100 Notable alumni of
University of Kansas
Updated:
The University of Kansas is 115th 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
- stage actoractorwriterfilm producercomedian
- Biography
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Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor. Rudd studied theatre at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before making his acting debut in 1991. He was included on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2019, and was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2021. The accolades he has received include a Critics' Choice Television Award, alongside nominations for a Golden Globe Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
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Wilt Chamberlain
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 1955-1958
- Occupations
- actorbasketball coachscreenwritercoachbasketball player
- Biography
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Wilton Norman Chamberlain was an American professional basketball player. Standing 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 m) tall, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, and was elected to the NBA's 35th, 50th, and 75th anniversary teams. Chamberlain is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
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Don Johnson
- Occupations
- film producerfilm actorfilm directorsongwritertelevision actor
- Biography
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Don Wayne Johnson is an American actor and singer-songwriter. 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. 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
- screenwriteractordirectorsinger
- Biography
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Mandel Bruce Patinkin is an American actor and singer in musical theatre, television, and film. As a Broadway performer, he has collaborated with Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
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Joel Embiid
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Joel Hans Embiid is a Cameroonian and American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). 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 (2.13 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. Embiid also won a gold medal on the 2024 U.S. Olympic team.
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Nikki Glaser
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- podcastertelevision actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Nicole Rene Glaser is an American stand-up comedian and actress. She has had four television stand-up specials, hosted numerous award shows, and performed at numerous televised roasts. Previously, she hosted the television talk show Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, which premiered on Comedy Central in 2016. She starred in the 2022 reality show Welcome Home Nikki Glaser? on E! She hosted the reality TV dating shows Blind Date (2019) on Bravo and FBoy Island (2021–2023) on HBO Max and The CW and its spinoff Lovers and Liars on The CW. She also hosted the 2025 and 2026 Golden Globe Awards, which made her the first solo female host in Golden Globes history.
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Bob Dole
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 1941-1943
- Occupations
- juristlawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Robert Joseph Dole was an American politician, attorney, and U.S. Army officer who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican Leader of the U.S. Senate during the final 11 years of his tenure, including three non-consecutive years as Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate. 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 presidential election and the vice presidential nominee in the 1976 presidential election.
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Scott Bakula
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorfilm produceractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Scott Stewart Bakula is an American actor. He played Sam Beckett on Quantum Leap – for which he was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards (winning one) – and 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 Miami Heat 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.
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Iliza Shlesinger
- Occupations
- television actortelevision presenteractorexecutive producerstand-up comedian
- Biography
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Iliza Vie Shlesinger is an American stand-up comedian, actress and television host. She has released six comedy specials on Netflix. 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. She has hosted the TBS game show Separation Anxiety.
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Juan Manuel Santos
- Occupations
- economistlawyerjournalistpolitician
- Biography
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Juan Manuel Santos Calderón GColIH GCB GColL ODB 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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Dee Wallace
- Occupations
- writerstand-up comedianactorfilm actor
- Biography
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Dee Wallace, also known as Dee Wallace Stone, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Mary Taylor in the 1982 blockbuster science-fiction film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
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Gillian Flynn
- Occupations
- television criticfilm screenwriternovelistfilm criticjournalist
- Biography
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Gillian Schieber Flynn is an American author, screenwriter, and producer, best known for her thriller and mystery novels Sharp Objects (2006), Dark Places (2009), and Gone Girl (2012). Her works have been translated into 40 languages, and by 2016, Gone Girl had sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
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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 who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers 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. Morris won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020.
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Aqib Talib
- Occupations
- American football player
- 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 for the Kansas Jayhawks, earning unanimous All-American honors. He 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 the NFL on Fox.
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Gale Sayers
- Occupations
- screenwriterAmerican football playerfilm actorstockbroker
- Biography
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Gale Eugene Sayers was an American professional football halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). Sayers played for the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1971, though injuries effectively limited him to five seasons of play. Elusive, agile, and very fast, he was regarded by his peers as one of the most difficult players to tackle. Sayers was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 at age 34 and remains the youngest person to have received the honor.
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Kari Wahlgren
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 1999
- Occupations
- voice actortelevision actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Kari Kay 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: Saya Otonashi in Blood+, Robin Sena in Witch Hunter Robin, Lavie Head in Last Exile, Fuu in Samurai Champloo, Rip van Winkle in Hellsing, Scarlett in Steamboy, Pacifica Casull in the Scrapped Princess, 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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Jack Del Rio
- Occupations
- baseball playerAmerican football playerAmerican football coach
- Biography
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Jack Louis Del Rio Jr. is an American professional football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football (ELF). He played college football for the USC Trojans from 1981 to 1984 and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 1985 NFL draft. Del Rio also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, and Miami Dolphins before retiring in 1996.
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Mario Chalmers
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Almario "Mario" Vernard Chalmers is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. 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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Steve Doocy
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- journalisttelevision presenter
- Biography
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Stephen James Doocy is an American television host, political commentator, and author. He currently serves as a traveling co-host of Fox & Friends on the Fox News Channel.
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Dean Smith
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coachengineer
- 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%). Smith's career total of 879 wins lasted until 2005 when Pat Summitt surpassed him with her 880th victory. 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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Trai Byers
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision 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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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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Marcus Morris Sr
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Marcus Thomas Morris Sr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks before being selected 14th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2011 NBA draft.
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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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Kirk Hinrich
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Kirk James Hinrich is an American former professional basketball player. A point guard, he played in the NBA from 2003 to 2016 and was also a member of the U.S. national team.
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John Riggins
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Robert John Riggins, nicknamed "Riggo" and "Diesel", is an American former professional football fullback who played 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 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 playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Daniel Ricardo Manning is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is an assistant men's basketball coach at the University of Colorado. Manning played high-school basketball at 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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Moses Gunn
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage 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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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 organization originally known as the Seattle SuperSonics, which became 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. Collison won his first NBA Championship in 2025 as an executive for the Thunder.
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Ben McLemore
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Ben Edward McLemore III is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. McLemore played for five teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) across a nine-year career.
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Clyde Tombaugh
- Occupations
- university teacherastronomer
- Biography
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Clyde William Tombaugh was an American astronomer and telescope maker, best known for discovering Pluto in 1930, marking the first detection of what would eventually be recognized as the Kuiper belt. At the time, Pluto was referred to as the ninth planet in the Solar System, a classification that stood for over seven decades.
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Bill Farmer
- Occupations
- voice actoractor
- 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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Scot Pollard
- Occupations
- basketball playerreality television participant
- Biography
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Scot L. Pollard is an American former professional basketball player. In an 11-year National Basketball Association (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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Terry Kiser
- Occupations
- television actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Terry Kiser is an American actor. While he has more than 140 acting credits to his name, with a career spanning more than 50 years, he is best known for portraying the deceased title character Bernie Lomax in the comedy Weekend at Bernie's and its sequel, Weekend at Bernie's II.
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Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 2014
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Sviatoslav Yuriyovych "Svi" Mykhailiuk is a Ukrainian professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz 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. As a reserve with the 2023-24 Boston Celtics, Mykhailiuk won an NBA championship.
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Jo Jo White
- Occupations
- basketball playerrestaurateuractorbasketball coach
- Biography
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Joseph Henry White was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks, 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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Thomas Robinson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Thomas Earl Robinson is an American-born naturalised Lebanese professional basketball player for Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). 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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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 was the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2003 to 2006, 2007 to 2012, and 2016–2018. She was Member of Parliament (MP) for Brighton Pavilion from 2010–2024. She was the Green Party's first MP (although Plaid Cymru's Cynog Dafis was elected on a joint ticket in the 1990s) and their only MP until the 2024 general election.
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Sam Brownback
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- In 1982 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- teacherdiplomatlawyerbroadcasterpolitician
- 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 Kurtis
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- writerjournalisttelevision presentertelevision producer
- Biography
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Bill Kurtis is a retired American television journalist, television producer, narrator, and news anchor.
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Alf Landon
- Occupations
- businesspersonpolitician
- 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. The margin of victory in the electoral college was the largest of Roosevelt's four elections to the office of president, as Landon won just 8 electoral votes to Roosevelt's 523. Landon died on October 12, 1987, becoming the only presidential candidate from either of the major parties to live to the age of 100 until Jimmy Carter in 2024, and is to date the only Republican candidate to do so.
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Paul R. Ehrlich
- Occupations
- biologistenvironmentalistuniversity teacherdemographer
- Biography
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Paul Ralph Ehrlich is an American biologist, author and environmentalist 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. Ehrlich became well known for the controversial 1968 book The Population Bomb, which he co-authored with his wife Anne H. Ehrlich, in which they famously stated that "n the 1970s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now." This position has led historians and critics to describe Ehrlich as a neo-Malthusian.
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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 Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and the Houston Cougars.
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Adolph Rupp
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Adolph Frederick Rupp was an American college basketball coach. Nicknamed the "Baron of the Bluegrass", he coached the University of Kentucky Wildcats to four NCAA championships, one NIT championship, 27 Southeastern Conference championships, and 13 SEC tournament championships. In his 41 years of coaching at Kentucky, he won 876 games, retiring with the most total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach at the time; he has since been surpassed by six coaches and ranks seventh. Rupp is second among all men's college coaches in all-time winning percentage (.822) and third in NCAA championships. In 1948, he coached the US Olympic Team to a gold medal in London.
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Diane Brewster
- Occupations
- actortelevision actor
- 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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Devonte' Graham
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Devonte' Terrell Graham is an American professional basketball player who last played for Crvena zvezda Meridianbet of the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS), the ABA League and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and high school basketball for Needham Broughton High School.
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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 Limoges CSP 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
- physicianmilitary officergynecologist
- Biography
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George Richard Tiller was an American physician and abortion provider 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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Rex Stout
- Occupations
- humoristwriterscience fiction writernovelistshort story 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 39 novellas or short stories between 1934 and 1975.
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Jerry Colangelo
- Occupations
- basketball coachentrepreneurbasketball playerautobiographerbusinessperson
- 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 (later renamed to the Arizona Coyotes). In 2014, Grand Canyon University renamed its Christian based school of business after 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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Alan Mulally
- Occupations
- military flight engineerengineerbusinesspersonchief executive officer
- Biography
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Alan Roger Mulally is an American aerospace engineer and manufacturing executive. He was passed over as CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and left to become the president and chief executive officer of the Ford Motor Company from 2006 to 2014.
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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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Jacque Vaughn
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Jacque Trevan Vaughn is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Kansas Jayhawks of the Big 12 Conference. Vaughn played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets, and San Antonio Spurs from 1997 to 2009.
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Jim Ryun
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- In 1970 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- middle-distance runnerathletics competitorpoliticianmotivational speakerconsultant
- 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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Christian Braun
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Christian Nicholas Braun is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Braun plays the shooting guard position.
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Chris Harris Jr
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Christopher Harris Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 12 seasons in the National Football League, primarily with the Denver Broncos. He played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks and was signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2011. Harris is considered one of the greatest undrafted players in NFL history.
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William Borah
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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William Edgar Borah was an outspoken Republican politician, one of the best-known figures in Idaho's history. A progressive who served as a United States senator from 1907 until his death in 1940, Borah voted for American entry into World War I but is often considered an isolationist, for he led the Irreconcilables, senators who opposed ratification of the Treaty of Versailles, which would have made the U.S. part of the League of Nations.
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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 Brooklyn Nets 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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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. In doing so, Kaun became one of the first two Russians in history, along with teammate Timofey Mozgov, to win an NBA championship. He also represented Russia in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
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Jerry Moran
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- In 1976 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- bank officeruniversity teacherlawyercelebritypolitician
- 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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Billy Mills
- Occupations
- long-distance runnermilitary officermarathon runner
- 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. He was also a United States Marine officer.
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Ronald Evans
- Occupations
- military officermilitary flight engineeraircraft pilotengineerastronaut
- 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 astronauts to fly to the Moon without landing.
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Bud Adams
- Occupations
- basketball coachbusinessperson
- 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 (AFL), of which he was also a co-founder. The franchise eventually was moved to Nashville, where it was renamed 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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Rob Thomson
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Robert Lewis Thomson, nicknamed "Topper", is a Canadian professional baseball manager for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB).
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Charles Rogers
- Occupations
- film actorstage actormilitary officerjazz musicianactor
- 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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Cheick Diallo
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Cheick Tidiane Diallo is a Malian professional basketball player for the Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL). 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 the Kansas Jayhawks 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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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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Pat Roberts
- Occupations
- journalistnewspaper proprietormilitary officerpolitician
- 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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Mark Turgeon
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Mark Leo Turgeon is an American college basketball coach who will be the head coach at University of Missouri–Kansas City starting in 2026. Turgeon previously 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 from 2011 to 2021.
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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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Keith Langford
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Andre Keith Langford is an American former professional basketball player. Standing at 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), he primarily played at the shooting guard position. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks.
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Vernon L. Smith
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- In 1951 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- university teachereconomist
- Biography
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Vernon Lomax Smith is an American economist who is currently a professor of economics and law at Chapman University. He was formerly the McLellan/Regent's Professor of Economics at the University of Arizona, a professor of economics and law at George Mason University, and a board member of the Mercatus Center. Along with Daniel Kahneman, Smith won the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to behavioral economics and his work in the field of experimental economics, which helped establish "laboratory experiments as a tool in empirical economic analysis, especially in the study of alternative market mechanisms."
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Udoka Azubuike
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Udoka Timothy AzubuikeListen is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for Ironi Ness Ziona of the Israeli Ligat HaAl. 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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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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Al Oerter
- Occupations
- painterathletics competitor
- 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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Sidney Toler
- Occupations
- playwrightscreenwriterwriterfilm actortheatrical director
- Biography
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Sidney Toler was an American actor, playwright, and theatre director. The second non-Asian 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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Cliff Alexander
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Cliffton Nirgel Alexander is an American professional basketball player for the Guaiqueríes de Margarita of the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto (SPB). 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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Greg Ostertag
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Gregory Donovan Ostertag is an American former professional basketball player. A center, he spent most of his career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks.
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Francisco Santos Calderón
- Occupations
- human rights defenderpoliticianjournalist
- 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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Steven Hawley
- Occupations
- astronomerastronautphysicist
- Biography
-
Steven Alan Hawley is a retired astronomer and NASA astronaut who flew on five U.S. Space Shuttle flights. Hawley is a professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at the University of Kansas.
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William Inge
- Occupations
- playwrighttelevision actorscreenwriterwriternovelist
- 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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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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Joe Engle
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- test pilotmilitary flight engineerair force officerengineerastronaut
- Biography
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Joseph Henry Engle was an American pilot, aeronautical engineer, and 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 was 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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Sara Paretsky
- Occupations
- novelistwritercrime fiction writer
- 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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Walter Sutton
- Occupations
- surgeonbiologistmilitary physiciangeneticistphysician
- 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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Susan Ford
- Occupations
- photojournalistphotographerjournalist
- Biography
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Susan Elizabeth Ford Bales is an American author, photojournalist, and former chair of the board of the Betty Ford Center for alcohol and drug abuse. She is the only daughter of Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States, and his wife Betty Ford (née Bloomer).
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Gina Ortiz Jones
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Graduated with Master of Arts in international studies and global studies
- Occupations
- intelligence analystpolitician
- Biography
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Gina Maria Ortiz Jones is an American politician and U.S. Air Force veteran serving as the 184th mayor of San Antonio, Texas since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as Under Secretary of the Air Force from 2021 to 2023.
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Jeff Colyer
- Occupations
- lawyerpoliticiansurgeon
- Biography
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Jeffrey William Colyer is an American surgeon and politician who was the 47th governor of Kansas from 2018 to 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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Alejandro Domínguez
- Occupations
- sports executive
- Biography
-
Alejandro Guillermo Domínguez Wilson–Smith is a Paraguayan football administrator, president of CONMEBOL, a vice-president of FIFA and a member of the FIFA Council.
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Clarence M. Kelley
- Occupations
- civil servantspecial agent
- Biography
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Clarence Marion 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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Nancy Kassebaum
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- Studied in 1954
- Occupations
- executivepolitician
- Biography
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Nancy Josephine Kassebaum Baker is an American retired politician from Kansas who served as a member of 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 U.S. senator and diplomat Howard Baker.
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Sam Farha
- Occupations
- poker playertelevision actor
- 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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Wayne Selden, Jr
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Wayne Anthony Selden Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Chorale Roanne. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks.
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Dusty Johnson
- Enrolled in the University of Kansas
- In 2002 graduated with Master in Public Administration
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Dustin Michael Johnson is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as South Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner from 2005 to 2011, when he was appointed chief of staff to Governor Dennis Daugaard, a position he held until 2014. Between his state political career and congressional service, Johnson was the vice president of Vantage Point Solutions in Mitchell, South Dakota.
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Gilbert Brown
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Gilbert Jesse Brown is an American former professional football player who was a nose tackle for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1993 to 2003). Brown played in 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 played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks, who won the 1992 Aloha Bowl. He was selected for the All-Academic Big Eight team in 1991.
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Brad Garlinghouse
- Occupations
- chief operating officer
- Biography
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Bradley Kent Garlinghouse is an American businessman and the CEO of Ripple Labs, a financial technology company specializing in blockchain and cryptocurrency solutions. Previously, he was CEO and chairman of Hightail (formerly YouSendIt) and earlier in his career, he held executive roles at AOL and Yahoo.
