76 Notable alumni of University of Northern Iowa
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
University of Northern Iowa is ranked #1,210 in the world and #305 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 76 notable alumni from University of Northern Iowa sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with University of Northern Iowa won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Michael J. O'Brien
1939-2021 (aged 82)
politician
Michael J. O'Brien is an American politician in the state of Iowa.
2. Marti Anderson
1951-. (aged 75)
politician
Marti Anderson is an American politician. A Democrat, she served as the representative from the 36th District in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2013 to 2023.
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3. Jodi Tymeson
1955-. (aged 71)
politician
Jodi S. Tymeson is a former Iowa State Representative from the 77th and 73rd Districts. She served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2001, representing the 77th District until it was redrawn in 2003 and representing the 73rd District until 2011. She received her BA from the University of Northern Iowa and her MPA from Drake University.
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4. Gene Ficken
1944-. (aged 82)
teacher
politician
Gene Ficken is a Democratic politician, representing the 23rd District in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2008.
5. Bill Hager
1947-2021 (aged 74)
lawyer
politician
Bill Hager was an American politician from Florida. He served four terms in the Florida House of Representatives as a Republican, representing parts of coastal Palm Beach County from 2010 to 2018.
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6. Vanessa McNeal
1993-. (aged 33)
documentary filmmaker
social activist
orator
Vanessa McNeal-Atadoga is an American social activist, public speaker, and documentary filmmaker. She directed the documentary that features stories of five male survivors of sexual violence titled The Voiceless, and We Are Survivors, a documentary that examines the experiences of eight victims of sexual abuse.
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7. Jeanne Elizabeth Wier
1870-1950 (aged 80)
historian
suffragist
Jeanne Elizabeth Wier was a teacher, historian, and founder of the Nevada Historical Society.
8. Christian William Ramseyer
1875-1943 (aged 68)
lawyer
politician
Christian William Ramseyer was a nine-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 6th congressional district.
9. David Jacoby
1956-. (aged 70)
politician
David Jacoby is the Iowa State Representative from the 86th District. A Democrat, he has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2003, when he was elected in a special election following the resignation of Richard E. Myers.
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10. Brian Schoenjahn
1949-. (aged 77)
politician
Brian H. Schoenjahn is a politician and a former Iowa State Senator from the 12th District. A Democrat, he has served in the Iowa Senate from 2005 until 2017. He received his B.A. in Social Science and his M.A. in Political Science from the University of Northern Iowa.
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11. Andrew Wenthe
1977-. (aged 49)
politician
Andrew J. Wenthe was the Iowa State Representative from the 18th District. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013. He received his BA from the University of Northern Iowa.
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12. Brian Best
1959-. (aged 67)
politician
Brian Best is an American businessman and politician who served in the Iowa House of Representatives from the 11th District. A Republican, he served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2015 to 2025.
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13. Polly Granzow
1941-. (aged 85)
politician
Polly Granzow is a former Iowa State Representative from the 44th District. She served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009. She received her BA from the University of Iowa and her MA from the University of Northern Iowa.
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14. Craig Johnson
1963-. (aged 63)
politician
Craig Paul Johnson is an American politician currently serving as the representative of the 67th District in the Iowa House of Representatives. He was previously elected as a Republican member of the Iowa State Senate's 32nd district in 2016. He defeated Democratic incumbent Brian Schoenjahn. He previously ran for election to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2014 for the...
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15. Cindy Winckler
1950-. (aged 76)
politician
Cindy Winckler is an American politician and member of the Iowa Senate for the 49th District. Previously, she served in the Iowa House of Representatives for the 90th District. She served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013. She received her MA from the University of Northern Iowa.
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16. William Dotzler
1948-. (aged 78)
politician
William Anthony Dotzler Jr. is the Iowa State Senator from the 31st District. A Democrat, he has served in the Iowa Senate since 2003 and previously served as assistant majority leader.
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17. Paul Bell
1950-2010 (aged 60)
politician
Paul A. Bell was an American politician who served as Iowa State Representative from the 57th and 41st Districts. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from the 57th District (1993 - 2003) and the 41st District from 2003 and until his death in June 2010. He received his BA from the University of Northern Iowa.
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18. Walt Rogers
1961-. (aged 65)
politician
Walt Rogers is an American politician who served as a Republican Iowa State Representative from the 60th District from 2011 to 2019.
19. Fred C. Gilchrist
1868-1950 (aged 82)
teacher
lawyer
politician
Fred Cramer Gilchrist was an American educator who served as a seven-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa, from 1931 to 1945.
20. Edward Bechly
1874-1945 (aged 71)
publisher
editor
journalist
Edward Bechly was an American editor, publisher, and proprietor of the Iroquois County Times-Democrat.
21. Larry McKibben
1947-2025 (aged 78)
lawyer
politician
Larry E. McKibben was an American politician and an Iowa State Senator from the 22nd District. He served in the Iowa Senate from 1997 and was an assistant minority leader until he retired in 2008.
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22. Chuck Hazama
1932-2021 (aged 89)
politician
Charles K. Hazama was an American politician who served as mayor of Rochester, Minnesota, for eight terms, from 1979 to 1995. Before he was Mayor, he served as the executive director of the Rochester YMCA. Hazama worked to promote Rochester, and his efforts were recognized when Money magazine named Rochester the number one place to live in 1993. He also...
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23. Jean Ray Laury
1928-2011 (aged 83)
quilter
textile artist
Jean Ray Laury was an American artist and designer. She was one of the first fine artists to move to quilting as a medium of choice in the late 1950s. Her quilts followed neither traditional method nor pattern; they were bold, modern, colorful collages, often laced with humor and satire. Penning over twenty books and teaching over 2,000 workshops, Laury...
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24. Rick Bertrand
1969-. (aged 57)
politician
Rick Bertrand was the Iowa State Senator from the 7th District. A Republican, he has served in the Iowa Senate between 2010 and 2019.
25. Curt Hanson
1943-2017 (aged 74)
politician
Curtis Dean Hanson was an American politician. He was born and raised on a Kossuth County, Iowa farm near Swea City. He was also a resident of Fairfield for fifty-two years. Hanson received his B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa and his M.A. from the University of Iowa. He was a driver education teacher at Fairfield High School for...
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26. Donald Avenson
1944-2017 (aged 73)
politician
Donald D. Avenson was an American politician in the state of Iowa.
27. Chris Hagenow
1972-. (aged 54)
politician
Chris Hagenow is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 2009 to 2021.
28. Jeff Danielson
1970-. (aged 56)
politician
Jeff Danielson is a former Democratic Iowa State Senator. Having served the 30th Senate District between 2013 and 2019, he had also previously served the 10th Senate District up until redistricting, between 2005 and 2013.
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29. Mark Costello
1961-. (aged 65)
politician
Mark Costello is the Iowa State Senator from the 8th District. A Republican, he has served in the Iowa Senate since being elected in 2014. He had also previously served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2013–2014.
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30. Carolyn Hunt
1937-. (aged 89)
teacher
politician
Carolyn Joyce Hunt is an American educator and politician who, as the wife of Jim Hunt, served as the Second Lady of North Carolina from 1973 to 1977 and twice-served as the First Lady of North Carolina, from 1977 to 1985 and again from 1993 to 2001. She is the longest serving first lady in North Carolina history and she...
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31. Ras Smith
1987-. (aged 39)
politician
RasTafari I. "Ras" Smith is an American politician from Iowa. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2017 to 2023, as a legislator from District 62.
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32. Anesa Kajtazovic
1986-. (aged 40)
politician
Anesa Kajtazović is a Bosnian-American politician who served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015, representing the 61st District. Kajtazovic unsuccessfully ran for Iowa's 1st congressional district in an open seat primary in June 2014.
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33. David R. Nagle
1943-. (aged 83)
lawyer
politician
David Ray Nagle is an American politician and lawyer from Iowa. He was a Representative in the United States House of Representatives, representing Iowa's 3rd congressional district from 1987 to 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
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34. Joy Corning
1932-2017 (aged 85)
politician
Joy Corning née Cole was an American politician who served as the Republican 43rd Lieutenant Governor of Iowa.
35. Adam Koch
1988-. (aged 38)
basketball player
stomatologist
Adam Koch is an American former professional basketball player. He was an All-American player as a collegian at University of Northern Iowa and led the Panthers to a memorable upset of top-seeded Kansas in the 2010 NCAA tournament.
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36. David Glawe
1970-. (aged 56)
David James Glawe was the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis from January 2017 to May 2020 and is currently the President and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
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37. Tom Pettit
1931-1995 (aged 64)
journalist
screenwriter
William Thomas Pettit was an American journalist, who was a television news correspondent for NBC from the 1960s through 1995. During most of that period, he filed reports for NBC Nightly News (as well as the preceding Huntley-Brinkley Report) and served numerous times on the panel of Meet the Press. He served as one of NBC's floor reporters at the...
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38. Seth Tuttle
1992-. (aged 34)
basketball player
Seth Tuttle is an American former basketball player and current assistant coach for the Northern Iowa Panthers. He had an All-American college career at Northern Iowa (UNI). Tuttle was considered one of the top college players in the country, and was a midseason finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Year award.
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39. Michael Hogan
1943-. (aged 83)
university president
historian
Michael J. Hogan is an American historian who served as president of the University of Connecticut (2007–2010) and president of the University of Illinois System (2010–2012). He subsequently became a distinguished professor of history at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
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40. Eddie Watt
1941-. (aged 85)
baseball player
Eddie Dean Watt is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed relief pitcher from 1966 through 1975, most prominently as a key member of the Baltimore Orioles dynasty that won three consecutive American League pennants from 1969 to 1971, and won the World Series in 1970. He was also on the...
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41. Brittni Donaldson
1993-. (aged 33)
basketball player
basketball coach
Brittni Donaldson is an assistant coach and assistant general manager for the Portland Fire of the Women's National Basketball Association. She previously served as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors, all of the National Basketball Association. While with the Pistons, she was also Director of Coaching Analytics. Donaldson was the first female coaching hire...
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42. Ruth Watkins
speech and language therapist
Ruth V. Watkins is a student of speech language pathology, and the former president of the University of Utah. She stepped down from the role on April 7, 2021, to enter the private sector.
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43. Nancy Jo Powell
1947-. (aged 79)
diplomat
Nancy Jo Powell was the United States Ambassador to India from April 2012 to May 2014.
44. Mona Van Duyn
1921-2004 (aged 83)
poet
editor
writer
Mona Jane Van Duyn was an American poet. She was appointed United States Poet Laureate in 1992.
45. Benny Sapp
1981-. (aged 45)
American football player
Benjamin Lee Sapp II is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football for the Northern Iowa Panthers.
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46. Roger Jepsen
1928-2020 (aged 92)
farmer
politician
Roger William Jepsen was an American politician from Iowa. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Lieutenant Governor of Iowa from 1969 to 1973 and a member of the United States Senate for one term from 1979 to 1985. Jepsen later was the chairman of National Credit Union Administration from 1985 to 1993 where he helped oversee more...
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47. Krista Voda
1974-. (aged 52)
journalist
engineer
Krista Voda Kelley is an American sportscaster who covers auto racing as the play-by-play announcer for the ARCA Menards Series on MAVTV. She previously worked for NASCAR on Fox and NASCAR on Speed from 2003 to 2014 as the host of the pre-race show for the Truck Series and beginning in 2007 as a pit reporter for the NASCAR Cup...
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48. Joseph Otting
1962-. (aged 64)
businessperson
Joseph Michael Otting is an American businessman and government official. He served as the 31st Comptroller of the Currency from November 27, 2017 to May 29, 2020.
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49. Austin Howard
1987-. (aged 39)
basketball player
American football player
Austin Howard is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Northern Iowa Panthers, and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He was also a member of the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, and...
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50. Ali Farokhmanesh
1988-. (aged 38)
basketball player
basketball coach
Ali Fredrick Farokhmanesh is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach of the Colorado State Rams men's basketball team.
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51. Mike Furrey
1977-. (aged 49)
American football player
Michael Thomas Furrey is an American college football coach and former professional wide receiver and safety. He is the wide receivers coach for the University of South Carolina, a position he has held since 2024. He was the head football coach for Kentucky Christian University from 2010 to 2012. He was the head football coach for Limestone University from 2016...
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52. Gil Gutknecht
1951-. (aged 75)
politician
Gilbert William Gutknecht Jr. is a former American politician. Gutknecht was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives first elected in 1994 to represent Minnesota's 1st congressional district. Gutknecht lost his 2006 reelection bid to DFL candidate and future Governor Tim Walz, and his term ended in January 2007.
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53. A.J. Green
1999-. (aged 27)
basketball player
Austin Jahn "A. J." Green is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Northern Iowa Panthers.
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54. Joan Larsen
1968-. (aged 58)
judge
Joan Louise Larsen is an American attorney serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She previously was an associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court from 2015 to 2017.
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55. Chris Pirillo
1973-. (aged 53)
businessperson
writer
Chris Pirillo is an American entrepreneur and former television personality. He is the founder and former CEO of LockerGnome, Inc., a network of technology-focused blogs, web forums, mailing lists, and online communities that operated from 1996 to 2015. Pirillo was also a host of Call for Help, a call-in tech support show which aired on TechTV from 2001 to 2003....
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56. Lisa Bluder
1961-. (aged 65)
basketball player
basketball coach
Lisa Marie Bluder is the former head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball program. Formerly, she served as coach of St. Ambrose University and the Drake Bulldogs.
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57. Mark Steines
1964-. (aged 62)
broadcast journalist
American football player
Mark Anthony Steines is an American broadcast journalist and actor who was host of the syndicated gossip and entertainment round-up program Entertainment Tonight from 2004 to 2012, joining the program on August 24, 1995. He left the show on July 27, 2012. From 2012 to 2018, he co-hosted Hallmark Channel's Home and Family.
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58. Darian DeVries
1975-. (aged 51)
basketball coach
basketball player
Darian Dale DeVries is an American basketball coach who is currently the head men's basketball coach at Indiana. He was previously the head coach at Drake University from 2018 to 2024 and at West Virginia during the 2024–25 season.
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59. Chris Klieman
1967-. (aged 59)
American football player
Christopher Paul Klieman is an American retired college football coach. He was most recently the head football coach at Kansas State University from 2019 until his retirement in December 2025. Klieman served as the head football coach at North Dakota State University from 2014 to 2018. He succeeded the retiring Bill Snyder at Kansas State after leading the North Dakota...
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60. Greg McDermott
1964-. (aged 62)
basketball coach
basketball player
Greg McDermott is an American basketball coach who has been the head coach of the Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team since 2010. Previously, McDermott served as the head coach at Wayne State College, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, and Iowa State. He is the father of NBA player Doug McDermott.
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61. Jane Elliott
1933-. (aged 93)
human rights defender
teacher
screenwriter
Jane Elliott is an American diversity educator. As a schoolteacher, Elliott became known for the "Blue eyes/Brown eyes" exercise she created to teach students about the effects of discrimination and racial stereotyping. She first conducted the exercise with her third-grade class on April 5, 1968, the day after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The local newspaper's publication of...
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62. Chuck Grassley
1933-. (aged 93)
legislator
farmer
university teacher
politician
Charles Ernest Grassley is an American politician serving since 2025 as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate, a position he also held from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Grassley is the senior U.S. senator from Iowa, serving since 1981.
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63. Nick Nurse
1967-. (aged 59)
basketball player
basketball coach
Nicholas David Nurse is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as head coach for the Toronto Raptors, whom he led to an NBA championship in 2019 and with whom he was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 2020.
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64. Brian Meyer
1963-. (aged 63)
baseball player
Brian Meyer is an American lawyer and politician from the state of Iowa. A member of the Democratic Party, Meyer serves in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing the 29th district. He previously served on the Des Moines, Iowa City Council.
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65. Tony Bisignano
1952-. (aged 74)
politician
Anthony Bisignano is an American politician, currently serving as a member of the Iowa Senate.
66. Janet Petersen
1970-. (aged 56)
politician
Janet Petersen is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Iowa Senate representing the 18th District since January 2013. She previously served as the Senate Minority Leader and has previously represented the 64th district in the Iowa House of Representatives, between 2001 and 2013. She received her BA from the University of Northern Iowa and her MA from...
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67. Linda Upmeyer
1952-. (aged 74)
politician
Linda L. Upmeyer is an American politician who served in the Iowa House of Representatives from the 54th district from 2003 to 2021 and as the Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives from 2016 to 2020. She was the first female Speaker in Iowa's history. She received her BSN from the University of Iowa and her MSN from Drake...
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68. Phyllis Somerville
1943-2020 (aged 77)
film actor
television actor
stage actor
Phyllis Jeanne Somerville was an American stage, film, and television actress. She is best known for her roles in Little Children (2006), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Surviving Family (2012), The Big C (2010–2013), and Outsiders (2016–2017).
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69. Deborah Berry
1958-. (aged 68)
politician
Deborah L. Berry is an American politician who was the Iowa State Representative from the 62nd District from 2012 to 2017. From 2003 to 2012 she represented the 22nd district, most of which is part of the current 62nd district.
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70. Burton E. Sweet
1867-1957 (aged 90)
lawyer
politician
Burton Erwin Sweet was a four-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 3rd congressional district, then a wide but short chain of counties in north-central and northeastern Iowa, in the shape of a monkey wrench.
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71. Todd Taylor
1966-. (aged 60)
politician
Todd Taylor is the Iowa State Senator from the 40th District. A Democrat, he has served in the Iowa Senate since 2019. Previously between 1995 and 2019 he had served in the Iowa House of Representatives from the 70th District. He received his BA from Graceland College and his BS from the University of Northern Iowa.
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72. Harvey Hess
1939-2012 (aged 73)
poet
Harvey Hess was an American poet, librettist, educator, arts critic and theologian. His life and work are associated primarily with the states of Iowa and Hawaii.
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73. Marcella Frevert
1937-. (aged 89)
politician
Marcella R. Frevert was the Iowa State Representative from the 7th District. She served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1996 through 2011. She received her AA from Emmetsburg Junior College, her BS from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and her MA from the University of Northern Iowa.
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74. Raychelle Burks
scientist
analytical chemist
science communicator
Raychelle Burks is an associate professor of analytical chemistry at American University in Washington, D.C., and science communicator, who has regularly appeared on the Science Channel. In 2020, the American Chemical Society awarded her the Grady-Stack award for her public engagement excellence.
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75. Bill Stewart
1966-. (aged 60)
jazz musician
William L. Stewart, nicknamed "Stew", was an American football coach. He was named interim head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan in December 2007. After leading the Mountaineers to a 48–28 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl, he was named the school's 32nd head football coach on January 3, 2008. Stewart...
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76. David Johnson
1926-2024 (aged 98)
photographer
photojournalist
David Johnson was the Iowa State Senator from the 1st District and served as assistant minority leader. A former Republican and currently independent, he served in the Iowa Senate from 2003 to 2019 and served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003.
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