University of Pittsburgh Athletics
5/15/2024 1:00:00 PM | General, Men's Basketball
A product of the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Public Schools and one of Booker T. Washington High School's proudest alumni, Julius Pegues parlayed a talent for basketball into an engineering degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a career in the aerospace industry.
Pegues was a standout on the Pitt freshman team in 1954-55 before earning a scholarship and playing a starring role in the program over his final three seasons. The 6'3" forward went on to start all 77 games of his career, finishing with 1,050 points and 377 rebounds while helping the Panthers to 49 wins and two NCAA Tournament appearances. As a senior, Pegues averaged 17.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in helping lead the team to an 18-7 mark and the program's third NCAA Tournament appearance.
Pegues was selected as the 31st overall pick in the 1958 NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks but was unable to pursue a professional basketball career due to a five-year postgraduate commitment required by the U.S. Air Force ROTC.
As much as Pegues accomplished during his athletic career at Pitt, he likely accomplished more in his professional career. Pegues graduated from Pitt with a degree in mechanical engineering and studied meteorology at Saint Louis University. He became an Air Force weather forecaster before returning to Tulsa to work for the Douglas Aircraft Company and American Airlines, eventually serving as an advisor to the Federal Aviation Administration.
His commitment to human rights, human relations and equal education opportunities led to his involvement throughout the community. He served on the boards of the Tulsa NAACP chapter, Metropolitan Tulsa Urban League, Morton Comprehensive Health Services, Family & Children's Services, W.L. Hutcherson Family YMCA, Tulsa Housing Authority, and Tulsa Board of Education Human Relations Committee.
"Julius Pegues' impact on the game of basketball here at the University of Pittsburgh was immense. The life he lived and the impact he made on the Tulsa community beyond basketball was even more impressive. He was a trailblazer for the Black community and an unquestioned leader. The more I have learned of his impact on the world the more impressed I am with the life and legacy of Julius Pegues.
– Jeff Capel, Pitt Men's Basketball Head Coach
Pegues remained a prominent figure in Tulsa until his passing in March 2022 and was best known for his work to memorialize the 1921 Tulsa race massacre and the history and culture of Black Tulsans through the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, which hosts an annual dinner for Tulsans and sponsors a national symposium on reconciliation and understanding on the massacre's anniversary.
