20 Notable alumni of
Norfolk State University

Updated:

EduRank

Norfolk State University is 1775th in the world, 626th in North America, and 590th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 20 notable alumni from Norfolk State University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.

  1. J. B. Smoove

    J. B. Smoove
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1965-.. (age 59)
    Occupations
    comedianfilm actorfilm producerscreenwritervoice actor
    Biography

    Jerry Angelo Brooks, commonly known by his stage name J. B. Smoove, is an American actor, comedian and writer. After beginning his career in 1995 on Def Comedy Jam, he was a writer and performer on NBC's Saturday Night Live (2003–06). He is best known for his starring roles on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm (2007–present) and the CBS sitcom The Millers (2013–15). He also portrayed a fictionalized version of himself on the BET improv-comedy reality television parody Real Husbands of Hollywood (2013–16).

  2. Tim Reid

    Tim Reid
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1944-.. (age 80)
    Occupations
    film actorscreenwritertelevision actoractorfilm producer
    Biography

    Timothy Lee Reid is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–82), Marcel "Downtown" Brown on Simon & Simon (1983–87), Ray Campbell on Sister, Sister (1994–99) and William Barnett on That '70s Show (2004–06). Reid starred in a CBS series, Frank's Place, as a professor who inherits a Louisiana restaurant. Reid is the founder and president of Legacy Media Institute, a non-profit organization "dedicated to bringing together leading professionals in the film and television industry, outstanding actors, and young men and women who wish to pursue a career in the entertainment media".

  3. Kyle O'Quinn

    Kyle O'Quinn
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1990-.. (age 34)
    Occupations
    basketball player
    Biography

    Kyle Brandon O'Quinn is an American professional basketball player for the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association. He played for the Norfolk State Spartans, and led them to a victory over the #2 seed Missouri Tigers in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. He was drafted in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft with the 49th overall pick, by the Orlando Magic.

  4. Future Man

    Future Man
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1957-.. (age 67)
    Occupations
    inventorpercussionistcomposerjazz musician
    Biography

    Roy Wilfred Wooten, also known as RoyEl, best known by his stage name Future Man (also written Futureman and known to fans as Futche), is an American musician, inventor and composer.

  5. Karen Briggs

    Karen Briggs
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1963-.. (age 61)
    Occupations
    violinist
    Biography

    Karen Briggs, also known as the "Lady in Red", is an American violinist. Born in Manhattan to a family of musicians, Briggs took up the violin at age 12 and committed to playing professionally at age 15. Briggs joined the Virginia Symphony Orchestra while still in college, but grew discontented with performing classical music and left the orchestra after four years. Since then, she has performed predominantly in the jazz and contemporary instrumental genres.

  6. Elbert Guillory

    Elbert Guillory
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1944-.. (age 80)
    Occupations
    politicianbusinesspersonlawyer
    Biography

    Elbert Lee Guillory is a former member of the Louisiana State Senate. An American Republican, he represented District 24, including his native Opelousas, and several rural precincts, from May 2, 2009, when he won a special election, until January 11, 2016, when his full term to which he was elected in 2011 ended.

  7. Randall Robinson

    Randall Robinson
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1941-2023 (aged 82)
    Enrolled in Norfolk State University
    In 1967 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in sociology
    Occupations
    writerlawyerhuman rights activist
    Biography

    Randall Robinson was an American lawyer, author and activist, noted as the founder of TransAfrica. He was known particularly for his impassioned opposition to apartheid, and for his advocacy on behalf of Haitian immigrants and Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Due to his frustration with American society, Robinson emigrated to Saint Kitts in 2001.

  8. Gordon Banks

    Gordon Banks
    Years
    1955-.. (age 69)
    Occupations
    guitaristsongwriterrecord producer
    Biography

    Gordon Banks, a.k.a. Gordon 'Guitar' Banks, was an American guitarist, producer, writer and musical director. He was voted one of the top 100 guitarists in America by Rolling Stone magazine in 1985.

  9. Jawn Murray

    Jawn Murray
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1977-.. (age 47)
    Occupations
    journalistwriterradio personality
    Biography

    Jawn Murray is a Washington, DC-based American TV host, commentator, executive producer, pop culture expert, media personality and social media influencer best known for hosting TV shows for Travel Channel, EPIX and NFL Network, as well as appearing on cable news channels like CNN, HLN and MSNBC. Ebony magazine named him as one of the "30 on the Rise" to watch in the industry, and the NAACP recognized him as one of "40 Power Players Under 40."

  10. Debbie Dunn

    Debbie Dunn
    Born in
    Jamaica Flag Jamaica
    Years
    1978-.. (age 46)
    Occupations
    sprinter
    Biography

    Debbie Dunn is an American sprinter, who specializes in the 400 metres. Originally from Jamaica, she attended Fairmont Heights High School in Maryland, then Norfolk State University, and became an American citizen in 2004.

  11. April Holmes

    April Holmes
    Years
    1973-.. (age 51)
    Occupations
    athletics competitor
    Biography

    April Holmes is a Paralympic athlete from the USA competing mainly in category T44 sprint events.

  12. Evelyn J. Fields

    Evelyn J. Fields
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1949-.. (age 75)
    Enrolled in Norfolk State University
    Studied in 1971
    Occupations
    scientist
    Biography

    Evelyn J. Fields is a former officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, who served as the director of the Commissioned Officer Corps and director of NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, from 1999 until her retirement in 2003. Fields was the first woman, and first African American to head the NOAA Corps.

  13. Pendarvis Williams

    Pendarvis Williams
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1991-.. (age 33)
    Occupations
    basketball player
    Biography

    Pendarvis Williams is an American basketball player for the Erdenet Miners of the Mongolian National League. He played college basketball for Norfolk State University, where in the 2012–13 season he was named an honorable mention All-American.MBA ERDENET MINERS

  14. Brehanna Daniels

    Brehanna Daniels
    Years
    1994-.. (age 30)
    Biography

    Brehanna Daniels is a tire changer for NASCAR, the first African American woman in a NASCAR Cup Series pit crew, and part of the first female duo to do pit crew work.

  15. Yvonne B. Miller

    Yvonne B. Miller
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1934-2012 (aged 78)
    Occupations
    politicianteacher
    Biography

    Yvonne Bond Miller was a Virginia educator and American politician who became the first African-American woman to serve in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly. A Democrat, in 1983 Miller became the first African-American woman elected to the state house, where she served for four years before winning election to the state Senate, where she consistently won re-election until her death in office. Miller taught in the Norfolk Public schools, and later taught early and childhood education at one of her alma maters, which had become Norfolk State University during her lifetime.

  16. Ted Thomas, Sr

    Ted Thomas, Sr
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1935-2020 (aged 85)
    Occupations
    cleric
    Biography

    Bishop Ted Gera Thomas Sr. was an American cleric with the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) who was consecrated to be the senior bishop of the Historic First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Virginia, one of the largest dioceses/jurisdictions of the COGIC in Virginia.

  17. Martha Bissah

    Martha Bissah
    Years
    1997-.. (age 27)
    Occupations
    athletics competitor
    Biography

    Martha Bissah is a Ghanaian athlete. She won a gold medal in the girls' 800m race at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in a time of 2:04.90.

  18. Michael Rochelle

    Michael Rochelle
    Years
    1950-.. (age 74)
    Biography

    Michael D. Rochelle is a retired United States Army lieutenant general, who served as deputy chief of staff, G-1 in the Department of the Army.

  19. Julian Earls

    Julian Earls
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1942-.. (age 82)
    Occupations
    engineer
    Biography

    Julian Manly Earls is an American physicist who worked for NASA for over forty years. He has been awarded two NASA Exceptional Achievement Medals and was inducted into the Presidential Rank Award of the Senior Executive Service by both Bill Clinton and George Bush.

  20. Ralph Lee Bowerman

    Ralph Lee Bowerman
    Years
    1934-2015 (aged 81)
    Occupations
    composersaxophonistsongwriter
    Biography

    Master Sergeant Ralph Lee Bowerman, was a composer, songwriter, musician and entertainer. A saxophone player since childhood, Ralph Bowerman is best known for winning the US Army Bicentennial Army hymn competition on June 14, 1975, and for the memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery, during which SFC Ralph Lee Bowerman's composition "Mighty Is Our Army," the winning selection from over 1,200 entries in the Army Chaplains' Bicentennial Army Hymn Composers Competition, was presented. Ralph has also performed in a honky tonk band with country singer Loretta Lynn during the early 60's.