56 Notable alumni of Appalachian State University
Updated: June 13, 2026 EliteDegrees
Appalachian State University is ranked #930 in the world and #247 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 56 notable alumni from Appalachian State University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Appalachian State University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Rachel Harris Larson
medical researcher
chemist
Rachel Harris Larson was an American chemist and dental researcher who studied the interrelationships of genetics, nutrition, and bacteriology in dental caries. She was the first female scientist at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research where she worked from 1942 until her retirement in 1977.
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2. George M. Holmes
1929-2009 (aged 80)
politician
American football player
George Milton Holmes was a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's 92nd House district, including constituents in eastern Surry, northern Iredell and Yadkin counties. A retiree from Hamptonville, North Carolina, Holmes began serving his sixteenth term in January 2007. He was one of the longest serving North Carolina legislators. He died on December 31, 2009,...
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3. Leonard Bolick
Lutheran pastor
Leonard H. Bolick is a prelate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America who served as the bishop of the North Carolina Evangelical Lutheran Synod from 1997 to 2015. Bolick is known for seeking ecumenical reconciliation and improving relations with the Roman Catholic Church in North Carolina while he has been bishop. Prior to serving as Bishop of North Carolina,...
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4. Lehua Taitano
1978-. (aged 48)
poet
writer
Lehua M. Taitano is a Chamoru poet, interdisciplinary artist, and educator. She is an indigenous person of the Mariana Islands, which are referred to as Laguås yan Gani in the Chamorro language.
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5. Andy Dulin
politician
Andy T. Dulin is an American politician. He was elected as a Republican to the North Carolina House of Representatives District 104, representing South-Central Charlotte, on November 8, 2016. He took office in January 2017 succeeding Dan Bishop who was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in the same general election. In 2018, Dulin lost re-election to Democrat Brandon...
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6. Kelly Hastings
1961-. (aged 65)
politician
Kelly Eugene Hastings is a Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He has represented the 110th district (including constituents in Gaston and Cleveland counties) since 2011.
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7. Dan Millice
audio engineer
mastering engineer
Dan Millice is an American mastering engineer based in New York City.
8. Glenn Gregson
1950-. (aged 76)
baseball player
Glenn Boggs "Goose" Gregson is an American professional baseball coach and a former minor league baseball pitcher. He has been a Major League Baseball pitching coach for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox. As of 2022, he is a player development pitching advisor in Boston's system.
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9. Alec Dufty
1987-. (aged 39)
association football player
goalkeeper coach
Alec Dufty is an American former soccer player and current coach. He is currently a goalkeeper coach with Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.
10. Bryan Richard Holloway
1977-. (aged 49)
politician
lobbyist
Bryan R. Holloway is an American politician. He served five and a half two-year terms as a representative from the 91st District in the North Carolina General Assembly. Holloway resigned from his seat in 2015 to become a lobbyist. He currently operates from his own firm, Holloway Group Inc.
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11. Marques Murrell
1985-. (aged 41)
American football player
Marques Allen Murrell is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Appalachian State Mountaineers and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2007.
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12. Belus Smawley
1918-2003 (aged 85)
basketball player
basketball coach
Belus Van Smawley was an American basketball player and coach. He formerly held the record for longest game-winning buzzer-beater in NBA history, hitting one from 50 feet on November 25, 1948.
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13. Coaker Triplett
1911-1992 (aged 81)
baseball player
Herman Coaker Triplett was an American professional baseball player. In Major League Baseball, he was a backup outfielder, playing mainly as a left fielder for three different teams between the 1938 and 1945 seasons. Listed at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 185 pounds (84 kg), Triplett batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Boone, North Carolina.
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14. Ralph Hise
1976-. (aged 50)
politician
Ralph E. Hise, Jr. is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he represents District 47 in the North Carolina Senate. Hise joined the Senate in 2011 after winning election on November 2, 2010. He is from Spruce Pine, North Carolina.
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15. Charles Moir
1930-2019 (aged 89)
basketball coach
baseball player
Charles Robert Moir was an American college basketball coach. He was the head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team from 1976 until his resignation in October 1987. During his 11 seasons at Virginia Tech, Moir's Hokies compiled a 213–119 record. He was forced to resign after the discovery of severe NCAA violations. Including his time at Tech...
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16. Danny Britt
1979-. (aged 47)
politician
Danny Earl Britt Jr. is a Republican member of the North Carolina Senate, having represented the 24th district and its predecessors since 2017. He is a Lt. Colonel in the North Carolina Army National Guard. Britt is the first Republican to have been elected to the seat since the Reconstruction Era.
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17. Daniel Wilcox
1977-. (aged 49)
American football player
Daniel Wilcox is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Baltimore Ravens. He attended Appalachian State University.
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18. Ritch Workman
1973-. (aged 53)
politician
Ritch Workman is a former Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives, who represented the 52nd District, which includes southern Brevard County, stretching from Melbourne to Palm Shores, from 2012 to 2016, and previously representing the 30th District from 2008 to 2012.
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19. Grey Mills
lawyer
politician
Paul Grey Mills Jr. is an American politician who previously served as a Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives representing the 95th district from 2009 to 2013 and again from 2021 to 2025. Mills defeated incumbent Karen Ray in the 2008 primary by 119 votes, and served for 2 terms in the NC House from 2009 until...
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20. Jonathan Scales
1984-. (aged 42)
jazz musician
Jonathan Scales is an American steel pannist and composer. He has recorded and produced seven albums, the most recent being Mindstate Music, released in 2019 on Ropeadope Records. Since 2007, Scales has recorded and performed with Victor Wooten, Howard Levy, The Duhks, Roy "Future Man" Wooten, Jeff Coffin, Jeff Sipe, Casey Driessen, Oteil Burbridge, Kofi Burbridge, Yonrico Scott, and Béla...
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21. Isaac Butts
1989-. (aged 37)
basketball player
Isaac Butts IV is an American professional basketball player for the Kobe Storks of the B.League. Butts played high school basketball at Georgia Military College Prep School until 2007. He averaged 26 points per game and 17 rebounds per game during his senior year. Upon high school graduation, he received a scholarship to attend Appalachian State University. Once he completed...
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22. Bucky Waters
1935-. (aged 91)
sports commentator
basketball player
basketball coach
Raymond Chevalier "Bucky" Waters is an American basketball broadcaster with ESPN and Madison Square Garden Network and a retired basketball coach. He served as head basketball coach at West Virginia University from 1965 to 1969 and at Duke University from 1969 to 1973, compiling a career college basketball coaching record of record of 133–96.
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23. Mark Newhouse
1985-. (aged 41)
poker player
Mark Newhouse is an American professional poker player who made back-to-back final tables at the World Series of Poker Main Event in the 2013 and 2014 finishing ninth both times, making him the only player to make the November Nine twice before the format was abandoned. He beat a field of 6,352 and 6,683 respectively, outlasting 13,017 people in the...
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24. John R. Evans Jr
military officer
John R. Evans Jr. is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who last served as the commanding general of United States Army North from 2021 to 2024. He most recently served as the commanding general of the United States Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox from 2018 to 2021. Previously, he served as the commanding General of the United...
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25. Don Cardwell
1935-2008 (aged 73)
baseball player
Donald Eugene Cardwell was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) right-handed pitcher who played for five National League (NL) teams from 1957 to 1970. He was the first pitcher in major league history to pitch a no-hitter in his first game after being traded. He pitched a no-hit, 4–0 winning game for the Chicago Cubs on May 15, 1960, just...
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26. Allen Joines
1947-. (aged 79)
politician
James Allen Joines is an American politician currently serving as the mayor of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2009, he was also appointed chairman of the North Carolina Economic Development Board.
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27. Jo Zayner
1981-. (aged 45)
researcher
biophysicist
blogger
Josie Zayner is a biohacker, artist, and scientist best known for her self-experimentation and work making hands-on genetic engineering accessible to a lay audience, including CRISPR.
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28. Jeffrey Springs
1992-. (aged 34)
baseball player
Jeffrey Scott Springs is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays.
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29. Harrison Delbridge
1992-. (aged 34)
association football player
Harrison Andrew Delbridge is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a centre-back for A-League club Melbourne City and the Australia national team.
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30. Robert P. Ashley, Jr
1960-. (aged 66)
military personnel
Robert Paul Ashley Jr. is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army who served as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2017 to 2020. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army G-2. He received a commission through ROTC as a 1984 graduate of Appalachian State University. He retired from active duty on...
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31. Ron Prince
1969-. (aged 57)
American football player
Ronald Dale Prince is an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Kansas State University from 2006 to 2008 and Howard University in 2019, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 18–28. Prince was the assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) from 2015...
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32. Eric Bachmann
singer
Eric Emil Bachmann is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. He rose to prominence as the frontman of Archers of Loaf and Crooked Fingers. Originally a saxophone major at Appalachian State University, Bachmann's music is distinctive for its creative and innovative arrangements. In addition to the guitar, he plays the piano and banjo regularly on tour. He was born in...
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33. Kendall Lamm
1992-. (aged 34)
American football player
Kendall Allen Lamm is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Appalachian State Mountaineers for four years and was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2015.
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34. Stephen J. Dubner
1963-. (aged 63)
podcaster
writer
journalist
Stephen Joseph Dubner is an American author, journalist, and podcast and radio host. He is co-author of the popular Freakonomics book series: Freakonomics, SuperFreakonomics, Think Like a Freak and When to Rob a Bank. He is the host of Freakonomics Radio.
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35. Brock Long
1975-. (aged 51)
emergency manager
William Brockmann Long is an American emergency manager who served as the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He was appointed to the position by President Donald Trump in April 2017 and confirmed by the United States Senate in June 2017. He served until his resignation in March 2019, following criticism of his handling of the Hurricane Maria...
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36. Everett Withers
1963-. (aged 63)
head coach
American football player
Everett Rowe Withers is an American football coach and former player. He was the defensive coordinator at FIU, and was the defensive backs coach for the New York Giants and as the head coach for the Texas State Bobcats. Withers served as head football coach at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 2011 season, at James Madison...
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37. Luke Combs
1990-. (aged 36)
singer-songwriter
country singer
Luke Albert Combs is an American country singer. He was born in North Carolina and grew up there, performing as a child. After leaving college to pursue a career in music, he moved to Nashville and released his debut EP, The Way She Rides, in 2014.
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38. Eric Church
1977-. (aged 49)
singer
guitarist
composer
singer-songwriter
banjoist
Kenneth Eric Church is an American singer-songwriter and minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. He has released seven studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's Sinners Like Me, produced three singles on the Billboard country charts including the top 20 hits "How 'Bout You", "Two Pink Lines", and "Guys Like Me".
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39. Eustace Conway
1961-. (aged 65)
naturalist
teacher
environmentalist
Eustace Robinson Conway IV is an American naturalist and the subject of the book The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert. He has also been the subject of Adventures in the Simple Life by Sarah Vowell on the weekly radio show This American Life with Ira Glass. He is the owner of the 1,000-acre (4.0 km) Turtle Island Preserve in...
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40. Charlotte Flair
1986-. (aged 40)
personal trainer
professional wrestler
volleyball player
Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Charlotte Flair.
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41. Paul Johnson
1957-. (aged 69)
head coach
Paul Clayton Johnson is an American former college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Georgia Southern University from 1997 to 2001, the United States Naval Academy from 2002 to 2007, and Georgia Tech, from 2008 to 2018, compiling a career college football coaching record of 189–100. Johnson's Georgia Southern Eagles won consecutive NCAA Division I-AA Football...
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42. Morris Davis
1958-. (aged 68)
administrative law judge
university teacher
politician
air force officer
Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces
Morris Durham "Moe" Davis is an American retired U.S. Air Force colonel, attorney, educator, politician, and former administrative law judge.
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43. Buck Newton
1968-. (aged 58)
politician
Eldon Sharpe "Buck" Newton III is an American lawyer and politician who serves as a Republican state senator in the North Carolina General Assembly (the state's legislature) representing N.C. Senate District 4 (Wilson, Greene and Wayne counties). Newton originally won a seat in the North Carolina Senate in the 2010 election by defeating the Democratic incumbent, Albin B. Swindell.
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44. Howard Coble
1931-2015 (aged 84)
lawyer
politician
John Howard Coble was an American politician who was the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 6th congressional district, serving from 1985 to 2015. He was a member of the Republican Party. The district includes all or portions of ten counties in the northern-central part of the state, including portions of Greensboro and Durham.
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45. David Weber
1952-. (aged 74)
screenwriter
novelist
writer
science fiction writer
fantasy author
David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He has written several science-fiction and fantasy books series, the best-known of which is the Honor Harrington science-fiction series. His first novel, which he worked on with Steve White, sold in 1989 to Baen Books. Baen remains Weber's major publisher.
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46. Linda Combs
1946-2023 (aged 77)
politician
Linda Morrison Combs was a former U.S. federal government official. She was the Controller of the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President at the White House. She had five Presidential Appointments confirmed by the United States Senate and served under three Presidents: Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush.
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47. Chad Barefoot
1983-. (aged 43)
politician
John Chadwick "Chad" Barefoot is a Republican former member of the North Carolina Senate, representing North Carolina's 18th Senate district from 2013 to 2018. Senate District 18 covers Franklin County and parts of eastern and southern Wake County.
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48. Steve Goss
1949-2015 (aged 66)
politician
Benjamin Stephenson Goss was an American politician. He served two terms (January 2007 – December 2010) as a Democratic member of the North Carolina Senate. He represented the 45th Senate district, including constituents in Alexander, Ashe, Watauga, and Wilkes counties. He was defeated for re-election in 2010 by Republican Dan Soucek.
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49. William W. Hartzog
1941-2020 (aged 79)
military personnel
William White Hartzog was a United States Army General whose commands during his 35-year career include the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, the 1st Infantry Division, and United States Army South. He was born in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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50. Ruth M. Easterling
1910-2006 (aged 96)
politician
Ruth Elizabeth Moss Easterling was a Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for thirteen terms. She was born December 26, 1910, in Blacksburg, South Carolina. She was an alumnus of Limestone College and Appalachian State University.
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51. Steven M. Greer
1955-. (aged 71)
physician
ufologist
Steven Macon Greer is an American ufologist and a retired physician. He founded the Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI) and the Disclosure Project, which claims to seek the disclosure of alleged classified UFO information.
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52. Mark Harris
1966-. (aged 60)
politician
pastor
Mark Harris is an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter. He was part of the Christian band 4Him.
53. Ted Budd
1971-. (aged 55)
politician
business executive
Theodore Paul Budd is an American businessman and politician serving since 2023 as the junior United States senator for North Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 13th congressional district from 2017 to 2023.
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54. Franklin Graham
1952-. (aged 74)
missionary
pastor
William Franklin Graham III is an American evangelist and missionary in the evangelical movement. He frequently engages in Christian revival tours and political commentary. The son of Billy Graham, he is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and of Samaritan's Purse, an international evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization. Under his leadership, Samaritan's Purse has become a...
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55. Michael Parker
1949-. (aged 77)
lobbyist
businessperson
politician
Michael Parker is an American-born Japanese professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Gunma Crane Thunders of the Japanese B.League.
56. Laura Wright
1970-. (aged 56)
academic
man of letters
writer
literary scholar
university teacher
Laura Kathryn Wright is an English mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs classical and operatic music, popular songs, musical theatre, and folk songs.
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