29 Notable alumni of
West Texas A&M University
Updated:
West Texas A&M University is 1659th in the world, 576th in North America, and 542nd in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 29 notable alumni from West Texas A&M 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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Terry Funk
- Occupations
- television actorfilm actoractorstunt performerprofessional wrestler
- Biography
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Terrance Dee Funk was an American professional wrestler and actor. Funk is known for the length of his career, which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements. He is also known for his influential hardcore wrestling style he pioneered in the latter part of his career.
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Dusty Rhodes
- Occupations
- professional wrestlercatch trainer
- Biography
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Virgil Riley Runnels Jr., better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who worked for the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation, later known as WWE. Rhodes was considered a star wrestler and presented the persona of an American everyman, the American Dream personified. Rhodes is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
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Ted DiBiase
- Occupations
- amateur wrestlerscreenwriterprofessional wrestler
- Biography
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Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, and color commentator. He is signed to WWE as of 2024, where he works in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career. He is best recalled by mainstream audiences for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where he wrestled as "the Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. He has been named as one of the best technical wrestlers, and greatest villains in pro wrestling history.
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Bruiser Brody
- Occupations
- actorprofessional wrestler
- Biography
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Frank Donald Goodish was an American professional wrestler who earned his greatest fame under the ring name Bruiser Brody. He also worked as King Kong Brody, the Masked Marauder, and Red River Jack. Over the years Brody became synonymous with the hardcore wrestling brawling style that often saw one or more of the participants bleeding by the time the match was over. In his prime he worked as a "special attraction" wrestler in North America, making select appearances for various promotions such as World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), Central States Wrestling (CSW), Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF), and the American Wrestling Association (AWA) among other events. He worked regularly in Japan for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW).
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French Stewart
- Occupations
- television actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Milton French Stewart, known professionally as French Stewart, is an American actor. He played Harry Solomon on the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, Inspector Gadget in the superhero comedy film Inspector Gadget 2 and Chef Rudy on the CBS sitcom Mom.
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Natalie Maines
- Occupations
- singer-songwriterguitarist
- Biography
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Natalie Louise Maines is an American musician. She is the lead vocalist for the country band the Chicks.
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Stan Hansen
- Occupations
- film actoractorprofessional wrestler
- Biography
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John Stanley Hansen II, best known as Stan "the Lariat" Hansen, is an American retired professional wrestler.
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Tully Blanchard
- Occupations
- professional wrestlerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Tully Arthur Blanchard is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and manager. He is best known for his appearances with Jim Crockett Promotions and the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-to-late 1980s as a member of The Four Horsemen and the Brain Busters. Championships held by Blanchard over his career include the NWA Television Championship, NWA World Tag Team Championship, WWF World Tag Team Championship, and NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. He was inducted into the NWA Hall of Fame in 2009 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012.
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Dory Funk Jr
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Dorrance Earnest Funk, known professionally as Dory Funk Jr., is an American professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. The son of Dory Funk (Dorrance Wilhelm Funk) and brother of Terry Funk, he was the promoter of the Amarillo, Texas-based Western States Sports promotion.
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Tito Santana
- Enrolled in West Texas A&M University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in physical education
- Occupations
- professional wrestlerteacherCanadian football playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Merced Solis, better known by the ring name Tito Santana, is an American and Mexican professional wrestler, trainer, and retired school teacher.
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Maurice Cheeks
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Maurice Edward Cheeks is an American professional basketball coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons. Cheeks was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2018. He was the first player with 2,000 steals solely in the NBA.
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Manny Fernandez
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Emanuel Fernandez is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "The Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid-1980s, where he was a two-time NWA World Tag Team Champion and one-time NWA Brass Knuckles Champion.
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Anita Thigpen Perry
- Occupations
- nurse
- Biography
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Mary Anita Thigpen Perry is an American nurse who was the longest-serving First Lady of Texas, being in that role from 2000 to 2015. She is married to former Texas Governor Rick Perry. As First Lady of Texas, she had been an active advocate for nursing and other health care issues.
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Marsha Sharp
- Occupations
- basketball coach
- Biography
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Marsha Sharp is the former head coach of Texas Tech University's women's basketball team, the Lady Raiders. She retired after 24 years at the conclusion of the 2005–06 season. Sharp was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.
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Cloyce Box
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Cloyce Kennedy Box was an American professional football player and businessman. He played five years in the National Football League (NFL) with the Detroit Lions, was a member of NFL championship teams in 1952 and 1953, was selected as a second-team All-Pro in 1950 and a first-team All-Pro in 1952, and played in the 1951 and 1953 Pro Bowl games. On December 3, 1950, he set Detroit team records with 12 catches, four touchdown receptions, 24 points, and 302 receiving yards. He later became a successful businessman in the oil and gas business in Texas.
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Davy Arnaud
- Occupations
- association football playerassociation football coach
- Biography
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Davy Arnaud is an American soccer coach and former player. During his professional career, he played for Sporting Kansas City, Montreal Impact, and D.C. United, and served on the coaching staff of D.C. United and Houston Dynamo. Arnaud also made seven appearances for the United States national team, scoring one goal. He is currently an assistant coach at Austin FC.
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Bobby Duncum, Sr
- Occupations
- professional wrestlerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Robert Eldon Duncum was an American professional wrestler and football player. He is best known for his appearances for the World Wide Wrestling Federation, the National Wrestling Alliance and the American Wrestling Association from the late-1960s to the late-1980s. He was the father of the professional wrestler Bobby Duncum Jr.
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Irma Carrillo Ramirez
- Occupations
- judge
- Biography
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Irma Carrillo Ramirez is an American lawyer and jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She previously served as a United States magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas from 2002 to 2023. She is a former nominee to be a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
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Anthony Armstrong
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Anthony A. Armstrong is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Texas A&M Buffaloes and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins in 2008.
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Larry Combest
- Enrolled in West Texas A&M University
- Studied in 1969
- Occupations
- directorentrepreneurfarmerpolitician
- Biography
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Larry Ed Combest is a retired American who represented Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 to 2003 as a Republican.
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Bill Sarpalius
- Occupations
- lobbyistbusinesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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William Clarence Sarpalius is an American politician and lobbyist who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1989 to 1995. A Democrat, he represented Texas's 13th congressional district, a large tract of land which stretched from the Texas Panhandle eastward to Wichita Falls.
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Brent W. Scott
- Years
- 1955-.. (age 71)
- Enrolled in West Texas A&M University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- Christian ministermilitary officer
- Biography
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Brent William Scott is a retired United States Navy rear admiral and chaplain who last served as the 27th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy. He previously served as the 19th Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps and the Deputy Chief of Navy Chaplains.
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Benjamin Azamati
- Occupations
- athletics competitor
- Biography
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Benjamin Azamati-Kwaku is a Ghanaian sprinter, who currently competes for ASICS Global.
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Donald E. Powell
- Biography
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Donald E. Powell became the 18th chairman of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on August 29, 2001, and served through November 15, 2005. He resigned to become Federal Coordinator of Gulf Coast recovery efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
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Ben Everson
- Occupations
- association football playerfutsal player
- Biography
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Benjamin James Everson is an English footballer who plays for Dandenong City as a striker. He previously played for Norton & Stockton Ancients, Shildon, Guisborough Town, El Paso Patriots, Bradenton Academics, West Texas United Sockers, Tindastóll, Breiðablik, York City, Gateshead, AFC United and KA Akureyri.
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Simmie Hill
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Simmie Hill Jr. was an American professional basketball player. At 6'7", he played the forward position.
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Jesse Cross
- Biography
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Brigadier General Jesse R. Cross, USA was the 50th Quartermaster General of the United States Army and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia.
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Ben H. Guill
- Enrolled in West Texas A&M University
- Studied in 1933
- Occupations
- business executiveadvocateteacherassistantreal-estate agent
- Biography
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Ben Hugh Guill was a short-term Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 18th congressional district, which then encompassed the Panhandle counties. He won a 1950 special election and served the remaining eight months in office before the term expired.
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Billy Cross
- Occupations
- Canadian football playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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William Jarrel Cross was an American professional football player who was a halfback for three seasons for the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL).
