Hampton University is one of the most storied and well-known HBCUs in the United States. Despite its competition with Howard for the title of “The Real HU,” the university has produced elite professionals in every field. Let’s go through a list of just some of the talent that call Hampton their “Home By The Sea.”
5. Spencer Christian
Those who regularly watch Good Morning America will immediately recognize Spencer Christian’s name. However, the renowned meteorologist wasn’t always in New York. Originally from Newport News, Virginia. Christian’s first job after graduating from Hampton was as a teacher in at the Stony Brook School in Long Island, New York. He shortly moved close to home to work as a news reporter at WWBT in Richmond. Christian was elevated from reporter to meteorologist at the station, where he worked for another three years. Then, he moved up to Baltimore to continue his work as a weather forecaster but also hosted his own show, Spencer’s World. After another few years in Maryland, Christian got a job in the Big Apple, and it didn’t take him long to become Good Morning America’s full-time meteorologist in 1981. Christian is still a weather forecaster but is now working at KGO-TV in San Francisco, California.
4. Wanda Sykes
Everyone’s favorite comedian, Wanda Sykes was born on March 7, 1964, in Portsmouth, Virginia. She is an alumna of Hampton University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Sykes began her stand-up career in the Washington, D.C. area in 1987. She found her passion for the craft while in D.C., and later continued even while being employed by the NSA. In 1992, Sykes left the NSA for New York, where she continued her stand-up comedy career. Eventually, she opened for Chris Rock. The connection also helped her land a job as a writer for The Chris Rock Show, which eventually won an Emmy in 1999. Sykes briefly had her own show, Wanda At Large, but has starred in all forms of television and movies, including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Pootie Tang, and the Ice Age movie franchise.
3. Robert Abbott
Robert Abbott was one of the most influential media professionals in this country. A graduate of both Hampton Institute and Kent Law School (now the Chicago-Kent College of Law), Abbott made his mark by creating his own newspaper. Published in May of 1905, the Chicago Defender quickly became a premier newspaper. Its focus on social and racial justice resonated with a Black population still dealing with the ramifications of slavery. Abbott used his paper to encourage African Americans to move up north. The Defender‘s success made Abbott one of the first Black millionaires in the United States.
2. Rick Mahorn
Born as Derrick Mahorn in 1958, the 6’10” big man is easily the greatest basketball player to come from Hampton. Mahorn attended the university from 1976-1980. After a slow start his freshman year, Mahorn proceeded to dominate the CIAA for the rest of his college career. He totaled 2,418 points in his time as a Pirate and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2009. Mahorn was also the first HU basketball player to make it to the NBA. Drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1980, Mahorn spent a lengthy 18 years in the league. In 1989, he was a key contributor to the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons basketball team, helping power them to an NBA Championship. Mahorn also played for the New Jersey Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.
1. Booker T. Washington
Arguably the most famous Hampton alumni, Booker T. Washington was born a slave on April 5, 1865. He worked as a slave for nine years before moving to West Virginia in 1863. There, he worked in salt and coal mines. In 1872, just four years after Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute opened its doors, Washington walked from West Virginia to enroll. As a student, he built a relationship with the university’s founder, Samuel Chapman Armstrong. Armstrong recommended Washington as the principal of a new school, Tuskegee University. Along with his students, Washington built the school from nothing. In addition to his work at Tuskegee, Washington was also known for his staunch belief in learning technical skills and trades, a stance that put him in opposition against another Black activist, W.E.B. Du Bois.