12 Notable alumni of Langston University

Maurice LaFrancis Bassett, sometimes known by the nickname "Mo", was an American professional football player. He played fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns from 1954 to 1956. He played college football for the Langston Lions.

Anastasia A. Pittman is an American and Seminole politician. She has served on the Seminole Nation General Council since 2021 representing the Dosar Barkus Band.

Otho Lee Gaines was an American jazz singer and lyricist. Gaines wrote the lyrics for "Take the "A" Train" and "Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'", two jazz standards by Billy Strayhorn.

Michael C. Thompson is a retired United States General Officer and Oklahoma Army National Guard member who served as the 21st Adjutant General of Oklahoma from 2017 to 2021. He was a Major General in the United States Army National Guard and was a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet.

Thomas Henderson, nicknamed "Hollywood", is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Oilers, and Miami Dolphins. He played college football at Langston University.

Marques Haynes was an American professional basketball player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters, notable for his ability to dribble the ball and keep it away from defenders. According to the 1988 film Harlem Globetrotters: Six Decades of Magic, Haynes could dribble the ball as many as 348 times a minute.

Nathaniel Hare was an American sociologist, activist, academic, and psychologist. In 1968 he was the first person hired to coordinate a Black studies program in the United States. He established the program at San Francisco State University. A graduate of Langston University and the University of Chicago, he became involved in the Black Power movement while teaching at Howard University.

Jennifer Kate Hudson, also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, producer, and talk show host. Having received numerous accolades for her work in music, film, television, and theater, Hudson became the youngest woman and third African-American recipient of all four major American entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT) in 2022. She was inducted into...

Elizabeth Coleman was an early American civil aviator. She was the first African-American woman and first Native American to hold a pilot license, and is the earliest known Black person to earn an international pilot's license. She earned her license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale on June 15, 1921.

Chad Ochocinco Johnson, known from 2008 to 2012 as Chad Ochocinco, is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Santa Monica Corsairs and the Oregon State Beavers, and played for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots during his tenure...

Charles Nesbitt Wilson was an American politician and naval officer who was a 12-term Democratic Representative from Texas's 2nd congressional district. Wilson is best known for leading Congress into supporting Operation Cyclone, the largest-ever Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) covert operation, which during the Carter and Reagan administrations supplied military equipment to the Afghan Mujahideen during the Soviet–Afghan War. His behind-the-scenes...