Donaldson Touissant L'Ouverture Byrd II. Has a nice ring to it doesn't it? That is the full name of trumpeter Donald Byrd who once graced the halls of green and white with his presence. Known for his accomplishments as a jazz musician, Byrd is also a highly educated professor of music. After leaving Cass Tech, he earned a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University, a Master of Arts from the Manhattan School of Music, a Law Degree from Howard University in 1976, and finally a PhD from Columbia Teachers College in 1982. He became a professor of music at Howard, among other schools.

Byrd is noteworthy among staunch jazz fans, but in the 1970s, he became more popular when he formed the band "The Blackbyrds," which was comprised of Howard University students. Their most famous recording was probably "Happy Music" which received considerable air time as part of the genre known as jazz fusion.

He currently resides in Dover, Delaware and lectures at the University of Delaware. The Cass Tech Hall of Fame is proud to include Air Force veteran, jazz trumpeter and music scholar Donald Byrd.