Birthday Celebrations — May 14

Born on this day. These are the birthdays we celebrate on May 14 — the people whose lives added to the story of Black history.

Archie Alphonso Alexander

Born May 14, 1888 — Died January 4, 1958

Field: Engineering / Architecture / Mathematics / Public Works

Archie Alexander was an engineer, architect, mathematician, and businessman who built a major engineering career during segregation.

Why it matters: He gives May 14 a strong Black engineering and infrastructure entry.

Sidney Bechet

Born May 14, 1897 — Died May 14, 1959

Field: Jazz / Clarinet / Saxophone / New Orleans Music

Sidney Bechet was a pioneering jazz musician and one of the first great soloists in jazz history.

Why it matters: His playing helped define early jazz as a soloist’s art form.

Clara Stanton Jones

Born May 14, 1913 — Died September 30, 2012

Field: Library Science / Black Women Firsts / Public Institutions

Clara Stanton Jones became the first Black president of the American Library Association and the first Black director of the Detroit Public Library system.

Why it matters: Her life connects literacy, public access, institutional leadership, and Black women’s leadership in library science.

Carmen Balthrop

Born May 14, 1948 — Died September 5, 2021

Field: Opera / Vocal Performance / Arts Education

Carmen Balthrop was a soprano and arts advocate.

Why it matters: She helps add classical vocal performance and Black women in opera to the archive.

Marion Croak

Born May 14, 1955

Field: Engineering / Telecommunications / Invention

Marion Croak is an engineer and inventor known for major work connected to Voice over Internet Protocol technology.

Why it matters: She brings May 14 into modern Black innovation and technology.