Professor was born in Chicago in 1949. Growing up, cowboys were the heroes of his generation. He admired Lash Larue, Roy Rogers and the characters that Clint Eastwood and John Wayne played. His first experience with horses began in 1960 when he would make eight dollars shining shoes and take his earnings across the street to the stables in Prospect Park to go riding. As he got older and did more research, Professor learned about the historical facts of Black cowboys and the Wild West. Knowing Black cowboys existed and finding out about Nat Love, Bill Pickett, and James Beckwourth, as well as the roles of African Americans in the settlement of the West has empowered him. One of the main reasons he joined the Federation was to ensure that the untold history of Black cowboys is passed on to today’s children. As an advocate for social change he is the CEO of the Reality House substance abuse treatment program.