Beny Jene Primm, a pioneer in HIV/AIDS research and treatment and an anesthesiologist, was born on May 28, 1928, in Williamson, West Virginia, to a funeral director father, George Oliver Primm, and a mother, Willie Henrietta Martin Primm, who taught school. He had one brother, … Read MoreBeny Jene Primm (1928-2015)
Chuck Leonard, a pioneering disk jockey known for his rich, smooth voice, was born Charles Wesley Leonard in Chicago, Illinois, on March 30, 1937, to Alma Leonard and Charles Leon. Chuck graduated from Hyde Park High School with honors in 1955, where he ran on … Read MoreChuck Leonard (1937-2004)
Eugene T. Hinson was one of six founders of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, the oldest African American Greek Letter Fraternity in the United States. The others were Henry Minton, Algernon Jackson, Edwin Howard, Richard Warrick, and Robert Jones Abele. Eugene T. Hinson was born in … Read MoreEugene T. Hinson (1873-1960)
Belford Vance Lawson Jr. was the first African American attorney to win a Supreme Court case. He was born on July 9, 1901, in Roanoke, Virginia. Lawson attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He played for the university football team and was … Read MoreBelford Vance Lawson Jr. (1901-1985)
Frank S. Greene, Jr. is an inventor, scientist, venture capitalist investor, educator, and the first African American to graduate from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. He is also responsible for developing the world’s fastest microchip in the 1960s. Greene was born on October … Read MoreFrank S. Greene, Jr. (1938-2009)
Black advertising pioneer Thomas J. Burrell was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 18, 1939. His parents had both migrated from the South. His father owned buildings and a blues tavern; his mother ran a beauty shop out of their home. Burrell grew up on … Read MoreThomas J. Burrell (1939- )
Clifford Wayne Houston is a nationally recognized microbiologist and became the first African American president of the American Society of Microbiology. Houston was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on December 3, 1949, to Mae Frances Hanley and Edgar Houston. He attended Gordon Oaks Elementary and … Read MoreClifford Wayne Houston (1949- )
Law professor and legal activist Henry W. “Hank” McGee, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 31, 1932, to Henry W. McGee, Sr., from Hillsboro, Texas, the first African American Postmaster appointed by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Attye Belle Truesdale McGee, from … Read MoreHenry W. “Hank” McGee, Jr. (1932-2024)
Charles Wesley Turnbull, sixth governor of the United States Virgin Islands, was born February 5, 1935, in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands of the United States, to John Wesley Turnbull and Ruth Ann Eliza Skelton Turnbull who were both immigrants from the British … Read MoreCharles Wesley Turnbull (1935- )
Charles Lewis Haley is a former football player for the National Football League and holds the distinction of being the first five-time Super Bowl Champion. Haley was born on January 6, 1964, in Gladys, Virginia. His mother’s name was Virginia, and his father’s name is … Read MoreCharles Haley (1964- )
