AJC Sepia HBCU of the Week: Mississippi Valley Notable Graduates

Education

AJC Sepia HBCU of the Week: Mississippi Valley State University Notable Graduates

Located in tiny Itta Bena, Miss., Mississippi Valley State University is one of the country's youngest black colleges, having been founded in 1950. But that hasn't stopped it from graduating a host of notable figures who have had a huge impact on America. Here are some of "Valley's" best.

Hall of Fame wide receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion Jerry Rice is widely regarded as the best wide receiver to ever play in the National Football League, and arguably the greatest player of all time. During his 15-year career with the San Francisco 49ers, Rice won three Super Bowls (Super Bowl XXIII (’88), Super Bowl XXIV (’89) and SB XXIX (’94)) and one Super Bowl MVP. He was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Gary McGaha currently serves as the president of Atlanta Metropolitan State College. Prior to his presidency at Atlanta Metropolitan, McGaha served as assistant to the president and assistant professor of community health and preventive medicine at the Morehouse School of Medicine.

Initially working in the corporate world, Martha Brock’s interest in photography was rekindled in the mid-1980s as her friends and colleagues recognized her talent. Brock’s knack for capturing celebrities has made her one of Chicago’s most published African-American photographers.

After losing her own home and belongings during Hurricane Katrina and overcoming cancer diagnosis, disabled army veteran Jaspen Boothe faced homelessness and unemployment. She recognized that while there were services available for male veterans, there was a lack of such services for women. In 2010, she started "Final Salute," to assist women veterans and their children. Today, Final Salute has three homes in Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio, and has helped more than 900 female veterans and their families from 30 states.

Cherae Farmer-Dixon is the dean of the School of Dentistry and professor at Meharry Medical College in Nashville. She has been actively involved in research activities that have dealt with oral health disparities, caries in low-income children, community outreach and intervention, and addressing minority dental school enrollment.

Claude Perkins is the 12th president of Virginia Union University. His career includes service and leadership roles in three U.S. public school systems, including two stints in Richmond public schools, leadership at two other higher education institutions, and professional service such as service on the National Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools and the Graduate Record Examination Advisory Board.

Ashley Ambrose played 13 seasons in the NFL with Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Atlanta and New Orleans. He was recently named defensive backs coach at Boise State University.

Alphonso Ford was one of the nation’s all-time best NCAA shooting guards. Ford led the NCAA in freshman scoring during the 1989-90 season with an average of 29.9 points per game. He played in the NBA for the Seattle SuperSonics and the Philadelphia 76ers.

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Located in tiny Itta Bena, Miss., Mississippi Valley State University is one of the country's youngest black colleges, having been founded in 1950. But that hasn't stopped it from graduating a host of notable figures who have had a huge impact on America. Here are some of "Valley's" best.

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AJC Sepia HBCU of the Week: Mississippi Valley State University Notable Graduates

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