BATON ROUGE, La. — Southern University and A&M College announced on Saturday the passing of former chancellor, Roosevelt D. Steptoe. 

Steptoe died on Friday, Nov. 20 at the age of 86. 

His tenure as chancellor at SU lasted for seven years from 1975 to 1982.

The Mississippi native started his career at SU, his alma mater in 1967, serving as director of economic and transportation research, and later became the director of economics research projects and professor of economics. He ended his career at the university in 1985.

He then served as vice president for academic affairs at Alabama State University and also served as an assistant professor of economics at Florida A&M University and Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, Alabama.