Notable Alumni of Rice University [Sorted List]

1. Suleiman Braimoh

1989-. (aged 37)

basketball player

Suleiman Okhaifoede Braimoh Jr. is a Nigerian professional basketball player who last played for Karşıyaka Basket of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He played college basketball for Rice University before playing professionally in the NBA Development League, Qatar, Japan, New Zealand, Mexico, Germany, Russia, France, Israel, Turkey, and the Philippines.

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2. Larycia Hawkins

1972-. (aged 54)

political scientist writer sociologist

Larycia Alaine Hawkins is an American scholar, author, and speaker, who in 2013, became the first female African-American tenured professor at Wheaton College, a Christian Protestant liberal arts college. There she served as an associate professor of political science. She now teaches and researches at Lincoln University, where she is jointly appointed as assistant professor in the departments of politics...

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3. David Rhodes

1973-. (aged 53)

businessperson

David Rhodes is an American media executive. He was named executive chairman of the Sky News Group in February 2023. In July 2021, he was hired to lead international business development at Sky, a subsidiary of US cable company Comcast Corp. He served as the president of CBS News from 2011 until 2019. He was the youngest network news president...

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4. James H. Newman

1956-. (aged 70)

astronaut physicist

James Hansen Newman is an American physicist and a former NASA astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions. Newman currently serves as the Provost of Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

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5. Jay Bailey

1944-2001 (aged 57)

engineer university teacher

James Edward Bailey was an American pioneer of biochemical engineering, particularly metabolic engineering. In a special issue of a journal dedicated to his work, the editor said "Jay was one of biochemical engineering's most creative thinkers and spirited advocates, a true innovator who played an enormous role in establishing biochemical engineering as the dynamic discipline it is today". His numerous...

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6. Morris Almond

1985-. (aged 41)

basketball player

Morris Almond is an American former professional basketball player. Almond is the founder of Almond Athletics. His last professional appearance would be for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League (D-League).

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7. Mike Wilks

1979-. (aged 47)

basketball player basketball coach

Michael Sharod Wilks Jr. is an American coach and former professional basketball player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

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8. James Casey

1984-. (aged 42)

baseball player American football player

James Byron Casey is an American professional football coach and former player who is the tight ends coach for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL as a tight end and fullback. He was selected by the Houston Texans in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft and has also played for...

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9. William Pettus Hobby, Jr

1932-. (aged 94)

military officer

William Pettus Hobby Jr. is an American politician who served a record eighteen years as the 37th lieutenant governor of Texas, from 1973 to 1991. He was the last lieutenant governor to serve a two-year term and the first elected to a four-year term, following the amendment to the Texas Constitution that lengthened terms for statewide elected officeholders to four...

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10. Charles Duncan, Jr

1926-2022 (aged 96)

businessperson engineer

Charles William Duncan Jr. was an American businessman, administrator, and politician who served as the second United States secretary of energy in the Cabinet of President Jimmy Carter from 1979 to 1981. He had previously served as Carter's United States Deputy Secretary of Defense during the Iranian Revolution. Earlier, Duncan had run the family business, Duncan Coffee Company of Houston,...

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11. Merritt Ruhlen

1944-2021 (aged 77)

university teacher linguist anthropologist

Merritt Ruhlen was an American linguist who worked on the classification of languages and what this reveals about the origin and evolution of modern humans. Amongst other linguists, Ruhlen's work was recognized as standing outside the mainstream of comparative-historical linguistics. He was the principal advocate and defender of Joseph Greenberg's approach to language classification.

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12. Hector Ruiz

1945-. (aged 81)

businessperson engineer

Hector de Jesus Ruiz Cardenas is the chairman and CEO of Advanced Nanotechnology Solutions, Inc. and former CEO & executive chairman of semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD).

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13. Don Lincoln

1964-. (aged 62)

television producer YouTuber physicist university teacher

Don Lincoln is an American physicist, author, host of the YouTube channel Fermilab, and science communicator. He conducts research in particle physics at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and was an adjunct professor of physics at the University of Notre Dame, although he is no longer affiliated with the university. He received a Ph.D. in experimental particle physics from Rice University...

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14. Maurice Ewing

1906-1974 (aged 68)

university teacher geologist geophysicist seismologist oceanographer

William Maurice "Doc" Ewing was an American geophysicist and oceanographer.

15. George Chang

1936-. (aged 90)

politician

Chang Tsan-hung, also known by his English name George Chang, is a Taiwanese politician, chemical engineer, and independence activist. He was the mayor of Tainan City from 1997 to 2001.

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16. Edward N. Zalta

1952-. (aged 74)

university teacher philosopher

Edward Nouri Zalta is an American philosopher who is a senior research scholar at the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University. He received his BA from Rice University in 1975 and his PhD from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1981, both in philosophy. Zalta has taught courses at Stanford University, Rice University, the University...

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17. Jade Simmons

1978-. (aged 48)

beauty pageant contestant pianist

Jade Simmons is an American classical concert pianist and beauty pageant holder, who was an independent presidential candidate in 2020.

18. Lucas Luetge

1987-. (aged 39)

baseball player

Lucas Lester Luetge is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves from 2012 to 2015 and 2021 to 2023.

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19. Tamara E. Jernigan

1959-. (aged 67)

astronaut engineer

Tamara Elizabeth Jernigan is an American astrophysicist and former NASA astronaut. During her career she completed five Space Shuttle program missions (three on Columbia and one each on Endeavour and Discovery), logging over 1512 hours in space. Jernigan left NASA in 2001, and is Deputy Principal Associate Director in the Weapons and Complex Integration (WCI) organization at Lawrence Livermore National...

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20. David A. Cox

1948-. (aged 78)

mathematician university teacher

David Archibald Cox is a retired American mathematician, working in algebraic geometry.

21. Jim Turley

chief executive officer

James S. Turley is an American business executive. He was chairman and chief executive officer of Ernst & Young from 2001 to 2013. He was the National President of the Boy Scouts of America from 2018 to 2019.

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22. Kurt Roper

1975-. (aged 51)

head coach

Kurt Roper is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Carolina State University. Roper was the interim head football coach at University of Colorado Boulder for the final game of the 2018 season. He previously served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of South Carolina...

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23. Jeff Abbott

1963-. (aged 63)

writer novelist

Jeff Abbott is an American author of mysteries and thrillers. He has degrees in History and English from Rice University. He lives in Austin, Texas. Before writing full-time, he was a creative director at an advertising agency. His early novels were traditional detective fiction, but in recent years he has turned to writing thriller fiction. A theme of his work...

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24. Norm Charlton

1963-. (aged 63)

baseball player

Norman Wood Charlton III, nicknamed "the Sheriff", is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

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25. Phillip Gaines

1991-. (aged 35)

American football player

Phillip Gaines is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football for the Rice Owls.

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26. Janice E. Voss

1956-2012 (aged 56)

astronaut engineer

Janice Elaine Voss was an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. Voss received her B.S. in engineering science from Purdue University, her M.S. in electrical engineering from MIT, and her PhD in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT. She flew in space five times, jointly holding the record for American women. Voss died in Arizona on February 6, 2012, from breast...

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27. Tony Cingrani

1989-. (aged 37)

baseball player

Anthony Michael Cingrani is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers. Prior to playing professionally, he played for his high school baseball team at Lincoln-Way Central High School and for the college baseball teams at South Suburban College and Rice University.

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28. John Kline

1947-. (aged 79)

politician military officer

John Paul Kline Jr. is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota's 2nd congressional district from 2003 to 2017. The district included most of the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities. A member of the Republican Party, Kline served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the...

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29. Kermit Beahan

1918-1989 (aged 71)

aircraft pilot air force officer

Kermit King Beahan was a career officer in the United States Air Force and its predecessor United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He was the bombardier on the crew flying the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Bockscar on August 9, 1945 (his 27th birthday), that dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.

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30. David Aardsma

1981-. (aged 45)

baseball player

David Allan Aardsma is an American former professional baseball pitcher, currently serving in the Toronto Blue Jays front office as a coordinator of player development. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2004 to 2015 for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves.

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31. James Allred

1899-1959 (aged 60)

lawyer judge politician

James Burr V. Allred was the 33rd governor of Texas. He later served, twice, as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

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32. Harold Sonny White

1965-. (aged 61)

military flight engineer engineer physicist

Harold G. "Sonny" White is a mechanical engineer, aerospace engineer, and applied physicist who is known for proposing new Alcubierre drive concepts and promoting advanced propulsion projects.

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33. José Cruz, Jr

1974-. (aged 52)

baseball player

José Luis Cruz Jr. is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder and coach. He played college baseball for the Rice Owls from 1992 to 1995 and played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 seasons from 1997 to 2008. From 2022 to 2025 he was the head baseball coach of Rice.

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34. Sam McGuffie

1989-. (aged 37)

athletics competitor American football player bobsledder

Samuel Terrence McGuffie is an American bobsledder for the United States men's national team, a former professional football running back and wide receiver and a former rugby union player. In Canadian football, he most recently was a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Previously in the National Football League (NFL), he had spent time...

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35. Nichole Ayers

1988-. (aged 38)

astronaut aircraft pilot

Nichole Rhea Ayers is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and NASA astronaut. She is currently a resident of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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36. Tim League

film producer

Timothy Allen League is an American entrepreneur and film producer based in Austin, Texas. He is the founder of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain and the founder of Drafthouse Films, a film distribution company, where he produced The ABCs of Death and other films He is co-founder of Fantastic Fest, a film festival, Mondo, an entertainment merchandise company, and Neon,...

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37. Tobin Rote

1928-2000 (aged 72)

Canadian football player American football player

Tobin Cornelius Rote was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos of the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Rice Owls.

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38. Louis E. Brus

1943-2026 (aged 83)

university teacher chemist physicist

Louis Eugene Brus was an American chemist, and the Samuel Latham Mitchell Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University. He was the co-discoverer of the colloidal semi-conductor nanocrystals known as quantum dots. In 2023, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

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39. Lynn Harrell

1944-2020 (aged 76)

cellist music educator university teacher musician

Lynn Harrell was an American classical cellist. Known for the "penetrating richness" of his sound, Harrell performed internationally as a recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with major orchestras over a career spanning nearly six decades.

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40. O. J. Brigance

1969-. (aged 57)

Canadian football player American football player

Orenthial James Brigance is an American former professional football linebacker who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He is the senior advisor to player development for the Baltimore Ravens.

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41. Jeffrey A. Hoffman

1944-. (aged 82)

academic astronaut

Jeffrey Alan Hoffman is an American former NASA astronaut and currently a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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42. Linda Coffee

1942-. (aged 84)

lawyer

Linda Nellene Coffee is an American lawyer living in Dallas, Texas. Coffee is best known, along with Sarah Weddington, for arguing the precedent-setting United States Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade.

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43. Robert Curl

1933-2022 (aged 89)

university teacher chemist

Robert Floyd Curl Jr. was an American chemist who was Pitzer–Schlumberger Professor of Natural Sciences and professor of chemistry at Rice University. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996 for the discovery of the nanomaterial buckminsterfullerene, and hence the fullerene class of materials, along with Richard Smalley (also of Rice University) and Harold Kroto of the University...

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44. Pete Olson

1962-. (aged 64)

basketball player lawyer military officer politician

Peter Graham Olson is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 2009 to 2021. His district included much of southern Houston, as well as most of the city's southwestern suburbs such as Katy, Pearland, and Sugar Land. He is a member of the Republican Party. On July 25, 2019, Olson announced that...

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45. Christian Covington

1993-. (aged 33)

Canadian football player American football player

Christian Coral Cleveland Covington is a Canadian professional football defensive end for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Rice and was selected by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers...

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46. Jim Whitehurst

1967-. (aged 59)

executive business executive

James Moon Whitehurst is an American business executive. He has been interim chief executive officer and president of Unity Technologies since October 2023. He was previously the president at IBM, chair of the board and chief executive officer at Red Hat, and chief operating officer at Delta Air Lines. Prior to working at Delta in 2001, he was vice president...

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47. Jack Burke

1923-2024 (aged 101)

golfer

John Joseph Burke Jr. was an American professional golfer who was most prominent in the 1950s. The son of a professional golfer, Jack Burke Sr., he won two major titles, both in 1956, the Masters and PGA Championship, and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

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48. Arsalan Kazemi

1990-. (aged 36)

basketball player

Arsalan Kazemi Naeini is an Iranian professional basketball player for Shahrdari Gorgan of the Iranian Basketball Super League. He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks and the Rice Owls basketball teams. He was the 54th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, becoming the first Iranian to be drafted into the league. His rights were...

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49. Frank Ryan

1951-. (aged 75)

politician

Frank Beall Ryan was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams (1958–1961), Cleveland Browns (1962–1968), and Washington Redskins (1969–1970). He played college football for the Rice Owls. A three-time Pro Bowl selection with Cleveland, Ryan led the Browns to their most recent National Football League title in...

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50. Germaine Franco

1987-. (aged 39)

composer musician

Germaine Franco is an American film composer, conductor, songwriter, arranger, record producer, and percussionist. She is a Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated composer. Her extensive resume, coupled with her curiosity, and inventiveness, has made her a trailblazer. Franco was the first Latina to win a Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media with her score for Encanto, and the first to...

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51. Dylan Ennis

1991-. (aged 35)

basketball player

Dylan Jonathan Howell Ennis McIntyre is a Jamaican professional basketball player for UCAM Murcia of the Spanish Liga ACB. He played college basketball for Rice, Villanova, and Oregon. Ennis has played for the Jamaican national team. He also holds Canadian and Serbian citizenship.

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52. Philip Humber

1982-. (aged 44)

baseball player

Philip Gregory Humber is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and Houston Astros in seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Although he debuted in the major leagues in 2006 and had worked mostly as a starter in the minor leagues, he did not become...

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53. Elizabeth Moon

1945-. (aged 81)

writer science fiction writer novelist military officer

Elizabeth Moon is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. Her other writing includes newspaper columns and opinion pieces. Her novel The Speed of Dark won the 2003 Nebula Award. Prior to her writing career, she served in the United States Marine Corps.

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54. Takao Doi

1954-. (aged 72)

astronaut engineer

Takao Doi is a Japanese astronaut, engineer and veteran of two NASA Space Shuttle missions.

55. Richard Smalley

1943-2005 (aged 62)

chemist scientist professor

Richard Errett Smalley was an American chemist who was the Gene and Norman Hackerman Professor of Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy at Rice University. In 1996, along with Robert Curl, also a professor of chemistry at Rice, and Harold Kroto, a professor at the University of Sussex, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of a new...

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56. Warren Robinett

1951-. (aged 75)

computer scientist programmer engineer

Joseph Warren Robinett Jr. is an American video game designer. He is most notable as the developer of the Atari 2600's Adventure and as a founder of The Learning Company, where he designed Rocky's Boots and Robot Odyssey. More recently he has worked on virtual reality projects.

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57. Dominic Lee Tsz-king

1984-. (aged 42)

politician

Dominic Lee Tsz-king is a Hong Kong politician. He is a member of the New People's Party and a Legislative Council Member representing the New Territories North East. He is a former member of the Sham Shui Po District Council for Yau Yat Tsuen from 2015 to 2019 and the former chairman of the Liberal Party Youth Committee.

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58. Larry Izzo

1974-. (aged 52)

American football player

Lawrence Alexander Izzo is an American professional football coach and former linebacker who is the special teams coordinator for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rice Owls and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins in 1996. A three-time Pro Bowl selection and All-Pro selection for the...

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59. Dennis Sullivan

1941-. (aged 85)

university teacher mathematician topologist

Dennis Parnell Sullivan is an American mathematician known for his work in algebraic topology, geometric topology, and dynamical systems. He holds the Albert Einstein Chair at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and is a distinguished professor at Stony Brook University.

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60. Tommy Kramer

1955-. (aged 71)

American football player

Thomas Francis Kramer is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) from 1977 to 1990. He played college football for the Rice Owls and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round (27th overall) of the 1977 NFL draft after being named MVP of the 1977 Senior Bowl. He...

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61. James Craig

1912-1985 (aged 73)

screenwriter television actor actor film actor

James Craig was an American actor. He is best known for appearances in films like Kitty Foyle (1940) and The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941), and his stint as a leading man at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1940s where he appeared in films like The Human Comedy (1943).

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62. Steve Jackson

1953-. (aged 73)

game designer writer publisher role-playing game designer businessperson

Steve Jackson is an American game designer whose creations include the role-playing game GURPS and the card game Munchkin.

63. Gus Sorola

1978-. (aged 48)

screenwriter event producer voice actor actor television producer

Gustavo Raul "Gus" Sorola III is an American actor and podcast host.

64. Annise Parker

1956-. (aged 70)

politician

Annise Danette Parker is an American politician from the state of Texas. A Democrat, Parker served as the 61st Mayor of Houston, Texas, from 2010 until 2016. She also served as an at-large member of the Houston City Council from 1998 to 2003 and as city controller from 2004 to 2010.

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65. Dean Ornish

1953-. (aged 73)

physician nutritionist photographer

Dean Michael Ornish is an American physician and researcher. He is the president and founder of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. The author of Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease, Eat More, Weigh Less and The Spectrum, he advocates for diet...

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66. Shannon Walker

1965-. (aged 61)

astrophysicist astronaut physicist

Shannon Walker is an American physicist and a former NASA astronaut selected in 2004. She launched on her first mission into space on June 25, 2010, on board Soyuz TMA-19 and spent over 163 days in space.

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67. Vance McDonald

1990-. (aged 36)

American football player

Vance Coman McDonald is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rice Owls and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. McDonald also played four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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68. Caroline Shaw

1982-. (aged 44)

violinist singer composer

Caroline Adelaide Shaw is an American composer of contemporary classical music, violinist, and singer. She is a founding member of the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth. In 2013 she won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her a cappella piece Partita for 8 Voices, and received the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for her Narrow Sea. She...

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69. David Eagleman

1971-. (aged 55)

author neuroscientist psychologist university teacher

David Eagleman is an American neuroscientist, bestselling author, and science communicator. He teaches neuroscience at Stanford University and has founded several neurotech startups. He directs the non-profit Center for Science and Law, which seeks to align the legal system with modern neuroscience. He is known for his work on brain plasticity, time perception, synesthesia, and neurolaw.

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70. Robert Wilson

1936-. (aged 90)

researcher astronomer physicist

Robert Woodrow Wilson is an American astronomer who shared the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics with Arno Penzias "for their discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation".

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71. Andrew Sendejo

1987-. (aged 39)

American football player

Andrew Victor Sendejo is an American former professional football safety. He played college football for the Rice Owls, and was signed by the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League (UFL) as a free agent in 2010. Sendejo was also in uniform for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, and Indianapolis Colts.

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72. Lance Berkman

1976-. (aged 50)

baseball player

William Lance Berkman, nicknamed "Fat Elvis" and "Big Puma", is an American baseball coach and former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman, who is the former head baseball coach of the Houston Christian Huskies. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. Berkman is a six-time...

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73. L. Patrick Gray

1916-2005 (aged 89)

military officer

Louis Patrick Gray III was acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from May 3, 1972, to April 27, 1973. During this time, the FBI was in charge of the initial investigation into the burglaries that sparked the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to the resignation of President Nixon. Gray was nominated as permanent director by Nixon on...

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74. Chris Boswell

1991-. (aged 35)

American football player

Christopher Lynn Boswell is an American professional football placekicker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rice Owls and was signed by the Houston Texans in 2014 as an undrafted free agent and has also spent time with the New York Giants. Boswell is currently the most accurate field goal kicker...

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75. Brock Holt

1988-. (aged 38)

baseball player

Brock Wyatt Holt, nicknamed "the Brock Star", is an American former professional baseball utility player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Washington Nationals, and Texas Rangers.

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76. Luke McCaffrey

2001-. (aged 25)

American football player

Luke McCaffrey is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Rice Owls, originally at quarterback before switching to wide receiver at Rice. McCaffrey was selected by the Commanders in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft. A member...

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77. John Doerr

1951-. (aged 75)

computer scientist businessperson

L. John Doerr is an American investor and venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins in Menlo Park, California. In February 2009, Doerr was appointed a member of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board to provide the President and his administration with advice and counsel in trying to fix America's economic downturn. Forbes ranked Doerr as the 40th richest person in tech...

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78. Luke Willson

1990-. (aged 36)

baseball player American football player

Luke Michael Willson is a Canadian former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL).

79. Jim Bridenstine

1975-. (aged 51)

consultant military officer politician

James Frederick Bridenstine is a politician who served as the 13th administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Bridenstine was the United States representative for Oklahoma's 1st congressional district, based in Tulsa from January 3, 2013, to April 23, 2018. He is a member of the Republican Party. Bridenstine currently works in the private sector and holds positions...

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80. Alberto Gonzales

1955-. (aged 71)

lawyer judge politician

Alberto Reynaldo Gonzales is an American lawyer who served as the 80th United States Attorney General from 2005 to 2007. He was the highest-ranking Hispanic American in the executive government in American history until the appointment of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State in 2025. He previously served as Secretary of State of Texas, as a Texas Supreme Court Justice,...

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81. Peggy Whitson

1960-. (aged 66)

astronaut biochemist

Peggy Annette Whitson is an American biochemistry researcher, and astronaut working for Axiom Space. She retired from NASA in 2018, after serving as Chief Astronaut. Over all her missions, Whitson has accumulated a total of 695 days in space, more than any other American or woman.

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82. Josh Earnest

1975-. (aged 51)

journalist press secretary

Joshua Ryan Henry Earnest is an American political advisor who served as White House press secretary under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017. He was Obama's third Press Secretary and the 29th to hold the position. He succeeded Jay Carney as Obama's press secretary, in 2014, and was succeeded by President Donald Trump's first presidential press secretary, Sean Spicer....

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83. Ben Rhodes

1977-. (aged 49)

writer political adviser adviser speechwriter

Benjamin J. Rhodes is an American writer, a political commentator, and a former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting under President Barack Obama. With Jake Sullivan, he is the co-chair of National Security Action, a political NGO. He contributes to NBC News and MSNBC regularly as a political commentator. He is also a Crooked Media contributor, and...

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84. Glenn Youngkin

1966-. (aged 60)

politician writer investment banker basketball player business executive

Glenn Allen Youngkin is an American politician and businessman who served as the 74th governor of Virginia from 2022 to 2026. A member of the Republican Party, he spent 25 years at the private-equity firm The Carlyle Group, where he became co-CEO in 2018. He is viewed as a potential candidate for president in the 2028 United States presidential election.

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85. George P. Bush

1976-. (aged 50)

politician teacher lawyer businessperson military officer

George Prescott Bush is an American politician and attorney who served as the commissioner of the Texas General Land Office from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Bush unsuccessfully campaigned for the party's nomination in the 2022 Texas Attorney General election.

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86. Ali Koç

1967-. (aged 59)

businessperson

Ali Yıldırım Koç is a Turkish businessman. He is a third-generation member of Turkey's wealthiest Koç family and the youngest son of Rahmi Koç. From June 2018 to September 2025, he was the 37th president of Fenerbahçe Sports Club.

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87. Anthony Rendon

1968-. (aged 58)

politician

Anthony Michael Rendon is an American baseball third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Washington Nationals.

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88. Candace Bushnell

1958-. (aged 68)

essayist columnist novelist writer journalist

Candace Bushnell is an American author, journalist, and television producer. She wrote a column for The New York Observer (1994–96) that was adapted into the bestselling Sex and the City anthology. The book was the basis for the HBO hit series Sex and the City (1998–2004) and two subsequent movies.

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89. Howard Hughes

1905-1976 (aged 71)

film producer entrepreneur military flight engineer aircraft pilot inventor

Howard Robard Hughes Jr. was an American aviator, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was one of the richest and most influential people in the world during his lifetime. He first became prominent as a film producer, and then as an important figure in the aviation industry. Later in life, he became known for his eccentric behavior...

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90. Larry McMurtry

1936-2021 (aged 85)

businessperson opinion journalist writer historian author

Larry Jeff McMurtry was an American novelist, essayist, and screenwriter whose work was predominantly set in either the Old West or contemporary Texas. During a career spanning six decades, he wrote more than thirty novels, numerous essays and memoirs, and approximately fifty screenplays. Films adapted from McMurtry's works earned 34 Oscar nominations with 13 wins, and his novels were the...

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91. John Danny Olivas

1966-. (aged 60)

astronaut engineer

John Daniel "Danny" Olivas is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut. Olivas has flown on two space shuttle missions, STS-117 and STS-128, received two NASA Space Flight Medals, and has been in over 5 spacewalks throughout his career. He performed EVAs on both missions, totaling 34hrs 28min.

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92. Joyce Carol Oates

1938-. (aged 88)

diarist professor writer essayist autobiographer

Joyce Carol Oates is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her novels Black Water (1992), What I Lived For (1994), and Blonde (2000), and her short story collection Lovely, Dark, Deep: Stories (2014) were each...

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93. Linda Ham

Linda Ham is a former Constellation Program Transition and Technology Infusion Manager at NASA. She was formerly the program integration manager in the NASA Space Shuttle Program Office and acting manager for launch integration. In this position, she chaired the mission management team for all shuttle flights between 2001 and 2003, including shuttle mission STS-107 that ended with the catastrophic...

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94. Gwynne Dyer

1943-. (aged 83)

historian screenwriter journalist

Michael Gwynne Dyer OC is a British-Canadian military historian, author, professor, journalist, broadcaster, and retired naval officer. Dyer rose to prominence in the 1980s with the release of his television series War in 1983 and the publication of an accompanying book in 1985. Since the 1960s he has lived in London, England, where he works as a syndicated columnist. Dyer...

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95. Bruce Mau

1959-. (aged 67)

designer graphic designer scenographer

Bruce Mau RCA is a Canadian designer and educator. He began his career a graphic designer and has since applied his design methodology to architecture, art, museums, film, eco-environmental design, education, and conceptual philosophy. Mau is the chief executive officer of Massive Change Network, a Chicago-based design consultancy he co-founded with his wife, Bisi Williams. In 2015, he became the...

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96. Gong Byeong-ho

1960-. (aged 66)

writer economist

Gong Byeong-ho is a South Korean economist and author. He is the founder of the Center for Free Enterprise, a libertarian think tank, and is the author of books on economics and management.

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97. Joe Wong

1970-. (aged 56)

television presenter comedian research scientist

Joe Wong is a Chinese American comedian and former biochemistry researcher. He received a PhD degree in biochemistry from Rice University in 2000. He started his comedy career in Boston in 2001.

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98. Jiankui He

1984-. (aged 42)

biomedical engineer physicist biologist geneticist inventor

He Jiankui is a Chinese biophysicist known for his controversial first use of genome editing in humans in 2018. He was listed as one of Time's 100 most influential people of 2019, in the section "Pioneers". At the same time, he was widely condemned as a mad scientist.

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99. Jack Fox

1996-. (aged 30)

American football player

Jack Louis Fox is a British actor. He is part of the Fox family. He is the fourth son of James Fox and his late wife Mary. His uncles are Robert and Edward Fox. Fox began his career in television starring in the Fresh Meat (2011). Roles in the Golden Globe-nominated National Geographic series Genius, BBC One’s Privates, Upstart Crow,...

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100. Lola Astanova

1982-. (aged 44)

pianist record producer composer

Ludmilla Astanova, known professionally as Lola Astanova, is an Uzbek-born American pianist.