73 Notable alumni of Cleveland State University
Updated: June 13, 2026 EliteDegrees
Cleveland State University is 849st in the world, 1st in North America, and 235st in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 73 notable alumni from Cleveland 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 Cleveland State University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. James C. Connell
1897-1973 (aged 76)
lawyer
judge
James C. Connell was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
2. Karen Kovacik
1959-. (aged 67)
university teacher
poet
writer
Karen Kovacik is a poet and translator of Polish poetry. She is the former poet laureate of the American state of Indiana from 2011 until 2013. George Kalamaras succeeded her. During her time as poet laureate she put on a series of readings bringing poets from Indiana and other states called The Borderlands Project.
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3. Arthur H. Day
1890-1967 (aged 77)
lawyer
judge
politician
Arthur Hiram Day was an American lawyer, politician, judge, and college football coach. A Republican, served two terms as an Ohio State Senator in the 1920s and a six-year term as a justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, from 1935 to 1940. Day was the head football coach at Trinity University in Waxahachie, Texas for one season, in 1912.
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4. Paul Hackett
1962-. (aged 64)
lawyer
military officer
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Lewis Hackett III is an American lawyer and veteran of the Iraq War who unsuccessfully sought election to the United States Congress from the Second District of Ohio in the August 2, 2005, special election. Hackett, a Democrat, narrowly lost to Republican Jean Schmidt, a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives, providing the best showing...
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5. Robert Maynard Murray
1841-1913 (aged 72)
lawyer
politician
Robert Maynard Murray was an attorney, banker, businessman and member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio for one term from 1883 to 1885.
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6. James H. Cassidy
1869-1926 (aged 57)
lawyer
politician
James Henry Cassidy was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio for one term from 1909 to 1911.
7. Ken Carpenter
1956-. (aged 70)
journalist
Ken Carpenter, is an American journalist and journalism professor. He was an editor and reporter at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland (1980–87); a senior editor at The National Sports Daily in New York (1989–91); managing editor at Golfweek magazine in Winter Haven and Orlando, Fla. (1992–98); founding editor of Golfweek.com in Orlando, Fla. (1998–2001); copy editor at the Tampa Tribune...
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8. Maureen O'Connor
1951-. (aged 75)
lawyer
judge
Maureen O'Connor is an American lawyer and judge who served as the chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from 2011 to 2022. She was elected to the court in 2002, becoming chief justice in 2010. She was the first woman to lead the Ohio Supreme Court and the longest serving woman elected statewide in Ohio's History.
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9. John J. Babka
1884-1937 (aged 53)
lawyer
politician
John Joseph Babka was an American lawyer and politician who served as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Ohio for one term from 1919 to 1921.
10. William Edwin Minshall, Jr
1911-1990 (aged 79)
lawyer
politician
William Edwin Minshall Jr. was an American lawyer and politician who served ten terms as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio from 1955 to 1974.
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11. Marc Mencher
1961-. (aged 65)
video game developer
Marc Mencher is an American executive in the video game industry, who has written multiple articles and books about gaming careers, such as the 2003 book Get in the Game: Careers in the Game Industry. He is best known as co-founder and CEO of the recruiting agency GameRecruiter.com, and is a frequent contributor to game developer trade magazines and websites...
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12. Anthony A. Fleger
1900-1963 (aged 63)
lawyer
politician
Anthony Alfred Fleger was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.
13. Eric Brown
1953-. (aged 73)
lawyer
judge
Eric S. Brown is the former chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. He was appointed by Governor Ted Strickland on May 3, 2010, following the death of Chief Justice Thomas Moyer on April 2, 2010. Brown was the first Jewish Chief Justice in Ohio history.
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14. John Michael Manos
1922-2006 (aged 84)
lawyer
judge
metallurgist
American football player
engineer
John Michael Manos was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
15. Billie Lawless
1950-. (aged 76)
sculptor
Billie Lawless is an American sculptor.
16. Francis Allegra
1957-2015 (aged 58)
judge
Francis Marion Allegra was an American lawyer who served as a judge on the United States Court of Federal Claims.
17. James Anthony Griffin
1934-. (aged 92)
Catholic priest
Catholic bishop
James Anthony Griffin is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Griffin served as bishop of the Diocese of Columbus in Ohio from 1983 to 2004. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland in Ohio from 1979 to 1983.
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18. Zachary Ellis-Hayden
1992-. (aged 34)
association football player
Zachary Ellis-Hayden is a professional footballer who plays as a defender who plays for Waterloo United in the League1 Ontario Championship. Born in Canada, he represented Barbados at international level.
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19. Jamie Callender
1965-. (aged 61)
lawyer
politician
Jamie Callender is an American lawyer and college professor who has served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives since 2019. He represents the 57th district which includes the Lake County communities of Concord Township, Kirtland, Kirtland Hills, LeRoy Township, Madison, Madison Township, North Perry, Perry, Perry Township, Waite Hill, Willoughby Hills, as well as most of both...
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20. Terrence O'Donnell
1946-. (aged 80)
lawyer
judge
Terrence O'Donnell is a former associate justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio.
21. Vlado Dimovski
1960-. (aged 66)
politician
economist
Vlado Dimovski is a Slovenian economist, philosopher, politician, consultant and university professor.
22. Jerry Dybzinski
1955-. (aged 71)
baseball player
Jerome Matthew Dybzinski is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates. In 468 career games, Dybzinski recorded a batting average of.234 and accumulated three home runs and 93 runs batted in (RBI).
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23. Bohdan A. Futey
1939-. (aged 87)
jurist
lawyer
judge
Bohdan Andrew Futey is a senior judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims.
24. Tyree Appleby
1998-. (aged 28)
basketball player
Tyree Jamar Appleby is an American professional basketball player for Mykonos of the Greek Basketball League. He played for the Cleveland State Vikings, Florida Gators and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
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25. James V. Stanton
1932-2022 (aged 90)
lawyer
politician
James Vincent Stanton was an American lawyer and politician who served three terms as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1971 to 1977.
26. Ken McFadden
basketball player
Ken "Mouse" McFadden is a former basketball player. He attended Seward Park High School in New York. He played at Cleveland State University from 1985–1989. He helped lead Cleveland State to three postseason appearances and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen. His number 10 is one of only four numbers to have been retired by Cleveland State. He scored 2,256...
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27. Delores Phillips
1950-2014 (aged 64)
writer
Delores Phillips was an American author who is known for her acclaimed debut novel, The Darkest Child (Soho Press, 2005).
28. Franklin Edwards
1959-. (aged 67)
basketball player
Franklin Delano Edwards is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round (22nd pick overall) of the 1981 NBA draft. A 6'1" point guard from Cleveland State University, Edwards played in 7 NBA seasons from 1981 to 1988. He played for the 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings.
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29. Ed Feighan
1947-. (aged 79)
politician
Edward Farrell "Ed" Feighan is a former American politician. He served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, and as a Democratic Party U.S. Representative from 1983 to 1993, serving Ohio's 19th congressional district.
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30. Benita Y. Pearson
1963-. (aged 63)
lawyer
judge
Benita Yalonda Pearson is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and formerly a United States magistrate judge on the same court.
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31. Angelin Chang
lawyer
pianist
Angelin Chang is a classical pianist and professor of music at Cleveland State University. She heads the university's keyboard studies program coordinates the university's chamber music program, and teaches music and law. Prior to joining Cleveland State, she was a faculty member at Rutgers University.
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32. Kahlil Seren
1978-. (aged 48)
politician
mayor
Kahlil Seren is an American politician, former local-government adviser, and the first directly elected Mayor of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He became the first Cleveland Heights mayor to be removed from office in a recall election, with about 82% of voters backing removal on September 9, 2025.
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33. Bert Wolstein
1927-2004 (aged 77)
businessperson
Bertram Leonard Wolstein, known to his friends as Bart and publicly as Bert L. Wolstein, was an American real estate developer, sports team owner, and philanthropist based in Cleveland, Ohio. He founded Developers Diversified Realty Corporation (now SITE Centers), which at the time of his death was the 4th-largest developer of shopping centers in the United States. In 1979, he...
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34. Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr
1941-2003 (aged 62)
lawyer
politician
Anthony Joseph "Tony" Celebrezze Jr. was an American politician of the Democratic party, who served as Ohio Attorney General, Ohio Secretary of State and an Ohio State Senator. He was the son of Anthony J. Celebrezze, and part of the Celebrezze political dynasty, which was prominent in Cleveland in particular and statewide in Ohio throughout the second half of the...
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35. Tom Patton
1953-. (aged 73)
politician
Thomas F. Patton is a Republican member of the Ohio Senate, representing the 24th District since 2025.
36. Kid Leo
1950-. (aged 76)
disc jockey
radio personality
music executive
Lawrence James Travagliante, better known by his on-air moniker Kid Leo, is a radio station and record company professional. He is especially known for his work as a radio personality and disc jockey. He began working in radio in 1973 at noted Cleveland, Ohio, rock station WMMS (100.7 FM, "The Buzzard"). During his 16-year tenure, WMMS was consistently one of...
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37. Terry Pluto
1955-. (aged 71)
journalist
sports journalist
Terry Pluto is an American sportswriter, newspaper columnist, and author who primarily writes columns for The Plain Dealer, and formerly for the Akron Beacon Journal about Cleveland, Ohio sports and religion.
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38. Ike Nwamu
1993-. (aged 33)
basketball player
Ikechukwu Sean Nwamu is an American-born Nigerian professional basketball player for KB Bashkimi of the Kosovo Basketball Superleague. He has played professionally in the NBA G League and across Europe, including Greece, Israel, Russia, France, Poland, Türkiye, and Kosovo. Nwamu is a 2020 Olympian and a member of the Nigerian national basketball team.
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39. Ed FitzGerald
1968-. (aged 58)
lawyer
Edward FitzGerald is an American politician who served as the first Cuyahoga County Executive from 2011 until 2015. He was the Democratic Party nominee for governor of Ohio in the 2014 election, and was defeated by the incumbent, John Kasich. Before being elected county executive, FitzGerald served as mayor of Lakewood, Ohio; a Lakewood city councilman; an assistant Cuyahoga County...
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40. Mary Jo Kilroy
1949-. (aged 77)
lawyer
politician
Mary Jo Kilroy is an American attorney and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Ohio's 15th congressional district from 2009 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party from Ohio. She was defeated in her November 2, 2010 re-election bid. In 2012, she ran in the newly redrawn, Columbus-based 3rd congressional district but lost in the...
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41. Pape Badiane
1980-2016 (aged 36)
basketball player
Pape Badiane was a French professional basketball player who played 23 times for the men's French national basketball team between 2007 and 2008. He died on 23 December 2016 in a traffic accident.
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42. William O'Neill
1947-. (aged 79)
lawyer
judge
William Michael O'Neill is an American lawyer, judge and political figure. He was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court in 2012, for a term beginning January 2013. He served as an appellate judge on the Ohio Eleventh District Court of Appeals for 10 years. Twice, O'Neill was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative in Ohio's 14th congressional district. He announced...
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43. Steve LaTourette
1954-2016 (aged 62)
lawyer
public defender
politician
Steven Clare LaTourette was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Ohio's 19th congressional district and then Ohio's 14th congressional district from 1995 to 2013. He was a member of the Republican Party. On July 30, 2012, it was reported that he would retire at the end of his term and not seek re-election. He subsequently co-founded...
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44. Robert T. Bennett
1941-2014 (aged 73)
lawyer
politician
Robert T. "Bob" Bennett was an American attorney, CPA, and political executive who was the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party from 1988 to 2009 and again in 2012 and 2013.
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45. Jane L. Campbell
1953-. (aged 73)
politician
Jane Louise Campbell is an American politician who served as the 56th and first and to date only female mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from January 1, 2002, to January 1, 2006.
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46. Frank Lausche
1895-1990 (aged 95)
lawyer
judge
baseball player
politician
Frank John Lausche was an American Democratic politician from Ohio. He served as the 47th mayor of Cleveland and the 55th and 57th governor of Ohio, and also served as a United States senator from Ohio for two terms (1957–1969).
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47. Louis Stokes
1925-2015 (aged 90)
lawyer
judge
politician
lecturer
Louis Stokes was an American attorney, civil rights pioneer and politician. He served 15 terms in the United States House of Representatives – representing the east side of Cleveland – and was the first African American congressman elected in the state of Ohio. He was one of the Cold War era chairmen of the United States House Permanent Select Committee...
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48. Pamela Evette
1967-. (aged 59)
politician
Pamela Sue Evette is an American politician and businesswoman serving as the 93rd lieutenant governor of South Carolina since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was the CEO of Quality Business Solutions in Upstate South Carolina before her election as lieutenant governor. Evette is the first lieutenant governor to be elected on the same ticket as the governor....
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49. Peter Kirsanow
1953-. (aged 73)
lawyer
Peter N. Kirsanow is a partner with the law firm of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff, working within its Labor & Employment Practice Group in Cleveland, Ohio. He is a black civil-rights commissioner and a member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights (a part-time appointment), serving his fourth consecutive 6-year term, which he was reappointed to by House...
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50. Jim Les
1963-. (aged 63)
basketball player
basketball coach
James Alan Les is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the UC Davis Aggies men's team. A former point guard, Les played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after his college career at Bradley University.
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51. Frank G. Jackson
1946-. (aged 80)
lawyer
politician
Frank George Jackson is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 57th Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from 2006 to 2022. He was first elected on November 8, 2005, unseating incumbent Jane Campbell, and re-elected in 2009, 2013, and 2017. Having served four full terms, he is the longest-serving mayor in Cleveland history. On May 6, 2021, he announced...
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52. Ron Kuby
1956-. (aged 70)
lawyer
radio personality
Ronald L. Kuby is an American criminal defense and civil rights lawyer, radio talk show host, and television commentator. He has hosted radio programs on WABC (AM) in New York City and Air America radio.
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53. Bryn Forbes
1993-. (aged 33)
basketball player
Bryn Jerrel Forbes is an American professional basketball player for Aris of the Greek Basketball League. He played college basketball for Cleveland State and Michigan State, and became a reliable three-point shooter. He plays both guard positions.
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54. Connie Schultz
1957-. (aged 69)
journalist
writer
Connie Brown is an American writer, journalist, and educator. Brown has been a columnist for several publications. After several years as a freelance writer, Brown became a columnist at Cleveland's daily newspaper, The Plain Dealer, a role she held from 1993 to 2011, winning the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for "her pungent columns that provided a voice for the...
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55. Annie Easley
1932-2011 (aged 79)
computer scientist
mathematician
engineer
Annie Jean Easley was an African American computer scientist who contributed significantly to the beginning iterations of NASA's rocket technologies.
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56. Dennis Kucinich
1946-. (aged 80)
politician
Dennis John Kucinich is an American politician. Originally a Democrat, Kucinich served as U.S. Representative from Ohio's 10th congressional district from 1997 to 2013. From 1977 to 1979, he served a term as mayor of Cleveland, where he narrowly survived a recall election and successfully fought an effort to sell the municipal electric utility before losing his reelection contest to...
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57. Nina Turner
1967-. (aged 59)
historian
politician
Nina Turner is an American politician and television personality. A member of the Democratic Party, she was a Cleveland City Council member from 2006 to 2008 and a member of the Ohio Senate from 2008 until 2014. Turner was the Democratic nominee for Ohio Secretary of State in 2014, but lost in the general election against incumbent Jon Husted, receiving...
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58. Marcia Fudge
1952-. (aged 74)
lawyer
politician
Marcia Louise Fudge is an American attorney and retired politician who served as the 18th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2021 to 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the U.S. representative for Ohio's 11th congressional district from 2008 to 2021. The district included most of the black-majority precincts between Cleveland and Akron.
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59. Norris Cole
1988-. (aged 38)
basketball player
Norris Gene Cole II is an American professional basketball player for the Osos de Manatí of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). A 6-foot-2 point guard, he is a two-time NBA champion, winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 with the Miami Heat in his first and second years in the NBA. In his seven NBA seasons, Cole made the playoffs...
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60. Stipe Miocic
1982-. (aged 44)
mixed martial arts fighter
Stipe Miocic is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is widely regarded as the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time.
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61. Charles J. Carney
1913-1987 (aged 74)
trade unionist
politician
Charles Joseph Carney was an American politician and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio from 1970 to 1979.
62. Donald C. Nugent
1948-. (aged 78)
lawyer
judge
Donald Clark Nugent is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
63. Dennis E. Eckart
1950-. (aged 76)
lawyer
politician
Dennis Edward Eckart is an American lawyer and politician who is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. Eckart, a member of the Democratic Party, represented Ohio's 11th congressional district from 1983 to 1993, and Ohio's 22nd congressional district from 1981 to 1983. Before being elected to Congress, Eckart served in the Ohio House of Representatives from...
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64. Tim Russert
1950-2008 (aged 58)
television presenter
lawyer
writer
journalist
reporter
Timothy John Russert was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's Meet the Press. He was a senior vice president at NBC News and Washington bureau chief, and also hosted an eponymous CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview program. He was a frequent correspondent and guest on NBC's The Today Show...
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65. Michael J. Skindell
1962-. (aged 64)
lawyer
politician
Michael J. Skindell is the former state representative for the 13th district of the Ohio House of Representatives after previously serving there from 2003 to 2010. He also previously served as the state senator for the 23rd district of the Ohio Senate from 2011 to 2018. He is a Democrat.
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66. Henderson Haverfield Carson
1893-1971 (aged 78)
lawyer
academic
politician
Henderson Haverfield Carson was a U.S. representative from Ohio for two non-consecutive terms in the 1940s.
67. Robert E. Sweeney
1924-2007 (aged 83)
lawyer
politician
Robert E. Sweeney was a U.S. Representative from Ohio and a son of another former Representative, Martin L. Sweeney.
68. Genevieve R. Cline
1877-1959 (aged 82)
lawyer
judge
Genevieve Rose Cline was a judge of the United States Customs Court and the first woman to serve in the United States federal judiciary, serving as an Article I federal judge.
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69. Christopher A. Boyko
1954-. (aged 72)
lawyer
judge
Christopher Allan Boyko is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
70. Shawn Richards
1972-. (aged 54)
politician
Shawn Kenneth Richards is a Kittitian politician from the People's Action Movement (PAM). He currently serves as a member of the National Assembly, and was formerly the party leader of PAM and Deputy Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
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71. Timothy F. Murphy
1952-. (aged 74)
teacher
psychologist
politician
Timothy Francis Murphy is an American former politician and psychologist who served as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district from 2003 until his resignation in 2017. The district included several suburbs south of Pittsburgh. A member of the Republican Party, he also represented the 37th Senate district in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1996 to 2003. Murphy consistently...
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72. Koo Bon-moo
1945-2018 (aged 73)
businessperson
chief executive officer
Koo Bon-moo was a South Korean business executive, who gained worldwide fame as the renamer and business executive of the LG Group.
73. Bobby Adhityo Rizaldi
1974-. (aged 52)
auditor
politician
Bobby Adhityo Rizaldi is an Indonesian politician and currently part of Commission I of People's Representative Council. He was elected as a member of the Indonesian Parliament for 2014–2019 and 2019–2024 from the electoral district South Sumatra II.
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