100 Notable alumni of
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Updated:
The University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is 44th in the world, 23rd in North America, and 22nd in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. 1 individual affiliated with the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities won Nobel Prizes in Economics.
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Brock Lesnar
- Occupations
- American football playerprofessional wrestlermixed martial arts fighter
- Biography
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Brock Edward Lesnar is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a professional wrestler he has been signed to WWE since 2021, having two previous tenures from 2000–2004 and 2012–2020. Lesnar is the only person to have won the primary heavyweight championships of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), the Inoki Genome Federation (IGF), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
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Jessica Lange
- Occupations
- television actorstage actorfilm actorphotographer
- Biography
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Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress and photographer. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles on stage and screen. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for a BAFTA Award and a Laurence Olivier Award. Lange is one of few performers to achieve Triple Crown of Acting status.
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Ron Perlman
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- 1971-1973 graduated with master's degree
- Occupations
- film actorcomediantelevision actorscreenwritervoice actor
- Biography
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Ronald N. Perlman is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in Quest for Fire (1981), Salvatore in The Name of the Rose (1986), Vincent in the television series Beauty and the Beast (1987–1990), for which he won a Golden Globe Award, One in The City of Lost Children (1995), Johner in Alien Resurrection (1997), Koulikov in Enemy at the Gates (2001), Hellboy in both Hellboy (2004) and its sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), Clay Morrow in the television series Sons of Anarchy (2008–2013), Nino in Drive (2011) and Benedict Drask in Don't Look Up (2021). As a frequent collaborator of Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro, he has had roles in the del Toro films Cronos (1992), Blade II (2002), Pacific Rim (2013), Nightmare Alley (2021), and Pinocchio (2022).
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Ric Flair
- Occupations
- managerwriterpodcasteramateur wrestlerprofessional wrestler
- Biography
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Richard Morgan Fliehr, known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. As of November 2023, he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in a legends role for special appearances. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair's career spanned fifty years.
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Henry Fonda
- Occupations
- beekeepermilitary personneltelevision producerproducerfilm actor
- Biography
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Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. Known for his work on screen and stage, he often portrayed characters who embodied an everyman image.
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Kris Humphries
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Kristopher Nathan Humphries is an American former professional basketball power forward who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA for the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey / Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, and the Atlanta Hawks from 2004 to 2016. Humphries played college basketball for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and for the United States men's national basketball team. He was married to Kim Kardashian for 72 days before they divorced.
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Walter Mondale
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- In 1951 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in political science
- In 1956 graduated with Bachelor of Laws
- Occupations
- lawyerdiplomatmemoiristpolitician
- Biography
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Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale was the 42nd vice president of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Minnesota in the United States Senate from 1964 to 1976, and was the Democratic nominee in the 1984 presidential election.
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Robert Vaughn
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorvoice actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Robert Francis Vaughn was an American actor and political activist, whose career in film, television and theater spanned nearly six decades and who was best known for his role as the secret agent Napoleon Solo on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–68). He was a Primetime Emmy Award winner, and was nominated for the Academy Award, the BAFTA Award, two Laurel Awards, and four times for the Golden Globe Award. Vaughn also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Loni Anderson
- Occupations
- film actoractorvoice actor
- Biography
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Loni Kaye Anderson was an American actress. She is best known for playing receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982), which earned her nominations for three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmy Awards.
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Kevin Sorbo
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorwriterfilm actorfilm director
- Biography
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Kevin David Sorbo is an American actor. He has had starring roles in two television series: as Hercules in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995–1999) and as Captain Dylan Hunt in Andromeda (2000–2005). Sorbo played his first leading film role in the 1997 fantasy film Kull the Conqueror.
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T. R. Knight
- Occupations
- television actorstage actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Theodore Raymond Knight is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. George O'Malley on the ABC medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy (2005–2009, 2020), which earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2007.
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David Soul
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision directordirectoractorsinger-songwriter
- Biography
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David Soul was an American-British actor and singer. With a career spanning five decades, he rose to prominence for portraying Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the American television series Starsky & Hutch from 1975 to 1979. His other notable roles included Joshua Bolt on Here Come the Brides from 1968 to 1970 and as the lead actor in the 1979 American TV movie Salem's Lot. Soul also portrayed Officer John Davis in the 1973 movie Magnum Force.
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Doug Hutchison
- Occupations
- talent managerchildren's writerfilm producerfilm actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Doug Anthony Hutchison is an American actor known for his character roles in film and television, often playing disturbed and antagonistic characters. He was nominated for a Satellite Award for his portrayal of the sadistic corrections officer Percy Wetmore in the 1999 film adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Green Mile.
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Ko Wen-je
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Studied in 1993-1994
- Occupations
- physicianpoliticiansurgeon
- Biography
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Ko Wen-je, also known by his nickname, Ko P, is a Taiwanese politician, physician, and transplant surgeon who served as the 13th mayor of Taipei from 2014 to 2022. He founded the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) in 2019 and was the party's first chairman until 2025.
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James Hong
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm directoractorvoice actorfilm producer
- Biography
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James Hong is an American actor, producer, and director. Known as one of the most prolific character actors of all time, he has worked in over 500 productions in American media since the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1950s. In 2022, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the American film and television industries.
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Yanni
- Occupations
- composerpianist
- Biography
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Yiannis Chryssomallis, known professionally as Yanni, is a Greek composer, keyboardist, pianist, and music producer.
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Hubert Humphrey
- Occupations
- politicianpharmacisttrade unionist
- Biography
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Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. was an American politician who served from 1965 to 1969 as the 38th vice president of the United States. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Minnesota from 1949 to 1964 and from 1971 to 1978. As a senator, he was a major leader of modern liberalism in the United States. As President Lyndon B. Johnson's vice president, he supported the controversial Vietnam War. An intensely divided Democratic Party nominated him in the 1968 presidential election, which he lost to Republican nominee Richard Nixon.
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Peter Graves
- Occupations
- television directorfilm actormilitary officertelevision actoractor
- Biography
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Peter Graves was an American actor who portrayed Jim Phelps in the television series Mission: Impossible from 1967 to 1973 and in its revival from 1988 to 1990. His elder brother was actor James Arness. Graves also played airline pilot Captain Clarence Oveur in the 1980 comedy film Airplane! and its 1982 sequel Airplane II: The Sequel.
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Yoweri Museveni
- Occupations
- writermilitary personnelministerpolitician
- Biography
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Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa is a Ugandan politician and former military officer who has served as the president of Uganda since 1986. Born in Ntungamo, Uganda (then under British control), Museveni studied political science from the University of Dar es Salaam where he initiated the University Students' African Revolutionary Front. In 1972, he joined the failed invasion of Uganda against Idi Amin's dictatorship.
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Aya Cash
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actor
- Biography
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Aya Cash is an American actress. She is best known for starring as Gretchen Cutler in the FX/FXX dark comedy series You're the Worst (2014–2019), as Stormfront in the Amazon Prime Video superhero drama series The Boys (2020–2022), as Cheryl Peterson in the Fox sitcom Welcome to Flatch, and most recently as Anita in the HBO series The Franchise. She was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and the TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy for You're the Worst. Cash also appeared in numerous films, including The Oranges (2011), Sleepwalk with Me (2012), Begin Again (2013), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Mary Goes Round (2017), Game Over, Man! (2018), and Scare Me (2020).
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Peter MacNicol
- Occupations
- television directorfilm actortelevision actoractorvoice actor
- Biography
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Peter MacNicol is an American actor. He received a Theatre World Award for his 1981 Broadway debut in the play Crimes of the Heart. His film roles include Galen in Dragonslayer (1981), Stingo in Sophie's Choice (1982), Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II (1989), Gary Granger in Addams Family Values (1993), Renfield in Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995), and David Langley in Bean (1997).
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Eddie Albert
- Occupations
- military officertelevision actorvoice actoractivisthumanitarian
- Biography
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Edward Albert Heimberger was an American actor. He is known for his roles on stage and screen and received nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.
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Tony Dungy
- Occupations
- basketball playerAmerican football playerAmerican football coach
- Biography
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Anthony Kevin Dungy is an American former professional football safety and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts. His teams became perennial postseason contenders under his leadership, missing the playoffs only twice with Tampa Bay. He led the Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI, making him the first African American head coach to win the Super Bowl.
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Mychal Thompson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Mychal George Thompson is a Bahamian sports commentator and former professional basketball player. He was the first player born & raised in the Bahamas to make the NBA. The top overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft, Thompson played the center position for the University of Minnesota and center and power forward for the National Basketball Association's Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Lakers. Thompson won two NBA championships with the Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s. He is the father of basketball players Klay Thompson and Mychel Thompson and baseball player Trayce Thompson.
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Christiaan Barnard
- Occupations
- surgeonwriter
- Biography
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Christiaan Neethling Barnard was a South African cardiac surgeon who performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplant operation. On 3 December 1967, Barnard transplanted the heart of accident victim Denise Darvall into the chest of 54-year-old Louis Washkansky, who regained full consciousness and was able to talk easily with his wife, before dying 18 days later of pneumonia, largely brought on by the anti-rejection drugs that suppressed his immune system. Barnard had told Mr. and Mrs. Washkansky that the operation had an 80% chance of success, an assessment which has been criticised as misleading. Barnard's second transplant patient, Philip Blaiberg, whose operation was performed at the beginning of 1968, returned home from the hospital and lived for a year and a half.
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Kevin McHale
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Kevin Edward McHale is an American former professional basketball player, coach and analyst who played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics. He earned the nickname "the Torture Chamber" for his exceptional footwork and wide array of post moves which made him nearly impossible to guard one-on-one. Dominique Wilkins famously called him "A Man With a Thousand Moves." He is a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and widely considered one of the greatest power forwards of all time.
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Russell M. Nelson
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- cardiologistmilitary physiciansurgeon
- Biography
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Russell Marion Nelson Sr. was an American religious leader and surgeon who was the seventeenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 2018 until his death in 2025. Before becoming church president, Nelson was a member of its Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for nearly thirty-four years and was the quorum president from 2015 to 2018. As church president, Nelson was recognized by the church as the prophet, seer, and revelator.
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Norman Borlaug
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Studied in 1937
- Occupations
- biologistagronomistuniversity teacherforestry engineergeneticist
- Biography
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Norman Ernest Borlaug was an American agronomist who led initiatives worldwide that contributed to the extensive increases in agricultural production termed the Green Revolution. Borlaug was awarded multiple honors for his work, including the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal, one of only seven people to have received all three awards.
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Shelton Benjamin
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. As of October 2024, he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Hurt Syndicate and a former AEW World Tag Team Champion with stablemate Bobby Lashley. Benjamin is best known for his tenures with WWE, first from 2000 to 2010, and then again from 2017 to 2023. He is also known for his appearances in Ring of Honor (ROH) and in Japan with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Pro Wrestling Noah under the ring name Shelton X Benjamin.
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Nick Clegg
- Occupations
- communicatorwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Sir Nicholas William Peter Clegg is a British retired politician and media executive who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015 and as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2015. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Hallam from 2005 to 2017. An "Orange Book" liberal, he has been associated with both socially liberal and economically liberal policies.
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Melissa Hortman
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- 1992-1995 graduated with Juris Doctor in law
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Melissa Anne Hortman was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 61st speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, she represented northern parts of the Twin Cities metropolitan area in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2005 to 2025, serving as the House minority leader from 2017 to 2019 and as speaker from 2019 to January 2025. During her tenure, she advocated for transportation, environmental rights, abortion rights, police reform, and gun control policies. She was also the chief author of the state's solar energy standard.
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Keith Ellison
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- In 1990 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Keith Maurice Ellison is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 30th attorney general of Minnesota since 2019. From 2007 to 2019, Ellison was the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district, representing the Minneapolis region. He also served as Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2017 to 2018 and was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. He is a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL).
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Eric Bischoff
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- 1973-1977 graduated with Bachelor of Science in business administration
- Occupations
- television producerpodcasterprofessional wrestler
- Biography
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Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American television producer, professional wrestling booker, promoter, and performer. Currently, he is the chief media officer for Real American Freestyle. He is best known for serving as Executive Producer and later Senior Vice President of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and subsequently, the on-screen General Manager of WWE's Raw brand. Bischoff has also worked with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) where he served as Executive Producer of TNA iMPACT!. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021.
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Kimberly Elise
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Kimberly Elise Trammel is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in Set It Off (1996), and later received critical acclaim for her performance in Beloved (1998).
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Pete Docter
- Occupations
- film producerscreenwriterexecutive producervoice actoranimator
- Biography
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Peter Hans Docter is an American director and animator. He has served as chief creative officer (CCO) of Pixar since 2018. He has directed the company's animated films Monsters, Inc. (2001), Up (2009), Inside Out (2015), and Soul (2020). From his nine Academy Award nominations, he is a record three-time recipient of Best Animated Feature for Up, Inside Out and Soul. Docter has also won six Annie Awards from nine nominations, a BAFTA Children's Film Award and a Hochi Film Award. He describes himself as a "geeky kid from Minnesota who likes to draw cartoons".
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Cheryl Strayed
- Occupations
- writeressayistwomen's rights activistnovelistblogger
- Biography
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Cheryl Strayed is an American writer and podcast host. She has written four books: the novel Torch (2006) and the nonfiction books Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (2012), Tiny Beautiful Things (2012) and Brave Enough (2015). Wild, the story of Strayed's 1995 hike up the Pacific Crest Trail, is an international bestseller and was adapted into the 2014 Academy Award-nominated film Wild.
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Maria Bamford
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in creative writing
- Occupations
- screenwritertelevision actorcomedianvoice actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Maria Bamford is an American actress and stand-up comedian. Her work often uses self-deprecating and dark topics, including her dysfunctional family, depression, anxiety, suicide, and mental illness.
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Ernest Lawrence
- Occupations
- university teachernuclear physicistphysicist
- Biography
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Ernest Orlando Lawrence was an American accelerator physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1939 for his invention of the cyclotron. He is known for his work on uranium-isotope separation for the Manhattan Project, as well as for founding the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
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Santino Fontana
- Occupations
- film directortheatrical directorfilm editorcomposeractor
- Biography
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Santino Fontana is an American actor and singer. He began his career in 2006 playing Hamlet at the Guthrie Theater. He has received a Tony Award, two Drama Desk Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award, Lucille Lortel Award, Obie Award, and Clarence Derwent Award. In 2019, Fontana won the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his lead performance as Michael Dorsey in the stage adaptation of Tootsie. In addition to his stage and TV work, Fontana voiced Prince Hans in Disney's 2013 animated film Frozen.
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Phil Kessel
- Occupations
- ice hockey player
- Biography
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Philip Joseph Kessel Jr. is an American professional ice hockey winger who is an unrestricted free agent. Nicknamed "Phil the Thrill", he has previously played for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, and the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kessel is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, winning back-to-back championships with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017 and with the Golden Knights in 2023.
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Garrison Keillor
- Occupations
- television producerhumoristwritervoice actorsinger
- Biography
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Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show A Prairie Home Companion (called Garrison Keillor's Radio Show in some international syndication), which he hosted from 1974 to 2016. Keillor created the fictional Minnesota town Lake Wobegon, the setting of many of his books, including Lake Wobegon Days and Leaving Home: A Collection of Lake Wobegon Stories. Other creations include Guy Noir, a detective voiced by Keillor who appeared in A Prairie Home Companion comic skits. Keillor is also the creator of the five-minute daily radio/podcast program The Writer's Almanac, which pairs poems of his choice with a script about important literary, historical, and scientific events that coincided with that date in history.
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Deke Slayton
- Occupations
- test pilotmilitary flight engineerair force officerautobiographerastronaut
- Biography
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Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton was an American Air Force pilot, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and one of the original NASA Mercury Seven astronauts. He went on to become NASA's first Chief of the Astronaut Office and Director of Flight Crew Operations, responsible for NASA crew assignments.
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Arlene Dahl
- Occupations
- stage actorcolumnisttelevision actorentrepreneurfilm actor
- Biography
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Arlene Carol Dahl was an American actress active in films from the late 1940s. Born in Minnesota to parents of Norwegian descent, Dahl started her acting career in musicals before transitioning to film, where she gained significant roles in MGM productions such as My Wild Irish Rose (1947) and The Bride Goes Wild (1948). She also starred in the adventure films Caribbean Gold (1952) and Desert Legion (1953).
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Eugene McCarthy
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Studied in 1939
- Occupations
- teacherMilitary Intelligence Divisionpolitician
- Biography
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Eugene Joseph McCarthy was an American politician, writer, and academic who represented Minnesota in both houses of the United States Congress for over 22 years, first in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959, then in the U.S. Senate from 1959 until his resignation in 1971. A member of the Democratic Party, McCarthy sought the party's presidential nomination in the 1968 presidential election, challenging incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson on an anti–Vietnam War platform, and ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for president four more times.
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Herb Brooks
- Occupations
- ice hockey playerice hockey coach
- Biography
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Herbert Paul Brooks was an American ice hockey player and coach. His most notable achievement came in 1980 as head coach of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team at Lake Placid. At the Games, Brooks' American team upset the heavily favored Soviet team in a match that came to be known as the "Miracle on Ice".
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Gable Steveson
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- 2018-2022 graduated with Bachelor of Science in business
- Studied in 2024-2025
- Occupations
- professional wrestlerAmerican football playeramateur wrestlermixed martial arts fighter
- Biography
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Gable Dan Steveson is an American wrestler and professional mixed martial artist. In freestyle wrestling, Steveson was a 2020 Summer Olympic gold medalist, and was also a three-time age-group world champion. In folkstyle wrestling, Steveson was a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner, a two-time NCAA Division I national champion, a four-time Big Ten Conference champion, and five-time All-American out of the University of Minnesota. Steveson made his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut at LFA 217 on September 12, 2025.
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Andreas Papandreou
- Occupations
- university teachereconomistpolitician
- Biography
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Andreas Georgiou Papandreou was a Greek academic and economist who was prime minister of Greece from 1981 to 1989 and again from 1993 to 1996. He founded the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK).
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Warren E. Burger
- Occupations
- lawyerjudgepolitician
- Biography
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Warren Earl Burger was an American attorney who served as the 15th chief justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986.
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Dave Winfield
- Occupations
- basketball playerbaseball player
- Biography
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David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) right fielder. He is the special assistant to the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Over his 22-year career, he played for six teams: the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, and Cleveland Indians. He had the winning hit in the 1992 World Series with the Blue Jays over the Atlanta Braves.
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Lila Downs
- Occupations
- opera singersinger-songwriterrecording artistactorfilm actor
- Biography
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Ana Lila Downs Sánchez is a Mexican singer-songwriter. She performs her own compositions and the works of others in multiple genres, as well as tapping into Mexican traditional and popular music. She also incorporates indigenous Mexican influences and has recorded songs in many indigenous languages such as Mixtec, Zapotec, Mayan, Nahuatl and Purépecha. Born and raised in Oaxaca, she primarily studied at the Institute of Arts by Oaxaca and briefly attended the University of Minnesota, before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She soon began performing in the traditional music scene of Oaxaca City.
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Clara Ponsatí i Obiols
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- politicianeconomist
- Biography
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Clara Ponsatí i Obiols is a Catalan economist and politician. She was appointed Minister of Education of the Government of Catalonia by President Carles Puigdemont on 14 July 2017, and was dismissed by the Spanish Government pursuant to Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution on 27 October 2017, due to the organisation of the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and the subsequent declaration of independence. On 30 October 2017, she went into exile in Brussels together with Carles Puigdemont and three other members of his government, Lluís Puig, Antoni Comín and Meritxell Serret. In May 2018, she returned to the University of St Andrews (Scotland) as a professor. In the 2019 Spanish municipal elections, she was placed last on the list of the candidacy Barcelona és capital - Primàries, led by Jordi Graupera. From February 2020 to July 2024 she was a Member of the European Parliament within the Junts i Lliures per Europa grouping.
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Kevin McCarthy
- Occupations
- television actorstage actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Kevin McCarthy was an American stage, film and television actor, remembered as the male lead in the horror science fiction film Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).
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Verne Gagne
- Occupations
- coachprofessional wrestleramateur wrestlerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne was an American amateur and professional wrestler, football player, wrestling trainer and wrestling promoter. He was the owner and promoter of the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association (AWA), the predominant promotion throughout the Midwest and Manitoba for many years. He remained in this position until 1991, when the company folded.
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Paul Molitor
- Occupations
- baseball managerbaseball player
- Biography
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Paul Leo Molitor, nicknamed "Mollie" and "the Ignitor", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. During his 21-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB), he played for the Milwaukee Brewers (1978–1992), Toronto Blue Jays (1993–1995), and Minnesota Twins (1996–1998). He was known for his exceptional hitting and speed. He made seven All-Star Game appearances, and was the World Series Most Valuable Player in 1993. Molitor ranks tenth on the all-time MLB career hits list with 3,319. He is one of only five players in history with 3,000+ hits, a lifetime.300+ batting average, and 500+ career stolen bases.
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Richard Riehle
- Occupations
- television actorstage actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Richard Riehle is an American character actor. He has appeared in over 400 films, television shows and other projects.
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Bud Grant
- Occupations
- American football coachCanadian football playerbasketball playerbaseball playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Harry Peter "Bud" Grant Jr. was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). Grant was head coach of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings for 18 seasons; he was the team's second (1967–1983) and fourth (1985) head coach, leading them to four Super Bowl appearances, 11 division titles, one league championship and three National Football Conference championships. Before coaching the Vikings, he was the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for 10 seasons, winning the Grey Cup four times.
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Robert M. Pirsig
- Occupations
- writerautobiographernovelistphilosopher
- Biography
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Robert Maynard Pirsig was an American writer and philosopher. He is the author of the philosophical books Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (1974) and Lila: An Inquiry into Morals (1991), and he co-authored On Quality: An Inquiry Into Excellence: Selected and Unpublished Writings (2022) along with his wife and editor, Wendy Pirsig.
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Jacky Rosen
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- In 1979 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in psychology
- Occupations
- software developerbusiness executivepolitician
- Biography
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Jacklyn Sheryl Rosen is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Nevada since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the U.S. representative for Nevada's 3rd congressional district from 2017 to 2019.
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Alan Page
- Occupations
- American football playerradio personalitylawyerjudgepolitician
- Biography
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Alan Cedric Page is an American former Minnesota Supreme Court judge and professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. He was the NFL's MVP in 1971. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018.
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Kate Millett
- Occupations
- feministwritersculptorpublic figureartist
- Biography
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Katherine Murray Millett was an American feminist writer, educator, artist, and activist. She attended the University of Oxford and was the first American woman to be awarded a degree with first-class honors after studying at St Hilda's College, Oxford. She has been described as "a seminal influence on second-wave feminism", and is best known for her book Sexual Politics (1970), which was based on her doctoral dissertation at Columbia University. Journalist Liza Featherstone attributes the attainment of previously unimaginable "legal abortion, greater professional equality between the sexes, and a sexual freedom" in part to Millett's efforts.
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Joseph M. Juran
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- 1920-1924 graduated with bachelor's degree in electrical engineering
- Occupations
- consultantelectrical engineerbusinesspersonstatisticianeconomist
- Biography
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Joseph Moses Juran was a Romanian-born American engineer, management consultant and author. He was an advocate for quality and quality management and wrote several books on the topics. He was the brother of Academy Award winner Nathan Juran.
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Tay Zonday
- Occupations
- singerYouTubersinger-songwritervoice actormusician
- Biography
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Adam Nyerere Bahner, known professionally as Tay Zonday or as "Chocolate Rain Guy", is an American YouTube personality, singer-songwriter, and voice actor. He is known for his bass singing voice.
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Cory Wong
- Occupations
- musicianguitarist
- Biography
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Cory Juen Wong is an American guitarist, songwriter, record producer, and video producer based in Minneapolis. He has released many works as a solo artist and in partnership with others. His background spans several genres including jazz, rock, and funk. He has performed with Vulfpeck, Dave Koz, Stay Human, The Fearless Flyers, Ben Rector, Dr. Mambo's Combo, Chris Thile, Dave Matthews Band, and Dirty Loops. He released several albums in 2020, including Live in Amsterdam, a collaboration with the Metropole Orkest, and Meditations, a new-age album with Jon Batiste. His recent works include two albums released in conjunction with his variety show.
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Poul Anderson
- Occupations
- writerauthornovelistscience fiction writer
- Biography
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Poul William Anderson was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until his death in 2001. Anderson also wrote historical novels. He won the Hugo Award seven times and the Nebula Award three times, and was nominated many more times for awards.
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Laura Coates
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- analyst
- Biography
-
Laura Gayle Coates is an American legal analyst, attorney, and television broadcaster. She has formerly served as a trial attorney for a law firms Faegre & Benson and Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman, and a federal prosecutor for the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Since 2016, she has served as a legal analyst for CNN, and became the network's chief legal analyst in 2023. Since October 2023, she has also hosted a nightly news discussion TV program on the network, Laura Coates Live.
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Satish Dhawan
- Occupations
- military flight engineer
- Biography
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Satish Dhawan was an Indian mathematician and aerospace engineer. He served as the chairman of ISRO from 1972 to 1984 and is often regarded as the father of experimental fluid dynamics research in India.
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Flip Saunders
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
-
Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards.
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Tahsan Rahman Khan
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Graduated with Master of Business Administration
- Occupations
- singeractormusician
- Biography
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Tahsan Rahman Khan is a former Bangladeshi musician, actor and television presenter. He was the former keyboardist and second vocalist of the Grunge and alternative rock band Black. He had his own band called Tahsan and the Band.
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Stéphane Bancel
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Studied in 1994-1995
- Occupations
- businesspersonchief executive officer
- Biography
-
Stéphane Bancel is a French business executive. He is the chief executive officer (CEO) of the American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna, known for its COVID-19 vaccine. Before joining Moderna, Bancel was the CEO of French diagnostics company BioMérieux. Bancel is a partner at Flagship Pioneering, and has served on the boards of Indigo Agriculture, Boston's Museum of Science, and Qiagen. As of May 2023, his net worth was estimated at US$4.1 billion, owning about 8% of Moderna.
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Son Seokhee
- Occupations
- announcerbusinesspersonjournalist
- Biography
-
Sohn Suk-hee is a South Korean journalist who served as the general director and president of JTBC and JTBC Studios from November 2020 to September 2021. He is also a former professor at Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, South Korea and visiting professor at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan, since April 2024.
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Lorena Hickok
- Occupations
- journalistbiographer
- Biography
-
Lorena Alice "Hick" Hickok was an American journalist and long-term friend and possibly romantic partner of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
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Rafiath Rashid Mithila
- Occupations
- singeractormodel
- Biography
-
Rafiath Rashid Mithila is a Bangladeshi actress, singer and development worker known professionally by the mononym Mithila. Besides her film work in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, she is the head of the Early Childhood Development programme in BRAC International.
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Sara McMann
- Occupations
- mixed martial arts fighteramateur wrestler
- Biography
-
Sara McMann is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to Bellator MMA, competing in the Women's Featherweight division. She is a former Olympic wrestler and received a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and was a World Silver Medalist and two-time Bronze Medalist. She would then transition to MMA, most notably competing in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
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Richard Carlson
- Occupations
- television actorscreenwriterwriterfilm actorstage actor
- Biography
-
Richard Dutoit Carlson was an American actor, television and film director, and screenwriter. He is best remembered for his leading roles in sci-fi classic It Came from Outer Space (1953) and iconic Universal Monster film Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954).
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Arthur Holly Compton
- Occupations
- theoretical physicistphysicistuniversity teachernuclear physicist
- Biography
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Arthur Holly Compton was an American physicist who shared the 1927 Nobel Prize in Physics with C. T. R. Wilson for his discovery of the Compton effect, which demonstrated the particle nature of electromagnetic radiation. It was a sensational discovery at the time; the wave nature of light had been well-demonstrated, but the idea that light had both wave and particle properties was not easily accepted.
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Dave Arneson
- Occupations
- role-playing game designergame designer
- Biography
-
David Lance Arneson was an American game designer best known for co-developing the first published role-playing game (RPG), Dungeons & Dragons, with Gary Gygax, in the early 1970s. Arneson's fundamental early role-playing game (RPG) genre work pioneered now-archetypical devices, such as: cooperative play to develop a storyline instead of individual competitive play to "win"; and adventuring in dungeon, town, and wilderness settings as presented by a neutral judge who doubles as the voice and consciousness of all characters aside from the player characters.
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Erik Johnson
- Occupations
- ice hockey player
- Biography
-
Erik Robert Johnson is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Buffalo Sabres and the Philadelphia Flyers. Nicknamed the "Condor", Johnson was selected with the first overall pick by the Blues in the 2006 NHL entry draft. Johnson won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022. Additionally, he has represented the United States in numerous tournaments.
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Blake Wheeler
- Occupations
- ice hockey player
- Biography
-
Blake James Wheeler is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets, and New York Rangers. He was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, fifth overall, in the 2004 NHL entry draft. After failing to come to terms on a contract with the Coyotes, he signed with the Bruins as a free agent.
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Peggy Flanagan
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- In 2002 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in child psychology
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Margaret Flanagan is an American politician and Ojibwe activist serving as the 50th lieutenant governor of Minnesota since 2019. A political progressive and member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Flanagan served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019.
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Tim Pawlenty
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
-
Timothy James Pawlenty is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served from 2003 to 2011 as the 39th governor of Minnesota. A member of the Republican Party, Pawlenty served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003, and as House Majority Leader from 1999 to 2003. Then as Governor, being the last Republican elected to statewide office, after winning a second term in 2006. He unsuccessfully ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2012 presidential election.
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Johnny Olson
- Occupations
- radio personalityactor
- Biography
-
John Leonard Olson was an American radio personality and television announcer. Olson is perhaps best known for his work as an announcer for game shows, particularly the work he did for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Olson was the longtime announcer for the original To Tell the Truth and What's My Line? and spent more than a decade as announcer for both Match Game and The Price Is Right, working on the latter series at the time of his death.
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Barbora Špotáková
- Occupations
- javelin throwerathletics competitor
- Biography
-
Barbora Špotáková is a former Czech track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. She is a two-time Olympic Champion and three-time World Champion, as well as the current world record holder with a throw of 72.28 m.
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De'Vondre Campbell
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
De'Vondre Campbell is an American professional football linebacker. He played college football for the Hutchinson Blue Dragons and Minnesota Golden Gophers and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft. Campbell has also played for the Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers.
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Seymour Cray
- Occupations
- applied mathematiciancomputer scientistengineerbusinesspersonelectrical engineer
- Biography
-
Seymour Roger Cray was an American electrical engineer, computer scientist, mathematician, and supercomputer architect who designed a series of computers that were the fastest in the world for decades, and founded Cray Research, which built many of these machines. Called "the father of supercomputing", Cray has been credited with creating the supercomputer industry. Joel S. Birnbaum, then chief technology officer of Hewlett-Packard, said of him: "It seems impossible to exaggerate the effect he had on the industry; many of the things that high performance computers now do routinely were at the farthest edge of credibility when Seymour envisioned them." Larry Smarr, then director of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois said that Cray is "the Thomas Edison of the supercomputing industry."
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Michael T. Osterholm
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- In 1980 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- epidemiologistacademicprofessor
- Biography
-
Michael Thomas Osterholm is an American epidemiologist, Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
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Ron Johnson
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- In 1977 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- accountantbusinesspersonpolitician
- Biography
-
Ronald Harold Johnson is an American businessman and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Wisconsin, a seat he has held since 2011. A Republican, Johnson was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, defeating Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold. He was reelected in 2016, defeating Feingold in a rematch, and in 2022, narrowly defeating Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes. Before entering politics, he was chief executive officer of a plastics manufacturer in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
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Everett Dirksen
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- lawyercommissionerentrepreneurpolitician
- Biography
-
Everett McKinley Dirksen was an American politician. A Republican, he represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. As Senate Minority Leader from 1959 until his death in 1969, he played a highly visible and key role in the politics of the 1960s. He helped write and pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, both landmark pieces of legislation during the civil rights movement. He was also one of the Senate's strongest supporters of the Vietnam War. A talented orator with a florid style and a notably rich bass voice, he delivered flamboyant speeches that caused his detractors to refer to him as "The Wizard of Ooze".
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John Stapp
- Occupations
- physiciansoldieraircraft pilotbiophysicist
- Biography
-
John Paul Stapp was an American career U.S. Air Force officer, flight surgeon, physician, biophysicist, and pioneer in studying the effects of acceleration forces on humans. He was a colleague and contemporary of Chuck Yeager, and became known as "the fastest man on earth". His work on Project Manhigh pioneered many developments for the US space program.
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Thomas Friedman
- Occupations
- screenwritercolumnistwriterjournalisttelevision producer
- Biography
-
Thomas Loren Friedman is an American political commentator and author. He is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner who is a weekly columnist for The New York Times. He has written extensively on foreign affairs, global trade, the Middle East, globalization, and environmental issues.
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Thomas Vanek
- Occupations
- ice hockey player
- Biography
-
Thomas Vanek is an Austrian former professional ice hockey winger who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, and Vancouver Canucks. Vanek was drafted by the Sabres fifth overall in the 2003 NHL entry draft, making him the highest-drafted Austrian player in NHL history along with David Reinbacher in the 2023 NHL entry draft. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2026.
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John Stumpf
- Occupations
- entrepreneur
- Biography
-
John Gerard Stumpf is an American business executive and retail banker. He was the chairman and chief executive officer of Wells Fargo, one of the Big Four banks of the United States. He was named CEO in June 2007, elected to the board of directors in June 2006, and named president in August 2005. He became chairman in January 2010. Stumpf resigned as chairman and CEO of Wells Fargo on October 12, 2016, after a scandal involving customer accounts and subsequent pressure from the public and lawmakers. He was succeeded by Timothy J. Sloan.
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Nik Lentz
- Occupations
- mixed martial arts fighter
- Biography
-
Nik Lentz is an American retired mixed martial artist. He most notably fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighting in the lightweight division.
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Greg Gagne
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
-
Gregory Alan Gagne is an American retired professional wrestler. He is the son of Verne Gagne. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he achieved his biggest success as one-half of tag team the High Flyers with Jim Brunzell. The High Flyers enjoyed a number of high-profile feuds within the American Wrestling Association (AWA) with the likes of Bobby Duncum and Blackjack Lanza, Pat Patterson and Ray "The Crippler" Stevens, the East-West Connection (Adrian Adonis and Jesse "The Body" Ventura), and the Sheiks (Ken Patera and Jerry Blackwell).
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John Bessler
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
-
John David Bessler is an American attorney and academic. He is a professor of law at the University of Baltimore School of Law and an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center. He is the husband of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.
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Kyle Okposo
- Occupations
- ice hockey player
- Biography
-
Kyle Henry Erovre Okposo is an American former professional ice hockey right winger who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and Florida Panthers. He was drafted seventh overall by the Islanders in the 2006 NHL entry draft. Okposo won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2024.
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Tom Zenk
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
-
Thomas Erwin Zenk was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He was a babyface for his entire career and was best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation from 1986 to 1987, with the American Wrestling Association from 1988 to 1989, and with World Championship Wrestling from 1989 to 1994, as well for his tours of Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling.
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Jeff Dean
- Enrolled in the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- In 1990 graduated with Bachelor of Science in computer science and economics
- Occupations
- computer scientistartificial intelligence researchersoftware engineer
- Biography
-
Jeffrey Adgate Dean is an American computer scientist and software engineer. Since 2018, he has been the lead of Google AI. He was appointed Google's chief scientist in 2023 after the merger of DeepMind and Google Brain into Google DeepMind.
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Kelly Catlin
- Occupations
- sport cyclist
- Biography
-
Kelly Catlin was an American professional racing cyclist who rode for UCI Women's Team Human Powered Health. Catlin won gold medals in the women's team pursuit at the 2016, 2017, and 2018 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. She also won a silver medal in the same event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
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Ryan Saunders
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
-
Ryan Philip Saunders is an American basketball coach who currently serves as the lead assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is known for his work in the NBA as a head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets, and in player development with the Washington Wizards staff. He is the son of longtime NBA coach Flip Saunders.
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Melvin Calvin
- Occupations
- university teacherbiologistchemistengineerbiochemist
- Biography
-
Melvin Ellis Calvin was an American biochemist known for discovering the Calvin cycle along with Andrew Benson and James Bassham, for which he was awarded the 1961 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He spent most of his five-decade career at the University of California, Berkeley.
