100 Notable alumni of
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Updated:
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is 161st in the world, 73rd in North America, and 70th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Oprah Winfrey
- Occupations
- autobiographertelevision presentervoice actormotivational speakertelevision producer
- Biography
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Oprah Gail Winfrey, also known mononymously as Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", she was the richest African-American of the 20th century and was once the world's only black billionaire. By 2007, she was often ranked as the most influential woman in the world.
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Peyton Manning
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Studied in 1994-1998
- Occupations
- restaurateurvoice actorplayer of American footballactor
- Biography
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Peyton Williams Manning is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with the Denver Broncos. Manning is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the second son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, older brother of former NFL quarterback Eli Manning, and uncle of Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, winning the Maxwell, the Davey O'Brien, and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards as a senior en route to victory in the 1997 SEC Championship Game.
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Kurt Vonnegut
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Kurt Vonnegut was an American writer and humorist known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and five nonfiction works; further collections have been published after his death.
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Kevin Nash
- Occupations
- basketball playertelevision actorprofessional wrestleractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Kevin Scott Nash is an American retired professional wrestler, podcaster and actor, currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is also known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
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Logan Marshall-Green
- Occupations
- film directorstage actortelevision actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Logan Marshall-Green is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the television series 24, The O.C., Traveler, Dark Blue and Quarry, as well as his roles in the films Devil, Prometheus, The Invitation, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Upgrade and When They See Us.
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Cormac McCarthy
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- 1951-1953 studied liberal arts education
- Occupations
- writernovelistscreenwriterfilm screenwriterplaywright
- Biography
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Cormac McCarthy was an American writer who authored twelve novels, two plays, five screenplays, and three short stories, spanning the Western and postapocalyptic genres. He was known for his graphic depictions of violence and his unique writing style, recognizable by a sparse use of punctuation and attribution. McCarthy is widely regarded as one of the greatest American novelists.
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Justin Gatlin
- Occupations
- athletics competitor
- Biography
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Justin Alexander Gatlin is a retired American sprinter who competed in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters. He is the 2004 Olympic Champion in the 100 meters, the 2005 and 2017 World Champion in the 100 meters, the 2005 World Champion in the 200 meters, and the 2019 World Champion in the 4 x 100 meters relay. In addition, Gatlin is the 2003 and 2012 World Indoor Champion in the 60 meters. He is a 5-time Olympic medalist and a 12-time World Championship medalist. At the World Athletics Relays, Gatlin won two gold medals in the 4 x 100 meters relay in 2015 and 2017. Gatlin is also a record 3-time Diamond League Champion in the 100 meters. He won the Diamond League trophy in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
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Candace Parker
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Studied in 2004-2008
- Occupations
- actorbasketball player
- Biography
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Candace Nicole Parker nicknamed "Ace", is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, she was selected as the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. She spent 13 seasons on the Sparks, two seasons with the Chicago Sky, and as of 2023 has spent one season with the Las Vegas Aces, winning a championship with each team.
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Mookie Betts
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts is an American professional baseball outfielder and second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the United States national team. He previously played for the Boston Red Sox. In 2018, while with the Red Sox, he became the first player in MLB history to win the Most Valuable Player, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, batting title, and World Series all in the same season.
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Van Jones
- Occupations
- civil rights advocateinternational forum participantenvironmentalistpunditlawyer
- Biography
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Anthony Kapel "Van" Jones is an American political analyst, media personality, lawyer, author, and civil rights advocate. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author, a CNN host and contributor, and an Emmy Award winner.
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Joshua Dobbs
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- 2013-2017 graduated with Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Robert Joshua "Josh" Dobbs is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
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Jason Witten
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Christopher Jason Witten is an American former professional football tight end for 17 seasons, primarily for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He currently is the head football coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas. He played college football for the University of Tennessee, and was drafted by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Witten ranks second in all-time career receptions and receiving yards by an NFL tight end, trailing only Tony Gonzalez. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time.
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Bianca Belair
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Bianca Blair Crawford is an American professional wrestler and fitness and figure competitor. As of 2024, she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bianca Belair. One of two women to win at a WrestleMania main event, Belair's 420-day reign as Raw Women's Champion stands as the longest in the championship's history.
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Scott Kelly
- Occupations
- astronautengineerairmanmilitary officer
- Biography
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Scott Joseph Kelly is an American engineer, retired astronaut, and naval aviator. A veteran of four space flights, Kelly commanded the International Space Station (ISS) on Expeditions 26, 45, and 46.
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Dixie Carter
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actoractorsingerstage actor
- Biography
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Dixie Virginia Carter was an American actress. She starred as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom Designing Women (1986–1993) and as Randi King on the drama series Family Law (1999–2002). She was nominated for the 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Gloria Hodge on Desperate Housewives (2006–2007).
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James Denton
- Occupations
- television actorguitaristsingerfilm actoractor
- Biography
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James Denton is an American film and television actor. He is best known for playing Mike Delfino on ABC's comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives (2004–2012) and Dr. Sam Radford on Hallmark Channel's comedy-drama series Good Witch (2015–2021).
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Chris Hadfield
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- 1990-1992 graduated with Master of Science in aviation
- Occupations
- camera operatorexecutive producerguitaristastronautaircraft pilot
- Biography
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Chris Austin Hadfield is a Canadian retired astronaut, engineer, fighter pilot, musician, and writer. The first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space, he has flown two Space Shuttle missions and also served as commander of the International Space Station (ISS). Prior to his career as an astronaut, he served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 25 years as an Air Command fighter pilot.
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Ovince St. Preux
- Occupations
- mixed martial arts fighter
- Biography
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Ovince Saint Preux is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor since 2008, Saint Preux has also formerly competed for Strikeforce, the XFC, and Shark Fights. He is known for his unorthodox fighting style, and has gained notability and notoriety for having won four fights using the rare Von Flue choke submission, leading to fans renaming it to the "Von Preux choke".
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Tobias Harris
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Tobias John Harris is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers before declaring for the 2011 NBA draft where he was drafted 19th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats and then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. Harris has also played for the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers.
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Dave Ramsey
- Occupations
- motivational speakerradio personality
- Biography
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David Lawrence Ramsey III is an American radio personality who offers financial advice. He hosts the nationally syndicated radio program The Ramsey Show. Ramsey has written several books, including The New York Times bestseller The Total Money Makeover, and hosted a television show on Fox Business from 2007 to 2010.
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Eric Berry
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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James Eric Berry is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American and recognized as the best collegiate defensive back in the country. He was then selected by the Kansas City Chiefs fifth overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. Berry has been voted to the Pro Bowl five times and has been named to the First-team All-Pro three times. Berry last played professionally in the 2018 NFL season.
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Arian Foster
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Arian Isa Foster is an American former football running back who is a musical artist under the name Bobby Feeno. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, and was signed by the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Foster was known for his signature Namaste bow, which he frequently performed after scoring touchdowns. He holds the Texans franchise records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and also played for the Miami Dolphins. Foster announced his retirement from the NFL on October 24, 2016.
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Allen West
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- In 1983 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- army officermilitary advisorpoliticianteacher
- 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.
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Christian Coleman
- Occupations
- sprinter
- Biography
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Christian Coleman is an American professional track and field sprinter who competes in the 100 meters and 200 meters. The 2019 world champion in the 100 meters, he also won gold as part of men's 4 × 100-meter relay. He holds personal bests of 9.76 seconds for the 100 m, which made him the 6th fastest all-time in the history of 100 metres event, and 19.85 for the 200 m. Coleman is the world indoor record holder for the 60 meters with 6.34 seconds. He was the Diamond League champion in 2018 & 2023 and the world number one ranked runner in the men's 100 m for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons.
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Dale Dickey
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Diana Dale Dickey is an American character actress who has worked in theater, film, and television. She began her career on stage, performing in the 1989 Broadway version of The Merchant of Venice, before appearing in popular revivals of A Streetcar Named Desire, Sweeney Todd and more off-Broadway and in regional theaters. She's the recipient of two Ovation Awards for her stage work in Los Angeles.
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Jim Justice
- Occupations
- politicianbusinessperson
- Biography
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James Conley Justice II is an American businessman and politician who has served as the 36th governor of West Virginia since 2017. Justice was once a billionaire, but his net worth had declined to $513.3 million as of 2021. He inherited a coal mining business from his father and built a business empire with 94 companies, including the Greenbrier, a luxury resort in White Sulphur Springs.
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Bob Corker
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- In 1974 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- entrepreneurpoliticianbusiness executiveinternational forum participantreal estate developer
- Biography
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Robert Phillips Corker Jr. is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2015 to 2019.
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Glory Johnson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Glory Bassey Johnson is an American basketball player for Turkish club Beşiktaş. Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she went to Webb School Of Knoxville and played collegiately for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols. She holds a Montenegrin passport and has represented the Montenegro national team internationally.
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Jimmy Haslam
- Occupations
- businesspersonentrepreneur
- Biography
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James Arthur Haslam III is an American businessman and sports executive. He is the chairman of the board of the Pilot Flying J truck stop chain. He and his wife Dee own the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL), the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer (MLS), and a stake in the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Haslam has won two MLS Cup Championships (2020 and 2023) as owner of the Crew.
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Josh Richardson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Joshua Michael Richardson is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning first-team all-conference honors in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as a senior in 2015. He was selected in the second round of the 2015 NBA draft by the Miami Heat and has also played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and New Orleans Pelicans.
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Bernard King
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Bernard King is an American former professional basketball player at the small forward position in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 14 seasons with the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Washington Bullets. King is a four-time NBA All-Star, four-time All-NBA selection and led the NBA in scoring in the 1984–85 season. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 8, 2013. His younger brother, Albert, also played in the NBA during his career.
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Huell Howser
- Occupations
- television actortelevision presenterscreenwriterfilm actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Huell Burnley Howser was an American television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, and voice artist, best known for hosting, producing, and writing California's Gold and his human interest show Visiting... with Huell Howser, produced by KCET in Los Angeles for California PBS stations. The archive of his video chronicles offers an enhanced understanding of the history, culture, and people of California. He also voiced the Backson in Winnie the Pooh (2011).
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Allan Houston
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Allan Wade Houston is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1993 to 2005. A shooting guard, Houston played nine seasons for the New York Knicks; he was a member of the Knicks' 1999 NBA Finals team. Houston made the NBA All-Star Team twice and also won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. men's basketball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
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Grant Williams
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Studied in 2016
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Grant Dean Williams is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Williams played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers. He was drafted 22nd overall in the 2019 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics and reached the NBA Finals with the team in 2022.
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Tamika Catchings
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Tamika Devonne Catchings is an American retired professional basketball player who played her entire 15-year career for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Catchings has won a WNBA championship (2012), WNBA Most Valuable Player Award (2011), WNBA Finals MVP Award (2012), five WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012), four Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), and the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2002). She is one of only 11 women to receive an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a Fiba World cup gold and a WNBA Championship. She has also been selected to ten WNBA All-Star teams, 12 All-WNBA teams, 12 All-Defensive teams and led the league in steals eight times. In 2011, Catchings was voted in by fans as one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time, and would be named to two more all-time WNBA teams, the WNBA Top 20@20 in 2016 and The W25 in 2021.
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John Cullum
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm directorfilm actorscreenwritersinger
- Biography
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John Cullum is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including Shenandoah (1975) and On the Twentieth Century (1978), winning the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for each. In 1966 he gained his first Tony nomination as the lead in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, in which he introduced the title song, and more recently received Tony nominations for Urinetown The Musical (2002) (Best Actor in a Musical) and as Best Featured Actor in the revival of 110 in the Shade (2007).
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Chris Moneymaker
- Occupations
- accountantpoker playerwriter
- Biography
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Christopher Bryan Moneymaker, is an American poker player who won the Main Event at the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP). His 2003 win is said to have revolutionized poker because he was the first person to become a world champion after qualifying at an online poker site. This has been referred to in the press as the "Moneymaker effect".
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Todd Helton
- Occupations
- professional baseball playerplayer of American football
- Biography
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Todd Lynn Helton is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played his entire 17-year career for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). A five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and three-time Gold Glove Award winner, Helton holds the Rockies' club records for hits (2,519), home runs (369), doubles (592), walks (1,335), runs scored (1,401), runs batted in (RBIs, with 1,406), games played (2,247), and total bases (4,292), among others.
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James M. Buchanan
- Occupations
- economistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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James McGill Buchanan Jr. was an American economist known for his work on public choice theory originally outlined in his most famous work, The Calculus of Consent, co-authored with Gordon Tullock in 1962. He continued to develop the theory, eventually receiving the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1986. Buchanan's work initiated research on how politicians' and bureaucrats' self-interest, utility maximization, and other non-wealth-maximizing considerations affect their decision-making. He was a member of the Board of Advisors of The Independent Institute as well as of the Institute of Economic Affairs, a member of the Mont Pelerin Society (MPS) and MPS president from 1984 to 1986, a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Cato Institute, and professor at George Mason University.
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Pam Tillis
- Occupations
- stage actorguitaristmusiciansinger-songwriterrecording artist
- Biography
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Pamela Yvonne Tillis is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is a daughter of country music singer and songwriter Mel Tillis and ex-wife of songwriter Bob DiPiero. Tillis recorded unsuccessful pop material for Elektra and Warner Records in the 1980s before shifting to country music. In 1989, she signed with Arista Nashville, entering top-40 on Hot Country Songs for the first time with "Don't Tell Me What to Do" in 1990. This was the first of five singles from her breakthrough album Put Yourself in My Place.
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Howard Baker
- Occupations
- diplomatpoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Howard Henry Baker Jr. was an American politician, diplomat and photographer who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1967 to 1985. During his tenure, he rose to the rank of Senate Minority Leader and then Senate Majority Leader. A member of the Republican Party, Baker was the first Republican to be elected to the US Senate in Tennessee since the Reconstruction era.
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Jerod Mayo
- Occupations
- player of American footballAmerican football coach
- Biography
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Jerod Mayo Sr. is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played with the Patriots for eight seasons. Mayo played college football at the University of Tennessee and was selected by the Patriots 10th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors in 2010 after leading the league in tackles, and received a second Pro Bowl selection in 2012. Mayo rejoined the Patriots as an assistant coach in 2019 and succeeded Bill Belichick as head coach in 2024.
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Monica Abbott
- Occupations
- softball player
- Biography
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Monica Cecilia Abbott is a retired American professional softball player. Abbott was an All-American pitcher for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers in college before starting a professional career in the NPF and in the Japan Softball League. In international competition, she has played for Team USA from 2005 including the national softball team winning a silver medal at the 2008 and 2020 Summer Olympics. Abbott is the NCAA Division I leader in wins, strikeouts, shutouts and innings.
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Paul Finebaum
- Occupations
- journalistcolumnist
- Biography
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Paul Finebaum is an American sports author, former columnist, and television-radio personality. His primary focus is sports, particularly those in the Southeast. After many years as a reporter, columnist, and sports-talk radio host in the Birmingham area, Finebaum was hired by ESPN in 2013 for its new SEC Network. He produces a radio show out of the network's regional base in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Phillip Fulmer
- Occupations
- head coach
- Biography
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Phillip Edward Fulmer Sr. is a former American football player, coach, and athletic director at the University of Tennessee. He served as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team from 1992 to 2008, compiling a 152–52 record. He is best known for coaching the Volunteers in the first BCS National Championship Game in 1998, defeating the Florida State Seminoles. Fulmer was the Volunteers' 22nd head football coach.
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C. J. Watson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Charles "C. J." Akeem Watson Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Tennessee.
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Estes Kefauver
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Studied in 1924
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Carey Estes Kefauver was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939 to 1949 and in the U.S. Senate from 1949 until his death in 1963.
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Yan Gomes
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Yan Gomes is a Brazilian-American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics.
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Jordan McRae
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Jordan Tyler McRae is an American professional basketball player for AEK Athens of the Greek Basket League and the Basketball Champions League. He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers, and was drafted 58th overall in the 2014 NBA draft, by the San Antonio Spurs. He is a 1.96 m (6'5") tall shooting guard-small forward. McRae won a championship with the Cavaliers in 2016. McRae set the NBA G League former single-game scoring record (61). After spending time in the G League and overseas, McRae signed with the Wizards in 2018. In March 2020 McRae signed with the Pistons, his most recent NBA team to date.
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Nia Ali
- Occupations
- athletics competitor
- Biography
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Nia Ali is an American track and field athlete, who specializes in the 100 m hurdles, heptathlon, and other events.
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R.A. Dickey
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Robert Allen Dickey is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves.
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Te'a Cooper
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Te'a Omari Cooper is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played for the Los Angeles Sparks. She played college basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears, South Carolina Gamecocks, and the Tennessee Volunteers.
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Benjamin Wade
- Occupations
- conductorcoachassociation football managerreality television participant
- Biography
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Benjamin "Coach" Wade is an American reality television personality best known for being a contestant on Survivor: Tocantins, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, and Survivor: South Pacific. He grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and later moved to Susanville, California, to conduct the Susanville Symphony and pursue "adventures" in Hollywood.
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Kevin Punter
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Kevin Xavier Punter Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Partizan of the Adriatic League and the EuroLeague. In addition to being a citizen of the United States, Punter also has Serbian citizenship.
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Heath Shuler
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- In 2001 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- politicianbusiness executiveplayer of American footballprofessional athletelobbyist
- Biography
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Joseph Heath Shuler is an American businessman, former NFL quarterback, and former U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 11th congressional district from 2007 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition during his tenure. In the 2006 House elections, Shuler defeated incumbent Charles H. Taylor, but retired after his district was redrawn. During his tenure in Congress, Shuler was known for challenging the leadership of his party, and in 2010 ran against Nancy Pelosi for Minority Leader.
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Kara Lawson
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Kara Marie Lawson is the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils women's basketball team. She is a former American professional women's basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and a basketball television analyst for ESPN and the Washington Wizards. Lawson primarily played as a shooting guard. She won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, a championship with the Sacramento Monarchs in the 2005 WNBA Finals, and coached the United States women's national 3x3 team to gold in the 2020 Summer Olympics. Lawson retired from the WNBA in 2015 to focus on her broadcasting career. She began her coaching career as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics of the NBA in 2019.
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J. P. Arencibia
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Jonathan Paul Arencibia is an American former professional baseball catcher. He is currently serving as the bench coach for the Syracuse Mets. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, and Tampa Bay Rays from 2010 through 2015.
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Jane O'Meara Sanders
- Occupations
- social workeracademic administrator
- Biography
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Mary Jane O'Meara Sanders is an American social worker, college administrator, activist, and political strategist. Sanders was provost and interim president of Goddard College (1996–1997) and president of Burlington College (2004–2011). In June 2017, she founded the think tank The Sanders Institute. She has been married to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders since May 28, 1988. She has also served as the first lady of Burlington, Vermont, during her husband's term as mayor.
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James A. Lindsay
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy in mathematics
- Occupations
- writermathematiciannon-fiction writercritic
- Biography
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James Stephen Lindsay, known professionally as James A. Lindsay, is an American author. He is known for the grievance studies affair, in which he, Peter Boghossian and Helen Pluckrose submitted hoax articles to academic journals in 2017 and 2018 to test scholarship and rigor in several academic fields. Lindsay has written several books including Cynical Theories (2020), which he co-authored with Pluckrose. He is also known for promoting right-wing conspiracy theories, such as that of Cultural Marxism, and LGBT grooming conspiracy theories.
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Jim DeMint
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- In 1973 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- business executivepolitician
- Biography
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James Warren DeMint is an American businessman, author, and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from South Carolina and as president of The Heritage Foundation. A leading figure in the Tea Party movement, DeMint is a member of the Republican Party and is the founder of the Senate Conservatives Fund.
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Johnny Majors
- Occupations
- player of American footballAmerican football coach
- Biography
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John Terrill Majors was an American professional football player and college coach. A standout halfback at the University of Tennessee, he was an All-American in 1956 and a two-time winner of the Southeastern Conference Most Valuable Player award, in 1955 and 1956. He finished second to Paul Hornung in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1956. After playing one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL), Majors became a college assistant coach. He served as the head coach at Iowa State University (1968–1972), the University of Pittsburgh (1973–1976, 1993–1996), and Tennessee (1977–1992), compiling a career college football record of 185–137–10. His 1976 Pittsburgh squad won a national championship after capping a 12–0 season with a victory in the Sugar Bowl. Majors was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1987.
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Aries Merritt
- Occupations
- athletics competitorhurdler
- Biography
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Aries Merritt is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 110 metre hurdles, and currently holds the world record in that event with a time of 12.80 s set on September 7, 2012. He won the gold medal in the 110 metre hurdles at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
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William Oefelein
- Occupations
- astronautengineeraircraft pilotmilitary officer
- Biography
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William Anthony "Bill" Oefelein is an American freelance adventure writer and photographer and former NASA astronaut who, on his only spaceflight, piloted the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission.
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Tim Burchett
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Timothy Floyd Burchett is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for Tennessee's 2nd congressional district, based in Knoxville, serving since 2019.
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Admiral Schofield
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- In 2015 studied African studies
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Admiral Donovhan Schofield is a British-American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Osceola Magic of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers.
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Tianna Madison-Bartoletta
- Occupations
- athletics competitorsprinterbobsledderlong jumper
- Biography
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Tianna Bartoletta is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the long jump and short sprinting events. She is a two-time Olympian with three gold medals. At the 2012 Summer Olympics she placed fourth in the 100m race then won her first gold by leading off the world record-setting 4 × 100 m relay team. At the 2016 Summer Olympics she won two more golds, first with a personal best to win the long jump then again leading off the victorious 4 × 100 m relay team.
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Kelsey Robinson
- Occupations
- volleyball playerbeach volleyball player
- Biography
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Kelsey Marie Robinson Cook is an American indoor volleyball player of the United States women's national volleyball team. Robinson won gold with the national team at the 2014 World Championship, the Rimini Volleyball Nations League, and the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, and bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
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Chamique Holdsclaw
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Studied in 1995-1999
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is an American former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars. She announced her retirement from the Los Angeles Sparks on June 11, 2007, though she eventually came out of retirement to play with the Atlanta Dream for the 2009 WNBA Season. Holdsclaw was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Ernie Grunfeld
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Ernest Grunfeld is a Romanian-American former professional basketball player and former general manager in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In college at the University of Tennessee, he set a new record as the school's all-time leading scorer. He won gold medals with Team USA at the 1975 Pan American Games and the 1976 Summer Olympics. He began his professional career as a player with the Milwaukee Bucks. He served as General Manager of the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association from 1989 to 1999, and as the Bucks General Manager from 1999 to 2003, and then became the president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards from 2003 to 2019.
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Paul Annacone
- Occupations
- tennis playertennis coach
- Biography
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Paul Annacone is an American former touring professional tennis player and current tennis coach. He is the former coach of 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer, 14-time Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras, and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens. Annacone is currently a coach at ProTennisCoach.com, a commentator at Tennis Channel, and works with Taylor Fritz.
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Martha Rogers
- Years
- 1955-.. (age 69)
- Occupations
- academic
- Biography
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Martha Rogers is an American author, customer strategist, and founding partner of Peppers & Rogers Group, a management consulting firm. Rogers is an adjunct professor at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a co-director of the Duke Center for Customer Relationship Management.
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Massimo Pigliucci
- Occupations
- university teacherbiologistwriterphilosophergeneticist
- Biography
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Massimo Pigliucci is an Italian-American philosopher and biologist who is professor of philosophy at the City College of New York, former co-host of the Rationally Speaking Podcast, and former editor in chief for the online magazine Scientia Salon. He is a critic of pseudoscience and creationism, and an advocate for secularism and science education.
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Chase Headley
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Chase Jordan Headley is an American former professional baseball third baseman. A switch-hitter, Headley made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the San Diego Padres in 2007, and also played for the New York Yankees.
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William Gibbs McAdoo
- Occupations
- politicianbusinesspersonlawyer
- Biography
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William Gibbs McAdoo Jr. /ˈmækəˌduː/ was an American lawyer and statesman. McAdoo was a leader of the Progressive movement and played a major role in the administration of his father-in-law President Woodrow Wilson. A member of the Democratic Party, he also represented California in the United States Senate.
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Khadija Shaw
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Khadija Monifa "Bunny" Shaw CD is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a forward for Women's Super League club Manchester City and captains the Jamaica national team. She is Jamaica's all-time top goalscorer for both women and men, holds the joint record for most hat tricks in the WSL, and was awarded CONCACAF Player of the Year in 2022.
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Barry E. Wilmore
- Occupations
- astronautengineermilitary officer
- Biography
-
Barry Eugene "Butch" Wilmore is a NASA astronaut and United States Navy test pilot. He has had two spaceflights, the first of which was an 11-day Space Shuttle mission in November 2009, to the International Space Station. Wilmore was designated as pilot with five other crew members on Space Shuttle Atlantis for the mission STS-129. He most recently served as part of Expedition 41 to the International Space Station.
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Jim Haslam
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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James Arthur Haslam II is an American businessman and philanthropist, best known as the founder of Pilot Corporation, which operates a chain of convenience stores and travel centers throughout the United States and Canada, and is one of the largest privately owned companies in the United States. Haslam is also a donor for the University of Tennessee, having provided tens of millions of dollars to the school over several decades. Haslam's son Jimmy is the current owner of the National Football League's Cleveland Browns and Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew, and his other son Bill is a former Governor of Tennessee.
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Luke Hochevar
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Luke Anthony Hochevar is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played college baseball at the University of Tennessee, and played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals from 2007 through 2016. He was the first overall pick in the 2006 MLB draft and a member of the 2015 World Series champions.
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Michael Turner
- Occupations
- comics artistwriterdrawerscreenwriter
- Biography
-
Michael Layne Turner was an American comics artist known for his work on Witchblade, Fathom, Superman/Batman, Soulfire, and various covers for DC Comics and Marvel Comics. He was also the president of the entertainment company Aspen MLT.
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Jarnell Stokes
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Jarnell D'Marcus Stokes is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball at the University of Tennessee. He was one of the top rated high school players in the class of 2011. He was selected in with the 35th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz, and later traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
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William Isaac Thomas
- Occupations
- sociologistwriterpsychologist
- Biography
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William Isaac Thomas was an American sociologist, understood today as a key figure behind the theory of symbolic interactionism.
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John Chavis
- Occupations
- head coach
- Biography
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Johnny Chavis, nicknamed "The Chief", is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). He previously served as defensive coordinator for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team and former defensive coordinator, linebacker coach, and associate head coach at the Tennessee Volunteers football, LSU Tigers football, and Texas A&M Aggies football programs.
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Doug Atkins
- Occupations
- player of American footballbasketball player
- Biography
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Douglas Leon Atkins was an American football defensive end who played for the Cleveland Browns, the Chicago Bears, and the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers under head coach Robert Neyland. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Atkins was also drafted to the NBA in the 17th round by the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1953 NBA Draft.
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Rick Honeycutt
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Frederick Wayne Honeycutt, nicknamed "Honey", is an American former professional baseball coach and pitcher. Honeycutt pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six different teams over 21 years, from 1977 to 1997. He pitched in 30 post-season games, including 20 League Championship Series games and seven World Series games, and never lost a game, going 3–0. Honeycutt gave up no runs in the 1988 and 1990 post-seasons, and was a member of the Oakland Athletics' 1989 World Series championship team. He was also the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 through 2019.
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Chai Trong-rong
- Years
- 1935-2014 (aged 79)
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- In 1962 graduated with master's degree
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Chai Trong-rong, sometimes known in English as Trong Chai, was a Taiwanese politician.
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Nick Senzel
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Nicholas Peter Senzel is an American professional baseball outfielder and third baseman for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cincinnati Reds. Prior to playing professionally, Senzel attended the University of Tennessee, where he played college baseball for the Volunteers. The Reds selected him with the second overall selection in the 2016 MLB draft and he made his major league debut in 2019.
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Ramon Foster
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Ramon Sentel Foster, nicknamed "the Big Ragu", is a former American football guard who played 11 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He is the brother of former Rams offensive lineman Renardo Foster. He played college football at Tennessee where he played in a career total of 44 games and also earned All-SEC honors as a freshman and a junior. Foster is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
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Michael Persinger
- Occupations
- university teacherneuroscientistpsychologistneurologistufologist
- Biography
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Michael A. Persinger was an American-Canadian professor of psychology at Laurentian University, a position he had held from 1971 until his death in 2018. His most well-known hypotheses include the temporal lobes of the human brain as the central correlate for mystical experiences, subtle changes in geomagnetic activity as mediators of parapsychological phenomena, the tectonic strain within the Earth's crust as the source of luminous phenomena attributed to unidentified aerial objects, and the importance of specific quantifications for energy (10 Joules), photon flux density (picoWatt per meter squared), and small shifts in magnetic field intensities (picoTesla to nanoTesla range) for integrating cellular activity as well as human thought with universal phenomena.
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Phil Garner
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Philip Mason Garner is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder with the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants from 1973 to 1988. With the Pirates, he won the 1979 World Series over the Baltimore Orioles. He was manager of the Astros from July 14, 2004 to August 27, 2007, leading Houston to a World Series appearance in 2005.
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Marquez Callaway
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Marquez Antonio Callaway is an American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee.
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John Kelly
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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John Marshall Kelly Jr. is an American football running back for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee.
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Randolph Bresnik
- Occupations
- astronautmilitary officerfighter pilot
- Biography
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Randolph James "Komrade" Bresnik is a retired officer in the United States Marine Corps and an active NASA astronaut. A Marine Aviator by trade, Bresnik was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 19 in May 2004. He first launched to space on STS-129, then served as flight engineer for Expedition 52, and as ISS commander for Expedition 53.
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Charles O. Holliday
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering
- Occupations
- international forum participantbusinessperson
- Biography
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Charles Otis "Chad" Holliday, Jr. is an American businessman, former chairman of Royal Dutch Shell, former chairman of Bank of America, former chief executive officer and a former director of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont). He is chairman emeritus of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness and chairman of the Business Roundtable's Task Force for Environment, Technology and Economy. Holliday is also a founding member of the International Business Council and serves on the board of advisors of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.
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Trey Smith
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Studied sport management
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Henry Louis "Trey" Smith III is an American football guard for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee before he was drafted by the Chiefs in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
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Deunte Heath
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Deunte Raymon Heath is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on September 1, 2012, for the Chicago White Sox, and has also pitched in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and Saitama Seibu Lions.
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Jennifer Nicole Lee
- Occupations
- actormodelwriter
- Biography
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Jennifer Nicole Lee is an American fitness model, motivational speaker, and author. She is known for losing 70 pounds and launching a career as a fitness guru after bearing two children.
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Josh Lindblom
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Joshua William Lindblom is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Milwaukee Brewers and in the KBO League for the Lotte Giants and Doosan Bears.
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Ray Blanton
- Occupations
- politicianteacher
- Biography
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Leonard Ray Blanton was an American businessman and politician who served as the 44th governor of Tennessee from 1975 to 1979. He also served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1964 to 1970. Though he initiated a number of government reforms and was instrumental in bringing foreign investment to Tennessee, his term as governor was marred by scandal over the selling of pardons and liquor licenses.
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Jordan Bone
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Jordan Latham Bone is an American professional basketball player for Vanoli Cremona of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers.
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Chuck Fleischmann
- Enrolled in the University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- In 1986 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Charles Joseph Fleischmann is an American attorney and politician who has been the U.S. representative for Tennessee's 3rd congressional district since 2011. The district is based in Chattanooga and includes a large part of East Tennessee, including Oak Ridge. He is a member of the Republican Party.
