100 Notable alumni of
Wayne State University
Updated:
Wayne State University is 309th in the world, 129th in North America, and 122nd in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from Wayne State University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Jack White
- Occupations
- mandolinistrecording artistpianistvoice actorsinger-songwriter
- Biography
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John Anthony White is an American musician and record producer who was the guitarist and lead vocalist of the rock duo the White Stripes. He was a key artist of the 2000s indie and garage rock movements, noted for his distinctive musical techniques, eccentricity, and utilization of analog technology. After the White Stripes split up in 2011, he found success with his solo career and business ventures.
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Tom Sizemore
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorscreenwriterfilm actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr. was an American actor. Born in Detroit, he started his career with supporting appearances in Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Lock Up (1989), and Blue Steel (1990). The appearances led to more prominent roles in films like Passenger 57 (1992), True Romance (1993), Striking Distance (1993), Natural Born Killers (1994), Strange Days (1995), Heat (1995), and The Relic (1997).
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Lily Tomlin
- Occupations
- television actorscreenwriterwriterfilm actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. Tomlin started her career in stand-up comedy and sketch comedy before transitioning her career to acting across stage and screen. In a career spanning more than fifty years, Tomlin has received numerous accolades, including seven Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, two Tony Awards, and a nomination for an Academy Award. She was also awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 2014 and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2017.
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Jeffrey Tambor
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorcharacter actorfilm actortheatrical director
- Biography
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Jeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Jeffrey Brookes, the uptight neighbor of Stanley and Helen Roper in the television sitcom The Ropers (1979–1980), as Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show (1992–1998), George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019) and Maura Pfefferman on Transparent (2014–2017). For his role in the latter, Tambor earned two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series out of three nominations. In 2015, he was also awarded a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Pfefferman.
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Tom Skerritt
- Occupations
- voice actortelevision directormodeltelevision actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Thomas Roy Skerritt is an American actor and director, who has appeared in over 170 film and television productions since 1962. The beginning of his film career coincided with the New Hollywood movement, with a breakthrough role as Duke Forrest in Robert Altman's M*A*S*H (1970). He then starred in notable films like The Turning Point (1977), Up in Smoke, Ice Castles (both 1978), Alien (1979), The Dead Zone (1983), Top Gun (1986), and A River Runs Through It (1992).
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Ernie Hudson
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorfilm actorvoice actorstage actor
- Biography
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Earnest Lee Hudson is an American actor. He is known for his role as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters franchise. Hudson has also acted in the films Leviathan (1989), The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), The Crow (1994), Airheads (1994), The Basketball Diaries (1995), Congo (1995), Miss Congeniality (2000), and The Ron Clark Story (2006).
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Crystal Reed
- Occupations
- modeltelevision actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Crystal Marie Reed is an American actress. She came to prominence playing Allison Argent in the series Teen Wolf (2011–2014). She departed the series after the third season but made a guest appearance in the fifth season as Allison's ancestor Marie-Jeanne Valet. Reed went on to reprise her role as Allison Argent in the reunion film Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023).
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Casey Kasem
- Occupations
- film producerradio personalityfilm actordisc jockeyjournalist
- Biography
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Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem was an American disc jockey, actor, and radio presenter who created and hosted several radio countdown programs, notably American Top 40, as well as the weekly syndicated television series America's Top 10. He was the first actor to voice Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo franchise (1969 to 1997 and 2002 to 2009) and Dick Grayson/Robin in Super Friends (1973–1985).
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Rashida Tlaib Al-Harbi
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1998 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in political science
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Rashida Harbi Tlaib is an American lawyer and politician serving as a U.S. representative from Michigan since 2019, representing the state's 12th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress and one of the first two Muslim women (along with Ilhan Omar) elected to Congress.
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Sixto Rodriguez
- Occupations
- guitaristmusiciansinger-songwriter
- Biography
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Sixto Diaz Rodríguez, mononymously known as Rodríguez, was an American musician from Detroit, Michigan.
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Paul Feig
- Occupations
- television actorfilm directordirectoractortelevision producer
- Biography
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Paul Feig is an American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for directing films such as Bridesmaids (2011), The Heat (2013), Spy (2015), Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), A Simple Favor (2018), and Last Christmas (2019). He often collaborates with actress Melissa McCarthy.
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Tim Meadows
- Occupations
- comediantelevision actorscreenwriterfilm actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Tim Meadows is an American actor and comedian. He was one of the longest-running cast members on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where he appeared for 10 seasons from 1991 to 2000. For his work on SNL, he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 1993. He played main character John Glascott on the ABC sitcom Schooled for its two-season run after playing the same character in a recurring role for six seasons on The Goldbergs. Meadows is also known for his role as Principal Duvall in the 2004 teen comedy film Mean Girls, a role he then reprised in Mean Girls 2 and in the film's 2024 musical adaptation.
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Sam Richardson
- Occupations
- comediantelevision actorscreenwriterwriterstage actor
- Biography
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Sam Richardson is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for co-starring in the Comedy Central comedy series Detroiters (2017–2018) alongside Tim Robinson, playing Richard Splett in the HBO political comedy series Veep (2012–2019), and for playing various characters in the Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019–2023), Aniq Adjaye in the Apple TV+ series The Afterparty (2022–2023), and Norville Rogers in the Max animated series Velma (2023–2024). In 2022 and 2023, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Edwin Akufo in Ted Lasso, winning in 2023.
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Della Reese
- Occupations
- film actorjazz musicianstage actortelevision actoractor
- Biography
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Della Reese was an American singer, actress, television personality, author and ordained minister. As a singer, she recorded blues, gospel, jazz and pop. Several of her singles made the US Hot 100, including the number two charting song, "Don't You Know?" (1959). As a television personality and actress, she was the first black woman to host her own talk show and appeared on the highly-rated CBS television series Touched by an Angel.
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Wayne Dyer
- Occupations
- writermotivational speakerpsychologistactorpsychotherapist
- Biography
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Wayne Walter Dyer was an American self-help author and a motivational speaker. Dyer earned a Bachelor’s degree in History and Philosophy, a Master’s degree in Psychology and an Ed.D. in Guidance and Counseling at Wayne State University in 1970. Early in his career, he worked as a high school guidance counselor, and went on to run a successful private therapy practice. He became a popular professor of counselor education at St. John's University, where he was approached by a literary agent to put his ideas into book form. The result was his first book, Your Erroneous Zones (1976). This launched Dyer's career as a motivational speaker and self-help author, during which he published 20 more best-selling books and produced a number of popular specials for PBS. Influenced by thinkers such as Abraham Maslow and Albert Ellis, Dyer's early work focused on psychological themes such as motivation, self-actualization and assertiveness. By the 1990s, the focus of his work had shifted to spirituality. Inspired by Swami Muktananda and New Thought, he promoted themes such as the "power of intention," collaborated with alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra on a number of projects, and was a frequent guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
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S. Epatha Merkerson
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm directortelevision actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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S. Epatha Merkerson is an American actress. She has received accolades for her work, including an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, four NAACP Image Awards, two Obie Awards, and two Tony Award nominations. She is known for her portrayal of NYPD Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on the NBC police procedural drama series Law & Order, a role she played from 1993 to 2010, appearing in 388 episodes of the series. She is also known for playing Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-wee's Playhouse and Sharon Goodwin in the NBC medical drama Chicago Med since the series premiered in November 2015 (and in crossover appearances on Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D.).
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Kenya Moore
- Occupations
- film producertelevision actorbeauty pageant contestantmodelfilm actor
- Biography
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Kenya Summer Moore is an American actress, author, entrepreneur, television personality and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1993. From 2012–2025, she starred on the reality TV series, The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
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Keith Ellison
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1986 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- 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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Chad Everett
- Occupations
- voice actortelevision actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Raymon Lee Cramton, known professionally as Chad Everett, was an American actor who appeared in more than 40 films and television series. He played Dr. Joe Gannon in the television drama Medical Center, which aired from 1969 to 1976.
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David Ramsey
- Occupations
- television actortelevision directoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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David Paul Ramsey is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in The CW Arrowverse series Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Batwoman as John Diggle / Spartan, portraying Diggle and Bass Reeves in Legends of Tomorrow, recurring as an alternate universe version of Diggle in Superman & Lois, recurring as Anton Briggs on the Showtime TV series Dexter, and starring in the film Mother and Child (2009) as Joseph.
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Stephen M. Ross
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Stephen Michael Ross is an American real estate developer, philanthropist, and sports team owner. Ross is the chairman of Related Companies, a global real estate development firm he founded in 1972. Related is best known for developing Deutsche Bank Center, as well as the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project. Ross has a net worth of $10.1 billion in 2020, ranking him 185 on Forbes Billionaires List in 2020. He is still featured on the list as of 2023. Ross is also the principal owner of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium.
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James Lipton
- Occupations
- poetwriterfilm producerscreenwriterlibrettist
- Biography
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Louis James Lipton was an American writer, actor, talk show host, and dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City. He was the executive producer, writer, and host of the Bravo cable television series Inside the Actors Studio, which debuted in 1994. He retired from the show in 2018.
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Otmar Szafnauer
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- Studied electrical engineering
- Occupations
- engineerentrepreneurracing automobile driverteam manager
- Biography
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Otmar Marin Szafnauer is a Romanian and American engineer. He served as Team Principal of Alpine F1 Team from February 2022 to July 2023.
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John Conyers
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1957 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- general counselcongressional stafflawyerpolitician
- Biography
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John James Conyers Jr. was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as a U.S. representative from Michigan from 1965 to 2017. Conyers was the sixth-longest serving member of Congress and the longest-serving African American member of Congress in history.
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Gary Peters
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1989 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- instructorvice presidentprofessoruniversity teachermilitary officer
- Biography
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Gary Charles Peters is an American politician, lawyer, and former naval officer serving as the senior United States senator from Michigan, a seat he has held since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representative for Michigan's 14th congressional district, which included the eastern half of Detroit, the Grosse Pointes, Hamtramck, Southfield, and Pontiac, from 2009 to 2015 (the district was Michigan's 9th congressional district until 2013).
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Larry Joe Campbell
- Occupations
- actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Larry Joe Campbell is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Andy on the ABC sitcom According to Jim.
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Fuat Oktay
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Fuat Oktay is a Turkish politician, civil servant and academic who served as the first vice president of Turkey from 2018 to 2023. He previously served as undersecretary to the prime minister of Turkey from 2016 until his appointment to the vice presidency, following the creation of the office after the 2017 constitutional referendum.
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Haaz Sleiman
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Haaz Sleiman is a Lebanese actor. He most notably played the role of Tarek in the 2007 film The Visitor for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male and the role of Jesus in the American TV mini-series Killing Jesus, in addition to a number of American TV series.
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Deborah Joy Winans
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorstage actor
- Biography
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Deborah Joy Winans is an American actress and singer, and member of the musical Winans family. She starred as Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series, Greenleaf.
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Hugh Downs
- Occupations
- actorcomposerjournalist
- Biography
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Hugh Malcolm Downs was an American television presenter, radio personality, author, and music composer. A regular television presence from the mid 1940s until the late 1990s, he had several successful roles on morning, prime-time, and late-night television. For several years, he held the certified Guinness World Record for the most hours on commercial network television before being surpassed by Regis Philbin, who died 24 days after he did.
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Ulana Suprun
- Occupations
- statespersonphysician
- Biography
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Ulana Nadia Suprun is a Ukrainian-American physician, activist, and philanthropist who served as the acting Minister of Healthcare from 2016 to 2019. Prior to her government career, Suprun served as Director of Humanitarian Initiatives for the Ukrainian World Congress.
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Donald Byrd
- Occupations
- jazz musiciancomposerrecording artistmusic educatorjazz trumpeter
- Biography
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Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter, composer and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop musicians who successfully explored funk and soul while remaining a jazz artist. As a bandleader, Byrd was an influence on the early career of Herbie Hancock and many others.
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Helen Thomas
- Occupations
- journalistwriter
- Biography
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Helen Amelia Thomas was an American reporter and author, and a long-serving member of the White House press corps. She covered the White House during the administrations of ten U.S. presidents—from the beginning of the Kennedy administration to the second year of the Obama administration.
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Bill Prady
- Occupations
- film producertelevision producerscreenwriter
- Biography
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William Scott Prady is an American television writer and producer known for co-creating and producing The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019) and The Muppets (2015–2016). He also served as an executive producer on Dharma & Greg (1997–2002), Good Morning, Miami (2003), and Gilmore Girls (2004–2005).
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Kenny Burrell
- Occupations
- composerguitaristuniversity teacherjazz musicianbanjoist
- Biography
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Kenneth Earl Burrell is an American jazz guitarist, singer and composer known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 Billboard Top Twenty hit Verve album Organ Grinder Swing. Burrell has cited jazz guitarists Charlie Christian, Oscar Moore, and Django Reinhardt as influences, along with blues guitarists T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters.
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Lauren Lake
- Occupations
- writerlawyertelevision presentersinger
- Biography
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Lauren Laniece Lake is an American family lawyer, television judge, and talk show presenter.
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Yusef Lateef
- Occupations
- jazz saxophonistoboistcomposernon-fiction writeruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Yusef Abdul Lateef was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in the United States.
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Joe Henderson
- Occupations
- bandleadersaxophonistcomposerjazz musicianrecording artist
- Biography
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Joe Henderson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent labels, including Blue Note, Milestone, Contemporary Records and Verve.
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Anthony Bass
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Anthony Edward Bass is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Miami Marlins, and Toronto Blue Jays. Bass has also played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played college baseball at Wayne State University.
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Lucky Yates
- Years
- 1967-.. (age 59)
- Occupations
- voice actoractor
- Biography
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Matt "Lucky" Yates is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his voice roles as Dr. Krieger on Archer and the Xtacles on Frisky Dingo. He was also a recurring actor on the Food Network series Good Eats. He studied theater at Wayne State University and regularly performs at Dad's Garage in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Deva Katta
- Born in
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India - Occupations
- film producerscreenwriterfilm director
- Biography
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Deva Katta is an Indian American film director and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. He directed movies such as Vennela, Prasthanam (2010), Autonagar Surya (2014), and Republic (2021). In 2010, Prasthanam was showcased in the Indian Panorama section at the International Film Festival of India. The film also won two Filmfare awards including Filmfare South Critics Award for Best Film and Nandi Award for Best Feature Film in 2010.
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Arthur Coleman Danto
- Occupations
- university teacherpainterart criticjournalistphilosopher
- Biography
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Arthur Coleman Danto was an American art critic, philosopher, and professor at Columbia University. He was best known for having been a long-time art critic for The Nation and for his work in philosophical aesthetics and philosophy of history, though he contributed significantly to a number of fields, including the philosophy of action. His interests included thought, feeling, philosophy of art, theories of representation, philosophical psychology, Hegel's aesthetics, and the philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche and Jean-Paul Sartre.
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Hayden White
- Occupations
- historianphilosopheruniversity teacherwriter
- Biography
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Hayden V. White was an American historian in the tradition of literary criticism. He wrote Metahistory: The Historical Imagination in Nineteenth-Century Europe in 1973.
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Joseph Weizenbaum
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- 1941-1948 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- In 1950 graduated with Master of Science
- Occupations
- non-fiction writerteachercreatoruniversity teacherartificial intelligence researcher
- Biography
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Joseph Weizenbaum was a German-American computer scientist and a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the namesake of the Weizenbaum Award and the Weizenbaum Institute.
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John Kluge
- Occupations
- entrepreneurbusinessperson
- Biography
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John Werner Kluge was a German-American entrepreneur who became a television industry mogul in the United States. He was the founder and chairman of Metromedia. At one time he was the richest person in the U.S.
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Laura Devon
- Occupations
- singermodeltelevision actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Laura Devon was an American actress and singer.
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Janet Jagan
- Occupations
- writerchildren's writernursepolitician
- Biography
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Janet Rosenberg Jagan OE was an American-born Guyanese politician who served as the 6th President of Guyana from 1997 to 1999. She was the first female president of Guyana. She previously served as the first female Prime Minister of Guyana from 17 March 1997 to 19 December 1997. The wife of Cheddi Jagan, whom she succeeded as president, she was awarded Guyana's highest national award, the Order of Excellence, in 1993, and the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Gold Medal for Women's Rights in 1998.
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Carl Djerassi
- Occupations
- scientistchemistscience fiction writeruniversity teachercollector
- Biography
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Carl Djerassi was an Austrian-born Bulgarian-American pharmaceutical chemist, novelist, playwright and co-founder of Djerassi Resident Artists Program with Diane Wood Middlebrook. He is best known for his contribution to the development of oral contraceptive pills, nicknamed the "father of the pill".
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Larry Brilliant
- Occupations
- physicianacademicbusinesspersonepidemiologist
- Biography
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Lawrence Brilliant is an American epidemiologist, technologist, philanthropist, and author, who worked with the World Health Organization from 1973–1976 helping to successfully eradicate smallpox.
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Susie Orbach
- Occupations
- psychiatristwriterjournalistpsychologistpsychotherapist
- Biography
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Susie Orbach is a British psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, writer and social critic. Her first book, Fat is a Feminist Issue, analysed the psychology of dieting and over-eating in women, and she has campaigned against media pressure on girls to feel dissatisfied with their physical appearance. She was married to the author Jeanette Winterson. She is honoured in BBC'S 100 Women in 2013 and 2014 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Literature in 2019. She was the therapist to Diana, Princess of Wales during the 1990s.
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Richard LeParmentier
- Occupations
- screenwritertelevision actorvoice actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Richard LeParmentier was an American actor who lived and worked primarily in the United Kingdom, best known for his role as Admiral Motti in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) and the acerbic police officer Lt. Santino in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). He is credited under several variations of his name, including Richard Parmentier, Rick Le Parmentier and Richard LeParmentiere.
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Raymond Kethledge
- Occupations
- judgepolitician
- Biography
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Raymond Michael Kethledge is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2008. Kethledge appeared on Donald Trump's list of potential Supreme Court of the United States nominees in 2016, and was described by press reports as a finalist in President Trump's nomination to replace Anthony Kennedy on the court.
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Brian VanGorder
- Occupations
- head coachAmerican football coach
- Biography
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Brian VanGorder is an American football coach and former player. He was the defensive coordinator at Bowling Green State University, a position he assumed in 2019. Prior to that, he was defensive coordinator at the University of Louisville. He served as the head football coach at Wayne State University from 1992 to 1994, and Georgia Southern University in 2006, compiling a career college football record of 19–25. VanGorder was the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) from 2008 to 2011, and also worked in the same capacity for the University of Georgia (2001–2004) and Auburn University (2012). VanGorder is married to the former Ruth Jones. His children are Molloy, Morgan, Mack, Montgomery, Malone, and Freddie.
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Curtis Fuller
- Occupations
- composerrecording artistjazz musician
- Biography
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Curtis DuBois Fuller was an American jazz trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings.
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Barbara Tarbuck
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actor
- Biography
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Barbara Tarbuck was an American film, television, and stage actress from Detroit, Michigan, best known for her recurring role as Lady Jane Jacks on General Hospital.
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Deborah Tannen
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- Graduated with Master of Arts in English literature
- Occupations
- university teacherauthorlinguist
- Biography
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Deborah Frances Tannen is an American author and professor of linguistics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Best known as the author of You Just Don't Understand, she has been a McGraw Distinguished Lecturer at Princeton University and was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences following a term in residence at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.
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David Levy Yulee
- Years
- 1810-1886 (aged 76)
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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David Levy Yulee was an American politician and attorney who served as the senator from Florida immediately before the American Civil War. He also founded the Florida Railroad Company and served as president of several other rail companies, earning him the nickname of "Father of Florida Railroads."
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Charlayne Hunter-Gault
- Occupations
- writerjournalistpolitical activistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Alberta Charlayne Hunter-Gault is an American civil rights activist, journalist and former foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, CNN, and the Public Broadcasting Service. Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes were the first African-American students to attend the University of Georgia.
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Pepper Adams
- Occupations
- composerrecording artistsaxophonistjazz musician
- Biography
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Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a sideman. He worked with an array of musicians, and had especially fruitful collaborations with trumpeter Donald Byrd and as a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band.
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Brenda Jones
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Brenda B. Jones is an American politician who served as a member of the Detroit City Council from 2006 to 2022, and as the president of the City Council from 2014 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Jones also briefly served as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 13th congressional district from November 29, 2018, to January 3, 2019. She won the 2018 special election to succeed John Conyers following his resignation in December 2017, and was succeeded by Rashida Tlaib. She ran for the seat again in 2020, losing the Democratic primary to Tlaib.
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Bob Birch
- Occupations
- composer
- Biography
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Robert Wayne Birch was an American musician, best known as the bass player for Elton John.
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Dave Marsh
- Occupations
- music criticwriterjournalist
- Biography
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Dave Marsh is an American music critic and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on rock music. He is also a committee member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Mark T. Bertolini
- Occupations
- entrepreneurchief executive officer
- Biography
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Mark T. Bertolini is an American business executive who has been the CEO of Oscar Health, a tech-driven health insurance company located in New York, since 2023. He was the co-CEO of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world's largest hedge funds, and was previously the CEO of Aetna, a Fortune 50 diversified health care benefits company with over $60 billion in 2015 revenue. Bertolini assumed the role of CEO in November 2010 and of chairman in April 2011, until Aetna was sold to CVS in November 2018. He is also the chairman of Verizon since October 2025.
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Michael Tolan
- Occupations
- television actorstage actorfilm producerfilm actor
- Biography
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Michael Tolan was an American actor.
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Dario Hunter
- Occupations
- lawyerrabbi
- Biography
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Dario David Hunter, also known as Yisroel Hunter, is an American rabbi, lawyer and politician. He is the first Muslim-born man to be ordained as a rabbi. A former member of the Youngstown, Ohio, Board of Education, Hunter sought the 2020 Green Party presidential nomination, ultimately coming in second. He ran as the presidential nominee of the Oregon Progressive Party and elsewhere under the party label of Progressive Party in the 2020 United States presidential election.
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Robert Ettinger
- Occupations
- naturalistphysicistuniversity teacherwriter
- Biography
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Robert Chester Wilson Ettinger was an American academic, known as "the father of cryonics" because of the impact of his 1962 book The Prospect of Immortality.
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Andrew Marshall
- Occupations
- political scientisteconomist
- Biography
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Andrew W. Marshall was an American foreign policy strategist who served as director of the United States Department of Defense's Office of Net Assessment from 1973 to 2015. Appointed to the position by President Richard Nixon, Marshall remained in office during all successive administrations that followed until his retirement on January 2, 2015. He was succeeded in the role by James H. Baker.
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Coleman Young II
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Coleman Alexander Young II is an American Democratic politician who is a current member of the Detroit City Council and a former member of the Michigan Senate.
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Elvis Mitchell
- Occupations
- television actorjournalistfilm criticfilm screenwriterfilm producer
- Biography
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Elvis Mitchell is an American film critic, host of the public radio show The Treatment, and visiting lecturer at Harvard University. He has served as a film critic for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the LA Weekly, The Detroit Free Press, and The New York Times. He had also been an interviewer for Interview Magazine. In the summer of 2011, he was appointed as curator of LACMA's new film series, Film Independent at LACMA. He is also currently a Film Scholar and lecturer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
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Jenean Hampton
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jenean Michelle Hampton is an American politician who served as the 57th lieutenant governor of Kentucky from 2015 to 2019. Hampton was the running mate of gubernatorial candidate Matt Bevin in the 2015 election. A Republican, Hampton was the first African American to hold statewide office in Kentucky history and the third African-American woman to have served as lieutenant governor of a U.S. state.
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Jerry M. Linenger
- Occupations
- physicianmilitary officerastronaut
- Biography
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Jerry Michael Linenger is a retired Captain in the United States Navy Medical Corps, and a former NASA astronaut who flew on the Space Shuttle and Space Station Mir.
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Alexander Jefferson
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotmilitary personnel
- Biography
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Alexander Jefferson was an American Air Force officer, famous as one of the Tuskegee Airmen, the 332nd Fighter Group. He served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.
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Stan Heath
- Years
- 1964-.. (age 62)
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
-
Stanley Heath III is an American basketball coach currently serving as the head coach for Eastern Michigan. Heath formerly served as head coach at the University of South Florida, the University of Arkansas and Kent State University, the latter of whom he led to the Elite Eight of the 2002 NCAA basketball tournament. He led all three programs to at least one NCAA tournament.
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Philip Levine
- Occupations
- scholar of Englishprofessoreducatorpoetschool teacher
- Biography
-
Philip Levine was an American poet best known for his poems about working-class Detroit. He taught for more than thirty years in the English department of California State University, Fresno and held teaching positions at other universities as well. He served on the Board of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets from 2000 to 2006, and was appointed Poet Laureate of the United States for 2011–2012.
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William L. Rowe
- Occupations
- university teachertheologianphilosopher
- Biography
-
William Leonard Rowe was a professor of philosophy at Purdue University who specialized in the philosophy of religion. His work played a leading role in the "remarkable revival of analytic philosophy of religion since the 1970s". He was noted for his formulation of the evidential argument from evil.
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Tony Brown
- Occupations
- academicfilm directorcomedianjournalistbusinessperson
- Biography
-
William Anthony Brown is an American journalist, academic and businessman. He is best known as the commentator of the long-running syndicated television show Tony Brown's Journal.
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Kenneth Cockrel, Jr
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Kenneth Vern Cockrel Jr. is an American journalist, nonprofit executive, businessman, and former politician who served as the 73rd mayor of Detroit, Michigan, from September 2008 to May 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Cockrel served as a member of the Detroit City Council from 1997 to 2008, and again from 2009 to 2013, and as the council's president from 2005 to 2008 and May to December 2009.
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Lazarus
- Occupations
- songwriter
- Biography
-
Kamran Rashid Khan, known professionally as Lazarus, is a Detroit-based American rapper, songwriter and physician of Pakistani descent. He is known for his singles "GODFLOW", "Break The Walls" and "Man On A Mission" along with his songs "Drug of Choice", "Open Heart Surgery", "Underdog", "MTBK" and "Decapitation Chamber" featuring Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Bizarre, Royce da 5'9", Bohemia and Ghostface Killah respectively.
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Dan Benishek
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1978 graduated with Doctor of Medicine
- Occupations
- surgeonpolitician
- Biography
-
Daniel Joseph Benishek was an American physician and politician who served three terms as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 1st congressional district from 2011 to 2017. He was a member of the Republican Party.
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Ann Claire Williams
- Occupations
- lawyerjudgejournalist
- Biography
-
Ann Claire Williams is a retired United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and a former United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She is currently of counsel at Jones Day.
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Art James
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
-
Art James was an American game-show host, best known for shows such as The Who, What, or Where Game; It's Academic; and Pay Cards! He was also the announcer and substitute host on the game show Concentration.
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Michael Netzer
- Occupations
- comics artistillustratorphilosopher
- Biography
-
Michael Netzer is an American-Israeli artist best known for his comic book work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics in the 1970s, as well as for his online presence.
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Mark Hackel
- Biography
-
Mark Allen Hackel is an American politician serving as the County Executive of Macomb County, Michigan, since the position was established in 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, Hackel previously served as the Macomb County Sheriff from 2001 to 2010.
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Leonard Woodcock
- Occupations
- diplomattrade unionist
- Biography
-
Leonard Freel Woodcock was President of the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the first US ambassador to the People's Republic of China after being the last Chief of the US Liaison Office in Beijing.
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Daniel J. Elazar
- Occupations
- political scientist
- Biography
-
Daniel Judah Elazar was a political scientist known for his seminal studies of political culture of the US states. He was professor of political science at Bar-Ilan University in Israel and Temple University in Pennsylvania, and director of the Center for the Study of Federalism at Temple University and the founder and president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
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Barbara-Rose Collins
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Barbara-Rose Collins was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan and the first black woman from Michigan to be elected to Congress.
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Thoraya Obaid
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
-
Thoraya Ahmed Obaid is a Saudi politician and diplomat who served as executive director of the United Nations Population Fund from 2000 to 2010. From 2013 to 2016 she was a member of the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia.
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Garth Fagan
- Occupations
- university teacherballet dancerdancermusic educatorchoreographer
- Biography
-
Gawain Garth Fagan, CD is a Jamaican modern dance choreographer. He is the founder and artistic director of Garth Fagan Dance, a modern dance company based in Rochester, New York.
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Maurice Meisner
- Occupations
- historian
- Biography
-
Maurice Jerome Meisner was an American sinologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He studied the Chinese Communist Revolution and the People's Republic and held a strong interest in socialist ideology, Marxism, and Maoism in particular. He authored a number of books including Mao's China: A History of the People's Republic which became a standard academic text for scholars in the field.
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David Small
- Occupations
- writerchildren's writerillustratorcomposer
- Biography
-
David Small is an American writer and illustrator who is best known for children's picture books. He was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 2001 for So You Want to Be President?, as well as two Caldecott Honors, for The Gardener in 1997 and One Cool Friend in 2013.
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George Shirley
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
-
George Irving Shirley is an American operatic tenor, and was the first African-American tenor to perform a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
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Bettye Washington Greene
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1965 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy in physical chemistry
- Occupations
- engineerchemist
- Biography
-
Bettye Washington Greene was an American industrial research chemist. She was one of the first few African American women to earn her Ph.D. in chemistry and she was the first African American female Ph.D. chemist to work in a professional position at the Dow Chemical Company. At Dow, she researched latex and polymers. Greene is considered an early African American pioneer in science.
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Grace Bochenek
- Years
- 1961-.. (age 65)
- Occupations
- engineer
- Biography
-
Grace Marie Bochenek is an American industrial engineer and the current director of the School of Modeling, Simulation and Training, and the Institute for Simulation and Training at the University of Central Florida. She is former Director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory within the United States Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy. She also served as the acting United States Secretary of Energy in early 2017. She previously had spent much of her career at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center.
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Bruce Nazarian
- Occupations
- record producercomposermusician
- Biography
-
Bruce Nazarian was an American funk and rock musician, recording artist and music producer from Detroit, Michigan.
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Ben Blackwell
- Occupations
- drummer
- Biography
-
Benjamin Jesse Blackwell is an American musician, writer, and record company executive. He is the creator and director of Cass Records, one of two drummers in the Detroit-based rock band The Dirtbombs, a co-founder and minority owner at Third Man Records, and the official archivist of The White Stripes.
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Joe Schwarz
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1964 graduated with Doctor of Medicine
- Occupations
- university teacherpoliticianmayorcouncil memberphysician
- Biography
-
John Joseph Henry Schwarz, is an American physician and independent politician from Michigan, who was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican. He represented Michigan's 7th congressional district from January 2005 to January 2007.
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Rick Margitza
- Occupations
- saxophonistcomposerjazz musician
- Biography
-
Rick Margitza is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
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Scott Boman
- Occupations
- peace activist
- Biography
-
Scott Avery Boman is an American Libertarian politician from Michigan. He has consistently earned among the top votes of any third-party candidate in every Michigan election from 2000 through 2018. He was chair of the Libertarian Party of Michigan in 2006. Described by MIRS as a Libertarian Party standard-bearer, he has been a candidate in every state-wide partisan election since 1994, until successfully running for the Detroit office of Community Advisory Council (district 4) in 2020.
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Darren M. Haynes
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
-
Darren Matthew Haynes is an American television sports anchor, and winner of 13 Emmy Awards. Currently he is Sports Anchor at CBS affiliate KCAL in Los Angeles, California. He was previously the Sports Director and a Sports Anchor for WUSA in Washington D.C. Darren also anchored SportsCenter on ESPN.
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Dunya Mikhail
- Occupations
- poetwriter
- Biography
-
Dunya Mikhail is an Iraqi-American poet based in the United States.
