Alumni Legacy

They started on Harden Street. They changed the world.

Judges, lawmakers, bishops, college presidents, civil rights pioneers, and champions. For more than 150 years, Allen graduates have led wherever they go.

Meet the trailblazers →Nominate an alum
Our motto

“We teach the mind to think, the hands to work, and the heart to love.”

Trailblazers

Firsts, founders, and history-makers.

A few of the Allenites whose courage and leadership changed South Carolina, the nation, and the world.

  • Civil rights

    Rev. Joseph A. DeLaine

    Class of 1931

    Led the Clarendon County parents behind Briggs v. Elliott, the first of the five cases combined into Brown v. Board of Education. Awarded the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously by Act of Congress in 2003.

  • Science & education

    Dr. Luna I. Mishoe

    Class of 1938

    A mathematician and physicist who served with the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, then led Delaware State College as president for 27 years (1960–1987).

  • Faith & civil rights

    Bishop Frederick C. James

    Class of 1943

    Elected an AME bishop in 1972, he served in Southern Africa and across the U.S., was part of the U.S. delegation at Nelson Mandela’s 1994 inauguration, and later chaired Allen’s Board of Trustees.

  • Public service

    Dr. Margaret A. Dixon

    Class of 1945

    Graduated summa cum laude, and in 1996 became the first African American president of AARP. She also returned to Allen as Director of Teacher Education.

  • Athletics

    Sam Davis

    Yellow Jacket, 1963–1967

    Made the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted rookie and won four Super Bowls as a guard and offensive co-captain. Allen retired his jersey in 2005.

  • Faith & public service

    Sen. Clementa C. Pinckney

    Class of 1995

    Elected to the S.C. House in 1996 at 23, then served in the S.C. Senate from 2000 until 2015. Senior pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church.

  • Public service

    Sen. Kay Patterson

    Allen alumnus

    One of South Carolina’s first African American lawmakers in modern times, he served in the S.C. Senate, 7th District, from 1985 to 2008.

  • Education

    Dr. Agnes Hildebrand Wilson Burgess

    Allen alumna

    The first African American elected president of the South Carolina Education Association, and the first named South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

  • Arts

    Lu Cile Ivey-Norton

    Allen alumna

    Performed with Ossie Davis at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall during the AME Church’s bicentennial celebration in Washington, D.C.

Through the Years

Every generation sends someone out to lead.

  1. 1931Joseph A. DeLaine graduates. Two decades later, he helps launch the case that leads to Brown v. Board.
  2. 1938Luna I. Mishoe earns his B.S. in mathematics and chemistry.
  3. 1943Frederick C. James graduates, on his way to the AME bishopric and the civil rights movement.
  4. 1945Margaret A. Dixon graduates summa cum laude.
  5. 1967Sam Davis leaves Allen for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
  6. 1995Clementa C. Pinckney earns his B.A., one year before his election to the S.C. House.
Leaders in Higher Education

College & university presidents

Allen graduates have gone on to lead institutions of their own, including their alma mater.

  • Dr. William C. BrownFayetteville State University
  • Dr. Lewis C. DowdyNorth Carolina A&T State University
  • Dr. Luna I. MishoeDelaware State College, 1960–1987
  • Dr. Wardell NicholsAllen University
  • Dr. Sylvia P. SwintonAllen University
  • Dr. Frank R. VealAllen University
Shepherds of the Church

Bishops of the AME Church

Allen’s leading role in preparing clergy for the African Methodist Episcopal Church lives on in the alumni elected to its highest office.

  • Harrison James BryantIn memoriam
  • Vernon Randolph ByrdIn memoriam
  • William David ChappelleIn memoriam
  • David R. Daniels, Jr.
  • Monroe Hortensius DavisIn memoriam
  • Zedekiah Lazett Grady
  • Lawrence H. HemingwayIn memoriam
  • Richard Allen HildebrandIn memoriam
  • Frederick Calhoun JamesIn memoriam
  • Henry Wendell MurphIn memoriam
  • George Dewey RobinsonIn memoriam
  • Frederick Hilborn TalbotIn memoriam

Listed alphabetically.

Your Story Belongs Here

Know an Allenite making history?

Tell us about an alum, living or remembered, whose achievements deserve to be celebrated. Share their name, class year, and story.

Nominate an alum →Update your information

The next trailblazer is on the Yard today.

Help write the next chapter of Allen’s legacy.

Give to Allen →Join the Alumni Association