Notable Alumni of Stetson University [Sorted List]

1. Joe Davis

1923-2021 (aged 98)

politician

Sylvan Joseph Davis, Jr. was an American politician, lawyer and judge in the state of Florida.

2. David H. McClain

1933-. (aged 93)

politician

David Hollingsworth McClain was an American attorney and former politician in the state of Florida.

3. W. H. Ellis

1867-1948 (aged 81)

lawyer judge

William Hull Ellis, more commonly referred to as William H. Ellis and W. H. Ellis, was an American attorney and politician from the state of Florida. Ellis served twice as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida.

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4. Medwin Peek

1900-1979 (aged 79)

architect

Gouverneur Medwin Peek was an American architect who practiced in Central Florida in the middle years of the twentieth century.

5. Ron Richmond

1941-2022 (aged 81)

politician

Ronald Ray Richmond was an American politician and lawyer from Florida.

6. Walter F. Dodd

1880-1960 (aged 80)

university teacher political scientist writer

Walter Fairleigh Dodd was a professor in the political science department at Johns Hopkins University who wrote "one of the most important books on the process of amending state constitutions."

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7. Mack Cleveland

1924-2010 (aged 86)

lawyer politician

Mack Norman Cleveland Jr., was an attorney and politician from Sanford, Florida, who served in the Florida State Legislature from 1953 to 1965.

8. William H. Fleece

1935-2020 (aged 85)

politician

William Harold Fleece was an American politician and lawyer in the state of Florida.

9. William D. Puleston

1881-1968 (aged 87)

military officer

William Dilworth Puleston was an American naval officer and author. He was Director of Naval Intelligence from 1934 to 1937. He was considered "a popular, articulate and aggressive officer" and "an ideal planner, a student of world history and foreign affairs".

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10. David C. Clark

1926-2015 (aged 89)

politician judge

David Crosby Clark, Jr. was an American politician and attorney in the state of Florida.

11. Paul B. Steinberg

1940-. (aged 86)

politician

Paul Burton Steinberg is an American attorney and former politician in the state of Florida.

12. Sarah Sagerer

1996-. (aged 30)

basketball player

Sarah Sagerer is an Austrian women's basketball player, who competed as a player for Stetson University in the NCAA Division I and currently pursues a professional career.

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13. BJay Pak

1960-. (aged 66)

politician

Byung Jin "BJay" Pak is a Korean-American attorney and politician who served as the United States attorney for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia from 2017 to 2021. Pak previously served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives as a Republican from 2011 to 2017.

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14. Frederick B. Karl

1924-2013 (aged 89)

lawyer judge politician

Frederick Brennan "Fred" Karl was an American politician. A decorated U.S. service member, he began his political career serving in the Florida House of Representatives from 1956 to 1964, after which he was elected to the Florida State Senate from 1968 to 1971 and the Florida Supreme Court from 1977 to 1978.

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15. John F. Cosgrove

1949-2006 (aged 57)

politician

John Francis Cosgrove was a Florida legislator.

16. John McKay, Jr

1953-. (aged 73)

American football player

John Kenneth McKay is an American former professional football player, trial attorney, and executive with positions at the Alliance of American Football (AAF) and the University of Southern California. As a professional athlete, McKay played wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1976 to 1978.

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17. John G. Burkhalter

1909-1992 (aged 83)

military chaplain

Rev. John Grady Burkhalter was a Baptist minister and highly decorated chaplain who served in World War II and the Korean War. He was part of the D-Day invasion of Normandy at Omaha Beach.

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18. Lisa Carlton

1964-. (aged 62)

politician

Lisa Carlton is a Republican politician from Florida. She served in the Florida Senate from 1998 to 2008, representing parts of Southwest Florida based around Sarasota. She served as the President Pro Tempore of the Florida Senate from 2006 to 2008. Carlton previously served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives, representing parts of Sarasota County from 1994 to...

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19. Joe Hendricks

1903-1974 (aged 71)

lawyer politician

Joseph Edward Hendricks was an American lawyer and politician who served six terms as a United States representative from Florida from 1937 to 1949.

20. Craig T. James

1941-. (aged 85)

lawyer politician

Craig Taylor James is an American politician and lawyer from Florida. He served two terms in the United States Congress representing Florida's 4th Congressional district from 1989 to 1993.

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21. Ion Sancho

1950-. (aged 76)

politician

Ion Voltaire Sancho was an elected official who served Leon County, Florida, as Supervisor of Elections for 28 years, from 1989 to 2017. During his time in office, he was admired for his integrity as a voter advocate and elections expert, and became nationally known for his role in the Florida presidential election recount of 2000. He was also known...

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22. Emmett Wilson

1882-1918 (aged 36)

lawyer politician

Emmett Wilson was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as a United States representative from Florida from 1913 to 1917.

23. Susan C. Bucklew

1942-. (aged 84)

lawyer judge

Susan Cawthon Bucklew is an American lawyer, jurist, and former school teacher. She is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

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24. Abe Aronovitz

1899-1960 (aged 61)

politician

Abraham "Abe" Aronovitz was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as mayor of Miami, Florida, from 1953 until 1955. He had a seat on the City Commission until 1958.

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25. John E. Thrasher

1943-2025 (aged 82)

politician

John E. Thrasher was an American politician and state legislator in Florida. He was a businessman, lawyer, and lobbyist who served as the 15th president of Florida State University. He was approved by the Florida Board of Governors on November 6, 2014, and took office on November 10, 2014. On September 11, 2020, Thrasher and the university board of trustees...

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26. Cyndi Stevenson

1960-. (aged 66)

politician

Cynthia "Cyndi" Ward Stevenson is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2015 through 2024.

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27. William L. Proctor

1933-. (aged 93)

politician

William L. Proctor is an American politician and university administrator. Proctor served as president of Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida between 1971 and 2001. He then served as Chancellor of Flagler College from 2001 to his retirement from that post in 2020.

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28. Julio Gonzalez

1964-. (aged 62)

politician

Julio Gonzalez is an American politician and a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 74th District, which includes Englewood, North Port, and Venice in Sarasota County, from 2014 to 2018. In 2018, Gonzalez lost the Republican primary for Florida's 17th congressional district by a large margin.

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29. Scott Plakon

1959-. (aged 67)

politician

Scott Plakon is an American politician who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives for the 37th district from 2008 to 2012 and 29th district from 2014 to 2022.

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30. George C. Edwards III

1947-. (aged 79)

writer

George C. Edwards III is University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies Emeritus at Texas A&M University and distinguished fellow at the University of Oxford. He is a scholar of American politics, particularly of the American presidency, authoring or editing 29 books and approximately 100 articles and essays.

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31. Bert Fish

1875-1943 (aged 68)

diplomat

Bert Fish was an American lawyer, judge, philanthropist, and ambassador.

32. J. W. Grant

1982-. (aged 44)

politician

James William "J.W." Grant is a Republican politician from Florida. Since August 2020, he has been Florida's chief information officer and director of the Division of State Technology within the state Department of Management Services. Previously, he represented parts of Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010–2014 and 2015–2020.

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33. Ronda Storms

1965-. (aged 61)

politician

Ronda R. Storms is an American politician representing her adopted home state of Florida. Affiliated with the Republican Party, she represented the 10th District in the Florida Senate from 2006 to 2012. She decided not to run in 2012 for the new 24th District.

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34. Jim Wilkes

1950-. (aged 76)

lawyer

James Lewis Wilkes, II is an American lawyer. Born in Tampa, Florida, he is known for his advocacy on behalf of nursing home residents who have been victims of abuse.

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35. Andy Gardiner

1969-. (aged 57)

politician

Andy Gardiner is a Republican politician who served as a member of the Florida Senate, representing the 9th District from 2008 to 2012, and the 13th District, which stretches from Orlando to Titusville, from 2012 to 2016. From 2014 to 2016, Gardiner served as the President of the Florida Senate. Prior to Gardiner's election to the Senate, he served in...

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36. Renee Lawless

1960-. (aged 66)

actor television actor stage actor

Renée Lawless-Orsini is an American actress and singer. She is best known for starring as the bitter and distant matriarch, Katheryn Cryer, in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots.

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37. E. Clay Shaw, Jr

1939-2013 (aged 74)

lawyer judge politician

Eugene Clay Shaw Jr. was an American jurist and Republican politician who served as mayor of Fort Lauderdale and represented South Florida in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until 2007. He was defeated for re-election by Ron Klein in 2006.

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38. Craig Crawford

1956-. (aged 70)

journalist

Craig Crawford is an American writer and television political commentator based in Washington, D.C. Publisher of the news commenting forum, Trail Mix, Crawford was a columnist for Congressional Quarterly, Editor-in-Chief of National Journal's The Hotline, and Washington Bureau Chief for The Orlando Sentinel, and the author of Listen Up Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and...

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39. James Byrne

1965-. (aged 61)

lawyer

James Michael Byrne is an American lawyer who served as the United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs from August 2018 to February 2020. He previously served as the general counsel for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

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40. David Sholtz

1891-1953 (aged 62)

lawyer judge politician

David Sholtz was the 26th Governor of Florida. Prior to serving as Governor he had been a state attorney serving Florida's 7th Judicial Circuit Court and previously a member of the Florida House of Representatives.

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41. Doyle E. Carlton

1885-1972 (aged 87)

lawyer politician

Doyle Elam Carlton, Sr. was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 25th Governor of the state of Florida from 1929 to 1933.

42. Chris Sprowls

1984-. (aged 42)

politician

Christopher Joseph Sprowls is an American attorney and Republican politician from Florida. He served as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives for the 2020–22 legislative term and represented the 65th District, which included Clearwater, Dunedin, and Tarpon Springs in northern Pinellas County, from 2014–22.

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43. Jack Latvala

1951-. (aged 75)

politician

Jack Latvala is a Republican politician from Florida. He represented the Pinellas County area in the Florida Senate from 1994 to 2002, and again from 2010 to 2018.

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44. Kathleen Passidomo

1953-. (aged 73)

politician

Kathleen C. Passidomo is an American lawyer and politician who served as President of the Florida Senate. A Republican, she has represented the 28th district, which includes Collier, Hendry, and part of Lee County in Southwest Florida, since 2016. She previously served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives, representing the Naples area from 2010 to 2016. She served...

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45. Louis Phillips

1942-. (aged 84)

poet

Louis Phillips is an American poet, playwright, editor, and author of children's stories.

46. Joe Negron

1961-. (aged 65)

politician

Joseph Negron Jr. is a Republican politician from Florida. He served as a member of the Florida Senate from 2009 to 2018, representing parts of the Treasure Coast. In his last two years in office, he served as Senate President. Previously, Negron served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives, representing the Martin County-based 82nd district from 2000 to...

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47. Dean Trantalis

1953-. (aged 73)

politician

Dean J. Trantalis is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 42nd mayor of Fort Lauderdale since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the first openly gay mayor in the history of Fort Lauderdale. Trantalis previously served as a city commissioner of Fort Lauderdale from 2009 to 2017.

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48. Rick Kriseman

1962-. (aged 64)

politician

Richard David Kriseman is an American politician who served as the 53rd Mayor of St. Petersburg from 2014 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 53rd district from 2006 to 2012.

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49. Mike Haridopolos

1970-. (aged 56)

politician

Michael John Haridopolos is an American politician, consultant, and former educator serving as the U.S. representative from Florida's 8th congressional district since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Florida Senate from 2003 to 2012 and was Senate president from 2010 to 2012. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2003.

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50. Rich McKay

1959-. (aged 67)

general manager

Richard James McKay is an American professional football executive who most recently served as CEO of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). Prior to joining the Falcons, he was the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1994 to 2003 and was a part of their Super Bowl XXXVII-winning season.

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51. Everett Stern

businessperson politician

Everett Alexander Stern is an American businessman, whistleblower, and political candidate who is the intelligence director of Tactical Rabbit, Inc. He exposed an HSBC money laundering scandal, where he uncovered illegal money laundering transactions. Having formerly attempted to run for office as a member of the Republican Party, he ran as an independent write-in candidate in the 2022 United States...

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52. Lionel

1958-. (aged 68)

radio personality conspiracy theorist trial lawyer

Michael William Lebron, better known as Lionel, is an American syndicated radio, television and YouTube legal and media analyst. He currently hosts the syndicated late-night radio show The Other Side of Midnight from WABC.

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53. Roy Geiger

1885-1947 (aged 62)

military officer

Roy Stanley Geiger was a United States Marine Corps four-star general who served in World War I and World War II. In World War II, he became the first Marine Corps general to lead a field army.

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54. Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse

1981-. (aged 45)

activist lawyer social worker

Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, commonly referred to by Thai media as Than Oun (Thai: ท่านอ้น), is a Thai-American attorney and former member of the Thai royal family. Based in New York, Vivacharawongse is the second son of King Vajiralongkorn and his second wife Sujarinee Vivacharawongse. Banished along with his mother and siblings in 1996, Vacharaesorn briefly returned to Bangkok twice in 2023,...

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55. George Winston

1949-2023 (aged 74)

composer recording artist pianist guitarist

George Otis Winston III was an American pianist performing contemporary instrumental music. Best known for his solo piano recordings, Winston released his first album in 1972, and came to prominence with his 1980 album Autumn, which was followed in 1982 by Winter into Spring and December. All three became platinum-selling albums, with December becoming a triple-platinum album. A total of...

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56. Jaclyn Stapp

1980-. (aged 46)

model beauty pageant contestant

Jaclyn Nesheiwat Stapp is an American fashion model. Her titles include Mrs. Florida America 2008, Miss New York USA 2004. In 2010 she wrote a children's book, Wacky Jacky: The True Story of an Unlikely Beauty Queen. She is executive director of The Scott Stapp With Arms Wide Open Foundation, and founder of CHARM (Children Are Magical) by Jaclyn Stapp,...

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57. Britt McHenry

1986-. (aged 40)

sports commentator association football player journalist

Brittany May "Britt" McHenry is a television personality. She was the host of a show on WTTG Fox 5 in Washington, D.C. McHenry was formerly an ESPN correspondent and a commentator on Fox Nation.

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58. Ashley Moody

1975-. (aged 51)

jurist lawyer politician

Ashley Brooke Moody is an American politician and attorney serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from Florida. A member of the Republican Party, she served from 2019 to 2025 as the 38th attorney general of Florida.

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59. Corey Kluber

1986-. (aged 40)

professional baseball player

Corey Scott Kluber is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox. He made his MLB debut in 2011 as a member of the Indians. A power pitcher, Kluber achieved high strikeout rates through a two-seam sinker and a...

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60. Pam Bondi

1965-. (aged 61)

lawyer lobbyist politician

Pamela Jo Bondi is an American attorney and politician who has served as the 87th United States attorney general since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, she served as the 37th attorney general of Florida from 2011 to 2019.

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61. Louis DeJoy

1957-. (aged 69)

civil servant fundraiser businessperson accountant

Louis DeJoy is an American businessman who served as the 75th U.S. postmaster general. He was appointed in May 2020 by the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and resigned on March 24, 2025. Before being appointed, he was the founder and CEO of the logistics and freight company New Breed Logistics and was a major...

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62. Carol W. Hunstein

1944-. (aged 82)

lawyer judge

Carol Wyckoff Hunstein is an American lawyer and judge from Georgia. She is a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. She served on the Court as an associate justice from 1992 to 2009 and 2013 to 2018 and as Chief Justice from 2009 to 2013.

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63. Bob Gualtieri

1962-. (aged 64)

lawyer

Robert A. "Bob" Gualtieri is an American law enforcement officer, lawyer, and politician who is serving as the 15th Sheriff of Pinellas County, Florida. He previously served as Chief Deputy and General Counsel to PCSO under Sheriff Jim Coats. Gualtieri was appointed Sheriff by Governor Rick Scott in 2011 to succeed Coats. Gualtieri was elected to the office in his...

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64. Ed Narain

1976-. (aged 50)

politician

Edwin "Ed" Aubron Narain is an American Democratic politician who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 61st District, which includes West and East Tampa, Progress Village, Sulphur Springs, and the university parts of Tampa in Central and Northern Hillsborough County, from 2014 to 2016.

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65. Gus Bilirakis

1963-. (aged 63)

lawyer professor politician

Gus Michael Bilirakis is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 12th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, he first entered Congress in 2007, where he succeeded his father Michael Bilirakis, representing Florida's 9th congressional district until redistricting. His district includes much of the northern portion of the Tampa Bay area....

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66. Max Cleland

1942-2021 (aged 79)

politician

Joseph Maxwell Cleland was an American politician from Georgia. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a disabled U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, a recipient of the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for valorous actions in combat, as well as a United States senator (1997–2003).

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67. Beverly B. Martin

1955-. (aged 71)

lawyer judge

Beverly Baldwin Martin is a former United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and a former United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

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68. Cartha DeLoach

1920-2013 (aged 93)

manager

Cartha Dekle DeLoach, known as Deke DeLoach, was associate deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States. During his post, DeLoach was the third most senior official in the FBI after J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson.

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69. Bruce Jacob

1935-. (aged 91)

teacher

Bruce Robert Jacob is a former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida during the early 1960s. He represented Louie L. Wainwright, the Director of the Florida Division of Corrections, in the Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright, decided in March 1963, regarding the right to counsel of indigent defendants in non-capital felony cases in state courts. The...

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70. Corey Walden

1992-. (aged 34)

basketball player

Torrian Corey Walden is an American professional basketball player for Força Lleida of the Spanish Liga ACB. He played college basketball for Stetson and Eastern Kentucky before playing professionally in the NBA G League, Belgium and Israel. Standing at 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), he plays at the point guard position. Playing for Hapoel Holon, he was named the...

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71. Adrian Rogers

1931-2005 (aged 74)

writer pastor

Adrian Pierce Rogers was an American Baptist pastor and author. He served three terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention (1979–1980 and 1986–1988).

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72. Jerald S. Paul

1966-. (aged 60)

politician

Jerald Scott Paul previously served as the Principal Deputy Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration at the U.S. Department of Energy. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in July 2004. He oversaw all of this agency's nuclear nonproliferation programs with the principal responsibility of preventing the spread of nuclear materials,...

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73. James C. Smith

1940-. (aged 86)

lawyer

James Cliffton Smith Jr. was a major general in the United States Army who served as commander of the United States Army Aviation Center and commandant of the Army Aviation School from 1976 to 1978. He previously served as commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division from 1971 to 1973.

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74. Cathy Burnham Martin

1954-. (aged 72)

writer beauty pageant contestant

Cathy Burnham Martin is an American author, voiceover artist, actress, and former television news anchor. She has authored more than twenty books, including the humorous human training manual “A Dangerous Book for Dogs” and “Of the Same Blood: Your Eurasian Heritage,” which reflects on her grandmother's life drama and her Armenian-European-American heritage. Martin produces and narrates audiobooks for both fiction...

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75. Chip Dicks

1951-. (aged 75)

politician

John Gaudry "Chip" Dicks III is an American lobbyist and former Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates, serving from 1983 to 1990. He was defeated for reelection in 1989 by Republican Kirk Cox.

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76. Chris Johnson

1984-. (aged 42)

baseball player

Christapher Johnson is an American professional basketball player who last played for Hapoel Jerusalem. He played college basketball for the University of Dayton. Standing at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), he plays at the small forward and the shooting guard positions.

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77. James W. Crysel

1937-. (aged 89)

military personnel

James W. Crysel is a retired United States Army officer who attained the rank of lieutenant general. He was notable for his command of Second United States Army and the 25th Infantry Division.

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78. Pat Cannon

1904-1966 (aged 62)

lawyer judge politician

Arthur Patrick Cannon was a four-term United States Representative from Florida, serving from 1939 to 1947.

79. David H. Simmons

1952-. (aged 74)

politician

David H. Simmons is a Republican politician from Florida. He represented parts of Greater Orlando in the Florida Senate from 2010 to 2020, and in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008.

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80. John Pilley

1928-2018 (aged 90)

ethologist dog trainer academic

John W. Pilley was an American behavioral psychologist best known for his research into canine cognition and language learning with his Border collie, Chaser, who had the largest tested memory of any non-human animal. He was a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Wofford College and was an avid kayaker throughout his life. Pilley was awarded an honorary...

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81. Suzanne Kosmas

1944-. (aged 82)

real-estate agent politician

Suzanne Kosmas is the former U.S. representative for Florida's 24th congressional district, serving one term from 2009 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1996 to 2004.

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82. Will Robinson

1975-. (aged 51)

politician

William J. Robinson was an American college basketball coach and scout. Robinson became the first African-American head coach in NCAA Division I history when he accepted the position at Illinois State University in 1970. He scouted for the Detroit Pistons for 28 years, and worked 22 years for the Detroit Lions as a part-time scout. Robinson, who is a member...

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83. Ted Cassidy

1932-1979 (aged 47)

actor television actor screenwriter film actor basketball player

Theodore Crawford Cassidy was an American actor. He tended to play unusual characters in offbeat or science-fiction works, such as Star Trek and I Dream of Jeannie, and he played Lurch on The Addams Family TV series of the mid-1960s. He also narrated the intro sequence for the 1977 live-action The Incredible Hulk TV series and provided the growls and...

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84. Julia Nesheiwat

1975-. (aged 51)

university teacher politician

Julia Nesheiwat is an American academic, business executive, and former government official who served as the 10th homeland security advisor in the first Trump administration from 2020 to 2021. She also held various positions in the Bush and Obama administrations.

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85. Olav Gutting

1970-. (aged 56)

jurist lawyer politician

Olav Gutting is a German lawyer and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving as a member of the Bundestag since 2002.