List of Kappa Alpha Psi members
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The list of Kappa Alpha Psi (ΚΑΨ) brothers (commonly referred to as Kappas or Nupes) includes initiated members. The list below includes members recognized as leaders in their respective fields.
As of its centennial in 2025, the fraternity is composed of over 260,000 college-trained men, with undergraduate chapters located on more than 360 college and university campuses and alumni chapters in more than 340 cities in the United States and five foreign countries. The fraternity's constitution has never contained any clause which either excluded or suggested the exclusion of a man from membership merely because of his color, creed, or national origin, though membership has traditionally been dominated by those of African heritage.
Kappa Alpha Psi was founded on January 5, 1911, at Indiana University Bloomington in Bloomington, Indiana. The campus of Indiana University at that time did not encourage the assimilation of Blacks. Kappa Alpha Psi is the second oldest existing collegiate historically Black Greek letter organization and the first intercollegiate fraternity incorporated as a national body.
Academia
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Elbert Frank Cox Alpha First African American to earn a Ph.D. in pure mathematics, a field concerned with mathematical theory rather than with practice or application Dr. Juan E. Gilbert Kappa Delta Distinguished Professor and Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Chair at the University of Florida; recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring; laureate of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation Marc Lamont Hill Abington-Ambler (PA) Alumni Professor at Temple University; author; activist; TV political commentator and host of Our World with Black Enterprise Philip G. Hubbard Gamma A university professor and administrator who was the first African-American faculty member at the University of Iowa, the first African-American administrator at any of Iowa's state universities and the first African-American vice president at a Big 10 university. Joseph B. Johnson Gamma Psi Ph.D; former president of Grambling State University (1977 - 1991); former president of Talladega College (1991 - 1998). Harry G. Robinson III Xi An American architect, and professor of architecture and Dean Emeritus of the School of Architecture and Design at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Arturo Alfonso Schomburg Omicron Historian and scholar of African-American culture Marvin Scott Alpha Epsilon An American politician and university professor at Butler University. Gregory H. Williams Cincinnati (OH) Alumni American scholar, attorney, law school professor, author, and formerly the 27th President of the University of Cincinnati (2009 to 2012) and the 11th President of the City College of New York (2001–2009). John Silvanus Wilson Pi Ph.D, Eleventh president of Morehouse College, former executive director, White House Initiative on HBCUs | Arturo Schomburg | ||
| Elbert Frank Cox | Alpha | First African American to earn a Ph.D. in pure mathematics, a field concerned with mathematical theory rather than with practice or application | |
| Dr. Juan E. Gilbert | Kappa Delta | Distinguished Professor and Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Chair at the University of Florida; recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring; laureate of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation | |
| Marc Lamont Hill | Abington-Ambler (PA) Alumni | Professor at Temple University; author; activist; TV political commentator and host of Our World with Black Enterprise | |
| Philip G. Hubbard | Gamma | A university professor and administrator who was the first African-American faculty member at the University of Iowa, the first African-American administrator at any of Iowa's state universities and the first African-American vice president at a Big 10 university. | |
| Joseph B. Johnson | Gamma Psi | Ph.D; former president of Grambling State University (1977 - 1991); former president of Talladega College (1991 - 1998). | |
| Harry G. Robinson III | Xi | An American architect, and professor of architecture and Dean Emeritus of the School of Architecture and Design at Howard University in Washington, D.C. | |
| Arturo Alfonso Schomburg | Omicron | Historian and scholar of African-American culture | |
| Marvin Scott | Alpha Epsilon | An American politician and university professor at Butler University. | |
| Gregory H. Williams | Cincinnati (OH) Alumni | American scholar, attorney, law school professor, author, and formerly the 27th President of the University of Cincinnati (2009 to 2012) and the 11th President of the City College of New York (2001–2009). | |
| John Silvanus Wilson | Pi | Ph.D, Eleventh president of Morehouse College, former executive director, White House Initiative on HBCUs |
Arts and entertainment
Film, television and theatre
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Joe Clair Alpha Iota Television host, best known for hosting BET's Rap City Aaron Douglas Eta American painter, illustrator and visual arts educator. He was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Lance Gross San Fernando-Santa Clarita (CA) Alumni Stage and television actor; best known for his role as Calvin Payne on Tyler Perry's House of Payne Belford Hendricks Alpha Zeta American composer, pianist, arranger, conductor, and record producer Cedric 'The Entertainer' Kyles Beta Nu (Charter Member: Mu Zeta) Comedian and actor Max Julien Xi Maxwell Banks, better known by his stage name Max Julien, was an American actor, sculptor, and clothes designer best known for his role as Goldie in the 1973 blaxploitation film The Mack.[1] Stan Lathan Delta Theta Film director, television producer and television director' producer of shows such as Sanford & Son and Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam Whitman Mayo Upsilon Actor, best known as the character Grady Wilson on the sitcom Sanford and Son Robert Reed (artist) Alpha Iota Artist and tenured art professor at Yale University School of Art John Singleton Beta Omega Director, best known for Boyz n the Hood and Rosewood (film) Aaron D. Spears Mu Phi Television actor Ernest Lee Thomas Alpha Zeta Actor, best known as Roger "Raj" Thomas of What's Happening!! and What's Happening Now!! Palmer Williams Jr. Beta Phi Stage and television actor; best known for his role as Floyd Jackson on Tyler Perry's House of Payne and the sitcom Love Thy Neighbor | John Singleton Cedric The Entertainer | ||
| Joe Clair | Alpha Iota | Television host, best known for hosting BET's Rap City | |
| Aaron Douglas | Eta | American painter, illustrator and visual arts educator. He was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. | |
| Lance Gross | San Fernando-Santa Clarita (CA) Alumni | Stage and television actor; best known for his role as Calvin Payne on Tyler Perry's House of Payne | |
| Belford Hendricks | Alpha Zeta | American composer, pianist, arranger, conductor, and record producer | |
| Cedric 'The Entertainer' Kyles | Beta Nu (Charter Member: Mu Zeta) | Comedian and actor | |
| Max Julien | Xi | Maxwell Banks, better known by his stage name Max Julien, was an American actor, sculptor, and clothes designer best known for his role as Goldie in the 1973 blaxploitation film The Mack.[1] | |
| Stan Lathan | Delta Theta | Film director, television producer and television director' producer of shows such as Sanford & Son and Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam | |
| Whitman Mayo | Upsilon | Actor, best known as the character Grady Wilson on the sitcom Sanford and Son | |
| Robert Reed (artist) | Alpha Iota | Artist and tenured art professor at Yale University School of Art | |
| John Singleton | Beta Omega | Director, best known for Boyz n the Hood and Rosewood (film) | |
| Aaron D. Spears | Mu Phi | Television actor | |
| Ernest Lee Thomas | Alpha Zeta | Actor, best known as Roger "Raj" Thomas of What's Happening!! and What's Happening Now!! | |
| Palmer Williams Jr. | Beta Phi | Stage and television actor; best known for his role as Floyd Jackson on Tyler Perry's House of Payne and the sitcom Love Thy Neighbor |
Print, television, and online media
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Charles M. Blow Gamma Psi American journalist; current visual op-ed columnist for The New York Times; former graphics director and art director for National Geographic magazine. Chris Broussard Iota Nu Sports columnist and sports reporter for Fox Sports 1 Kevin Corke Beta Theta Fox News White House Correspondent Augustus "Gus" Johnson Jr. Silver Spring (MD) Alumni Fox Sports commentator Demarco Morgan Delta Delta Current co-host of ABC's GMA3; former CBS News anchor; former News reporter and anchor for Atlanta's NBC affiliate, WXIA. Kevin Samuels Zeta Omega American internet personality and image consultant Tavis Smiley Alpha Talk show host; political commentator; author Jim Vance Gamma Omega News anchor for the NBC affiliate WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. Roger Wilkins Sigma Journalist, professor, and civil rights leader; | Charles M. Blow Kevin Samuels Tavis Smiley | ||
| Charles M. Blow | Gamma Psi | American journalist; current visual op-ed columnist for The New York Times; former graphics director and art director for National Geographic magazine. | |
| Chris Broussard | Iota Nu | Sports columnist and sports reporter for Fox Sports 1 | |
| Kevin Corke | Beta Theta | Fox News White House Correspondent | |
| Augustus "Gus" Johnson Jr. | Silver Spring (MD) Alumni | Fox Sports commentator | |
| Demarco Morgan | Delta Delta | Current co-host of ABC's GMA3; former CBS News anchor; former News reporter and anchor for Atlanta's NBC affiliate, WXIA. | |
| Kevin Samuels | Zeta Omega | American internet personality and image consultant | |
| Tavis Smiley | Alpha | Talk show host; political commentator; author | |
| Jim Vance | Gamma Omega | News anchor for the NBC affiliate WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. | |
| Roger Wilkins | Sigma | Journalist, professor, and civil rights leader; |
Music
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Alvin Batiste Alpha Sigma Jazz clarinetist Marion Brown Gamma Kappa American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, writer, visual artist, and ethnomusicologist. He is best known as a member of the 1960s avant-garde jazz scene in New York City, playing alongside musicians such as John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and John Tchicai. Lawrence Brownlee Indianapolis (IN) Alumni Opera singer Elwood Buchanan Beta Jazz trumpeter; music educator; early mentor to jazz legend Miles Davis Donald Byrd Alpha Beta Jazz and R&B trumpeter Byron Cage Kappa Upsilon Gospel musician Danny! Gamma Nu Recording artist for Questlove's Okayplayer Records; music producer/ and composer for MTV's Hype Music production library DeP (musician) Beta Beta R&B Recording Artist, Actor, and Model Cleveland Eaton Alpha Theta Jazz bassist with Count Basie Orchestra and the Ramsey Lewis Trio Jester Hairston Chi American composer, songwriter, arranger, and choral conductor; actor on sitcom Amen Graham W. Jackson, Sr. Pi Organist, Composer, Music Educator, Pianist, and choral conductor Edward Jordan Alpha Sigma Jazz saxophonist Montell Jordan Beta Omega R&B musician Booker T. Jones Alpha American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer, and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Lecrae Eta Gamma Christian hip hop artist, record producer, and actor; president, co-owner, and co-founder of the independent record label Reach Records Smokie Norful Gamma Sigma Gospel musician Kosine Kappa Phi Producer, Composer, Music Educator, Performer, and Grammy Nominated Marvin Sapp Grand Rapids (MI) Alumni Gospel musician William Grant Still Delta Classical composer, first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra Billy Taylor Alpha Phi Jazz musician Kris Thomas Eta Gamma R&B and soul singer; competed in Season 4 of The Voice | Grant Still Billy Taylor Lecrae (left) | ||
| Alvin Batiste | Alpha Sigma | Jazz clarinetist | |
| Marion Brown | Gamma Kappa | American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, writer, visual artist, and ethnomusicologist. He is best known as a member of the 1960s avant-garde jazz scene in New York City, playing alongside musicians such as John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and John Tchicai. | |
| Lawrence Brownlee | Indianapolis (IN) Alumni | Opera singer | |
| Elwood Buchanan | Beta | Jazz trumpeter; music educator; early mentor to jazz legend Miles Davis | |
| Donald Byrd | Alpha Beta | Jazz and R&B trumpeter | |
| Byron Cage | Kappa Upsilon | Gospel musician | |
| Danny! | Gamma Nu | Recording artist for Questlove's Okayplayer Records; music producer/ and composer for MTV's Hype Music production library | |
| DeP (musician) | Beta Beta | R&B Recording Artist, Actor, and Model | |
| Cleveland Eaton | Alpha Theta | Jazz bassist with Count Basie Orchestra and the Ramsey Lewis Trio | |
| Jester Hairston | Chi | American composer, songwriter, arranger, and choral conductor; actor on sitcom Amen | |
| Graham W. Jackson, Sr. | Pi | Organist, Composer, Music Educator, Pianist, and choral conductor | |
| Edward Jordan | Alpha Sigma | Jazz saxophonist | |
| Montell Jordan | Beta Omega | R&B musician | |
| Booker T. Jones | Alpha | American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer, and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. | |
| Lecrae | Eta Gamma | Christian hip hop artist, record producer, and actor; president, co-owner, and co-founder of the independent record label Reach Records | |
| Smokie Norful | Gamma Sigma | Gospel musician | |
| Kosine | Kappa Phi | Producer, Composer, Music Educator, Performer, and Grammy Nominated | |
| Marvin Sapp | Grand Rapids (MI) Alumni | Gospel musician | |
| William Grant Still | Delta | Classical composer, first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra | |
| Billy Taylor | Alpha Phi | Jazz musician | |
| Kris Thomas | Eta Gamma | R&B and soul singer; competed in Season 4 of The Voice |
Business
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. James A. Dallas Miami (FL) Alumni Businessman, nightclub owner, and civic leader, Fort Lauderdale; Monte E. Ford Chi Technology executive; CIO of American Airlines (2001–2012); CEO of Aptean; board member of Akamai Technologies, Iron Mountain, JetBlue Airways, and Centene Corporation John Edward Jacob Xi Vice President of Anheuser-Busch; former CEO of the National Urban League 60th Laurel Wreath Laureate; Robert L. Johnson Beta American businessman, media magnate, executive, philanthropist and investor; founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET); former majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats; first African-American billionaire; first African-American majority club owner of a major American sports league Reginald Lewis Alpha Phi CEO of TLC Beatrice International, the first black-owned company to have more than $1 billion in annual sales Jerry Lorenzo San Fernando-Santa Clarita (CA) Alumni American businessman and fashion designer; Founder of Fear of God Kedar Massenburg Delta Mu President and CEO of Motown Records John Moutoussamy Alpha Rho American architect, best known for designing the headquarters building of the Johnson Publishing Company in downtown Chicago, Illinois. He was the first African-American architect to design a high-rise building in Chicago. William Gaston Pearson Durham (NC) Alumni One of the organizers of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, the Fraternal Bank and Trust Company, Southern Fidelity and Surety Company as well as Banker's Fire Insurance Company; Guy Primus Lambda Delta COO of Overbrook Entertainment; named one of Urban Influence Magazine's "Men of Influence 2009" Roy Roberts (chief executive) Grand Rapids (MI) Alumni Former executive with General Motors; Harvey C. Russell Jr. Alpha Upsilon American businessman. He was the vice president of PepsiCo, and made history as the first Black officer of a major U.S. multinational corporation. Donald P. Ryder Beta American architect and educator. He designed many buildings as the co-founder of Bond Ryder & Associates with J. Max Bond Jr., and was a professor emeritus at the City College of New York, where he taught from 1972 to 2001. Max Siegel Indianapolis (IN) Alumni CEO of USA Track & Field; Howard Sims (architect) Sigma American architect, businessperson, and philanthropist, active in Detroit. Donald Andrew Spencer Sr. Cincinnati (OH) Alumni Noted Cincinnati businessman. Songwriter of many Kappa Alpha Psi songs; John W. Thompson Alpha Xi CEO of Virtual Instruments; chairman of the board of directors for Microsoft Corporation; former vice-president at IBM; former CEO of Symantec Corporation Carl Ware Gamma Kappa American businessman, philanthropist; Longtime Executive of Coca-Cola; 57th Laurel Wreath Laureate | James A. Dallas Robert L. Johnson Guy Primus | ||
| James A. Dallas | Miami (FL) Alumni | Businessman, nightclub owner, and civic leader, Fort Lauderdale; | |
| Monte E. Ford | Chi | Technology executive; CIO of American Airlines (2001–2012); CEO of Aptean; board member of Akamai Technologies, Iron Mountain, JetBlue Airways, and Centene Corporation | |
| John Edward Jacob | Xi | Vice President of Anheuser-Busch; former CEO of the National Urban League 60th Laurel Wreath Laureate; | |
| Robert L. Johnson | Beta | American businessman, media magnate, executive, philanthropist and investor; founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET); former majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats; first African-American billionaire; first African-American majority club owner of a major American sports league | |
| Reginald Lewis | Alpha Phi | CEO of TLC Beatrice International, the first black-owned company to have more than $1 billion in annual sales | |
| Jerry Lorenzo | San Fernando-Santa Clarita (CA) Alumni | American businessman and fashion designer; Founder of Fear of God | |
| Kedar Massenburg | Delta Mu | President and CEO of Motown Records | |
| John Moutoussamy | Alpha Rho | American architect, best known for designing the headquarters building of the Johnson Publishing Company in downtown Chicago, Illinois. He was the first African-American architect to design a high-rise building in Chicago. | |
| William Gaston Pearson | Durham (NC) Alumni | One of the organizers of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, the Fraternal Bank and Trust Company, Southern Fidelity and Surety Company as well as Banker's Fire Insurance Company; | |
| Guy Primus | Lambda Delta | COO of Overbrook Entertainment; named one of Urban Influence Magazine's "Men of Influence 2009" | |
| Roy Roberts (chief executive) | Grand Rapids (MI) Alumni | Former executive with General Motors; | |
| Harvey C. Russell Jr. | Alpha Upsilon | American businessman. He was the vice president of PepsiCo, and made history as the first Black officer of a major U.S. multinational corporation. | |
| Donald P. Ryder | Beta | American architect and educator. He designed many buildings as the co-founder of Bond Ryder & Associates with J. Max Bond Jr., and was a professor emeritus at the City College of New York, where he taught from 1972 to 2001. | |
| Max Siegel | Indianapolis (IN) Alumni | CEO of USA Track & Field; | |
| Howard Sims (architect) | Sigma | American architect, businessperson, and philanthropist, active in Detroit. | |
| Donald Andrew Spencer Sr. | Cincinnati (OH) Alumni | Noted Cincinnati businessman. Songwriter of many Kappa Alpha Psi songs; | |
| John W. Thompson | Alpha Xi | CEO of Virtual Instruments; chairman of the board of directors for Microsoft Corporation; former vice-president at IBM; former CEO of Symantec Corporation | |
| Carl Ware | Gamma Kappa | American businessman, philanthropist; Longtime Executive of Coca-Cola; 57th Laurel Wreath Laureate |
Government and politics
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Archie Alexander Gamma Governor of US Virgin Islands; 6th Grand Polemarch; 4th Laurel Wreath laureate; Lionel Artis Nu Indianapolis civil servant and administrator; past Editor of the Kappa Alpha Psi Journal; 8th Laurel Wreath laureate Nelson B. Bascome Alpha Iota Minister of Health and Member of Parliament, Bermuda John A. Bell Philander Smith College Director of the Education and Secondary Education Division of the Office of Civil Rights, United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Stephen K. Benjamin Zeta Epsilon Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina Sanford Bishop Pi Representative from Georgia Tom Bradley Upsilon Mayor of Los Angeles, California; 18th Grand Polemarch; 22nd Laurel Wreath laureate; Andrew Brimmer Gamma Eta First African American to have served as a governor of the Federal Reserve System George L. Brown Mu First Black Lieutenant Governor of Colorado; with his Kappa brother, California's Mervyn Dymally, he was one of the first two Black lieutenant-governors since Reconstruction and outside of any southern state Albert Bryan Mu Xi Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands Matthew G. Carter Alpha Gamma An American pastor and politician who served as the Mayor of Montclair, New Jersey from 1968 to 1972 Troy Carter (politician) Beta Iota Representative from Louisiana; Dwaine Caraway Beta Upsilon Former city councilman Dallas, Texas William Lacy Clay, Jr. St Louis (MO) Alumni Representative from Missouri Michael B. Coleman Columbus (OH) Alumni Mayor of Columbus, Ohio Isaac N. Coggs Iota an American accountant, Democratic politician, and civil rights leader from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ian Conyers Kappa Chi Michigan Senator from District 4 John Conyers Alpha Beta Representative from Michigan; chairman of the House Judiciary Committee; 52nd Laural Wreath laureate; George W. Crockett Pi Representative from Michigan; civil rights activist; 38th Laurel Wreath laureate; Sam Cunningham Wilberforce (OH) Alumni First African-American mayor of Waukegan, Illinois Gloster B. Current Tau Former deputy executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Director of Branches and Field Administration of the NAACP during the Civil Rights Movement; Mike Davis Zeta Delta California State Assembly member Rufus Davis Theta Eta Social and political activist, business executive, and former Mayor of Camilla, Georgia Andre Dickens Lambda Delta Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia; technology executive Mervyn M. Dymally Upsilon First black Lieutenant Governor of California; Representative from California Ben Espy Zeta American Democratic politician who served in the Ohio Senate and was a member of Columbus City Council from 1982 to 1992. Walter E. Fauntroy Alpha Gamma Representative from Washington, D.C.; civil rights leader Adrian Fenty Alpha Omega Former mayor of Washington, D.C. Homer Floyd Mu Retired Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC)] Aaron D. Ford Las Vegas (NV) Alumni State Senate Majority Leader Nevada Johnny Ford Beta Phi Former Mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama Jason Frierson Theta Sigma Speaker of the Nevada State Assembly Wilson Frost Alpha Delta Longtime Chicago, Illinois alderman Truman Gibson Iota Lawyer, Government advisor, and later influential boxing promoter who played a unique and unheralded role in the Civil Rights Movement, primarily as a member of the "Black Cabinet" of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S Truman. William F. Gibson Beta Rho Dentist, Civil Rights activist, and former chairman of the NAACP Wilson Goode Philadelphia (PA) Alumni First African-American Mayor of Philadelphia Curtis Graves Beta Upsilon Former Texas state House of Representative Elihu Harris Gamma Alpha Mayor of Oakland, California Alcee Hastings Alpha Delta Representative from Florida; Federal Judge; 59th Laurel Wreath laureate; Reginald Hawkins Alpha Epsilon First African-American to run for Governor of North Carolina. Dentist. Civil rights activist who played a central role in integrating Charlotte schools, hospitals, and public spaces. John Hayden Jr. Beta Nu Police Commissioner of the St. Louis Wade Henderson Washington (DC) Alumni Former president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Dennis Hightower Xi Former Army officer, retired business executive, college educator, and public servant who was the United States deputy secretary of commerce from 2009 to 2010. Alvin Holmes Beta Zeta Former Alabama state House of Representative Alphonso R. Jackson Epsilon Eta 13th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Lester G. Jackson Epsilon Psi Georgia state senator Hakeem Jeffries Mu Kappa Representative from New York; House Minority Leader since 2022 Glenn Ivey Hyattsville-Landover (MD) Alumni Representative from Maryland; Richard Lee Jones Alpha Former United States Ambassador to Liberia 1955-1959; U.S. Army General; Vernon Jones Alpha Kappa CEO of DeKalb County, Georgia; Senator from Georgia 2008 candidate Joe Lang Kershaw Miami (FL) Alumni Florida politician and educator Donald McEachin Beta Kappa (Charter member: Kappa Chi) U.S. House of Representatives member from Virginia James Perkins, Jr. Gamma Phi First African-American Mayor of Selma, Alabama Edward J. Perkins Alexandria-Fairfax (VA) Alumni US Ambassador to Liberia, South Africa, the United Nations, and Australia Kwame Raoul Theta Zeta State Attorney General for Illinois; former Illinois state representative Brensil Rolle Bahamas Alumni Member of Parliament, the Bahamas Kasim Reed Atlanta (GA) Alumni Mayor of Atlanta Julian Russell Epsilon Alpha Senator, the Bahamas Charles E. Samuels, Jr. Kappa Kappa 8th Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons; its first African-American director Carl B. Stokes Alpha Omega Mayor of Cleveland, first black mayor of a major US city Louis Stokes Alpha Omega First African-American Congressman from Ohio; civil rights lawyer; 51st Laurel Wreath Laureate John F. Street Philadelphia (PA) Alumni Mayor of Philadelphia Danny Tabor Mayor of Inglewood, California Bennie Thompson Gamma Rho Representative from Mississippi; Chairman of House Homeland Security Committee; 71st Laurel Wreath Laureate Wellington Webb Denver (CO) Alumni Mayor of Denver Former mayor of Denver, CO; 54th Laurel Wreath laureate of Kappa Alpha Psi Michael Weeks Bermuda Alumni Member of Parliament, Bermuda Jesse White Beta Zeta Secretary of State of Illinois Albert Wynn Beta Epsilon Former member of the U.S. House of Representative from Maryland | Sanford Bishop William Clay John Conyers Adrian Fenty Alcee Hastings Charles E. Samuels, Jr. | ||
| Archie Alexander | Gamma | Governor of US Virgin Islands; 6th Grand Polemarch; 4th Laurel Wreath laureate; | |
| Lionel Artis | Nu | Indianapolis civil servant and administrator; past Editor of the Kappa Alpha Psi Journal; 8th Laurel Wreath laureate | |
| Nelson B. Bascome | Alpha Iota | Minister of Health and Member of Parliament, Bermuda | |
| John A. Bell | Philander Smith College | Director of the Education and Secondary Education Division of the Office of Civil Rights, United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare | |
| Stephen K. Benjamin | Zeta Epsilon | Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina | |
| Sanford Bishop | Pi | Representative from Georgia | |
| Tom Bradley | Upsilon | Mayor of Los Angeles, California; 18th Grand Polemarch; 22nd Laurel Wreath laureate; | |
| Andrew Brimmer | Gamma Eta | First African American to have served as a governor of the Federal Reserve System | |
| George L. Brown | Mu | First Black Lieutenant Governor of Colorado; with his Kappa brother, California's Mervyn Dymally, he was one of the first two Black lieutenant-governors since Reconstruction and outside of any southern state | |
| Albert Bryan | Mu Xi | Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands | |
| Matthew G. Carter | Alpha Gamma | An American pastor and politician who served as the Mayor of Montclair, New Jersey from 1968 to 1972 | |
| Troy Carter (politician) | Beta Iota | Representative from Louisiana; | |
| Dwaine Caraway | Beta Upsilon | Former city councilman Dallas, Texas | |
| William Lacy Clay, Jr. | St Louis (MO) Alumni | Representative from Missouri | |
| Michael B. Coleman | Columbus (OH) Alumni | Mayor of Columbus, Ohio | |
| Isaac N. Coggs | Iota | an American accountant, Democratic politician, and civil rights leader from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | |
| Ian Conyers | Kappa Chi | Michigan Senator from District 4 | |
| John Conyers | Alpha Beta | Representative from Michigan; chairman of the House Judiciary Committee; 52nd Laural Wreath laureate; | |
| George W. Crockett | Pi | Representative from Michigan; civil rights activist; 38th Laurel Wreath laureate; | |
| Sam Cunningham | Wilberforce (OH) Alumni | First African-American mayor of Waukegan, Illinois | |
| Gloster B. Current | Tau | Former deputy executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Director of Branches and Field Administration of the NAACP during the Civil Rights Movement; | |
| Mike Davis | Zeta Delta | California State Assembly member | |
| Rufus Davis | Theta Eta | Social and political activist, business executive, and former Mayor of Camilla, Georgia | |
| Andre Dickens | Lambda Delta | Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia; technology executive | |
| Mervyn M. Dymally | Upsilon | First black Lieutenant Governor of California; Representative from California | |
| Ben Espy | Zeta | American Democratic politician who served in the Ohio Senate and was a member of Columbus City Council from 1982 to 1992. | |
| Walter E. Fauntroy | Alpha Gamma | Representative from Washington, D.C.; civil rights leader | |
| Adrian Fenty | Alpha Omega | Former mayor of Washington, D.C. | |
| Homer Floyd | Mu | Retired Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC)] | |
| Aaron D. Ford | Las Vegas (NV) Alumni | State Senate Majority Leader Nevada | |
| Johnny Ford | Beta Phi | Former Mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama | |
| Jason Frierson | Theta Sigma | Speaker of the Nevada State Assembly | |
| Wilson Frost | Alpha Delta | Longtime Chicago, Illinois alderman | |
| Truman Gibson | Iota | Lawyer, Government advisor, and later influential boxing promoter who played a unique and unheralded role in the Civil Rights Movement, primarily as a member of the "Black Cabinet" of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S Truman. | |
| William F. Gibson | Beta Rho | Dentist, Civil Rights activist, and former chairman of the NAACP | |
| Wilson Goode | Philadelphia (PA) Alumni | First African-American Mayor of Philadelphia | |
| Curtis Graves | Beta Upsilon | Former Texas state House of Representative | |
| Elihu Harris | Gamma Alpha | Mayor of Oakland, California | |
| Alcee Hastings | Alpha Delta | Representative from Florida; Federal Judge; 59th Laurel Wreath laureate; | |
| Reginald Hawkins | Alpha Epsilon | First African-American to run for Governor of North Carolina. Dentist. Civil rights activist who played a central role in integrating Charlotte schools, hospitals, and public spaces. | |
| John Hayden Jr. | Beta Nu | Police Commissioner of the St. Louis | |
| Wade Henderson | Washington (DC) Alumni | Former president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights | |
| Dennis Hightower | Xi | Former Army officer, retired business executive, college educator, and public servant who was the United States deputy secretary of commerce from 2009 to 2010. | |
| Alvin Holmes | Beta Zeta | Former Alabama state House of Representative | |
| Alphonso R. Jackson | Epsilon Eta | 13th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) | |
| Lester G. Jackson | Epsilon Psi | Georgia state senator | |
| Hakeem Jeffries | Mu Kappa | Representative from New York; House Minority Leader since 2022 | |
| Glenn Ivey | Hyattsville-Landover (MD) Alumni | Representative from Maryland; | |
| Richard Lee Jones | Alpha | Former United States Ambassador to Liberia 1955-1959; U.S. Army General; | |
| Vernon Jones | Alpha Kappa | CEO of DeKalb County, Georgia; Senator from Georgia 2008 candidate | |
| Joe Lang Kershaw | Miami (FL) Alumni | Florida politician and educator | |
| Donald McEachin | Beta Kappa (Charter member: Kappa Chi) | U.S. House of Representatives member from Virginia | |
| James Perkins, Jr. | Gamma Phi | First African-American Mayor of Selma, Alabama | |
| Edward J. Perkins | Alexandria-Fairfax (VA) Alumni | US Ambassador to Liberia, South Africa, the United Nations, and Australia | |
| Kwame Raoul | Theta Zeta | State Attorney General for Illinois; former Illinois state representative | |
| Brensil Rolle | Bahamas Alumni | Member of Parliament, the Bahamas | |
| Kasim Reed | Atlanta (GA) Alumni | Mayor of Atlanta | |
| Julian Russell | Epsilon Alpha | Senator, the Bahamas | |
| Charles E. Samuels, Jr. | Kappa Kappa | 8th Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons; its first African-American director | |
| Carl B. Stokes | Alpha Omega | Mayor of Cleveland, first black mayor of a major US city | |
| Louis Stokes | Alpha Omega | First African-American Congressman from Ohio; civil rights lawyer; 51st Laurel Wreath Laureate | |
| John F. Street | Philadelphia (PA) Alumni | Mayor of Philadelphia | |
| Danny Tabor | Mayor of Inglewood, California | ||
| Bennie Thompson | Gamma Rho | Representative from Mississippi; Chairman of House Homeland Security Committee; 71st Laurel Wreath Laureate | |
| Wellington Webb | Denver (CO) Alumni | Mayor of Denver Former mayor of Denver, CO; 54th Laurel Wreath laureate of Kappa Alpha Psi | |
| Michael Weeks | Bermuda Alumni | Member of Parliament, Bermuda | |
| Jesse White | Beta Zeta | Secretary of State of Illinois | |
| Albert Wynn | Beta Epsilon | Former member of the U.S. House of Representative from Maryland |
Law
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Marvin S. Arrington Sr. Gamma Kappa Fulton (GA) County Judge, former Fulton (GA) County Commissioner A. A. Birch, Jr. Epsilon First African American to serve as Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court A. Scott Bolden Pi Noted Attorney and television political commentator. Robert Brokenburr Indianapolis (IN) Alumni Indianapolis based attorney, civil rights leaders and Indiana state senator. James Clayborne, Jr. Alpha Theta A member of the Illinois Senate representing the 57th District from his appointment in 1995 until 2019 Johnnie Cochran Upsilon Defense attorney, best known for his role in the legal defense during the O. J. Simpson murder case Charles Swinger Conley Beta Zeta Montgomery (AL) County attorney, civil rights leader and Alabama's first Black judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Macon County, AL. William Cousins Beta Retired Illinois State Appellate Judge; Former Chicago Alderman, George Crockett III Pi Judge, Recorder's Court (Detroit); served on the same bench as his father, Judge George Crockett, Jr. Gonzalo P. Curiel Alpha District Court Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of California; appointed by President Barack Obama Henry Frye Alpha Nu First African American chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court; 53rd Laurel Wreath Laureate William P. Greene, Jr. Tau Former judge on the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims George Edward Chalmer Hayes Washington (DC) Alumni Civil rights attorney; 15th Laurel Wreath laureate Nathaniel R. Jones Beta Pi Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; former NAACP General Counsel; Laurel Wreath Laureate George N. Leighton Xi Retired Cook County (IL) Circuit Court Judge and Illinois Appellate Judge Conrad L. Mallett, Jr. Upsilon Attorney, Past Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court, C. Vernon Mason Pi Attorney for infamous Tawana Brawley case, Howard Beach incident. Loren Miller (judge) Mu American journalist, civil rights activist, attorney and judge. He was appointed to the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Billy G. Mills Upsilon Retired Los Angeles Superior Court judge and a former Los Angeles City Council member, serving from 1963 to 1974. Irvin Charles Mollison Iota First African American to serve on the United States Customs Court. James D. Montgomery Beta Chicago, IL based attorney Donald Gaines Murray Alpha Iota Central figure in Murray v. Pearson (1935), which ruled that the University of Maryland School of Law's policy of racial segregation was unconstitutional Theodore R. Newman Jr. Chi First African American to serve as Chief Justice of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals T. Gillis Nutter Tau Civil Rights activist, NAACP leader, 3rd Laurel Wreath laureate Eugene K. Pettis Zeta Phi First African American to serve as president of the Florida Bar Kenneth Polite Theta Iota Lawyer who is currently serving as the assistant attorney general for the criminal division in the United States Department of Justice. He previously served as a United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 2013 to 2017. Freeman Ransom Indianapolis (IN) Alumni Indianapolis based attorney and businessman. John W. Rogers Sr. Iota Illinois judge attorney, and Tuskegee Airman; George H. Starke Pi Broke the color line as the first African-American law student at the University of Florida. Percy Sutton New York (NY) Alumni Attorney and civil rights activist; attorney for Malcolm X | Johnnie Cochran | ||
| Marvin S. Arrington Sr. | Gamma Kappa | Fulton (GA) County Judge, former Fulton (GA) County Commissioner | |
| A. A. Birch, Jr. | Epsilon | First African American to serve as Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court | |
| A. Scott Bolden | Pi | Noted Attorney and television political commentator. | |
| Robert Brokenburr | Indianapolis (IN) Alumni | Indianapolis based attorney, civil rights leaders and Indiana state senator. | |
| James Clayborne, Jr. | Alpha Theta | A member of the Illinois Senate representing the 57th District from his appointment in 1995 until 2019 | |
| Johnnie Cochran | Upsilon | Defense attorney, best known for his role in the legal defense during the O. J. Simpson murder case | |
| Charles Swinger Conley | Beta Zeta | Montgomery (AL) County attorney, civil rights leader and Alabama's first Black judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Macon County, AL. | |
| William Cousins | Beta | Retired Illinois State Appellate Judge; Former Chicago Alderman, | |
| George Crockett III | Pi | Judge, Recorder's Court (Detroit); served on the same bench as his father, Judge George Crockett, Jr. | |
| Gonzalo P. Curiel | Alpha | District Court Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of California; appointed by President Barack Obama | |
| Henry Frye | Alpha Nu | First African American chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court; 53rd Laurel Wreath Laureate | |
| William P. Greene, Jr. | Tau | Former judge on the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims | |
| George Edward Chalmer Hayes | Washington (DC) Alumni | Civil rights attorney; 15th Laurel Wreath laureate | |
| Nathaniel R. Jones | Beta Pi | Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; former NAACP General Counsel; Laurel Wreath Laureate | |
| George N. Leighton | Xi | Retired Cook County (IL) Circuit Court Judge and Illinois Appellate Judge | |
| Conrad L. Mallett, Jr. | Upsilon | Attorney, Past Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court, | |
| C. Vernon Mason | Pi | Attorney for infamous Tawana Brawley case, Howard Beach incident. | |
| Loren Miller (judge) | Mu | American journalist, civil rights activist, attorney and judge. He was appointed to the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles | |
| Billy G. Mills | Upsilon | Retired Los Angeles Superior Court judge and a former Los Angeles City Council member, serving from 1963 to 1974. | |
| Irvin Charles Mollison | Iota | First African American to serve on the United States Customs Court. | |
| James D. Montgomery | Beta | Chicago, IL based attorney | |
| Donald Gaines Murray | Alpha Iota | Central figure in Murray v. Pearson (1935), which ruled that the University of Maryland School of Law's policy of racial segregation was unconstitutional | |
| Theodore R. Newman Jr. | Chi | First African American to serve as Chief Justice of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals | |
| T. Gillis Nutter | Tau | Civil Rights activist, NAACP leader, 3rd Laurel Wreath laureate | |
| Eugene K. Pettis | Zeta Phi | First African American to serve as president of the Florida Bar | |
| Kenneth Polite | Theta Iota | Lawyer who is currently serving as the assistant attorney general for the criminal division in the United States Department of Justice. He previously served as a United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 2013 to 2017. | |
| Freeman Ransom | Indianapolis (IN) Alumni | Indianapolis based attorney and businessman. | |
| John W. Rogers Sr. | Iota | Illinois judge attorney, and Tuskegee Airman; | |
| George H. Starke | Pi | Broke the color line as the first African-American law student at the University of Florida. | |
| Percy Sutton | New York (NY) Alumni | Attorney and civil rights activist; attorney for Malcolm X |
Literature
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Lerone Bennett, Jr. Pi Best selling author; Author of Before the Mayflower; editor of Ebony LeAlan Jones Theta Eta Author of Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago | |||
| Lerone Bennett, Jr. | Pi | Best selling author; Author of Before the Mayflower; editor of Ebony | |
| LeAlan Jones | Theta Eta | Author of Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago |
Military
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Frederick C. Branch Alpha Epsilon First African-American officer in the United States Marine Corps Daniel James, Jr. Nashville (TN) Alumni First African-American four-star general; 28th Laurel Wreath laureate George L. Knox II Nu Combat fighter pilot; Tuskegee Airmen Henry B. Perry Tuskegee (AL) Alumni Combat fighter pilot; Tuskegee Airmen Leslie C. Smith Iota Pi Retired United States Army lieutenant general who last served as the 66th Inspector General of the United States Army. The 84th Laurel Weath Laurate of Kappa Alpha Psi. Robert W. Smith III Beta Epsilon Major General in the United States Army Reserve Dennis L. Via Alpha Phi Four-star General; 18th Commander of the United States Army Materiel Command; 72nd Laurel Wreath laureate | Daniel James, Jr. Dennis L. Via | ||
| Frederick C. Branch | Alpha Epsilon | First African-American officer in the United States Marine Corps | |
| Daniel James, Jr. | Nashville (TN) Alumni | First African-American four-star general; 28th Laurel Wreath laureate | |
| George L. Knox II | Nu | Combat fighter pilot; Tuskegee Airmen | |
| Henry B. Perry | Tuskegee (AL) Alumni | Combat fighter pilot; Tuskegee Airmen | |
| Leslie C. Smith | Iota Pi | Retired United States Army lieutenant general who last served as the 66th Inspector General of the United States Army. The 84th Laurel Weath Laurate of Kappa Alpha Psi. | |
| Robert W. Smith III | Beta Epsilon | Major General in the United States Army Reserve | |
| Dennis L. Via | Alpha Phi | Four-star General; 18th Commander of the United States Army Materiel Command; 72nd Laurel Wreath laureate |
Religion
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Ralph David Abernathy Beta Zeta American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, leader of the civil rights movement, and close friend and mentor of Martin Luther King Jr. He collaborated with King and E. D. Nixon to create the Montgomery Improvement Association, co-created and was an executive board member of SCLC; led the Poor People's Campaign in Washington, D.C., as well as other marches and demonstrations for disenfranchised Americans. He also served as an advisory committee member of the Congress on Racial Equality Jamal Harrison Bryant Baltimore (MD) Alumni American minister, author and former political candidate. He is the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Former pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore, Bryant has appeared on BET's Meet the Faith, CNN, C-SPAN, and Politically Incorrect, served as a panelist on the national town hall meetings entitled "The State of Black America" and "The State of the Black Doctor." Calvin O. Butts Pi an American academic administrator and a senior pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, which historically was the largest black church in New York City. He established the Abyssinian Development Corporation, a $500 million engine in housing and commercial development in Harlem, and was president of the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. W. Sterling Cary Pi President of the National Council of Churches from 1972 to 1975 Leon Finney Jr. Chicago (IL) Alumni Late founder and pastor of Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church in Chicago, IL. Finney was also known for his association with The Woodlawn Organization, a community development initiative in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago. Eddie L. Long Alpha Kappa Pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Smokie Norful Gamma Sigma American gospel singer and pianist. Leon Sullivan Tau A Baptist minister, a civil rights leader and social activist focusing on the creation of job training opportunities for African Americans, a longtime General Motors Board Member, and an anti-Apartheid activist. A Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee, Spingarn Award honoree, and the 28th Laurel Wreath Laureate of Kappa Alpha Psi. Gardner C. Taylor Alpha Omega An American Baptist preacher. He became known as "the dean of American preaching. A Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee. William Tecumseh Vernon Kansas City (MO) Alumni American educator, minister and bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church who served as president of Western University beginning in 1896 and Register of the Treasury from 1906 to 1911. Frederick B. Williams Pi Late Canon of the Church of the Intercession in Harlem, NY. | Ralph Abernathy | ||
| Ralph David Abernathy | Beta Zeta | American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, leader of the civil rights movement, and close friend and mentor of Martin Luther King Jr. He collaborated with King and E. D. Nixon to create the Montgomery Improvement Association, co-created and was an executive board member of SCLC; led the Poor People's Campaign in Washington, D.C., as well as other marches and demonstrations for disenfranchised Americans. He also served as an advisory committee member of the Congress on Racial Equality | |
| Jamal Harrison Bryant | Baltimore (MD) Alumni | American minister, author and former political candidate. He is the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Former pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore, Bryant has appeared on BET's Meet the Faith, CNN, C-SPAN, and Politically Incorrect, served as a panelist on the national town hall meetings entitled "The State of Black America" and "The State of the Black Doctor." | |
| Calvin O. Butts | Pi | an American academic administrator and a senior pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, which historically was the largest black church in New York City. He established the Abyssinian Development Corporation, a $500 million engine in housing and commercial development in Harlem, and was president of the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. | |
| W. Sterling Cary | Pi | President of the National Council of Churches from 1972 to 1975 | |
| Leon Finney Jr. | Chicago (IL) Alumni | Late founder and pastor of Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church in Chicago, IL. Finney was also known for his association with The Woodlawn Organization, a community development initiative in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago. | |
| Eddie L. Long | Alpha Kappa | Pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. | |
| Smokie Norful | Gamma Sigma | American gospel singer and pianist. | |
| Leon Sullivan | Tau | A Baptist minister, a civil rights leader and social activist focusing on the creation of job training opportunities for African Americans, a longtime General Motors Board Member, and an anti-Apartheid activist. A Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee, Spingarn Award honoree, and the 28th Laurel Wreath Laureate of Kappa Alpha Psi. | |
| Gardner C. Taylor | Alpha Omega | An American Baptist preacher. He became known as "the dean of American preaching. A Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee. | |
| William Tecumseh Vernon | Kansas City (MO) Alumni | American educator, minister and bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church who served as president of Western University beginning in 1896 and Register of the Treasury from 1906 to 1911. | |
| Frederick B. Williams | Pi | Late Canon of the Church of the Intercession in Harlem, NY. |
Science and medicine
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Norman B. Anderson Washington (DC) Alumni American scientist Emmett J. Conrad Alpha Signa Late surgeon and Dallas, Texas civic leader. Arthur Falls Theta Chicago-based African-American physician and activist. In 1925, he became the founder of the city's first Catholic Worker. Henry Foster Pi Surgeon General of the United States nominee Bernard A. Harris, Jr. Eta Lambda Astronaut; first African American to walk in space; 50th Laurel Wreath laureate; Richard E. Holmes Alpha Chi Mississippi based medical doctor Myron Rolle Gamma Sigma Pediatric Neurosurgeon, former NFL safety, and Rhodes Scholar; known for bridging sports and medicine. John P. Turner Surgeon and staff president of Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital and Training School and first Black member of the Philadelphia Board of Education J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr. Iota an American nuclear scientist, mechanical engineer and mathematician. A child prodigy, he attended the University of Chicago at the age of 13, becoming its youngest-ever student. | Bernard Harris | ||
| Norman B. Anderson | Washington (DC) Alumni | American scientist | |
| Emmett J. Conrad | Alpha Signa | Late surgeon and Dallas, Texas civic leader. | |
| Arthur Falls | Theta | Chicago-based African-American physician and activist. In 1925, he became the founder of the city's first Catholic Worker. | |
| Henry Foster | Pi | Surgeon General of the United States nominee | |
| Bernard A. Harris, Jr. | Eta Lambda | Astronaut; first African American to walk in space; 50th Laurel Wreath laureate; | |
| Richard E. Holmes | Alpha Chi | Mississippi based medical doctor | |
| Myron Rolle | Gamma Sigma | Pediatric Neurosurgeon, former NFL safety, and Rhodes Scholar; known for bridging sports and medicine. | |
| John P. Turner | Surgeon and staff president of Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital and Training School and first Black member of the Philadelphia Board of Education | ||
| J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr. | Iota | an American nuclear scientist, mechanical engineer and mathematician. A child prodigy, he attended the University of Chicago at the age of 13, becoming its youngest-ever student. |
Athletics
Baseball
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Emmett Ashford Upsilon First African American umpire in Major League Baseball Larry Bradford Gamma Kappa Former MLB pitcher with the Atlanta Braves Harvey Branch Beta Zeta Former minor league pitcher and MLB player for the St. Louis Cardinals Don Buford Beta Omega Former MLB player for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles; former minor and major league coach Donn Clendenon Pi Former MLB first baseman; MVP in the 1969 World Series with the New York Mets Samuel Drake Beta Tau Former MLB infielder with Chicago Cubs and New York Mets in mid to late 1960s Solly Drake Beta Tau Former MLB outfielder with several MLB teams in mid to late 1950s Kenny Lofton Delta Omicron Former MLB outfielder Lloyd McClendon Zeta Alpha Hitting coach for Detroit Tigers. Former MLB outfielder; former manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners Walter Owens Gamma Beta Former pitcher and outfielder who played in Negro league baseball. Coached baseball and basketball for 54 years, 34 of them at Northern Illinois University before retiring in 2007. Ted Savage Alpha Mu Former MLB outfielder with numerous clubs; Nate Smith (baseball) Alpha Theta Former minor league catcher; Ron Teasley Alpha Beta Former professional baseball player. Charlie Williams (umpire) Epsilon Kappa African American umpire in Major League Baseball Reggie Williams Alpha Sigma Former MLB player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians | Lloyd McClendon | ||
| Emmett Ashford | Upsilon | First African American umpire in Major League Baseball | |
| Larry Bradford | Gamma Kappa | Former MLB pitcher with the Atlanta Braves | |
| Harvey Branch | Beta Zeta | Former minor league pitcher and MLB player for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Don Buford | Beta Omega | Former MLB player for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles; former minor and major league coach | |
| Donn Clendenon | Pi | Former MLB first baseman; MVP in the 1969 World Series with the New York Mets | |
| Samuel Drake | Beta Tau | Former MLB infielder with Chicago Cubs and New York Mets in mid to late 1960s | |
| Solly Drake | Beta Tau | Former MLB outfielder with several MLB teams in mid to late 1950s | |
| Kenny Lofton | Delta Omicron | Former MLB outfielder | |
| Lloyd McClendon | Zeta Alpha | Hitting coach for Detroit Tigers. Former MLB outfielder; former manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners | |
| Walter Owens | Gamma Beta | Former pitcher and outfielder who played in Negro league baseball. Coached baseball and basketball for 54 years, 34 of them at Northern Illinois University before retiring in 2007. | |
| Ted Savage | Alpha Mu | Former MLB outfielder with numerous clubs; | |
| Nate Smith (baseball) | Alpha Theta | Former minor league catcher; | |
| Ron Teasley | Alpha Beta | Former professional baseball player. | |
| Charlie Williams (umpire) | Epsilon Kappa | African American umpire in Major League Baseball | |
| Reggie Williams | Alpha Sigma | Former MLB player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians |
Basketball
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Cliff Anderson Delta Eta Former NBA guard with the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Rockets of the ABA. Bernie Bickerstaff Delta Epsilon Assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers; NBA coach and front office executive Charlie Brown (basketball, born 1936) Gamma Eta Former collegiate All-American and former amateur basketball player Cliff Anderson Delta Eta Former NBA guard with the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Rockets of the ABA. Jeff Capel II Epsilon Beta Former men's head basketball coach Old Dominion University, North Carolina A&T University and Fayetteville State University; former NBA assistant coach Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Bobcats Wilt Chamberlain Mu Former NBA center; Basketball Hall of Fame, 1978; College Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006 John Chaney Gamma Theta Distinguished Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and Temple University head coach; Basketball Hall of Fame 2001 Erick Dampier Eta Upsilon Former NBA center Harold Ellis Pi Former NBA Los Angeles Clippers Denver Nuggets forward; NBA team executive Caesar Felton Gayles Pi (Charter Member) Distinguished Langston University men's basketball head coach; College Basketball Hall of Fame 2014 Nolden Gentry Gamma Former standout college basketball at the University of Iowa in the late 1950s and 1960s. Penny Hardaway Kappa Beta Former Orlando Magic guard; 1996 Summer Olympics gold medalist; Current head basketball coach at University of Memphis; Marques Haynes Alpha Pi Former Harlem Globetrotter; Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1998 Alan Henderson Alpha Former NBA forward Talen Horton-Tucker Omega Drafted by the NBA Los Angeles Lakers in 2019 NBA draft; Allan Houston Mu Rho Assistant general manager for the New York Knicks; former NBA guard; 2000 Summer Olympics gold medalist Wade Houston Alpha Omicron Former head basketball coach at University of Tennessee; first African-American head basketball coach in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Melvin Hunt Lambda Lambda Basketball coach. An college assistant basketball coach of Baylor Bears men's basketball. He was previously an assistant coach of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Sam Jones Boston (MA) Alumni Former Boston Celtics Guard; Basketball Hall of Fame, 1984; College Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006, ten-time NBA champion Maurice King (basketball) Mu Retired professional basketball player; first African American player to start for the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team. Ron Knight (basketball) Beta Omega Former NBA basketball player Edward Martin (basketball) Charleston (SC) Alumni Retired head basketball coach at South Carolina State University and Tennessee State University Jerome Mincy Kappa Kappa Member of the Puerto Rican national basketball team 1983-2002 Johnny Newman Eta Xi Former NBA forward Roman Penn Omega College point guard. Charles Ramsey (basketball) Delta Nu Former men's head basketball coach Eastern Michigan University from 2005-2011 Oscar Robertson Beta Eta Former NBA guard; Basketball Hall of Fame, 1980; College Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006; FIBA Hall of Fame, 2009; 1960 Summer Olympics gold medalist; the Oscar Robertson Trophy was named in his honor Bill Russell Gamma Alpha Former NBA center; first African-American inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame; Basketball Hall of Fame, 1975; College Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006; FIBA Hall of Fame, 2007; 1956 Summer Olympics gold medalist; eleven-time NBA champion; awarded the 2011 Presidential Medal of Freedom; the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award was named in his honor; 1956 Summer Olympics gold medalist Mark Tatum Iota Phi NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer (COO); first African-American Deputy Commissioner of the NBA Herschell Turner Eta Retired American professional basketball player. Former Harlem Globetrotters player. Darrell Walker Iota Tau Head basketball coach Clark Atlanta University former assistant coach for the New York Knicks; former head coach of NBA Toronto Raptors, former NBA guard | Wilt Chamberlain Oscar Robertson Bill Russell Penny Hardaway | ||
| Cliff Anderson | Delta Eta | Former NBA guard with the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Rockets of the ABA. | |
| Bernie Bickerstaff | Delta Epsilon | Assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers; NBA coach and front office executive | |
| Charlie Brown (basketball, born 1936) | Gamma Eta | Former collegiate All-American and former amateur basketball player | |
| Cliff Anderson | Delta Eta | Former NBA guard with the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Rockets of the ABA. | |
| Jeff Capel II | Epsilon Beta | Former men's head basketball coach Old Dominion University, North Carolina A&T University and Fayetteville State University; former NBA assistant coach Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Bobcats | |
| Wilt Chamberlain | Mu | Former NBA center; Basketball Hall of Fame, 1978; College Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006 | |
| John Chaney | Gamma Theta | Distinguished Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and Temple University head coach; Basketball Hall of Fame 2001 | |
| Erick Dampier | Eta Upsilon | Former NBA center | |
| Harold Ellis | Pi | Former NBA Los Angeles Clippers Denver Nuggets forward; NBA team executive | |
| Caesar Felton Gayles | Pi (Charter Member) | Distinguished Langston University men's basketball head coach; College Basketball Hall of Fame 2014 | |
| Nolden Gentry | Gamma | Former standout college basketball at the University of Iowa in the late 1950s and 1960s. | |
| Penny Hardaway | Kappa Beta | Former Orlando Magic guard; 1996 Summer Olympics gold medalist; Current head basketball coach at University of Memphis; | |
| Marques Haynes | Alpha Pi | Former Harlem Globetrotter; Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1998 | |
| Alan Henderson | Alpha | Former NBA forward | |
| Talen Horton-Tucker | Omega | Drafted by the NBA Los Angeles Lakers in 2019 NBA draft; | |
| Allan Houston | Mu Rho | Assistant general manager for the New York Knicks; former NBA guard; 2000 Summer Olympics gold medalist | |
| Wade Houston | Alpha Omicron | Former head basketball coach at University of Tennessee; first African-American head basketball coach in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) | |
| Melvin Hunt | Lambda Lambda | Basketball coach. An college assistant basketball coach of Baylor Bears men's basketball. He was previously an assistant coach of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). | |
| Sam Jones | Boston (MA) Alumni | Former Boston Celtics Guard; Basketball Hall of Fame, 1984; College Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006, ten-time NBA champion | |
| Maurice King (basketball) | Mu | Retired professional basketball player; first African American player to start for the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team. | |
| Ron Knight (basketball) | Beta Omega | Former NBA basketball player | |
| Edward Martin (basketball) | Charleston (SC) Alumni | Retired head basketball coach at South Carolina State University and Tennessee State University | |
| Jerome Mincy | Kappa Kappa | Member of the Puerto Rican national basketball team 1983-2002 | |
| Johnny Newman | Eta Xi | Former NBA forward | |
| Roman Penn | Omega | College point guard. | |
| Charles Ramsey (basketball) | Delta Nu | Former men's head basketball coach Eastern Michigan University from 2005-2011 | |
| Oscar Robertson | Beta Eta | Former NBA guard; Basketball Hall of Fame, 1980; College Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006; FIBA Hall of Fame, 2009; 1960 Summer Olympics gold medalist; the Oscar Robertson Trophy was named in his honor | |
| Bill Russell | Gamma Alpha | Former NBA center; first African-American inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame; Basketball Hall of Fame, 1975; College Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006; FIBA Hall of Fame, 2007; 1956 Summer Olympics gold medalist; eleven-time NBA champion; awarded the 2011 Presidential Medal of Freedom; the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award was named in his honor; 1956 Summer Olympics gold medalist | |
| Mark Tatum | Iota Phi | NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer (COO); first African-American Deputy Commissioner of the NBA | |
| Herschell Turner | Eta | Retired American professional basketball player. Former Harlem Globetrotters player. | |
| Darrell Walker | Iota Tau | Head basketball coach Clark Atlanta University former assistant coach for the New York Knicks; former head coach of NBA Toronto Raptors, former NBA guard |
American football
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Spencer Anderson Washington (DC) Alumni American professional football guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL); Nnamdi Asomugha Gamma Alpha Retired Oakland Raiders All-Pro cornerback; philanthropist Chris Barclay Omicron Sigma Retired NFL running back Lem Barney Delta Delta Retired Detroit Lions All-Pro safety; Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1992 Odell Barry Beta Xi Retired wide receiver Denver Broncos; former of mayor Northglenn, Colorado Reggie Barlow Jacksonville (FL) Alumni Retired Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver; Head Coach Virginia State University Albert Bell Eta Chi Former NFL wide receiver Latin Berry Delta Alpha Former NFL defensive back with Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns J. J. Birden Delta Alpha Former NFL wide receiver Johnny Bright Omega Former CFL running back, College Football Hall of Fame, 1984, Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 1970, Three time Grey Cup Champion Dana Brinson Eta Former wide receiver for NFL San Diego Chargers and Atlanta Falcons and the London Monarchs of the World League Bob Brown (offensive lineman) Eta Retired All-Pro NFL offensive tackle with Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams and Oakland Raiders All-Pro safety; Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame Reggie Brown Delta Alpha Former NFL running back with Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles and USFL Arizona Outlaws Steve Brown Delta Alpha Former Houston Oilers cornerback; NFL secondary coach Earnest Byner Eta Psi Former NFL Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens running back, NFL running back coach Jim Caldwell Gamma Former head coach of the Detroit Lions; former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Wake Forest Demon Deacons; former offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens Drew Carter Zeta Former Carolina Panthers, Oakland Raiders wide receiver Maurice Carthon Theta Mu Former assistant head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs; Former fullback for New York Giants and USFL New Jersey Generals; Two-time Super Bowl champion Marino Casem Jackson (MS) Alumni Former head coach of Alcorn State University, Southern University, and Alabama State University Greg Childs Iota Tau Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Don Clark (Canadian football) Zeta Retired CFL running back; All-American on the 1957 National Champions Ohio State University football team. Ryan Clark Nu Iota Former NFL Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back; host and NFL analyst on ESPN Dextor Clinkscale Alpha Lambda Former NFL Dallas Cowboys defensive back; Jerome Couplin III Xi Theta Former Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams safety. Former CFL Linebacker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Current safety for the Orlando Apollos B. J. Daniels Zeta Chi Former NFL Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans QB Ron Dickerson Beta Psi Former head coach of Temple University and Alabama State University Donnie Fletcher Chi Former NFL cornerback Jamar Fletcher Beta Omicron Former NFL cornerback; recipient of Jim Thorpe Award and Jack Tatum Trophy Terrell Fletcher Beta Omicron Retired NFL running back San Diego Chargers Wallace Francis Gamma Sigma Retired NFL wide receiver Howard C. Gentry Alpha Xi Former head coach of Tennessee State University. Chris Gragg Iota Tau Buffalo Bills tight end David Grant Epsilon Chi Former NFL defensive lineman Robert Green Eta Omega Former NFL running back Bobby Grier Beta Epsilon First African American football player to break the color barrier of the collegiate Sugar Bowl game when his Pittsburgh Panthers played in the 1956 Sugar Bowl held in New Orleans, LA against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets DeJuan Groce Eta Former NFL cornerback Mel Groomes Alpha Retired American football player and baseball coach. Former NFL offensive back with Detroit Lions Harold Hallman Theta Delta Former CFL Defensive tackle with the Toronto Argonauts Charlie Hardy Delta Rho Original Oakland Raider from the American Football League Bobby Harris Lambda Pi Former NFL/CFL offensive tackle Chick Harris Gamma Iota Long time NFL assistant coach Corey Harris Nu Rho Former NFL safety Matthew Hatchette Langston (OK) Alumni Former NFL wide receiver Tim Hawthorne Theta Delta Former CFL Wide Receiver with the Calgary Stampeders John Henderson Sigma Retired Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver; Head Coach Virginia State University Kahlil Hill Gamma Former NFL/CFL wide receiver Randal Hill Miami (FL) Alumni Former NFL wide receiver Randy Hilliard Theta Lambda Former NFL defensive back; Bruce Holmes Stockbridge-Jonesboro (GA) Alumni Retired Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Earl Holmes Alpha Xi Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker DeAndre Houston-Carson Xi Theta NFL defensive back Hornsby Howell Durham (NC) Alumni Former head football coach at North Carolina A&T University; first African-American on the football coaching staff of the University of Georgia Lane Howell Gamma Psi Retired NFL lineman New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles D. J. Ivey Iota Chi NFL cornerback; Larron Jackson Delta Omega Retired NFL lineman Tony Jeter Eta Retired NFL tight end; Willie Jackson Zeta Phi Former NFL wide receiver John Henry Johnson Gamma Iota Pro Football Hall of Fame 1987; member of 49ers Million Dollar Backfield Ernest Jones Zeta Epsilon Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jimmy Jones Beta Omicron Retired Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos wide receiver; Kevin Jones Theta Psi Former Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears running back William Judson Alpha Lambda Former NFL Miami Dolphins cornerback; EJ Junior Eta Chi Former Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins linebacker; two-time Pro Bowler Colin Kaepernick Xi Phi Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Shaun King St. Petersburg (FL) Alumni Former NFL and Arena Football League quarterback; sports personality Kenard Lang Orlando (FL) Alumni Retired NFL defensive lineman Jerry Latin Epsilon Omicron Former NFL St. Louis Cardinals running back Cleo Lemon Theta Mu Former NFL/CFL quarterback Keenan Lewis Iota Iota New Orleans Saints cornerback Leo Lewis Alpha Mu Former CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back, College Football Hall of Fame inductee 2005, Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 1973, Four time Grey Cup Champion Greg Lloyd Gamma Zeta Former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl linebacker Andre Lott Mu Rho Former NFL safety Lenny Lyles Alpha Omicron Former Baltimore Colts cornerback, Member of the 1958 NFL Champions Brandon Marshall Lambda Omega Chicago Bears All-Pro wide receiver; 2012 NFL Pro Bowl MVP; most receptions in a game in NFL history (21) Brandon Marshall Xi Phi Denver Broncos linebacker Jim Marshall Zeta Former Minnesota Vikings All-Pro defensive end; member of the famed Purple People Eaters defense; Chris Martin Theta Delta Former NFL Defensive End/LB with the Kansas City Chiefs Ollie Matson Gamma Alpha Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1972; College Football Hall of Fame, 1976; won bronze medal in the 400-meter run and a silver medal as part of the US 4x400-meter relay team in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland; member of the undefeated 1951 University of San Francisco football team Al Matthews (American football) Austin (TX) Alumni Retired NFL defensive back Jordan Matthews Nu Rho NFL wide receiver Pellom McDaniels III Iota Iota Former Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons defensive end Booger McFarland St. Petersburg (FL) Alumni Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Guy McIntyre Zeta Iota Former San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl guard; three-time Super Bowl Champion with the San Francisco 49ers James McKinley Gamma Beta Former football player, coach, and businessman Bennie McRae Sigma Former Chicago Bears cornerback; Member of the 1963 NFL Champion Chicago Bears Ron Middleton Theta Delta Former NFL Tight End with the Washington Redskins Glyn Milburn Lambda Nu Former NFL special teams specialist Cleo Miller Gamma Sigma Retired NFL running back Steven Mitchell Beta Omega NFL Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans wide receiver Emery Moorehead Beta Theta Former New York Giants, Chicago Bears tight end / wide receiver, Member of 1985 NFL Champions Kirk Morrison Delta Epsilon Former NFL linebacker Ace Mumford Delta Born Arnett W. Mumford; inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001; coached Southern University Jaguars to five national championships in football; coached Southern University to the 1941 national championship in basketball by taking the National Intercollegiate Invitational Basketball Tournament Cliff Odom Iota Alpha Retired NFL Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins linebacker Chris Oldham Delta Alpha Former NFL cornerback Jerry Patton Eta Retired NFL defensive lineman Ken Payne Alpha Pi Former NFL wide receiver Mike Perez Delta Rho Former NFL pro quarterback for multiple NFL and Arena Football teams; Billy Pritchett Epsilon Pi Former NFL running back Stanley Pritchett Jr. Zeta Epsilon Former NFL fullback Dave Raimey Sigma Former NFL Cleveland Browns and CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts. Member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame Anthony Redmon Theta Delta Former NFL Offensive Tackle with the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons Ed Reed Grambling (LA) Alumni Retired Baltimore Ravens All-Pro safety; Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2019 Dwight T. Reed Psi Three lettermen in football at University of Minnesota; member of the 1935 and 1936 national champion Golden Gopher football teams; Former longtime head football coach at Lincoln University (Missouri) Walter Reeves Theta Delta Former NFL Tight End with the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns Herman Riddick Alpha Kappa Former longtime head football coach for North Carolina Central University Gerald Riggs Gamma Iota Former NFL Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins running back C.R. Roberts Beta Omega Retired NFL and CFL running back Ron Sayers Alpha Eta Former San Diego Chargers running back; Younger brother of Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers Hurles Scales Zeta Upsilon Retired NFL defensive back. Haywood Scissum Gamma Epsilon Former head coach of Tuskegee University Linwood Sexton Wichita (KS) Alumni Retired pro halfback who played for the Los Angeles Dons of All-American Football Conference (AAFC) Chris Scott Indianapolis (IN) Alumni Former NFL defensive lineman with Indianapolis Colts Michael Sinclair (American football) Houston (TX) Alumni Retired NFL lineman Seattle Seahawks Duke Slater Gamma First African-American lineman in NFL history. Former AFL & NFL offensive tackle, 6x All Pro; Pro Football Hall of Fame 2020 Centennial Class; College Football Hall of Fame, 1951 Charlie Smith Gamma Psi Former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Reggie Swinton Eta Beta Retired NFL WR and Special Teams player George Taliaferro Alpha First African American drafted by an NFL team, College Football Hall of Fame, 1981 David Tate Beta Theta Former NFL Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts safety Joe Taylor Epsilon Omicron (Charter member: Zeta Mu) Retired football coach Howard University, Florida A&M University, Virginia Union University, and Hampton University; College Football Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Thomas Gamma Pi Inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame Dontarrious Thomas Theta Delta Former NFL linebacker with the Minnesota Vikings Burl Toler Gamma Alpha First African-American referee in the NFL; first African-American official of any professional sport when he was hired in 1965; member of the undefeated 1951 University of San Francisco football team Mike Tomlin Eta Omega (Charter member: Xi Theta) Head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers; youngest head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory in 2009; has the most wins by an African-American Head Coach in NFL history Jason Tucker Kappa Epsilon Former Edmonton Eskimos wide receiver; two-time Grey Cup Champion; current receivers coach for Saskatchewan Roughriders Bobby Turner Delta Iota Longtime NFL running back coach Courtney Van Buren Gamma Sigma Former San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions offensive tackle Whitney L. Van Cleve Gamma Epsilon Former head football coach at Tuskegee University, Alabama State University, Hampton University and Albany State University. Amos Van Pelt Delta Iota Retired CFL running back Deuce Vaughn Beta Psi American professional football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) Carson Vinson Gamma Phi NFL lineman Baltimore Ravens Kevin Walker Cincinnati Alumni Former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Steve Wallace Theta Delta Retired NFL Offensive tackle with the San Francisco 49ers Ted Washington Sr. Zeta Zeta Former NFL Houston Oilers linebacker Dick Westmoreland Alpha Nu Former San Diego Chargers cornerback Freeman White Eta Retired tight end New York Giants; Ottawa Rough Riders Jermaine Whitehead Theta Delta Former NFL Defensive Back with the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns Aeneas Williams Alpha Sigma Former All Pro St. Louis Rams defensive back; Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2014 Elijah Williams Zeta Phi Former NFL running back Bill Willis Zeta One of the first African-American football players to play professional football in the modern era; Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1977 and College Football Hall of Fame, 1971 Chris Woods Theta Delta Former NFL WR with the Oakland Raiders Donovan Woods Zeta Theta Former NFL linebacker Dareke Young Mu Upsilon NFL WR with the Seattle Seahawks | Colin Kaepernick Nnamdi Asomugha Earl Thomas Gale Sayers Mike Tomlin | ||
| Spencer Anderson | Washington (DC) Alumni | American professional football guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL); | |
| Nnamdi Asomugha | Gamma Alpha | Retired Oakland Raiders All-Pro cornerback; philanthropist | |
| Chris Barclay | Omicron Sigma | Retired NFL running back | |
| Lem Barney | Delta Delta | Retired Detroit Lions All-Pro safety; Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1992 | |
| Odell Barry | Beta Xi | Retired wide receiver Denver Broncos; former of mayor Northglenn, Colorado | |
| Reggie Barlow | Jacksonville (FL) Alumni | Retired Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver; Head Coach Virginia State University | |
| Albert Bell | Eta Chi | Former NFL wide receiver | |
| Latin Berry | Delta Alpha | Former NFL defensive back with Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns | |
| J. J. Birden | Delta Alpha | Former NFL wide receiver | |
| Johnny Bright | Omega | Former CFL running back, College Football Hall of Fame, 1984, Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 1970, Three time Grey Cup Champion | |
| Dana Brinson | Eta | Former wide receiver for NFL San Diego Chargers and Atlanta Falcons and the London Monarchs of the World League | |
| Bob Brown (offensive lineman) | Eta | Retired All-Pro NFL offensive tackle with Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams and Oakland Raiders All-Pro safety; Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame | |
| Reggie Brown | Delta Alpha | Former NFL running back with Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles and USFL Arizona Outlaws | |
| Steve Brown | Delta Alpha | Former Houston Oilers cornerback; NFL secondary coach | |
| Earnest Byner | Eta Psi | Former NFL Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens running back, NFL running back coach | |
| Jim Caldwell | Gamma | Former head coach of the Detroit Lions; former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Wake Forest Demon Deacons; former offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens | |
| Drew Carter | Zeta | Former Carolina Panthers, Oakland Raiders wide receiver | |
| Maurice Carthon | Theta Mu | Former assistant head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs; Former fullback for New York Giants and USFL New Jersey Generals; Two-time Super Bowl champion | |
| Marino Casem | Jackson (MS) Alumni | Former head coach of Alcorn State University, Southern University, and Alabama State University | |
| Greg Childs | Iota Tau | Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver | |
| Don Clark (Canadian football) | Zeta | Retired CFL running back; All-American on the 1957 National Champions Ohio State University football team. | |
| Ryan Clark | Nu Iota | Former NFL Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back; host and NFL analyst on ESPN | |
| Dextor Clinkscale | Alpha Lambda | Former NFL Dallas Cowboys defensive back; | |
| Jerome Couplin III | Xi Theta | Former Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams safety. Former CFL Linebacker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Current safety for the Orlando Apollos | |
| B. J. Daniels | Zeta Chi | Former NFL Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans QB | |
| Ron Dickerson | Beta Psi | Former head coach of Temple University and Alabama State University | |
| Donnie Fletcher | Chi | Former NFL cornerback | |
| Jamar Fletcher | Beta Omicron | Former NFL cornerback; recipient of Jim Thorpe Award and Jack Tatum Trophy | |
| Terrell Fletcher | Beta Omicron | Retired NFL running back San Diego Chargers | |
| Wallace Francis | Gamma Sigma | Retired NFL wide receiver | |
| Howard C. Gentry | Alpha Xi | Former head coach of Tennessee State University. | |
| Chris Gragg | Iota Tau | Buffalo Bills tight end | |
| David Grant | Epsilon Chi | Former NFL defensive lineman | |
| Robert Green | Eta Omega | Former NFL running back | |
| Bobby Grier | Beta Epsilon | First African American football player to break the color barrier of the collegiate Sugar Bowl game when his Pittsburgh Panthers played in the 1956 Sugar Bowl held in New Orleans, LA against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | |
| DeJuan Groce | Eta | Former NFL cornerback | |
| Mel Groomes | Alpha | Retired American football player and baseball coach. Former NFL offensive back with Detroit Lions | |
| Harold Hallman | Theta Delta | Former CFL Defensive tackle with the Toronto Argonauts | |
| Charlie Hardy | Delta Rho | Original Oakland Raider from the American Football League | |
| Bobby Harris | Lambda Pi | Former NFL/CFL offensive tackle | |
| Chick Harris | Gamma Iota | Long time NFL assistant coach | |
| Corey Harris | Nu Rho | Former NFL safety | |
| Matthew Hatchette | Langston (OK) Alumni | Former NFL wide receiver | |
| Tim Hawthorne | Theta Delta | Former CFL Wide Receiver with the Calgary Stampeders | |
| John Henderson | Sigma | Retired Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver; Head Coach Virginia State University | |
| Kahlil Hill | Gamma | Former NFL/CFL wide receiver | |
| Randal Hill | Miami (FL) Alumni | Former NFL wide receiver | |
| Randy Hilliard | Theta Lambda | Former NFL defensive back; | |
| Bruce Holmes | Stockbridge-Jonesboro (GA) Alumni | Retired Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs linebacker | |
| Earl Holmes | Alpha Xi | Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker | |
| DeAndre Houston-Carson | Xi Theta | NFL defensive back | |
| Hornsby Howell | Durham (NC) Alumni | Former head football coach at North Carolina A&T University; first African-American on the football coaching staff of the University of Georgia | |
| Lane Howell | Gamma Psi | Retired NFL lineman New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles | |
| D. J. Ivey | Iota Chi | NFL cornerback; | |
| Larron Jackson | Delta Omega | Retired NFL lineman | |
| Tony Jeter | Eta | Retired NFL tight end; | |
| Willie Jackson | Zeta Phi | Former NFL wide receiver | |
| John Henry Johnson | Gamma Iota | Pro Football Hall of Fame 1987; member of 49ers Million Dollar Backfield | |
| Ernest Jones | Zeta Epsilon | Los Angeles Rams linebacker | |
| Jimmy Jones | Beta Omicron | Retired Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos wide receiver; | |
| Kevin Jones | Theta Psi | Former Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears running back | |
| William Judson | Alpha Lambda | Former NFL Miami Dolphins cornerback; | |
| EJ Junior | Eta Chi | Former Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins linebacker; two-time Pro Bowler | |
| Colin Kaepernick | Xi Phi | Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback | |
| Shaun King | St. Petersburg (FL) Alumni | Former NFL and Arena Football League quarterback; sports personality | |
| Kenard Lang | Orlando (FL) Alumni | Retired NFL defensive lineman | |
| Jerry Latin | Epsilon Omicron | Former NFL St. Louis Cardinals running back | |
| Cleo Lemon | Theta Mu | Former NFL/CFL quarterback | |
| Keenan Lewis | Iota Iota | New Orleans Saints cornerback | |
| Leo Lewis | Alpha Mu | Former CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back, College Football Hall of Fame inductee 2005, Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 1973, Four time Grey Cup Champion | |
| Greg Lloyd | Gamma Zeta | Former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl linebacker | |
| Andre Lott | Mu Rho | Former NFL safety | |
| Lenny Lyles | Alpha Omicron | Former Baltimore Colts cornerback, Member of the 1958 NFL Champions | |
| Brandon Marshall | Lambda Omega | Chicago Bears All-Pro wide receiver; 2012 NFL Pro Bowl MVP; most receptions in a game in NFL history (21) | |
| Brandon Marshall | Xi Phi | Denver Broncos linebacker | |
| Jim Marshall | Zeta | Former Minnesota Vikings All-Pro defensive end; member of the famed Purple People Eaters defense; | |
| Chris Martin | Theta Delta | Former NFL Defensive End/LB with the Kansas City Chiefs | |
| Ollie Matson | Gamma Alpha | Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1972; College Football Hall of Fame, 1976; won bronze medal in the 400-meter run and a silver medal as part of the US 4x400-meter relay team in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland; member of the undefeated 1951 University of San Francisco football team | |
| Al Matthews (American football) | Austin (TX) Alumni | Retired NFL defensive back | |
| Jordan Matthews | Nu Rho | NFL wide receiver | |
| Pellom McDaniels III | Iota Iota | Former Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons defensive end | |
| Booger McFarland | St. Petersburg (FL) Alumni | Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle | |
| Guy McIntyre | Zeta Iota | Former San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl guard; three-time Super Bowl Champion with the San Francisco 49ers | |
| James McKinley | Gamma Beta | Former football player, coach, and businessman | |
| Bennie McRae | Sigma | Former Chicago Bears cornerback; Member of the 1963 NFL Champion Chicago Bears | |
| Ron Middleton | Theta Delta | Former NFL Tight End with the Washington Redskins | |
| Glyn Milburn | Lambda Nu | Former NFL special teams specialist | |
| Cleo Miller | Gamma Sigma | Retired NFL running back | |
| Steven Mitchell | Beta Omega | NFL Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans wide receiver | |
| Emery Moorehead | Beta Theta | Former New York Giants, Chicago Bears tight end / wide receiver, Member of 1985 NFL Champions | |
| Kirk Morrison | Delta Epsilon | Former NFL linebacker | |
| Ace Mumford | Delta | Born Arnett W. Mumford; inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001; coached Southern University Jaguars to five national championships in football; coached Southern University to the 1941 national championship in basketball by taking the National Intercollegiate Invitational Basketball Tournament | |
| Cliff Odom | Iota Alpha | Retired NFL Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins linebacker | |
| Chris Oldham | Delta Alpha | Former NFL cornerback | |
| Jerry Patton | Eta | Retired NFL defensive lineman | |
| Ken Payne | Alpha Pi | Former NFL wide receiver | |
| Mike Perez | Delta Rho | Former NFL pro quarterback for multiple NFL and Arena Football teams; | |
| Billy Pritchett | Epsilon Pi | Former NFL running back | |
| Stanley Pritchett Jr. | Zeta Epsilon | Former NFL fullback | |
| Dave Raimey | Sigma | Former NFL Cleveland Browns and CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts. Member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame | |
| Anthony Redmon | Theta Delta | Former NFL Offensive Tackle with the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons | |
| Ed Reed | Grambling (LA) Alumni | Retired Baltimore Ravens All-Pro safety; Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2019 | |
| Dwight T. Reed | Psi | Three lettermen in football at University of Minnesota; member of the 1935 and 1936 national champion Golden Gopher football teams; Former longtime head football coach at Lincoln University (Missouri) | |
| Walter Reeves | Theta Delta | Former NFL Tight End with the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns | |
| Herman Riddick | Alpha Kappa | Former longtime head football coach for North Carolina Central University | |
| Gerald Riggs | Gamma Iota | Former NFL Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins running back | |
| C.R. Roberts | Beta Omega | Retired NFL and CFL running back | |
| Ron Sayers | Alpha Eta | Former San Diego Chargers running back; Younger brother of Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers | |
| Hurles Scales | Zeta Upsilon | Retired NFL defensive back. | |
| Haywood Scissum | Gamma Epsilon | Former head coach of Tuskegee University | |
| Linwood Sexton | Wichita (KS) Alumni | Retired pro halfback who played for the Los Angeles Dons of All-American Football Conference (AAFC) | |
| Chris Scott | Indianapolis (IN) Alumni | Former NFL defensive lineman with Indianapolis Colts | |
| Michael Sinclair (American football) | Houston (TX) Alumni | Retired NFL lineman Seattle Seahawks | |
| Duke Slater | Gamma | First African-American lineman in NFL history. Former AFL & NFL offensive tackle, 6x All Pro; Pro Football Hall of Fame 2020 Centennial Class; College Football Hall of Fame, 1951 | |
| Charlie Smith | Gamma Psi | Former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver | |
| Reggie Swinton | Eta Beta | Retired NFL WR and Special Teams player | |
| George Taliaferro | Alpha | First African American drafted by an NFL team, College Football Hall of Fame, 1981 | |
| David Tate | Beta Theta | Former NFL Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts safety | |
| Joe Taylor | Epsilon Omicron (Charter member: Zeta Mu) | Retired football coach Howard University, Florida A&M University, Virginia Union University, and Hampton University; College Football Hall of Fame inductee | |
| Dennis Thomas | Gamma Pi | Inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame | |
| Dontarrious Thomas | Theta Delta | Former NFL linebacker with the Minnesota Vikings | |
| Burl Toler | Gamma Alpha | First African-American referee in the NFL; first African-American official of any professional sport when he was hired in 1965; member of the undefeated 1951 University of San Francisco football team | |
| Mike Tomlin | Eta Omega (Charter member: Xi Theta) | Head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers; youngest head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory in 2009; has the most wins by an African-American Head Coach in NFL history | |
| Jason Tucker | Kappa Epsilon | Former Edmonton Eskimos wide receiver; two-time Grey Cup Champion; current receivers coach for Saskatchewan Roughriders | |
| Bobby Turner | Delta Iota | Longtime NFL running back coach | |
| Courtney Van Buren | Gamma Sigma | Former San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions offensive tackle | |
| Whitney L. Van Cleve | Gamma Epsilon | Former head football coach at Tuskegee University, Alabama State University, Hampton University and Albany State University. | |
| Amos Van Pelt | Delta Iota | Retired CFL running back | |
| Deuce Vaughn | Beta Psi | American professional football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) | |
| Carson Vinson | Gamma Phi | NFL lineman Baltimore Ravens | |
| Kevin Walker | Cincinnati Alumni | Former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker | |
| Steve Wallace | Theta Delta | Retired NFL Offensive tackle with the San Francisco 49ers | |
| Ted Washington Sr. | Zeta Zeta | Former NFL Houston Oilers linebacker | |
| Dick Westmoreland | Alpha Nu | Former San Diego Chargers cornerback | |
| Freeman White | Eta | Retired tight end New York Giants; Ottawa Rough Riders | |
| Jermaine Whitehead | Theta Delta | Former NFL Defensive Back with the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns | |
| Aeneas Williams | Alpha Sigma | Former All Pro St. Louis Rams defensive back; Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2014 | |
| Elijah Williams | Zeta Phi | Former NFL running back | |
| Bill Willis | Zeta | One of the first African-American football players to play professional football in the modern era; Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1977 and College Football Hall of Fame, 1971 | |
| Chris Woods | Theta Delta | Former NFL WR with the Oakland Raiders | |
| Donovan Woods | Zeta Theta | Former NFL linebacker | |
| Dareke Young | Mu Upsilon | NFL WR with the Seattle Seahawks |
Track and field
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Ocky Clark Winter Park (FL) Alumni 1991 Pan Am Games Gold Medalist 800m Hollis Conway Theta Nu 1988 Olympic silver medalist and 1992 Olympic bronze medalist in the high jump Jon Drummond Kappa Epsilon 2000 Olympic gold medalist in the 4X100 relay Vincent Henderson Iota Tau Sprinter Byron LaBeach Alpha Iota Retired Jamaican sprinter who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics Sean Maye Las Vegas (NV) Alumni 1997 World Indoor Championships 4x400 gold medalist Erick Walder Iota Tau Long and triple jumper | |||
| Ocky Clark | Winter Park (FL) Alumni | 1991 Pan Am Games Gold Medalist 800m | |
| Hollis Conway | Theta Nu | 1988 Olympic silver medalist and 1992 Olympic bronze medalist in the high jump | |
| Jon Drummond | Kappa Epsilon | 2000 Olympic gold medalist in the 4X100 relay | |
| Vincent Henderson | Iota Tau | Sprinter | |
| Byron LaBeach | Alpha Iota | Retired Jamaican sprinter who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics | |
| Sean Maye | Las Vegas (NV) Alumni | 1997 World Indoor Championships 4x400 gold medalist | |
| Erick Walder | Iota Tau | Long and triple jumper |
Soccer, tennis, and other athletics
| Name | Original chapter | Notability | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Original chapter Notability Ref. Arthur Ashe Upsilon Tennis legend, social activist; 39th Laurel Wreath laureate; Kenny Bayless Gamma Alpha Noted championship boxing referee Richard Hudlin Iota Famed tennis coach, tennis mentor to Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, Helped desegregation public tennis facilities in St. Louis, MO Frank Forbes Pi Former Morehouse College Athletic Director and basketball coach; The 6,000 seat on-campus arena, Forbes Arena, is named after him which hosted basketball preliminaries during the 1996 Summer Olympics and was the home arena to the Atlanta Glory; Cullen Jones Charlotte (NC) Alumni Retired competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist who specializes in freestyle sprint events. William Lee (wrestler) Grand Rapids (MI) Alumni American wrestler. He competed in the men's Greco-Roman +100 kg at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Dasan Robinson Iota Mu MLS player Dante Washington Theta Psi MLS player; 1992 Olympian Darryl Washington Beta Epsilon World-class swimmer; multiple Big East Conference Champion | |||
| Arthur Ashe | Upsilon | Tennis legend, social activist; 39th Laurel Wreath laureate; | |
| Kenny Bayless | Gamma Alpha | Noted championship boxing referee | |
| Richard Hudlin | Iota | Famed tennis coach, tennis mentor to Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, Helped desegregation public tennis facilities in St. Louis, MO | |
| Frank Forbes | Pi | Former Morehouse College Athletic Director and basketball coach; The 6,000 seat on-campus arena, Forbes Arena, is named after him which hosted basketball preliminaries during the 1996 Summer Olympics and was the home arena to the Atlanta Glory; | |
| Cullen Jones | Charlotte (NC) Alumni | Retired competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist who specializes in freestyle sprint events. | |
| William Lee (wrestler) | Grand Rapids (MI) Alumni | American wrestler. He competed in the men's Greco-Roman +100 kg at the 1976 Summer Olympics. | |
| Dasan Robinson | Iota Mu | MLS player | |
| Dante Washington | Theta Psi | MLS player; 1992 Olympian | |
| Darryl Washington | Beta Epsilon | World-class swimmer; multiple Big East Conference Champion |