77 Notable alumni of Northern Illinois University
Updated: June 22, 2026 EliteDegrees
Northern Illinois University is ranked #526 in the world and #164 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 77 notable alumni from Northern Illinois 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 Northern Illinois University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Mark Dean
1917-2006 (aged 89)
American football player
Mark Dean was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Austin Junior College (1946–1947), Superior State Teacher's College (1948–1950) and Indiana State University (1951–1954, 1956).
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2. James A. Wright
1873-1911 (aged 38)
businessperson
politician
James A. Wright was an American businessman and politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing much of northern Wisconsin from 1905 until his death in 1911.
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3. Thomas Baxa
illustrator
artist
Thomas M. Baxa is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games.
4. David Hartsuch
politician
David Hartsuch was the Iowa State Senator from the 41st District. He served in the Iowa Senate from 2007 to 2011.
5. John Olumba
1981-. (aged 45)
politician
John Olumba is an American lawyer and politician who served as an Independent and Democrat in the Michigan State House of Representatives. He represented the 3rd house district located in Wayne County, which comprises the north central and eastern portions of Detroit. After serving on the House Judiciary, Commerce, Economic Development and Trade, Insurance, and Criminal Justice committees, Olumba served...
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6. Nor Sanavongsay
1975-. (aged 51)
writer
Nor Sanavongsay is an American writer and illustrator in the San Francisco Bay area and the founder of Sahtu Press, Inc.
7. James Jorgenson
1952-. (aged 74)
researcher
chemist
James Wallace Jorgenson is an American academic who previously held the position of William Rand Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is best known for his work developing capillary zone electrophoresis, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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8. Steve Connor
1961-. (aged 65)
American football player
Steve Connor is an author, speaker, leadership coach, and former NFL football player. He is the founder of Sports Outreach International.
9. Tom Tennant
1882-1955 (aged 73)
baseball player
Thomas Francis Tennant was an American professional baseball player. In an 11-season minor league career, he had 1,825 hits and a.274 batting average. He also played two games in Major League Baseball in 1912. Tennant was 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighed 165 pounds.
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10. Darion Anderson
1987-. (aged 39)
basketball player
Darion "Jake" Anderson is an American professional basketball player for the Orangeville A's of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL). He played college basketball for Northern Illinois and Iowa State.
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11. Aaron Massey
poker player
Aaron Massey is an American professional poker player and entrepreneur. He has been playing poker since 2002. Massey graduated from Northern Illinois University with a bachelor's degree in finance in 2008, but left the finance world in 2009 to pursue a career in poker. He was the 2014 HPT Player of the Year. He was named one of seven "Ones...
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12. Larry Brink
1923-2016 (aged 93)
American football player
Lawrence Raymond Brink was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Northern Illinois Huskies.
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13. Diana Pavlac Glyer
1956-. (aged 70)
journalist
literary critic
Diana Pavlac Glyer is an American author, speaker and teacher whose work centers on C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and the Inklings. She teaches in the Honors College at Azusa Pacific University in California.
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14. Juwan Brescacin
1993-. (aged 33)
American football player
Juwan Brescacin is a Canadian professional football wide receiver. He has played in three Grey Cup games and was a member of the 106th Grey Cup championship team. He played college football for the Northern Illinois Huskies.
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15. Michael Fakuade
1989-. (aged 37)
basketball player
Michael Fakuade Listen is an American-Nigerian basketball player for Real Estelí of the BSN. Standing at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), he primarily plays as power forward. Fakuade is a two-time BAL champion, having won the title in 2021 with Zamalek and in 2023 with Al Ahly.
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16. Britt Davis
1986-. (aged 40)
American football player
Britt Davis is an American former professional football wide receiver. He was signed by the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football for the Northern Illinois Huskies.
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17. Shih-Hui Chen
1962-. (aged 64)
music educator
composer
Shih-Hui Chen is a Taiwanese composer who lives and works in the United States.
18. Jack Daulton
1956-. (aged 70)
art collector
James Daulton (born October 30, 1956), also known as Nyi Nyi Min (Burmese: ညီညီမင်း), is an American art collector, trial lawyer, music entrepreneur, exploration philanthropist, and expert and lecturer on the history of art and architecture. Daulton rose to fame representing the nation of Myanmar in the groundbreaking 1994 legal case, United States v. Richard Diran and The Union of...
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19. Anthony Maestranzi
1984-. (aged 42)
basketball player
basketball coach
Antonio Giovanni "Anthony" Maestranzi is an American-Italian basketball player who last played for Pallacanestro Virtus Roma.
20. Michael Norman
1947-. (aged 79)
writer
Michael Norman was an American author known for his supernatural book series Haunted which he has written alongside fellow author Beth Scott. Norman, who hailed from Illinois, graduated with a master's degree from Northern Illinois University in 1969. He worked at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls journalism department from 1973 until his retirement in May 2003. In 1996, Norman made...
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21. Ammar Bouhouche
1938-. (aged 88)
political scientist
Ammar Bouhouche was born on December 17, 1938, in Al-Ancer, Algeria.
22. Carl B. Jensen
military officer
Carl B. Jensen is a retired United States Marine Corps general officer whose last command was Marine Corps Installations East. Jensen retired from active duty on July 22, 2011 after 36 years of service.
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23. Lynne M. Thomas
1974-. (aged 52)
editor
librarian
Lynne M. Thomas is an American librarian, podcaster and editor. She has won eleven Hugo Awards for editing and podcasting in the science fiction genre. She is perhaps best known as the co-publisher and co-editor-in-chief of the Hugo Award-winning Uncanny Magazine with her husband, Michael Damian Thomas. With her twelve Hugo Award wins, Thomas is the most awarded woman in...
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24. Howard Brookins Jr
politician
Howard Beamon Brookins Jr. is an American politician who served as the Alderman of the 21st Ward of the City of Chicago. Originally elected in 2003, Brookins declined to seek reelection in 2023 and was succeeded by Ronnie Mosley.
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25. Sean Totsch
1991-. (aged 35)
association football player
Sean William Totsch is an American soccer player currently playing for Louisville City in the USL Championship. Sean previously played indoor soccer for the Milwaukee Wave in the Major Arena Soccer League.
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26. Davy Jones
1880-1972 (aged 92)
baseball player
David Jefferson Jones, nicknamed "Kangaroo", was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played fifteen seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers / St. Louis Browns, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Pittsburgh Rebels. Jones played with some of the early legends of the game, including Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, Frank Chance, Mordecai Brown, Hugh Duffy and Jesse Burkett. Also,...
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27. Jim Waring
1967-. (aged 59)
politician
Jim Waring is an American politician, who served as state senator for seven years in the Arizona State Senate and now represents District 2 on the Phoenix City Council.
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28. Robert Fioretti
1953-. (aged 73)
lawyer
Robert William Fioretti is an American attorney and politician who served as an alderman in the Chicago City Council for the 2nd ward, which included portions of Bronzeville, East Garfield Park, Illinois Medical District, Little Italy, Loop, Near West Side, Prairie District, South Loop, University Village, Westhaven, and West Loop. Fioretti first won election as alderman in 2007 and was...
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29. Dalton Tanonaka
1954-. (aged 72)
journalist
Dalton Ichiro Tanonaka is an American television executive. He has spent most of his career in Asia, receiving several international and US. awards for his journalism work. Tanonaka is also known for his community service, providing scholarships to deserving students and speaking at schools and universities.
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30. John Arena
1965-. (aged 61)
politician
John Arena is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the 45th ward in the Chicago City Council from 2011 to 2019.
31. Chris DeRose
1980-. (aged 46)
writer
jurist
biographer
legal counselor
Christopher M. DeRose is a New York Times bestselling American author, housing and hospitality developer, and former Clerk of the Superior Court of Maricopa County, Arizona. He was formerly a senior litigation counsel for the Arizona Attorney General.
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32. Timothy P. Marshall
1956-. (aged 70)
engineer
storm chaser
meteorologist
civil engineer
Timothy Patrick Marshall is an American structural and forensic engineer as well as a meteorologist, concentrating on damage analysis, particularly that from wind, hail, and other weather phenomena. He is also a pioneering storm chaser and was editor of Storm Track magazine.
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33. Ricardo Muñoz
1965-. (aged 61)
politician
Ricardo Muñoz is a former member of the Chicago City Council, having served as alderman for the 22nd ward, which includes Little Village and Archer Heights. Muñoz was appointed to this position by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1993 and served until 2019. He was the longest tenured Latino and fourth longest tenured member of the Chicago City Council.
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34. Patricia Fahy
politician
Patricia Fahy is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party, who currently represents parts of Albany County, Schenectady County, and Montgomery County in the New York State Senate, including all of the city of Albany. She was previously was Assemblymember for the 109th District, representing parts of Albany County, for 12 years. Before serving on the state...
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35. Kevin Folta
researcher
podcaster
agricultural scientist
horticulturist
Kevin M. Folta is a professor of the horticultural sciences department at the University of Florida. From 2007 to 2010 he helped lead the project to sequence the strawberry genome, and continues to research photomorphogenesis in plants and compounds responsible for flavor in strawberries. Folta has been active as a science communicator since 2002, especially relating to biotechnology. He has...
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36. Chen Shyh-kwei
1952-. (aged 74)
politician
Chen Shyh-kwei or Steven Chen, is a Taiwanese politician who was the Minister of the Overseas Community Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan from 1 August 2013 until 20 May 2016.
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37. Dan Nimmer
1982-. (aged 44)
pianist
jazz musician
Dan Nimmer is an American jazz pianist and composer.
38. Kenneth Womack
1966-. (aged 60)
journalist
literary critic
Kenneth Womack is an American writer, literary critic, public speaker, and music historian, particularly focusing on the cultural influence of the Beatles. He is the author of the bestselling Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles; John Lennon, 1980: The Last Days in the Life; and Living the Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of...
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39. Paul Dawkins
1957-2019 (aged 62)
basketball player
Paul Lamar Dawkins was an American-Turkish professional basketball player, who played for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA), appearing in 57 games. He was inducted into the Northern Illinois University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991. In 2007, he was also inducted into the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame.
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40. Sharon J. Coleman
1960-. (aged 66)
lawyer
judge
Sharon Lynn Johnson Coleman is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She was formerly a justice of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, 3rd Division.
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41. Ann E. Rondeau
1951-. (aged 75)
academic
military officer
Ann Elisabeth Rondeau is a retired United States Navy vice admiral. During her tenure in the navy, she received two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and four Legion of Merit awards. Rondeau was the president of National Defense University and, after serving as the president of the College of DuPage, was chosen by United States Secretary...
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42. Dan Bellino
1978-. (aged 48)
baseball umpire
Daniel Anthony Bellino is an American umpire in Major League Baseball.
43. Ray Hanania
1953-. (aged 73)
journalist
Ray Hanania is an American journalist, editor, public relations expert, reporter, and stand-up comedian of Palestinian descent. After the September 11 attacks, he created the Israeli-Palestinian Comedy Tour and Comedy for Peace, which brought together Israeli and Palestinian comedians. He founded his own public relations firm, called Urban Strategies Group.
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44. Ned Colletti
1954-. (aged 72)
sports executive
Ned Louis Colletti Jr. is an American sports executive with 40 years experience in Major League Baseball and nearly 50 seasons in professional sports, including the last eight years in the National Hockey League with the San Jose Sharks. Colletti is a four-time Emmy Award-winning baseball analyst, a professor of Sports Administration at Pepperdine University and the author of the...
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45. Panitan Wattanayagorn
1960-. (aged 66)
politician
Panitan Wattanayagorn is a Thai political scientist and an associate professor in the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. He has held advisory and executive positions in government of Thailand administrations over the past two decades. He is Chairman of the Prime Minister's Security Advisory Committee and an adviser to the National Security Council and a member of Thailand's National...
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46. Paul Sereno
1957-. (aged 69)
university teacher
paleontologist
zoologist
Paul Callistus Sereno is a professor of paleontology at the University of Chicago who has discovered several new dinosaur species on several continents, including at sites in Inner Mongolia, Argentina, Morocco and Niger. One of his widely publicized discoveries includes a nearly complete specimen of Sarcosuchus imperator — commonly referred to as SuperCroc — found in Gadoufaoua, located in the...
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47. Markos Moulitsas
1971-. (aged 55)
blogger
political activist
publisher
writer
Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, often known by his username and former military nickname "Kos", is an American blogger who is the founder and publisher of Daily Kos, a blog focusing on far-left and Democratic Party politics in the United States. He co-founded SB Nation, a collection of sports blogs, which is now a part of Vox Media.
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48. Tim Gullikson
1951-1996 (aged 45)
tennis coach
tennis player
Timothy Ernest Gullikson was a tennis player and coach who was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin and grew up in Onalaska, Wisconsin in the United States.
49. Chel Diokno
1961-. (aged 65)
lawyer
Jose Manuel Tadeo "Chel" Icasiano Diokno is a Filipino politician and lawyer who has served as a representative for Akbayan Party-list since 2025.
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50. Fritz Peterson
1942-2023 (aged 81)
baseball player
Fred Ingels Peterson was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers from 1966 to 1976.
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51. Samantha Irby
1980-. (aged 46)
writer
essayist
actor
comedian
Samantha McKiver Irby is an American comedian, essayist, blogger, and television writer. She is the creator and author of the blog bitches gotta eat, where she writes humorous observations about her own life and modern society more broadly. Her books We Are Never Meeting in Real Life and Wow, No Thank You. were both New York Times best-sellers. She is...
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52. Abdel Nader
1993-. (aged 33)
basketball player
Abdel Rahman Nader is an Egyptian-American professional basketball player who last played for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Northern Illinois Huskies and the Iowa State Cyclones before being drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 58th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. Nader has also played...
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53. Don Bacon
1963-. (aged 63)
assistant professor
politician
Donald John Bacon is an American politician and retired military officer who has served as the U.S. representative for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district since 2017. During his 29 years in the United States Air Force, he commanded wings at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha, Nebraska, before retiring as a brigadier general in 2014....
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54. Cindy Morgan
1954-2023 (aged 69)
television actor
voice actor
television producer
actor
film actor
Cynthia Ann Cichorski, known professionally as Cindy Morgan, was an American actress best known for playing Lora Baines/Yori in Tron and Lacey Underall in Caddyshack.
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55. P. J. Fleck
1980-. (aged 46)
American football coach
American football player
Philip John Fleck Jr. is an American football coach and former wide receiver. He has served as the head coach at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities since 2017.
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56. Judith Curry
1953-. (aged 73)
earth scientist
climatologist
meteorologist
university teacher
Judith A. Curry is an American climatologist and former chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research interests include hurricanes, remote sensing, atmospheric modeling, polar climates, air-sea interactions, climate models, and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for atmospheric research. She was a member of the National Research Council's Climate Research...
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57. Matt Walsh
1964-. (aged 62)
director
television producer
film actor
film producer
podcaster
Matthew Paul Walsh is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for his role as Mike McLintock in Veep for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe, with which he co-starred in its original television series and the 2015 reboot. He also previously starred...
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58. Carrie Snodgress
1945-2004 (aged 59)
television actor
stage actor
actor
film actor
Caroline Louise Snodgress was an American actress. She is best remembered for her role in the film Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award as well as winning two Golden Globes and two Laurel Awards.
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59. Dan Castellaneta
1957-. (aged 69)
actor
Daniel Louis Castellaneta is an American actor. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series The Simpsons, as well as other characters on the show such as Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, Sideshow Mel, Mr. Teeny, Kodos, Itchy, Santa's Little Helper, and Barney Gumble. Castellaneta is also known for voicing Grandpa in...
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60. Wood Harris
1969-. (aged 57)
film actor
actor
television actor
Sherwin David "Wood" Harris is an American actor. He first garnered attention for his role as Motaw in the Jeff Pollack film Above the Rim (1994), before portraying high school football player Julius Campbell in the Walt Disney Pictures film Remember the Titans (2000) and Jimi Hendrix in the Showtime television film Hendrix (2000). He attained further recognition for his...
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61. Robert Zemeckis
1952-. (aged 74)
film director
producer
director
actor
writer
Robert Lee Zemeckis, sometimes referred to as Bob Zemeckis, is an American filmmaker. Known for directing and producing a range of successful and influential films that often blend cutting-edge visual effects with storytelling, he has received accolades such as two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for five British Academy Film Awards and a Daytime...
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62. Louise Huffman
1951-. (aged 75)
scientist
Louise Tolle Huffman is an American teacher with over 30 years of teaching experience with many years focused on polar science and climate studies, and has written educational outreach books and articles on Antarctica. She is the Director of Education and Outreach for the US Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO), responsible for outreach efforts highlighting IDPO scientists and their research...
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63. Joan Allen
1956-. (aged 70)
television actor
voice actor
stage actor
film actor
Joan Allen is an American actress. Known for her work on stage and screen, she has received various accolades, including a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.
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64. Robin Kelly
1956-. (aged 70)
politician
Robin Lynne Kelly is an American politician from Illinois who has served as the U.S. representative from Illinois's 2nd congressional district since 2013. A Democrat, Kelly served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. She then served as chief of staff for Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias until 2010. She was the 2010 Democratic nominee for state...
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65. Jeremiah E. Joyce
1943-. (aged 83)
lawyer
politician
Jeremiah E. Joyce is an American lawyer and politician.
66. Tammy Duckworth
1968-. (aged 58)
politician
helicopter pilot
non-fiction writer
Ladda Tammy Duckworth is an American politician and Army National Guard veteran serving as the junior United States senator from Illinois, a seat she has held since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented Illinois's 8th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017.
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67. Kurt Sutter
1960-. (aged 66)
television director
showrunner
actor
television actor
director
Kurt Sutter is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. He worked as a writer, director, and executive producer on The Shield, and appeared on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of Sons of Anarchy and its spinoff Mayans M.C. on FX; he wrote, produced, and directed the series, as well as played incarcerated club...
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68. Charlotte Kate Fox
1985-. (aged 41)
film actor
actor
television actor
Charlotte Kate Fox is an American actress. She is best known for starring in the Japanese drama series Massan (2014–2015), which made her the first non-Japanese lead of an asadora. She has since worked primarily in Japan.
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69. Maria Kanellis
1982-. (aged 44)
podcaster
model
Playboy Playmate
manager
beauty pageant contestant
Mary Louis Kanellis-Bennett is an American professional wrestler, manager, promoter, singer and model. She is best known for her tenures in WWE, TNA, All Elite Wrestling, and Ring of Honor.
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70. Michael Turner
1982-. (aged 44)
American football player
Michael Layne Turner was an American comics artist known for his work on Witchblade, Fathom, Superman/Batman, Soulfire, and various covers for DC Comics and Marvel Comics. He was also the president of the entertainment company Aspen MLT.
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71. Daniel J Pesut
1951-. (aged 75)
university teacher
researcher
nurse scientist
Daniel J. Pesut is an American nurse educator, academic, researcher, and coach. He is an emeritus professor of nursing, past director of Katharine J. Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership, and Katherine R. and C. Walton Lillehei Chair in Nursing Leadership at University of Minnesota.
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72. Thomas F. Konop
1879-1964 (aged 85)
university teacher
lawyer
politician
Thomas Frank Konop was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.
73. W. Willard Wirtz
1912-2010 (aged 98)
jurist
William Willard Wirtz was a U.S. administrator, cabinet officer, attorney, and law professor. He served as the Secretary of Labor between 1962 and 1969 under the administrations of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Wirtz was the last living member of Kennedy's cabinet.
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74. John Sall
1948-. (aged 78)
businessperson
John P. Sall is an American billionaire businessman and computer software developer, who co-founded SAS Institute, an analytics software company, and created the JMP statistical software.
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75. Fai Hung-tai
1954-. (aged 72)
politician
Fai Hrong-tai, also known by his English name Alex Fai, is a Taiwanese statistician and politician who has been a member of the Legislative Yuan since 2005. He represents Taipei City Constituency VII and is the leader of the Kuomintang caucus in the legislature.
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76. Anies Baswedan
1969-. (aged 57)
activist
academic
politician
Anies Rasyid Baswedan is an Indonesian academic, activist, and politician who served as the Governor of Jakarta from 2017 to 2022. A student activist and political analyst before entering public service, he served as the Rector of Paramadina University before being appointed to be Minister of Education and Culture in Joko Widodo administration. He is also the founder of Indonesia...
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77. Ibrahim H. Umar
academic
lecturer
Ibrahim Khalil Umar was a Nigerian scientist and university administrator. He was vice-chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria from 1979 to 1986. He held a B.Sc. in physics and mathematics from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, a M.Sc. in physics from Northern Illinois University, USA and a Ph.D. in physics at the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom. In...
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