Our History

In 1919, the Alcorn A & M College Chicago Alumni Association was formed. Its founding members were Dr. Richard C. Chatman, Louis Samuel Boatner, Carry L. Briggs, Mary H. Flowers, Carl Hansberry, Jake Howard Horton, R.H. Lake, Dr. Arganey L’Avnire Lucas, Dr. John H. Mitchell, J.M. Myers, Attorney Lynch Jerome Nash, and Dr. Riley F. Thomas.

 

The Founding members gathered at the home of Dr. Richard Chatman at 4521 S. Vincennes. Chatman was born in Hazelhurst, MS around 1883. Graduated from Alcorn in 1910 with a B.S. in Agriculture/Government Services. In 1920 he was a Meter Man Inspector but He became a doctor and professor of Veterinarian Surgery and passed away in February 1947.

 

Louis Samuel Boatner was born in Capell, MS around 1882 and per the 1900 Federal Census, he was a student at Alcorn at 17 years old. He to his B.S. in Cabinet Making in 1907 and was a Pullman Car Porter when the Chapter was founded on the Chicago/North Western Railroad at Wells & Harrison Streets. He passed away here in Chicago in September 1948.

 

Carry Briggs was born about 1890 in Franklin County, MS and while a member of the Chapter, she was a housewife, a maid, a dressmaker and ran her own boarding house. She passed away in March 1974.

 

Mary Flowers was born about 1898 and lived at 4830 W. 43rd Street in Chicago. She passed away a widow in March 1960.

 

Carl Hansberry was born in Gloster, Ms about April 1895. In 1920, he was a cashier at a bank at 24 years old. But he soon moved up to work in real estate and was a Deputy Marshal for the U.S. Government. He lived at 5330 S. Calumet and his daughter, Lorraine, penned the book A Raisin in the Sun.

 

Jake Horton born in September 1884 in Water Valley, MS lived a few houses down from the clubhouse at 4529 S. Vincennes and was a Blacksmith at the Carnegie Illinois Steel Mill. He passed away in September 1976.

 

R. H. Lake (MAY BE) Richard Halbert Lake born 1889 in Tennessee. I’m basing this guesstimation on her lived four blocks from the clubhouse at 4152 S. Vincennes in 1930. He got his B.S. in 1908 and He was a Molder by trade who passed away in December 1940 and is buried in Worth, Illinois.

 

Dr. Argqaney Lucas born in Prentiss in 1888 graduated in 1907 with a completion in Carpentry. Before becoming a doctor, he was a hotel waiter at 23 and also worked for the Chicago a Northwestern Railroad (Possibly WITH Brave Louis Boatner). He attended Meharry Medical College and became a Doctor and owned his own office at 5655 S. State while living at 5726 S. State. He passed away in December 1951 and is buried in Oak Woods Cemetery.

 

Dr. John Henry Mitchell was born in Canton, MS around July 1883. graduated in 1908 with his B.S. and lived at 5329 S. Indiana. He passed away March 1974.

 

J.M. Myers, also from Canton majored in Blacksmithing and graduated in 1915.

 

Attorney Lynch Jerome Nash born August 1890 in Canton majored in Blacksmithing and graduated in 1910. He was a lawyer at 417 47th Street. He lived at 5231 S. Indiana and died February 1954.

 

Dr. Riley Thomas was born in Port Gibson in 1894. After graduating from Alcorn in 1915, he lived at 5436 S. Dearborn. By 1930, he was a doctor at a hospital with his brother and worked at University of Illinois as an Instructor of Medicine on Polk & Woods Street. He also lived at 1141 W. 61st street and passed away in April 1983. (He attended medial school with Dr. Charles R. Drew).