24 Notable alumni of Chicago State University
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Chicago State University is ranked #2,463 in the world and #637 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 24 notable alumni from Chicago State University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Chicago State University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Ashley Walker
scientist
planetary scientist
science communicator
activist
astrochemist
Ashley Lindalía Walker is an astrochemist, science communicator, and activist. In response to police brutality against Black Americans and sparked by the success of Black Birders Week, Walker co-organized #BlackinChem, #BlackInAstro, and #BlackInPhysics to highlight and amplify the voices of Black researchers and scholars in these fields.
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2. Jacqueline B. Vaughn
1935-1994 (aged 59)
trade unionist
Jacqueline Barbara Vaughn was an American Chicago Public Schools special education teacher and labor leader. Vaughn is noted as the first African-American and first woman to serve as president of the Chicago Teachers Union, the nation's third largest teachers union local from August 1984 until her death in January 1994.
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3. Tony Weeden
1983-. (aged 43)
basketball player
Anthony L. Weeden Jr. is an American professional basketball player. He is a 184 cm (6 ft 0 in) guard. He played competitively at Emmerich Manual High School before transferring to Pike High School where they brought home the 2001 National Championship.
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4. Al Riley
1953-. (aged 73)
politician
Al Riley is a former Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 38th District between January, 2007 and January 2019. The district includes all or portions of Country Club Hills, Flossmoor, Frankfort, Frankfort Square, Hazel Crest, Homewood, Markham, Matteson, Oak Forest, Olympia Fields, Park Forest, Richton Park, Tinley Park, and University Park.
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5. Margaret Haley
1861-1939 (aged 78)
educator
teacher
trade unionist
pedagogue
activist
Margaret A. Haley was a teacher, unionist, and Georgist land value tax activist, who was dubbed the "lady labor slugger". Haley was the first business representative of the Chicago Teachers Federation (CTF) and a pioneer leader in organizing schoolteachers. During her long career with the CTF, Haley fought to correct tax inequalities, increase the salaries of teachers, and expose unfair...
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6. Aaron S. Williams
Aaron S. Williams is an international development expert and a former diplomat. He served as the 18th Director of the Peace Corps from 2009 to 2012 under President Barack Obama.
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7. Gerri Major
1894-1984 (aged 90)
journalist
writer
Gerri Major was an American journalist, editor, newscaster, publicist, public health official, author and community leader. During World War I, she was a major in the American Red Cross. Thereafter, she became a society columnist and editor for African American newspapers in her home city of New York as well as in Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Baltimore. In 1936, a newspaper...
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8. Jeremiah E. Joyce
1943-. (aged 83)
lawyer
politician
Jeremiah E. Joyce is an American lawyer and politician.
9. Donne Trotter
1950-. (aged 76)
politician
Donne Trotter is a former Democratic Party member of the Illinois Senate, representing 16th district from 1993 to 2003 and the 17th district from 2003 to 2018. Previously, he was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1988 through 1993. On January 19, 2018, Trotter announced his retirement from the Illinois Senate.
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10. James A. Banks
1941-. (aged 85)
academic
James Albert Banks is an American educator and the Kerry and Linda Killinger Endowed Chair in Diversity Studies Emeritus and founding director of the University of Washington's Center for Multicultural Education, which is now the Banks Center for Educational Justice. He focuses on the discipline of multicultural education.
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11. Karen Yarbrough
1950-2024 (aged 74)
politician
Karen A. Yarbrough was an American politician who served as the Cook County Clerk from 2018 until her death in 2024. Yarbrough served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013, and as Cook County Recorder of Deeds from 2012 to 2018. She briefly served as the interim chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois...
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12. Zonia Baber
1862-1956 (aged 94)
geographer
geologist
Mary Arizona "Zonia" Baber was an American geographer and geologist best known for developing methods for teaching geography. Her teachings emphasized experiential learning through field work and experimentation.
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13. John Mallee
1969-. (aged 57)
baseball player
John Daniel Mallee is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He is the current assistant hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). As a minor league player, Mallee was a shortstop and second baseman. He has previously been the hitting coach of the Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies.
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14. David Holston
1986-. (aged 40)
basketball player
David Holston is an American professional basketball player for JDA Dijon Basket of France's LNB Pro A. He played college basketball at Chicago State University (CSU). In 2019, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the French LNB Pro A.
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15. Mary Alice
1941-2022 (aged 81)
television actor
stage actor
actor
film actor
Mary Alice Smith, known professionally as Mary Alice, was an American television, film, and stage actress. Alice was known for her roles as Leticia "Lettie" Bostic on the sitcom A Different World (1987–1989) and Effie Williams in the 1976 musical drama Sparkle, and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her recurring role on the series I'll Fly...
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16. Michael Colyar
1957-. (aged 69)
actor
film actor
Michael K. Colyar is an American actor, comedian, entertainer, voiceover artist, television/radio personality, and author.
17. William J. Walker
military personnel
William J. Walker is a retired United States Army major general and former Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the 38th House Sergeant at Arms and the first African-American to hold the office. He last served as the 23rd Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard. This responsibility includes command of the District...
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18. Bola Ahmed Tinubu
1952-. (aged 74)
businessperson
President of Nigeria
politician
accountant
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu GCFR is a Nigerian politician serving as the 16th and current president of Nigeria since 2023. He previously served as the governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and senator for Lagos West in the Third Republic.
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19. Mamie Till
1921-2003 (aged 82)
civil rights advocate
teacher
writer
Mamie Elizabeth Till-Mobley, an American educator and civil rights activist, was the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy murdered in Mississippi on August 28, 1955, after being accused of offending a white grocery store cashier named Carolyn Bryant. For Emmett's funeral in Chicago, Mamie Till insisted that the coffin containing his body be left open because, in her words,...
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20. Marcus C. Evans, Jr
politician
Marcus C. Evans Jr. is an American politician currently serving as Illinois state representative for the 33rd district. The 33rd district, located in the Chicago metropolitan area, includes parts of South Shore, South Chicago, South Deering, East Side, and Hegewisch in Chicago as well as parts of suburban Calumet City and Lansing. Evans was elected vice president of the National...
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21. Parneshia Jones
1967-. (aged 59)
poet
Parneshia Jones is an American publisher, poet, and editor. She is the author of a 2015 poetry collection, Vessel, which won the Midwest Book Award. In 2020, Jones was appointed director of Northwestern University Press.
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22. Jack Dongarra
1950-. (aged 76)
computer scientist
engineer
university teacher
mathematician
Jack Joseph Dongarra FRS is an American computer scientist and mathematician. He is a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Computer Science in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at the University of Tennessee. He holds the position Turing Fellowship in the School of Mathematics at the University of Manchester, and is an adjunct professor and teacher in the Computer...
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23. Danny K. Davis
1941-. (aged 85)
university teacher
teacher
politician
Daniel K. Davis is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 7th congressional district since 1997. The district includes much of western Chicago, as well as the Loop. It also encompasses several of Chicago's inner western suburbs, such as Bellwood, Oak Park, and River Forest. Davis is a Democrat, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and...
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24. Hideko Inouye
1875-1963 (aged 88)
university teacher
Hideko Inoue was a Japanese educator and peace activist. She taught home economics at Japan Women's University and served as the first woman president of the school from 1931–1946. Active in the peace movement she led the Japanese affiliate of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and was one of the leading feminists supporting internationalism in the interwar...
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