100 Notable alumni of
Kansas State University
Updated:
Kansas State University is 305th in the world, 126th in North America, and 119th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from Kansas State 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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Kirstie Alley
- Occupations
- actortelevision producer
- Biography
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Kirstie Louise Alley was an American actress. Her breakthrough role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom Cheers (1987–1993), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. From 1997 to 2000, Alley starred as the lead in the sitcom Veronica's Closet, earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. On film, she played Mollie Jensen in Look Who's Talking (1989) and its two sequels, Look Who's Talking Too (1990) and Look Who's Talking Now (1993).
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Erin Brockovich
- Occupations
- juristbusinesspersonenvironmentalist
- Biography
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Erin Brockovich is an American paralegal, consumer advocate, and environmental activist who was instrumental in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) involving groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California, for attorney Ed Masry in 1993. Their successful lawsuit was the subject of the Oscar-winning film, Erin Brockovich (2000), starring Julia Roberts as Brockovich and Albert Finney as Masry.
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Eric Stonestreet
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Eric Allen Stonestreet is an American actor. He is known for portraying Cameron Tucker in the ABC sitcom Modern Family (2009–2020), for which he received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series out of three nominations. He first rose to prominence in a recurring role on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He has also appeared in films including Bad Teacher (2011), Identity Thief (2013), The Loft (2014), and Confirmation (2016), and provides the voice of Duke in the animated The Secret Life of Pets film franchise (2016–2019).
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Scott Bakula
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorfilm produceractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Scott Stewart Bakula is an American actor. He played Sam Beckett on Quantum Leap – for which he was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards (winning one) – and Captain Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise. From 2014 to 2021, he portrayed Special Agent Dwayne Cassius "King" Pride on NCIS: New Orleans.
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Rob Riggle
- Occupations
- voice actoractorcomediantelevision actorsoldier
- Biography
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Robert Allen Riggle Jr. is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and retired United States Marine officer. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, joining the Marines in 1990 and later attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel.
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Juan Manuel Santos
- Occupations
- economistlawyerjournalistpolitician
- Biography
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Juan Manuel Santos Calderón GColIH GCB GColL ODB is a Colombian politician who was the President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. He was the sole recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.
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Michael Beasley
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Michael Paul Beasley Jr. is an American former professional basketball who played eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for seven teams, most notably the Miami Heat. He played college basketball for Kansas State University for one year before declaring for the NBA draft in 2008. Beasley was the 2nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft and was selected by the Miami Heat. He is regarded as one of the best freshman college basketball players of the 2000s. Though he is ambidextrous, he shoots left-handed.
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Charles Melton
- Occupations
- actortelevision actormodel
- Biography
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Charles Michael Melton is an American actor. After working as a fashion model, Melton ventured to acting with guest roles on the television series Glee (2014) and American Horror Story: Hotel (2015–2016). His breakthrough came with his portrayal of Reggie Mantle in the CW series Riverdale (2017–2023).
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Jordy Nelson
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Jordy Ray Nelson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Nelson was raised in Riley County, Kansas and played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, receiving consensus All-American honors in 2007. He was selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. In the 2010 season, he won Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching a touchdown pass in the game. Following his departure from the Packers in 2018, he played one year with the Oakland Raiders before announcing his retirement. In 2023, he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame. As of September 2025, Nelson holds the Packers franchise record for the most Lambeau Leaps performed by a player (27).
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Darren Sproles
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Darren Lee Sproles is an American professional football executive and former running back. He is now a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, earning first-team All-American honors and becoming the school's all-time leading rusher. Sproles was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL draft. He also played for the New Orleans Saints and the Eagles. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
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Allen West
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- In 1986 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- military advisorarmy officerteacherpolitician
- Biography
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Allen Bernard West is an American politician and retired military officer. A member of the Republican Party, West represented Florida's 22nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013 and served as the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas from 2020 to 2021. He has been the chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party since 2024.
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Earl Woods
- Occupations
- baseball playerarmy officerwriter
- Biography
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Earl Dennison Woods was the father of American professional golfer Tiger Woods. Woods started his son in golf at a very early age and coached him exclusively over his first years in the sport. He later published two books about the process.
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Mitch Richmond
- Occupations
- basketball playerfilm produceractorbasketball coach
- Biography
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Mitchell James Richmond III is an American former professional basketball player. He played collegiately at Moberly Area Community College and Kansas State University. He was a six-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Team member, and a former NBA Rookie of the Year. In 976 NBA games, Richmond averaged 21.0 points per game and 3.5 assists per game. Richmond was voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. His jersey No. 2 was retired in his honor by the Sacramento Kings, for whom he played seven seasons.
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Clyde Tombaugh
- Occupations
- university teacherastronomer
- Biography
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Clyde William Tombaugh was an American astronomer and telescope maker, best known for discovering Pluto in 1930, marking the first detection of what would eventually be recognized as the Kuiper belt. At the time, Pluto was referred to as the ninth planet in the Solar System, a classification that stood for over seven decades.
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Josh Freeman
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Joshua Tyler Freeman is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. Freeman became the starter for Tampa Bay in his rookie year and went on to break numerous franchise passing records. However, he was released partway through his fifth year with the team.
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Sam Brownback
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- Studied in 1979
- Occupations
- teacherdiplomatlawyerbroadcasterpolitician
- Biography
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Samuel Dale Brownback is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011 and as the 46th governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party, Brownback also served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom during the administration of President Donald Trump and was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President in 2008.
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Lung Ying-tai
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- Graduated with doctorate
- Occupations
- university teacherwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Lung Ying-tai is a Taiwanese writer and public intellectual. She has written more than 30 books. Lung served as Taiwan's first Minister of Culture from 2012 to 2014 under the Ma Ying-jeou administration.
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Paul R. Ehrlich
- Occupations
- biologistenvironmentalistuniversity teacherdemographer
- Biography
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Paul Ralph Ehrlich is an American biologist, author and environmentalist known for his predictions and warnings about the consequences of population growth, including famine and resource depletion. Ehrlich is the Bing Professor Emeritus of Population Studies of the Department of Biology of Stanford University. Ehrlich became well known for the controversial 1968 book The Population Bomb, which he co-authored with his wife Anne H. Ehrlich, in which they famously stated that "n the 1970s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now." This position has led historians and critics to describe Ehrlich as a neo-Malthusian.
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Joseph Boakai
- Occupations
- politicianminister
- Biography
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Joseph Nyuma Boakai is a Liberian politician who has served as the 26th president of Liberia since 2024. He previously served as the 29th vice president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and as the minister of agriculture from 1983 to 1985. Boakai ran for president in 2017, losing the election to George Weah. He went on to defeat Weah in the 2023 election.
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Brad Underwood
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Bradley Cole Underwood is the current head coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team. Previously, he served as head coach at Oklahoma State, Stephen F. Austin, Dodge City Community College, and Daytona Beach Community College and assistant coach at Western Illinois, Kansas State, and South Carolina.
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Gary Patterson
- Occupations
- head coachAmerican football player
- Biography
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Gary Allen Patterson is an American college football coach and former player. He is currently the defensive coordinator at USC. He served as head football coach at Texas Christian University (TCU) from 2000 to 2021, compiling a record of 181–79. Patterson led the TCU Horned Frogs to six conference championships and 11 bowl game victories, including victories in the 2011 Rose Bowl and 2014 Peach Bowl. His 2010 squad finished the season undefeated at 13–0 after a 21–19 Rose Bowl victory over the Wisconsin Badgers on New Year's Day 2011, and ranked second in the final tallying of both major polls.
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Lon Kruger
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Lonnie Duane Kruger is an American former college and professional basketball coach who was most recently the men's basketball head coach of the University of Oklahoma. Kruger played college basketball for Kansas State University. He has served as the head coach of the University of Texas–Pan American, Kansas State, the University of Florida, the University of Illinois, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as well as the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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Jim Ryun
- Occupations
- middle-distance runnerathletics competitorpoliticianmotivational speakerconsultant
- Biography
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James Ronald Ryun is an American former Republican politician and Olympic track and field athlete, who at his peak was widely considered the world's top middle-distance runner. He won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and was the first high school athlete to run a mile in under four minutes. He is the last American to hold the world record in the mile run. Ryun later served in the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing Kansas's 2nd congressional district.
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Deuce Vaughn
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- Studied marketing
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Christopher "Deuce" Vaughn II is an American professional football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft. Vaughn is known for being the shortest running back to ever be drafted in the NFL.
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Kenji Fujimori
- Occupations
- entrepreneurpolitician
- Biography
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Kenji Gerardo Fujimori Higuchi is a Peruvian businessman, politician and a former congressman representing Lima from 2011 until he was suspended from congressional duty in June 2018, in aftermath of the Mamanivideos scandal. He is the son of former President Alberto Fujimori and former First Lady and congresswoman Susana Higuchi. He has three siblings: Hiro Alberto, Sachi Marcela and Keiko Fujimori. In the 2011 elections, he ran for Congress in the constituency of Lima, under the Force 2011, a Fujimorist political party led by his sister Keiko, being the most voted congressman in 2011. In the 2016 elections, he was re-elected for a second term to Congress, once again representing the same constituency, under the Popular Force, as he received a high number of votes and being the most voted congressman in 2016. In June 2018, following the "Mamanivideos" scandal, Congress suspended Kenji and two other congressmen of his party for allegations of crimes of influence peddling and bribery.
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Pete Souza
- Occupations
- photojournalistphotographerjournalist
- Biography
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Peter Joseph Souza is an American photojournalist, the former chief official White House photographer for Presidents of the United States Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama and the former director of the White House Photography Office. He was a photographer with The Chicago Tribune, stationed at the Washington, D.C., bureau from 1998 to 2007; during this period, he also followed the rise of then-Senator Obama to the presidency.
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Susanna M. Salter
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Susanna Madora Salter was an American politician and activist. From 1887 to 1888, she was mayor of Argonia, Kansas, becoming the first woman to serve in that role in the United States and one of the earliest in any U.S. political office.
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Bud Adams
- Occupations
- basketball coachbusinessperson
- Biography
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Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams Jr. was an American businessman who was the founder and owner of the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL), of which he was also a co-founder. The franchise eventually was moved to Nashville, where it was renamed the Tennessee Titans, a National Football League (NFL) franchise. A member of the Cherokee Nation who originally made his fortune in the petroleum business, Adams was chairman and CEO of Adams Resources & Energy Inc., a wholesale supplier of oil and natural gas. He was instrumental in the founding and establishment of the former American Football League (AFL).
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Curtis Hughes
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Curtis Hughes is an American professional wrestler, also known by the ring name Mr. Hughes. He is best known for his stints in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. He also worked for the American Wrestling Association, the American Wrestling Federation and Extreme Championship Wrestling. He trained wrestlers at WWA4 wrestling school for more than ten years and wrestles on the independent circuit.
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Pat Roberts
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- In 1958 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- journalistnewspaper proprietormilitary officerpolitician
- Biography
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Charles Patrick Roberts is a retired American politician and journalist who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1997 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Roberts served 8 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1981 to 1997, before his election to the Senate.
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Ricky Lee Neely
- Occupations
- actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Ricky Kim Leenelllee, known professionally as Ricky Kim, is an American actor.
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Steve Grogan
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Steven James Grogan is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 1975 NFL draft.
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Napoleon Abueva
- Occupations
- stage actorsculptor
- Biography
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Napoleon "Billy" Veloso Abueva was known as the "Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture" Through Proclamation No. 1539. He was proclaimed National Artist for Sculpture in 1976 when he was 46, making him the youngest recipient of the award to date.
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Vernon L. Smith
- Occupations
- university teachereconomist
- Biography
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Vernon Lomax Smith is an American economist who is currently a professor of economics and law at Chapman University. He was formerly the McLellan/Regent's Professor of Economics at the University of Arizona, a professor of economics and law at George Mason University, and a board member of the Mercatus Center. Along with Daniel Kahneman, Smith won the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to behavioral economics and his work in the field of experimental economics, which helped establish "laboratory experiments as a tool in empirical economic analysis, especially in the study of alternative market mechanisms."
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Gene Keady
- Occupations
- American football playerbasketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Lloyd Eugene Keady is an American Hall of Fame basketball coach. He is best known for his 25 years serving as the head men's basketball coach at Purdue University in Indiana. In his tenure leading the Boilermakers from 1980 to 2005, he went to the NCAA Tournament seventeen times, twice advancing to the Elite Eight.
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Rodney McGruder
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Rodney Christian McGruder is an American professional basketball player for Reyer Venezia of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats.
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Francisco Santos Calderón
- Occupations
- human rights defenderpoliticianjournalist
- Biography
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Francisco Santos Calderón, also known as Pacho Santos, is a Colombian politician and journalist. Santos was elected as Álvaro Uribe's running mate and became Vice President in 2002. Santos was re-elected in 2006 for a second term with President Uribe. His great-uncle Eduardo Santos was President of Colombia from 1938 to 1942 and he is also a cousin of former president Juan Manuel Santos. Santos was appointed Ambassador of Colombia to the United States in 2018. He presented his credentials to president Donald Trump on 17 September 2018 and served until 2020.
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Sara Paretsky
- Occupations
- novelistwritercrime fiction writer
- Biography
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Sara Paretsky is an American author of detective fiction, best known for her novels focused on the protagonist V. I. Warshawski.
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Dean Wade
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Dean Jackson Wade is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats.
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Jeff Colyer
- Occupations
- lawyerpoliticiansurgeon
- Biography
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Jeffrey William Colyer is an American surgeon and politician who was the 47th governor of Kansas from 2018 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 49th lieutenant governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018. Colyer served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2007 to 2009 and the Kansas Senate from 2009 to 2011. He assumed the governorship when Sam Brownback resigned to become United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. Colyer ran for a full term as governor in 2018, but narrowly lost the Republican primary to Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach, who in turn lost the general election to Democratic nominee Laura Kelly.
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Dalton Risner
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Dalton William Risner is an American professional football offensive guard for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.
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Jacob Pullen
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Jacob Everse Pullen is an American-Georgian professional basketball player for Dinamo Sassari of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played for the Kansas State Wildcats. Pullen has both American and Georgian citizenship, and has played for the Georgian national team.
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Richard Bowman Myers
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- In 1965 graduated with Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering
- Occupations
- air force officer
- Biography
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Richard Bowman "Dick" Myers is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As chairman, Myers was the highest ranking uniformed officer of the United States military forces. He also served as the 14th president of Kansas State University from 2016 to 2022.
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Jim Pillen
- Occupations
- American football playerbusinesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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James Douglas Pillen is an American politician, veterinarian, and livestock producer serving as the 41st and current governor of Nebraska since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Pillen served on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents from 2013 to 2023.
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Robert L. Caslen
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Robert Louis Caslen Jr. is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 59th superintendent of West Point from 2013 until 2018 and as the 29th president of the University of South Carolina from July 2019 until May 2021. Between January and May 2019, Caslen was senior counsel to the president and interim chief financial officer at the University of Central Florida. On 19 July 2019, the board of trustees of the University of South Carolina elected him as the school's 29th president, a position he assumed on 1 August 2019. He resigned as president at South Carolina on 12 May 2021.
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Jane Dee Hull
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jane Dee Hull was an American politician and educator who was the 20th governor of Arizona from 1997 to 2003. She ascended to the office following the resignation of Fife Symington; Hull was elected in her own right in 1998 and served one term, before being term-limited in 2002 and was succeeded by Janet Napolitano. She was the first woman formally elected as Governor of Arizona, and the second woman to serve in the office after Rose Mofford. She was a member of the Republican Party.
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Cody Whitehair
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Cody Michael Whitehair is an American professional football guard. He has previously played for the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats.
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Roger Marshall
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- obstetricianarmy officerpolitician
- Biography
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Roger Wayne Marshall is an American politician, physician, and former military officer serving as the junior United States senator from Kansas since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he served from 2017 to 2021 as the U.S. representative for Kansas's 1st congressional district, a mostly rural district covering much of the western and northern parts of the state.
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Peter Ruckman
- Occupations
- disc jockeypastor
- Biography
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Peter Sturges Ruckman was an American Independent Baptist pastor, author, Bible teacher, and founder of the Pensacola Bible Institute in Pensacola, Florida (not to be confused with the Pensacola Christian College).
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Bill Walker
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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William Henry Walker is an American professional basketball player for Gladiadores de Anzoátegui of the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto (SPB). Previously known as Bill Walker, the 6-foot-6-inch-tall (1.98 m) player was selected out of Kansas State University by the Washington Wizards with the 47th overall pick in the second round of the 2008 NBA draft and traded shortly thereafter to the Boston Celtics in exchange for cash considerations.
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Charles T. Payne
- Occupations
- military personnellibrarian
- Biography
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Charles Thomas Payne was an American librarian and soldier. A member of the Obama family, he was the brother of Madelyn Payne Dunham and granduncle of former U.S. president Barack Obama.
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Bob Boozer
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Robert Louis Boozer was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Boozer won a gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics and won an NBA Championship as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971. Boozer was a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team, which was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a unit in 2010.
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Milton Stover Eisenhower
- Occupations
- film screenwriterscreenwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Milton Stover Eisenhower was an American academic administrator. He served as president of three major American universities: Kansas State University, Pennsylvania State University, and Johns Hopkins University. Eisenhower was also the head of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He was the youngest brother of, and advisor to, U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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Marlin Fitzwater
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
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Max Marlin Fitzwater is an American writer-journalist who served as White House Press Secretary for six years under U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, making him one of the longest-serving press secretaries in history. He is the only U.S. Press Secretary to be appointed by two different U.S. Presidents (Stephen Early and Pierre Salinger served as transition press secretaries for a few weeks and a few months, respectively).
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Michael Bishop
- Occupations
- baseball playerAmerican football playerCanadian football player
- Biography
-
Michael Paul Bishop is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL), Canadian Football League (CFL), Arena Football League (AFL), and NFL Europe. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, earning consensus All-American honors in 1998. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL draft.
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Bill Guthridge
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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William Wallace Guthridge was an American college basketball coach. Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for thirty years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina and summing many wins as a result. Following Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge was head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons. He took the team to the NCAA Final Four twice and was named national coach of the year in 1998, before retiring in 2000.
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Wesley Iwundu
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Wesley Deshawn Iwundu is an American professional basketball player for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats.
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John Jacob Rhodes
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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John Jacob Rhodes Jr. was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Republican Party, Rhodes served as a U.S. representative from Arizona for thirty years from 1953 to 1983. He was the minority leader in the House of Representatives from 1973 to 1981 and pressed a conservative agenda.
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Felix Anudike-Uzomah
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Felix Anudike-Uzomah is an American professional football defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022. He was selected by the Chiefs with the 31st overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
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Dana Dimel
- Occupations
- head coach
- Biography
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Dana August Dimel was an American college football coach and player. He served as the head football coach of the University of Wyoming from 1997 to 1999, the University of Houston from 2000 to 2002, and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 2018 to 2023, compiling a career head coaching record of 50–88. Dimel also coached as an assistant at Kansas State University and the University of Arizona.
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Lynn Jenkins
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- In 1985 graduated with associate degree
- Occupations
- accountantpolitician
- Biography
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Lynn Haag Jenkins is an American politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district, in office from 2009 to 2019. She previously served as Kansas State Treasurer from 2003 to 2009, in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2000 and the Kansas Senate from 2000 to 2002. She is a member of the Republican Party.
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Tracey Mann
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- In 2000 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Tracey Robert Mann is an American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. representative from Kansas's 1st congressional district since 2021. The district, popularly known as "the Big First," includes parts of 63 counties in central and western Kansas and is the seventh-largest district in the nation that does not cover an entire state.
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Dominique Sutton
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Dominique Leondras Sutton is an American basketball player for Al Ahli Manama of the West Asia Super League. Sutton played college basketball for Kansas State University and North Carolina Central University.
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David Grandison Fairchild
- Occupations
- explorerbotanistwritermycologistbotanical collector
- Biography
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David Grandison Fairchild was an American botanist and plant explorer. Fairchild was responsible for the introduction of more than 200,000 exotic plants and varieties of established crops into the United States, including soybeans, pistachios, mangos, nectarines, dates, bamboos, and flowering cherries. Certain varieties of wheat, cotton, and rice became especially economically important.
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Nick Martini
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Nicholas Scott Martini is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Colorado Rockies, and in the KBO League for the NC Dinos.
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B. J. Finney
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Benjamin J. Isaac Finney II is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015.
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Marri Shashidhar Reddy
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Marri Shashidhar Reddy is an Indian politician. He has been active both at the state level and national level politics in India. He was elected as an MLA four times from Sanathnagar (Assembly constituency). The first time he contested by-polls was in 1992 and he was elected again three times (1994, 2004, 2009) from the same constituency.
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Cynthia Carroll
- Years
- 1956-.. (age 70)
- Occupations
- geologistbusiness executive
- Biography
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Cynthia Blum Carroll is an American businesswoman. She was the chief executive officer of Anglo American, a British mining company and one of the world's largest platinum producers.
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Cooper Beebe
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- Studied secondary education
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Cooper Beebe is an American professional football center for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, being named a unanimous All-American in 2023, and was selected by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.
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Austra Skujytė
- Occupations
- decathleteheptathlete
- Biography
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Austra Skujytė is a retired Lithuanian athlete, competing in both the heptathlon and the decathlon. On 15 April 2005 in Columbia, Missouri, she broke the women's decathlon world record, with a score of 8358. She is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in the heptathlon. The latter medal was allocated retrospectively following the disqualification in 2016 of original medalist Tatyana Chernova for historic doping offences.
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Tejaswin Shankar
- Occupations
- athletics competitor
- Biography
-
Tejaswin Shankar is an Indian track and field athlete, who competes in decathlon and formerly specialized in high jump. Shankar made history by winning India's first-ever high jump medal at the Commonwealth Games, clinching bronze at the 2022 edition. After switching to decathlon, he won a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games and went on to claim a silver and a bronze medal at the Asian Championships in 2025 and 2023 respectively. He was also the NCAA Division I Champion in high jump in 2018 and 2022, making him one of the most successful Indian athletes in collegiate athletics.
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James Harbord
- Occupations
- businesspersonmilitary officer
- Biography
-
James Guthrie Harbord was a senior officer of the United States Army and president and chairman of the board of RCA. During World War I, he served from mid-1917 to mid-1918 as chief of staff of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), commanded by General John J. Pershing, before commanding a brigade and briefly a division and then the AEF Services of Supply. In the former role he was, in the words of former soldier-turned historian David T. Zabecki,
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Theresa Vail
- Occupations
- radio personalitybeauty pageant contestant
- Biography
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Theresa Marie Vail is Miss Kansas 2013. She subsequently placed in the top ten of the Miss America 2014 pageant, where she became the first contestant to openly display tattoos (during the swimsuit competition) and won the "America's Choice" award. Vail later hosted programs for the Outdoor Channel.
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Robert Streb
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- In 2009 studied marketing
- Occupations
- golfer
- Biography
-
Robert Charles Streb is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour where he has been a member since 2013.
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Ben Sinnott
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- Studied marketing
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Benjamin Sinnott is an American professional football tight end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, earning two All-Big 12 honors prior to being selected by the Commanders in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
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Ángel Rodríguez
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Ángel Daniel Rodríguez Tricoche is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player for Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for Kansas State University and the University of Miami.
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Gail Gregg
- Occupations
- photographerpainter
- Biography
-
Gail Gregg is an American mixed-media artist and journalist based in New York City. Her work includes abstract painting, works on paper and objects, collage, photography and artist books. She is best known for encaustic paintings and works on paper that transform everyday, ephemeral discards—scavenged shipping cardboard and crate lids, orphaned photo albums or library cards—into enduring works that emphasize a minimalist approach to surface and pattern, subtle aesthetics, and the hand-made. These intimate and repurposed artworks convey themes involving memory and reflection, transformation, humor, overlooked beauty, and contemporary consumerism and excess. ARTnews critic Ann Landi wrote of the latter works, "The constructions ask us to regard the dross surrounding us but Gregg's sensibility is one of gentle irony and understated elegance. Recycling hasn't looked this good since Rauschenberg's 'Cardboards.'"
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Carlos Torres
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
-
Carlos Ephriam Torres is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Washington Nationals, and Detroit Tigers, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants.
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John W. Carlin
- Occupations
- university teacherarchivistpolitician
- Biography
-
John William Carlin is an American educator and politician who served as the 40th governor of Kansas from 1979 to 1987, and the archivist of the United States from May 30, 1995, to February 15, 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Carlin teaches at Kansas State University as a visiting professor and previously operated a website to advance civic engagement.
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Matt McCrane
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Matthew McCrane is an American professional football placekicker for the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He has also played for the Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Guardians, and Cleveland Browns.
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Jordan Wicks
- Years
- 1999-.. (age 27)
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
-
Jordan Maslin Wicks is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023.
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Carla Provost
- Occupations
- peace officerofficial
- Biography
-
Carla L. Provost is an American retired government official who served as the Chief of the United States Border Patrol from August 2018 through January 2020. She was the first woman to serve as Chief of the Border Patrol, a career law enforcement position. Provost held numerous positions during her 25-year career in the Border Patrol, including serving as Deputy Chief beginning in October 2016, and Acting Chief from April 2017 until her promotion in August 2018.
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Frank Carlson
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- Studied agricultural science
- Occupations
- farmerpolitician
- Biography
-
Frank Carlson was an American politician who served as the 30th governor of Kansas, Kansas State representative, United States representative, and United States senator from Kansas. Carlson is the only Kansan to have held all four offices. His political career spanned 40 years, beginning in November 1928 and ending in January 1969.
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Joseph W. Kennedy
- Occupations
- university teacherchemistphysicist
- Biography
-
Joseph William Kennedy was an American chemist who co-discovered plutonium, along with Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin McMillan, and Arthur Wahl. During World War II, he led the CM (Chemistry and Metallurgy) Division at the Manhattan Project's Los Alamos Laboratory, where he oversaw research onto the chemistry and metallurgy of uranium and plutonium. After the war, he was recruited as a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, where he is credited with transforming a university primarily concerned with undergraduate teaching into one that also boasts strong graduate and research programs. He died of cancer of the stomach at the age of 40.
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Gary E. Luck
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
-
Gary Edward Luck was a four-star general of the United States Army. Following his retirement, he was a senior advisor to the United States Joint Forces Command prior to that command's inactivation. He was a Senior Fellow for the National Defense University in support of the Pinnacle, Capstone, and Keystone programs.
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Eric Wolford
- Occupations
- coach
- Biography
-
Eric Wolford is an American football coach and former player who is currently the offensive line coach at LSU. He previously served as the offensive line coach at the University of Alabama from 2022 to 2023 and the University of Kentucky in 2021 then again from 2024 to 2025. He was the head football coach at Youngstown State University from 2010 to 2014. After a 3–8 mark in his first season, the Penguins compiled a 28–18 mark over his final four campaigns, were ranked in the top-10 three times, and broke 32 school records during his tenure. Highlights included a 2012 win over 2012 Pittsburgh Panthers football team—the first win over a BCS team in school history, and a 2011 win over top-ranked North Dakota State.
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Craig Bolerjack
- Years
- 1958-.. (age 68)
- Occupations
- sports commentator
- Biography
-
Kyle Craig Bolerjack is an American sportscaster. He is currently calling Utah Jazz telecasts on KJZZ with Thurl Bailey. He has also called games for CBS, ESPN, and CBS College Sports Network in a national broadcasting career that dates back to the late 1990s.
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John R. Evans Jr
- Enrolled in Kansas State University
- Graduated with Master of Arts in adult education
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
-
John R. Evans Jr. is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who last served as the commanding general of United States Army North from 2021 to 2024. He most recently served as the commanding general of the United States Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox from 2018 to 2021. Previously, he served as the commanding General of the United States Army Special Operations Aviation Command from 2016 to 2018.
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Jim Geringer
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary officer
- Biography
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James Edward Geringer is an American politician who was the 30th governor of Wyoming, serving from 1995 to 2003.
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Barry Brown Jr
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Barry Gerard Brown Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats.
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Cartier Martin
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Cartier Alexander Martin is an American former professional basketball player who played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Kansas State.
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Leanne Caret
- Years
- 1966-.. (age 60)
- Occupations
- business executive
- Biography
-
Leanne Caret is an American businesswoman, former president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), former executive vice president of Boeing, and serves on the United Service Organizations (USO) board of governors.
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Jeremiah Massey
- Occupations
- basketball playerassociation football player
- Biography
-
Jeremiah Massey is an American-born naturalized Macedonian former professional basketball player. Standing at 6 ft 7 1⁄2 in (2.02 m), he played at the power forward and center positions during his professional career.
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Theresa Sparks
- Occupations
- engineerpolitician
- Biography
-
Theresa Sparks is an American business executive and politician who is executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and was a candidate for San Francisco Supervisor for District 6 in the November 2010 election. She is a former president of the San Francisco Police Commission and former CEO of Good Vibrations. She is also one of San Francisco's most famous transgender women and was a Grand Marshal in the 2008 San Francisco Pride Parade.
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Taylor Mali
- Occupations
- poetteachervoice actor
- Biography
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Taylor McDowell Mali is an American slam poet, humorist, teacher and voiceover artist.
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Donald M. Campbell, Jr
- Years
- 20th Century
- Biography
-
Lieutenant General Donald M. Campbell Jr. is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the commanding general of United States Army Europe. He commanded the United States Army Europe from December 1, 2012, to November 6, 2014.
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Xavier Sneed
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Xavier Tyron Sneed is an American professional basketball player for Cantù of Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2021 to 2023.
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Thomas Frank
- Occupations
- historianpolitical scientistjournalist
- Biography
-
Thomas Carr Frank is an American political analyst, and historian. He co-founded and edited The Baffler magazine. Frank is the author of the books What's the Matter with Kansas? (2004) and Listen, Liberal (2016), among others. From 2008 to 2010 he wrote "The Tilting Yard", a column in The Wall Street Journal.
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Alwyn Howard Gentry
- Occupations
- botanical collectorscientific collectorbotanistcurator
- Biography
-
Alwyn Howard Gentry was an American botanist and plant collector, who made major contributions to the understanding of the vegetation of tropical forests.
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Mike Hayden
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
John Michael Hayden is a retired American politician and veteran who served as the 41st governor of Kansas, from 1987 to 1991. He subsequently served as the Secretary of the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department under Kansas governors Kathleen Sebelius and Mark Parkinson.
