57 Notable alumni of
Missouri State University - Springfield
Updated:
Missouri State University - Springfield is 982nd in the world, 360th in North America, and 338th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 57 notable alumni from Missouri State University - Springfield sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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John Goodman
- Occupations
- singervoice actorstage actoractorcomedian
- Biography
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John Stephen Goodman is an American actor. He rose to prominence in television before becoming an acclaimed and popular film actor. Goodman has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Vanity Fair has called Goodman "among our very finest actors."
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Kathleen Turner
- Occupations
- voice actortheatrical directorfilm producerfilm actorstage actor
- Biography
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Mary Kathleen Turner is an American actress. Known for her distinctive deep husky voice, she is the recipient of two Golden Globes, as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy, and two Tony Awards.
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Ryan Howard
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Ryan James Howard, nicknamed "the Big Piece", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Howard spent his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing for the Philadelphia Phillies, from 2004 to 2016. He is known for being the fastest player in baseball history to reach both 100 home runs and 200 home runs. Howard holds numerous Phillies franchise records.
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Don S. Davis
- Occupations
- painteractortelevision actorfilm actorsculptor
- Biography
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Donald Sinclair Davis was an American character actor best known for playing General George Hammond in the television series Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007), and earlier for playing Major Garland Briggs on the television series Twin Peaks (1990–1991). In animation, he was also known as Wild Bill in the 2003 direct-to-video animated movie G.I. Joe: Spy Troops and its 2004 sequel, G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom. He was also a theater professor, painter, and United States Army captain.
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Roy Blunt
- Enrolled in Missouri State University - Springfield
- In 1972 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Roy Dean Blunt is an American politician who served as a United States senator from Missouri from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 33rd Missouri Secretary of State (1985–1993) and U.S. Representative for Missouri's 7th congressional district (1997–2011).
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Clay Harbor
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Clayton Lee Harbor is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft. He played college football for the Missouri State Bears. He was also a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, and New Orleans Saints.
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Pierce Johnson
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Pierce William Johnson is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies and for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He was drafted by the Cubs in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft out of Missouri State University.
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Lei'D Tapa
- Occupations
- American football playermanagermodelprofessional wrestler
- Biography
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Seini Tonga is a German-born Tongan American professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet, model, mixed martial artist, and former women's American football player. She is best known for her appearances with the American professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Lei'D Tapa.
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Austin Petersen
- Occupations
- political punditpolitician
- Biography
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Austin Wade Petersen is an American writer, political activist, commentator, and broadcaster. He is the host of the Wake Up America show daily newscast. He was the runner-up for the Libertarian Party's nomination for President of the United States in 2016, finishing second place to Gary Johnson with 21.9% of the vote.
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David Glass
- Enrolled in Missouri State University - Springfield
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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David Dayne Glass was an American businessman. He was president and chief executive officer of Walmart Stores, Inc. He was also an owner and chief executive officer of the Kansas City Royals.
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Crystal Methyd
- Occupations
- drag queen
- Biography
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Crystal Methyd is the stage name of Cody D. Harness, an American drag performer who competed on the twelfth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Her name refers to crystal meth.
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Bill Mueller
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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William Richard Mueller is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Mueller's MLB playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants (1996–2000, 2002), Chicago Cubs (2001–2002), Boston Red Sox (2003–2005), and Los Angeles Dodgers (2006).
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Brad Ziegler
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Brad Gregory Ziegler is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, and Miami Marlins. Ziegler was one of the few Major League pitchers to throw with a submarine delivery.
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Kyle Weems
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Kyle Jordan Weems is an American professional basketball player for Derthona Basket of the Italian LBA. He played collegiately for Missouri State University and was named Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year and an All-American in 2011.
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Jim Bohannon
- Occupations
- journalistradio personality
- Biography
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James Everett Bohannon was an American broadcaster who worked in television and radio and hosted the nationally syndicated late night radio talk show The Jim Bohannon Show originally broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System and later the Westwood One Network from 1985 to 2022. For 31 years, he also hosted America in The Morning, a nationally syndicated radio news show, stepping down in December 2015.
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Cullen Bunn
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Cullen Bunn is an American comics writer, novelist, and short story writer, best known for his work on comic books such as Uncanny X-Men, X-Men: Blue, Magneto and various Deadpool miniseries for Marvel Comics, and his creator-owned series The Damned and The Sixth Gun for Oni Press and Harrow County for Dark Horse Comics, as well as his middle reader horror novel Crooked Hills, and his short story work collection Creeping Stones & Other Stories.
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Bob Holden
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Robert Lee Holden Jr. is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of Missouri from 2001 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the Missouri state treasurer from 1993 to 2001 and represented the 136th district in the Missouri House of Representatives from 1983 to 1989. Since leaving public office, Holden has worked at Webster University, where he founded the Holden Public Policy Forum, and serves as the president and chairman of the United States Heartland China Association.
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Todd Tiahrt
- Enrolled in Missouri State University - Springfield
- In 1989 graduated with Master of Business Administration
- Occupations
- teacherpolitician
- Biography
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William Todd Tiahrt is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Kansas's 4th congressional district from 1995 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected as part of the historic Republican Wave of 1994, defeating 18-year incumbent U.S. Representative Dan Glickman. He ran in 2010 for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Sam Brownback. He lost to fellow Republican U.S. Representative Jerry Moran of Hays, Kansas, 50%–45%.
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Frank J. Grass
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Frank J. Grass is a retired United States Army general who served as the 27th chief of the National Guard Bureau.
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Blake Ahearn
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Daniel Blake Ahearn is an American professional basketball coach and former player who was an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Missouri State.
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Eric Burlison
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Eric Wayne Burlison is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from Missouri's 7th congressional district since 2023. He previously served as the representative for District 133 (Greene County) in the Missouri House of Representatives. A Republican, Burlison was elected to the Missouri House in 2008 and left office at the end of 2016. In 2018, he was elected to the Missouri Senate, representing District 20. He was reelected for a second term in the U.S House of Representatives in 2024.
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Shaun Marcum
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Shaun Michal Marcum is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, and Cleveland Indians. In 2015, he became the pitching coach for the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers. He joined the Missouri Southern Lions as their pitching coach in August 2016.
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Iron Mountain Baby
- Years
- 1902-1953 (aged 51)
- Biography
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Iron Mountain Baby refers both to a folk song and the subject of that song, William Moses Gould Helms.
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Wendy Jo Smith
- Occupations
- rapper
- Biography
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Wendy Jo Smith, better known as her stage-name Wendy Ho, is an American rap-artist, singer, and comedian.
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Jolie Justus
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Jolie L. Justus is an American lawyer and politician from Missouri. A Democrat, she was a member of the Missouri State Senate representing the 10th Senatorial District in Kansas City, serving as the Missouri Senate Minority Leader in her final two years.
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Norm Siebern
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Norman Leroy Siebern was an American professional baseball player and scout. He appeared in 1,406 games over a 12-year career in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox between 1956 and 1968. A two-time World Series champion and four-time American League All-Star, his best season came in 1962 with the Athletics when he hit 25 home runs, with 117 runs batted in and a.308 batting average. He might be most remembered, however, as being one of the players the Yankees traded for Roger Maris on December 11, 1959.
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Kevin Brockmeier
- Occupations
- writerscience fiction writerchildren's writernovelist
- Biography
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Kevin John Brockmeier is an American writer of fantasy and literary fiction. His best known work is The Brief History of the Dead, 2006.
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Mike Kickham
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Michael Joseph Kickham is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Listed at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and 220 pounds (100 kg), he throws and bats left-handed.
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Scott Carroll
- Occupations
- baseball playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Scott Alexander Carroll is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox.
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Jon Harris
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Jonathan Richard Harris is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played college baseball at Missouri State University, and was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.
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Dylan Coleman
- Years
- 1996-.. (age 29)
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Dylan David Coleman is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros.
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Buddy Baumann
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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George Charles Baumann IV is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets, and in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the Wei Chuan Dragons.
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Mariam Fardous
- Enrolled in Missouri State University - Springfield
- 2010-2010 graduated with Mini-MBA in business administration and personnel management
- Occupations
- astronautphysician
- Biography
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Mariam H. Fardous is a Saudi astronaut, selected as a back-up astronaut for Axiom Mission 2 by the Saudi Space Commission; her selection was officially announced on February 12, 2023.
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Ron Richard
- Enrolled in Missouri State University - Springfield
- Graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ronald Francis Richard was an American politician from the state of Missouri. A Republican, Richard served in the Missouri House of Representatives, including as Speaker of the House before being elected to the State Senate in 2010. He was the first speaker to later be elected Missouri senator in more than 100 years and became the first in Missouri's history to serve as top leader in both houses of his state's legislature, and the fifth person in United States history to do such after winning election for President Pro Tem of the Missouri Senate. Richard represented the 32nd Senatorial District.
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Melton D. Hancock
- Enrolled in Missouri State University - Springfield
- In 1951 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- businesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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Melton D. "Mel" Hancock was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri's 7th congressional district.
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Stephen R. Bough
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
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Stephen Rogers Bough is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
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Doug Harpool
- Occupations
- judgepoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Mark Douglas "Doug" Harpool is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. He also has been a Democratic American politician, and a former member of the Missouri House of Representatives from southwest Missouri's 134th district. He served five terms from January 5, 1983 to January 6, 1993.
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Wendell Bailey
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Robert Wendell Bailey is an American politician from Missouri. He graduated from Southwest Missouri State University, where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, with a degree in Business Administration and owned an automobile dealership in Willow Springs.
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Margaret B. Kelly
- Occupations
- accountantpolitician
- Biography
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Margaret Blake Kelly is an American former politician and accountant from Missouri.
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Bill Hardgrave
- Years
- 1964-.. (age 61)
- Biography
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Bill Hardgrave is an American academic who currently serves as the president of the University of Memphis, a role he's held since April 1, 2022. He was previously the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Auburn University. Prior to his time at Auburn, he served as the Bradberry Chair in Information Systems in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.
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Angelo Segrillo
- Occupations
- historianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Angelo de Oliveira Segrillo is a Brazilian historian specialized in Russia and in comparative studies of Russia, the West and Brazil. He holds a B.A. from Missouri State University, a master's degree from the Pushkin Institute (Moscow, Russia) and a doctorate from Universidade Federal Fluminense (Brazil). He is an associate professor of history at the University of São Paulo.
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Will Creekmore
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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William Thomas Creekmore is an American professional basketball player who last played for Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka of the B.League. He played college basketball for Boston University and Missouri State.
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David Gregory Kays
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
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David Gregory Kays is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
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Pauline Gracia Beery Mack
- Enrolled in Missouri State University - Springfield
- In 1913 graduated with bachelor's degree in chemistry
- Occupations
- chemist
- Biography
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Pauline Gracia Beery Mack was an American chemist, home economist, and college administrator. Her research in calcium, nutrition, radiation, and bone density began during the 1930s, and culminated in work for NASA when she was in her seventies.
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Matt Palmer
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Jonathan Matthew Palmer is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He bats and throws right-handed. He attended Southwest Missouri State University.
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Preston Ward
- Occupations
- basketball playerbaseball player
- Biography
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Preston Meyer Ward was an American professional baseball first baseman who appeared in 744 games over nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1948 and 1959 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Athletics. Ward was born in Columbia, Missouri, and attended Missouri State University. He threw right-handed, batted left-handed, and was listed as 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and 190 pounds (86 kg). His professional career began in the Brooklyn farm system in 1944 when he was 16 years old.
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Donn Sorensen
- Years
- 1961-.. (age 64)
- Biography
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Donn Sorensen is a healthcare executive, philanthropist, public speaker and author. Sorensen is the Chairman of Board and a member of the American Medical Group Association’s board of directors. He is also a fellow of the American College of Medical Practice Executives.
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Mike Miano
- Years
- 1973-.. (age 52)
- Occupations
- teacherAmerican football player
- Biography
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Mike Miano is a former American football player who played the position of defensive tackle. He is currently a teacher working for the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA.)
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Lester Barnard
- Occupations
- basketball coach
- Biography
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Lester Smith Barnard was an American football, basketball, baseball, and track coach. He served as the head football coach at West Tennessee Normal State School—now known as the University of Memphis—from 1922 to 1923 and Central Michigan University from 1924 to 1925, compiling a career college football coaching record of 22–7–6. Barnard was also the head basketball coach at West Tennessee from 1922 to 1924 and Central Michigan from 1924 to 1926, tallying a career college basketball mark of 22–37. He was a twin brother of Chester S. Barnard. In 1985, he died at the age of 90 in California.
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Marion T. Bennett
- Occupations
- judgepoliticiansecretarylawyer
- Biography
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Marion Tinsley Bennett served as a member of the United States Congress, as a judge of the United States Court of Claims and as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
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Sara Lampe
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Sara N. Lampe is a Democratic Party member of the Missouri House of Representatives, representing District 138 (central Springfield) since 2004. She currently serves as Minority Caucus Secretary. Lampe is term limited by Missouri law from running for a House seat in 2012, and previously considered candidacy for Missouri Lieutenant Governor. In August 2018, she became the Democratic nominee for Greene County Presiding Commissioner.
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Marv Braden
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Marvin Preston Braden was an American college and professional football coach. He was the head football coach at Northeast Missouri State College—now known as Truman State University—from 1967 to 1968 and United States International University—now known as Alliant International University from 1969 to 1972, compiling a career college football coaching record of 34–22–1. Braden served as an assistant coach for several National Football League (NFL) teams including the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Phoenix Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals.
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Ryan McKenna
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ryan Glennon McKenna is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the Missouri Senate, representing the 22nd District from 2007 to 2014. He was a previously member of the Missouri House of Representatives from 1999 through 2006.
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Mount Etna Morris
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Mount Etna Morris was an American politician from Missouri. A Democrat, he served three non-consecutive terms as State Treasurer of Missouri as well as two non-consecutive terms as Director of the Missouri Department of Revenue and two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives.
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Douglas Eads Foster
- Years
- 1875-1962 (aged 87)
- Occupations
- dentist
- Biography
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Douglas Eads Foster was a dentist who served on the Los Angeles City Council between 1927 and 1929.
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Troy Galloway
- Years
- 1966-.. (age 59)
- Enrolled in Missouri State University - Springfield
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science in geography
- Occupations
- civil servantmilitary personnel
- Biography
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Troy D. Galloway is a retired United States Army major general who last served as the Deputy Commanding General for the Army National Guard of the United States Army Forces Command from August 1, 2021, to May 1, 2023. He most recently served as the Deputy Commanding General for Operations of the First United States Army from May 1, 2019, to April 2021. Previously, he served as the Deputy Commanding General for the Army National Guard of the United States Army Combined Arms Center.
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Durward Gorham Hall
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Durward Gorham Hall was a six-term US representative from Missouri's 7th congressional district.
