45 Notable alumni of
North Carolina Central University
Updated:
North Carolina Central University is 1249th in the world, 446th in North America, and 418th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 45 notable alumni from North Carolina Central 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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André Leon Talley
- Occupations
- journalistautobiographer
- Biography
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André Leon Talley was an American fashion journalist, stylist, creative director, author, and editor-at-large of Vogue magazine. He was the magazine's fashion news director from 1983 to 1987, its first African-American male creative director from 1988 to 1995, and then its editor-at-large from 1998 to 2013. Often regarded as a fashion icon, he was known for supporting emerging designers and advocating for diversity in the fashion industry; while the capes, kaftans, and robes he wore became his trademark look. Talley also served on the judging panel for America's Next Top Model (from Cycle 14 to Cycle 17).
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Ivan Dixon
- Occupations
- film producerfilm actorstage actorfilm directortelevision actor
- Biography
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Ivan Nathaniel Dixon III was an American actor, director, and producer best known for his series role in the 1960s sitcom Hogan's Heroes, and for his starring roles in the 1964 independent drama Nothing But a Man and the 1967 television film The Final War of Olly Winter. In addition, he directed many episodes of television series.
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Herman Boone
- Occupations
- American football coachcoach
- Biography
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Herman Ike Boone was an American high school football coach who coached the 1971 T. C. Williams High School football team to a 13–0 season, state championship, and national runner-up. That season later served as the basis for the film Remember the Titans in 2000, in which Boone was portrayed by actor Denzel Washington.
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Kim Coles
- Occupations
- film actortelevision producertelevision actoractor
- Biography
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Kimberly LaShaunda Coles is an American actress, comedian and game show host. Coles is known for her roles as a cast member on the first season of In Living Color (1990–1991) and as Synclaire James-Jones on the television sitcom Living Single (1993–1998), which both originally aired on Fox. She was the host of BET's game show Pay It Off in 2009.
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9th Wonder
- Occupations
- composerrapperrecord producermusiciandisc jockey
- Biography
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Patrick Denard Douthit, better known as 9th Wonder, is an American record producer, record executive, and DJ from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who is also teaching faculty at North Carolina Central University and Duke University, where he collaborates with Professor Mark Anthony Neal.
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Vernon Jones
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Vernon Angus Jones is an American politician who served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001 and from 2017 to 2021.
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William Barber II
- Enrolled in North Carolina Central University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in political science
- Occupations
- priestpolitician
- Biography
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William J. Barber II is an American Protestant minister, social activist, professor in the Practice of Public Theology and Public Policy and founding director of the Center for Public Theology & Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. He is the president and senior lecturer at Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival. He also serves as a member of the national board of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and is the chair of its legislative political action committee. From 2006 to 2017, Barber served as president of the NAACP's North Carolina state chapter, the largest in the Southern United States and the second-largest in the United States. He pastored Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Goldsboro, North Carolina, from 1993 to 2023.
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G. K. Butterfield
- Enrolled in North Carolina Central University
- In 1971 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- In 1974 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- judgepoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 1st congressional district from 2004 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected in a special election after the resignation of Frank Ballance.
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Maynard Jackson
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Maynard Holbrook Jackson Jr. was an American attorney and politician who served as the 54th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, from 1974 to 1982, and again as the city's 56th mayor from 1990 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first Black mayor of Atlanta and of any major city in the South; his three terms made him the second longest-serving mayor in the city's history, after six-term mayor William B. Hartsfield.
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April Parker Jones
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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April Parker Jones is an American television actress, best known for her roles as Darcy Hawkins in the CBS post-apocalyptic drama series Jericho from 2006 to 2008, and as Natalie Henning in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera, If Loving You Is Wrong (2014–2020). In 2018, she starred in the CW superhero series, Supergirl as Colonel Lauren Haley.
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Ernie Barnes
- Occupations
- painterAmerican football player
- Biography
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Ernest Eugene Barnes Jr. was an American artist, well known for his unique style of elongated characters and movement. He was also a professional football player, actor and author.
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J. A. Preston
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm actortelevision actor
- Biography
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James Allen Preston is a retired American actor. Preston is best known for portraying Colonel Randolph in the movie A Few Good Men and for his role as Ozzie Cleveland on the NBC prime-time television series Hill Street Blues. He played Conn MacCleary in the movie Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.
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Mike Easley
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Michael Francis Easley is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 72nd governor of North Carolina from 2001 to 2009. He is the first governor of North Carolina to have been convicted of a felony. The conviction was later expunged by the Chief Judge of the Superior Court of Wake County. A member of the Democratic Party, Easley was North Carolina's second Catholic governor.
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Barry Black
- Enrolled in North Carolina Central University
- Graduated with Master of Arts in counseling
- Occupations
- Seventh-day Adventist ministerchaplainmilitary officer
- Biography
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Barry Clayton Black is the 62nd chaplain of the United States Senate. He began serving as Senate chaplain on June 27, 2003, becoming the first African American and first Seventh-day Adventist to hold the office.
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Tressie McMillan Cottom
- Occupations
- sociologistuniversity teacheracademic
- Biography
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Tressie McMillan Cottom is an American writer, sociologist, and professor. She is an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science (SILS) and an affiliate of the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP) at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is also an opinion columnist at The New York Times.
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Morris Davis
- Occupations
- administrative law judgeuniversity teacherpoliticianair force officerJudge Advocate General of the Armed Forces
- Biography
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Morris Durham "Moe" Davis is an American retired U.S. Air Force colonel, attorney, educator, politician, and former administrative law judge.
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Stanton Kidd
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Stanton Kidd is an American professional basketball player for Sendai 89ers of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for South Plains College, North Carolina Central University and Colorado State before playing professionally in Belgium, Germany, Turkey and for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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Jean Farmer-Butterfield
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jean Farmer-Butterfield is an American politician who served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for the 24th district from January 2003 to July 2020.
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Frank Ballance
- Enrolled in North Carolina Central University
- In 1963 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Studied in 1965
- Occupations
- politicianlibrarianlawyerteacher
- Biography
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Frank Winston Ballance Jr. was an American politician and attorney who was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2004, representing North Carolina's 1st congressional district.
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Rossie D. Alston, Jr
- Occupations
- judge
- Biography
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Rossie David Alston Jr. is an American attorney and judge who is a district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019.
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Eva M. Clayton
- Enrolled in North Carolina Central University
- In 1962 graduated with Master of Science
- Occupations
- politiciandirector
- Biography
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Eva Clayton is an American politician from North Carolina. On taking her seat in the United States House of Representatives following a special election in 1992, Clayton became the first African American to represent North Carolina in the House since George Henry White was elected to his second and last term in 1898. She was re-elected and served for five terms. In 2003, Clayton was appointed Assistant Director-General of the United Nations's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), based in Rome.
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Millie Dunn Veasey
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
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Millie Dunn Veasey was an American veteran, who served from 1942 to 1945 in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC).
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Michael R. Morgan
- Occupations
- judge
- Biography
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Michael Rivers Morgan is a judge from the state of North Carolina. Morgan served for more than six years as an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Previously, he served as a judge on the 3rd division of North Carolina Superior Court for Judicial Circuit 10B, which covers Wake County.
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Dawson Odums
- Born in
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United States - Occupations
- head coachAmerican football coach
- Biography
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Dawson Tayrone Odums is an American football coach. He was most recently the head coach at Norfolk State University, a position he held from 2021 to 2024. Odums served as the interim head football coach at Clark Atlanta University for one season, in 2004, and head football coach at Southern University and A&M College from 2013 to 2020.
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Julius L. Chambers
- Enrolled in North Carolina Central University
- Studied in 1958
- Occupations
- lawyerchancellor
- Biography
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Julius LeVonne Chambers was an American lawyer, civil rights leader and educator.
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Daniel T. Blue, Jr
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Daniel Terry Blue Jr. is an American politician and attorney serving as a member of the North Carolina Senate, representing the state's 14th Senate district, and was the Senate minority leader.
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Jay Chaudhuri
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jay Chaudhuri is an American attorney, professor, politician and a Democratic member of the North Carolina Senate. First appointed to fill a vacancy in April 2016 caused by the resignation of Josh Stein (to run for North Carolina Attorney General), Chaudhuri was later elected and re-elected, becoming North Carolina's first Indian-American state legislator. In January 2019, he was elected by his colleagues to serve as Senate Minority (Democratic) Whip, the second-highest ranking position in the Democratic caucus.
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Larry Black
- Occupations
- athletics competitorsprinter
- Biography
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Larry Jeffery "Mutt" Black was an American sprinter, winner of the gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay and silver medal in the 200 m at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
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Ibrahim Cissé
- Born in
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Niger - Occupations
- physicist
- Biography
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Ibrahim I. Cissé is a Nigerien-American biophysicist. He is currently director of the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics. Previously, Cissé was at the California Institute of Technology as Professor of Physics and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as Professor of Physics and Biology. He has won several awards for his work, including in 2021 the MacArthur Fellowship.
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Mickey Michaux
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Henry McKinley "Mickey" Michaux Jr. is an American civil rights activist and Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly. He represented the state's thirty-first House district from 1983 to 2019 and previously served from 1973 through 1977. The district included constituents in Durham County. Upon his retirement, Michaux was the longest-serving member of the North Carolina General Assembly. In the 2007-2008 session, Michaux served as senior chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and chairman of the House Select Committee on Street Gang Prevention.
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Karamo Jawara
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Karamo Jawara is a Gambian-Norwegian professional basketball player for Club Ourense Baloncesto of the LEB Oro.
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Bobbie Richardson
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Bobbie J. Richardson is an American politician. She is the former Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, former First Vice Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party and a former Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. She was appointed to represent the 7th District (which includes portions of Franklin and Nash counties) in January 2013 after then-state representative Angela Bryant was appointed to complete the unexpired term of late state senator Edward Jones. Richardson is a retired educator and administrator, with 35 years of experience as an educator in North Carolina public schools. She earned her undergraduate and master's degrees from North Carolina Central University in Durham and her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Richardson is African-American.
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Arenda L. Wright Allen
- Occupations
- judgemilitary officerlawyer
- Biography
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Arenda Lauretta Wright Allen is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. She formerly worked as an Assistant United States Attorney and a Federal Public Defender in Norfolk, Virginia.
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Leonardo Williams
- Occupations
- restaurateurpolitician
- Biography
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Leonardo Williams is an American restaurateur and politician, currently the Mayor of Durham, North Carolina after winning the 2023 Durham mayoral election. Williams and his wife Zweli opened Zweli's in 2018, a Zimbabwean restaurant in Durham. The couple later opened Ekhaya in the American Tobacco Campus in 2022, serving Bantu-inspired tapas. Williams also served as a member of Durham's city council for Ward 3. Williams was sworn in as mayor on December 4, 2023.
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Toby Fitch
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Milton Frederick "Toby" Fitch Jr. is a Democratic former member of the North Carolina State Senate. He is a retired North Carolina Superior Court Judge, serving from 2002 to 2018. Fitch also served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1985 to 2001 (70th district), prior to serving as a judge.
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Elwood Robinson
- Occupations
- academic administratorpsychologist
- Biography
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Elwood L. Robinson is an American academic, university administrator and clinical psychologist currently serving as the 13th Chancellor of Winston-Salem State University. He previously served as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Cambridge College in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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Eleanor Kinnaird
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Eleanor Gates 'Ellie' Kinnaird is a North Carolina politician who served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's 23rd Senate district from January 1997 until her resignation in 2013. Her district included constituents in Orange and Chatham counties.
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Beverly McIver
- Occupations
- portraitistpainterprofessorteacher
- Biography
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Beverly McIver is a contemporary artist, mostly known for her self-portraits, who was born and raised in Greensboro, NC. She is currently the Esbenshade Professor of the Practice of Art, Art History and Visual Studies at Duke University.
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Ida Stephens Owens
- Enrolled in North Carolina Central University
- In 1961 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- physiologistbiochemist
- Biography
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Ida Stephens Owens was an American scientist known for her work with drug-detoxifying enzymes. She received her Ph.D from Duke University in 1967, making her one of the first two African Americans to receive a doctorate from the school. She spent her career at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she worked from 1968 to 2017 and pioneered the study of the genetics of human diseases and drug metabolism.
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Marvin W. Lucas
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Marvin Willis Lucas Jr. is a Democratic former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, who represented the 17th and later 42nd districts from 2001 until 2025. His district includes constituents in Cumberland County. He serves as the House Democratic Conference Co-Chair. Lucas is a retired school principal from Spring Lake, North Carolina. Lucas is African-American.
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Patrick Cole
- Years
- 1993-.. (age 32)
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Patrick Cole is an American former professional basketball player. He competed in college for Coppin State, Siena, and North Carolina Central.
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Vivian Wilson Henderson
- Occupations
- university presidenteconomist
- Biography
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Vivian Wilson Henderson was an American educator and human rights activist, and the eighth president of Clark Atlanta University. Vivian Wilson Henderson became President of Clark College in 1963, at the age of 40, where he would serve as president for 10 consecutive years.
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Terry Garrison
- Years
- 1949-.. (age 76)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Terrence Edward Garrison is an American politician. He was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2016. A Democrat, he represented the 32nd district (including all of Vance and Warren counties, as well as part of Granville County from 2017 to 2023.
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Nathan Baskerville
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Nathan Angus Baskerville is a former Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, who represented the 32nd district from 2013 to 2017. Baskerville also has his own law practice.
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Larry Hall
- Years
- 1955-.. (age 70)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Larry Dwight Hall is a North Carolina government official. A longtime member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, he served as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs under Governor Roy Cooper from 2017 through January 2021.
