Angelo Stanton , Tuskegee University- c/o 1996, Animal & Veterinary Sciences
Name : Angelo Stanton
HBCU : Tuskegee University
Graduation Year : 1996
Major : Animal & Veterinary Sciences
Email : drangelostanton@gmail.com
Where are you from? Who introduced you to HBCUs?*
I am from Northern California. I was raised in a small country town, called Guinda, Ca. My family started raising cattle in the late 70's. I was introduced to Tuskegee University in 1984-85 in Sacramento, Ca.
My father and I were invited to be a part of Blacks In Agriculture (BIA). It was a committee spearheaded by then Assemblyman Willie Brown, who eventually went on to become the Mayor of San Francisco. It was through this committee I was introduced to many influential Blacks in the State of California. Ine member, Mrs. Gertie Thomas (Tuskegee Institute Alum), inquired about my aspirations of becoming a Veterinarian and asked what college would I attend. I had grown up near Davis, Ca and was currently attending Davis Senior High School at the time, so I informed her, UCD.
Mrs Thomas asked me had I considered Tuskegee University and sadly I had not. Mrs. Thomas encouraged me to give thought to Tuskegee and research the rich history of Tuskegee. I learned so much about Tuskegee and I had a big crush on the actress, Jasmine Guy who starred in the Cosby Show spin off, A Different World, a show about a fictitious HBCU.
I was shocked to learn that Tuskegee had a School of Veterinary Medicine and I was hooked from that moment on, never doubting or looking back, my choice had been made.
Why did you choose an HBCU over a pwi?*
I wanted to experience an environment where the students and faculty looked like me. I wanted to know that the professors truly cared about my future and success. I wanted to be a part of a family that was and still is, steeped with rich history and tradition. Tuskegee was the perfect choice for me.
What is the story of your "experience" at Your HBCU given its heralded status as a stellar and prestigious institution?*
Simply put, Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine had produced at the time, over 75% of Black Veterinarians in the Country and I was and am proud to be a part of that group. Tuskegee University truly is the pride of the swift growing South.
"First time" experiences at your HBCU?*
Love and heartbreak, bottom line. Meeting folks from other parts of the country and world, experiencing different cultures through new found friends.
Who are the professors that have impacted your life in and out of the classroom? How did they do that?*
There were quite a few, but some that stood out was Dr. Davis, Mr. Buchanan, Dr. Noble and Dr. Newkirk.
These gentlemen shaped and molded me into becoming the man I am today. They took the extra time to help me in the classroom and outside the classroom as well. Dr. Davis was one of my math Professors. Calculus, Algebra and Trigonometry were by far my least favorite subjects. One time we had a test and we were given 2 hours to complete our exam, after about an hour and 45 minutes, approximately 35-40 students had cometed and left the room. I was so nervous, disappointed and disgusted with myself because half of my test was still blank. I decided to just accept I was going to fail this exam and I walked to the front to Dr. Davis and turned it in and proceeded to walk to the door.
Unbeknownst to me, Dr. Davis was thumbing through my test and realized I hadn't completed very much of it. He cleared his throat in a silent room of about 10 students left and said, Mr. Stanton, wait, what is this? I turned around, mortified. He said, come back here and sit down in front. Then Mr. Davis said, "everyone, please move to the front now by Mr. Stanton." Then he flipped the test to my first unanswered question and asked, "what is the answer?" I said, "I don't know".
Mr. Davis went on to ask me to recall what he had taught over the previous weeks and how I was able to answer the equations before and he literally made me think. I then realized and pointed to what I thought was the right answer and asked Dr. Davis was this right. He answered with, "Boy, I am not the one taking this test, you are! I'm not going to give you the answer, but you might want to move on to the next question", as he gave me a wink. Dr. Davis, in these last 15 minutes helped all of us, by simply taking a little more time to pull out of us, what he had already poured in.
I went on to get a A- on that test and I was shocked that I had conquered that fear of math that day and the level of teaching and care Dr. Davis had was amazing.
Each Professor I listed has amazing stories and I can't tell it all, but Dr. Newkirk, my Professor in Grad School had seen me not in class and I was visibly distraught. My heart had been broken and Dr. Newkirk knew it. He didn't lecture me about going to class. He said, "Hey, come hang with me. I need to go look at some cattle and perform some procedures and I know you already know how to do it, so let's go."
We drive about an hour or two away from school and we worked some small farms and treated their cattle and castrated some calves and he took my mind off of my pain. Then on the ride back we talked and he gave me great fatherly/friendly advice. I will always cherish the memory, because he didn't have to do or say anything.
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- Notable Alumni: William A. Campbell - 1937 - Member of the Tuskegee Airmen who rose to the rank of Colonel** Ralph Ellison - Scholar, author of Invisible Man** The Commodores - 70s R&B band whose members met while attending Tuskegee** Tom Joyner - 1971 - Radio host whose daily program, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, is syndicated across the United States and heard by over 10 million radio listeners.** General Daniel "Chappie" James - 1942 - US Air Force Fighter pilot, in 1975 became the first African American to reach the rank of four-star General** Lonnie Johnson (inventor) - Inventor of the Super Soaker, former NASA aerospace engineer** John A. Lankford - 20th century architect** Danielle Spencer - Television actress best known as Dee from the 1970s TV show What's Happening!!** Dr. Ptolemy A. Reid 1955 - Prime Minister of Guyana (1980–1984)** Rich Boy - Rapper** Lionel Richie - R&B singer, Grammy Award winner** Herman J. Russell - 1953 - Founder and former president and CEO of H. J. Russell Construction Co., the largest minority owned construction company in the US** Betty Shabazz - Wife of Malcolm X** Jake Simmons Jr. - 1919 - Oil broker and civil rights advocate** Keenen Ivory Wayans - Actor, comedian, and television producer** Elizabeth Evelyn Wright - Educator and humanitarian, founder of Voorhees College*
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