Notable Alumni of West Virginia State University

Richard Ojeda 1970–

Former West Virginia senator, retired Army major

Also attended: Webster University

Ethel D. Allen 1929–1981

Physician and politician, Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth

Also attended: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Leon Sullivan 1922–2001

Baptist minister, civil rights leader and anti-apartheid activist

Maria Pappas 1949–

Treasurer of Cook County, Illinois

Also attended: Illinois Institute of Technology, Loyola University Chicago

Augusta Clark 1932–2013

Philadelphia City Council member, librarian and lawyer

Also attended: Drexel University, Temple University

Charles Calvin Rogers 1929–1990

Army lieutenant colonel and Medal of Honor recipient

Damon Keith 1922–2019

Judge on the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Also attended: Howard University

Katherine Johnson 1918–2020

NASA mathematician whose orbital calculations aided US spaceflights

French, Mathematics · Attended until 1937

Also attended: West Virginia University

Carter Godwin Woodson 1875–1950

Historian, founder of ASALH

Also attended: University of Chicago, Berea College, Harvard University

Angie Turner King 1905–2004

Chemist, mathematician and educator

Also attended: Cornell University, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Margaret S. Collins 1922–1996

Entomologist known for termite research and civil rights advocacy

Bachelor of Science · Biology · Class of 1943

Also attended: University of Chicago

Antoine Fuqua 1965–

Film director and producer

Also attended: West Virginia University

Paul Dooley 1928–

Actor, television writer and comedian

Also attended: West Virginia University

Spouse: Winnie Holzman (Princeton University, Circle in the Square Theatre School)

Chu Berry 1908–1941

Jazz tenor saxophonist

Lou Myers 1935–2013

Actor and pianist

Butch Miles 1944–2023

American jazz drummer

Bachelor of Arts · Music

T. J. Anderson 1928–

African American composer, conductor and educator

Also attended: University of Iowa, The Pennsylvania State University

Chuck Cooper 1926–1984

Professional basketball player, Duquesne All-American

Also attended: Duquesne University

Earl Lloyd 1928–2015

First African American player in the NBA, later coach

Bob Wilson 1926–2014

Former professional basketball player

Shawn Harvey 1973–

Former professional basketball shooting guard

Ron Moore 1962–

Former NBA player for Pistons and Suns

Ted Scott 1985–

Former professional basketball player

Robert Holley 1961–

Naturalized South Korean lawyer and TV personality