58 Notable alumni of
Loyola University New Orleans
Updated:
Loyola University New Orleans is 1016th in the world, 370th in North America, and 348th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 58 notable alumni from Loyola University New Orleans sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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G-Eazy
- Occupations
- record producersongwriterrappersinger
- Biography
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Gerald Earl Gillum, better known by his stage name G-Eazy, is an American rapper, record producer and actor. Based in Oakland, California, he began his career in 2006 and released two independent studio albums until signing with RCA Records to release his third album and major label debut, These Things Happen (2014). It peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "I Mean It" (featuring Remo), which received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
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David Draiman
- Occupations
- singersongwriter
- Biography
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David Michael Draiman is an American heavy metal singer. Noted for his distorted baritone voice and percussive singing style, he has been the lead vocalist of Disturbed since 1996. He has written some of the band's most successful singles, such as "Stupify", "Down with the Sickness", "Indestructible", and "Inside the Fire". In 2006, he was ranked at No. 42 on the Hit Parader list of "Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time". During Disturbed's hiatus from 2011 to 2015, he worked on an industrial metal project with Geno Lenardo, which was later named Device. They released one self-titled album in 2013. Disturbed returned with the album Immortalized in 2015, Evolution in 2018, and Divisive in 2022.
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Mitch Landrieu
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Mitchell Joseph Landrieu is an American lawyer and politician who served as Mayor of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 2004 to 2010.
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Tom Benson
- Enrolled in Loyola University New Orleans
- In 1948 graduated with bachelor's degree in accounting
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Thomas Milton Benson Jr. was an American businessman, philanthropist and sports franchise owner. He was the owner of several automobile dealerships before buying the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) in 1985 and the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2012.
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María Celeste Arrarás
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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María Celeste Arrarás Mangual, better known as María Celeste, is a Puerto Rican broadcast journalist, author, and television personality, who has won three national Emmy Awards for journalism. In 2005, she became the first female recipient of the Legacy Award by Broadcast and Multi Channel for outstanding achievement in Hispanic Television. In 2006, Arrarás was included on the cover of Newsweek magazine, as one of the 20 most powerful women of the next generation of leaders.” In August 2018, María Celeste was awarded with a Doctorate Honoris Causa from the Universidad Central de Bayamon in Puerto Rico, in recognition for her philanthropic work. Until August 2020, Arrarás spent two decades as the host and managing editor of Al Rojo Vivo con María Celeste. Her program aired daily in the U.S. and in 15 Latin American countries, for a total daily audience of 35 million viewers. Her popularity has made her one of the most influential Hispanic figures in social platforms, with millions of followers around the world and in 2019 she made her debut in the Hollywood Reporter's Social Climber Chart at #5 of all TV Personalities.,
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Eboni K. Williams
- Enrolled in Loyola University New Orleans
- Graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- television personalitytelevision presenterlawyertelevision actorcelebrity
- Biography
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Eboni Kiuhnna Williams is an American lawyer and television host. She hosts the nightly news show The Grio with Eboni K. Williams on TheGrio. She co-hosted a talk show on WABC Radio in New York City and was a co-host of Fox News' 2017 show Fox News Specialists. In October 2020, she was cast in The Real Housewives of New York City for its thirteenth season.
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Jeff Landry
- Enrolled in Loyola University New Orleans
- In 2004 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- politicianpolice officerlawyerbusinessperson
- Biography
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Jeffrey Martin Landry is an American politician and attorney who has served as the 57th governor of Louisiana since 2024. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th attorney general of Louisiana from 2016 to 2024 and as the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2013.
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Kyan Douglas
- Occupations
- television personalitypresenter
- Biography
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Kyan Douglas is an American television personality and stylist. He was the grooming expert on the American television program Queer Eye from 2003 to 2007.
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Michael Smith
- Occupations
- sports journalistsports commentator
- Biography
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Michael Anthony Smith II is an American sports journalist, best known for his time as an ESPN commentator and host. He is the former co-host of the Peacock sports talk show Brother From Another.
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Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe III was an American fighter ace, Democratic Party politician, insurance executive, and funeral director. As a Marine pilot in World War II he received the Navy Cross for five of the seven kills he recorded over Okinawa. After the war he entered politics, serving as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1960 to 1964 and as the mayor of Biloxi, Mississippi, from 1973 to 1981. The most prominent funeral homeowner in Biloxi, he won a $500 million jury award in a contractual dispute with the rival funeral home company Loewen Group, later settling for $175 million.
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Robert Wilkie
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Robert Leon Wilkie Jr. is an American lawyer and government official who served as the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2018 to 2021, during the Trump administration. He was previously Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness during the Trump administration, from November 2017 to July 2018. A Naval intelligence officer in the Reserve, he was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs in the administration of President George W. Bush.
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Ellis Marsalis Jr
- Occupations
- pedagoguepianistjazz musicianmusic educator
- Biography
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Ellis Louis Marsalis Jr. was an American jazz pianist and educator. Active since the late 1940s, Marsalis came to greater attention in the 1980s and 1990s as the patriarch of the musical Marsalis family, when sons Branford and Wynton became popular jazz musicians.
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Shalanda Young
- Enrolled in Loyola University New Orleans
- 1995-1999 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in psychology
- Occupations
- policy advisorpolitician
- Biography
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Shalanda Delores Young is an American political advisor who was the 43rd director of the Office of Management and Budget, previously serving in an acting capacity from March 24, 2021, through March 17, 2022 concurrently as deputy director. She previously worked for the United States House Committee on Appropriations as its staff director.
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Earl Long
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Earl Kemp Long was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Louisiana for nine years (1939–1940, 1948–1952, and 1956–1960). A member of the Democratic Party, he held the same position that his brother, Huey Long, held years earlier (1928–1932).
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Joseph Cao
- Enrolled in Loyola University New Orleans
- In 2000 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- politicianadvocatelawyerteacher
- Biography
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Ánh Quang "Joseph" Cao is a Vietnamese-American politician who was the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district from 2009 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he is the first Vietnamese American and first native of Vietnam to serve in Congress.
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Sammis Reyes
- Enrolled in Loyola University New Orleans
- Graduated with Master of Business Administration
- Occupations
- basketball playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Sammis Daniel Reyes Martel is a Chilean professional football tight end. He was the first player from Chile to play in the NFL. Reyes grew up playing basketball as a youth member of the Chile national team before moving to the United States on an athletic scholarship at 14. He played college basketball at Hawaii, Palm Beach State, Tulane, and Loyola–New Orleans, graduating with a Master of Business Administration degree with the latter.
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Moon Landrieu
- Occupations
- judgepoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Moon Edwin Landrieu was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th mayor of New Orleans from 1970 to 1978. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented New Orleans' Twelfth Ward in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1960 to 1966, served on the New Orleans City Council as a member at-large from 1966 to 1970, and was the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under U.S. president Jimmy Carter from 1979 to 1981.
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Sean O'Keefe
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Sean Charles O'Keefe is a university professor at Syracuse University Maxwell School, former chairman of Airbus Group, Inc., former Secretary of the Navy, former Administrator of NASA, and former chancellor of Louisiana State University (LSU). He is a former member of the board of directors of DuPont.
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Fred Crane
- Occupations
- radio personalityAmerican football playertelevision actorstage actorhotel manager
- Biography
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Herman Frederick Crane was an American film and television actor and radio announcer. He is probably best known for his role as Brent Tarleton in the 1939 film, Gone with the Wind, speaking the opening lines in the movie during the opening scene with Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) and Stuart Tarleton (George Reeves).
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Hunter Wendelstedt
- Occupations
- baseball umpire
- Biography
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Harry Hunter Wendelstedt III is an American baseball umpire who has worked in the National League in 1998–1999 and throughout both major leagues since 2000. His father Harry Hunter Wendelstedt, Jr. was an NL umpire from 1966 to 1998. Hunter Wendelstedt goes by his middle name to avoid confusion with his father.
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Manuel Esquivel
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Sir Manuel Amadeo Esquivel KCMG, PC was a Belizean politician. As leader of the United Democratic Party, he served as the second prime minister of Belize from 1984 to 1989, and then again from 1993 to 1998. His party's victory in 1984 was the first time an opposition party had won a general election in Belize.
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Mary Anne Franks
- Years
- 1977-.. (age 48)
- Occupations
- juristuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Mary Anne Franks is an American legal scholar, author, activist, and media commentator. She is a professor of law and the Eugene L. and Barbara A. Bernard Professor in Intellectual Property, Technology, and Civil Rights Law at George Washington University Law School, where her areas of expertise and teaching include First Amendment law, Second Amendment law, criminal law, criminal procedure, family law, and law and technology. She also serves as president and Legislative and Technology Policy Director of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative. Prior to joining the faculty at George Washington University Law School, Professor Franks was the Michael R. Klein Distinguished Scholar Chair and Professor of Law at the University of Miami School of Law.
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Catherine Lacey
- Occupations
- writernovelist
- Biography
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Catherine Lacey is an American writer.
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Michael S. Harrison
- Occupations
- police officer
- Biography
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Michael S. Harrison is an American former police officer who served as commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) from 2019 to 2023. He was also the superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) from 2014 to 2019.
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Norman Francis
- Occupations
- academic
- Biography
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Norman Christopher Francis is an American academic who served as president of Xavier University of Louisiana from 1968 to 2015. He was the first Black and first lay president of the school, and the second African American to ever serve as president of a Catholic university in the United States.
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J. Skelly Wright
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
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James Skelly Wright was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and previously was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
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Bryan Hymel
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Bryan Hymel is an American operatic tenor who was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and graduated from Jesuit High School and Loyola University New Orleans.
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Richard W. Leche
- Occupations
- judgepoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Richard Webster Leche was an American attorney, judge, and politician, elected as the 44th Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana. He served from 1936 until 1939, when he resigned. Convicted on federal charges of misuse of federal funds, Leche was the first Louisiana chief executive to be imprisoned.
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John W. Houghtaling II
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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John Houghtaling is an American attorney and oil and gas executive.
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AM
- Born in
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United States - Occupations
- songwritersinger-songwriterguitaristsinger
- Biography
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AM is an American songwriter, musician, composer and producer born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, raised in New Orleans, and currently residing in the Los Angeles Echo Park neighborhood in California. AM or A.M. refers to his band and is also the moniker for this artist. Known for his seamless fusing of pop, soul, funk and world music, recording artist AM has released several critically acclaimed albums and toured the world. His newest collaboration with London artist/producer Shawn Lee, has been described by Rolling Stone as "hypnotic" and by Daytrotter as "intricate, groove-filled dreamscapes that are every bit organic and every bit mad genius."
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Mia Borders
- Occupations
- singer
- Biography
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Mia Borders is an American singer-songwriter from New Orleans, Louisiana, mixing soul, funk, rhythm and blues, and electronic music.
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Charles Anthony
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Charles Anthony Caruso, better known by his stage name of Charles Anthony, was an American actor and tenor noted for his portrayal of comprimario characters in opera. Anthony had the distinction of appearing in more performances at the Metropolitan Opera than any other performer. He celebrated his fiftieth anniversary with the company in 2004, and gave his farewell in the role of the aged Emperor Altoum in Turandot, at the Met, on January 28, 2010.
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Marguerite Piazza
- Occupations
- opera singertelevision actor
- Biography
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Marguerite Piazza was an American soprano, entertainer and philanthropist from New Orleans, Louisiana.
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Ed Feighan
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Edward Farrell "Ed" Feighan is a former American politician. He served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, and as a Democratic Party U.S. Representative from 1983 to 1993, serving Ohio's 19th congressional district.
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Greer Grimsley
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Greer Grimsley is an American bass-baritone who has had an active international opera career for the last three decades. He has sung leading roles with all of America's leading opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Seattle Opera, the San Francisco Opera, the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona, and the Houston Grand Opera. He has also performed on the stages of many important European opera houses.
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James Domengeaux
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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James R. Domengeaux was an American lawyer, politician, and judge who served in the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district from 1941 to 1949. He was a cultural activist of Cajun and Louisiana Creole descent who is best remembered for his efforts to preserve the French language in his native state.
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Sarah Jaffe
- Enrolled in Loyola University New Orleans
- 2000-2002 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in English
- Occupations
- television journalistradio journalistediting staffwriterjournalist
- Biography
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Sarah L. Jaffe is an American labor journalist. She is the author of Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt and Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted and Alone (2021), and most recently From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire (2024). Jaffe is a columnist for The Progressive and New Labor Forum, and her work has appeared in such outlets as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and The New Republic. She also cohosts a podcast called Belabored for Dissent magazine.
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Joe Leydon
- Occupations
- film criticjournalisthistorian
- Biography
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Joseph Patrick Michael Leydon is an American film critic and historian. A critic and correspondent for Variety since 1990, he is the author of Joe Leydon's Guide to Essential Movies You Must See (Michael Wiese Productions), and was a contributing critic for Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide. As of July 2021 he has 1225 reviews collected on the website Rotten Tomatoes. He is also a founding member of Houston Film Critics Society, and a voting member of Critics Choice. From 2001 until 2021, Leydon taught film and communication studies courses at Houston Community College and the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication at University of Houston.
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Robert William Muench
- Occupations
- Catholic priestCatholic bishop
- Biography
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Robert William Muench is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Muench served as bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge in Louisiana from 2002 to 2018. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Covington in Kentucky from 1996 to 2002 and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in Louisiana from 1990 to 1996.
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Carl H. Brans
- Occupations
- physicist
- Biography
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Carl Henry Brans is an American mathematical physicist best known for his research into the theoretical underpinnings of gravitation elucidated in his most widely publicized work, the Brans–Dicke theory.
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A. J. McNamara
- Occupations
- judgepoliticianengineerlawyer
- Biography
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Abel John "A. J." McNamara, was a Louisiana politician and judge who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1976 to 1980 and as a United States district judge of the New Orleans–based United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 1982 to 2001.
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Royd Anderson
- Occupations
- film directorfilmmaker
- Biography
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Royd Anderson is a Cuban-American filmmaker and historian based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He specializes in documentary films pertaining to tragic Louisiana events often overlooked by historians.
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Ronnie Virgets
- Years
- 1942-2019 (aged 77)
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Ronald Edward Virgets was an American writer, commentator, and journalist. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, he lived there for most of his life.
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Kim Gandy
- Occupations
- politicianwomen's rights activistlawyer
- Biography
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Kim Gandy is an American feminist who, from 2001 to 2009, was the president of the National Organization for Women. Since 2012, she has been the president and CEO of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. In 2009, Gandy was a resident fellow at the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. From January 2010 to October 2012, she was vice president and general counsel at the Feminist Majority Foundation in Arlington, Virginia.
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Ben Bagert
- Occupations
- politicianpianistlawyer
- Biography
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Bernard John Bagert Jr. is an American attorney and politician. He served in the Louisiana State House from 1970 to 1984 and the Louisiana State Senate from 1984 to 1992, representing Orleans Parish as a Democrat.
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Hunt Downer
- Years
- 1946-.. (age 79)
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Hunt Downer is an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
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Steven Spooner
- Years
- 1970-.. (age 55)
- Occupations
- pianist
- Biography
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Steven Spooner is an American pianist, and currently Professor of Piano at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Mary Ann Vial Lemmon
- Occupations
- judge
- Biography
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Mary Ann Vial Lemmon is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
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Franklin Foil
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary officerlawyer
- Biography
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Franklin Johnson Foil is a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate for the 16th district, serving since 2020. He formerly represented the 70th district in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2008 until 2020.
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Dick Clark
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Richard Wayne "Dick" Clark was an American politician from Florida who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives in the 93rd district from 1968 to 1976 He was a member of the Democratic Party.
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Jim McCafferty
- Occupations
- basketball coach
- Biography
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James Joseph "Big Jim" McCafferty was an American basketball coach for the Loyola Wolf Pack and Xavier Musketeers.
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Tony Dagradi
- Occupations
- saxophonist
- Biography
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Anthony Arnold "Tony" Dagradi is an American jazz saxophonist.
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Amy Guidry
- Occupations
- painter
- Biography
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Amy Guidry is an American artist in Lafayette, Louisiana.
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Richard Alvin Tonry
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Richard Alvin Tonry was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 1st congressional district for a partial term in 1977.
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Víctor J. Montilla
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Víctor José Montilla is a Puerto Rican businessman, publishing senior executive, and broadcaster.
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Brent Crayon
- Born in
- United States
- Occupations
- musician
- Biography
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Brent Crayon is an American pianist, musical director, orchestrator and copyist.
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Janet Mary Riley
- Occupations
- academic
- Biography
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Janet Mary Riley was an American civil rights activist and first female law professor in New Orleans. Riley dedicated her career to social justice reform, where her proposed "equal management" in reference to community property law was adopted by the Louisiana legislature in 1978 and formally incorporated into the Civil Code in 1980. In addition, Janet Mary Riley heavily involved herself with activism regarding the civil rights movement.
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Lydia Y. Nichols
- Occupations
- writerarts administratorcurator
- Biography
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Lydia Y. Nichols is an American writer, specifically focusing on race, culture and the environment. She currently works as the Chief Cultural Columnist for BayouBrief.com, a public interest news source in Louisiana.
