Famous Omega Men
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The Arts

William "Count" Basie

Internationally known pianist, composer, arranger, and band leader


Sterling Brown

Teacher, poet, writer, Professor Emeritus of Literature at Howard University, has a special foundation for folk culture and jazz music


William H. "Bill" Cosby

Comedian, author, actor, producer


Steve Harvey

Comedian and actor


Roland Hayes

Internationally known tenor of the 1920s. Hayes sang in five different languages


Langston Hughes

The Black Poet Laureate, excelled as a poet, playwright, novelist, lyricis and humorist


Tom Joyner

Radio show host


Rickey Smiley

Comedian and actor


Joe Torry

Comedian and actor


Max Roach

Internationally known drummer


Carl Rowan

Syndicated columnist


Athletics

William DeHart Hubbard

niversity of Michigan sprinter; first black person to represent the United States in the Olympic Games in 1924


Joe Black

All-time great Brooklyn Dodger baseball pitcher. Lowest ERA in the Major Leagues in 1952


Ed "Too Tall" Jones

Former Outstanding player with the Dallas Cowboys


Michael Jordan

Outstanding former player with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. Voted to NBA Hall of Fame in 2009


Mo Vaughn

Former outstanding baseball player with the Boston Red Sox


Steve McNair

Outstanding former NFL player with the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens


Jerry Ball

3 time Pro Bowler and former NFL defensive lineman


Vince Carter

8-time All-Star. 2-time All-NBA guard for the New Jersey Nets. 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year


Mark Duper

3 time Pro Bowler and 2-time All-Pro former wide receiver with Miami Dolphins


Clarence E. "Big House" Gaines

Hall of Fame Basketball coach. Coached at Winston-Salem State University from 1946 - 1993. Also, 4-year All-CIAA lineman in football


Dr. Edwin Bancroft (E.B.) Henderson

Captain and outstanding player on the Washington 12th Streeters (1906-1910). He is known as the "Father of Black Sport History". First Black male to become certified to teach Physical Education in public schools


Keith Jackson

5 time Pro Bowler and 5 time All Pro former NFL Tight end.He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001


Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell

Outstanding former professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics and other teams. 1981 NBA Finals MVP


Shaquille O'Neal

Star center with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers is a 14 time NBA All-star. He is 3 time NBA Final MVP and 2000 NBA MVP


Brice Taylor

University of Southern California football legend. Guard on mid 1920’s team. Schools first All-American


Terrence Trammell

2-time (2000, 2004) Olympic silver medalist in 110m hurdles


Charlie Ward

1993 Heisman Trophy winner and former NBA guard with the NY Knicks


Business

Jessie Hill

President of Atlanta Life Insurance Company


Earl Graves

Chairman and CEO of Black Enterprise Magazine


Therman McKenzie

Former Co-Owner of M & M Products (Sta Soft Fro)


Nathaniel Bronner

Co-Owner of Bronner Brothers Beauty


Civil Rights

Grant Reynolds

Played a major role in President Truman's 1948 decision to desegregate the United States Armed Forces


James Nabrit

Former Dean of the Howard University Law School and former president of Howard University. A leader in the training of the early Civil Rights lawyers


Roy Wilkins

Long-time Executive Director of the NAACP


Jesse Jackson

Former Director of Operation PUSH; Founder, National Rainbow Coalition


Vernon Jordan

Noted Attorney and Former Executive Director of the National Urban League


Educators

Dr. Carter G. Woodson

The earliest and most outspoken proponent for the study of Black History


Benjamin E. Mays

President Emeritus of Morehouse College, writer and lecturer


Professor Frank Coleman

Professor and head of the Physics Department, Howard University


Herman Dreer

Teacher, minister, writer, and author of The History of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., 1911-1961


Government & Politics

Wiliam Hastie

First Governer of the Virgin Islands


Robert C. Weaver

Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)


Clifford L. Alexander, Jr.

Secretary, Department of the Army


Lawrence Douglas Wilder

Former Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia


Togo West

Secretary of the Army


James E. "Jim" Clyburn

The House Majority Whip in the 110th Congress. (2nd Black to hold that position)


Rev. Jesse Jackson

Founder of both entities that merged to form Rainbow/PUSH. Candidate for the United States Presidency in 1984 and 1988. Served as “Shadow Senator” for DC from 1991 to 1997


Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.

001 Springarn Medal recipient. Executive Director of United Negro College Fund and a former president of the National Urban League. He also served as a close adviser to President Bill Clinton


Clarence Lightner

1st Black Mayor of Raleigh, NC. Held the posts of the Director of the CDC and the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry from 1993 to 1998


Walter E. Washington

1st Home-Rule mayor of the District of Columbia. Former Executive Director of the National Capital Housing Authority


George L.P. Weaver

Former U.S. Secretary of Labor


Kendrick B. Meek

Congressman serving the 17th Congressional District of Florida since 2003. A former trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol where he became Florida's 1st African-American to promoted to the rank of Captain


Science

Dr. Ernest Everett Just

Internationally known biologist and professor at Howard University


Major General Charles Bolden

Astronaut, graduate of the United States Naval Academy (pilot)


Dr. Charles Drew

Perfected the use of blood plasma; Professor of Surgery at Howard University


Dr. Fred Drew Gregory

Astronaut, graduate of the United States Air Force Academy (pilot)


Dr. Percy Julian

Discovered the use of foam to extinguish fires and discovered a method of producing cortisone synthetically. During his lifetime, he received more than 130 chemical patents. 1st Black chemist inducted into the National Academy of Sciences.


Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Astronaut, graduate of M.I.T., Ph.D. in Physics (civilian)


Dr. Hildrus Pointdexter

Bacteriologist who studied the epidemiology of tropical diseases