov.17, 2020
’00 I David Daniel Hadley, 73, Durham, N.C., Aug. 23, 2020
’01 I Beta V. Caesar, 41, Winston-Salem, N.C., Nov. 1, 2020
’05 I LaCharra Janell Leggett, 36, Rowland, N.C., March 16, 2021
’06 I Shelly Denece Canady, 38, Columbia, S.C., March 5, 2021 ’06 I Ema Temu, Durham, N.C., April 21, 2020, Age 42 ’08 I Lorrie Foster Crawley, 58, Durham, N.C., Feb. 13, 2021
’09 I Sarah Jane Brinson, 37, Grantsboro, N.C., March 12, 2021
’10 I Lynn L. Douglas, 34, Greensboro, N.C., March 18, 2021
’10 I Rachel A. Smith, 33, State College, Pa., May 5, 2021 ’19 I Shelly Ann Wheeler, 23, Mount Vernon, NY
’21 I Ciara Nicole Gee, 20, Raleigh, N.C., July 18, 2021 ’21 I Raegan Sharnae Chisley, 20, Hampton, Va., June 22, 2021
Empathy and Nostalgia Increase Alumni Donations During Virtual Homecoming Celebration
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ALUMNI and supporters celebrated the university’s 110th anniversary during Homecoming 2020 with events that enhanced the spirit of giving.
Approximately 756 alumni who graduated in years ending in ’5s and ’0s celebrated their class reunions during
The initiative is the first phase of the department’s #NCCUStrongerTogether giving campaign in support of student-athletes, both to lessen the financial impact of the pandemic and ensure a championship experience.
Celebrating their 45th class reunion, alumni from the Class of 1975 donated the largest dollar amount, with $798,500 in gifts to the university.
Members of the Society of Golden Eagles, comprised of alumni graduating 50 years ago or more, contributed $595,000.
Homecoming and demonstrated support with contributions that exceeded $2 million.
“NCCU is extremely grateful for the continuous support of donors – especially during an unprecedented time when donor support NCCU Class of 1975 is essential,” said Gia Soublet, 45th Reunion Ph.D., vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement. “These TOTAL RAISED: donations will address the most urgent needs of the university $798,500 and provide support for students experiencing financial hardship.”
For many fans, giving to the Department of Athletics was an important aspect of the celebration, with 896 university supporters donating $228,777 to the Virtual Homecoming Stadium Sellout. An anonymous donor contributed a single gift of $25,000 to the fundraising campaign.
$2 MILLION RAISED
NCCU Society of Golden Eagles TOTAL RAISED: $595,000
BY KIA C. BELL
the
make your plans today for the return of the
E X P E R I E N C E
OCTOBER 31- NOVEMBER 7, 2021 / Homecoming is our time to reconnect with classmates and friends and enjoy a great football rivalry. Join us to celebrate the induction of the classes of 1970 and 1971 into the Society of Golden Eagles. For more Homecoming information, visit nccu.edu/the-ultimate-homecoming.
