North Carolina A&T Alumni in the News

On April 14, 1933, the Alpha Nu Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated was established at the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina. It was the 36th chapter, and the first of four chapters established that year by the growing brotherhood. The charter members of the Alpha Nu Chapter were Vincent A. Burgess, William W. Capeheart, James E. Charlton,…

Willie A. Deese ‘77, a champion for North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and a retired pharmaceutical executive, received the Distinguished Citizenship Award from the North Carolina Chamber on March 22. The award was presented to Deese at the 81st Annual Meeting in Raleigh, N.C. that convened business leaders across the state. Deese is a highly successful senior executive…

Gwendolyn Highsmith-Quick, Ph.D., CPA ‘76 – affectionately known as “HQ” – is currently an associate professor in the Department of Accounting and Finance at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University since 1986. She will retire from Aggieland on June 30, 2023, with 38 years of service. Highsmith-Quick, a native of Wallace, North Carolina, the oldest of five children and…

Growing up in Green Level, North Carolina, Etta Gravely, Ph.D., ‘68 was determined to go to college as a first-generation student when she attended Howard University, in Washington, D.C. for undergraduate. However, she could never imagine the impact she would make as a chemistry professor for 50 years at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. In 1956, Gravely met…

When Lt. Henry Ell Frye graduated from the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina in May 1953, and he went into military service, he was far from done with Aggieland or the city of Greensboro. Through civil service, his law practice, teaching, fundraising and volunteering, Justice Frye has given continuously to this community for over 70 years.  In a…

The African American community has a strong tradition of giving its time, talent, and treasure to others. Historically, these gifts have gone to churches, a donor’s alma mater, and civic organizations such as the Urban League and NAACP. According to the 2016 U.S. Trust Study of High Net-Worth Philanthropy, African American households give 25% more of their discretionary income to charitable…

Very few alumni in the history of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University represent Aggie excellence as highly as Chief Justice Henry E. Frye ‘53. The son of farmers from Ellerbe, North Carolina, emerged from four years of study at the Negro Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina to become the first of many historic accomplishments. Frye was…

For four years, senior leadership of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the Office of Alumni Relations and alumni chapters have organized the February One Reading project to encourage children across the United States to learn about the history of the A&T Four. The book, “Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down” by Andrea Davis Pinkney has…

Life is about evolution and when it comes to the story of Jodie Brim ‘06, her life and career have evolved to the next level of entrepreneurial success. She is the owner and visionary of Jodie Brim Creative, a full-service, brand photography, and videography company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. For five years, Brim worked for Strayer University in multiple locations…

On Feb. 1, 1960, the day four brave North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University freshmen sat at Greensboro’s segregated whites-only Woolworth’s lunch counter and challenged segregation, remains our most famous date since March 9, 1891. For decades, the outstanding legacy of the Greensboro sit-ins has been honored by the North Carolina A&T community with a commemorative breakfast. After decades…