N.C. A&T Alumni Times

If you attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University from 1947 to 1970, you probably were a classmate with one of the Stafford brothers. Out of 13 siblings, seven of the brothers attended A&T as a family tradition.

“The tradition started when my oldest brother, Novarro Stafford, as a child saw the N.C. A&T Blue and Gold Marching Machine performing in the downtown streets of Greenville, North Carolina, where my mother was reared. He turned to my mother and said, ‘I want to go to A&T and become a doctor,” said Ransom Stafford. “Over the years, my mother had always heard great things about A&T and felt that it was the right environment for her children, and so it became a family tradition.”

Up until the early 1940s, the Stafford family resided mostly in Greenville, followed by a move to the small town of Kingstree, South Carolina, the birthplace of their father. Their parents, Edward and Kathryn Stafford, taught their children the importance of hard work and obtaining a sound education to achieve success in every area of their lives.

“Our mother taught us that whatever we put our minds to do, that we can achieve it. She insisted that we always sit in the front in class, take notes, ask questions, and pay attention. She even banned our use of the word, ‘can’t’ in the household. It simply didn’t exist in our vocabulary,” said Ransom. “Under their tutelage and active guidance, all 13 of their children attended college.”

“One significant memory of my mother was her writing ability and how she would write letters to military draft boards and politicians on behalf of her children. She once wrote a letter in the early 1960s to South Carolina Gov. Ernest Hollings, because the University of South Carolina would not admit her son, Novarro, into its medical school based on his race,” said Ransom. “Governor Hollings wrote my mother back explaining why her son couldn’t attend USC but in turn, made a commitment that the state of South Carolina would pay for his medical school tuition if he attended elsewhere. Thus, my brother ended up attending Howard University medical school in Washington, D.C., for free, due to my mother’s relentless and advocating spirit.”

“Our father was a railroad porter and worked two jobs to provide for us as a family. He promoted the proposition that the Stafford boys would always work during the summer in Atlantic City, New Jersey to help pay their way through college. He taught us about financial sustainability, the value of saving our money, and how to be committed providers for our families.”

In a way to honor their parents, two of their children – Pompey and Ransom– dedicated a scholarship in their parents’ name at A&T, the Edward and Kathryn Stafford Endowed Scholarship. The $100,000 scholarship is for students in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the College Science and Technology with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better. The scholarship will be made on a financial need basis annually.

With this contribution of a new endowment, it aligns with the direction for the university’s capital campaign, The Power of Do.

“Based on the union of our parents and what they taught us about the value of education, their children and grandchildren have achieved more than 60 degrees ranging from bachelor’s, master’s, medical, Juris Doctor, and doctorates,” said Ransom. “Without our parents, our journey and career paths would be completely different. This gift is a way for us to continue our parents’ legacy and inspire other Aggie families to give back to A&T to help sustain its legacy.”

Here are the seven Stafford brothers who attended A&T from 1947 to 1970:

Novarro C. Stafford ‘51
Home: Encino, California
Education: 1951, B.S., biology, A&T; 1965, M.D., Howard University
Greek Affiliation: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
Career:
Retired Army lieutenant colonel Former chief anesthesiologist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital Retired professor of anesthesiology at the University of Southern California

Hanford D. Stafford ‘53
Home: Prospect, Kentucky
Education: 1953, B.S., mathematics, A&T; 1973, M.A., University of Kentucky; 1978, Ph.D., University of Kentucky; 1984, MBA, Bellarmine College
Greek Affiliation: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
Career:
Former professor of history at the University of Louisville Founder, chairman and president of the National Consortium for Black Professional Development

Bobby B. Stafford ’61 (in memoriam)
Home: Arlington, Virginia
Education: 1961, B.S., history, A&T; 1965, JD, Howard University
Greek Affiliation: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
Career:
Former general counsel/chief counsel of the National Capital Housing Authority in Washington, D.C. for a short period after graduating from Howard University School of Law. Served for 40 years as a partner for Raby & Stafford Law Offices in Alexandria, VA Former political advisor and fundraiser during the candidacy of President Jimmy Carter Former member of the Friendship Force as a Goodwill Ambassador to West Berlin, Germany Honored by the State of South Carolina as a Distinguished Citizen

Shem M. Shakir ‘65 (Ralph B. Stafford) (in memoriam)
Home: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Education: 1965, B.S., political science, A&T; 1980, B.A., Metro State University
Career:
Former employee of the St. Paul Urban League and the Minneapolis Urban League Former chairman and president of Frogtown Action Alliance

Julian Stafford ‘68
Home: Alexandria, Virginia
Education:
1968, B.S., history, A&T; 1974, M.S., University of Minnesota; 1996, M.S., Harvard University; 1996, E.D., Harvard University
Greek Affiliation: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
Career:
Former public school educator/principal in South Carolina and St. Paul Former school superintendent in New London, Connecticut and New Orleans National consultant for urban public schools

Pompey E. Stafford ‘70
Home: Shoreview, Minnesota
Education: 1970, B.S., art design, A&T
Greek Affiliation: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
Career:
Registered Financial Planning Consultant with Ameriprise Corp.

Ransom S. Stafford ‘70
Home: St. Paul, Minnesota
Education: 1970, B.S., biology, A&T; 1984, MBA, University of St. Thomas
Greek Affiliation: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
Career:
Former owner and CEO of Small Business Consulting Associates Inc. Co-owner and CEO of LumiData Inc., a software developer of business intelligence solutions for consumer goods companies