100 Notable alumni of
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Updated:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is 57th in the world, 29th in North America, and 28th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. 2 individuals affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill won Nobel Prizes in Chemistry and Physiology or Medicine.
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Michael Jordan
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- 1981-1986 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in cultural geography
- Occupations
- spokespersonentrepreneurbasketball playerautobiographerbaseball player
- Biography
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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. He played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) between 1984 and 2003, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. He was integral in popularizing basketball and the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a global cultural icon. His profile on the NBA website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time."
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Billy Crudup
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm actortelevision actor
- Biography
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William Gaither Crudup is an American actor. He was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his performance in Jesus' Son (1999). He went on to star in numerous high-profile films, including Almost Famous (2000), Big Fish (2003), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Watchmen (2009), Public Enemies (2009), The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015), Jackie (2016), and Alien: Covenant (2017), in both lead and supporting roles.
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Vince Carter
- Occupations
- basketball playerrestaurateur
- Biography
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Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who played for 22 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, but occasionally played power forward later in his NBA career. An eight-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA Team selection, he played a record 22 seasons in the NBA, tied with LeBron James for the most seasons played in league history. He is also the only player to have played in the NBA in four different decades. In 2024, Carter was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Andy Griffith
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Graduated with Bachelor of Music
- Occupations
- screenwritertelevision actorteacherstage actorcomedian
- Biography
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Andy Samuel Griffith was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characters with a folksy-friendly personality, as well as his gruff but friendly voice, Griffith was a Tony Award nominee for two roles. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's film A Face in the Crowd (1957) and No Time for Sergeants (1958) before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead roles of Andy Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968) and Ben Matlock in the legal drama Matlock (1986–1995).
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James K. Polk
- Occupations
- politicianstatespersonlawyerfarmer
- Biography
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James Knox Polk was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. A protégé of Andrew Jackson and a member of the Democratic Party, he was an advocate of Jacksonian democracy and extending the territory of the United States. Polk led the U.S. into the Mexican–American War, and after winning the war he annexed the Republic of Texas, the Oregon Territory, and the Mexican Cession.
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Rick Fox
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Studied communication studies
- Occupations
- television actoractorbasketball player
- Biography
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Ulrich Alexander Fox is a Bahamian-Canadian actor and former basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association for the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, and played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He was the owner of the eSports franchise Echo Fox until his departure from the franchise in October 2019.
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Thomas Wolfe
- Occupations
- essayistprose writerwriterdramaturgeplaywright
- Biography
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Thomas Clayton Wolfe was an American novelist. He is known largely for his first novel, Look Homeward, Angel (1929), and for the short fiction that appeared during the last years of his life. He was one of the pioneers of autobiographical fiction, and along with William Faulkner, he is considered one of the most important authors of the Southern Renaissance within the American literary canon. He has been dubbed "North Carolina's most famous writer".
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Lawrence Taylor
- Occupations
- film actorAmerican football playerprofessional wrestleractor
- Biography
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Lawrence Julius Taylor, nicknamed "L.T.", is an American former professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the New York Giants. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive players of all time.
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Danny Green
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Daniel Richard Green Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. In his NBA career, Green played for six teams. As of 2020, Green is one of just four players in history to have won NBA championships with three different teams; he won titles with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, the Toronto Raptors in 2019, and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
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Louise Fletcher
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Estelle Louise Fletcher was an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of the antagonist Nurse Ratched in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), which earned her numerous accolades, including the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.
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Nolan North
- Occupations
- presentertelevision actorbaseball playerfilm actortelevision producer
- Biography
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Nolan North is an American actor best known for his voice acting roles.
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John Edwards
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- In 1977 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- politicianwriterpodcasterlawyer
- Biography
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Johnny Reid Edwards is an American lawyer and former politician who represented North Carolina in the United States Senate from 1999 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the vice presidential nominee under US Senator John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. He also was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.
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Kenny Smith
- Occupations
- basketball playersports commentator
- Biography
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Kenneth Smith, is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Jet", he played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets. Smith won back-to-back NBA championships with Houston.
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Marion Jones
- Occupations
- basketball playersprinter
- Biography
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Marion Lois Jones, also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is an American former world champion track-and-field athlete and former professional basketball player. She won three gold medals and two bronze medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, but was later stripped of her medals after admitting to lying to federal investigators about her use of performance-enhancing drugs.
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Christine Blasey Ford
- Years
- 1966-.. (age 59)
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- In 1988 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- psychologistacademicuniversity teacherwriterprofessor of psychology
- Biography
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Christine Margaret Blasey Ford is an American professor of psychology at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She specializes in designing statistical models for research projects. During her academic career, Ford has worked as a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine Collaborative Clinical Psychology Program.
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Jim Rash
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directorvoice actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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James Rash is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He played Dean Craig Pelton on the NBC sitcom Community (2009–2015), for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2012.
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Mia Hamm
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Studied in 1989-1993
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm is an American former professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hailed as a soccer icon, she played as a forward for the United States national team from 1987 to 2004. Hamm was the face of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional women's soccer league in the United States, where she played for the Washington Freedom from 2001 to 2003. She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels and helped the team win four NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship titles.
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John Forsythe
- Occupations
- television actornarratorfilm actortelevision producervoice actor
- Biography
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John Lincoln Forsythe was an American stage, film/television actor, producer, narrator, drama teacher and philanthropist whose career spanned six decades. He also appeared as a guest on several talk and variety shows and as a panelist on numerous game shows.
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Aziz Sancar
- Occupations
- molecular biologistbiochemistscientistuniversity teachergeneticist
- Biography
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Aziz Sancar is a Turkish molecular biologist specializing in DNA repair, cell cycle checkpoints, and circadian clock. In 2015, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Tomas Lindahl and Paul L. Modrich for their mechanistic studies of DNA repair. He has made contributions on photolyase and nucleotide excision repair in bacteria that have changed his field.
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Lewis Black
- Occupations
- stand-up comedianwritercomedianplaywrightfilm actor
- Biography
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Lewis Niles Black is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion and cultural trends.
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Harrison Barnes
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Harrison Bryce Jordan Barnes is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before being selected by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft with the seventh overall pick. Barnes won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2015. He also won a gold medal as a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic team.
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James Worthy
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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James Ager Worthy is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Game James", he played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Worthy was a seven-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA Team member who won three NBA championships and was voted the NBA Finals MVP in 1988. He was named to both the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
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Brooke Baldwin
- Occupations
- journalistnews presenter
- Biography
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Lauren Brooke Baldwin is an American journalist, television host, and author who was at CNN from 2008 until 2021. Baldwin hosted CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin, which aired from 3 to 4p.m. ET on weekdays.
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Rasheed Wallace
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Rasheed Abdul Wallace is an American basketball coach and former professional player. A native of Philadelphia, Wallace played college basketball at the University of North Carolina before declaring for the draft in 1995. He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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H. R. McMaster
- Occupations
- military historianmilitary officerarmy officer
- Biography
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Herbert Raymond McMaster is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 25th United States National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018. He is also known for his roles in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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Julius Peppers
- Occupations
- basketball playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Julius Frazier Peppers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. After rejoining the Panthers for the 2017 season, he retired after the 2018 NFL season.
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Larry Brown
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball playerhead coachcoach
- Biography
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Lawrence Harvey Brown is an American basketball coach and former player who last served as an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers. Brown is the only coach in basketball history to win both an NCAA national championship (Kansas Jayhawks, 1988) and an NBA title (Detroit Pistons, 2004). He has a 1,275–965 lifetime professional coaching record in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is the only coach in NBA history to lead eight teams (differing franchises) to the playoffs. He also won an ABA championship as a player with the Oakland Oaks in the 1968–69 season, and an Olympic gold medal in 1964. He is also the only person ever to coach two NBA franchises in the same season (Spurs and Clippers during the 1991–92 NBA season). Before coaching, Brown played collegiately at the University of North Carolina and professionally in the ABA.
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Roy Cooper
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Roy Asberry Cooper III is an American attorney and politician who served as the 75th governor of North Carolina from 2017 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 50th attorney general of North Carolina from 2001 to 2017, and in the North Carolina General Assembly, in both the House, from 1987 to 1991, and the Senate, from 1991 to 2001.
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Sarina Wiegman
- Occupations
- association football playerassociation football manager
- Biography
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Sarina Petronella Wiegman, also known as Sarina Wiegman-Glotzbach, is a Dutch football manager and former player who has been the manager of the England women's national team since September 2021.
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Sharon Lawrence
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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Sharon Elizabeth Lawrence is an American actress. From 1993 to 1999, she starred as Sylvia Costas in the ABC drama series, NYPD Blue. The role garnered her three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, and Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. She received three additional Emmy Awards nominations for her later television performances.
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Mick Mulvaney
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- In 1992 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- politicianeconomistreal estate developerlawyer
- Biography
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John Michael Mulvaney is an American politician who served as director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from February 2017 until March 2020, and as acting White House chief of staff from January 2019 until March 2020. Prior to his appointments to the Trump administration, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Stuart Scott
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- journalistsports commentator
- Biography
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Stuart Orlando Scott was an American sportscaster and anchor on ESPN, including on SportsCenter. Known for his hip-hop style and use of catchphrases, Scott was also a regular for the network in its National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL) coverage.
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Tyler Hansbrough
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Andrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for seven seasons, as well as internationally.
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Tobin Heath
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Tobin Powell Heath is an American professional soccer player and entrepreneur. Playing primarily as a forward and midfielder for the United States national team, she won gold at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, 2012 London Summer Olympics, 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup as well as silver at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. She was described as "perhaps the USA's most skillful player" by the United States Soccer Federation, and was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2016 and U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year in 2009.
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Ashlyn Harris
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Ashlyn Michelle Harris is an American former soccer player.
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Jerry Stackhouse
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Jerry Darnell Stackhouse is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. Stackhouse played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was a two-time NBA All-Star. He was the head coach of Raptors 905 and an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies. Additionally, he has worked as an NBA TV analyst.
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Gregg Berhalter
- Occupations
- association football playerassociation football manager
- Biography
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Gregg Matthew Berhalter is an American soccer coach and former player. He is the incoming head coach and director of football for Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire, a role he will assume following the end of the 2024 season. He was most recently the head coach of the United States men's national soccer team. He is the first person in United States history to participate in the FIFA World Cup as both a player and head coach. His tenure as coach has been noted for the recruitment of a younger player roster.
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Dan Ariely
- Occupations
- psychologisteconomistuniversity teacherwriterpedagogue
- Biography
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Dan Ariely is an Israeli-American professor and author. He serves as a James B. Duke Professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University. He is the co-founder of several companies implementing insights from behavioral science. Ariely wrote an advice column called "Ask Ariely" in The Wall Street Journal from June 2012 until September 2022. He is the author of the three New York Times best selling books Predictably Irrational, The Upside of Irrationality, and The Honest Truth about Dishonesty. He co-produced the 2015 documentary (Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies.
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Bob McAdoo
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1975. He won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s. In 2000, McAdoo was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
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Lionel Stander
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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Lionel Jay Stander was an American actor, activist, and a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild. He had an extensive career in theatre, film, radio, and television that spanned nearly 70 years, from 1928 until 1994. He was known for his distinctive raspy voice and tough-guy demeanor, as well as for his vocal left-wing political stances. One of the first Hollywood actors to be subpoenaed before the House Un-American Activities Committee, he was blacklisted from the late 1940s until the mid-1960s.
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Francis Collins
- Occupations
- chemistauthorphysicianphysicistgeneticist
- Biography
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Francis Sellers Collins ForMemRS is an American physician-scientist who discovered the genes associated with a number of diseases and led the Human Genome Project. He served as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, from 17 August 2009 to 19 December 2021, serving under three presidents.
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James E. Webb
- Occupations
- military aviatorpoliticianMarine officerlawyer
- Biography
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James Edwin Webb was an American government official who served as Undersecretary of State from 1949 to 1952. He was the second Administrator of NASA from February 14, 1961, to October 7, 1968. Webb led NASA from the beginning of the Kennedy administration through the end of the Johnson administration, thus overseeing each of the critical first crewed missions throughout the Mercury and Gemini programs until days before the launch of the first Apollo mission. He also dealt with the Apollo 1 fire.
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Jenny Han
- Occupations
- writernovelistchildren's writerfilm director
- Biography
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Jenny Han is an American author, screenwriter, executive producer, and showrunner. She is best known for writing The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, which she adapted into a TV series for Prime Video. She also wrote the To All the Boys trilogy which was adapted into a Netflix film series.
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Nick Searcy
- Occupations
- actorfilm actorstage actorfilm directortelevision actor
- Biography
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Nicholas Alan Searcy is an American character actor best known for portraying Chief Deputy United States Marshal Art Mullen on FX's Justified. He also had a major role in the Tom Hanks–produced miniseries From the Earth to the Moon as Deke Slayton, and directed Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer, a film released on October 12, 2018.
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Jeff Saturday
- Occupations
- American football coachAmerican football playersports analyst
- Biography
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Jeffrey Bryant Saturday is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a center in the NFL, primarily with the Indianapolis Colts. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection, and won a Super Bowl with the Colts.
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Peyton Reed
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directordirectoractor
- Biography
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Peyton Tucker Reed is an American television and film director. He directed the comedy films Bring It On, Down with Love, The Break-Up, and Yes Man, as well as the superhero film Ant-Man and its sequels.
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Jeff Nichols
- Occupations
- film producerscreenwriterfilm directordirectorfilmmaker
- Biography
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Jeff Nichols is an American film director and screenwriter. His films are characterized by their Southern United States backdrop and ambience. He is also known for his longstanding collaboration with actor Michael Shannon, who has appeared in all of his feature films to date.
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Sam Howell
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Studied in 2019-2021
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Samuel Duke Howell is an American professional football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, setting school records for most touchdown passes in a single season (38) as well as career passing yards (10,283) and touchdown passes (92).
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Alessia Russo
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Alessia Mia Teresa Russo is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the England national team. She previously played club football for Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United, as well as college soccer for North Carolina Tar Heels. At United, Russo won awards from the club including Player of the Year and Goal of the Season, and was twice top scorer. She has also been awarded Player of the Month and Goal of the Month in the WSL for Arsenal.
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George Karl
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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George Matthew Karl is an American former professional basketball coach and player. After spending five years as a player for the San Antonio Spurs, he became an assistant with the team before being appointed as a head coach in 1980 with the Montana Golden Nuggets of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). Three years later, Karl became one of the youngest National Basketball Association (NBA) head coaches in history when he was named coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers at age 33. By the time his coaching career came to an end in 2016, Karl coached nine different teams in three different leagues (CBA, NBA, Liga ACB), which included being named Coach of the Year three combined times (twice in the CBA and once in the NBA) with one championship roster in the FIBA Saporta Cup. He is one of nine coaches in NBA history to have won 1,000 NBA games (which included twelve seasons with fifty or more wins) and was named NBA Coach of the Year for the 2012–13 season. While he never won an NBA championship, Karl made the postseason 22 times with five different teams, which included a trip to the 1996 NBA Finals with the Seattle SuperSonics.
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Roy Williams
- Occupations
- screenwriterhead coachbasketball coach
- Biography
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Roy Allen Williams is an American retired college basketball coach who served as the men's head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels for 18 seasons and the Kansas Jayhawks for 15 seasons. He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
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Antawn Jamison
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Antawn Cortez Jamison is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He serves as director of pro personnel for the Washington Wizards. Jamison played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, being named national player of the year in 1998.
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Matt Harvey
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Matthew Edward Harvey, nicknamed "the Dark Knight", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, and Baltimore Orioles.
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Cole Anthony
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Cole Hinton Anthony is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters) and 185 pounds (84 kilograms), he plays the point guard position.
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Ty Lawson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Tywon Ronell Lawson is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels where he won the 2009 national championship his junior year.
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Robert Cialdini
- Occupations
- writerpsychologist
- Biography
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Robert Beno Cialdini is an American psychologist. He is the Regents' Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University and was a visiting professor of marketing, business and psychology at Stanford University.
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Hubert Davis
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Hubert Ira Davis Jr. is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's team. Before his coaching career, Davis played for North Carolina from 1988 to 1992 and in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and New Jersey Nets from 1992 to 2004. He holds the franchise single-season and career three-point field goal shooting percentage records for both the Knicks and the Mavericks. He is the nephew of Walter Davis, another former Tar Heel and NBA player.
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Ravi Patel
- Occupations
- film directoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Ravi Vasant Patel is an American actor. He and his sister wrote and directed an autobiographical documentary, Meet the Patels.
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Coby White
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Alec Jacoby "Coby" White is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. White was a top high school player in North Carolina, finishing his career as the top prep scorer in state history. After being selected by the Bulls in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft with the seventh overall pick, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020. In 2024, White finished second in NBA Most Improved Player award behind Tyrese Maxey.
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Reed Diamond
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Reed Edward Diamond is an American actor. He is known for the roles of Det. Mike Kellerman on Homicide: Life on the Street, Jason Pillar in season 8 of 24, and recurring character Laurence Dominic on Dollhouse. He also appeared in The Shield, Journeyman, Bones, The Mentalist, Franklin & Bash, and Underground. He had a recurring role on the first two seasons of Designated Survivor as John Foerstel, Director of the FBI, and portrayed Daniel Whitehall / Werner Reinhardt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
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Lawrence Ferlinghetti
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in journalism
- Occupations
- publisherplaywrightpainterpoetactivist shareholder
- Biography
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Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti was an American poet, painter, social activist, and co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers. An author of poetry, translations, fiction, theatre, art criticism, and film narration, Ferlinghetti was best known for his second collection of poems, A Coney Island of the Mind (1958), which has been translated into nine languages and sold over a million copies. When Ferlinghetti turned 100 in March 2019, the city of San Francisco turned his birthday, March 24, into "Lawrence Ferlinghetti Day".
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Brad Daugherty
- Occupations
- sports commentatorNASCAR team ownerbasketball player
- Biography
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Bradley Lee Daugherty, nicknamed "Big Dukie" and "Hooch", is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and professionally with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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Raymond Felton
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Raymond Bernard Felton Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Felton played college basketball for the University of North Carolina under head coach Roy Williams.
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Andrew Miller
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Andrew Mark Miller is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and St. Louis Cardinals. Primarily a starting pitcher who struggled early in his MLB career, Miller found sustained success as a reliever utilizing a multi-faceted fastball and slider approach that proved deceptive for batters to hit. A left-handed batter and thrower, Miller stands 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) tall and weighs 205 pounds (93 kg).
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Cameron Johnson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Cameron Jordan Johnson is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the North Carolina Tar Heels. Drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the eleventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Johnson was traded to the Phoenix Suns on draft night. During his sophomore season, he reached the 2021 NBA Finals with the Suns. He spent three full seasons in Phoenix before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2023.
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Armistead Maupin
- Occupations
- gay fiction writermilitary officerscreenwriternovelistwriter
- Biography
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Armistead Jones Maupin, Jr. is an American writer notable for Tales of the City, a series of novels set in San Francisco.
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Rashad McCants
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Rashad Dion McCants is an American former professional basketball player who has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as well as overseas. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, winning a national championship in his junior season.
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Sam Perkins
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Samuel Bruce Perkins is an American former professional basketball player and executive. Perkins was a three-time college All-American, was a member of the 1982 national champion North Carolina Tar Heels, and won a gold medal with the 1984 United States men's Olympic basketball team. Perkins played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 17 seasons.
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Robert Quinn
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Robert Quinn is an American former professional football defensive end. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and was selected by the St. Louis Rams with the 14th pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft.
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Nikole Hannah-Jones
- Occupations
- writerjournalistresearcher
- Biography
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Nikole Sheri Hannah-Jones is an American investigative journalist known for her coverage of civil rights in the United States. She joined The New York Times as a staff writer in April 2015, was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2017, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2020 for her work on The 1619 Project. Hannah-Jones is the inaugural Knight Chair in Race and Journalism at the Howard University School of Communications, where she also founded the Center for Journalism and Democracy.
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James Michael McAdoo
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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James Michael Ray McAdoo is an American professional basketball player for the Shimane Susanoo Magic of the B.League in Japan. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and twice earned second-team all-conference honors in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). McAdoo won two NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors. He has also played in various international leagues, including the EuroCup, Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL), and ABA League.
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Reggie Bullock
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Reginald Ryedell Bullock Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before being selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft with the 25th overall pick. Bullock has also played for the Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Dallas Mavericks.
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William R. King
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomatlawyer
- Biography
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William Rufus DeVane King was an American politician and diplomat. He was the 13th vice president of the United States from March 4 until his death in April 1853. Earlier he had served as a U.S. representative from North Carolina and a senator from Alabama. He also served as minister to France under President James K. Polk.
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Elizabeth Edwards
- Occupations
- writerattorney at lawlawyerteacher
- Biography
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Mary Elizabeth Anania Edwards was an American attorney, author, and health care activist. She was married to John Edwards, the former U.S. Senator from North Carolina who was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in the 2004 U.S. presidential election.
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Justin Jackson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Justin Aaron Jackson is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Texas Legends of the NBA G League.
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R. G. Armstrong
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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Robert Golden Armstrong Jr. was an American character actor and playwright. A veteran performer who appeared in dozens of Westerns during his 40-year career, he may be best remembered for his work with director Sam Peckinpah.
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Paul Wellstone
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- In 1965 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- In 1969 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- politicianuniversity teacherpolitical scientist
- Biography
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Paul David Wellstone was an American academic, author, and politician who represented Minnesota in the United States Senate from 1991 until he was killed in a plane crash near Eveleth, Minnesota, in 2002. A member of the Democratic Party (DFL), Wellstone was a leader of the populist and progressive wings of the party.
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Kyle Seager
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
-
Kyle Duerr Seager is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played his entire career for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2011 to 2021. He was selected by the Mariners in the third round of the 2009 MLB draft, and made his MLB debut in 2011. In 2014, Seager was an All Star and won a Gold Glove Award.
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Tyler Zeller
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Tyler Paul Zeller is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of North Carolina, where as a freshman he played on their 2009 national championship team and as a senior was an All-American and the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. He is the nephew of former NBA player Al Eberhard, and the brother of fellow NBA players Cody Zeller and Luke Zeller.
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Marvin Williams
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Marvin Gaye Williams Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. He played one season of college basketball for North Carolina before being drafted second overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2005 NBA draft.
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Wayne Ellington
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
-
Wayne Robert Ellington Jr. is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is a player development coach for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Known for his shooting ability, he was nicknamed "The Man With The Golden Arm". He played for the University of North Carolina from 2006 to 2009. He chose to forgo his final season of college eligibility to declare for the 2009 NBA draft, and was drafted 28th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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Caleb Bradham
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- 1886-1888 studied medicine
- Occupations
- inventorpharmacistbusinessperson
- Biography
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Caleb Davis Bradham was an American pharmacist, who invented the soft drink Pepsi.
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Mitch Kupchak
- Occupations
- general managerbasketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
-
Mitchell Kupchak is an American professional basketball executive and retired player. He is the former president of basketball operations and general manager of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a college player, Kupchak was an All-American at the University of North Carolina and a member of the gold medal-winning 1976 United States Olympic team. As a professional player, he won three NBA titles – one as a member of the Washington Bullets and two with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Davis Love III
- Occupations
- golferarchitect
- Biography
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Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer who has won 21 events on the PGA Tour, including one major championship: the 1997 PGA Championship. He won the Players Championship in 1992 and 2003. He was in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for over 450 weeks, reaching a high ranking of 2nd. He captained the U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 2012 and 2016. Love was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017.
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Whit Bissell
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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Whitner Nutting Bissell was an American character actor.
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Rick Dees
- Occupations
- actorradio personalitytelevision presenterdisc jockeyvoice actor
- Biography
-
Rigdon Osmond Dees III, best known as Rick Dees, is an American entertainer, radio personality, comedian, actor, and voice artist, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the 1976 satirical novelty song "Disco Duck".
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Billy Cunningham
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
-
William John Cunningham is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid for his leaping and record-setting rebounding abilities. He spent a total of 17 seasons with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers (nine as player, eight as coach), and two seasons as a player with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA.
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Mary Pope Osborne
- Occupations
- writerchildren's writer
- Biography
-
Mary Pope Osborne is an American author of children's books and audiobook narrator. She is best known as the author of the Magic Tree House series, which as of 2017 sold more than 134 million copies worldwide. Both the series and Osborne have won awards, including for Osborne's charitable efforts at promoting children's literacy. One of four children, Osborne moved around in her childhood before attending the University of North Carolina. Following college, Osborne traveled before moving to New York City. She somewhat spontaneously began to write, and her first book was published in 1982. She went on to write a variety of other children's and young adult books before starting the Magic Tree House series in 1992. Osborne's sister Natalie Pope Boyce has written several compendium books to the Magic Tree House series, sometimes with Osborne's husband Will.
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Heather Childers
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- reporter
- Biography
-
Heather Star Childers is an American television news anchor. She was a former anchor of the first hour of Fox & Friends First for Fox News Channel, and worked for the organization from 2010 until 2020.
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Wyatt Cenac
- Occupations
- film directoractorcomediantelevision actorscreenwriter
- Biography
-
Wyatt John Foster Cenac Jr. is an American comedian, actor, producer, and writer. He was a correspondent and writer for The Daily Show from 2008 to 2012. He starred in the TBS series People of Earth and in Barry Jenkins's first feature Medicine for Melancholy. He also hosted and produced the HBO series Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas.
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Virginia Foxx
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- In 1968 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Studied in 1972
- Occupations
- deanpoliticianuniversity teacher
- Biography
-
Virginia Ann Foxx is an American educator, businesswoman, and politician serving as the U.S. representative from North Carolina's 5th congressional district since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, Foxx has served as chair of the House Rules Committee since 2025 and is the only woman leading a committee in the 119th Congress. She also served as Secretary of the House Republican Conference from 2013 to 2017. She was the ranking member of the House Committee on Education and Labor from 2019 to 2023 and served as the committee's chair from 2017 to 2019 and from 2023 to 2025. Foxx's district encompasses much of the northwestern portion of the state, including most of the city of Greensboro. Since January 2025, Foxx has been the dean of North Carolina's congressional delegation.
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Walker Kessler
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Walker Ross Kessler is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and Auburn Tigers.
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Eboni K. Williams
- Enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- television personalitytelevision presenterlawyertelevision actorcelebrity
- Biography
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Eboni Kiuhnna Williams is an American lawyer and television host. She hosts the nightly news show The Grio with Eboni K. Williams on TheGrio. She co-hosted a talk show on WABC Radio in New York City and was a co-host of Fox News' 2017 show Fox News Specialists. In October 2020, she was cast in The Real Housewives of New York City for its thirteenth season.
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Marcus Paige
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Marcus Taylor Paige is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball for the University of North Carolina, where he helped lead the Tar Heels to the 2016 NCAA championship game, and now serves as an assistant coach at his alma mater. In addition to being a citizen of the United States, Paige also has Serbian citizenship.
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Melissa Claire Egan
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
-
Melissa Claire Egan is an American actress, best known for her roles as Annie Lavery on All My Children and Chelsea Lawson on The Young and the Restless.
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Luke Maye
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Luke David Maye is an American professional basketball player for the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins of the Japan Professional Basketball League (B.League). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, winning the 2017 national championship.
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Armando Bacot
- Occupations
- basketball playerfilm actor
- Biography
-
Armando Linwood Bacot Jr. /ˈbeɪkɒt/ is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He holds the program records for double-doubles and career rebounds. Over his 5-year career, Bacot played in a UNC-record 171 games.
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Giovani Bernard
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Giovani Govan Bernard is an American former professional football running back who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft, spending eight seasons with the team. After being released by the Bengals after the 2020 season, he then played two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring.
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Ed Davis
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Edward Adam Davis is an American professional basketball player. Previously, he played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played high school basketball at Benedictine High School in Richmond, Virginia. He is the son of former NBA player Terry Davis. He was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors.
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Eric Montross
- Occupations
- basketball playersports commentator
- Biography
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Eric Scott Montross was an American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for eight seasons with the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors. Born in Indianapolis, he played for Lawrence North High School before enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to play for the Tar Heels.
