Famous Graduates
ADAMS, CLIFFORD 1970 – professional jazz trombone player
ANTHEIL, GEORGE (dropped out in senior year, 1918 – avant-garde composer, pianist, author and inventor
ANTHEIL, JR., HENRY W. 1931 – American diplomat in Helsinki at the start of World War II
BETHEA, ELVIN 1964 – professional football player
BELINSKY, BO 1954 – left handed MLB pitcher, threw no-hitters for Los Angeles
BLOOM, Meyer “Mike” 1934 – professions basketball player, playing for Baltimore, Boston, Minneapolis and Chicago
BRODY, TAL 1961 – professional basketball player, Israeli national hero
BROWN, JI’AYIR 2018 – American football safety for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League
BYER, DIANA 1964 – professional ballet dancer, founder/president, artistic director New York Theater Ballet
CASE, JR., GEORGE W. 1934 – Left and right fielder in Major League Baseball
CAUTHEN, TERRANCE 1995 – 1996 Olympic boxer, lightweight bronze medal winner
COOPER, ALBERT 1921 – 1928 Olympic soccer player, Trenton Municipal Court Judge
CROOKS, RICHARD 1918 – international opera singer
DeVITO, MATHIAS J. 1948 – businessperson, lawyer who served as the president and CEO of The Rouse Company
DINKINS, DAVID 1945 – Mayor of New York City, lawyer, professor
DOWNING, AL 1959 – professional baseball player
EASTON, JOHN 1951 – MLB pinch hitter/pinch runner for the Philadelphia Phillies
FURMAN, ROBERT 1932– engineer, supervised construction of Pentagon, WWII spymaster
GIBSON, JUDY 1965 – actress (Broadway, Film and TV)
GOSS, SAMMY 1965 – 1968 Olympics boxer
GRANT, GREG 1984 – professional basketball player
GROOMES, MEL 1944 – football player for the Detroit Lions and baseball coach
HAYLING, DR. LESLE 1944 – Tuskegee Airman, dentist
HEHER, HARRY 1907 – Justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court
HENDRYX, NONA 1962 – vocalist, producer, songwriter, musician, author and actress
HIGGINBOTHAM, JR., A. LEON 1944 – federal judge, teacher, author, civil rights advocate
HUGHES, JOHN T. 1946 – Deputy Director of U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency
JABLONS-ALEXANDER, KAREN 1967 – TV and film actress
JAY-Z (attended school as Shawn Corey Carter) (did not graduate, 1988) – hip-hop artist and businessperson
JOSEPHSON, BARNEY 1920 – founder of Cafe Society in Greenwich Village, New York’s first integrated nightclub
JOSEPHSON, LEON 1916 – American Communist labor lawyer for International Labor Defense and a Soviet spy
KING, ZALMAN (graduated as Zalman King Lefkowitz) 1959 – film director, writer, actor and producer
KOVACS, ERNIE 1937 – comedian, TV show host, radio disc jockey, actor
KROESEN, FREDERICK 1940 – United States Army four-star general
LEVIN, DANIEL (a.k.a. PETER) 1950 – Actor, Director, Producer
LEVIN, HENRY 1925 – American film director
LINOWITZ, SOL 1931 – Chairman of Xerox Corp., diplomat, lawyer, author
LOSEY, ROBERT M. 1924 – Considered to be the first American military casualty in World War II
MACK, TONY 1984 – Mayor of Trenton
MERLINO, Joseph P. 1939 – politician who served as President of the New Jersey Senate
MU, ATHING 2020 – an American middle-distance runner, winner of two Olympic gold medals
MUSCATINE, CHARLES 1937 – academic and expert in medieval literature
NEMCHIK, GEORGE 1934 – 1936 Olympic soccer team
NEWELL, KEITH 2007 – football, offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League
PETERS (-ROPER), GAIL 1947 – 1952 Olympic swimmer
REYNOLDS (-JACKSON), VERLINA 1989 – politician, represents the 15th Legislative District in the NJ General Assembly
RIDOLFI, SIDO L. 1931 – politician who served in the NJ Senate from 1954 to 1972
ROBINSON, AMY 1966 – film producer (including “Baby, It’s You”), actress, speaker
ROBINSON, JERRY 1939 – comic book artist, cartoonist, author
ROUMANIS, GEORGE 1947 – music composer
SEWELL, ALMONDO 2006 – football player who has played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League
SHANGE, NTOZAKE (graduated as Paulette Williams) 1966 – playwright, poet, author
SHEPARD, JR MD, GEORGE 1940 – physician, Trenton’s first African American obstetrician/gynecologist
SIET, GLORIA GUSSIE (KRACHMALNICK), a.k.a. Gloria Lane 1942 – operatic mezzo-soprano singer
SUTNICK, ALTON 1946 – medical researcher and educator
SWITLIK, RICHARD 1935 – President of Switlik Parachute Company
TAYLOR, ALFONSO 1988 – defensive tackle who played in the NFL for the Denver Broncos
THOMPSON, JR., FRANK 1937 – Congressman, State Assemblyman
VEREEN, WENDY 1984 – track and field sprinter who specialized in the 100- and 200-meter dashes
Harry Heher (1889-1972)
Class of 1907
Was active in Democratic politics, serving as chairman of the Mercer County Democratic Committee from 1915-22 and chairman of the NJ Democratic State Committee from 1922-32. In 1932 he was appointed by Governor A. Harry Moore as an associate justice of the NJ Court of Errors and Appeals, known after 1947 as the NJ Supreme Court. He was reappointed to the bench in 1940, 1947 and 1954.
Leon Josephson (1898-1966)
Class of 1916
A 1916 graduate of the New York University of Law School, he joined the Communist Party in 1926. In 1929 he was a lawyer for International Labor Defense. Josephson began working for the Soviet secret services, with a code name of Bernard A. Hirschfield. In 1947 he received a Contempt of Congress citation from the House Un-American Acitivites Committee. According to the 2007 book Spies, Josephson helped to burgalarize the offices of labor lawyer for David Greenglass (atomic spy for the Soviet Union), and stole papers later published by the Communist Party to discredit Greenglass in his testimony that helped to convict Julius and Ethel (nee Greenglass) Rosenberg in their case for spying for the Soviet Union.
George Antheil (1900-1959)
Dropped out in Senior Year, 1918
Spending much of the 1920s in Europe, Antheil returned to the US in the 1930s and spent much of his time composing music for films, and eventually TV. As a result of this work, his style became more tonal. Antheil was constantly reinventing himself: he wrote magazine articles, an autobiography, a mystery novel, and newspaper and music columns. In 1941 he and actress Hedy Lamar developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes that used a code to synchronize random frequencies, referred to as frequency hopping. This technique is now known as spread spectrum and is widely used in telecommunications today.
Richard Crooks (1900 – 1972)
Class of 1918
International opera singer. Tenor. First major concert in New York City in 1922. Recorded for Victor/RCA Victor Records. Hosted “Voice of Firestone” radio program. One of America’s greatest singers.
Barney Josephson (1902 – 1988)
Class of 1920
Founder of Cafe Society in Greenwich Village, New York’s first integrated nightclub. He set out to break the norm for nightclubs in the city by making it non-segregated both front of house and behind the scenes, and redd of mob influence. Opening artists in 1938 included Billie Holiday, who first performed the song “Strange Fruit” there.
Albert Cooper (1904 – 1993)
Class of 1921
An all-around athlete who was excellent in many sports. Goalie for the 1928 US Olympic soccer team. Later in life he would become an attorney at law, NJ assemblyman, sheriff of Mercer County and a judge in Trenton Municipal Court.
Robert M. Losey (1908 – 1940)
Class of 1924
An aeronautical meteorologist, he is considered to be the first American military casualty in World War II. While serving as a military attaché prior to America’s entry into the war, Captain Losey was killed on April 21, 1940, during a German bombardment in Norway. He had been attempting to complete the evacuation of the American diplomatic legation from Norway to Sweden in the wake of the German invasion.
Henry Levin (1909 – 1980)
Class of 1925
American film director of over fifty films. His best-known credits were Jolson Sings Again, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Where the Boys Are.
Henry W. Ahtheil, Jr. (1912 – 1940)
Class of 1931
An American diplomat killed in the shootdown of the airliner Kaleva by Soviet aircraft in the wake of the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States in World War II. Antheil was carrying several pouches that were believed to include secret information detailing the Soviet Union’s future plans for the Baltic region. The Estonian General Staff had turned over the plans to an unidentified U.S. government official earlier that day.
Sol Linowitz (1913 – 2005)
Class of 1931
Businessman, diplomat, lawyer, author. Chairman, Xerox Corporation (1961 – 1966). Helped negotiate return of Panama Canal. Special United States Ambassador. Received Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Sido L. Ridolfi (1913 – 2004)
Class of 1931
A Democratic Party politician. In 1941 Ridolfi was appointed Secretary to the NJ Senate Minority Leader. He served as legislative advisor to Governor Charles Edison from 1941-42. He left the post to serve the US Coast Guard in World War II. He served in the NJ Senate from 1954-72, serving as Senate President in 1957.
Robert Furman (1915 – 2008)
Class of 1932
Civil engineer, spymaster in WWII. Key supervisor of construction of The Pentagon. Chief of intelligence for U.S. atomic bomb project. Visited Europe to monitor Nazi atomic bomb activities. Delivered uranium for U.S.’s first atomic bomb.
George Nemchik (1915 – 1988)
Class of 1932
Professional soccer player. Forward. Member of 1936 U.S. Olympic Soccer team in Berlin. Played professional soccer for 12 years. Member of 1937 U.S. National Soccer team. College All-American soccer (& baseball) player.
Meyer “Mike” Bloom (1915 – 1993)
Class of 1934
Professional basketball player, he played for the Baltimore Bullets and Boston Celtics (1947-48), Minneapolis Lakers and Chicago Stags (1948-49 in the BAA for 93 games. While attending Trenton High School, Mike was on the school’s 1932, 1933 and 1934 state basketball championship teams.
George W. Case, Jr. (1915 – 1989)
Class of 1934
Professional baseball player. Left and right outfielder. Played for Washington Senators (1937 – 1947). Possibly the sports fastest player between the 1920s and 1950s, he is the only player to lead the major leagues in stolen bases five consecutive times (from 1939 to 1943). Selected to Major League All-Star Team 4 times. Coached for college and major league teams.
Richard Switlik (1918 – 2004)
Class of 1935
Businessman, TCHS alumni supporter. President, Switlik Parachute Company, Trenton. The leading producer of parachutes for WWII. Now make life rafts, life vests and inflatable gear. Helped restore TCHS clock tower clock.
Ernie Kovacs (1919 – 1962)
Class of 1937
Comedian, TV show host, radio disc jockey, actor. In Academy of TV Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. Influenced numerous TV comedy programs. Received Emmy for electronic camera work.
Charles Muscatine (1920 – 2010)
Class of 1937
He was an academic specializing in medieval literature, particularly Chaucer. He served in the US Navy during World War II, participating in the D-day landing on Omaha Beach. After his service, he returned home to complete his studies and went on to become a tutor at UC Berkeley. He was fired from his position there for refusing to sign a McCarthyite oath, known as the Levering Act, requiring public employees to sign a loyalty oath. He and 31 other employees challenged the termination in court and won reinstatement to his post at Berkeley in a landmark 1951 court decision.
Frank Thompson, Jr. (1918 – 1989)
Class of 1937
Congressman, State Assemblyman. Served in WWII and Korean War. Navy. Represented 4th District NJ (Trenton area) from 1955 to 1980.
Joseph P. Merlino (1922 – 1998)
Class of 1939
From 1958-89 he was the senior partner in the Trenton law firm of Merlino, Rottkamp & Flacks. He served as assistant prosecutor for Mercer County for 7 years and as Trenton city attorney from 1966-70. He was elected to the NJ General Assembly twice, in 1967 and 1969. He was elected to the NJ Senate in 1971, 1973 and 1977. He was assistant Senate majority leader from 1974-75, majority leader from 1976-77 and president of the Senate from 1978-81. In 1981 Merlino failed to win in a Democratic primary bid for governor. In 1982 he ran and lost in a US House of Representatives bid.
Jerry Robinson (1922 – 2011)
Class of 1939
Comic book artist, cartoonist, author. Helped create for DC Comics Batman: Robin & the Joker in the 1940’s. Created newspaper cartoons for the N.Y. Sunday News. Member of Comic Book Hall of Fame. Received Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award.
Frederick Kroesen (1923 – 2020)
Class of 1940
He was a four-star general and was the Commanding General of the Seventh United States Army and the commander of NATO Central Army Group from 1979-83 and Commanding General United States Army Force Command from 1976-78. He also served as Vice Chief of Staff of the Army from 1978-79. He commanded troops in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, enabling him to be one of the very small number who ever were entitled to wear the Combat Infantryman Badge with two Stars, denoting active combat in three wars.
George Shepard, Jr MD (1922 – 2016)
Class of 1940
He was the first African American obstetrician/gynecologist in Trenton. He enrolled at Howard University in Washington DC, however his studies were interrupted in 1943 when he was drafted into military service as a Private 1st Class. He received an Honorable Discharge from the US Army in 1944, and returned to Howard where he earned a BS in 1946 and an MD in 1950 from Howard’s College of Medicine. Dr. Shepard completed his internship in 1951 and his four-year residency in Obstetrics/Gynecology in 1955 both at Freedman’s Hospital in Washington DC. In 1955 after finishing his residency, Dr. Shepard returned to his hometown of Trenton where he purchased a house at 269 Bellevue Avenue and established his office and home. In 1969, Dr. Shepard was instrumental in founding the Henry Austin Health Center and he provided services there until 1991. He took on additional responsibilities from 1970-1973 when he served as Chair of the OB/GYN Department at Mercer Medical Center, a position he returned to from 1976-1980, when he also became Chair of the OB/GYN practice at the Mercer regional medical group. For many years, Dr. Shepard volunteered and worked at Planned Parenthood, where he oversaw the creation of a prenatal clinic. In the late 90s, he retired from practice and surgery.
Gloria Gussie Siet Krachmalnick, a.k.a Gloria Lane (1925 – 2016)
Class of 1942
An operatic mezzo-soprano singer, she had roles in the world premieres of two operas by Glen Carlo Menotti: the secretary of the consulate in The Consul (1950) and Desideria in The Saint of Bleeker Street (1954). Both roles she performed in successful runs on Broadway and international tours. She made appearances in leading roles at many of the most important European opera houses during the 1960s, including La Scala, The Royal Opera and the Vienna State Opera among others. She was particularly admired for her portrayal of the title heroine in George Bizet’s Carmen.
Mel Groomes (1927 – 1997)
Class of 1944
A football player, he played college football at Indiana University and helped lead the Hoosiers football team to the Big Ten Conference championship in 1945. In 1948 he signed with the Detroit Lions, becoming the first African American signed by the team. He became a professor and baseball coach at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC.
Dr. Leslie Hayling (1927 – 2017)
Class of 1944
Tuskegee Airman, dentist. Served with the 332nd Fighter Group of U.S. Army Air Corps. America’s first black military airmen; one of 996 pilots. Received the Congressional Gold Medal.
A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. (1928 – 1998)
Class of 1944
Federal judge, teacher, author, civil rights advocate. Judge of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals (1977 – 1993). U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Member of the Federal Trade Commission. Received the Presidental Medal of Freedom.
David Dinkins (1927 – 2020)
Class of 1945
Mayor of New York City, lawyer, professor. New York City Clerk; Manhattan Borough President. First African American mayor of New York City (1990 – 1993). Board member of The Jazz Foundation of America. Faculty of Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs.
John T. Hughes (1928 – 1992)
Class of 1946
Intelligence officer. An exceptional defense intelligence photo interpreter. Deputy Director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. Presented national televised briefing on Cuban Missile Crisis. Received numerous Presidential and Dept. of Defense awards. Defense Intelligence Agency library is named in his honor.
Alton Sutnick (1928 – )
Class of 1946
A medical researcher. Between 1958-65 he observed and evaluated the first human bone marrow transplants. Other achievements include the application of pulmonary surfactant observations to various types of lung diseases. In 1965 he drew the first formal connection of a mysterious antigen that was later linked to the hepatis B virus. He was one of the first to describe an entity that later became hepatic C. Sutnick was the first to recognize the relationship of iron stores to cancer susceptibility and the reduction of life expectancy. He was later appointed Director of Clinical Development for Fox Chance Cancer Center. In the capacity he also led research in cancer risk factors, detection of cancers, cancer prevention and health education.
George Roumanis (1929 – 2018)
Class of 1947
A music composer. While at TCHS he was the Red Team’s band leader during Sport Nite 1947. He began playing bass professionally with dance bands at the end of the 40s. In 1954 he became active in the jazz field when he joined the Johnny Smith Quartet, both as a bassist and, on many occasions, the arranger. During the course of his career, he also wrote charts for such illustrious bands as those of Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman and Sal Salvador. He formed his own commercial production company in NYC and he arranged and produced numerous well-known commercials (jingles) featuring Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee, Stan Getz, Eartha Kitt, Bobby Vinton, Buddy Greco, Vic Damone and more. Moving to Hollywood, he established himself as a major TV and motion picture force, landing notable TV series such as Hawaii Five-0, Streets of San Francisco, Twilight Zone, Star Trek: The next Generation, Baraby Jones, Air Wolf and others. His motion picture credits include “Hollywood: The Dream Factory,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Joe Dancer,” “Helltown,” “Eight on the Lam,” “Oxford Blues,” “Kentucky Women,” to name just a few. He recorded two albums: “Modern Sketches” and “Double Exposure.”
Mathias J. DeVito (1930 – 2019)
Class of 1948
A businessperson and lawyer, he served as the president and CEO of The Rouse Company. During his time as CEO, he changed The Rouse Company from being an “entrepreneurial developer” to one of the largest U.S. commercial property owners. The Rouse Company’s earnings increased under his leadership from $10.6 million in 1978 to $82.5 million in 1994.
Daniel (aka Peter) Levin (unknown – )
Class of 1950
Made his Broadway debut in 1955 in the original production of “The Diary of Anne Frank”. He would later direct plays. He would later direct dozens of television series including Lou Grant, Call to Glory, Law & Order, Chicago Hope, Midnight Caller, and Judging Amy. He also directed three dozen movies for television.
John Easton (1933 – 2001)
Class of 1951
A professional baseball player, he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and appeared in in four MLB games – one as a pinch runner in 1955 and three as a pinch hitter in 1959, all for the Phillies.
Gail Peters (-Roper) (1929 – )
Class of 1952
Co-captain of the TCHS girl’s swim team. Represented the United States at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Peters swam in the qualifying heats of the 200-meter breaststroke. Winner of many AAU titles and US master championships in swimming. Inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1997.
Bo Belinksy (1936 – 2001)
Class of 1954
A left-handed pitcher in MLB who became an instant southern California celebrity as a 1962 rookie with the Los Angles Angels, especially when the fourth of his season opening four straight wins with a no-hitter against his former organization, the Baltimore Orioles. Belinksky is one of only two pitchers in Angel’s franchise history to start his career with a four-game winning streak or better.
Alphonso (Al) Downing (1941 – )
Class of 1959
Professional baseball player. Pitcher. Played in the Major Leagues for 17 years (1961 – 1977). NY Yankees, Oakland A’s, Milwaukee Brewers and LA Dodgers. Selected for All-Star Team in 1967; Pitched in three World Series. Gave up Hank Aaron’s 715th home run in 1974.
Zalman King (1942 – 2012)
Class of 1959
Film director, writer, actor and producer. Graduated from TCHS as Zalman Lefkowitz. Acted in the drama The Young Lawyers, broadcast on the ABC. Directed several films, including Two Moon Junction (1988), Wild Orchid (1990), and Red Shoes Diaries (1992). Collaborated on many projects with his wife, such as writing Wild Orchid, Delta of Venus and 9½ Weeks.
Talbot (Tal) Brody (1943 – )
Class of 1961
Professional basketball player in Israel. Guard. Considered a national hero in Israel. Defeated Soviet team in 1977; coined phrase “We are on the map.” Led Israel to the European Cup championship in 1977. The first Israeli sportsman to be awarded the Israel Prize.
Nona Hendryx (1944 – )
Class of 1962
Vocalist, producer, songwriter, musician, author and actress. Began her career with the Bluebelle’s 1962 hit “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman”, Known for her work as a solo artist as well as being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had the 1975 hit “Lady Marmalade”.
Elvin Bethea (1946 – )
Class of 1964
Professional football player, author. Defensive end. Played for the Houston Oilers for 16 years (1968 – 1983). Selected to play in eight Pro Bowls. Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Authored: “Smash Mouth: My Football Journey from Trenton to Canton”.
Diana Byer (1946 – )
Class of 1964
Diana Byer is the founder/president and artistic director of the New York Theatre Ballet and its official training school, New York Theatre Ballet School. Diana has performed as a principal with the Company and as a guest artist with ballet companies throughout the U.S. Before establishing the Company and School, she performed as soloist with Les Grandes Ballets Canadiens, Manhattan Festival Ballet, New York City Opera Ballet, and the Juilliard Ensemble. She received her principal dance training from Margaret Craske and Antony Tudor.
Judy Gibson (1947 – 2005)
Class of 1965
A multi-talented actress, Judy appeared on Broadway, in films and on TV. Her Broadway career included “Purlie,” “Lost in the Stars,” “Seesaw,” “Rock-a-Bye Hamlet,” “Barnum,” “Rachel Lily Rosenbloom and Don’t You Ever Forget It” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” She was featured in the premiere performance of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” that marked the opening of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Her films included “The Jazz Singer” (1980), “One More Try” (1982). She appeared in the TV series “Every Day” (1978).
Sammy Goss (1947 – )
Class of 1965
US Olympic representative in the 119-pound boxing division at the 1968 Olympics. Winner of five NJ Golden Gloves titles, 1965 National AAU flyweight champion and 1968 AAU bantamweight champion. As a pro, winning the 1971 North American featherweight title in 1971 and the North American Jr. lightweight championship in 1973.
Amy Robinson (1948 – )
Class of 1966
Film producer, actress, speaker. Wrote and produced “Baby, It’s You,” based on TCHS. Produced 16 films, including “Julie and Julia.” Served on the jury at the Sundance Film Festival. With Jill Clayburgh, speaks about show business.
Ntozake Shange (graduated as Paulette Williams) (1948 – 2018)
Class of 1966
Playwright, poet, author, feminist. Attended TCHS as Paulette L. Williams. Best known for her play “For Colored Girls who have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf.” Had won numerous awards, prizes and fellowships.
Karen Jablons-Alexander (1951 – )
Class of 1967
Actress. Performed in the General Hospital (TV soap opera), The Lucy Arnaz Show (TV 1985) and True Colors (Movie 1991).
Clifford Adams (1952 – 2015)
Class of 1970
Professional jazz trombone player. Performed solo on “Joanna” from Kool and the Gang His own solo CD hits are “The Master Power,” which did very well throughout Europe, home to an enormous Adams’ fan base and “Cliff Notes” .
Gregory (Greg) Grant (1966 – )
Class of 1984
Professional basketball player. Point guard. Played for Trenton State College; led Division III in scoring. Played for seven years in the National Basketball Association. Wrote a book about his career called “94 Feet and Rising.” Succeeded despite his small size (5’7″) for a basketball player.
Tony Mack (1966 – )
Class of 1984
Elected Mayor of Trenton, NJ in 2010. Served as Mercer County Freeholder (1996 – 2008). Competed in the NCAA Wrestling Tournament in 1987. Inducted into Howard University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Alphonso Taylor (1969 – )
Class of 1984
A former defensive tackle in the National Football League, he played for the Denver Broncos during the 1993 season. He played in three games but started none.
Wendy Vereen (1966 – )
Class of 1984
A former track and field sprinter who specialized in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. She was the top ranked national runner in high school in 1983 and 1984. At the 1993 World Indoor Championships, Vereen’s team came in 1st in the 1600m relay.
Jay-Z (attended school as Shawn Corey Carter) (1969 – )
Dropped out in Senior Year, 1988
Jay-Z first began his musical career after founding the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 and subsequently released his debut studio album Reasonable Doubt in 1996. Jay-Z is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. He has won over 20 Grammy Awards and has been ranked by Billboard and fellow music publication Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2017 he became the first rapper to be honored into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Besides his music career, he is a successful businessperson, founding in 1999 the clothing retailer Rocawear and in 2003 he founded the luxury sports bar chain 40/40 Club,
Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (1971 – )
Class of 1989
A Democratic Party politician who represents the 15th Legislative District in NJ General Assembly. Previously a member of the Trenton City Council, Reynolds-Jackson was sworn into office in February 2018 to succeed Elizabeth Maher Munio, who left office after being nominated to serve as the Treasurer of NJ.
Terrance Cauthen (1976 – )
Class of 1995
US boxing team lightweight bronze medal winner at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Almondo Sewell (1987 – )
Class of 2006
A professional gridiron football defensive tackle for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He has also been a member of the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League.
Keith Newell (1988 – )
Class of 2007
A football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Delaware State University. He has been a member of the Pittsburgh Power (2014), Trenton Freedom (2014-15), FXFL Blacktips (2015) and Philadelphia Soul (2015-19) who were twice Arena Bowl champions (XXIX and XXX).
Ji’Ayir Brown (2000 – )
Class of 2018
Played football at Lackawanna and Penn State, Brown is currently an American football safety for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He recorded an interception off of the Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the 2024 Super Bowl LVIII. In that game Brown recorded 11 tackles in the game, however the 49ers fell short to win the Super Bowl.
Athing Mu (2002 – )
Class of 2020
An American middle-distance runner who at the age of 19 won a gold medal in the 800 meters at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, breaking a 2017 national record, and a continental under-20 record. Mu won a second gold medal as part of the 4×400 m relay in Tokyo.