Delaware State University, founded as a College for Colored Students on May 15, 1891, by the Delaware General Assembly, boasts a rich and evolving history.
It awarded its first degrees in 1898, gained provisional accreditation, and subsequently became a State College through legislative action.
After an accreditation rejection in 1949, it was regained in 1957, and the institution officially became a “state university” on July 1, 1993.
Notably, Delaware State University was the first black college and university to adopt a no-smoking policy, evolving into a complete tobacco-free policy by August 2015, which earned it the ACAS Health Leadership Award in 2017.
On July 1, 2021, it further expanded by fully acquiring the 157-year-old Wesley College. Over its history, Delaware State University has been connected to many distinguished individuals and a notable television series. The following sections highlight these connections.
1. Reggie Barnes
Born October 19, 1967, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Reggie Barnes attended Delaware State University. While at DSU, he achieved 1336 rushing yards in 1988.
Signed as a free agent by the New York Jets in 1989, he spent time on their practice squad. In 1990, Barnes joined the Ottawa Rough Riders in Canada, rushing for 1260 yards and 5 touchdowns, earning the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie Award.
His team also posted 1,486 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in 1991. Barnes’ career included stints with the Shreveport Pirates, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Toronto Argonauts, concluding in 1996 with Ottawa.
2. Dr. Clyde Bishop
Dr. Clyde Bishop, born in 1942, is an American diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands from 2006 to 2009. He was also a U.S. member of the Senior Foreign Service and a Minister Counsellor.
Bishop received his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Delaware State University in 1964. He furthered his education at the University of Delaware, earning his Master of Arts in Sociology in 1972 and a Ph.D. in Urban Affairs in 1976.
He is recognized as the first African American to earn a doctorate at the University of Delaware. From 1977 to 1980, he returned to Delaware State College as chair of the Department of Sociology and Urban Affairs.
3. Clifford Benjamin Brown
Born in 1930, Clifford Benjamin Brown was a celebrated American jazz trumpeter and composer from Wilmington, Delaware.
From a musical family, he began playing trumpet at ten, and at thirteen, he enrolled in private lessons after his father gifted him a new trumpet.
Brown attended Delaware State University to pursue math before transferring to Maryland State College. His life was tragically cut short in a road accident in June 1956, and he is buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware.
4. Robin R. Christiansen
Robin R. Christiansen, born September 4, 1950, is a politician serving as the current Mayor of Dover, Delaware. He was elected Mayor in a special election on June 17, 2014.
Prior to this, he served on the Dover city council from 1983 to 2001, holding positions as council president and vice mayor between 1990 and 2001.
After graduating from Dover High School in 1968, he enrolled at Delaware State University, majoring in history and political science.
5. Emanuel Davis
Born August 27, 1968, Emanuel Davis is a retired basketball player who played for Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware.
His professional career spanned various leagues, including the Continental Basketball Association, Italian Basketball League, United States Basketball League, and Atlantic Basketball Association.
Davis played six NBA seasons between 1996-1998 and 1999-2003, notably for the Houston Rockets, Seattle SuperSonics, and Atlanta Hawks, accumulating 227 games and 1,100 points.
6. Wayne Thomas Gilchrest
Wayne Thomas Gilchrest, born April 15, 1946, represented Maryland’s first congressional district as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
He left politics in 2008 after being defeated by State Senator Andy Harris and subsequently began working in environmental education. Gilchrest received a bachelor’s degree in history from Delaware State College (now Delaware State University) in 1973.
7. Jamaal J. Jackson
Born May 8, 1980, Jamaal J. Jackson is a former American football player and Delaware State University alumnus. He played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Signed by the Eagles as a free agent in 2003 after his college football career at Delaware State, Jackson became the Eagles’ starting center between 2005 and 2010.
8. Shaheer McBride
Shaheer McBride, born February 8, 1985, is a celebrated Delaware State University alumnus who played American football as a wide receiver.
The Eagles signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2008. During his four seasons of college football at Delaware State, he achieved significant records, finishing 2nd in all-time catches and 3rd in all-time yards.
9. Darnerien Richard McCants
Darnerien Richard McCants, born August 1, 1978, was an American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft.
McCants played college football at Delaware State, where he had one of his best seasons as a senior.
10. Sam Shepard
Also known as El Mago, Sam Shepard is an American/Venezuelan professional basketball player born April 21, 1953.
He played for Venezuelan teams in the 1992 Summer Olympics and Colombian professional teams in the 1990 world games.
Shepard also tried out for the NBA and ABA. He attended Delaware State University, excelling in basketball for the Hornets.
Shepard is a member of the Delaware State University Sports Hall of Fame, the Hall of Fame in South America, and the Hall of Fame North Lenoir High School.
After leaving DSU in 1975, he played in Venezuela’s Liga Especial de Basket and for Colombia’s Loteria de Cucuta (1978-1982), where he won four national championships.
11. John Gregory Taylor
John Gregory Taylor, born March 31, 1962, is an American former football player. He holds the distinction of being the first Pennsauken High School football player to join the NFL in the 1980s.
Taylor studied at Delaware State College, where he was a member of the college football team, the Hornets.
12. Walter Henry Tullis
Born April 12, 1953, Walter Henry Tullis attended Delaware State University before retiring from the National Football League.
He was signed by the Washington Redskins in the twelfth round of the 1976 NFL Draft and played for two seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
13. Teen Mom 2
The source lists “Teen Mom 2” as number 13 among the “15 Famous People That Went to Delaware State University”.
However, it is important to note that Teen Mom 2 is an American reality television series, not an individual.
Premiering on MTV on January 11, 2011, the series follows the lives of young mothers Jenelle Evans, Chelsea DeBoer, Kailyn Lowry, and Leah Messer as they navigate early motherhood, relationships, and daily struggles.
The provided source does not contain information indicating that the series itself, or any specific person featured in it, attended Delaware State University, despite its inclusion in the list of notable individuals..
14. Solána Imani Rowe (SZA)
Solána Imani Rowe, widely known as SZA, is a prominent American songwriter and singer, born November 8, 1989. She began her music career in the early 2010s, releasing two extended plays.
After signing with Top Dawg Entertainment, she released her third EP, “Z,” in 2014. SZA co-wrote “Feeling Myself” with Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé in 2014 and was featured on Rihanna’s song “Consideration” in 2016.
While SZA is included in the list of “15 Famous People That Went to Delaware State University,” the provided source does not explicitly state that she attended Delaware State University in her biographical details..
15. David G. Turner
David G. Turner, born in 1945, is identified as a notable alumnus of Delaware State University. He is a distinguished Canadian professor and astronomer within the department of astronomy and physics at Saint Mary’s University.
Alicia Richards