11 Notable alumni of Lenoir-Rhyne University
Updated: June 13, 2026 EliteDegrees
Lenoir-Rhyne University is ranked #4,473 in the world and #1,165 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 11 notable alumni from Lenoir-Rhyne 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 Lenoir-Rhyne University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Elizabeth K. Dillon
1960-. (aged 66)
lawyer
judge
Elizabeth Kay Dillon is the chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.
2. Herm Starrette
1938-2017 (aged 79)
baseball player
Herman Paul Starrette was an American relief pitcher; pitching and bullpen coach; and farm system official in Major League Baseball. Starrette was a native and lifelong resident of Statesville, North Carolina. He attended Lenoir Rhyne College in nearby Hickory. During his playing days, he threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) tall, and weighed 185 pounds...
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3. Aaron Wheeler
1988-. (aged 38)
association football player
Aaron Wheeler is an American former professional soccer player who is currently an assistant coach for Hartford Athletic.
4. Burgess Jenkins
1973-. (aged 53)
film producer
actor
television actor
Burgess Jenkins is an American actor and director who has had a steady career in television and film for more than two decades. He is best known for his role as Bobby Irons on One Tree Hill, Ray Budds in the film Remember the Titans opposite Denzel Washington, and as Hilary Swank's husband David Winter in the film The Reaping...
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5. Kyle Dugger
1996-. (aged 30)
American football player
Kyle Dugger is an American professional football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Lenoir–Rhyne Bears and was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.
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6. Cherie K. Berry
1946-. (aged 80)
politician
Nora Cherie Killian Berry is an American politician who served as the North Carolina Commissioner of Labor from 2001 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, she was the first woman to hold the office.
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7. W. Stine Isenhower
1927-2022 (aged 95)
politician
Walter Stine Isenhower was an American politician in the state of North Carolina.
8. Tom Segura
1979-. (aged 47)
actor
comedian
podcaster
Thomas Weston Segura is an American stand-up comedian, writer, author, actor, and podcaster. Segura co-hosts the Your Mom's House podcast with his wife, fellow comedian Christina Pazsitzky. Segura also co-hosts the podcast Two Bears One Cave with friend and fellow comedian Bert Kreischer.
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9. Rick Barnes
1954-. (aged 72)
basketball coach
Richard Barnes is an American college basketball coach who is currently the head coach at the University of Tennessee. He is also known for coaching at the University of Texas from 1998 to 2015, taking the team to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 16 of his 17 seasons—including 14 straight from 1999 to 2012—as well as a...
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10. James B. Black
1935-. (aged 91)
politician
James Boyce Black is a member of the North Carolina Democratic Party, and a former member of the North Carolina General Assembly, who represented the state's 100th House district, including constituents in Mecklenburg County. An optometrist from Matthews, North Carolina, Black was elected to 11 (non-consecutive) terms in the House of Representatives, and served as Speaker of the House from...
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11. Virginia Dare Aderholdt
1910-1997 (aged 87)
cryptographer
Virginia Dare Aderholdt was an Arlington Hall cryptanalyst and Japanese translator. She decrypted the intercepted Japanese surrender message at the close of World War II on August 14, 1945.
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