Distinguished Alumni

 

The alumni of "Fair Dillard" represent our mission and values. From our roots as Straight University and New Orleans, these graduates exemplify Dillard's commitment to service, justice, business leadership, creative expression and community engagement.

 

 

 

GOVERNMENT/LAW

 

Floyd E. Wilson Jr.

FLOYD E. WILSON JR. 

First Black Councilmember, Prince George County

Carl Stewart

CARL STEWART '71

First Black Chief Judge,

5th Circuit Court of Appeals

P.B.S. Pinchback

P.B.S. PINCHBACK, Straight College 1885

First Black Governor of Louisiana

Revius Ortique

REVIUS O. ORTIQUE JR. '47

First Black Louisiana Supreme Court Justice

Michael D. Jones

MICHAEL D. JONES '82

Lead Counsel, Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education (HBCU lawsuit)

 

Jay Banks

JAY BANKS '82

City councilmember, New Orleans

Tracie Todd

TRACIE TODD '01

Judge, Alabama 10th Circuit Court

Ruth Carter, Dillard University

RUTH CARTER '82

36th District Court, City of Detroit

Napoleon Bracy Jr.

NAPOLEON BRACY JR. '00

Alabama House of Representatives

Karelia Stewart

KARELIA STEWART '01

Judge, Louisiana First District Court

 

 

 

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT/MEDIA

 

Alice Dunbar Nelson

ALICE DUNBAR NELSON,

Straight College 1892

Poet and Social Justice advocate

 

Brenda Marie Osbey

BRENDA MARIE OSBEY '78

Louisiana Poet Laureate 2005-2007

Jericho Brown

JERICHO BROWN '98

Pulitzer Prize Winner, Poetry

Garrett Morris

GARRETT MORRIS '58

Actor/Comedian

Ellis Marsalis

ELLIS MARSALIS JR. '55

Jazz Composer and Educator

Keith Woods

KEITH WOODS '80

Vice President, Newsroom Training & Diversity, National Public Radio

Ayo Davis

AYO DAVIS '98

Senior Vice President, Talent & Casting, ABC Entertainment/Studios

Harold Battiste

HAROLD BATTISTE '52

Musician, Composer and Founder of AFO Records

 

DJ McConduit

D.J. MCCONDUIT '09

Emmy Award-Winning Cinematographer

Gray Hall

GRAY HALL '01

Emmy Award-Winning TV Reporter

Kristi Coleman

KRISTI COLEMAN '11

TV News Reporter, WVUE-TV

Brandis Friedman

BRANDIS FRIEDMAN '00

TV News Anchor, WTTW-TV

Lisa Frazier Page

LISA FRAZIER-PAGE '84

Journalist and New York Times Best Selling Author

Toi Thornton

TOI THORNTON '14

TV News Reporter, WALA-TV

Preston Edwards Sr.

PRESTON EDWARDS SR. '65

Publisher, Black Collegian

 

 

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATH AND MEDICINE/HEALTH

 

Nita Landry

DR. NITA LANDRY '03

OB/GYN and Co-Host, "The Doctors"

Trivia Frazier Wiltz

TRIVIA FRAZIER WILTZ '07

CEO & President, Obatala Sciences

Sheila Tlou

SHEILA TLOU '74

Former Minister of Health, Botswana and Florence Nightingale Medal Recipient

 

Jimmie Edwards

JIMMIE EDWARDS '70

Chemist and First Black Sales Representative, Union Carbide

Karen L. Drake

DR. KAREN L. DRAKE '79

Perinatologist, OB/GYN and helped deliver the McCaughey septuplets, the world's first surviving

 

   

John Ruffin

JOHN RUFFIN '65

Former Director, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities

 

 

 

 

 

BUSINESS

 

Vince Hudson

VINCE HUDSON '93

Executive Vice President/Chief Brand Officer, Black Entertainment Television

Nicole Tinson Johnson

NICOLE TINSON-JOHNSON '14

Founder/CEO, HBCU 20x20

Joyce Roche

JOYCE ROCHÉ '70

Former CEO, Girls Inc.; former Board Member, AT&T and former Director, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group

 

Glenda McNeal

GLENDA MCNEAL '82

Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships and First Black Female Executive Committee Member, American Express

Michael Griffin

MICHAEL GRIFFIN '94

President/CEO, Daughters of Charity

Nicole B. Thomas

NICOLE B. THOMAS '94

First Female President, Baptist Medical Center South

Al Lee

AL LEE '80

Vice President/Chief Governance Officer, Colgate-Palmolive

Chris Walker

CHRIS WALKER '04

Founder, CDW Services

 

Margarette Purvis

MARGARETTE PURVIS '95

President/CEO, Food Bank for New York City

Roland Pickens

ROLAND PICKENS '85

CEO, San Francisco Health Network

 

 

 

ATHLETICS

 

Johnny Shelwood

JOHNNY SHELWOOD '64

Men's Basketball Coach, Bishop State College and Mobile Hall of Famer

 

Ariel Mitchell

ARIEL "MIGHTY" MITCHELL '12

Former Harlem Globetrotter

Billy Ray Hobley

BILLY RAY "SUPERTROTTER" HOBLEY '77

Former Harlem Globetrotter

 

Alfredo Ott

ALFREDO OTT '05

Professional Basketball Player

Marlbert Pradd

MARLBERT PRADD '67

Former Professional Basketball Player and Louisiana Basketball Hall of Famer

         

 

 

EDUCATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

William Sutton Sr.

DR. WILLIAM W. SUTTON SR. '53

Former President, Mississippi Valley State University

Millie Charles

MILLIE CHARLES '43

Founding Dean, Southern University at New Orleans School of Social Work

Ruth Simmons

DR. RUTH SIMMONS '67

President, Prairie View A&M University and First Black Female President of an Ivy League Institution

 

Beverly Jacques Anderson

DR. BEVERLY JACQUES ANDERSON '65

Professor Emeritus, University of the District of Columbia and Director of Minority Programs, National Academy of Sciences

Romeo Garrett

ROMEO B. GARRETT, Straight College '32

First Black Professor, Bradley University

         

 

 

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

 

Mark Tillman

MARK TILLMAN '88

Former General President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Cynthia Butler-McIntyre

CYNTHIA BUTLER-MCINTYRE '76

Former National President, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Louis A. Martinet

LOUIS A. MARTINET, Straight College 1876

Doctor and Founding Member, Comite des Citoyens

Rudolphe Desdunes

RUDOLPHE L. DESDUNES,

Straight College 1882

Author and Founding Member, Comite des Citoyens

John W.E. Bowen Sr.

JOHN W.E. BOWEN JR.,

New Orleans University 1878

Clergyman and one of the first Black Ph.D. recipients in the U.S.

         

 

 

 

DILLARD UNIVERSITY

2601 Gentilly Boulevard
New Orleans, Louisiana 70122
504.283.8822

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