Rudolph Featherstone was the first African-American graduate of Gettysburg College. He graduated from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1960 and Harvard Divinity School in 1972. Rudy spent his life advocating justice for all people and serving as a visionary leader in the Lutheran ministry. He served as pastor to Lutheran parishes for ten years in the Bronx, Jamaica, New York and Detroit, where his ties with the local African-American churches strengthened relations with the African-American Lutheran community. He also served in the campus ministry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a mentor for students of color. He is retired as a professor of cross-cultural theological studies and mission at Trinity Lutheran Seminary.