Famous People Who Attended Tennessee State University
HBCU Pride will always be one of the cornerstones here at Black America Web, and we get much joy in highlighting the contributions of historically Black colleges and universities in any way possible. This time around, we’re putting a spotlight on the prestigious Tennessee State University as they celebrate over a century of being one of our culture’s go-to institutions for a higher education.
We join all Tigers, Lady Tigers, current students, alumni and alumnae alike in giving a huge milestone anniversary shoutout to Tennessee State University!
RELATED: Famous People Who Attended Alabama A&M University
What proves to be more impressive than TSU’s immense century of culture are the extensive amount of famous faces who once walked those historic halls. The amount of college athletes who went on to become Olympic medalists, NBA icons and an almost unbelievable sum of NFL legends is astonishingly impressive to say the least. Oh, and then there’s Oprah Winfrey — what else is there to say?! Having the Queen Of Media as an alumna clearly comes with its advantages, and the Class of 2023 got a lesson in that when Lady O spoke at their commencement ceremony. Lucky!
Take a look below at an excerpt from her speech that really stood out to us, via Oprah Daily:
“I don’t care how hard life after college gets—and it’s gonna get hard—we need you to dream big! We need audacious thinkers. Use my example; I was one good TSU teacher—Mr. Cox—and one timely phone call away from a career that would absolutely change my life. That story’s not just my own. What dream are you one or two steps away from?
We also need generosity of spirit; we need high standards and open minds and untamed imagination. That’s how you make a difference in the world. Using who you are and what you stand for to make changes big and small. And there will be times when making the next right decision will be scary. I’ll tell you a secret: That’s how I’ve gotten through every challenge without being overwhelmed. By asking what is the next right move. You don’t have to know all the right moves—you just need to know the next one.”
To see how good Tennessee State University is at cranking out celebrities, take a look below at 20 famous faces who will always be able to proudly claim TSU as home:
Oprah Winfrey – Media Mogul
U. L. “Rip” Gooch – Civil Rights Activist / Pilot
Hank Crawford – Jazz Musician
Moses Gunn – Actor
Lee Summers – Broadway Actor
Carla Thomas – Singer / “Queen Of Memphis Soul”
Key Wane – Producer
Harold Ford Sr. – Politician
Xernona Clayton – Civil Rights Activist
Carla Walker-Miller – Entrepreneur / Walker-Miller Energy Services
Dorothy J. Phillips – Chemist / American Chemical Society
Richard Dent – NFL Player / Pro Football Hall of Fame
Ralph Boston – Olympic Athlete, Long Jump
Chandra Cheeseborough – Olympic Athlete, Running
W. C. Gorden – Jackson State University Head Football Coach (1976 – 1991) / College Football Hall of Fame
Claude Humphrey – NFL Player / Pro Football Hall of Fame
Madeline Manning – Olympic Athlete, Running
Wilma Rudolph – Olympic Athlete, Running / First Black Woman To Win Three Gold Medals In A Single Olympics
Dorothy McClendon – Microbiologist / First Black Woman To Lead A Scientific Division In The U.S. Military
A C Wharton – 63rd Mayor of Memphis (2009 – 2015)
