100 Notable alumni of Kansas State University
Updated: June 23, 2026 EliteDegrees
Kansas State University is ranked #295 in the world and #112 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from Kansas 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 Kansas State University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Alwyn Howard Gentry
1945-1993 (aged 48)
botanical collector
scientific collector
botanist
curator
Alwyn Howard Gentry was an American botanist and plant collector, who made major contributions to the understanding of the vegetation of tropical forests.
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2. Mike Hayden
1944-. (aged 82)
politician
John Michael Hayden is a retired American politician and veteran who served as the 41st governor of Kansas, from 1987 to 1991. He subsequently served as the Secretary of the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department under Kansas governors Kathleen Sebelius and Mark Parkinson.
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3. Theresa Sparks
1949-. (aged 77)
engineer
politician
Theresa Sparks is an American business executive and politician who is executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and was a candidate for San Francisco Supervisor for District 6 in the November 2010 election. She is a former president of the San Francisco Police Commission and former CEO of Good Vibrations. She is also one of San Francisco's...
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4. Xavier Sneed
1997-. (aged 29)
basketball player
Xavier Tyron Sneed is an American professional basketball player for Cantù of Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2021 to 2023.
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5. Thomas Frank
1965-. (aged 61)
historian
political scientist
journalist
Thomas Carr Frank is an American political analyst, and historian. He co-founded and edited The Baffler magazine. Frank is the author of the books What's the Matter with Kansas? (2004) and Listen, Liberal (2016), among others. From 2008 to 2010 he wrote "The Tilting Yard", a column in The Wall Street Journal.
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6. Cartier Martin
1984-. (aged 42)
basketball player
Cartier Alexander Martin is an American former professional basketball player who played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Kansas State.
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7. Jeremiah Massey
1982-. (aged 44)
basketball player
association football player
Jeremiah Massey is an American-born naturalized Macedonian former professional basketball player. Standing at 6 ft 7 1⁄2 in (2.02 m), he played at the power forward and center positions during his professional career.
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8. Barry Brown Jr
1996-. (aged 30)
basketball player
Barry Gerard Brown Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats.
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9. Eric Wolford
1971-. (aged 55)
coach
Eric Wolford is an American football coach and former player who is currently the offensive line coach at LSU. He previously served as the offensive line coach at the University of Alabama from 2022 to 2023 and the University of Kentucky in 2021 then again from 2024 to 2025. He was the head football coach at Youngstown State University from...
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10. Craig Bolerjack
1958-. (aged 68)
sports commentator
Kyle Craig Bolerjack is an American sportscaster. He is currently calling Utah Jazz telecasts on KJZZ with Thurl Bailey. He has also called games for CBS, ESPN, and CBS College Sports Network in a national broadcasting career that dates back to the late 1990s.
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11. Jim Geringer
1944-. (aged 82)
politician
military officer
James Edward Geringer is an American politician who was the 30th governor of Wyoming, serving from 1995 to 2003.
12. Carla Provost
1969-. (aged 57)
peace officer
official
Carla L. Provost is an American retired government official who served as the Chief of the United States Border Patrol from August 2018 through January 2020. She was the first woman to serve as Chief of the Border Patrol, a career law enforcement position. Provost held numerous positions during her 25-year career in the Border Patrol, including serving as Deputy...
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13. Frank Carlson
1893-1987 (aged 94)
farmer
politician
Frank Carlson was an American politician who served as the 30th governor of Kansas, Kansas State representative, United States representative, and United States senator from Kansas. Carlson is the only Kansan to have held all four offices. His political career spanned 40 years, beginning in November 1928 and ending in January 1969.
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14. Gary E. Luck
1937-2024 (aged 87)
military personnel
Gary Edward Luck was a four-star general of the United States Army. Following his retirement, he was a senior advisor to the United States Joint Forces Command prior to that command's inactivation. He was a Senior Fellow for the National Defense University in support of the Pinnacle, Capstone, and Keystone programs.
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15. John W. Carlin
1940-. (aged 86)
university teacher
archivist
politician
John William Carlin is an American educator and politician who served as the 40th governor of Kansas from 1979 to 1987, and the archivist of the United States from May 30, 1995, to February 15, 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Carlin teaches at Kansas State University as a visiting professor and previously operated a website to...
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16. Matt McCrane
1994-. (aged 32)
American football player
Matthew McCrane is an American professional football placekicker for the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He has also played for the Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Guardians, and Cleveland Browns.
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17. Jordan Wicks
1999-. (aged 27)
baseball player
Jordan Maslin Wicks is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023.
18. Ángel Rodríguez
1992-. (aged 34)
basketball player
Ángel Daniel Rodríguez Tricoche is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player for Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for Kansas State University and the University of Miami.
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19. Carlos Torres
1982-. (aged 44)
baseball player
Carlos Ephriam Torres is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Washington Nationals, and Detroit Tigers, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants.
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20. Theresa Vail
1990-. (aged 36)
radio personality
beauty pageant contestant
Theresa Marie Vail is Miss Kansas 2013. She subsequently placed in the top ten of the Miss America 2014 pageant, where she became the first contestant to openly display tattoos (during the swimsuit competition) and won the "America's Choice" award. Vail later hosted programs for the Outdoor Channel.
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21. Robert Streb
1987-. (aged 39)
golfer
Robert Charles Streb is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour where he has been a member since 2013.
22. Ben Sinnott
2002-. (aged 24)
American football player
Benjamin Sinnott is an American professional football tight end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, earning two All-Big 12 honors prior to being selected by the Commanders in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
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23. James Harbord
1866-1947 (aged 81)
businessperson
military officer
James Guthrie Harbord was a senior officer of the United States Army and president and chairman of the board of RCA. During World War I, he served from mid-1917 to mid-1918 as chief of staff of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), commanded by General John J. Pershing, before commanding a brigade and briefly a division and then the AEF Services...
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24. Austra Skujytė
1979-. (aged 47)
decathlete
heptathlete
Austra Skujytė is a retired Lithuanian athlete, competing in both the heptathlon and the decathlon. On 15 April 2005 in Columbia, Missouri, she broke the women's decathlon world record, with a score of 8358. She is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in the heptathlon. The latter medal was allocated retrospectively following the disqualification in 2016...
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25. Tejaswin Shankar
1998-. (aged 28)
athletics competitor
Tejaswin Shankar is an Indian track and field athlete, who competes in decathlon and formerly specialized in high jump. Shankar made history by winning India's first-ever high jump medal at the Commonwealth Games, clinching bronze at the 2022 edition. After switching to decathlon, he won a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games and went on to claim a silver...
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26. Nick Martini
1990-. (aged 36)
baseball player
Nicholas Scott Martini is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Colorado Rockies, and in the KBO League for the NC Dinos.
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27. B. J. Finney
1991-. (aged 35)
American football player
Benjamin J. Isaac Finney II is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015.
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28. Cooper Beebe
2001-. (aged 25)
American football player
Cooper Beebe is an American professional football center for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, being named a unanimous All-American in 2023, and was selected by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.
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29. Dominique Sutton
1986-. (aged 40)
basketball player
Dominique Leondras Sutton is an American basketball player for Al Ahli Manama of the West Asia Super League. Sutton played college basketball for Kansas State University and North Carolina Central University.
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30. David Grandison Fairchild
1869-1954 (aged 85)
explorer
botanist
writer
mycologist
botanical collector
David Grandison Fairchild was an American botanist and plant explorer. Fairchild was responsible for the introduction of more than 200,000 exotic plants and varieties of established crops into the United States, including soybeans, pistachios, mangos, nectarines, dates, bamboos, and flowering cherries. Certain varieties of wheat, cotton, and rice became especially economically important.
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31. Felix Anudike-Uzomah
2002-. (aged 24)
American football player
Felix Anudike-Uzomah is an American professional football defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022. He was selected by the Chiefs with the 31st overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
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32. Dana Dimel
1962-2024 (aged 62)
head coach
Dana August Dimel was an American college football coach and player. He served as the head football coach of the University of Wyoming from 1997 to 1999, the University of Houston from 2000 to 2002, and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 2018 to 2023, compiling a career head coaching record of 50–88. Dimel also coached as...
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33. Tracey Mann
1976-. (aged 50)
politician
Tracey Robert Mann is an American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. representative from Kansas's 1st congressional district since 2021. The district, popularly known as "the Big First," includes parts of 63 counties in central and western Kansas and is the seventh-largest district in the nation that does not cover an entire state.
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34. Bill Guthridge
1937-2015 (aged 78)
basketball player
basketball coach
William Wallace Guthridge was an American college basketball coach. Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for thirty years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina and summing many wins as a result. Following Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge was head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons. He took the team to the NCAA Final Four...
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35. Wesley Iwundu
1994-. (aged 32)
basketball player
Wesley Deshawn Iwundu is an American professional basketball player for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats.
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36. John Jacob Rhodes
1916-2003 (aged 87)
lawyer
politician
John Jacob Rhodes Jr. was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Republican Party, Rhodes served as a U.S. representative from Arizona for thirty years from 1953 to 1983. He was the minority leader in the House of Representatives from 1973 to 1981 and pressed a conservative agenda.
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37. Milton Stover Eisenhower
1899-1985 (aged 86)
film screenwriter
screenwriter
politician
Milton Stover Eisenhower was an American academic administrator. He served as president of three major American universities: Kansas State University, Pennsylvania State University, and Johns Hopkins University. Eisenhower was also the head of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He was the youngest brother of, and advisor to, U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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38. Marlin Fitzwater
1942-. (aged 84)
military personnel
Max Marlin Fitzwater is an American writer-journalist who served as White House Press Secretary for six years under U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, making him one of the longest-serving press secretaries in history. He is the only U.S. Press Secretary to be appointed by two different U.S. Presidents (Stephen Early and Pierre Salinger served as transition...
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39. Michael Bishop
1976-. (aged 50)
baseball player
American football player
Canadian football player
Michael Paul Bishop is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL), Canadian Football League (CFL), Arena Football League (AFL), and NFL Europe. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, earning consensus All-American honors in 1998. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the...
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40. Roger Marshall
1960-. (aged 66)
obstetrician
army officer
politician
Roger Wayne Marshall is an American politician, physician, and former military officer serving as the junior United States senator from Kansas since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he served from 2017 to 2021 as the U.S. representative for Kansas's 1st congressional district, a mostly rural district covering much of the western and northern parts of the state.
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41. Charles T. Payne
1925-2014 (aged 89)
military personnel
librarian
Charles Thomas Payne was an American librarian and soldier. A member of the Obama family, he was the brother of Madelyn Payne Dunham and granduncle of former U.S. president Barack Obama.
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42. Bob Boozer
1937-2012 (aged 75)
basketball player
Robert Louis Boozer was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Boozer won a gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics and won an NBA Championship as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971. Boozer was a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team, which was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as...
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43. Jim Pillen
1955-. (aged 71)
American football player
businessperson
politician
James Douglas Pillen is an American politician, veterinarian, and livestock producer serving as the 41st and current governor of Nebraska since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Pillen served on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents from 2013 to 2023.
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44. Jane Dee Hull
1935-2020 (aged 85)
politician
Jane Dee Hull was an American politician and educator who was the 20th governor of Arizona from 1997 to 2003. She ascended to the office following the resignation of Fife Symington; Hull was elected in her own right in 1998 and served one term, before being term-limited in 2002 and was succeeded by Janet Napolitano. She was the first woman...
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45. Cody Whitehair
1992-. (aged 34)
American football player
Cody Michael Whitehair is an American professional football guard. He has previously played for the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats.
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46. Dalton Risner
1995-. (aged 31)
American football player
Dalton William Risner is an American professional football offensive guard for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.
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47. Jacob Pullen
1989-. (aged 37)
basketball player
Jacob Everse Pullen is an American-Georgian professional basketball player for Dinamo Sassari of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played for the Kansas State Wildcats. Pullen has both American and Georgian citizenship, and has played for the Georgian national team.
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48. Richard Bowman Myers
1942-. (aged 84)
air force officer
Richard Bowman "Dick" Myers is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As chairman, Myers was the highest ranking uniformed officer of the United States military forces. He also served as the 14th president of Kansas State University from 2016 to 2022.
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49. Sara Paretsky
1947-. (aged 79)
novelist
writer
crime fiction writer
Sara Paretsky is an American author of detective fiction, best known for her novels focused on the protagonist V. I. Warshawski.
50. Dean Wade
1996-. (aged 30)
basketball player
Dean Jackson Wade is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats.
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51. Jeff Colyer
1960-. (aged 66)
lawyer
politician
surgeon
Jeffrey William Colyer is an American surgeon and politician who was the 47th governor of Kansas from 2018 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 49th lieutenant governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018. Colyer served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2007 to 2009 and the Kansas Senate from 2009 to 2011. He assumed...
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52. Gene Keady
1936-. (aged 90)
American football player
basketball player
basketball coach
Lloyd Eugene Keady is an American Hall of Fame basketball coach. He is best known for his 25 years serving as the head men's basketball coach at Purdue University in Indiana. In his tenure leading the Boilermakers from 1980 to 2005, he went to the NCAA Tournament seventeen times, twice advancing to the Elite Eight.
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53. Rodney McGruder
1991-. (aged 35)
basketball player
Rodney Christian McGruder is an American professional basketball player for Reyer Venezia of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats.
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54. Francisco Santos Calderón
1961-. (aged 65)
human rights defender
politician
journalist
Francisco Santos Calderón, also known as Pacho Santos, is a Colombian politician and journalist. Santos was elected as Álvaro Uribe's running mate and became Vice President in 2002. Santos was re-elected in 2006 for a second term with President Uribe. His great-uncle Eduardo Santos was President of Colombia from 1938 to 1942 and he is also a cousin of former...
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55. Steve Grogan
1953-. (aged 73)
American football player
Steven James Grogan is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 1975 NFL draft.
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56. Ricky Lee Neely
1981-. (aged 45)
actor
television actor
Ricky Kim Leenelllee, known professionally as Ricky Kim, is an American actor.
57. Bud Adams
1923-2013 (aged 90)
basketball coach
businessperson
Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams Jr. was an American businessman who was the founder and owner of the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL), of which he was also a co-founder. The franchise eventually was moved to Nashville, where it was renamed the Tennessee Titans, a National Football League (NFL) franchise. A member of the Cherokee Nation who originally...
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58. Curtis Hughes
1964-. (aged 62)
professional wrestler
Curtis Hughes is an American professional wrestler, also known by the ring name Mr. Hughes. He is best known for his stints in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. He also worked for the American Wrestling Association, the American Wrestling Federation and Extreme Championship Wrestling. He trained wrestlers at WWA4 wrestling school for more than ten years and...
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59. Pat Roberts
1936-. (aged 90)
journalist
newspaper proprietor
military officer
politician
Charles Patrick Roberts is a retired American politician and journalist who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1997 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Roberts served 8 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1981 to 1997, before his election to the Senate.
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60. Pete Souza
1954-. (aged 72)
photojournalist
photographer
journalist
Peter Joseph Souza is an American photojournalist, the former chief official White House photographer for Presidents of the United States Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama and the former director of the White House Photography Office. He was a photographer with The Chicago Tribune, stationed at the Washington, D.C., bureau from 1998 to 2007; during this period, he also followed the...
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61. Susanna M. Salter
1860-1961 (aged 101)
politician
Susanna Madora Salter was an American politician and activist. From 1887 to 1888, she was mayor of Argonia, Kansas, becoming the first woman to serve in that role in the United States and one of the earliest in any U.S. political office.
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62. Deuce Vaughn
2001-. (aged 25)
American football player
Christopher "Deuce" Vaughn II is an American professional football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft. Vaughn is known for being the shortest running back to ever be drafted in...
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63. Lon Kruger
1952-. (aged 74)
basketball coach
basketball player
Lonnie Duane Kruger is an American former college and professional basketball coach who was most recently the men's basketball head coach of the University of Oklahoma. Kruger played college basketball for Kansas State University. He has served as the head coach of the University of Texas–Pan American, Kansas State, the University of Florida, the University of Illinois, and the University...
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64. Jim Ryun
1947-. (aged 79)
middle-distance runner
athletics competitor
politician
motivational speaker
consultant
James Ronald Ryun is an American former Republican politician and Olympic track and field athlete, who at his peak was widely considered the world's top middle-distance runner. He won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and was the first high school athlete to run a mile in under four minutes. He is the last...
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65. Gary Patterson
1960-. (aged 66)
head coach
American football player
Gary Allen Patterson is an American college football coach and former player. He is currently the defensive coordinator at USC. He served as head football coach at Texas Christian University (TCU) from 2000 to 2021, compiling a record of 181–79. Patterson led the TCU Horned Frogs to six conference championships and 11 bowl game victories, including victories in the 2011...
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66. Josh Freeman
1988-. (aged 38)
American football player
Joshua Tyler Freeman is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. Freeman became the starter for Tampa Bay in his rookie year and went on...
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67. Sam Brownback
1956-. (aged 70)
teacher
diplomat
lawyer
broadcaster
politician
Samuel Dale Brownback is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011 and as the 46th governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party, Brownback also served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom during the administration of President Donald Trump and...
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68. Paul R. Ehrlich
1932-. (aged 94)
biologist
environmentalist
university teacher
demographer
Paul Ralph Ehrlich is an American biologist, author and environmentalist known for his predictions and warnings about the consequences of population growth, including famine and resource depletion. Ehrlich is the Bing Professor Emeritus of Population Studies of the Department of Biology of Stanford University. Ehrlich became well known for the controversial 1968 book The Population Bomb, which he co-authored with...
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69. Earl Woods
1932-2006 (aged 74)
baseball player
army officer
writer
Earl Dennison Woods was the father of American professional golfer Tiger Woods. Woods started his son in golf at a very early age and coached him exclusively over his first years in the sport. He later published two books about the process.
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70. Mitch Richmond
1965-. (aged 61)
basketball player
film producer
actor
basketball coach
Mitchell James Richmond III is an American former professional basketball player. He played collegiately at Moberly Area Community College and Kansas State University. He was a six-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Team member, and a former NBA Rookie of the Year. In 976 NBA games, Richmond averaged 21.0 points per game and 3.5 assists per game. Richmond was voted...
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71. Clyde Tombaugh
1906-1997 (aged 91)
university teacher
astronomer
Clyde William Tombaugh was an American astronomer and telescope maker, best known for discovering Pluto in 1930, marking the first detection of what would eventually be recognized as the Kuiper belt. At the time, Pluto was referred to as the ninth planet in the Solar System, a classification that stood for over seven decades.
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72. Michael Beasley
1989-. (aged 37)
basketball player
Michael Paul Beasley Jr. is an American former professional basketball who played eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for seven teams, most notably the Miami Heat. He played college basketball for Kansas State University for one year before declaring for the NBA draft in 2008. Beasley was the 2nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft and was...
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73. Charles Melton
1991-. (aged 35)
actor
television actor
model
Charles Michael Melton is an American actor. After working as a fashion model, Melton ventured to acting with guest roles on the television series Glee (2014) and American Horror Story: Hotel (2015–2016). His breakthrough came with his portrayal of Reggie Mantle in the CW series Riverdale (2017–2023).
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74. Jordy Nelson
1985-. (aged 41)
American football player
Jordy Ray Nelson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Nelson was raised in Riley County, Kansas and played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, receiving consensus All-American honors in 2007. He was selected by the Packers in the...
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75. Darren Sproles
1983-. (aged 43)
American football player
Darren Lee Sproles is an American professional football executive and former running back. He is now a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, earning first-team All-American honors and becoming the school's all-time leading rusher. Sproles was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth...
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76. Eric Stonestreet
1971-. (aged 55)
film actor
actor
television actor
Eric Allen Stonestreet is an American actor. He is known for portraying Cameron Tucker in the ABC sitcom Modern Family (2009–2020), for which he received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series out of three nominations. He first rose to prominence in a recurring role on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He has also appeared in films...
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77. Scott Bakula
1954-. (aged 72)
stage actor
television actor
film producer
actor
film actor
Scott Stewart Bakula is an American actor. He played Sam Beckett on Quantum Leap – for which he was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards (winning one) – and Captain Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise. From 2014 to 2021, he portrayed Special Agent Dwayne Cassius "King" Pride on NCIS: New Orleans.
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78. Kirstie Alley
1951-2022 (aged 71)
actor
television producer
Kirstie Louise Alley was an American actress. Her breakthrough role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom Cheers (1987–1993), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. From 1997 to 2000, Alley starred as the lead in the sitcom Veronica's Closet, earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. On film, she played Mollie Jensen...
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79. Erin Brockovich
1960-. (aged 66)
jurist
businessperson
environmentalist
Erin Brockovich is an American paralegal, consumer advocate, and environmental activist who was instrumental in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) involving groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California, for attorney Ed Masry in 1993. Their successful lawsuit was the subject of the Oscar-winning film, Erin Brockovich (2000), starring Julia Roberts as Brockovich and Albert Finney as Masry.
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80. Leanne Caret
1966-. (aged 60)
business executive
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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81. Taylor Mali
1965-. (aged 61)
poet
teacher
voice actor
Taylor McDowell Mali is an American slam poet, humorist, teacher and voiceover artist.
82. Donald M. Campbell, Jr
Lieutenant General Donald M. Campbell Jr. is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the commanding general of United States Army Europe. He commanded the United States Army Europe from December 1, 2012, to November 6, 2014.
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83. Rob Riggle
1970-. (aged 56)
voice actor
actor
comedian
television actor
soldier
Robert Allen Riggle Jr. is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and retired United States Marine officer. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, joining the Marines in 1990 and later attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel.
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84. Robert L. Caslen
1953-. (aged 73)
American football player
Robert Louis Caslen Jr. is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 59th superintendent of West Point from 2013 until 2018 and as the 29th president of the University of South Carolina from July 2019 until May 2021. Between January and May 2019, Caslen was senior counsel to the president and interim chief financial officer at...
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85. Cynthia Carroll
1956-. (aged 70)
geologist
business executive
Cynthia Blum Carroll is an American businesswoman. She was the chief executive officer of Anglo American, a British mining company and one of the world's largest platinum producers.
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86. 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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87. Peter Ruckman
1921-2016 (aged 95)
disc jockey
pastor
Peter Sturges Ruckman was an American Independent Baptist pastor, author, Bible teacher, and founder of the Pensacola Bible Institute in Pensacola, Florida (not to be confused with the Pensacola Christian College).
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88. Allen West
1961-. (aged 65)
military advisor
army officer
teacher
politician
Allen Bernard West is an American politician and retired military officer. A member of the Republican Party, West represented Florida's 22nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013 and served as the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas from 2020 to 2021. He has been the chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party...
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89. Joseph W. Kennedy
1916-1957 (aged 41)
university teacher
chemist
physicist
Joseph William Kennedy was an American chemist who co-discovered plutonium, along with Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin McMillan, and Arthur Wahl. During World War II, he led the CM (Chemistry and Metallurgy) Division at the Manhattan Project's Los Alamos Laboratory, where he oversaw research onto the chemistry and metallurgy of uranium and plutonium. After the war, he was recruited as a...
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90. Brad Underwood
1963-. (aged 63)
basketball coach
basketball player
Bradley Cole Underwood is the current head coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team. Previously, he served as head coach at Oklahoma State, Stephen F. Austin, Dodge City Community College, and Daytona Beach Community College and assistant coach at Western Illinois, Kansas State, and South Carolina.
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91. Lynn Jenkins
1963-. (aged 63)
accountant
politician
Lynn Haag Jenkins is an American politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district, in office from 2009 to 2019. She previously served as Kansas State Treasurer from 2003 to 2009, in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2000 and the Kansas Senate from 2000 to 2002. She is a member of...
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92. Gail Gregg
photographer
painter
Gail Gregg is an American mixed-media artist and journalist based in New York City. Her work includes abstract painting, works on paper and objects, collage, photography and artist books. She is best known for encaustic paintings and works on paper that transform everyday, ephemeral discards—scavenged shipping cardboard and crate lids, orphaned photo albums or library cards—into enduring works that emphasize...
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93. Vernon L. Smith
1927-. (aged 99)
university teacher
economist
Vernon Lomax Smith is an American economist who is currently a professor of economics and law at Chapman University. He was formerly the McLellan/Regent's Professor of Economics at the University of Arizona, a professor of economics and law at George Mason University, and a board member of the Mercatus Center. Along with Daniel Kahneman, Smith won the 2002 Nobel Memorial...
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94. Bill Walker
1987-. (aged 39)
basketball player
William Martin Walker is an American attorney and politician who served as the 11th governor of Alaska, from 2014 to 2018. He was the second Alaska-born governor, after William A. Egan.
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95. Lung Ying-tai
1952-. (aged 74)
university teacher
writer
politician
Lung Ying-tai is a Taiwanese writer and public intellectual. She has written more than 30 books. Lung served as Taiwan's first Minister of Culture from 2012 to 2014 under the Ma Ying-jeou administration.
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96. Napoleon Abueva
1930-2018 (aged 88)
stage actor
sculptor
Napoleon "Billy" Veloso Abueva was known as the "Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture" Through Proclamation No. 1539. He was proclaimed National Artist for Sculpture in 1976 when he was 46, making him the youngest recipient of the award to date.
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97. Marri Shashidhar Reddy
1949-. (aged 77)
politician
Marri Shashidhar Reddy is an Indian politician. He has been active both at the state level and national level politics in India. He was elected as an MLA four times from Sanathnagar (Assembly constituency). The first time he contested by-polls was in 1992 and he was elected again three times (1994, 2004, 2009) from the same constituency.
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98. Juan Manuel Santos
1951-. (aged 75)
economist
lawyer
journalist
politician
Juan Manuel Santos Calderón GColIH GCB GColL ODB is a Colombian politician who was the President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. He was the sole recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.
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99. Kenji Fujimori
1980-. (aged 46)
entrepreneur
politician
Kenji Gerardo Fujimori Higuchi is a Peruvian businessman, politician and a former congressman representing Lima from 2011 until he was suspended from congressional duty in June 2018, in aftermath of the Mamanivideos scandal. He is the son of former President Alberto Fujimori and former First Lady and congresswoman Susana Higuchi. He has three siblings: Hiro Alberto, Sachi Marcela and Keiko...
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100. Joseph Boakai
1944-. (aged 82)
politician
minister
Joseph Nyuma Boakai is a Liberian politician who has served as the 26th president of Liberia since 2024. He previously served as the 29th vice president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and as the minister of agriculture from 1983 to 1985. Boakai ran for president in 2017, losing the election to George Weah. He...
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