91 Notable alumni of
Wichita State University
Updated:
Wichita State University is 693rd in the world, 259th in North America, and 239th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 91 notable alumni from Wichita 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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Big Show
- Occupations
- basketball playerprofessional wrestler
- Biography
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Paul Donald Wight II is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), as a wrestler and was a commentator for its web television show, AEW Dark: Elevation, under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1995 to 1999 as The Giant and his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later WWE) from 1999 to 2021 under the ring name (The) Big Show.
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Fred VanVleet
- Enrolled in Wichita State University
- Studied in 2012-2016
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Fredderick Edmund VanVleet Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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Austin Reaves
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Austin Tyler Reaves is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers and the Oklahoma Sooners. He joined the Lakers as an undrafted free agent.
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Sandiaga Uno
- Enrolled in Wichita State University
- Graduated with Bachelor in Business Administration
- Occupations
- politicianshareholderbusinesspersonsocialite
- Biography
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Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno is an Indonesian businessman, investor and politician who served as Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy from 2020 to 2024. Prior to that, he was the Deputy Governor of Jakarta, elected along with Anies Baswedan in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election after defeating incumbent pair Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (widely known as "Ahok") and Djarot Saiful Hidayat. He resigned the office to run as Prabowo Subianto's running mate for the 2019 Indonesian presidential election.
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Shirley Knight
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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Shirley Knight Hopkins was an American actress who appeared in more than 50 feature films, television films, television series, and Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in her career, playing leading and character roles. She was a member of the Actors Studio.
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Landry Shamet
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Landry Michael Shamet is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers and was selected 26th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2018 NBA draft. He has also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, and Washington Wizards.
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Matt Schlapp
- Occupations
- lobbyist
- Biography
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Matthew Aaron Schlapp is an American political activist and lobbyist who is chairman of the American Conservative Union. He leads the lobbying firm Cove Strategies, which had strong ties to the Donald Trump administration. He is also a Fox News political contributor.
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Ron Baker
- Enrolled in Wichita State University
- Studied in 2011-2016
- Occupations
- basketball playerchildren's writer
- Biography
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Ronald Delaine Baker is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers. Going undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft, he spent 3 seasons in the NBA, playing for the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards.
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Kris Johnson
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Kristofer Michael Johnson is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins and for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
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Joe Carter
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Joseph Chris Carter is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and San Francisco Giants. Carter hit a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Blue Jays, their second consecutive championship. Carter is one of only two players to end a World Series with a home run, the other being Bill Mazeroski.
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Alec Bohm
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Alec Daniel Bohm is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020.
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Joyce DiDonato
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Joyce DiDonato is an American opera singer and recitalist. A coloratura mezzo-soprano, she has performed operas and concert works spanning from the 19th-century Romantic era to those by Handel and Mozart.
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Cleanthony Early
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Cleanthony Early is an American professional basketball player for the Central Club of the Lebanese Basketball League. He was an All-American college player at Wichita State University after a stint at Sullivan County Community College.
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Gal Mekel
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Gal Mekel is an Israeli former professional basketball player. He played for the Dallas Mavericks and spent time in Europe and Israel.
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Michael McClure
- Occupations
- playwrightpoetwritercomposerdramaturge
- Biography
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Michael McClure was an American poet, playwright, songwriter, and novelist. After moving to San Francisco as a young man, he found fame as one of the five poets (including Allen Ginsberg) who read at the famous San Francisco Six Gallery reading in 1955, which was rendered in barely fictionalized terms in Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums. He soon became a key member of the Beat Generation and was immortalized as Pat McLear in Kerouac's Big Sur.
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Scot McCloughan
- Occupations
- general manager
- Biography
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Scot G. McCloughan is an American professional football executive. He was formerly the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins, as well as a senior personnel executive for the Seattle Seahawks. McCloughan played a key role in assembling rosters that both led the 49ers and Seahawks to the Super Bowl in the 2010s.
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Joe Ragland
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Joseph Alexander Ragland is an American-Liberian professional basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League and the EuroCup. He played college basketball for North Platte Community College and Wichita State.
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Harold Sonny White
- Enrolled in Wichita State University
- In 1999 graduated with laurea magistrale
- Occupations
- engineerphysicistmilitary flight engineer
- Biography
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Harold G. "Sonny" White is a mechanical engineer, aerospace engineer, and applied physicist who is known for proposing new Alcubierre drive concepts and promoting advanced propulsion projects.
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Mike Pelfrey
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Michael Alan Pelfrey is an American college baseball coach and former professional baseball pitcher. He was the pitching coach at Wichita State University from 2019 to 2023, where he played from 2003 to 2005 for head coach Gene Stephenson. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago White Sox.
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Manly Wade Wellman
- Years
- 1903-1986 (aged 83)
- Enrolled in Wichita State University
- Studied in 1926
- Occupations
- screenwriterwriterscience fiction writernovelist
- Biography
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Manly Wade Wellman was an American writer. While his science fiction and fantasy stories appeared in such pulps as Astounding Stories, Startling Stories, Unknown and Strange Stories, Wellman is best remembered as one of the most popular contributors to the legendary Weird Tales and for his fantasy and horror stories set in the Appalachian Mountains, which draw on the native folklore of that region. Karl Edward Wagner referred to him as "the dean of fantasy writers." Wellman also wrote in a wide variety of other genres, including historical fiction, detective fiction, western fiction, juvenile fiction, and non-fiction.
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Maurice Evans
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Maurice “Mo” Eugene Evans is an American NBA Former 11 Year, Retired Basketball Player, Evans is currently a Certified NBPA Agent for Promondo Sports Agency, Serial Entrepreneur, Board of Director IMAC Regeneration, NBRPA-Houston President & Vice President of the NBPA, The NBA Players Association
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Ricky Council IV
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Ricky Nickardo Council IV is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
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Jaime Echenique
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Jaime Jesús Echenique Salinas is a Colombian professional basketball player for Petkim Spor of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the Champions League. He played college basketball for the Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals and the Wichita State Shockers.
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Anne Boyer
- Occupations
- writeruniversity teacherpoet
- Biography
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Anne Boyer is an American poet and essayist. She is the author of The Romance of Happy Workers (2008), The 2000s (2009), My Common Heart (2011), Garments Against Women (2015), The Handbook of Disappointed Fate (2018), and The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care (2019).
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Casey Blake
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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William Casey Blake is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He had alternated between playing at third base and first base before becoming a full-time third baseman with the Indians. In 2005, Blake moved to right field to accommodate the Indians' signing of third baseman Aaron Boone, and stayed there for two seasons before moving back to third base.
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Craig Porter Jr
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Craig Porter Jr. is an American basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Vincennes Trailblazers and the Wichita State Shockers.
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Brandon Whipple
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Brandon Whipple is an American politician and academic who formerly served as mayor of Wichita, Kansas. He previously served as a Democratic Party member of the Kansas House of Representatives representing the 96th district, which included part of south Wichita and was the Ranking Minority member on the Higher Education Budget committee.
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Mark Parkinson
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Mark Vincent Parkinson is an American businessman and former politician serving as head of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). He served as the 47th lieutenant governor of Kansas from 2007 to 2009 and the 45th governor of Kansas from 2009 until 2011. He was also a state legislator.
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Toure Murry
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Toure' Ahmad Khalid-Murry is an American former professional basketball player who is a player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Wichita State.
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Hadi al-Bahra
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Hadi al-Bahra is a Syrian politician who is the current president of National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (Syrian National Coalition, SNC), an umbrella Syrian opposition group founded during the Syrian civil war. He held the position of president of the SNC from 9 July 2014 to 4 January 2015 and again from 12 September 2023.
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Clevin Hannah
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Clevin Finley Hannah is an American-Senegalese professional basketball player who last played for Scafati Basket of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A.
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Jim Bede
- Years
- 1933-2015 (aged 82)
- Occupations
- engineerdesigner
- Biography
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James R. Bede was an American aircraft designer and developer, particularly noted for his development of influential, fast, efficient, light aircraft, including his BD-1 (forerunner of the Grumman-American line), and the BD-4, BD-5 and BD-10 kitplanes. He designed well over a dozen aircraft starting in the 1960s, but a string of business failures, and legal, technical and safety problems kept most of these designs out of widespread use.
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Stephanie D. Davis
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
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Stephanie Dawkins Davis is an American lawyer who is serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She previously served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and a former United States magistrate judge of the same court.
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Michelle De La Isla
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Michelle De La Isla is an American politician who served as the mayor of Topeka, Kansas from 2018 to 2022. She previously served on the Topeka City Council from 2013 to 2018. De La Isla was the city's first Latina and single mother to serve as mayor. She was the Democratic nominee for Kansas's 2nd congressional district in the 2020 election, but lost.
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Braden Looper
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Braden LaVerne Looper is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for several teams between 1998 and 2009.
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Verne Harnish
- Years
- 1959-.. (age 66)
- Occupations
- writerexecutiveopinion journalist
- Biography
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Verne C. Harnish is founder of the Young Entrepreneurs' Organization, now known as Entrepreneurs' Organization, and the Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs. He also serves as co-founder and principal of Growth Institute and as founder and chief executive officer of Scaling Up.
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Dave Stallworth
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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David A. Stallworth was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for eight seasons and was a member of the New York Knicks' 1969–70 championship-winning team.
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Susan Wagle
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Susan Wagle is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 30th district from 2001 to 2021. She was elected Kansas Senate President in 2013 and was reelected in 2017. She is the first woman to hold this position.
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Leanne Caret
- Years
- 1966-.. (age 59)
- Occupations
- business executive
- Biography
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Leanne Caret is an American businesswoman, former president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), former executive vice president of Boeing, and serves on the United Service Organizations (USO) board of governors.
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Mona Nemer
- Enrolled in Wichita State University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- researchergeneticistbiochemistprofessor
- Biography
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Mona Nemer, CM CQ FRSC is a Lebanese-Canadian scientist specializing in molecular genetics and cardiac regeneration. She was formerly a professor of pharmacology at the University of Montreal and the Director of the Cardiac Development Research Unit at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) where she held a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Cell Differentiation. She is a professor of biochemistry at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine, and also served as Vice-President, Research at the University of Ottawa from 2006 to 2017.
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Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton
- Occupations
- long-distance runnerathletics competitor
- Biography
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Aliphine Chepkerker Tuliamuk is a Kenyan-born American long-distance runner. She placed first at the 2020 United States Olympic Trials (marathon) in Atlanta and represented the United States at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Tuliamuk has been a world class athlete since placing 9th in 21:09 at 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships – Junior women's race. Tuliamuk ran 33:43 to place 15th at 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Tuliamuk placed 3rd at 2019 Rotterdam Marathon in 2:26:50.
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Warren Jabali
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Warren Jabali was an American basketball player. He played professionally in the American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1968 to 1975.
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Casey Gillaspie
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Casey Harold Gillaspie is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played college baseball at Wichita State. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft, and traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2017. Despite his draft status, and spending time on Chicago's 40-man roster, he never played in Major League Baseball (MLB).
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Jeff Longwell
- Years
- 1960-.. (age 65)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jeff Longwell is an American politician and businessman who served as the 101st mayor of Wichita, Kansas from 2015 to 2020.
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M. Lee Pelton
- Years
- 1950-.. (age 75)
- Occupations
- academic administratorwriter
- Biography
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M. Lee Pelton is the President and CEO of the Boston Foundation, the community foundation serving the Greater Boston area since 1915. A native of Wichita, Kansas, Pelton studied English literature at Wichita State University and Harvard University. He then held various deanship positions at Colgate University and Dartmouth College before becoming president of Willamette University (1998-2011) and Emerson College (2011-2021). On June 1, 2021, Pelton took the helm at the Boston Foundation.
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Lily Wu
- Occupations
- news presenterpolitician
- Biography
-
Lily Wu is an American politician and former television news anchor, serving as the 103rd mayor of Wichita, Kansas since 2024. A member of the Libertarian Party, she is the first Asian American mayor of Wichita and the only Libertarian mayor of one of the 100 largest cities in the United States.
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Robin Meyers
- Years
- 1952-.. (age 73)
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Robin Rex Meyers is an American Christian minister, peace activist, philosopher and author of seven books on Liberal and Progressive Christian theology in Western society and the Christian left. He has been a syndicated columnist and a commentator for National Public Radio and was the Senior Minister of the Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ in Oklahoma City from 1985 to 2020. He is a Distinguished Professor of Social Justice in the Philosophy Department at Oklahoma City University, where he has taught since 1991. Meyers is currently the Teaching Pastor of First Congregational Church of Norman UCC in Norman, Oklahoma, and Distinguished Professor of Social Justice Tenured at Oklahoma City University.
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Tyson Etienne
- Years
- 1999-.. (age 26)
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Tyson Etienne is an American professional basketball player for the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers.
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Jean Schodorf
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jean Kurtis Schodorf is an American politician. She is known for being a three-term Republican Kansas state senator and was the Democratic Party nominee for Kansas Secretary of State in 2014. She was defeated on November 4, 2014 by incumbent Kris Kobach by a margin of 59%-41%.
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W. Paul Thayer
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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William Paul Thayer was an American test pilot, flying ace, aviation executive, and United States Deputy Secretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration.
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Greg Dreiling
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Gregory Alan Dreiling is an American former professional basketball player. Dreiling played center. He attended high school at Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School in Wichita, Kansas. He initially attended Wichita State University and later transferred to the University of Kansas after his freshman year. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the 1986 NBA draft. Dreiling played ten seasons in the NBA, primarily as a backup center. He also played for the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. He also played in the Continental Basketball Association for the Oklahoma City Cavalry and Rockford Lightning.
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Riley L. Pitts
- Enrolled in Wichita State University
- In 1960 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in journalism
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Riley Leroy Pitts was a United States Army captain and the first African-American officer to receive the Medal of Honor. The medal was presented posthumously by President Lyndon B. Johnson on December 10, 1968 for actions in Ap Dong, Republic of Vietnam.
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Kellyn Taylor
- Occupations
- long-distance runnerathletics competitor
- Biography
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Kellyn Taylor is an American long distance runner.
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Shaquille Morris
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Shaquille Morris is an American professional basketball and football player who is a free agent. and played college basketball for the Wichita State University. He played basketball professionally for the San-en NeoPhoenix, Kyoto Hannaryz, and Tokyo Hachioji Bee Trains.
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Ken Berry
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Allen Kent Berry is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1962 through 1975, most notably as a member of the Chicago White Sox. The two-time Gold Glove winner was an American League All-Star player in 1967. He also played for the California Angels, Milwaukee Brewers and the Cleveland Indians. In 2015, Berry was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
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Jamie Arnold
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Jamie Arnold is an American-Israeli former professional basketball player. Playing as a power forward, he represented the Israeli national team. In 1998–99, he was the top rebounder in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.
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Anthony Jones
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Anthony Andrew Jones is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head football coach at Elizabeth City State University, a position he has held from 2018 to 2021. He served as head coach at Morehouse College from 1999 to 2001, and Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University from 2002 to 2013,. Jones played eight seasons as a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers during the 1980s. He was a member of the Redskins' 1987 Super Bowl championship team.
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Arnie Beyeler
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Arnold H. Beyeler is an American professional baseball coach and a former player and manager.
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Tom Sawyer
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Tom Sawyer is an American politician who served as the minority leader of the Kansas House of Representatives. A Democrat, Sawyer has represented the 95th district, covering southwest Wichita, since 2013. Sawyer previously represented the same district from 1987 to 1999 and from 2003 to 2009, serving as both Majority Leader and Minority Leader during his first stint in the legislature.
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Tekele Cotton
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Tekele Cotton is an American professional basketball player for Trepça of the Kosovo Superleague.
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Rashard Kelly
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Rashard DaeQuan Kelly is an American professional basketball player for ADA Blois of the Betclic Élite. He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers.
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Ramesh Datla
- Years
- 1961-.. (age 64)
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Ramesh Datla is an Indian industrialist and the Chairman of Elico Limited, India's first analytical instruments company, established in 1960. He also serves as Chairman of Elico Healthcare Services, a leading player in the healthcare IT and ITES sector.
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Markis McDuffie
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Markis Derek McDuffie is an American professional basketball player for JDA Dijon of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers.
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Alterique Gilbert
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Alterique Lamont Gilbert is an American professional basketball player for Górnik Wałbrzych of the Polish Basketball League (PLK). He played college basketball for the UConn Huskies and the Wichita State Shockers.
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Alfonso E. Lenhardt
- Enrolled in Wichita State University
- Graduated with Master of Science in administration of justice
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
-
Alfonso E. Lenhardt is a retired United States Army Major General who represented the United States as Ambassador to Tanzania from 2009 to 2013. He was also accredited as the US representative to the East African Community (EAC) in 2010. He left his post in October 2013. From 2001 to 2003, he served as Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate. From 1965 to 1997, he had a distinguished military career in the U.S. Army, with multiple assignments to various parts of the world, retiring as a highly decorated Major General.
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Garrett Stutz
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Garrett Matthew Stutz is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Wichita State.
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Scott W. Stucky
- Enrolled in Wichita State University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in history
- Occupations
- judgemilitary officer
- Biography
-
Scott Wallace Stucky is a Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. His term as a judge began on December 20, 2006, and expired on July 31, 2021.
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Don Lock
- Occupations
- basketball playerbaseball player
- Biography
-
Don Wilson Lock was an American professional baseball player and outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1962 to 1969 for the Washington Senators (1962–66), Philadelphia Phillies (1967–69), and Boston Red Sox (1969). A native of Wichita, Kansas, Lock attended Kingman High School in Kingman, Kansas, then attended what is now Wichita State University. He stood 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) (1.88 m) tall and weighed 202 pounds (92 kg), and threw and batted right-handed.
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Paul Miller
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Paul Miller is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'10" center/forward from Jefferson City, Missouri, Miller was an honorable mention All-American player at Wichita State University.
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Dennis McKinney
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Dennis McKinney is a former Kansas State Treasurer. He was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives where he represented the 116th House District for ten terms, the last six as the Democratic Party's leader (Minority Leader) in the Kansas House. In January 2017, he was a Democratic candidate for the party's nomination as the 4th District of Kansas nominee in the U.S. House of Representatives. At the Democrats' 4th District nominating convention February 10, 2017, he narrowly lost to James Thompson.
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Rauno Nurger
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Rauno Nurger is an Estonian basketball player for Tartu Ülikool of the Korvpalli Meistriliiga. He is a 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) tall power forward and center. Nurger played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers.
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Delia Garcia
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Delia Garcia is an American official who formerly served as the Kansas Secretary of Labor. Garcia previously served as a Democratic member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing the 103rd district. She served from 2005 to 2011, and was a member of the Kansas Democratic Hispanic Caucus.
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Ruth A. David
- Occupations
- engineer
- Biography
-
Ruth A. David is an American engineer. While at the CIA, David was responsible for encouraging the agency to pursue partnerships with the private sector and designed a proposal to procure technology at the stage of development from the private sector. She has been awarded the CIA Director's Award, the Defense Intelligence Agency Director's Award, the CIA Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the National Reconnaissance Officer's Award for Distinguished Service, and the National Security Agency Distinguished Service Medal.
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James Knight
- Years
- 1948-.. (age 77)
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
-
James A. Knight is the former United States Ambassador to Chad, having been confirmed on May 23, 2013. He previously served as ambassador to Benin from 2009 to 2012. In addition to English he speaks French and Portuguese.
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Garner E. Shriver
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary officerlawyer
- Biography
-
Garner E. Shriver was a U.S. Representative from Kansas.
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Erna P. Harris
- Enrolled in Wichita State University
- Studied journalism
- Occupations
- businesspersoncivil servantcivil rights advocatepeace activistjournalist
- Biography
-
Erna Prather Harris was an American journalist, businesswoman, and activist, known for her pacifism. Born in Oklahoma, she grew up in the segregated South and attended Black schools. After graduating from Douglass High School in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, she worked as a maid to earn enough money to attend an integrated university. Graduating from Wichita State University in 1936, and unable to find work, she opened her own newspaper, The Kansas Journal.
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T. Russell Shields
- Occupations
- entrepreneur
- Biography
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Russ Shields is an American entrepreneur who is known for investing in and leading Navteq to profitability and selling it in 2007 to Nokia. He was Chair of Ygomi LLC and President and CEO of RoadDB.
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Don Heinkel
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
-
Donald Elliott Heinkel is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during two seasons at the Major League level for the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals. Heinkel notched his lone major league save on April 29, 1988. He went 2 scoreless innings to preserve a 9–6 victory over the Mariners. He was drafted by the Tigers in the 30th round of the 1982 amateur draft. Heinkel played his first professional season with their Rookie league Bristol Tigers, Class A-Advanced Lakeland Tigers, and Double-A Birmingham Barons in 1982, and his last with the San Diego Padres' Double-A Wichita Wranglers in 1993.
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Bobby Wilson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Robert E. Wilson is an American former professional basketball player. He played four seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers.
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Claude Hendrix
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Claude Raymond Hendrix was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in the National League for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1911–13) and Chicago Cubs (1916–20) and in the Federal League with the Chicago Whales (1914–15). He pitched a no-hitter in 1915 and was the first pitcher to record a victory at Wrigley Field, then named Weeghman Park. In 1921, he was accused of tipping off a gambler to a possibly fixed game in 1920; an allegation that, while not proven, likely ended his career in baseball.
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Rafael Becker
- Occupations
- golfer
- Biography
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Rafael da Silveira Becker is a Brazilian professional golfer who is currently a member of Korn Ferry Tour.
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Kelly Arnold
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Kelly Arnold is an American politician serving as the Sedgwick County Clerk. He is in his third term, having first been elected in 2008. From January 2013 to February 2019, Kelly served as the chairman of the Kansas Republican Party.
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Kevin Kastning
- Years
- 1961-.. (age 64)
- Occupations
- guitarist
- Biography
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Kevin Kastning is an American guitarist, composer and musical instrument inventor. He plays the 36-string Double Contraguitar, 30-string Double Contraguitar, 30-string Contra-Alto guitar, 24-string Double Subcontraguitar, 18-string Contraguitar, 17-string Hybrid Extended Classical guitar, 15-string Extended Classical guitar, twelve-string guitar, six-string guitar, fretless guitar, 12-string extended baritone guitar, 6-string bass-baritone guitar, alto guitar, the 14-string contraguitar, the 16-string contraguitar, the 17-string contraguitar, 12-string soprano guitar, mandolin, piano, and bass.
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Valerie L. Baldwin
- Enrolled in Wichita State University
- Graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Valerie Lynn Baldwin was United States Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller) from 2004 to 2007.
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Victor Clough Rambo
- Occupations
- ophthalmologist
- Biography
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Victor Clough Rambo was an American medical missionary and ophthalmologist who worked in India from 1924 to 1974 for the United Christian Missionary Society, of which the former Foreign Christian Missionary Society became part in 1920. In India, Rambo served as the medical director of the Christian Hospital Mungeli and initiated the development of eye camps, groups of medical surgeons that visited towns, set up cataract removal stations, and restored sight to the partially blind through eye surgeries. Under Rambo's leadership, the hospital conducted over 150 eye camps in over 25 villages. It is estimated that the implementation of these eye camps helped restore sight to over 40,000 patients.
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Elizabeth Bender Roe Cloud
- Occupations
- teacheractivist
- Biography
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Elizabeth Bender Roe Cloud was an Ojibwe activist and educator. She graduated in 1907 with teaching credentials from the Hampton Institute, a government native American boarding school in Virginia, and part of the U.S. government's attempt to civilize American Indians. After graduating from Hampton, Elizabeth continued in the teacher training program there and became a teacher for the Indian Service in Browning, Montana in 1908 and taught nationwide until 1916. She then joined her husband, Henry Roe Cloud, and helped administer the American Indian Institute of Wichita, Kansas for twenty-five years. In the 1940s, she founded the Oregon Trails Women's Club with tribe members from the Umatilla Indian Reservation. She served as the National Chair of Indian Welfare for the General Federation of Women's Clubs for eight years, the first American Indian to hold the post. Roe Cloud received the National Mother of the Year award in 1950 and in 1952, she was honored as the "Outstanding Indian" of the year by the American Indian Exposition of Anadarko, Oklahoma. She is noted for having used her influence as an educated indigenous woman to advocate for Native American self-determination.
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Karen Countryman-Roswurm
- Occupations
- academicsocial worker
- Biography
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Karen Irene Countryman-Roswurm is a Native American (Blackfoot) social worker, professor, and academic administrator who specializes in the field of human trafficking and other forms of exploitation. She is an associate professor in the school of social work at Wichita State University and the founder and executive director of the Wichita State University Center for Combating Human Trafficking (CCHT).
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Mortimer M. Miller
- Occupations
- writerpolitician
- Biography
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Mortimer Michael "Mike" Miller was an American writer and politician.
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John Mills Houston
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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John Mills Houston was a member of the United States House of Representatives from the 5th congressional district of Kansas from 1935 to 1943. He was also a member of the National Labor Relations Board from 1943 to 1953, originally appointed by Franklin Roosevelt.
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Mary Chance VanScyoc
- Occupations
- air traffic controller
- Biography
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Mary Chance VanScyoc was an air traffic controller in the United States. She was one of the first women, and often considered the very first civilian woman, to become an air traffic controller when she started in June 1942.
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Harry R. Clements
- Years
- 1929-2023 (aged 94)
- Occupations
- military flight engineer
- Biography
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Harry R. Clements was an American engineer and businessman who was Director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing from 1979 to 1982.
