100 Notable alumni of
University of Kansas
Updated:
The University of Kansas is 114th in the world, 51st in North America, and 49th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Kansas sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Paul Rudd
- Occupations
- writeractorstage actortelevision actorscreenwriter
- Biography
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Paul Stephen Rudd is a American actor and comedian. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in July 2015, and was included on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2019. In 2021, he was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive".
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Wilt Chamberlain
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 1955-1958
- Occupations
- screenwriterbasketball coachactorvolleyball playerbasketball player
- Biography
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Wilton Norman Chamberlain was an American professional basketball player. Standing 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Chamberlain was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978 and elected to the NBA's 35th, 50th, and 75th anniversary teams. Following his professional basketball career, Chamberlain played volleyball in the short-lived International Volleyball Association (IVA). He served one term as league president and is enshrined in the IVA Hall of Fame. Renowned for his strength, he played the antagonist in the 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger film Conan the Destroyer. Chamberlain was also a lifelong bachelor and became well known for his claim of having had sex with 20,000 women.
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Don Johnson
- Occupations
- songwriterfilm directorfilm actorfilm producersinger
- Biography
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Donnie Wayne Johnson, also known as D. Wayne Johnson, is an American actor, producer and singer. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series Miami Vice, for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work in the role. He also played the titular character in the 1990s series Nash Bridges. Johnson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996.
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Mandy Patinkin
- Occupations
- actorscreenwritersingerdirector
- Biography
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Mandel Bruce Patinkin is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television, and film. As a critically acclaimed Broadway performer he has collaborated with Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Patinkin's leading roles on stage and screen have received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award as well as nominations for seven Drama Desk Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
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Joel Embiid
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Joel Hans Embiid is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), who also holds French and American citizenship. After one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks, he was drafted third overall by the 76ers in the 2014 NBA draft. The 7-foot (2.1 m) Embiid is a seven-time NBA All-Star, a five-time member of the All-NBA Team, a three-time member of the All-Defensive Team, and a two- time NBA scoring champion. He was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2023.
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Bob Dole
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 1941-1943
- Occupations
- politicianlawyerjurist
- Biography
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Robert Joseph Dole was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican Leader of the Senate during the final 11 years of his tenure, including three non-consecutive years as Senate Majority Leader. Prior to his 27 years in the Senate, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 1961 to 1969. Dole was also the Republican presidential nominee in the 1996 election and the vice presidential nominee in the 1976 election.
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Scott Bakula
- Occupations
- television actorstage actorfilm actoractorfilm producer
- Biography
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Scott Stewart Bakula is an American actor. He is known for his roles in two science-fiction television series: as Sam Beckett on Quantum Leap – for which he received four Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award – and as Captain Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise. From 2014 to 2021, he portrayed Special Agent Dwayne Cassius "King" Pride on NCIS: New Orleans.
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Andrew Wiggins
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 2013-2014
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Andrew Christian Wiggins is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers after one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks.
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Paul Pierce
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Paul Anthony Pierce is an American former professional basketball player. He played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), predominantly with the Boston Celtics, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. He was most recently an analyst on ESPN's basketball programs The Jump and NBA Countdown.
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Iliza Shlesinger
- Occupations
- executive produceractortelevision presentertelevision actorscreenwriter
- Biography
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Iliza Vie Shlesinger is an American stand-up comedian, actress and television host. She was the 2008 winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing and went on to host the syndicated dating show Excused from 2011 to 2013. As well, she has hosted the TBS game show Separation Anxiety.
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Nikki Glaser
- Occupations
- television actorpodcasterfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Nicole Rene Glaser is an American stand-up comedian, actress, podcaster, radio host, and television host. She was the host of the television series Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, which premiered on Comedy Central and Much on February 9, 2016. She is the star of the 2022 reality show Welcome Home Nikki Glaser? on E!.
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Juan Manuel Santos
- Occupations
- lawyerpoliticianeconomistinternational forum participantjournalist
- Biography
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Juan Manuel Santos Calderón is a Colombian politician who was the President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. He was the sole recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.
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Gillian Flynn
- Occupations
- film criticnovelistfilm screenwritertelevision criticwriter
- Biography
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Gillian Schieber Flynn is an American author, screenwriter, and producer. She is known for writing the thriller and mystery novels Sharp Objects (2006), Dark Places (2009), and Gone Girl (2012), which are all critically acclaimed. Her books have been published in 40 languages, and according to The Washington Post, as of 2016 Gone Girl alone has sold more than 15 million copies.
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Dee Wallace
- Occupations
- stand-up comedianwriterfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Deanna Wallace, also known as Dee Wallace Stone, (born December 14, 1948) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Mary Taylor in the 1982 blockbuster film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. She is also known for her starring roles in several horror films including The Hills Have Eyes (1977), The Howling (1981), Cujo (1983) and Critters (1986).
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Kelly Oubre Jr
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Kelly Paul Oubre Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Oubre played one season of college basketball for the University of Kansas before being selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 15th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, who then traded him to the Washington Wizards. Oubre has also played for the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Charlotte Hornets.
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Markieff Morris
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Markieff Morris is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks before being drafted 13th overall in the 2011 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. He won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
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Aqib Talib
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Aqib Talib is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Kansas, where he received consensus All-American honors, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Talib also played for the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Los Angeles Rams, winning Super Bowl 50 with Denver. In 2020, he made his debut as an analyst for NFL on Fox.
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Gale Sayers
- Occupations
- stockbrokerscreenwriterplayer of American football
- Biography
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Gale Eugene Sayers was an American professional football halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). In a relatively brief but highly productive NFL career, Sayers spent seven seasons with the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1971, though multiple injuries effectively limited him to five seasons of play. He was known for his elusiveness and agility and was regarded by his peers as one of the most difficult players to tackle.
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Jack Del Rio
- Occupations
- American football coachplayer of American footballbaseball player
- Biography
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Jack Louis Del Rio Jr. is an American football coach and a former professional linebacker. He played college football as a linebacker at the University of Southern California before being drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 1985 NFL Draft. He also played for four other NFL teams before retiring in 1996.
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Mario Chalmers
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Almario Vernard "Mario" Chalmers is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Zamboanga Valientes of the ASEAN Basketball League. He was selected as the 34th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves after playing three seasons of college basketball for the University of Kansas. Chalmers was named the 2006–07 Co-Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament after winning the 2008 NCAA championship.
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Trai Byers
- Occupations
- actorfilm actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Trai Byers is an American actor. He is best known for playing Andre Lyon in the Fox musical television series, Empire (2015–2020). In 2020, Byers co-wrote and starred in the historical drama film, The 24th.
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Kari Wahlgren
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 1999
- Occupations
- television actorvoice actorfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Kari Wahlgren is an American voice actress who has provided English-language roles for animated movies, TV series, and video games. She got her start in anime voice-overs as Haruko Haruhara in FLCL, and would later land major roles in a number of shows and films: Robin Sena in Witch Hunter Robin, Lavie Head in Last Exile, Fuu in Samurai Champloo, Scarlett in Steamboy, Pacifica Casull in the Scrapped Princess, Saya Otonashi in Blood+, Michiru Satomi and Luca in Immortal Grand Prix, Kagami Hiiragi in Lucky Star, Saber in Fate/zero, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works and Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel, and Celty Sturluson in the Durarara!! series.
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Dean Smith
- Occupations
- engineerbasketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Dean Edwards Smith was an American men's college basketball head coach. Called a "coaching legend" by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he coached for 36 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Smith coached from 1961 to 1997 and retired with 879 victories, which was the NCAA Division I men's basketball record at that time. Smith had the ninth-highest winning percentage of any men's college basketball coach (77.6%). During his tenure as head coach, North Carolina won two national championships and appeared in 11 Final Fours. Smith played college basketball at the University of Kansas, where he won a national championship in 1952 playing for Hall of fame coach Phog Allen.
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Steve Doocy
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- television presenterjournalist
- Biography
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Stephen James Doocy is an American television host, political commentator, and author. He is a co-anchor of Fox & Friends on the Fox News Channel.
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Gary Woodland
- Occupations
- golfer
- Biography
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Gary Lynn Woodland is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He won the U.S. Open in 2019, his first major championship and sixth professional victory. Following a successful college career, he turned professional in 2007 and briefly competed on the Nationwide Tour.
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Kirk Hinrich
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Kirk James Hinrich is an American former professional basketball player. He has also been a member of the USA National Team.
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Clyde Tombaugh
- Occupations
- astronomeruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Clyde William Tombaugh /ˈtɒmbaʊ/ was an American astronomer. He discovered Pluto in 1930, the first object to be discovered in what would later be identified as the Kuiper belt. At the time of discovery, Pluto was considered a planet, but was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. Tombaugh also discovered many asteroids, and called for the serious scientific research of unidentified flying objects.
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Bill James
- Occupations
- statistician
- Biography
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George William James is an American baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books about baseball history and statistics. His approach, which he named sabermetrics after the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), scientifically analyzes and studies baseball, often through the use of statistical data, in an attempt to determine why teams win and lose.
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John Riggins
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Robert John Riggins, nicknamed "Riggo" and "Diesel", is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. He played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks. Riggins was known for his "bell cow" running style and productivity well into the later years of his career. In the 1983 season, at age 34, he rushed for a then-NFL record of 24 touchdowns, a record which stood for almost 20 seasons. Riggins again led the league in rushing touchdowns during the 1984 season at age 35. Although he earned only one Pro Bowl appearance in his career, Riggins had his greatest success in the postseason and was named MVP of Super Bowl XVII where he scored one touchdown and rushed for 166 yards in a 27–17 win for the Washington Redskins over the Miami Dolphins. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
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Danny Manning
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Daniel Ricardo Manning is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the Associate Head Mens Basketball Coach at the University of Louisville. Manning played high school basketball at Walter Hines Page High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, as well as Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Kansas. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks, and played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 years. After retiring from professional basketball Manning became an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Kansas. He won the national championship with the Jayhawks in 1988 as a player, and again as an assistant in 2008. He is the all-time leading scorer in Kansas basketball history with 2,951 points. The next closest player to his point total is Nick Collison, who is 854 points behind Manning.
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Nick Collison
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Nicholas John Collison is an American former professional basketball player who is a special assistant for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He spent his entire career with the Seattle SuperSonics, later renamed the Thunder in 2008. Collison was drafted by the SuperSonics in the first round of the 2003 NBA draft and retired as a member of the Thunder in 2018. As a college player, he went to two Final Fours as a member of the Kansas Jayhawks.
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Moses Gunn
- Occupations
- film actorstage actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Moses Gunn was an American actor of stage and screen. An Obie Award-winning stage player, he is an alumnus of the Negro Ensemble Company. His 1962 off-Broadway debut was in Jean Genet's The Blacks, and his Broadway debut was in A Hand is on the Gate, an evening of African-American poetry. He was nominated for the 1976 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in The Poison Tree, and he also played Othello on Broadway in 1970. For his screen performances, Gunn is best known for his roles as Clotho in WUSA (1970), Bumpy Jonas in Shaft (1971) and Joe Kagan on Little House on the Prairie (1977–1981).
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Ben McLemore
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Ben Edward McLemore III is an American professional basketball player who plays for Río Breogán of the Liga ACB. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks.
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Thomas Robinson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Thomas Earl Robinson is an American-born naturalised Lebanese professional basketball player for Pelita Jaya of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL). A consensus All-American at the University of Kansas, Robinson was drafted fifth overall in the 2012 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings.
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Marcus Morris Sr
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Marcus Thomas Morris Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The forward played college basketball at Kansas before being drafted 14th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2011 NBA draft. He has also played for the Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Jo Jo White
- Occupations
- restaurateurbasketball playerbasketball coachactor
- Biography
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Joseph Henry White was an American basketball player. As an amateur, he played at the University of Kansas, where he was named a second-team All-American twice. White was part of the U.S. men's basketball team during the 1968 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal with the team.
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Scot Pollard
- Occupations
- reality television participantbasketball player
- Biography
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Scot L. Pollard is an American former professional basketball player. In an 11-year NBA career, he played for five teams, spending the bulk of his career with the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers.
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Sam Brownback
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- In 1982 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- broadcasterteacheradministratorwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Samuel Dale Brownback is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011 and as the 46th governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party, Brownback also served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom during the administration of President Donald Trump and was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President in 2008.
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Bill Farmer
- Occupations
- actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Bill Farmer is an American voice actor, comedian and impressionist. He has performed the voice of the Disney character Goofy since 1987, and has also been the voice of Pluto and Horace Horsecollar since 1990.
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Terry Kiser
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Terry Kiser is an American actor. Besides portraying the deceased title character of the comedy Weekend at Bernie's and its sequel, Weekend at Bernie's II, he has more than 140 acting credits to his name, with a career spanning more than 50 years. He is the co-founder of the now defunct acting school The Actors Arena in Austin, Texas.
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Caroline Lucas
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- In 1987 graduated with Bachelor of Journalism
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Caroline Patricia Lucas is a British politician who has twice led the Green Party of England and Wales and has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brighton Pavilion since the 2010 general election. She was re-elected in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections, increasing her majority each time.
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Bill Kurtis
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- journalistwritertelevision producertelevision presenter
- Biography
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Bill Kurtis is an American television journalist, television producer, narrator, and news anchor.
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Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 2014
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Sviatoslav "Svi" Yuriyovych Mykhailiuk is a Ukrainian professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and prior to that, he played for Cherkaski Mavpy in the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague from 2012 to 2014 and for the Ukraine national team at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
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Adolph Rupp
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Adolph Frederick Rupp was an American college basketball coach. He is ranked seventh in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching at the University of Kentucky. Rupp is also second among all men's college coaches in all-time winning percentage (.822), trailing only Mark Few. Rupp was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 13, 1969. Rupp played college basketball at Kansas under Phog Allen.
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Paul R. Ehrlich
- Occupations
- environmentalistbiologistdemographeruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Paul Ralph Ehrlich is an American biologist known for his predictions and warnings about the consequences of population growth, including famine and resource depletion. Ehrlich is the Bing Professor Emeritus of Population Studies of the Department of Biology of Stanford University, and President of Stanford's Center for Conservation Biology.
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Kathleen Sebelius
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician who served as the 21st United States Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2009 until 2014. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sebelius was instrumental in overseeing the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Before becoming secretary, she served as the 44th governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009, the second woman to hold that office. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Sebelius was the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address and is chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors Association (she was its first female chair). She is CEO of Sebelius Resources LLC.
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Frank Mason III
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Frank Leo Mason III is an American professional basketball player for SLUC Nancy Basket of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the University of Kansas, where he was the starting point guard for the Jayhawks. For the 2016–17 season, he was the consensus National Player of the Year He was also a consensus All-American selection for his senior season at Kansas.
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George Tiller
- Occupations
- physiciangynaecologistmilitary officer
- Biography
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George Richard Tiller was an American physician and abortionist from Wichita, Kansas. He gained national attention as the medical director of Women's Health Care Services, which, at the time, was one of only three abortion clinics nationwide that provided late-term abortions.
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Alf Landon
- Occupations
- politicianbusinessperson
- Biography
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Alfred Mossman Landon was an American oilman and politician who served as the 26th governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937. A member of the Republican Party, he was the party's nominee in the 1936 presidential election, and was defeated in a landslide by incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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Brandon Rush
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Brandon Leray Rush is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, before being traded to the Indiana Pacers on draft day, after playing for Kansas for three seasons, including the 2008 championship season. He was selected as a Wooden Award All-American in both 2007 and 2008 as a Jayhawk. Rush has also played for the Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, and Minnesota Timberwolves, winning an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2015.
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Drew Gooden
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Andrew Melvin Gooden III is an American former professional basketball player who is currently a broadcaster for Monumental Sports Network. The power forward played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Gooden played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks, where he was a consensus first-team All-American in 2002. He earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors with the Memphis Grizzlies after they selected him in the first round of the 2002 NBA draft with the fourth overall pick.
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Diane Brewster
- Occupations
- television actoractor
- Biography
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Diane Brewster was an American television actress most noted for playing three distinctively different roles in television series of the 1950s and 1960s: confidence trickster Samantha Crawford in the Western Maverick with James Garner; pretty young second-grade teacher Miss Canfield in Leave It to Beaver; and doomed wife Helen Kimble in The Fugitive. Brewster was a direct descendant of William Brewster, a Pilgrim and Governor of the Plymouth Colony.
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Jerry Colangelo
- Occupations
- basketball playerentrepreneurbasketball coachbusinesspersonautobiographer
- Biography
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Jerry Colangelo is an American businessman and sports executive. He formerly owned the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League, and the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. He was also instrumental in the relocation of the original Winnipeg Jets team in the NHL to Phoenix to become the Phoenix Coyotes (now the Arizona Coyotes). In 2014, Grand Canyon University renamed its Christian based school of business after Jerry Colangelo, replacing Ken Blanchard's namesake. From December 2015 to April 2016, Colangelo served as chairman of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers, before serving as a special advisor to the team until December 2018.
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Devonte' Graham
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Devonte' Terrell Graham is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks.
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Alan Mulally
- Occupations
- engineeraerospace engineerchief executive officerbusinessperson
- Biography
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Alan Roger Mulally is an American aerospace engineer and manufacturing executive. He served as the CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes from 1998 to 2006, and later as president and chief executive officer of the Ford Motor Company from 2006 to 2014.
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Rex Stout
- Occupations
- science fiction writerwriterhumoristscreenwritercrime fiction writer
- Biography
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Rex Todhunter Stout was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. His best-known characters are the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels, and 41 novellas and short stories, between 1934 and 1975.
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Sasha Kaun
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Alexander "Sasha" Olegovich Kaun is a Russian former professional basketball player. He played college basketball in the United States for the University of Kansas for four seasons, where he won an NCAA championship in 2008 before being selected with the 56th overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2008 NBA draft. He played seven seasons in Russia for CSKA Moscow. In 2015, he returned to the United States and played his only NBA season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he won an NBA championship in 2015–16. Kaun became one of the first Russians, along with Timofey Mozgov, in NBA history to win an NBA championship. He also represented Russia in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
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Jacque Vaughn
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Jacque T. Vaughn is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Vaughn played in the NBA for the Nets, Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, and San Antonio Spurs from 1997 to 2009.
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Chris Harris Jr
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Christopher Harris Jr. is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at Kansas. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2011.
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Jim Ryun
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- In 1970 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- politicianathletics competitormiddle-distance runnerconsultantmotivational speaker
- Biography
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James Ronald Ryun is an American former Republican politician and Olympic track and field athlete, who at his peak was widely considered the world's top middle-distance runner. He won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and was the first high school athlete to run a mile in under four minutes. He is the last American to hold the world record in the mile run. Ryun later served in the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing Kansas's 2nd congressional district.
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Perry Ellis
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Perry Michael Ellis is an American professional basketball player for Fukui Blowinds of the Japanese B.League. Ellis played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks. Playing for coach Bill Self, Ellis averaged 12.5 points and 5.8 rebounds over 144 college games, leading the Jayhawks to an 116–30 record that included 4 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a trip to the Elite Eight during the 2015–2016 season.
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Keith Kellogg
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Joseph Keith Kellogg Jr. is a former United States government official and a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army. He previously served as the National Security Advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, and as the Executive Secretary and Chief of Staff of the United States National Security Council in the Trump administration. He served as National Security Advisor on an acting basis following the resignation of Michael T. Flynn.
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William Borah
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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William Edgar Borah was an outspoken Republican United States Senator, one of the best-known figures in Idaho's history. A progressive who served from 1907 until his death in 1940, Borah is often considered an isolationist, because he led the Irreconcilables, senators who would not accept the Treaty of Versailles, Senate ratification of which would have made the U.S. part of the League of Nations.
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Cheick Diallo
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Cheick Diallo is a Malian professional basketball player for Kyoto Hannaryz of the B.League. Diallo was a five-star recruit and the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. He played one season of college basketball for Kansas before declaring for the 2016 NBA draft, where he was selected with the 33rd overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Jerry Moran
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- In 1976 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- lawyeruniversity teacherbank officerpoliticiancelebrity
- Biography
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Gerald Wesley Moran is an American lawyer and politician who is the senior United States senator from Kansas, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 113th U.S. Congress, during which he led successful Republican efforts in the 2014 election, producing the first Republican Senate majority since 2006. Previously, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Kansas's 1st congressional district.
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Pat Roberts
- Occupations
- journalistpoliticianmilitary officernewspaper proprietor
- Biography
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Charles Patrick Roberts is a retired American politician and journalist who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1997 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Roberts served 8 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1981 to 1997, before his election to the Senate.
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Cole Aldrich
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Cole David Aldrich is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Aldrich played three seasons of college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks before being drafted by the New Orleans Hornets with the 11th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft.
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Billy Mills
- Occupations
- long-distance runnermarathon runnermilitary officer
- Biography
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William Mervin Mills, also known by his Oglala Lakota name Tamakhóčhe Theȟíla, is an American Oglala Lakota former track and field athlete who won a gold medal in the 10,000 metre run (6.2 mi) at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. His 1964 victory is considered one of the greatest Olympic upsets because he was a virtual unknown going into the event. He was the first non-European to win the Olympic event and remains the only winner from the Americas. A United States Marine, Mills is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
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Ronald Evans
- Occupations
- aerospace engineermilitary officerastronautengineeraircraft pilot
- Biography
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Ronald Ellwin Evans Jr. was an American electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, officer and aviator in the United States Navy, and NASA astronaut. As Command Module Pilot on Apollo 17 he was one of the 24 astronauts to fly to the Moon, and one of 12 people to fly to the Moon without landing.
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Keith Langford
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Andre Keith Langford is an American professional basketball player, currently playing his final season of professional basketball for Mass Street Kansas Alumni team in the 2023 The Basketball Tournament. Standing at 6' 4" (1.93 m), he primarily played at the shooting guard position. He played college basketball at the University of Kansas. Langford was an All-EuroLeague First Team selection in 2014 and won the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy twice.
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Mark Turgeon
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Mark Leo Turgeon is an American college basketball coach. Turgeon served as the head men's basketball coach at Jacksonville State University from 1998 to 2000, Wichita State University from 2000 to 2007, Texas A&M University from 2007 to 2011, and University of Maryland, College Park from 2011 to 2021.
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Bud Adams
- Occupations
- businesspersonbasketball coach
- Biography
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Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. was an American businessman who was the founder and owner of the Houston Oilers of the American Football League, of which he was also a co-founder. The franchise eventually was moved to Nashville, where it was re-named the Tennessee Titans, a National Football League (NFL) franchise. A member of the Cherokee Nation who originally made his fortune in the petroleum business, Adams was chairman and CEO of Adams Resources & Energy Inc., a wholesale supplier of oil and natural gas. He was instrumental in the founding and establishment of the former American Football League (AFL).
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Charles Rogers
- Occupations
- film actorjazz musiciandirectoractorstage actor
- Biography
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Charles Edward "Buddy" Rogers was an American film actor and musician. During the peak of his popularity in the late 1920s and early 1930s, he was publicized as "America's Boyfriend".
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Cliff Alexander
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Cliff Alexander is an American professional basketball player for Beirut Club of the Lebanese Basketball League (LBL). He completed his freshman season at the University of Kansas for the Jayhawks' on their 2014–15 team. He declared himself eligible for the 2015 NBA draft but was undrafted. He played one season for the Portland Trail Blazers and earned a second year of NBA service with the Brooklyn Nets.
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Vernon L. Smith
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- In 1951 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- economistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Vernon Lomax Smith is an American economist and professor of business economics and law at Chapman University. He was formerly a professor of economics at the University of Arizona, professor of economics and law at George Mason University, and a board member of the Mercatus Center. Along with Daniel Kahneman, Smith shared the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to behavioral economics and his work in the field of experimental economics. He worked to establish 'laboratory experiments as a tool in empirical economic analysis, especially in the study of alternative market mechanisms'.
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Ochai Agbaji
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Ochai Young Agbaji is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a senior at the University of Kansas, Agbaji was named a consensus first-team All-American and voted the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2022. He led the Jayhawks to a national championship and was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player (MOP).
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Rob Thomson
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Robert Lewis Thomson is a Canadian professional baseball manager for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball.
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Quentin Grimes
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 2018-2019
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Quentin Marshall Grimes is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and the Houston Cougars.
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Raef LaFrentz
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Raef Andrew LaFrentz is an American former professional basketball power forward and center who played for the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born and raised in Iowa, LaFrentz attended the University of Kansas and was drafted in 1998 by the Denver Nuggets. He was known for his perimeter shooting and his shot blocking abilities. In 2019–20 LaFrentz became an assistant basketball coach at Decorah High School in Decorah, Iowa.
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Udoka Azubuike
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Udoka Timothy Azubuike is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and was selected in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz.
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Xavier Henry
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Xavier Henry is an American former professional basketball player. He played one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks before he was drafted in the 2010 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He played four and a half seasons in the NBA between 2010 and 2014. He finished his career in 2017 after two seasons in the NBA G League.
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Thomas Frank
- Occupations
- historianjournalistpolitical scientist
- Biography
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Thomas Carr Frank is an American political analyst, historian, and journalist. He co-founded and edited The Baffler magazine. Frank is the author of the books What's the Matter with Kansas? (2004) and Listen, Liberal (2016), among others. From 2008 to 2010 he wrote "The Tilting Yard", a column in The Wall Street Journal.
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Francisco Santos Calderón
- Occupations
- journalisthuman rights activistinternational forum participantpolitician
- Biography
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Francisco Santos Calderón, also known as Pacho Santos, is a Colombian politician and journalist. Santos was elected as Álvaro Uribe's running mate and became Vice President in 2002. Santos was re-elected in 2006 for a second term with President Uribe. His great-uncle Eduardo Santos was President of Colombia from 1938 to 1942 and he is also a cousin of former president Juan Manuel Santos. Santos was appointed Ambassador of Colombia to the United States in 2018. He presented his credentials to president Donald Trump on 17 September 2018 and served until 2020.
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Sidney Toler
- Occupations
- film actorwriterscreenwriterplaywrightstage actor
- Biography
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Sidney Toler was an American actor, playwright, and theatre director. The second European-American actor to play the role of Charlie Chan on screen, he is best remembered for his portrayal of the Chinese-American detective in 22 films made between 1938 and 1946. Before becoming Chan, Toler played supporting roles in 50 motion pictures, and was a highly regarded comic actor on the Broadway stage.
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Walter Sutton
- Occupations
- biologistsurgeonphysiciangeneticistmilitary physician
- Biography
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Walter Stanborough Sutton was an American geneticist and biologist whose most significant contribution to present-day biology was his theory that the Mendelian laws of inheritance could be applied to chromosomes at the cellular level of living organisms. This is now known as the Boveri–Sutton chromosome theory.
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Al Oerter
- Occupations
- athletics competitorpainter
- Biography
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Alfred Oerter Jr. was an American athlete and a four-time Olympic Champion in the discus throw. He was the first athlete to win a gold medal in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games. Oerter is an inductee of the IAAF Hall of Fame.
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William Inge
- Occupations
- writerscreenwritertelevision actorplaywrightteacher
- Biography
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William Motter Inge was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s he had a string of memorable Broadway productions, including Picnic, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize. With his portraits of small-town life and settings rooted in the American heartland, Inge became known as the "Playwright of the Midwest".
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Sara Paretsky
- Occupations
- novelistcrime fiction writerwriter
- Biography
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Sara Paretsky is an American author of detective fiction, best known for her novels focused on the protagonist V. I. Warshawski.
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Steven Hawley
- Occupations
- physicistastronautastronomer
- Biography
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Steven Alan Hawley is a former NASA astronaut who flew on five U.S. Space Shuttle flights. He is professor of physics and astronomy and director of engineering physics at the University of Kansas.
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Jeff Colyer
- Occupations
- surgeonpoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Jeffrey William Colyer is an American surgeon and politician who served as the 47th governor of Kansas from January 31, 2018, to January 14, 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 49th lieutenant governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018. Colyer served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2007 to 2009 and the Kansas Senate from 2009 to 2011. He assumed the governorship when Sam Brownback resigned to become United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. Colyer ran for a full term as governor in 2018, but narrowly lost the Republican primary to Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach, who in turn lost the general election to Democratic nominee Laura Kelly.
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Wayne Selden, Jr
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Wayne Anthony Selden Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Gigantes de Carolina of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks.
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Clarence M. Kelley
- Occupations
- special agent
- Biography
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Clarence M. Kelley was an American law enforcement officer. He served as the Chief of the Kansas City Police Department in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1961 to 1973, and as the second director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1973 to 1978.
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Sam Farha
- Occupations
- poker player
- Biography
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Ihsan "Sam" Farha is a Lebanese professional poker player. He is best known for finishing as runner up in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in 2003. He has won three bracelets at the WSOP in his career.
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Joe Engle
- Occupations
- military officeraerospace engineerastronautaircraft pilottest pilot
- Biography
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Joe Henry Engle is an American pilot, aeronautical engineer and former NASA astronaut. He was the commander of two Space Shuttle missions including STS-2 in 1981, the program's second orbital flight. He also flew two flights in the Shuttle program's 1977 Approach and Landing Tests. Engle is one of twelve pilots who flew the North American X-15, an experimental spaceplane jointly operated by the Air Force and NASA.
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Nancy Kassebaum
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 1954
- Occupations
- politicianexecutive
- Biography
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Nancy Josephine Kassebaum Baker is an American politician who represented the State of Kansas in the United States Senate from 1978 to 1997. She is the daughter of Alf Landon, who was Governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937 and the 1936 Republican nominee for president, and the widow of former Senator and diplomat Howard Baker.
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Sanora Babb
- Occupations
- novelistwriterpoet
- Biography
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Sanora Babb was an American novelist, poet, and literary editor.
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Gilbert Brown
- Occupations
- player of American football
- Biography
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Gilbert Jesse Brown is an American former professional football nose tackle who played for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (1993–99, 2001–03), Brown played 125 Packers games (103 starts) recording 292 tackles (186 solo) and seven sacks. Nicknamed "The Gravedigger" in honor of his celebratory dance following a thunderous tackle, Brown played in 15 Packers playoff games. He was a major contributor on strong defenses during the mid-1990s. His most successful season was in 1996, when he started all 16 games and Green Bay won Super Bowl XXXI. He was also part of the Kansas team that won the 1992 Aloha Bowl and was selected for the All-Academic Big Eight team in 1991.
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Darrell Arthur
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Darrell Antwonne Arthur is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks for two seasons where he was part of the 2007–08 national championship team. He was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2008 NBA draft but after two trades, he ended up with the Memphis Grizzlies, with whom he signed on July 8, 2008. He is listed at 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m), 235 lb (107 kg) and played the power forward position.
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Jeff Withey
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Jeffree David Withey is an American professional basketball player for the Wonju DB Promy of the Korean Basketball League (KBL). He played college basketball for the University of Kansas where he became known for his shot-blocking ability and his defensive presence. He was drafted 39th overall in the 2013 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Pekka Markkanen
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Pekka Juha Markkanen is a Finnish former professional basketball player. He was named the Finnish Basketball Player of the Year, by Finnish sports journalists, in 1989, 1993, and 1996.
