100 Notable alumni of
University of Iowa
Updated:
The University of Iowa is 81st in the world, 41st in North America, and 39th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Iowa sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Ashton Kutcher
- Occupations
- television actorcomedianfinanciermodelactor
- Biography
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Christopher Ashton Kutcher is an American actor, producer and entrepreneur. Kutcher began his acting career portraying Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show (1998–2006). He made his film debut in the romantic comedy Coming Soon (1999), followed by the comedy film Dude, Where's My Car? (2000), which was a box office success. In 2003, Kutcher starred in the romantic comedies Just Married and My Boss's Daughter. That year, he created and produced the television series Punk'd, also serving as host for the first eight of its ten seasons. Kutcher starred in the science fiction film The Butterfly Effect (2004) and had a voice role in Open Season (2006).
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Gene Wilder
- Occupations
- directorscreenwriteractorfilm producercomedian
- Biography
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Gene Wilder was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He was mainly known for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). He collaborated with Mel Brooks on the films The Producers (1967), Blazing Saddles (1974) and Young Frankenstein (1974), and with Richard Pryor in the films Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) and Another You (1991).
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Jake Johnson
- Occupations
- film actorscreenwritertelevision actoractorfilm director
- Biography
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Jake Johnson is an American actor and filmmaker. He has starred as Nick Miller in the Fox sitcom New Girl (2011–2018), for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 2013. He has also voiced a version of Spider-Man in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and its 2023 sequel.
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Brandon Routh
- Occupations
- film actormodeltelevision actoractorfilm producer
- Biography
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Brandon James Routh is an American actor. He portrayed Superman in the 2006 film Superman Returns, which garnered him international fame. In 2011, he played the title character of the film Dylan Dog: Dead of Night. He also had a recurring role in the NBC series Chuck, as Daniel Shaw. Routh also has supporting roles in the film Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), playing Todd Ingram in the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) and the animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023).
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Jean Seberg
- Occupations
- film actoractor
- Biography
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Jean Dorothy Seberg was an American actress. She is considered an icon of the French New Wave as a result of her performance in Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 film Breathless.
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Tennessee Williams
- Occupations
- writernovelistscreenwriterpoetplaywright
- Biography
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Thomas Lanier Williams III, known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama.
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Tom Arnold
- Occupations
- television actorscreenwriterfilm actoractorvoice actor
- Biography
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Thomas Duane Arnold is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Arnie Thomas on Roseanne, which starred his ex-wife Roseanne Barr.
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Albert Bandura
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- In 1951 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- university teacherpsychologisteducator
- Biography
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Albert Bandura was a Canadian-American psychologist. He was a professor of social science in psychology at Stanford University.
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Chuck Grassley
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- Studied in 1957-1958
- Occupations
- legislatorpoliticianuniversity teacherfarmer
- Biography
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Charles Ernest Grassley is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Iowa, having held the seat since 1981. Grassley was first elected to the Senate in 1980 and has been reelected seven times. He is the longest-serving Republican in Congressional history and the sixth-longest-serving U.S. senator in history.
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Terry O'Quinn
- Occupations
- television actorguitaristsingerfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Terrance Quinn, known professionally as Terry O'Quinn, is an American actor. He is best known for his Primetime Emmy Award-winning performance of John Locke on the TV series Lost (2004–2010). In film, he is best known for playing the title role in The Stepfather (1987) and Howard Hughes in The Rocketeer (1991), with roles in other films such as Heaven's Gate (1980), Silver Bullet (1985), Young Guns (1988), Blind Fury (1989), Tombstone (1993), and Primal Fear (1996).
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Kari Lake
- Occupations
- journalistnews presenterpoliticiansports journalist
- Biography
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Kari Lake Halperin is an American former television news anchor. A member of the Republican Party, she is a candidate in the 2024 United States Senate election in Arizona. She was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election.
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Al Jarreau
- Occupations
- singer-songwritersingerpercussionistjazz musiciansocial worker
- Biography
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Alwin Lopez Jarreau was an American singer and songwriter. His 1981 album Breakin' Away spent two years on the Billboard 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and R&B sound. The album won Jarreau the 1982 Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. In all, he won seven Grammy Awards and was nominated for over a dozen more during his career.
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Tom Brokaw
- Occupations
- writeropinion journalistnews presentertelevision journalistjournalist
- Biography
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Thomas John Brokaw is an American retired network television journalist and author. He first served as the co-anchor of The Today Show from 1976 to 1981 with Jane Pauley, then as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News for 22 years (1982–2004). In the previous decade he served as a weekend anchor for the program from 1973 to 1976. He is the only person to have hosted all three major NBC News programs: The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and, briefly, Meet the Press. He formerly held a special correspondent post for NBC News.
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John Irving
- Occupations
- novelistwriterscreenwriter
- Biography
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John Winslow Irving is an American-Canadian novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter.
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Flannery O'Connor
- Occupations
- novelistwriteressayist
- Biography
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Mary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries.
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Big E
- Occupations
- professional wrestlerplayer of American footballpowerlifter
- Biography
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Ettore Ewen is an American professional wrestler and former powerlifter. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs under the ring name Big E; he has been on hiatus due to a broken neck since March 2022. In addition to his singles career, he is a decorated tag team wrestler as part of The New Day with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.
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Jayaprakash Narayan
- Occupations
- politiciansocial workerfreedom fighter
- Biography
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Jayaprakash Narayan Srivastava, who is popularly referred to as JP or Lok Nayak (Hindi for "People's leader"), was an Indian independence activist, theorist, socialist and political leader. He is largely remembered for leading the mid-1970s opposition against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and called for her overthrow in a "total revolution". In 1999, Narayan was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in recognition of his social service. His other awards include the Magsaysay award for public service in 1965.
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Colin Egglesfield
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- Studied biology
- Occupations
- television actormodelfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Colin Egglesfield is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Josh Madden in the soap opera All My Children, Auggie Kirkpatrick on The CW's reboot of the drama series Melrose Place, Dex in the film Something Borrowed, and Evan Parks on The Client List.
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D. B. Weiss
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- Graduated with Master of Fine Arts
- Occupations
- writerdirectorauthorshowrunnertelevision director
- Biography
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Daniel Brett Weiss is an American television writer and producer. Along with his collaborator David Benioff, he is best-known for co-creating Game of Thrones (2011–2019), the HBO adaptation of George R. R. Martin's series of books A Song of Ice and Fire.
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Alex Karras
- Occupations
- film actorprofessional wrestlerplayer of American footballtelevision actoractor
- Biography
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Alexander George Karras was an American professional football player, professional wrestler, sportscaster, and actor. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection playing defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), where he played from 1958 to 1970. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the Centennial class.
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Paul Rust
- Occupations
- television actorscreenwritermusicianfilm actorcomedian
- Biography
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Paul Rust is an American actor, comedian and writer. He starred in the 2009 film I Love You, Beth Cooper and in the Netflix series Love.
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Bob Stoops
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Robert Anthony Stoops is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League (UFL). He was the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1999 through the 2016 season, and on an interim basis during the 2021 Alamo Bowl. He led the Oklahoma Sooners to a record of 191–48 over his career. His 2000 Oklahoma Sooners football team won the 2001 Orange Bowl, which served as the BCS National Championship Game, and earned a consensus national championship. Since 2020, Stoops has been a head coach with the XFL, coaching the Renegades in 2020 and has been re-signed for 2023. Stoops' Renegades won the XFL Championship in 2023.
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David Eigenberg
- Occupations
- television actorfilm actoractorfilm producervoice actor
- Biography
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David Eigenberg is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Steve Brady on the HBO series Sex and the City and its revival series And Just Like That... and as Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann on NBC's Chicago Fire.
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Reza Aslan
- Occupations
- religious studies scholaruniversity teacherwriterTrekkieopinion journalist
- Biography
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Reza Aslan is an Iranian-American scholar of sociology of religion, writer, and television host. A convert to evangelical Christianity from Shia Islam as a youth, Aslan eventually reverted to Islam but continued to write about Christianity. He has written four books on religion: No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in the Age of Globalization, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, God: A Human History and in 2022 An American Martyr in Persia: The Epic Life and Tragic Death of Howard Baskerville.
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Joni Ernst
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Joni Kay Ernst is an American politician and former military officer serving as the junior United States senator from Iowa since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served in the Iowa State Senate from 2011 to 2014 and as auditor of Montgomery County from 2004 to 2011. As Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee since 2023, Ernst is the fourth-ranking Republican in the Senate.
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Diablo Cody
- Occupations
- writerexecutive producerdancerjournalistfilm director
- Biography
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Brook Maurio, known professionally by the pen name Diablo Cody, is an American writer and producer. She gained recognition for her candid blog and subsequent memoir, Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper (2005). Cody received critical acclaim for her screenwriting debut film, Juno (2007), winning the Academy Award, and the BAFTA Award.
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James Tolkan
- Occupations
- television actorfilm actoractortelevision director
- Biography
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James Stewart Tolkan is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Mr. Strickland in Back to the Future (1985) and Back to the Future Part II (1989), and as Marshal Strickland in Back to the Future Part III (1990). Other memorable film roles include Love and Death (1975), Top Gun (1986), Masters of the Universe (1987) and Dick Tracy (1990).
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Jim Yong Kim
- Occupations
- politicianuniversity teacherphysicianinternational forum participantanthropologist
- Biography
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Jim Yong Kim, also known as Kim Yong (김용/金墉), is an American physician and anthropologist who served as the 12th president of the World Bank from 2012 to 2019.
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Don Nelson
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Donald Arvid Nelson is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335 (he held the record for most wins for almost 12 years before he was surpassed by Gregg Popovich in 2022). He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors. After an All-American career at the University of Iowa, Nelson won five NBA championships playing with the Boston Celtics, with his number 19 retired by the franchise in 1978.
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Toby Huss
- Occupations
- television actorscreenwriterfilm actoractorvoice actor
- Biography
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Tobias Huss is an American actor, known for portraying Artie in the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1993–1996). He is also known for his voice-over work on the long-running animated series King of the Hill (1997–2010) as Kahn Souphanousinphone and Cotton Hill, and his role as Felix "Stumpy" Dreifuss on HBO's Carnivàle (2003–2005). He played John Bosworth on the AMC original period drama Halt and Catch Fire.
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Peter Craig
- Occupations
- writeractorfilm directortelevision actorscreenwriter
- Biography
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Peter Craig is an American novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for co-writing the screenplays to The Town (2010), The Batman, and Top Gun: Maverick (both 2022), earning an Academy Award nomination for the lattermost.
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Bret Bielema
- Occupations
- head coach
- Biography
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Bret Arnold Bielema is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a position he has held since the 2021 season. Bielema served as the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 2006 to 2012, achieving a 68–24 record and taking them to three straight Rose Bowl Games, although they lost each time. He was the head football coach at University of Arkansas from 2013 to 2017, tallying a mark of 29–34. Bielema was an assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, in 2018 and 2019 with the New England Patriots and in 2020 with the New York Giants.
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Caitlin Clark
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- Studied in 2020
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Caitlin Clark is an American college basketball player for the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten Conference.
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Jock Mahoney
- Occupations
- television actormilitary officerfilm actorstunt performeractor
- Biography
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Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney, known professionally as Jock Mahoney, was an American actor and stuntman. He starred in two Action/Adventure television series, The Range Rider and Yancy Derringer. He played Tarzan in two feature films and was associated in various capacities with several other Tarzan productions. He was credited variously as Jacques O'Mahoney, Jock O'Mahoney, Jack Mahoney, and finally Jock Mahoney.
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Mary Beth Hurt
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Mary Beth Hurt is an American actress of stage and screen. She is a three-time Tony Award-nominated actress.
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Greg Morris
- Occupations
- television actor
- Biography
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Francis Gregory Alan Morris was an American actor. He was best known for portraying Barney Collier on the television series Mission: Impossible and Lt. David Nelson on Vega$.
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Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak
- Occupations
- writeruniversity teacherliterary critictranslatorphilosopher
- Biography
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Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak is an Indian scholar, literary theorist, and feminist critic. She is a University Professor at Columbia University and a founding member of the establishment's Institute for Comparative Literature and Society.
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C. J. Beathard
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Casey Jarrett Beathard is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
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Luka Garza
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- Studied in 2017
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Luka H. Garza is an American and Bosnian professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League. He also represents the Bosnian national team internationally.
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Jackson Galaxy
- Occupations
- writermusiciancat behavioristtelevision presenter
- Biography
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Jackson Galaxy is an American cat behaviorist, YouTuber, and was the host of the television show My Cat from Hell.
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Steven Erikson
- Occupations
- archaeologistanthropologistwriter
- Biography
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Steve Rune Lundin, known by his pseudonym Steven Erikson, is a Canadian novelist who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist.
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T. Coraghessan Boyle
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Thomas Coraghessan Boyle is an American novelist and short story writer. Since the mid-1970s, he has published nineteen novels and more than 150 short stories. He won the PEN/Faulkner award in 1988, for his third novel, World's End, which recounts 300 years in upstate New York.
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John Getz
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorfilm actoractor
- Biography
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John William Getz is an American character actor. After starting his acting career on stage, he has appeared in numerous television series and films.
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Ann Patchett
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- 1985-1987 graduated with Master of Fine Arts in creative writing
- Occupations
- novelistwriter
- Biography
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Ann Patchett is an American author. She received the 2002 PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction in the same year, for her novel Bel Canto. Patchett's other novels include The Patron Saint of Liars (1992), Taft (1994), The Magician's Assistant (1997), Run (2007), State of Wonder (2011), Commonwealth (2016), The Dutch House (2019), and Tom Lake (2023). The Dutch House was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
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Sandra Cisneros
- Occupations
- novelistteacherarts administratorwritershort story writer
- Biography
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Sandra Cisneros is an American writer. She is best known for her first novel, The House on Mango Street (1983), and her subsequent short story collection, Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories (1991). Her work experiments with literary forms that investigate emerging subject positions, which Cisneros herself attributes to growing up in a context of cultural hybridity and economic inequality that endowed her with unique stories to tell. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, was awarded one of 25 new Ford Foundation Art of Change fellowships in 2017, and is regarded as a key figure in Chicano literature.
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Terry Branstad
- Occupations
- lawyeracademic administratorpoliticiandiplomat
- Biography
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Terry Edward Branstad is an American politician and former diplomat. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979 before serving as governor of Iowa from 1983 to 1999 and again from 2011 to 2017. He is the longest-serving governor in United States history. Branstad served as the United States Ambassador to China from 2017 to 2020 under President Donald Trump.
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Mark Stoops
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Mark Thomas Stoops is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at the University of Kentucky, a position he has held since the 2013 season. Stoops is the all-time winningest head coach in the history of the Kentucky Wildcats football program. He is also the longest tenured SEC football coach.
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Joe Walsh
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- In 1985 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in English
- Occupations
- politicianbusiness executiveradio personality
- Biography
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William Joseph Walsh is an American politician, talk radio host, former social worker, and former 2020 Republican presidential candidate who served one term in the United States House of Representatives representing Illinois's 8th congressional district.
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John Anderson
- Occupations
- film directorstage actortelevision actorfilm actor
- Biography
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John Robert Anderson was an American character actor who performed in hundreds of stage, film, and television productions during a career that spanned over four decades.
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Marilynne Robinson
- Occupations
- novelistscience fiction writerwriteressayist
- Biography
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Marilynne Summers Robinson is an American novelist and essayist. Across her writing career, Robinson has received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005, National Humanities Medal in 2012, and the 2016 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. In 2016, Robinson was named in Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people. Robinson began teaching at the Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1991 and retired in the spring of 2016.
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David Sanborn
- Occupations
- saxophonistrecording artistcomposerjazz musician
- Biography
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David William Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school and has been a session musician long before its release. He remains popular as a session musician, playing in several albums of various artists (see Discography).
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Yu Kwang-chung
- Occupations
- writerpoet
- Biography
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Yu Kwang-chung, also romanised as Yu Guangzhong was a Taiwanese writer, poet, educator and critic.
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Don DeFore
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Donald John DeFore was an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 1952 to 1957 and the sitcom Hazel from 1961 to 1965, the former of which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
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Virgil
- Occupations
- professional wrestlerteacher
- Biography
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Michael Jones, better known by his ring name Virgil, is an American former professional wrestler and actor. He is best known for his eight-year tenure in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), primarily as Ted DiBiase's personal assistant.
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Jay Norvell
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- In 1986 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- player of American footballAmerican football coach
- Biography
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Merritt James Norvell III is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Colorado State University, a position he has held since the 2022 season. Norvell served as the head football coach at the University of Nevada, Reno from 2017 to 2021. His father, Merritt Norvell, was the athletic director at Michigan State University from 1995 to 1998.
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John Boyd
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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John Richard Boyd was a United States Air Force fighter pilot and Pentagon consultant during the second half of the 20th century. His theories have been highly influential in military, business, and litigation strategies and planning.
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Micah Hyde
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Micah Richmond Hyde is an American football safety for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
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Connie Hawkins
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- Studied in 1961
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Cornelius Lance "Connie" Hawkins was an American professional basketball player. A New York City playground legend, "the Hawk" was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.
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Anthony Swofford
- Occupations
- novelistautobiographerwriter
- Biography
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Anthony Swofford is an American writer and former U.S. Marine, best known for his 2003 book Jarhead, based heavily on his accounts of various situations encountered in the Persian Gulf War. This memoir was the basis of the 2005 film of the same name, directed by Sam Mendes.
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David Milch
- Occupations
- writerscreenwritertelevision writerfilm producertelevision producer
- Biography
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David Sanford Milch is an American writer and producer of television series. He has created several television shows, including ABC's NYPD Blue (1993–2005), co-created with Steven Bochco, and HBO's Deadwood (2004–2006, 2019).
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Michael Cunningham
- Occupations
- university teacherfilm screenwriterwriterscreenwriterpoet
- Biography
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Michael Cunningham is an American novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for his 1998 novel The Hours, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1999. Cunningham is Professor in the Practice of Creative Writing at Yale University.
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Keegan Murray
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Keegan Mitchell Murray is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected fourth overall by the Kings in the 2022 NBA draft. He is the twin brother of Kris Murray, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Norm Coleman
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Norman Bertram Coleman Jr. is an American politician, attorney, and lobbyist. From 2003 to 2009, he served as a United States Senator for Minnesota. From 1994 to 2002, he was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota. First elected as a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Coleman became a Republican in 1996. Elected to the Senate in 2002, he was narrowly defeated in his 2008 reelection bid. As of 2024, he is the most recent Republican to have represented Minnesota in the U.S. Senate.
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Matthew Whitaker
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- Graduated with Master of Business Administration
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- politicianinternational forum participantlawyer
- Biography
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Matthew George Whitaker is an American lawyer, lobbyist and politician who served as the acting United States Attorney General from November 7, 2018, to February 14, 2019. He was appointed to that position by President Donald Trump after Jeff Sessions resigned at Trump's request. Whitaker had previously served as Chief of Staff to Sessions from October 2017 to November 2018.
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Bill Perkins
- Occupations
- film actorpoker playerbusinessperson
- Biography
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William O. Perkins III is an American hedge fund manager, film producer, author, and high stakes poker player. Perkins manages Skylar Capital, an energy trading hedge fund that had approximately $500 million in assets under management as of 2023.
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James E. Hansen
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- astrophysicistphysicistuniversity teacherclimatologistenvironmentalist
- Biography
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James Edward Hansen is an American adjunct professor directing the Program on Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. He is best known for his research in climatology, his 1988 Congressional testimony on climate change that helped raise broad awareness of global warming, and his advocacy of action to avoid dangerous climate change. In recent years, he has become a climate activist to mitigate the effects of global warming, on a few occasions leading to his arrest.
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Dallas Clark
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Dallas Dean Clark is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Indianapolis Colts. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, earning unanimous All-American honors and recognition as the top college tight end in the nation. He was selected by Indianapolis in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft and he was a member of their Super Bowl XLI championship team against the Chicago Bears. He also played in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens.
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Nicholas Meyer
- Occupations
- film producernovelistwriterscreenwriterdirector
- Biography
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Nicholas Meyer is an American screenwriter, director and author known for his best-selling novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, and for directing the films Time After Time, two of the Star Trek feature films, the 1983 television film The Day After, and the 1999 HBO original film Vendetta.
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Macdonald Carey
- Occupations
- actorfilm actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Edward Macdonald Carey was an American actor, best known for his role as the patriarch Dr. Tom Horton on NBC's soap opera Days of Our Lives. For almost three decades, he was the show's central cast member.
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Denis Johnson
- Occupations
- novelistmusicianpoetactorshort story writer
- Biography
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Denis Hale Johnson was an American novelist, short-story writer, and poet. He is perhaps best known for his debut short story collection, Jesus' Son (1992). His most successful novel, Tree of Smoke (2007), won the National Book Award for Fiction. Johnson was twice shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Altogether, Johnson was the author of nine novels, one novella, two books of short stories, three collections of poetry, two collections of plays, and one book of reportage. His final work, a book of short stories titled The Largesse of the Sea Maiden, was published posthumously in 2018.
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Ricky Davis
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Tyree Ricardo Davis is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for University of Iowa.
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Marshal Yanda
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Marshal John Yanda is an American former football guard who played for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and was selected by Baltimore in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He spent his entire 13-year career with the Ravens.
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Brooks Wheelan
- Occupations
- comedianpodcastertelevision actor
- Biography
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Brooks Patrick Wheelan is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and podcaster. First breaking through as a cast member and writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live during the 2013–2014 season, Wheelan currently hosts the podcast Entry Level. He has also released a half-hour special for Comedy Central, acted in various movies and shows including Big Hero 6: The Series, and opened for John Oliver at numerous sets.
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Cap Anson
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Adrian Constantine Anson, nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain") and "Pop", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association (NA), he played a record 27 consecutive seasons. Anson was regarded as one of the greatest players of his era and one of the first superstars of the game. He spent most of his career with the Chicago Cubs franchise (then known as the "White Stockings" and later the "Colts"), serving as the club's manager, first baseman and, later in his tenure, minority owner. He led the team to six National League pennants in the 1880s. Anson was one of baseball's first great hitters, and probably the first to tally over 3,000 career hits. In addition to being a star player, he innovated managerial tactics such as signals between players and the rotation of pitchers.
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Facundo Manes
- Occupations
- researcherphysicianneuroscientist
- Biography
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Facundo Manes is an Argentine neurologist and politician. Since 2021, he has been a Chamber of Deputies|National Deputy of Argentina elected in Buenos Aires Province. He is a member of the Radical Civic Union (UCR).
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Thomas G. Waites
- Occupations
- television actorfilm directorstage actorfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Thomas G. Waites is an American actor and acting instructor born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Waites runs an eponymous acting studio in New York City. He has been a member of the Actors Studio since 1984.
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Tristan Wirfs
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Tristan Wirfs is an American football offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa.
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Mark Johnson
- Occupations
- film producertelevision producerproduceractor
- Biography
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Mark Johnson is an American film and television producer. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing the 1988 film Rain Man.
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Justin Cronin
- Occupations
- novelistscience fiction writerwriteruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Justin Cronin is an American author. He has written six novels: Mary and O'Neil, The Ferryman, and The Summer Guest, as well as a vampire trilogy consisting of The Passage, The Twelve and City of Mirrors. He has won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award, the Stephen Crane Prize, and a Whiting Award.
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Joe Haldeman
- Occupations
- writerscience fiction writernovelistscreenwriterjournalist
- Biography
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Joe William Haldeman is an American science fiction author.
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Brandon Scherff
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Brandon Scherff is an American football guard for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, where he played seven seasons and made five Pro Bowls before joining the Jaguars in 2022. Scherff is considered to be among the best guards in the NFL.
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Howard R. Hughes, Sr
- Occupations
- entrepreneurinventorbusinessperson
- Biography
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Howard Robard Hughes Sr. was an American businessman and inventor. He was the founder of Hughes Tool Company. He invented the "Sharp–Hughes" two-cone rotary drill bit during the Texas Oil Boom. He is best known as the father and namesake of Howard Hughes (Howard Robard Hughes, Jr.) the famous American business tycoon and the founder of Hughes Aircraft.
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Joy Harjo
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- In 1978 graduated with Master of Fine Arts in creative writing
- Occupations
- climate activistteacherchildren's writermusicianwriter
- Biography
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Joy Harjo is an American poet, musician, playwright, and author. She served as the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, the first Native American to hold that honor. She was also only the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to have served three terms (after Robert Pinsky). Harjo is a member of the Muscogee Nation (Este Mvskokvlke) and belongs to Oce Vpofv (Hickory Ground). She is an important figure in the second wave of the literary Native American Renaissance of the late 20th century. She studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts, completed her undergraduate degree at University of New Mexico in 1976, and earned an MFA degree at the University of Iowa in its creative writing program.
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Bryan Bulaga
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Bryan Joseph Bulaga is a former American football offensive tackle. He played college football at Iowa. Bulaga was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He won Super Bowl XLV with the team over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Yaa Gyasi
- Occupations
- novelistwriter
- Biography
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Yaa Gyasi is a Ghanaian-American novelist. Her debut novel Homegoing, published in 2016, won her, at the age of 26, the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Award for best first book, the PEN/Hemingway Award for a first book of fiction, the National Book Foundation's "5 under 35" honors for 2016 and the American Book Award. She was awarded a Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature in 2020. As of 2016, Gyasi lives in Berkeley, California.
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Conor Dwyer
- Occupations
- swimmer
- Biography
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Conor James Dwyer is a former American competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. He competed in freestyle and medley events, and won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. 4×200-meter freestyle relay team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In total, he has won seventeen medals in major international competitions: nine gold, six silver, and two bronze spanning the Summer Olympics, the FINA World Championships, the Pan Pacific Championships, and the Pan American Games. Dwyer placed second at the 2016 US Olympic Swimming Trials in the 400m freestyle.
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Mike Daniels
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Michael Wayne Daniels Jr. is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
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Jarrod Uthoff
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Jarrod Reed Uthoff is an American professional basketball player for the Yokohama B-Corsairs of the Japanese B.League. He played three seasons of college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
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Liang Chow
- Occupations
- coachartistic gymnast
- Biography
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Liang Chow is a Chinese-American former artistic gymnast. He is the founder, owner, and head coach of Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa. He is notable for being the coach of 2008 Olympic balance beam champion Shawn Johnson and 2012 Olympic individual all-around champion Gabby Douglas. He coached senior US gymnasts Norah Flatley and Rachel Gowey and junior US gymnast Victoria Nguyen.
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James Cartwright
- Enrolled in the University of Iowa
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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James Edward "Hoss" Cartwright is a retired United States Marine Corps general who last served as the eighth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from August 31, 2007, to August 3, 2011. He previously served as the Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, from September 1, 2004, to August 10, 2007, and as Acting Commander, U.S. Strategic Command from July 9, 2004, to September 1, 2004. He retired from the Marine Corps on August 3, 2011, after nearly 40 years of service.
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Lin Hwai-min
- Occupations
- choreographerdancerwriter
- Biography
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Lin Hwai-min is a Taiwanese dancer, writer, choreographer, and founder of Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan.
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Robert Gallery
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Robert J. Gallery is a former American football offensive guard who played for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa, and received unanimous All-American recognition. He was selected by the Oakland Raiders second overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks.
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Nile Kinnick
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Nile Clarke Kinnick Jr. was an American naval aviator, law student, and college football player for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a training flight while serving as a United States Navy aviator in World War II. Kinnick was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, and the University of Iowa renamed its football stadium Kinnick Stadium in his honor in 1972.
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Chad Greenway
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
-
Chad Greenway is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 11-year career as a linebacker with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft.
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Max Allan Collins
- Occupations
- film directornovelistwriterscreenwriter
- Biography
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Max Allan Collins is an American mystery writer, noted for his graphic novels. His work has been published in several formats and his Road to Perdition series was the basis for a film of the same name. He wrote the Dick Tracy newspaper strip for many years and has produced numerous novels featuring the character as well.
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Reggie Evans
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Reginald Jamaal Evans is an American former professional basketball player who last played in the Big3 League. A Power forward, Evans played 13 seasons in the NBA with seven teams. While limited in his offensive game, Evans was known for his rebounding, tenacity and hustle on the defensive end.
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Henry Jenkins
- Occupations
- essayistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Henry Guy Jenkins III is an American media scholar and Provost Professor of Communication, Journalism, and Cinematic Arts, a joint professorship at the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He also has a joint faculty appointment with the USC Rossier School of Education. Previously, Jenkins was the Peter de Florez Professor of Humanities as well as co-founder and co-director (with William Uricchio) of the Comparative Media Studies program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has also served on the technical advisory board at ZeniMax Media, parent company of video game publisher Bethesda Softworks. In 2013, he was appointed to the board that selects the prestigious Peabody Award winners.
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George Gallup
- Occupations
- sociologistbusinesspersonstatisticianmathematicianjournalist
- Biography
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George Horace Gallup was an American pioneer of survey sampling techniques and inventor of the Gallup poll, a successful statistical method of survey sampling for measuring public opinion.
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Kenneth Nichols
- Occupations
- civil engineerarmy officermilitary engineer
- Biography
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Kenneth David Nichols CBE was an officer in the United States Army, and a civil engineer who worked on the secret Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb during World War II. He served as Deputy District Engineer to James C. Marshall, and from 13 August 1943 as the District Engineer of the Manhattan Engineer District. Nichols led both the uranium production facility at the Clinton Engineer Works at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the plutonium production facility at Hanford Engineer Works in Washington state.
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Riley Reiff
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
-
Riley Reiff is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and was selected by the Detroit Lions 23rd overall in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He previously played for the Lions from 2012 to 2016 and the Minnesota Vikings from 2017 to 2020.
