Atlanta Public Schools is marking its 150th school year by spotlighting artifacts from the district’s musuem and by hosting a parade celebrating current and former students.
The district’s list of notable students is a who’s who of Atlantans who have left their mark on the city, on Georgia, and beyond.
Learn more about the history of APS and it’s 150th celebration here, and learn more below about some of the schools’ most famous alumni.
Archer High School
Edith Mcguire-Duvall (Olympian and teacher at East Lake Elementary School)
Gladys Knight
Credit: Unknown
Credit: Unknown
Boys High School
Ivan Allen Jr. (former Atlanta mayor)
Credit: AJC Archive at GSU Library
Credit: AJC Archive at GSU Library
John S. Chandler (Chief Justice, State Supreme Court)
Franklin Garrett: (official historian of Atlanta)
Clark Howell (former editor of the Atlanta Constitution)
Boisfeuillet “Bo” Jones (former president of the Woodruff Foundation)
Harrison Jones (former president of Coca Cola)
Dean Rusk (former U.S. Secretary of State)
Commercial and Tech High School
Truett Cathy
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
John Portman
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
Cox Elementary School
Cecil Welch (world famous trumpeter)
Frederick Douglass High School
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Killer Mike (Render)
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
Lil Jon (Jonathan Smith)
Rev. Bernice King
Dexter King
Dykes High School
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson
Credit: Cox
Credit: Cox
Billy Payne
Credit: AJC Staff
Credit: AJC Staff
Fulton High School
Evander Holyfield
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Girls High School
Barbara Cook (opera singer)
Ida Jarrell (first female superintendent of APS)
Larry Rakestraw (NFL)
David Rocker (NFL)
Grady (Now Midtown) High School
Danielle Deadwyler
Credit: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
Credit: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
Yolanda King
Angela Robinson
Harper High School
Judge Glenda Hatchett
Howard High School
Walter “Clyde” Frazier
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bryan Morel “Bitsy” Grant (tennis player)
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Maynard Jackson
Credit: Special to the AJC
Credit: Special to the AJC
Vernon Jordan
Lonnie King (civil rights activist who advocated for de-segregation in APS)
Mel Pender (Olympian)
Mildred McDaniel Singleton (Olympian—first African American female to win gold for the US)
Margaret Matthews Wilburn (Olympian)
James Williams (Paralympian)
Carl Wright
Mays High School
Mayor Andre Dickens
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
Tayari Jones
Credit: ALYSSA POINTER/ALYSSA.POINTER@AJ
Credit: ALYSSA POINTER/ALYSSA.POINTER@AJ
Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas
Walter Kimbrough
Northside (now North Atlanta) High School
RuPaul Andre Charles
Credit: Mathu & Zaldy
Credit: Mathu & Zaldy
Collington Freeman (opera singer)
Jasmine Guy
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Roosevelt High School
John Carson (NFL)
Antonio McKay (Olympian)
Southwest High School
E. Stanley O’Neal (first Black president and CEO of Meryl Lynch)
Spring Street Elementary School
Former Fulton County Commissioner and civil rights activist Martin Luther King III
Tenth Street Elementary School
Margaret Mitchell
Credit: Special
Credit: Special
Turner High School
Judge Marvin Arrington
Charlayne Hunter-Gault
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hamilton Holmes
Mack Jones
Washington High School
Mattiwilda Dobbs (Opera singer)
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
Robert Gibbs (first African-American man to enter and graduate from Harvard)
Michael Hollis (founded Atlanta Air, the first Black-owned airline)
Lena Horne
Credit: Library of Congress
Credit: Library of Congress
Leroy Johnson (first Black state senator in the South since Reconstruction)
Dominique Armani Jones, rapper known as Lil’ Baby
Credit: Robb Cohen
Credit: Robb Cohen
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Credit: Morehouse College
Credit: Morehouse College
Herman J. Russell
Credit: Staff
Credit: Staff
Julian “Nipsey” Russell
Ellmore Spencer III (NBA)
Louis Sullivan (former Secretary of HHS and president of Morehouse School of Medicine)
Credit: AJC file
Credit: AJC file
Gwen Torrence (Olympian)
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
Dr. Asa Yancey, JR. (medical director of Grady Hospital, former APS board member)
