Entrepreneur and tech aficionado Malcolm CasSelle made and continues to make pioneering contributions to cutting-edge internet technology. Born March 22, 1970 on a farm near Allentown, Pennsylvania, CasSelle went from building with Legos and TinkerToys as a child to discovering computers in his local high … Read MoreMalcolm CasSelle (1970- )
A professor, poet, and playwright of English, Dutch, and African descent, Derek Walcott was a 1981 MacArthur Foundation “Genius” grant recipient who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992. Born on January 23, 1930 to Warwick, a civil servant, and Alix Maarlin Walcott, an … Read MoreDerek Walcott (1930-2017)
John Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi is a psychologist, consultant, and former National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Amaechi was born in Boston, Massachusetts on November 20, 1970 to Wendy Amaechi, an English mother, and Jon Amaechi, a Nigerian father who descends from the Igbo people. Amaechi has … Read MoreJohn Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi (1970- )
James Wormley Jones is the first African American FBI agent in the United States. Jones was born on September 22, 1884 to John Bradford Jones and Sally Jones in Fort Monroe, Virginia. Jones had one sibling, a brother named Paul W. Jones. His family later … Read MoreJames Wormley Jones (1884-1958)
Dr. Warren Elliott Henry enjoyed a long and influential career in the field of physical chemistry, working in the public and private sectors and in academia. His areas of expertise included radar technology and solid-state physics. Henry conducted experiments on magnetism as well as metallurgy, … Read MoreWarren Elliott Henry (1909-2001)
Ray Douglas McDonald was a running back who played for the Washington Redskins in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons, 1967 and 1968. McDonald was also one of the first gay athletes in the NFL. Ray McDonald was born on May 7, 1944 … Read MoreRay Douglas McDonald (1944-1993)
An internationally-recognized chemical physicist, Dr. Joseph Salvadore Francisco, Jr. played an important role in explaining the chemical reactions driving ozone depletion in the earth’s atmosphere. At a time when diminution of the ozone layer threatened to increase humans’ exposure to ultraviolet radiation, Francisco’s research revealed … Read MoreJoseph Salvadore Francisco, Jr. (1955- )
Wade Kornegay is largely regarded as a scientific expert in missile defense during the Cold War. Through his knowledge of physics, he aided in developing a system that could track ballistic missiles that simultaneously differentiated them based on their level of threat to the United … Read MoreWade Kornegay (1934- )
Edwin Clarence Joseph Turpin Howard was the first African-American graduate of Harvard Medical College and also one of the founding members of the oldest African-American Greek-lettered organization, Sigma Pi Phi. Howard was born on October 21, 1846 in Boston, Massachusetts to Joan Louise Turpin Howard … Read MoreEdwin Clarence Joseph Turpin Howard (1846-1912)
Donald Walbridge “Don” Shirley was an American classical and jazz composer and pianist. Shirley was born on January 29, 1927, to Stella Gertrude Young and Edwin Samuel Shirley in Pensacola, Florida. His mother and father were Jamaican-born immigrants. Shirley was a prodigy, taught to play … Read MoreDon Shirley (1927-2013)
