100 Notable alumni of
Drake University
Updated:
Drake University is 695th in the world, 261st in North America, and 241st in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from Drake University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Jeremy Piven
- Occupations
- film produceractortelevision actorfilm actortelevision producer
- Biography
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Jeremy Samuel Piven is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Ari Gold in the comedy series Entourage, for which he won a Golden Globe Award and three consecutive Emmy Awards. He also starred in the British period drama Mr Selfridge, which tells the story of the man who created the English department store Selfridges, and portrayed Spence Kovak on Ellen DeGeneres's sitcom Ellen.
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Michael Emerson
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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Michael Emerson is an American actor who is best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on Lost and as Harold Finch in the CBS series Person of Interest (2011–2016). Other prominent roles include Zep Hindle in the horror film Saw (2004) and as Dr. Leland Townsend in the Paramount+ thriller series Evil (2019–2024).
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Bill Bryson
- Occupations
- writerscience communicatortravelerautobiographerscience writer
- Biography
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William McGuire Bryson is an American-British journalist and author. Bryson has written a number of nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Born in the United States, he has been a resident of Britain for most of his adult life, returning to the U.S. between 1995 and 2003, and holds dual American and British citizenship. He served as the chancellor of Durham University from 2005 to 2011.
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Steve Allen
- Occupations
- radio personalityactivistscreenwriterpianistmilitary personnel
- Biography
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Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen was an American television and radio personality, comedian, musician, composer, writer, and actor. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-creator and first host of The Tonight Show, which was the first late-night television talk show.
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Sam Wanamaker
- Occupations
- film actortheatrical directorstage actorfilm directortelevision actor
- Biography
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Samuel Wanamaker was an American actor and director, whose career on stage and in film and television spanned five decades. He began his career on Broadway, but spent most of his professional life in the United Kingdom, where he emigrated after becoming fearful of being blacklisted in Hollywood due to his communist views in the 1950s.
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Zach Johnson
- Occupations
- golfer
- Biography
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Zachary Harris Johnson is an American professional golfer who has 12 victories on the PGA Tour, including two major championships, the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship. At the 2023 Ryder Cup, Johnson captained the U.S. squad against Europe in Rome, Italy.
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Ira Levin
- Occupations
- screenwriternovelistwriterscience fiction writerlyricist
- Biography
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Ira Marvin Levin was an American novelist, playwright, and songwriter. His works include the novels A Kiss Before Dying (1953), Rosemary's Baby (1967), The Stepford Wives (1972), This Perfect Day (1970), The Boys from Brazil (1976), and Sliver (1991). Levin also wrote the play Deathtrap (1978). Many of his novels and plays have been adapted into films. He received the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award and several Edgar Awards.
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Julee Cruise
- Occupations
- musicianactorsinger
- Biography
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Julee Ann Cruise was an American singer and actress, known for her collaborations with composer Angelo Badalamenti and film director David Lynch in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She released four albums beginning with 1989's Floating into the Night.
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Terry Branstad
- Occupations
- politicianacademic administratorlawyerdiplomat
- Biography
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Terry Edward Branstad is an American politician and former diplomat. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979 before serving as the 39th Governor of Iowa from 1983 to 1999 and again as the 42nd Governor of the state from 2011 to 2017. He is the longest-serving governor in United States history. Branstad served as the United States Ambassador to China from 2017 to 2020 under President Donald Trump.
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Syleena Johnson
- Occupations
- singer-songwriteractor
- Biography
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Syleena Johnson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter and actress. She is best known for her guest appearance on Kanye West's 2004 single "All Falls Down," which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. She signed with Jive Records to release three albums: Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness (2001), Chapter 2: The Voice (2002), and Chapter 3: The Flesh (2005), each were met with critical acclaim and modest commercial reception. She returned to work with West for his tenth album Donda (2021), where she performed on its spoken word song "Donda Chant".
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Abby Finkenauer
- Enrolled in Drake University
- In 2011 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in public relations
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Abby Lea Finkenauer is an American politician who served as the United States Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues within the U.S. Department of State from 2022 to 2025. Finkenauer previously served as the U.S. representative from Iowa's 1st congressional district from 2019 to 2021. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
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John August
- Occupations
- film producerscreenwriterfilm directorpodcasterjournalist
- Biography
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John August is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and novelist. He is known for writing the films Go (1999), Charlie's Angels (2000), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Big Fish (2003), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Frankenweenie (2012), the Disney live-action adaptation of Aladdin (2019), the novels Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire (2018), Arlo Finch in the Lake of the Moon (2019) and Arlo Finch in the Kingdom of Shadows (2020).
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Billy Cundiff
- Occupations
- basketball playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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William Ambrose Cundiff is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Drake University, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002.
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Carol Morris
- Occupations
- modelactorbeauty pageant contestant
- Biography
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Carol Ann Laverne Morris is an American actress, model and beauty queen who was the second Miss USA to win the Miss Universe title in the pageant's fifth edition in 1956. She was crowned by Hillevi Rombin, Miss Universe 1955, of Sweden.
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Roger Williams
- Occupations
- musicianpianist
- Biography
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Roger Williams was an American popular music pianist. Described by the Los Angeles Times as "one of the most popular instrumentalists of the mid-20th century", and "the rare instrumental pop artist to strike a lasting commercial chord," Williams had 22 hit singles – including the chart-topping "Autumn Leaves" in 1955 and "Born Free" in 1966 – and 38 hit albums between 1955 and 1972.
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Susan Glaspell
- Occupations
- biographerwriterplaywrightwomen's rights activistnovelist
- Biography
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Susan Keating Glaspell was an American playwright, novelist, journalist and actress. With her husband George Cram Cook, she founded the Provincetown Players, the first modern American theatre company.
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Chet Culver
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Chester John Culver is an American politician who served from 2007 through 2011 as the 41st governor of Iowa. A member of the Democratic Party, he had previously served as the 29th Secretary of State of Iowa from 1999 to 2007. He was elected governor in the 2006 Iowa gubernatorial election and ran unsuccessfully for reelection in 2010, losing to former governor Terry Branstad.
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Mark DeCarlo
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Mark DeCarlo is an American actor, television host, comedian, travel, internet personality, and foodie expert. He is currently known for being a contributor to WLS-TV morning show Windy City Live, a locally produced Chicago program that replaced The Oprah Winfrey Show following its 2011 ending. DeCarlo has been awarded three local Emmy Awards for his work on Windy City Live.
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Brian Wansink
- Occupations
- nutritionist
- Biography
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Brian Wansink is an American former professor and researcher who worked in consumer behavior and marketing research. He was the executive director of the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) from 2007 to 2009 and held the John S. Dyson Endowed Chair in the Applied Economics and Management Department at Cornell University, where he directed the Cornell Food and Brand Lab.
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Sherrill Milnes
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Sherrill Milnes is an American dramatic baritone most famous for his Verdi roles. From 1965 until 1997 he was associated with the Metropolitan Opera. His voice is a high dramatic baritone, combining good legato with an incisive rhythmic style.
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Goli Taraqqi
- Occupations
- writerscreenwritershort story writer
- Biography
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Zohreh Taraghi-Moghadam, better known as Goli Taraghi is an Iranian novelist and short story writer.
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David Young
- Enrolled in Drake University
- In 1991 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- businesspersoncongressional staffmilitary chief of staffpoliticiancampaign manager
- Biography
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David Edmund Young is an American politician who currently serves as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 28th District, and previously served as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 3rd congressional district from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he is a native and resident of Van Meter, a western suburb of Des Moines. He was first elected in 2014 and reelected in 2016; he lost reelection in 2018 to Democrat Cindy Axne. Young unsuccessfully challenged Axne in 2020 in a rematch, losing by 1.3%.
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Robert D. Ray
- Enrolled in Drake University
- In 1952 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in business science
- In 1954 graduated with Bachelor of Laws in law
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Robert Dolph Ray was an American lawyer and Republican politician. He served as the 38th governor of Iowa from January 16, 1969 to January 14, 1983.
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Matthew Stover
- Occupations
- writernovelistscience fiction writer
- Biography
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Matthew Woodring Stover is an American fantasy and science fiction novelist. He is most well known for his four Star Wars novels, including the novelization of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. He has also written several fantasy novels, including Iron Dawn and Jericho Moon. He has written four science-fiction/fantasy hybrid stories featuring a hero named Caine: Heroes Die, Blade of Tyshalle, and Caine Black Knife, with the most recent, Caine's Law, released April 4, 2012.
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Zach Nunn
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Zachary Martin Nunn is an American politician and United States Air Force officer who has served as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 3rd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he was a member of the Iowa Senate for the 15th district from 2019 to 2023 and the Iowa House of Representatives for the 30th district from 2015 to 2019.
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Ezra Hendrickson
- Years
- 1972-.. (age 53)
- Occupations
- association football playerassociation football manager
- Biography
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Ezra Hendrickson is a Vincentian professional football coach and former player. He was the head coach of Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire FC from November 24, 2021 until his dismissal on May 8, 2023 and is now the manager of the Vincentian national team.
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Patience D. Roggensack
- Occupations
- judgepoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Patience Drake "Pat" Roggensack is a retired American attorney and jurist. She served as the 26th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 2015 to 2021. Concurrently, she served for 20 years on the high court, from 2003 through 2023.
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Adam Gregg
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Adam Gregg is an American politician who served as the 47th lieutenant governor of Iowa from 2019 to 2024 and as acting lieutenant governor from 2017 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Gregg served as Public Defender of Iowa from 2014 to 2017. He was the Republican candidate for Attorney General of Iowa in the November 2014 elections.
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Bob Vander Plaats
- Occupations
- teacher
- Biography
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Robert Lee Vander Plaats is an American politician and political activist. Since 2010, he has been the president and CEO of The Family Leader, a socially conservative organization in Iowa.
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Ray Rizzo
- Years
- 1992-.. (age 33)
- Occupations
- professional gamer
- Biography
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Raymond Rizzo is a three-time Pokémon Video Game World Champion. He is regarded as one of the best players of competitive Pokémon of all time.
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Mark Doty
- Occupations
- poet
- Biography
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Mark Doty is an American poet and memoirist best known for his work My Alexandria. He was the winner of the National Book Award for Poetry in 2008.
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Jim Nussle
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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James Allen Nussle is an American businessman and retired politician who has been president and chief executive officer of the Credit Union National Association from 2014 to 2024 and of its successor group America's Credit Unions since 2024. Nussle served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2007 and was the Republican nominee for the 2006 Iowa gubernatorial election, losing to Democrat Chet Culver. He was then appointed director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2007 by President George W. Bush, an office he retained until 2009.
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George Cohon
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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George Alan Cohon CC OOnt was an American-born Canadian businessman and lawyer who was the founder and senior chairman of McDonald's Canada and McDonald's Russia.
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Dayton Duncan
- Occupations
- opinion journalistdocumentarianfilm producerscreenwriterwriter
- Biography
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Dayton Duncan is an American screenwriter, producer and former political aide.
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Bob Netolicky
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Robert Netolicky is a retired American basketball player. A 6'9" power forward/center, he played professionally in the now–defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1967 to 1976. Netolicky was a four–time ABA All–Star and two–time ABA Champion.
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Rayvonte Rice
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Rayvonte De'Tra Rice is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He is a guard from Champaign, Illinois who completed his college career at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He previously played at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa from 2010 to 2012 and transferred after his sophomore season.
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Stephen Rapp
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomatlawyer
- Biography
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Stephen J. Rapp is an American lawyer, academic and former politician who served as United States ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues in the Office of Global Criminal Justice. He previously served as Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 34th district from 1973 to 1975 and from 1979 to 1983.
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Johnny C. Taylor, Jr
- Born in
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United States - Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Johnny Clayton Taylor, Jr. is an American lawyer, author, board member and public speaker who is the president and chief executive officer of the Society for Human Resource Management. He was previously president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), which represents the 47 publicly-supported historically Black colleges and universities in the United States. In February 2018, President Donald Trump appointed Taylor chair of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is vice chair of the University of Miami, and trustee of Jobs for America’s Graduates. Taylor sits on the corporate boards of Guild Education, Internet Collaborative Information Management Systems (ICIMS), and XPO, Inc..
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Willie Wise
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Willie M. Wise is an American former professional basketball player. After a successful ABA tenure, which eventually resulted in him making the ABA All-Time Team, Wise's NBA career was ended prematurely by a knee injury.
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Brenna Bird
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Brenna Bird is an American lawyer and politician who has served as Iowa Attorney General since 2023. She is a member of the Republican Party.
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Liam Robbins
- Years
- 1999-.. (age 26)
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Liam Robbins is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Drake Bulldogs, Minnesota Golden Gophers and Vanderbilt Commodores.
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Merwin Coad
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Doyle Merwin Coad is an American retired minister and politician from Iowa who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for three terms from 1957 to 1963. His election snapped the Republican Party's fourteen-year hold on every U.S. House seat from Iowa. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
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Andy McKean
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Andrew John McKean is an American politician and retired attorney in the state of Iowa. He represented various districts in the Iowa House of Representatives, including District 23 from 1979 to 1983 and District 44 from 1983 to 1993. Afterward, he served in the Iowa Senate, representing District 28 from 1993 to 2003. He served as a supervisor of Jones County from 2003 to 2011. McKean returned to the Iowa House in 2016 after being elected to District 58, defeating Jessica Kean. In 2018, he was reelected, defeating Joe Oclon, On August 21, 2019, Republican Steven Bradley of Cascade, Iowa, announced that he would run against McKean after he chose to run as a Democrat. In the 2020 elections, Bradley ended up defeating McKean.
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Dominik Olejniczak
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Dominik Olejniczak is a Polish professional basketball player for Saint-Quentin of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the Drake Bulldogs, the Ole Miss Rebels and the Florida State Seminoles.
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Nate Boulton
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Nate Boulton is an American politician who served in the Iowa Senate from 2017 to 2025. Boulton, a Democrat, represented the 20th and 16th districts. Boulton was first elected in 2016 to replace retiring Democratic Senator Dick Dearden.
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Ron Kouchi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ronald Dan Kouchi is a Democratic politician from Hawaii, representing the 8th district in the state Senate. He has served as the 14th President of the Hawaiʻi Senate since 2015.
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Felix Wright
- Occupations
- Canadian football playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Felix Carl Wright is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back for the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) from 1985 to 1992. He played college football for the Drake Bulldogs.
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Al McCoy
- Occupations
- sports journalist
- Biography
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Allen Leonard McCoy was an American sportscaster who was the play-by-play announcer for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association from 1972 to 2023. The 2022–23 NBA season was his 51st and final season. He is the longest-tenured broadcaster in NBA history.
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Roxanne Conlin
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Roxanne Barton Conlin is an American lawyer who served as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa from 1977 to 1981. A Democrat, she was a candidate for Governor of Iowa in 1982 and for United States Senate in 2010, but was not elected to either post.
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Seth Barnes Nicholson
- Occupations
- astronomer
- Biography
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Seth Barnes Nicholson was an American astronomer. He worked at the Lick observatory in California, and is known for discovering several moons of Jupiter in the 20th century.
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J. Howard Moore
- Occupations
- zoologisteducatorphilosopherwritervegetarianism advocate
- Biography
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John Howard Moore was an American zoologist, philosopher, educator, and social reformer. He was best known for his advocacy of ethical vegetarianism and his pioneering role in the animal rights movement, both deeply influenced by his ethical interpretation of Darwin's theory of evolution. Moore's most influential work, The Universal Kinship (1906), introduced a sentiocentric philosophy he called the doctrine of Universal Kinship, arguing that the ethical treatment of animals, rooted in the Golden Rule, is essential for human ethical evolution, urging humans to extend their moral considerations to all sentient beings, based on their shared physical and mental evolutionary kinship.
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Jack Whitver
- Occupations
- politicianAmerican football player
- Biography
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Jack Whitver is an American businessman and politician, who is currently the Iowa State Senator for the 23rd District. Since 2018 he has served as Senate Majority Leader.
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Tucker DeVries
- Years
- 2002-.. (age 23)
- Enrolled in Drake University
- Studied in 2021-2024
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Tucker Dale DeVries is an American college basketball player for the West Virginia Mountaineers of the Big 12 Conference. He previously played for the Drake Bulldogs.
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Mark Cady
- Occupations
- judge
- Biography
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Mark Steven Cady was an American jurist. He served on the Iowa Supreme Court for 21 years from 1998 to 2019. From 2011 to 2019, he was the chief justice of the court. He was the author of the court's opinion in Varnum v. Brien, which legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa.
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Jack Hatch
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jack G. Hatch is a former Iowa State Senator and American business owner. He was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Iowa in the 2014 election. A Democrat, Hatch served in the Iowa Senate from 2003 to 2015, and was an assistant majority leader. Prior to his election to the Iowa Senate, Hatch served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1985 to 1993 and 2001 to 2003.
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Mark W. Bennett
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
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Mark Warren Bennett is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa and a professor at Drake University Law School.
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Linda R. Reade
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
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Linda Rae Reade is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
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Guy Gillette
- Enrolled in Drake University
- Studied in 1900
- Occupations
- politicianprosecutorlawyer
- Biography
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Guy Mark Gillette was an American politician and lawyer who served as a Democratic U.S. Representative (1933–1936) and Senator (1936–1945; 1949–1955) from Iowa. In the U.S. Senate, Gillette was elected, re-elected, defeated, elected again, and defeated again.
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Willie McCarter
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Willie J. McCarter was an American basketball player. He was a 6'3" (1.90 m) 175 lb (79 kg) guard. He played at Drake University, averaging 19.9 ppg in three seasons. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 12th pick in the 1969 NBA draft, and played three seasons with the Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers.
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Neal Edward Smith
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Neal Edward Smith was an American politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives for the Democratic Party from Iowa from 1959 until 1995, the longest-serving Iowan in the United States House of Representatives.
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Jeff Lamberti
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Jeffrey M. Lamberti is a former Republican Senate leader and two term state senator representing the 35th District of the Iowa Senate, and served two terms as State Representative. In the 2006 mid-term election, Lamberti was the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in Iowa's 3rd congressional district, losing to incumbent Democrat Leonard Boswell in a hotly contested race. Lamberti received 47% of the vote to Boswell's 52%. He was succeeded in the Iowa Senate by Republican Larry Noble.
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Carla Nelson
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Carla J. Nelson is an American politician from Minnesota who is a member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, she represents District 24, which includes parts of Olmsted County and Dodge County in the southeastern part of the state. Much of the southern half of Rochester and parts of northwestern Rochester are in her district.
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Linda Upmeyer
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Linda L. Upmeyer is an American politician who served in the Iowa House of Representatives from the 54th district from 2003 to 2021 and as the Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives from 2016 to 2020. She was the first female Speaker in Iowa's history. She received her BSN from the University of Iowa and her MSN from Drake University. On August 19, 2015, Upmeyer was elected by the members of the Iowa House of Representatives Republican majority to serve as the Speaker of the House. Upmeyer's father, Del Stromer, served as Speaker from 1981–82.
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Jessie Taft
- Years
- 1882-1960 (aged 78)
- Occupations
- educatorsocial worker
- Biography
-
J. Jessie Taft (June 24, 1882, in Dubuque, Iowa – June 7, 1960, in Flourtown, Pennsylvania) was an American philosopher and an early authority on child placement and therapeutic adoption. Educated at the University of Chicago, she spent the bulk of her professional life at the University of Pennsylvania, where she and Virginia Robinson were the co-founders and innovators of the functional approach to social work. Taft is the author of The Dynamics of Therapy in a Controlled Relationship (1933). She is also remembered for her work as the translator and biographer of Otto Rank, an outcast disciple of Sigmund Freud; in addition, development of the functional approach to social work was greatly inspired by her work with Rank. She and her lifelong companion, Virginia Robinson, adopted and raised two children.
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Robert E. Cowen
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
-
Robert E. Cowen is a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit based in Philadelphia. He joined the court in 1987 after being nominated by President Ronald Reagan. Cowen has served in the federal judiciary since 1978.
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Dennis McKnight
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Dennis Neal McKnight is an American football coach and former guard who is the special teams coordinator for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions, and Philadelphia Eagles. McKnight played college football at Drake University.
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Wayne Kreklow
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Wayne R. Kreklow is an American volleyball coach and former professional basketball player. Kreklow won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1981. He was the women's volleyball coach at the University of Missouri from 2005 through the 2018 season. Kreklow retired in July 2019.
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Janet Petersen
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Janet Petersen is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Iowa Senate representing the 18th District since January 2013. She previously served as the Senate Minority Leader and has previously represented the 64th district in the Iowa House of Representatives, between 2001 and 2013. She received her BA from the University of Northern Iowa and her MA from Drake University.
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Brian Lohse
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
-
Brian K. Lohse is an American attorney and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2018, succeeding Zach Nunn in District 45. Prior to his state legislative service, Lohse sat on the city council of Bondurant, Iowa, for eight years.
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Ed Fallon
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Ed Fallon is an American activist, former politician, talk show host, author and urban farmer from the State of Iowa. He was previously a Democratic candidate for Governor of Iowa and the U.S. Congress, and served as a member of the Iowa General Assembly from 1993 to 2006.
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Kevin McCarthy
- Enrolled in Drake University
- Graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Kevin M. McCarthy is an American Democratic legislator who served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2003 until 2013 and, for his last two years there, was the House Minority Leader. McCarthy was born, raised, and resides in Des Moines, Iowa. He received his B.A. from Wartburg College and his J.D. from Drake University.
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Megan Hess
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Megan Jones is an American politician from Iowa. Jones is a Republican member of Iowa House of Representatives from District 6 and has been a Representative since 2013.
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Wendy J. Olson
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
-
Wendy J. Olson is an American lawyer who served as a United States attorney for the District of Idaho from 2010 to 2017. She was appointed in 2010 by President Barack Obama, replacing Thomas E. Moss. As one of 93 United States attorneys, she represented the government in all civil and criminal cases within her district.
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Jeff Halliburton
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Jeffrey Halliburton is an American former basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for two seasons. He is the cousin of Basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving.
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Robert D. Blue
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Robert Donald Blue was an American politician, the 30th Governor of Iowa from 1945 to 1949.
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Miriam Weiner
- Occupations
- genealogistarchivistcolumnistwriterresearcher
- Biography
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Miriam Weiner is an American genealogist, author, and lecturer who specializes in the research of Jewish roots in Poland and the former Soviet Union. Weiner is considered to be one of the pioneers of contemporary Jewish genealogy through her work to open up archives and is described as a trail-blazing, highly respected guide and leading authority on archival holdings and resources in pre-war Belarus, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine.
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Tarryl Clark
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
-
Tarryl Lynn Clark is an American activist, attorney, politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate. A Democrat, she represented District 15, including portions of Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns counties, from 2006 to 2011. She was a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee for United States Congress in 2010, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Republican Michele Bachmann.
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Michael S. Bennett
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Michael S. Bennett is an American politician from Florida who is a member of the Republican Party. He served as a member of the Florida Senate representing the 21st District from 2002 to 2012. He was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2001 to 2002.
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Bucky O'Connor
- Occupations
- head coachbasketball coach
- Biography
-
Frank "Bucky" O'Connor was a college men's basketball coach. He was the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team from 1949 to 1958. Born in Monroe, Iowa, O'Connor spent much of his early life playing golf, as his parents managed a country club. O'Connor attended and played basketball at Newton High School and Drake University; he became team captain in his senior year of college despite his slight frame and bad eyesight. After graduating, he coached at Boone High School and Harrisburg High School. When the United States entered World War II, O'Connor joined the United States Army Air Corps, serving in Japan and climbing to the rank of captain.
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S. S. Still
- Occupations
- physician
- Biography
-
Summerfield Saunders Still, nephew of Andrew Taylor Still, was an osteopath and founder of a school of osteopathy.
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Carl W. Hoffman
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
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Carl William Hoffman was a decorated United States Marine Corps major general. He is most noted for his service with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines during World War II or later as commanding general of III Marine Amphibious Force during Operation Frequent Wind.
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Cassius C. Dowell
- Years
- 1864-1940 (aged 76)
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
-
Cassius Clay Dowell was a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa. He served from 1915 to 1935, and again from 1937 until his death in 1940, with the interregnum caused by an unsuccessful campaign for reelection in 1934.
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Ronald K. McMullen
- Years
- 1955-.. (age 70)
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
-
Ronald Keith McMullen is an American foreign service officer and a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Eritrea from 2007 to 2010.
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Tony Bisignano
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Anthony Bisignano is an American politician, currently serving as a member of the Iowa Senate.
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Peter Cownie
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Peter Cownie is an American politician.
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Rick Mathews
- Years
- 1947-.. (age 78)
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
-
Rick Ray Mathews is an American professional baseball scout and former bullpen coach for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB).
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Al Stewart
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Al Stewart is an American professional basketball player for the Moncton Magic of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL).
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Joe Mitchell
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Joe Mitchell is an American politician from the state of Iowa. He was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2018. Sworn in at the age of 21, he was the youngest member to ever be elected to the Iowa House. Mitchell was previously a student at Drake University.
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Sandy Salmon
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Sandy Salmon is an American politician, military veteran, and farm manager. Salmon is a Republican member of the Iowa Senate from District 29 and previously served on the Iowa House of Representatives as the Representative from District 63 from 2013 to 2023.
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Elesha Gayman
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Elesha L. Gayman is a former Iowa State Representative from the 84th District. She served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011. Gayman served on several committees in the Iowa House - the Agriculture committee; the Appropriations committee; the Education committee; and the Public Safety committee. She was vice-chair of the Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee.
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Robert Dana
- Occupations
- poet
- Biography
-
Robert Dana was an American poet, who taught writing and English literature at Cornell College and many other schools, revived The North American Review and served as its editor during the years 1964–1968, and was the poet laureate for the State of Iowa from 2004 to 2008.
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Brian Meyer
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
-
Brian Meyer is an American lawyer and politician from the state of Iowa. A member of the Democratic Party, Meyer serves in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing the 29th district. He previously served on the Des Moines, Iowa City Council.
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Hubert Utterback
- Occupations
- university teacherpoliticianlawyerjudge
- Biography
-
Hubert Utterback served very briefly on the Iowa Supreme Court, then was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives, serving only one term.
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Jo Oldson
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Jo Oldson is an American politician who served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives for the 41st district. A Democrat, she served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2003 to 2023. Oldson was born and raised in Eagle Grove, Iowa and resides in Des Moines. She received her BA and JD from Drake University.
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Joe Crail
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
-
Joseph Steele Crail was an American lawyer, military veteran and politician who served as a United States representative from California from 1927 to 1933.
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Steve Warnstadt
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Steven Henning "Steve" Warnstadt was the Iowa State Senator from the 1st District. A Democrat, he served in the Iowa Senate from 2003 until 2011. He received his BA from Drake University and his MA from Temple University. He is serving as an adjunct instructor with Western Iowa Tech Community College and as an intelligence officer with the Iowa Army National Guard.
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Daryl Beall
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Daryl Beall is an American politician. He was the Iowa State Senator from the 5th District. A Democrat, he served in the Iowa Senate from 2003 to 2015, in Iowa Senate district 25 before Iowa's 2012 redistricting. He received his A.A. from Iowa Central Community College, his B.A. from Buena Vista University, and his MPA from Drake University.
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Red Murrell
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Phillip Ray "Red" Murrell was an American basketball player, best known for his college career at Drake University.
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Duane Miller
- Years
- 1947-.. (age 78)
- Occupations
- gridiron football player
- Biography
-
Duane Miller is a former college and professional football player. He holds nine Drake University football records, many which have withstood the test of time. Miller's career at Drake (1966–1970) included record-breaking performances on offense, defense, punt returns and kickoff returns. He was selected for the Drake Football All-Century Team.
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Paul Brechler
- Occupations
- sporting director
- Biography
-
Paul W. Brechler was an athletic director for the University of Iowa for 13 years and the first commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference.
