Famous Hampton University Alumni:
Black History Icons
Black History Icons
Everyone knows that Booker T. Washington is considered
Hampton University’s most illustrious alumnus. After graduating from his “Home
by the Sea” in 1875, Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute and became a
national leader in the fight against racism. In the spirit of Black History
Month, here are some other profound Hampton alumni who went on to do great
things for the advancement of black people.
Robert S. Abbot (Class of 1896)
Robert S. Abbott, born from former slaves, studied the
printing trade at Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute from 1892 to 1896.
He received his law degree in 1899 from Kent College of Law, but was told he
was “too dark” to practice law. After failed attempts of starting law offices
in Gary, Indiana, Topeka, Kansas, and Chicago; Abbot founded The Chicago
Defender in 1905. By 1929, the Defender was a national newspaper with a
circulation of over 250,000 copies. One
of the nations largest and most influential Black newspapers, it was one of
only two that was published on a daily basis out of 350 Black-owned newspapers
in 1966.
The paper fought for social
justice, political and economic equality, and was credited for encouraging The
Great Migration of many southern blacks to the North during WWI. Abbott was one
of the first self-made millionaires of African descent in America. His rise to
greatness started at Hampton.
Alberta Williams King
(Class of 1924)
Alberta Williams King, mother of Martin Luther King Jr.,
received her teaching certificate in 1924 from then named Hampton Normal and
Agricultural Institute. As a married woman she was not allowed to work as a
teacher by the local school board. Nonetheless, King founded the Ebenezer
Baptist Church choir and served as church organist for nearly 40 years. She also
was active in the YMCA, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
(WILPF). She is most notably known as the mother of civil rights leader, Martin
Luther King Jr.
St. Clair Drake (Class of 1931)
St.
Clair Drake began his career in anthropology after studying the subject at
Hampton Institute from 1927-1931. While at Hampton, he served as president of
the student body and editor of the Hampton Script. In 1931 he began teaching
anthropology at Dillard University. Drake split his time between teaching and
interviewing lower class blacks in Natchez, Mississippi for the Deep South research project. Realizing
he needed more training, Drake enrolled the anthropology graduate program at
the University of Chicago. He received his PhD from the school in 1953. In 1969 Drake accepted a long-standing
invitation to become professor of sociology and anthropology and director of
African and Afro-American Studies at Stanford University in California. He is
best known for publishing Black Folk Here and There (2 vols. 1987-1990).
His work is a detailed account of white racism in world history and prejudices
against black people. 
John H. Sengstacke (Class of 1934)
John H. Sengstacke is the nephew of Robert S. Abbott above,
and was his successor at The Chicago Defender newspaper. Abbott actually
financed Sengstacke’s education at Hampton Institute, which he graduated from
in 1934. Upon his graduation, Sengstacke became Vice President and General
Manager of the Robert S. Abbott Publishing Company, and served as president
after his uncle’s death. He also founded the National Newspaper Association in
1940, which was established to unify African-American newspaper publishers. He
was instrumental in community service projects in the South Side of Chicago,
mainly due to his influence with the federal government and several presidents.
Sengstacke was a savvy business man and community leader, and his education at
Hampton was the foundation to his success.
John Biggers
John Biggers started his education at
Hampton in 1941 with the intention of becoming a plumber. After taking art
classes he realized his passion, and his artwork was even featured in the
landmark exhibit Young Negro Art at
the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1943. Biggers taught for a year at Pennsylvania State and a
summer at Alabama State University before moving to Houston in 1949 to found
the art department at the Texas State University for Negroes (which was renamed
Texas Southern University in 1951). He taught at TSU for over 30 years where he
encouraged his students to look to their own communities and heritage for
inspiration. In 1950 Biggers won a contest at the Museum of Fine
Arts, Houston,
for his drawing, The Cradle, and the Neiman Marcus Company Prize at the Dallas Museum
of Art in 1952
for his drawing, Sleeping Boy. In 1957 John Biggers spent six months traveling to Ghana, Togo,
Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin), and Nigeria on a United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) fellowship. His trip changed his philosophy on life and art,
and inspired him to write his book Ananse: The Web of Life in Africa (1962), which combined drawings with narrative text he had
written while in Africa. Biggers art and literature gave African Americans a
realistic view on African art and culture. His passions and success in the art
world all started at his “Home by the Sea.”
Septima Poinsette Clark
(Class of 1945)
Septima
Poinsette Clark was a highly educated woman who played a significant role in
educating African Americans for full citizenship rights. Clark graduated from
the Avery Normal Institute in 1916, studied at Columbia University in New York
and with W.E.B Du Bois at Atlanta University in Georgia during summers,
received her bachelor’s degree from Benedict College in Columbia, South
Carolina in 1942, and received her master’s degree from Hampton Institute in
1945. She campaigned alongside Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP for equal pay
for black teachers in Columbia, South Carolina. As director of education and
teaching in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) which joined other
organizations to form the Voter Education Project, Clark helped train teachers
for citizenship schools and assisted in increased voter registration among
African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. acknowledged her efforts when he
accepted his Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 by insisting she accompany him to
Sweden. Clark’s commitment to racial equality through education and citizenship
are unique qualities that many Hampton alumni share.
Many great African American leaders, artists, and activists,
and business people are products of Hampton University. This school has had a
deep influence on Black history and American history. This Black History Month
we want to acknowledge the great individuals that have graduate from this
school, and also encourage more greatness in the years to come. Happy Black
History Month!
- Ryan Jordan
