71 Notable alumni of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is ranked #1,445 in the world and #351 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 71 notable alumni from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical 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 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Nathan Pitts
1913-1998 (aged 85)
diplomat
Nathan Alvin Pitts was an African-American federal administrator, diplomat, and philanthropist. Pitts retired from the Department of Education in 1980 as chief of the division of international education. He was the first African-American to serve as education attaché to the permanent US UNESCO delegation, serving from 1970 to 1975.
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2. Joe Lang Kershaw
1911-1999 (aged 88)
politician
Joe Lang Kershaw, Sr. was an American politician, civics teacher, and a graduate of Florida A&M University. Kershaw is the first African-American legislator in the state of Florida since the reconstruction era.
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3. Isiah C. Smith
1922-2012 (aged 90)
lawyer
judge
Isiah C. Smith was a judge and civil rights attorney. He was Palm Beach County, Florida's third black lawyer. He and William Holland, Palm Beach County's first black attorney, fought successfully to integrate the county's schools, golf courses, department stores, airport taxi service, and the Florida Turnpike's restaurants and bathrooms through lawsuits and negotiations in the mid-1950s. While working with...
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4. Jesse J. McCrary, Jr
1937-2007 (aged 70)
lawyer
politician
Jesse James McCrary Jr. was an American lawyer from the U.S. state of Florida. A civil rights activist, he entered state politics and served as Secretary of State of Florida for five months from 1978 to 1979, becoming the first black member of the Florida Cabinet since the end of Reconstruction. He was inducted into the Florida Civil Rights Hall...
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5. MJ Randolph
1999-. (aged 27)
basketball player
Michael Anthony Randolph Jr. is an American professional basketball player for CSU Sibiu of the Romanian Liga Națională. He played college basketball for the Florida A&M Rattlers of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
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6. Terry Fields
1959-. (aged 67)
politician
Terry L. Fields was an American Democratic politician who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008, representing the 14th District, which included parts of downtown Jacksonville in western Duval County. He ran for a seat in the Florida House in 2016. He lost in the primaries to Democratic candidate Kimberly Daniels.
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7. Henry Lee Adams, Jr
1945-. (aged 81)
lawyer
judge
Henry Lee Adams Jr. is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
8. James A. Dallas
1917-2004 (aged 87)
teacher
nightclub owner
businessperson
James A. Dallas Sr. was an American educator, entrepreneur, musical patron and civic leader from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was the first African-American man to have a street in downtown Fort Lauderdale named in his honor.
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9. Teddy B. Taylor
1953-. (aged 73)
diplomat
Teddy Bernard Taylor is a United States diplomat. A member of the Senior Foreign Service, Taylor served as the United States Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. He was succeeded by Walter E. North on November 7, 2012.
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10. Ckay1
1982-. (aged 44)
record producer
composer
rapper
Christchankeith "Ckay1" Marshall is an American music composer, arranger, and producer. Marshall's first full credit production work was in 2006 on Light Poles and Pine Trees for Hip hop group Field Mob. This release reached No. 7 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 2 on Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
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11. Mary Singleton
1926-1980 (aged 54)
politician
Mary Littlejohn Singleton was a Florida teacher and politician, serving on the Jacksonville, Florida City Council before and after the consolidation in 1968 with Duval County. In 1967 she was one of the first two black women elected to the council. She was re-elected after consolidation and served until 1972.
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12. Enitan Bereola II
1982-. (aged 44)
writer
Enitan O. Bereola II is a Nigerian American author, entrepreneur and public speaker based in San Jose, California.
13. Mia L. Jones
1968-. (aged 58)
politician
Mia L. Jones is a former Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 14th District, which includes parts of downtown Jacksonville in northern Duval County, from 2008 to 2016.
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14. John Sepulvado
1979-. (aged 47)
journalist
John Sepulvado is a former U.S. public radio journalist and is former host of the California Morning Report on KQED.
15. James R. Ford
1925-2017 (aged 92)
politician
James R. Ford was an American educator, politician, and businessman. In 1972, Ford became the first African-American mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, and the first Black mayor of a U.S. state capital city. He later served for fourteen years as a city commissioner, being repeatedly re-elected.
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16. Lin Rountree
1971-. (aged 55)
composer
record producer
Lin Rountree is an American soul/urban jazz trumpeter, record producer, and composer. He has recorded 9 solo albums, the last six for Trippin N' Rhythm Records. Between the years 2011 - 2025 Lin Rountree released 24 singles that landed on the National Billboard Top 25 Smooth Jazz Chart which included 5 number 1 Billboard singles; "Pass The Groove" (that stayed...
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17. Terri Bjerre
1966-. (aged 60)
disc jockey
songwriter
singer
record producer
Terri Elaine Bjerre, known professionally as Terri B!, is an American Electronic dance singer, composer, producer and DJ.
18. James H. Ammons
2001-2007 (aged 6)
James H. Ammons is an American educator and political scientist who has served as president and/or chancellor of three historically black colleges and universities: North Carolina Central University (NCCU) (president, 2001 - 2007); Florida A&M University (FAMU) (president, 2007–2012); and Southern University at New Orleans (chancellor, 2021–present). A Florida native, he has received distinguished alumni awards from FAMU and Florida...
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19. Michael A. Calhoun
1954-. (aged 72)
Michael A. Calhoun is a retired Army National Guard major general who served as the Adjutant General of Florida. General Calhoun was appointed by Governor of Florida Rick Scott on March 29, 2015.
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20. Arthenia Joyner
1943-. (aged 83)
politician
Arthenia Joyner is an American politician, attorney, and civil rights activist from Florida. She served as a member of the Florida Senate for ten years, representing parts of the Tampa Bay Area from 2006 to 2016. She was the Senate minority leader during her last two years in office. Prior to being elected to the Senate, Joyner served three terms...
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21. Dwight M. Bullard
1977-. (aged 49)
politician
Dwight M. Bullard is a Democratic politician and teacher from Florida. He served one term in the Florida State Senate, representing parts of South Florida from 2012 to 2016, and before that served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives, representing a district in southern Miami-Dade County from 2008 until his election to the Senate.
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22. Ramon Alexander
1984-. (aged 42)
politician
Ramon J. Alexander is an American politician who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2022. He represented the 8th district, which includes Gadsden County and sections of Tallahassee in Leon County since 2016. From 2018 to 2020, Alexander served as Democratic whip.
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23. Camille Wardrop Alleyne
1966-. (aged 60)
aerospace engineer
military flight engineer
Camille Wardrop Alleyne is an American aerospace engineer, space scientist, and science ambassador. She is the Founder, CEO and President of Arusha Space, LLC., a geospatial analytics and global space consulting company that uses space-enabled technologies for solving Earth's challenges. Prior to starting her company, Alleyne spent 29 years working for the US Government advancing space and aerospace technologies at...
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24. Bobby Powell
1981-. (aged 45)
politician
Bobby Powell is a Democratic politician who is a member of the Palm Beach County Commission. He previously served as a member of the Florida Senate representing West Palm Beach and surrounding areas in northeastern Palm Beach County, from 2016 to 2024. He previously served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives, representing the parts of the West Palm...
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25. Gwen Cherry
1923-1979 (aged 56)
teacher
lawyer
politician
Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry was an American politician in the state of Florida. She was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 106th district. The first African-American woman to win election to the Florida Legislature, she served from 1970 until 1979.
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26. Patricia Stephens Due
1939-2012 (aged 73)
activist
Patricia Stephens Due was one of the leading African-American civil rights activists in her home state of Florida. Along with her sister Priscilla and others trained in nonviolent protest by CORE, Due spent 49 days in one of the nation's first jail-ins, refusing to pay a fine for sitting in a Woolworth's "White only" lunch counter in Tallahassee, Florida in...
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27. Jovanka Beckles
1963-. (aged 63)
politician
Jovanka Beckles is an American politician. She served as a member of the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit Board for Ward 1, and previously served as a member of the Richmond City Council. In 2018 and 2024, she lost high-profile runoff elections for California state legislative office.
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28. LaSalle D. Leffall Jr
1930-2019 (aged 89)
surgeon
oncologist
LaSalle D. Leffall Jr. was an American surgeon, surgical oncologist, and medical educator. He chaired the Department of Surgery at Howard University College of Medicine from 1970 to 1995 and served as the Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery. In 1978, Leffall became the first African American president of the American Cancer Society, and in 1995, he became the first...
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29. Frederick S. Humphries
1935-2021 (aged 86)
chancellor
chemist
Frederick Stephen Humphries Sr. was an American academic administrator and chemistry professor who served as President of Tennessee State University (1974 to 1985), and President of Florida A&M University (1985 to 2001). He was also President and CEO of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education from 2001 to 2003. Florida A&M University conferred the President Emeritus title...
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30. Joseph W. Hatchett
1932-2021 (aged 89)
military officer
lawyer
judge
Joseph Woodrow Hatchett was an American lawyer and judge. He worked in private practice, was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Eleventh Circuit, and served on the Florida Supreme Court.
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31. Carrie P. Meek
1926-2021 (aged 95)
university teacher
academic administrator
politician
Carrie Mae Meek was the United States representative for Florida's 17th congressional district. She was the first African American since the Reconstruction era elected to represent Florida in the United States Congress. An educator, legislator, stateswoman and a member of the Democratic Party, she served from 1979 to 1982 in the Florida House of Representatives, from 1982 to 1992 in...
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32. Shevrin D. Jones
1983-. (aged 43)
politician
Shevrin D. Jones is an American educator and politician who has served as the Florida state senator for the 34th District since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 101st District, from 2012 to 2020.
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33. Bernard Kinsey
1943-. (aged 83)
art collector
philanthropist
businessperson
entrepreneur
Bernard Kinsey is an American philanthropist, entrepreneur, and collector of African-American art of the 19th and 20th centuries.
34. Jerome James
1975-. (aged 51)
basketball player
Jerome Keith James is an American former professional basketball player. Originally from Tampa, Florida, James played college basketball for the Florida A&M Rattlers for three seasons and was the national leader in blocks per game in the 1997–98 season, his junior year. James declared for the 1998 NBA draft after his junior year, and the Sacramento Kings selected James in...
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35. Wycliffe Gordon
1967-. (aged 59)
jazz musician
Wycliffe A. Gordon is an American jazz trombonist, arranger, composer, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. Gordon also sings and plays didgeridoo, trumpet, soprano trombone, tuba, and piano. His nickname is "Pinecone".
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36. Janelle Bynum
1975-. (aged 51)
politician
Janelle Sojourner Bynum is an American politician and businesswoman serving as the U.S. representative for Oregon's 5th congressional district since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2017 to 2025.
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37. Kendrick Meek
1966-. (aged 60)
politician
Kendrick Brett Meek is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 17th congressional district from 2003 to 2011. After serving in both houses of the Florida Legislature, Meek was elected to Congress in the 2002 election to succeed his mother Carrie Meek.
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38. Isaac C. Singleton Jr
1967-. (aged 59)
voice actor
stunt performer
television actor
actor
Isaac Charles Singleton Jr. is an American actor. He is known for voicing the Marvel Comics character Thanos in various animated films, television shows and video games, and Sagat in Capcom's Street Fighter series since Street Fighter IV.
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39. Alfred Lawson, Jr
1948-. (aged 78)
politician
business executive
Alfred James Lawson Jr. is an American former politician who was the U.S. representative for Florida's 5th congressional district from 2017 to 2023. The district, which was eliminated following redistricting during the 2022 Florida legislative session, stretched across most of the border with Georgia, including most of the majority-black areas between Tallahassee and Jacksonville. Lawson challenged fellow Congressman Neal Dunn...
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40. Hal McRae
1945-. (aged 81)
baseball player
Harold Abraham McRae is an American former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1968, 1970–72) and Kansas City Royals (1973–87). Utilized as a designated hitter for most of his career, McRae batted and threw right-handed. He is the father of former major league outfielder Brian McRae.
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41. Marquis Grissom
1967-. (aged 59)
baseball player
Marquis Deon Grissom is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants between 1989 and 2005.
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42. Melvin Carter III
1979-. (aged 47)
politician
Melvin Whitfield Carter III is an American politician who was the 55th mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Elected to his first term in 2017 and reelected in 2021, Carter was St. Paul's first African American mayor. His mayoralty ended on January 2, 2026. Carter supported raising the city's minimum wage to $15 per hour. He is one of 11 U.S....
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43. Angela Robinson
1963-. (aged 63)
singer
actor
stage actor
Angela Robinson is an American actress and singer. Best known for playing the role of Veronica Harrington in the OWN primetime soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots, winning the Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actress. During her career she acted on Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, working under the direction of Sheldon Epps, Tina Landau, Kathleen Marshall, Gary Griffin.
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44. Nat Adderley
1931-2000 (aged 69)
composer
recording artist
jazz musician
jazz trumpeter
Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He was the younger brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, with whom he played for many years.
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45. John W. Thompson
1949-. (aged 77)
chief executive officer
businessperson
manager
John Wendell Thompson is an American technology executive who was the chairman of Microsoft from 2014 until June 2021, and chairman of Illumina from 2021 until 2023. He is a former chief executive of Virtual Instruments, a vice-president at IBM and the former chief executive of Symantec. Thompson later became an independent director on the board of Microsoft, and in...
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46. Dee Rees
1977-. (aged 49)
film director
screenwriter
Diandrea Rees is an American screenwriter and director. She is known for her feature films Pariah (2011), Bessie (2015), Mudbound (2017), and The Last Thing He Wanted (2020). Rees has also written and directed episodes for television series including Empire, When We Rise, and Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams.
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47. Rico Love
1982-. (aged 44)
songwriter
rapper
singer
record producer
Richard Preston Butler Jr., better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American songwriter and record producer. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Harlem, New York City. He attended Florida A&M and, while visiting Atlanta, worked his way into the music industry through connections with singer Usher, who became...
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48. Pam Oliver
1961-. (aged 65)
sports commentator
journalist
athletics competitor
announcer
Pam Oliver is an American sportscaster known for her work on the sidelines for various National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL) games.
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49. Will Packer
1974-. (aged 52)
film producer
William Packer is an American film producer and the founder of Will Packer Productions, and Will Packer Media. Packer has produced or executive produced a wide range of movies that have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide at the box office, including 10 films that have opened at number one. He has produced more than 30 features including big-screen hit...
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50. Andre Dawson
1954-. (aged 72)
baseball player
Andre Nolan Dawson, nicknamed "the Hawk" and "Awesome Dawson", is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for four different teams as a center and right fielder, spending most of his career with the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs.
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51. T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh
1962-. (aged 64)
stage actor
dancer
writer
voice actor
singer
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh is an American actress and singer. In addition to her status as an original cast member of the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color (1990–1994), Keymáh is also known for her roles as Erica Lucas on the CBS sitcom Cosby (1996–2000), Tanya Baxter on the Disney Channel sitcom That's So Raven (2003–2005), and as the star...
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52. Meadowlark Lemon
1932-2015 (aged 83)
basketball player
actor
Meadowlark Lemon was an American basketball player, actor, and Christian minister. For 22 years, he was known as the "Clown Prince" of the touring Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. He was a 2003 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Ordained in 1986, in 1994 he started Meadowlark Lemon Ministries in Scottsdale, Arizona.
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53. Roy Wood Jr
1978-. (aged 48)
screenwriter
comedian
disc jockey
actor
television producer
Roy Norris Wood Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer who first became well known for his correspondent appearances on The Daily Show. Wood has been hosting the American adaptation of the news and entertainment panel show Have I Got News for You on CNN since September 2024.
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54. Althea Gibson
1927-2003 (aged 76)
autobiographer
golfer
tennis coach
tennis player
Althea Neale Gibson was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis. In 1956, she became the first Black player to win a Grand Slam event (the French Open). The following year she won both Wimbledon and the US Nationals (precursor of the US Open), then...
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55. Cannonball Adderley
1928-1975 (aged 47)
record producer
conductor
saxophonist
composer
jazz musician
Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley was an American jazz alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s.
56. K. Michelle
1985-. (aged 41)
singer
television actor
songwriter
Kimberly Michelle Pate is an American singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress. She was a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta during its first two seasons, later returning to the show during its fifth season. She subsequently signed with Atlantic Records. Her debut studio album, Rebellious Soul, debuted at number two on...
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57. Meshach Taylor
1947-2014 (aged 67)
film actor
television actor
stage actor
Meshach Taylor was an American actor, widely known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the CBS sitcom Designing Women (1986–93), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He was also known for his portrayal of Hollywood Montrose, a flamboyant window dresser in the 1987 film Mannequin and its...
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58. Andrew Gillum
1979-. (aged 47)
activist
community organizer
Black people
politician
Andrew Demetric Gillum is an American former politician who was the 126th mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, from 2014 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a Tallahassee city commissioner from 2003 to 2014.
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59. Byron Donalds
1978-. (aged 48)
finance professional
politician
Byron Lowell Donalds is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 19th congressional district since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2020. His congressional district includes much of Southwest Florida.
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60. Karamo Brown
1980-. (aged 46)
television personality
writer
podcaster
entertainer
activist
Karamo Karega Brown is an American television host, reality television personality, author, actor, and activist. Brown began his career in 2004 on the MTV reality show The Real World: Philadelphia. He currently stars as the culture expert in the Netflix series Queer Eye.
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61. Anika Noni Rose
1972-. (aged 54)
stage actor
television actor
voice actor
actor
film actor
Anika Noni Rose is an American actress. She is best known for voicing Tiana in The Princess and the Frog (2009). She was named a Disney Legend in 2011.
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62. Keisha Lance Bottoms
1970-. (aged 56)
lawyer
politician
Keisha Lance Bottoms is an American attorney and Democratic politician who served as the 60th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, from 2018 to 2022. She was elected mayor in 2017, before which she was a member of the Atlanta City Council representing part of Southwest Atlanta. Bottoms did not run for a second term as mayor. President Joe Biden nominated Bottoms...
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63. Common
1972-. (aged 54)
model
record producer
television actor
songwriter
film actor
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, known professionally as Common (formerly known as Common Sense), is an American rapper, actor and activist. The recipient of three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award, he signed with the independent label Relativity Records at the age of 20. The label released his first three studio albums: Can I...
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64. Hamid Reza Rasekh
1962-. (aged 64)
pharmacologist
Hamid Reza Rasekh is an Iranian pharmacologist and toxicologist and Professor of Pharmacoeconomics and Pharmaceutical Management at Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.
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65. Rodney Smith
1974-. (aged 52)
lawyer
judge
Rodney Smith is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
66. Kwame Kilpatrick
1970-. (aged 56)
politician
American football player
Kwame Malik Kilpatrick is an American former politician who served as the 72nd mayor of Detroit from 2002 to 2008. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously represented the 9th district in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1997 to 2002. Kilpatrick resigned as mayor in September 2008 after being convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice. He was...
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67. David Scott
1945-. (aged 81)
politician
business executive
David Randolph Scott is an American retired test pilot and NASA astronaut who was the seventh person to walk on the Moon. Selected as part of the third group of astronauts in 1963, Scott flew to space three times and commanded Apollo 15, the fourth lunar landing; he is one of four surviving Moon walkers and the only living commander...
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68. Ibram X. Kendi
1982-. (aged 44)
historian
editor
university teacher
writer
Ibram Xolani Kendi is an American author, professor, anti-racist activist, and historian of race and discriminatory policy in the U.S. He is author of books including Stamped from the Beginning, How to Be an Antiracist and Antiracist Baby. He has been interviewed by such figures as Stephen Colbert and Oprah Winfrey, and in 2019, the New York Times referred to...
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69. Alcee Hastings
1936-2021 (aged 85)
lawyer
politician
Alcee Lamar Hastings was an American politician and judge from the state of Florida.
70. Al Green
1947-. (aged 79)
lawyer
politician
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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71. Alan Williams
1993-. (aged 33)
basketball player
Alan Stephen Williams, SM is an English Roman Catholic prelate and 7th Bishop of Brentwood. He is a member of the Marist Order.