In season 3 of “Celebrity College Hill,,” the cast, including Claudia Jordan, Nick “Swaggy P” Young, Saucy Santana, Karlous Miller, Angela “Blac Chyna” White, and Tamar Braxton, have taken their talents to Xavier University. However, they discover that attending an HBCU offers more than anticipated. These institutions have a rich history and have significantly impacted both local and global communities. HBCUs boast numerous notable alumni who have made transformative contributions to society, proving that the cast members aren’t the only celebrities with ties to these esteemed schools. Here are five of Xavier University’s most distinguished graduates.

Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton, Class of 1946 

Clifton became the first African American to contract with the NBA when he signed with the Knicks in 1950. He attended Xavier University briefly before serving in the military and fighting during WWII. After the war, he did a stint with the Harlem Globetrotters and also played baseball before signing with the NBA. 

Mary Munson Runge, Class of 1948 

Runge is the first woman and first African American to be elected president of the American Pharmacists Association. Runge became interested in pharmacy from her father, a physician and owner of the first pharmacy in their hometown, Donaldsonville, Louisiana. After graduating from Xavier, Munson practiced hospital pharmacy for 21 years in Oakland. She also served on other boards and in other places, with the African American community, particularly those who were low-income, at the heart of her work. 

Ernest Nathan Morial, Class of 1951 

Morial was the first African American Mayor of New Orleans. Anyone who has ever been to New Orleans for a festival is probably familiar with the convention center named after the famed mayor. He achieved several firsts for an African American during his career in politics, including becoming the first Black man elected to the Louisiana State Legislature and the first to serve on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals since reconstruction, prior to his stint as mayor. 

LaToya Cantrell, Class of 1997

Cantrell was born in Los Angeles and moved to New Orleans for college, and the rest is history. She became the first female mayor of New Orleans and the first non-native New Orleans to serve in a top-elected post in several decades. She assumed office on May 7, 2018, and her current term ends in January ’26. Some of her signature projects while in office thus far include establishing a gun violence reduction council, an office of youth and families, and leading the city through reopening after the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. 

Candice Stewart, Class of 2006 

Stewart is the first African American Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA. She is also an NFL cheerleader for the New Orleans Saints and Houston, Texas. She was also a houseguest on “Big Brother,” where she was evicted in 11th place by a vote of 7-0. While on “Big Brother,” she was often the target of racist aggression from castmates GinaMarie and Aaryn.