James A. Joseph

[2] After graduating from Yale, Joseph began his career at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he helped organize the local civil rights movement in 1963.

In 1994, Joseph was nominated by President Bill Clinton as a member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

In 1999, President Thabo Mbeki awarded him the Order of Good Hope, the highest honor the Republic of South Africa bestows on a citizen of another country.

As a legacy and contribution to South Africa and the United States, Joseph helped found the Emerging Leaders Program, a pioneering effort in partnership with both the University of Cape Town and Duke University aimed at identifying and mentoring the next generation of significant leaders working to make an impact on the world.

He was the recipient of nineteen honorary degrees and his undergraduate alma mater, Southern University, named an endowed chair in his honor.

Joseph served on the board of directors of the Brookings Institution, the National Endowment for Democracy, Africare, and the Children's Defense Fund.