100 Notable alumni of
Wayne State University
Updated:
Wayne State University is 298th in the world, 124th in North America, and 118th 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
- guitaristrecord produceractorcomposerdrummer
- Biography
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John Anthony White is an American musician who served as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo the White Stripes. White is widely credited as one of the key artists in the garage rock revival of the 2000s. He has won 12 Grammy Awards, and three of his solo albums have reached number one on the Billboard 200. Rolling Stone ranked him number 32 on its 2023 list of greatest guitarists of all time. David Fricke's 2010 list ranked him at number 17. In 2012, The New York Times called White "the coolest, weirdest and savviest rockstar of our time".
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Lily Tomlin
- Occupations
- film actorwriterscreenwritertelevision actorstage 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 onstage and on-screen. In a career spanning over fifty years, Tomlin has received numerous accolades, including seven Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards. She was also awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 2014 and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2017.
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Tom Sizemore
- Occupations
- film actorscreenwritertelevision actoractorfilm producer
- Biography
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Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr. was an American actor.
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Jeffrey Tambor
- Occupations
- film actorcharacter actortelevision actoractorvoice actor
- 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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Crystal Reed
- Occupations
- television actormodelfilm actoractor
- 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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Tom Skerritt
- Occupations
- television actormodelcharacter actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Thomas Roy Skerritt is an American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and more than 200 television episodes since 1962. He is known for his film roles in M*A*S*H, Alien, The Dead Zone, Top Gun, A River Runs Through It, Poltergeist III, and Up in Smoke, and the television series Picket Fences and Cheers. Skerritt has earned several nominations and awards, including winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1993 for Picket Fences.
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Ernie Hudson
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actoractorfilm producerstage 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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Casey Kasem
- Occupations
- voice actorjournalisttelevision actordisc jockeymusician
- 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. He was the first actor to voice Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo franchise (1969 to 1997 and 2002 to 2009) and as Dick Grayson/Robin in Super Friends (1973–1985).
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Rashida Tlaib
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Rashida Harbi Tlaib is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 12th congressional district. She is the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress and one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress.
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Sixto Rodriguez
- Occupations
- singer-songwritermusicianguitarist
- Biography
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Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, mononymously known as Rodriguez, was an American musician from Detroit, Michigan.
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Paul Feig
- Occupations
- television produceractordirectorfilm directortelevision actor
- Biography
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Paul Feig is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is best known for directing films such as Bridesmaids (2011), The Heat (2013), Spy (2015), Ghostbusters (2016), A Simple Favor (2018), and Last Christmas (2019). He often collaborates with actress Melissa McCarthy.
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Wayne Dyer
- Occupations
- writermotivational speakerpsychologistactor
- Biography
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Wayne Walter Dyer was an American self-help author and a motivational speaker. Dyer completed a 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), one of the best-selling books of all time, with an estimated 100 million copies sold. 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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Della Reese
- Occupations
- film actorjazz musiciantelevision actorsingerstage actor
- Biography
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Delloreese Patricia Early, known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades. She began her long career as a singer, scoring a hit with her 1959 single "Don't You Know?". In the late 1960s she hosted her own talk show, Della, which ran for 197 episodes. From 1975 she also starred in films, playing opposite Redd Foxx in Harlem Nights (1989), Martin Lawrence in A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) and Elliott Gould in Expecting Mary (2010). Reese achieved continued success in the religious television drama Touched by an Angel (1994–2003), in which she played the leading role of Tess.
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Tim Meadows
- Occupations
- television actorvoice actorscreenwriterfilm actor
- Biography
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Tim Meadows is an American actor, comedian, and writer. Meadows 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 film Mean Girls, and reprised the role in Mean Girls 2 and the film's 2024 musical adaptation in 2024.
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Kenya Moore
- Occupations
- television actormodelfilm actorfilm producerbeauty pageant contestant
- Biography
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Kenya Summer Moore is an American actress and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1993. She is a main cast member on the TV reality series, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, since its fifth season in 2012.
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Keith Ellison
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1986 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Keith Maurice Ellison is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 30th attorney general of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Ellison was the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district from 2007 to 2019. He also served as the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2017 to 2018 and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. In Congress, Ellison built a reputation as a progressive leader.
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S. Epatha Merkerson
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorfilm actoractor
- 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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Sam Richardson
- Occupations
- writerscreenwritertelevision actorcomedianactor
- Biography
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Sam Richardson is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing Richard Splett in the HBO political comedy series Veep (2012–19), co-creating and co-starring in the Comedy Central comedy series Detroiters (2017–18) alongside Tim Robinson, and for playing various characters in the Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019–present), Aniq Adjaye in the Apple TV+ series The Afterparty (2022–23), and Norville "Shaggy" Rogers in the Max series Velma (2023–present). 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 the 2023 award in this category.
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David Ramsey
- Occupations
- television actorfilm actoractortelevision director
- Biography
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David Paul Ramsey is an American actor and director. 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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Chad Everett
- Occupations
- television actorvoice actorfilm actoractor
- 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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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 and founder of The Related Companies, a global real estate development firm he founded in 1972. Related is best known for developing the 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
- television presenteraircraft pilottelevision producerlibrettistactor
- 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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John Conyers
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1957 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- lawyercongressional staffgeneral counselpolitician
- 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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Otmar Szafnauer
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- Studied electrical engineering
- Occupations
- engineerteam managerracing automobile driverentrepreneur
- Biography
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Otmar Marin Szafnauer is a Romanian and American engineer. He served as Team Principal of the Alpine F1 Team until the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix.
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Larry Joe Campbell
- Occupations
- television actoractor
- 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 serving as the first vice president of Turkey from 10 July 2018 to 4 June 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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Deborah Joy Winans
- Occupations
- actorstage actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Deborah Joy Imani 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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Haaz Sleiman
- Occupations
- actorfilm actortelevision 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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Hugh Downs
- Occupations
- actorjournalistcomposer
- Biography
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Hugh Malcolm Downs was an American radio and television broadcaster, announcer and programmer; television host; news anchor; TV producer; author; game show host; talk show sidekick; 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.
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Ulana Suprun
- Occupations
- physicianstatesperson
- 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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Gary Peters
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1989 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- university teacherprofessorvice presidentinstructorpolitician
- Biography
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Gary Charles Peters Sr. is an American lawyer, politician, and former military officer serving as the junior United States senator from Michigan 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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Helen Thomas
- Occupations
- writerjournalist
- 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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Donald Byrd
- Occupations
- jazz musicianjazz trumpetermusic teacherrecording artistcomposer
- Biography
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Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter 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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Bill Prady
- Occupations
- film producerscreenwritertelevision producer
- Biography
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William Scott Prady is an American television writer and producer who has worked on American sitcoms and variety programs, including Married... with Children, Dream On, Star Trek: Voyager, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men and Gilmore Girls and is the co-creator of The Big Bang Theory and The Muppets.
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Kenny Burrell
- Occupations
- university teacherguitaristcomposerrecording artistjazz guitarist
- Biography
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Kenneth Earl Burrell is an American jazz guitarist 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. He 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
- lawyerwritersingertelevision presenter
- 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
- university teachercomposernon-fiction writerrecording artistoboist
- 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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Anthony Bass
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Anthony Edward Bass is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. 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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Joe Henderson
- Occupations
- jazz musiciancomposersaxophonistbandleadermusician
- Biography
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Joe Henderson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. 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, and Verve.
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Lucky Yates
- Years
- 1967-.. (age 57)
- Occupations
- actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Matt "Lucky" Yates is an American actor, voice actor, puppeteer 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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Arthur Coleman Danto
- Occupations
- art criticpainteruniversity teacherwriterart historian
- 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
- historianwriteruniversity teacherphilosopher
- Biography
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Hayden V. White was an American historian in the tradition of literary criticism, perhaps most famous for his work Metahistory: The Historical Imagination in Nineteenth-Century Europe (1973/2014).
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Deva Katta
- Born in
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India - Occupations
- film producerfilm directorscreenwriter
- Biography
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Deva Katta is an Indian American film director and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. He directed cult classic Telugu 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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John Kluge
- Occupations
- businesspersonentrepreneur
- Biography
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John Werner Kluge was a German-American entrepreneur who became a television industry mogul in the United States. At one time he was the richest person in the U.S.
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Joseph Weizenbaum
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1948 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- In 1950 graduated with Master of Science
- Occupations
- university teachercreatorteachernon-fiction writerphilosopher
- Biography
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Joseph Weizenbaum was a German American computer scientist and a professor at MIT. The Weizenbaum Award and Weizenbaum Institute are named after him.
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Carl Djerassi
- Occupations
- university teacherscience fiction writerchemistscientistplaywright
- 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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Laura Devon
- Occupations
- television actormodelsingerfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Laura Devon was an American actress and singer.
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Larry Brilliant
- Occupations
- academicphysicianbusinesspersoninternational forum participantepidemiologist
- 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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Janet Jagan
- Occupations
- children's writerwriterpoliticiannurse
- Biography
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Janet Rosenberg Jagan was an American-born Guyanese politician who served as the President of Guyana, serving from December 19, 1997, to August 11, 1999. She was the first female president of Guyana. She previously served as the first female Prime Minister of Guyana from March 17, 1997, to December 19, 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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Brian VanGorder
- Occupations
- American football coachhead 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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Susie Orbach
- Occupations
- writerpsychiatristpsychotherapistpsychologistjournalist
- 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. She was the therapist to Diana, Princess of Wales during the 1990s.
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Raymond Kethledge
- Occupations
- politicianjudge
- 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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Deborah Tannen
- Occupations
- linguistuniversity teacher
- 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, NJ.
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Curtis Fuller
- Occupations
- jazz musicianrecording artistcomposer
- 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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Richard LeParmentier
- Occupations
- television actorscreenwriterfilm actoractorvoice 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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Barbara Tarbuck
- Occupations
- film actorstage actortelevision 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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Charlayne Hunter-Gault
- Occupations
- journalistwriteruniversity teacherpolitical activist
- 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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David Levy Yulee
- Years
- 1810-1886 (aged 76)
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- 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. A secessionist and slaveowner, 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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Pepper Adams
- Occupations
- saxophonistrecording artistcomposerjazz 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 by a wide margin.
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Bob Birch
- Occupations
- composer
- Biography
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Robert Wayne Birch was an American session musician, playing bass guitar as a sideman to a variety of notable artists.
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Robert Hayden
- Occupations
- danceruniversity teacherpoetlighting designerperforming artist
- Biography
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Robert Hayden was an American poet, essayist, and educator. He served as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1976 to 1978, a role today known as US Poet Laureate. He was the first African American writer to hold the office.
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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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Mark Bertolini
- Occupations
- chief executive officerentrepreneurinternational forum participant
- Biography
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Mark T. Bertolini is an American businessman who is currently the CEO of Oscar Health, a tech-driven health insurance company located in New York. 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 on November 29, 2010 and of chairman on April 8, 2011, until Aetna was sold to CVS on November 28, 2018.
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Dario Hunter
- Occupations
- rabbilawyer
- 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
- physicistnaturalistwriteruniversity teacher
- 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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Michael Tolan
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorfilm actorfilm producer
- Biography
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Michael Tolan was an American actor.
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Andrew Marshall
- Occupations
- economistpolitical scientist
- 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 a Democratic politician who is a current member of the Detroit City Council and a former member of the Michigan Senate. In the Michigan Senate, he represented the 1st district, which included the municipalities of Ecorse, Gibraltar, River Rouge, Riverview, Trenton, Woodhaven, Wyandotte and a portion of Detroit. He served as the vice chair of the Local Government and Elections Committee, General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, Judiciary Appropriations Subcommittee, Licensing And Regulatory Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee and Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee. Young also sat on the Appropriations Committee and Insurance Committee. He previously served as the vice chair of the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Committee and Reforms, Restructuring and Reinventing Committee, as well as having previously served on the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, Education Committee and Energy and Technology Committee. From 2011 to 2014, Young served as the Senate Assistant Minority Caucus Chair and also served as the Senate Assistant Minority Floor Leader.
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Elvis Mitchell
- Occupations
- journalistfilm criticscreenwriter
- 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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Jerry M. Linenger
- Occupations
- physicianastronautmilitary officer
- 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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Philip Levine
- Occupations
- professorscholar of Englishwriteressayistschool teacher
- Biography
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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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Stan Heath
- Years
- 1964-.. (age 60)
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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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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William L. Rowe
- Occupations
- theologianuniversity teacherphilosopher
- Biography
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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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Dan Benishek
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1978 graduated with Doctor of Medicine
- Occupations
- politiciansurgeon
- Biography
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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
- journalistjudgelawyer
- Biography
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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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Tony Brown
- Occupations
- comedianfilm directoracademicbusinesspersonjournalist
- Biography
-
William Anthony "Tony" 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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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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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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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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Michael Netzer
- Occupations
- philosopherillustratorcomics artist
- 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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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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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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Thoraya Obaid
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomat
- 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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Leonard Woodcock
- Occupations
- trade unionistdiplomat
- 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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Alexander Jefferson
- Occupations
- military personnelaircraft pilot
- Biography
-
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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Barbara-Rose Collins
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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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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Garth Fagan
- Occupations
- dancerballet danceruniversity teacherchoreographermusic teacher
- 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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Grace Bochenek
- Years
- 1961-.. (age 63)
- 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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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
- chemistengineer
- Biography
-
Bettye Washington Greene was an American industrial research chemist. She was one of the first few African American women to earn her PhD 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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Darren M. Haynes
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Darren M. Haynes is an 13-time Emmy award-winning Sports Anchor at CBS affiliate KCAL in Los Angeles, California. He was previously a Sports Director and Sports Anchor for WUSA in Washington D.C. Darren also anchored SportsCenter at ESPN.
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Bruce Nazarian
- Occupations
- musiciancomposerrecord producer
- Biography
-
Bruce Nazarian was an American funk and rock musician, recording artist and music producer from Detroit, Michigan.
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Joe Schwarz
- Enrolled in Wayne State University
- In 1964 graduated with Doctor of Medicine
- Occupations
- politicianuniversity teacherphysiciancouncil membermayor
- 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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Maurice Meisner
- Occupations
- historian
- Biography
-
Maurice Jerome Meisner was an American sinologist. He was a historian of 20th century China and a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His study of the Chinese Revolution and the People's Republic was in conjunction with his 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 (and subsequent editions) which became a standard academic text in that area.
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Rick Margitza
- Occupations
- jazz musiciancomposersaxophonist
- Biography
-
Rick Margitza is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
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William David Ford
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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William David Ford was a U.S. Representative from Michigan and namesake of the Federal Direct Student Loan Program. Ford was known for his support of workers and educational opportunity. Among his significant legislative accomplishments were authoring the Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (the "WARN Act" or "Plant Closing Act") and the Middle Income Student Assistance Act, and his key role in passing the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. In 1994, the Federal Direct Student Loan Program was named in his honor.
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Dunya Mikhail
- Occupations
- writerpoet
- Biography
-
Dunya Mikhail is an Iraqi-American poet based in the United States.
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Wilbert McClure
- Occupations
- boxer
- Biography
-
Wilbert McClure was an American boxer. As an amateur he won gold medals in the light middleweight division at the 1959 Pan American Games and the 1960 Olympics. As a professional he competed from 1961 to 1970.
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Tyree Guyton
- Occupations
- artist
- Biography
-
Tyree Guyton is an artist from Detroit, Michigan. He is married to Jenenne Whitfield and continues to live in Detroit. Before becoming an artist, Guyton worked as a firefighter and an autoworker and served in the U.S. Army. He studied art at Marygrove College, Wayne State University, and the Center for Creative Studies—now College for Creative Studies. Guyton counts his grandfather, Sam Mackey, and Detroit artist Charles McGee as his greatest influences.
