Mrs. Marian T. Logan was born on July 7, 1921, and was raised in Roseland, Virginia, a rural community of Nelson County. She is one of eight siblings whose parents were deacons in the church, and they instilled core values of education, work ethic, and family in their children. Marian graduated 11th grade from Oak Hill School and then migrated to Brooklyn, NY to live with extended family where she completed 12th grade from Girls High School. Working as a stenographer in Brooklyn and later serving in the office pool in the Army ODB in Newark, NJ during WWII enabled her to strengthen and prepare herself for the civilian workplace.…

For 123 years, commencement has been the spring highlight for Aggie graduates, their families, and the community. In saluting the class of 1921, we can see how special commencement had already become 100 years ago. Then as now, faculty and staff were busy preparing for the 23rd annual commencement of the “Negro Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina.” Before the first Aggie homecomings took place, alumni reunions were held at commencement. Professor D. K. Cherry, chair of the entertainment committee, and Professor J. E. Reid worked to assist alumni in securing accommodation and entertainment in Greensboro.  The ceremonies were carried out as planned beginning Sunday, May 22, 1921. That…

Durham Alumni Chapter Chapter President: Rebecca Redd-Jolly, 1980   Major: Psychology What is your career background? As a member of the Army ROTC I began my career as an Army Intelligence Officer.  I reached the rank of captain, and was honorably discharged after over five years in the military. I decided to study law and graduated with a jurist doctorate from Howard University School of Law. Worked at the Public Defender’s Office in Atlanta, Georgia. After getting married, we moved to Macon, Georgia. I received an opportunity to work as a Legislative Analyst for the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. and stayed until my parent got sick.  We moved back…

The Cleveland area in Northeast Ohio welcomed an influx of individuals who had common experiences and education. Those individuals were a group of distinguished A&T alumni. From that moment, this dedicated group of Aggies started to organize what would eventually become the Cleveland Alumni Chapter of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. The alumni charter was issued June 4, 1961, with organizing members Linwood Smith, Izora Bagley, Jesse Bagley, William Cohen, Vera Tillman Cohen, Abe Williams, Lynette B. Williams, Hortense Jones Rush, Marguerite Jones Banks, Alfred Russell, Ollie Pope Daniels, and John Wright. During the first year of the chapter’s existence, Smith was elected president. Key initiatives were fundraising,…

In the first 20 years of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s visual arts program, it was established in 1927 by H. Clinton Taylor. The program’s most outstanding graduate may have been Garrett Whyte ‘1939 (1914-2000). Whyte was a Mt. Sterling, Kentucky native who transferred to North Carolina A&T from Hampton University’s art department. A review of his achievements shows that he remains one of A&T’s greatest art alums over 80 years later. An active and creative student, young Whyte pledged to the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporate, taught Sunday School, served as a publicity person for the student YMCA, and was a member of the technical Club. His…

Most little girls want to be many things when they grow up, but Dr. Kellye Worth Hall ‘00 knew as a teenager she wanted to become an HBCU drum major. Her childhood consisted of being a natural, yet untrained dancer, an athlete, a musician, and surrounded by a legacy of family members who attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. “I was a typical band kid who played the saxophone for years and I attended North Carolina A&T’s summer band camps for middle and high school students,” said Hall. “I spent my life surrounded by HBCU culture. My dad had season football tickets and I met a lot of…

Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm, has announced that Chris Cook, PE, has joined the firm’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) group based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Cook joins the firm as a project engineer with more than 13 years of experience. As a fire protection engineer, he has worked on various facility types, including commercial buildings, K-12 schools, higher education facilities, civil structures, and healthcare facilities. Cook earned his bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from North Carolina A&T State University (2008) and is a member of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. About DewberryDewberry is a leading, market-facing firm with a…

On May 30, 1901, three students were awarded bachelors’ degrees from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the Colored Race (now North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University). This ceremony was significant because this was the first time a woman was a degree recipient from the college.  This young lady was Francis Grimes of Asheville, N.C. In the 120 years since this milestone, information on Grimes has been scarce in the North Carolina A&T histories. Thanks to new research, Aggies now can know her story today as part of A&T’s 130th anniversary and for Women’s History Month. Frances Grimes was born around 1884 and grew up in the Asheville Township,…