Those We Lost — August 3

Honoring those we lost on August 3 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.

Letitia Woods Brown

Full name: Letitia Christine Woods Brown

Born Oct 24, 1915 — died Aug 3, 1976

Historian, educator, researcher, community activist, and Black academic pioneer.

Brown became the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in history from Harvard University and the first full-time Black faculty member at George Washington University. Her scholarship documented free Black communities and African American life in Washington, D.C., helping preserve histories that had often been neglected.

Bobby Hebb

Birth name: Robert Alvin Von Hebb

Born Jul 26, 1938 — died Aug 3, 2010

Soul singer, songwriter, musician, and composer of “Sunny.”

Hebb transformed personal grief into “Sunny,” one of the most widely recorded songs of the modern era. His work crossed soul, R&B, pop, and country influences, carrying a message of resilience that reached audiences and artists around the world.

Bubba Smith

Birth name: Charles Aaron Smith

Born Feb 28, 1945 — died Aug 3, 2011

College Football Hall of Famer, NFL defensive end, actor, and television personality.

Smith became a dominant defensive force at Michigan State and later played in the NFL, including a Super Bowl-winning season with the Baltimore Colts. After football, he built a second career in film and television, becoming widely recognized through the Police Academy series.