30 Notable alumni of
Texas Southern University
Updated:
Texas Southern University is 1118th in the world, 401st in North America, and 374th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 30 notable alumni from Texas Southern University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Megan Thee Stallion
- Enrolled in Texas Southern University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science in health administration
- Occupations
- songwriterrapperactorsinger
- Biography
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Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper and actress. She gained recognition when videos of her freestyling began to circulate widely on social media, leading her to sign with 1501 Certified Entertainment in 2018.
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Michael Strahan
- Occupations
- television presentersports commentatortelevision actorAmerican football playerastronaut
- Biography
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Michael Anthony Strahan is an American television host and former professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons with the New York Giants. A dominant pass rusher, Strahan set the record for most NFL single season quarterback sacks (22.5, which was tied by T. J. Watt in 2021, and surpassed by Myles Garrett in 2025) and helped the Giants win Super Bowl XLII in his final season in 2007. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
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Al Green
- Enrolled in Texas Southern University
- In 1974 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Alexander N. Green is an American lawyer and politician serving as a U.S. representative from Texas's 9th congressional district since 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, Green served as the justice of the peace of Harris County, Texas from 1977 to 2004. Green is a member of the United States House Committee on Financial Services.
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Barbara Jordan
- Occupations
- juristlawyerwriteruniversity teacherwomen's rights activist
- Biography
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Barbara Charline Jordan was an American lawyer, educator, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate since Reconstruction, the first southern African-American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and one of the first two African Americans elected to the U.S. House from the former Confederacy since 1901, alongside Andrew Young of Georgia.
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Yolanda Adams
- Occupations
- radio personalitycomposerfilm actorsingeractor
- Biography
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Yolanda Yvette Adams is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million albums worldwide. In addition to achieving multi-platinum status, she has won four Grammy Awards, four Dove Awards, five BET Awards, six NAACP Image Awards, six Soul Train Music Awards, two BMI Awards and sixteen Stellar Awards. She is the first Gospel artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song. She is also the first Gospel artist to be awarded an American Music Award.
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Hank Johnson
- Enrolled in Texas Southern University
- In 1979 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Henry Calvin Johnson Jr. is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 4th congressional district since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is anchored in Atlanta's inner eastern suburbs, including the majority of DeKalb County—which encompasses Decatur, Lithonia, Stone Mountain, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, and Doraville—as well as parts of Gwinnett County, including Peachtree Corners, Lawrenceville, Duluth, and Norcross, along with a small portion of the city of Atlanta.
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Jim Hines
- Occupations
- sprinterathletics competitorAmerican football player
- Biography
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James Ray Hines was an American track and field athlete and National Football League (NFL) player, who held the 100-meter world record for 15 years. In 1968, he became the first man to officially break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters, and won individual and relay gold at the Mexico City Olympics.
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Chokwe Antar Lumumba
- Years
- 1983-.. (age 43)
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Chokwe Antar Lumumba is an American attorney, activist, and politician who served as the 53rd mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, from 2017 to 2025. He was the 7th consecutive African-American to hold the position. In 2024, Lumumba and other officials in the state were indicted on corruption charges. He is the son of former mayor and Black nationalist activist Chokwe Lumumba, who served briefly as mayor of Jackson before his death in 2014.
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Sylvia Garcia
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Sylvia Rodriguez Garcia is an American lawyer and politician who has been serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 29th congressional district since 2019. Her district covers much of eastern Houston. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the 6th district in the Texas Senate.
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Clifton Chenier
- Occupations
- songwriteraccordionistsingermusician
- Biography
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Clifton Chenier was an American musician known as a pioneer of zydeco, a style of music that arose from Creole music, with R&B, blues, and Cajun influences. He sang and played the accordion. Chenier won a Grammy Award in 1983.
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Mickey Leland
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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George Thomas "Mickey" Leland III was an American politician and anti-poverty activist. He served as a congressman from the Texas 18th District and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. He was a Democrat.
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Craig Washington
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Craig Anthony Washington is an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician from Texas who served in the Texas State Senate and the United States House of Representatives.
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Rodney Ellis
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Rodney Glenn Ellis is an American politician who has served on the Harris County Commissioners Court Precinct 1 since 2017. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
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Jarvis Johnson
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jarvis Diallo Johnson is an American entrepreneur and politician who served in the Texas House of Representatives. He is a current candidate for Texas's 29th Congressional District. A Democrat, he represented the 139th district from 2016 to 2025 and previously served on the Houston City Council.
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Senfronia Thompson
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Senfronia Calpernia Thompson is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she has represented the 141st district in the Texas House of Representatives since 1973. She is the former dean of women legislators in Texas and is the longest-serving African American or female lawmaker in state history. She has been elected to 25 terms in office.
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Emma Nyra
- Enrolled in Texas Southern University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science in health care administration
- Occupations
- modelsinger-songwritervocalistactor
- Biography
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Emma Chukwugoziam Obi listen, professionally known as Emma Nyra, is a Nigerian-American singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Her associate acts include Iyanya, Selebobo, Davido, Cynthia Morgan, Victoria Kimani, and Patoranking.
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Larry Leon Palmer
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Larry Leon Palmer was an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean from 2012 to 2015. He was the United States Ambassador to Honduras from 2002 to 2005. He also served as the President of the Inter-American Foundation from 2005 to June 2010.
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Victoria Neave
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Victoria Neave Criado is an American attorney and politician who served as a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 107 in Dallas County. She unseated Republican incumbent Kenneth Sheets in the most expensive Texas House race of the 2016 cycle.
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Robert Taylor
- Occupations
- athletics competitorsprinter
- Biography
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Robert Taylor was an American sprinter. He became Olympic champion in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1972 Olympics and placed second in the 100 m final. He is the father of former NFL player Bobby Taylor.
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Kam Franklin
- Years
- 1987-.. (age 39)
- Occupations
- singersongwriter
- Biography
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Kamerra Jodale Franklin, known professionally as Kam Franklin, is an American singer-songwriter, performance artist, activist, writer and orator. She is the known as the lead singer for the Houston Soul group, The Suffers. She began her career as a backing vocalist and dancer, and has toured with Jim James, Ruthie Foster, Margo Price, and the Very Best.
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Rick Lowe
- Occupations
- artist
- Biography
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Rick Lowe is a Houston-based artist and community organizer, whose Project Row Houses is considered an important example of social-practice art. In 2014, he was among the 21 people awarded a MacArthur "genius" fellowship.
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Ron Reynolds
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ronald Eugene Reynolds is an American politician and disbarred lawyer who represents District 27 in the Texas House of Representatives. He was first elected in 2010. Reynolds is the first African American elected to represent Fort Bend County in the Texas House of Representatives since the Reconstruction era.
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Brian C. Wimes
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
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Brian Curtis Wimes is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, serving since 2026 as the chief judge of the latter. Despite his dual appointment, Wimes maintains chambers only in the Western District of Missouri.
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Emerson Emory
- Occupations
- psychiatristphysician
- Biography
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Emerson Emory was an American internist and psychiatrist from Dallas, Texas. Aspiring to be a doctor from an early age, he attended Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College before serving in the Quartermaster Corps of the United States Army during World War II. After studying at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, Emory conducted his residency at St. Paul's Hospital, which was the first major hospital in Dallas to grant staff privileges to African American doctors.
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Roberto R. Alonzo
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Roberto R. Alonzo is a former Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing the 104th District from 1993 to 2019. Alonzo was defeated in the Democratic primary on March 6, 2018 by Jessica González.
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Madarious Gibbs
- Years
- 1993-.. (age 33)
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Madarious Jaquil Gibbs is an American basketball player who last played for the Nha Trang Dolphins of the Vietnam Basketball Association (VBA). He played college basketball for Texas Southern Tigers.
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Harry E. Johnson
- Born in
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United States - Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Harry Edward Johnson is an American lawyer, academic, and businessman. Johnson is a former national president of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and was the president and CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.
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Andy Rice
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Andrew Rice was an American professional football player. He played college football for Texas Southern, and went to the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs in 1965. After winning the American Football League Championship with the Chiefs in 1966, he started for them in the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game. Rice died on February 11, 2018.
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Omar Strong
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Omar Strong Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Windsor Express of the NBL Canada. In 2012–13, he was a senior at Texas Southern University and was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
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Markus Howell
- Occupations
- Canadian football player
- Biography
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Markus Howell is the receivers coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a former professional Canadian football wide receiver and kick returner who played for 11 years for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Ottawa Renegades, and Stampeders. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2000 CFL draft by the Blue Bombers. He won a Grey Cup championship in 2008. He played college football at Texas Southern.
