77 Notable alumni of Western Kentucky University
Updated: June 16, 2026 EliteDegrees
Western Kentucky University is ranked #1,048 in the world and #272 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 77 notable alumni from Western Kentucky University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Western Kentucky University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Jeff Peterek
1963-2023 (aged 60)
baseball player
Jeffrey Allen Peterek was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in part of one season in the major leagues in 1989 for the Milwaukee Brewers, playing seven games. Peterek died in Niles, Michigan, October 8, 2023, at the age of 61.
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2. Fred Iltis
1923-2008 (aged 85)
entomologist
photographer
zoologist
Fred Iltis was an American entomologist. His research focused on the biosystematics and life cycle of mosquitoes.
3. Walker Hines
1870-1934 (aged 64)
lawyer
railway executive
Walker Downer Hines was an American railroad executive and second Director General of the United States Railroad Administration.
4. Patrick T. Henry
1950-. (aged 76)
Patrick Timothy Henry was United States Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) from 1998 to 2001.
5. Cap R. Carden
1866-1935 (aged 69)
lawyer
politician
Cap Robert Carden was a U.S. representative from Kentucky.
6. Frank Drew
1930-2021 (aged 91)
military officer
Frank Morehead Drew was an American brigadier general. He retired on July 1, 1979.
7. Billy Wilson
1958-. (aged 68)
William Marion Wilson is the president of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was previously the vice chairman for ORU board of trustees.
8. David Hayes Kincheloe
1877-1950 (aged 73)
lawyer
judge
politician
David Hayes Kincheloe was a United States representative from Kentucky and a judge of the United States Customs Court.
9. Don Ray
1921-1998 (aged 77)
basketball player
Donald L. Ray was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player. As a senior at Western Kentucky University, Ray was selected to the All-American second team by the Helms Foundation. Ray was drafted with the eleventh overall pick in the 1948 BAA Draft by the Philadelphia Warriors. He made his NBA debut in the 1949-50 NBA season for the Tri-Cities...
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10. Bob Daniels
1935-2022 (aged 87)
baseball player
basketball player
basketball coach
Robert Eugene Daniels was an American basketball player and coach.
11. Anthony Winchester
1983-. (aged 43)
basketball player
Anthony David Winchester is an American basketball coach and former professional basketball player. Winchester is currently an assistant coach at Kansas State. He played college basketball at Western Kentucky.
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12. Art Spoelstra
1932-2008 (aged 76)
basketball player
Arthur Cornelius Spoelstra was an American basketball player. A 6'9" center from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Spoelstra played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. After graduating from Western Kentucky University, he was selected by the Rochester Royals in the 1954 NBA draft (fourth round, 34th pick overall). He played four seasons in the NBA for the Royals, Minneapolis Lakers and...
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13. Garrett Withers
1884-1953 (aged 69)
lawyer
politician
Garrett Lee Withers was an American politician and lawyer. As a Democrat, he represented Kentucky in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.
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14. Jim Rose
1949-2009 (aged 60)
basketball player
Jim Rose was an American professional basketball player. After playing college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (1968–1971), Rose was the eleventh overall pick (2nd round) of the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association in the 1971 NBA draft.
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15. Libby Stout
1990-. (aged 36)
association football player
Elizabeth Stout is an American retired professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. She is currently a coach with the Southern Illinois Salukis.
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16. Edwin L. Norris
1865-1924 (aged 59)
lawyer
politician
Edwin Lee Norris was a Democratic politician from Montana. He served as the fifth Governor of Montana.
17. Sergio Kerusch
1989-. (aged 37)
basketball player
Sergio Kerusch is an American-German professional basketball player who currently plays for Mitteldeutscher BC of the Basketball Bundesliga. He is a 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) tall shooting guard-small forward. He also holds a German passport due to his German father.
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18. Benjamin Lawson
1995-. (aged 31)
basketball player
Benjamin Ethan Lawson is a British professional basketball player who plays for the Yokohama Excellence of the B.League in Japan. He played college basketball for Western Kentucky. Standing at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m), Lawson plays the power forward / center positions.
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19. Matilda Mossman
basketball coach
Matilda Mossman is an American college basketball coach and the former head coach of the Tulsa women's basketball team.
20. Stephen Cochran
1979-. (aged 47)
singer-songwriter
singer
Stephen Cochran is an American country music singer and songwriter. In 2009 Stephen was named as a spokesman for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Research and Development. The VA and Cochran collaborated to produce a music video for veterans who need help.
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21. Russell E. Dougherty
1920-2007 (aged 87)
military officer
General Russell Elliott Dougherty was Commander in Chief of the Strategic Air Command and director of strategic target planning (Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff), at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
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22. Emmanuel Akot
1999-. (aged 27)
basketball player
Emmanuel Akot is a Canadian and South Sudanese professional basketball player of Leicester Riders of the Super League Basketball (SLB). He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Arizona Wildcats and the Boise State Broncos.
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23. Bill Sanders
1930-2021 (aged 91)
cartoonist
William Willard Sanders was an American political cartoonist and author known for his cartoons and commentary on civil liberties and civil rights.
24. Tim Lee Carter
1910-1987 (aged 77)
politician
Tim Lee Carter was an American politician serving as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 1965 until 1981.
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25. Gavin Smellie
1986-. (aged 40)
athletics competitor
Gavin Ramon Smellie is a Jamaican-Canadian sprinter. A two-time Olympian, he competed for Canada in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, and in the men's 100 metres at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
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26. Shadrack Kipchirchir
1989-. (aged 37)
athletics competitor
Shadrack Kipchirchir is a Kenyan-born American distance track and field Olympian specializing in the 10,000 m. Following in his brothers footsteps, Kipchirchir enlisted in the U.S. Army in October 2014 and joined the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program after his enlistment.
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27. Jonathan Dowling
1991-. (aged 35)
American football player
Jonathan Dowling is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL draft.
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28. Clint Ford
1976-. (aged 50)
actor
television actor
voice actor
Clint Ford is an American screenwriter, actor, voice-over artist, and novelist. He is best known for his portrayal as the Klingon M'ven, of the Great House of Martok, in the video game, Star Trek Online. He is also known for his work in the American dubs of Japanese anime series, such as Yû yû hakusho, Blue Gender, and Dragon Ball...
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29. William Huston Natcher
1909-1994 (aged 85)
lawyer
politician
William Huston Natcher was a Democratic congressman, serving in the United States House of Representatives from 1953 until his death from heart failure in Bethesda, Maryland in 1994. He is the second longest-serving member ever of the United States House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
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30. Wayne Chapman
1945-. (aged 81)
basketball coach
basketball player
Wayne G. Chapman is an American former professional basketball player.
31. Filip Videnov
1980-. (aged 46)
basketball player
Filip Aleksandrov Videnov is a Bulgarian retired professional basketball player who last played for Beroe of the NBL. He was also a longtime member of the Bulgarian men's national team.
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32. Justin Johnson
1981-. (aged 45)
ice hockey player
Justin Blake Johnson is an American professional basketball player for Rinascita Basket Rimini of the Italian Serie A2. He played college basketball for Western Kentucky.
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33. Jordan Swing
1990-. (aged 36)
basketball player
Jordan Tyler Swing is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Birmingham Squadron of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for Western Kentucky and UAB before playing professionally in the NBA G League, Australia, Spain, Belgium, Israel, Germany, Mexico, Ukraine and Puerto Rico.
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34. Orlando Mendez-Valdez
1986-. (aged 40)
basketball player
Orlando Homer Méndez-Valdez is an American-born Mexican former professional basketball player who is currently the General manager of the Mexico City Capitanes of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
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35. Terrence W. Wilcutt
1949-. (aged 77)
astronaut
teacher
military officer
aircraft pilot
Terrence Wade Wilcutt is a United States Marine Corps officer and a former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of four Space Shuttle missions. Wilcutt was NASA's Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance, until his retirement from NASA in December 2020.
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36. Chris Knight
1960-. (aged 66)
singer
guitarist
singer-songwriter
Chris Knight is an American singer-songwriter from Slaughters, Kentucky. In addition to releasing solo records of his own material, Knight has had a successful career writing songs that have been recorded by Confederate Railroad, John Anderson, and Randy Travis among others.
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37. Jim McDaniels
1948-2017 (aged 69)
basketball player
James Ronald McDaniels was an American professional basketball player. He played collegiately for Western Kentucky University and was the number one overall pick in the 1971 American Basketball Association Draft. McDaniels played as an ABA All-Star in 1972.
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38. Rupert Onslow, 8th Earl of Onslow
1967-. (aged 59)
aristocrat
Rupert Charles William Bullard Onslow, 8th Earl of Onslow, known as Viscount Cranley from 1971 to 2011, is a British hereditary peer.
39. Antonio Andrews
1992-. (aged 34)
American football player
Antonio Tramaine Andrews is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. He played college football for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tennessee Titans in 2014. He was also a member of the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football...
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40. Harry B. Gray
1935-. (aged 91)
university teacher
chemist
Harry Barkus Gray is the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry at California Institute of Technology.
41. Saeed Jones
1985-. (aged 41)
poet
writer
Saeed Jones is an American writer and poet. His debut collection Prelude to Bruise was named a 2014 finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for poetry. His second book, a memoir, How We Fight for Our Lives won the Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction in 2019.
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42. Glen Casada
1959-. (aged 67)
politician
Richard Glen Casada Jr. is an American politician, and a former Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, where he represented District 63 (Williamson County) from 2003 to 2023. He was the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives from January 8, 2019 through August 2, 2019, whereupon he resigned his post amid scandal. This was the shortest stint...
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43. Andrew Stahl
1952-. (aged 74)
songwriter
television actor
actor
musician
Andrew Stahl is an American actor, best known for appearing as Tom McHone in the Christy series and General Armand Stassi in seaQuest 2032.
44. Darrin Horn
1972-. (aged 54)
basketball player
basketball coach
Darrin McKinley Horn is an American college basketball head coach at Northern Kentucky, having previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Texas and a head coach for the Division I (NCAA) programs at Western Kentucky University and at the University of South Carolina.
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45. Larry Elmore
1948-. (aged 78)
painter
television producer
comics artist
Larry Elmore is an American fantasy artist whose work includes creating illustrations for video games, comics, magazines, and fantasy books. His list of work includes illustrations for Dungeons & Dragons, Dragonlance, and his own comic strip series SnarfQuest. He is author of the book Reflections of Myth.
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46. Will Hoge
1972-. (aged 54)
singer
songwriter
composer
Will Hoge is an American Americana country music singer, songwriter, and musician from Nashville, Tennessee, United States.
47. Joe Bugel
1940-2020 (aged 80)
American football coach
American football player
Joseph John Bugel was an American professional football coach in the National Football League (NFL). For many years, he was acknowledged as the greatest offensive line coach in the league, particularly with the Washington Redskins under head coach Joe Gibbs in the 1980s. He was the architect behind "The Hogs", the Redskins' dominant offensive line that helped lead them to...
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48. Jefferson Moore
screenwriter
film director
television actor
actor
television producer
Jefferson Moore is an American actor, writer, producer, director and editor based in Fairhope, Alabama. He is the founder and owner of Kelly's Filmworks Studios.
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49. David L. Grange
1947-. (aged 79)
military personnel
David L. Grange is a retired United States Army major general. He served with the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War. He was later assigned to Delta Force, commanding a squadron during the invasion of Grenada and was deputy commander during the Gulf War. His last command was of 1st Infantry Division in Germany before he retired in 1999.
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50. James Comer
1972-. (aged 54)
farmer
businessperson
politician
James Richardson Comer Jr. is an American politician from Kentucky who represents the state's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he has served in Congress since 2016, during the 114th United States Congress. He previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives and also served as the agriculture commissioner of...
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51. Clem Haskins
1943-. (aged 83)
basketball player
basketball coach
Clem Smith Haskins is an American former college and professional basketball player and college basketball coach. In the fall of 1963, he and fellow star player Dwight Smith became the first black athletes to integrate the Western Kentucky University (WKU) basketball program. This put Western Kentucky at the forefront to integrate college basketball in the South.
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52. Kenny Perry
1960-. (aged 66)
golfer
James Kenneth Perry is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He won 14 PGA Tour events and has won nine PGA Tour Champions events including four senior major championships: the 2013 Constellation Senior Players Championship, the 2013 U.S. Senior Open, the 2014 Regions Tradition, and the 2017 U.S. Senior Open.
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53. Michael Card
1957-. (aged 69)
singer
songwriter
Michael Card is an American Christian singer-songwriter, musician, author, and radio host from Franklin, Tennessee. He is best known for his contributions in contemporary Christian music, which combine folk-style melodies and instrumentation with an in-depth study of the Bible. Since his debut in 1981, Card has sold more than 4 million albums and has written 19 No. 1 singles. He...
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54. Larnelle Harris
1947-. (aged 79)
songwriter
Larnelle Steward Harris is an American gospel singer and songwriter. During his 40-plus years of ministry, Harris has recorded 22 albums, won five Grammy Awards and 11 Dove Awards, and has had several number one songs on the inspirational music charts.
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55. Duncan Hines
1880-1959 (aged 79)
journalist
food critic
Duncan Hines was an American author and food critic who produced restaurant ratings for travelers. He branched out to marketing food under his name, which continues as a brand in the present.
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56. Charles Bassey
2000-. (aged 26)
basketball player
Charles Akemini Bassey Listen is a Nigerian professional basketball player who last played for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He was drafted by the 76ers in the second round of 2021 NBA draft with the 53rd overall pick.
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57. George Fant
1992-. (aged 34)
basketball player
American football player
George Fant is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football and basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2016. Fant has also played for the New York Jets and Houston Texans.
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58. Steve Gorman
1965-. (aged 61)
drummer
musician
Steve Gorman is an American musician and radio host. He is best known as the former drummer of the American rock and roll band The Black Crowes. He spent time as the drummer for British rock band Stereophonics. He also hosted his own radio show Steve Gorman Sports! on Fox Sports Radio. He is now the host of Steve Gorman...
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59. Jack Doyle
1990-. (aged 36)
American football player
John Glenn Doyle is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2013. However, Doyle was waived before the beginning of the season and was then acquired by the Indianapolis...
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60. Jeremy Evans
1987-. (aged 39)
basketball player
Jeremy Deshawn Evans is an American professional basketball player for Mykonos of the Greek Basketball League. He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers before being drafted by the Utah Jazz in 2010. During his career, Evans has spent time with the Jazz, the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, and Khimki Moscow in Russia. In 2012, he was named the...
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61. Dalano Banton
1999-. (aged 27)
basketball player
Dalano Banton is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Nebraska Cornhuskers. Banton was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 46th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, making him the first Canadian player ever drafted by the Canadian franchise.
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62. Billy Vaughn
1919-1991 (aged 72)
singer
music executive
multi-instrumentalist
bandleader
musician
William Vaughn, popularly known as Billy Vaughn was an American musician, singer, multi-instrumentalist, orchestra leader, and A&R man for Dot Records.
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63. Courtney Lee
1985-. (aged 41)
basketball player
Courtney Lee is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
64. Hal Rogers
1937-. (aged 89)
prosecutor
lawyer
politician
Harold Dallas Rogers is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Kentucky's 5th congressional district since 1981. He is a member of the Republican Party. Upon Don Young's death in 2022, Rogers became the dean of the House of Representatives.
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65. Matt Long
1980-. (aged 46)
film actor
television actor
stage actor
Matthew Long is an American actor. He is best known for playing Ezekiel Landon in the NBC/Netflix sci fi drama Manifest (2019–2023), and his roles in the television series Jack & Bobby (2004–2005), and the films Ghost Rider (2007) and Sydney White (2007).
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66. Charles Napier
1936-2011 (aged 75)
voice actor
television actor
actor
film actor
Charles Lewis Napier was an American actor who was known for playing supporting and occasional leading roles in television and films. He was frequently cast as police officers, soldiers, or authority figures, many of them villainous or corrupt. After leaving his Kentucky hometown to serve in the Army, he graduated from college and worked as a sports coach and art...
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67. Sue Grafton
1940-2017 (aged 77)
screenwriter
novelist
writer
journalist
author
Sue Taylor Grafton was an American author of detective novels. She is best known as the author of the "alphabet series" ("A" Is for Alibi, etc.) featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California. The daughter of detective novelist C. W. Grafton, she said the strongest influence on her crime novels was author Ross Macdonald....
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68. John Carpenter
1948-. (aged 78)
film director
writer
producer
film screenwriter
film producer
John Howard Carpenter is an American filmmaker, composer, and actor. Most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s, he is generally recognized as a master of the horror genre. At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the French Directors' Guild gave him the Golden Coach Award and lauded him as "a creative genius of...
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69. Michael Rosenbaum
1972-. (aged 54)
television actor
film director
actor
writer
voice actor
Michael Owen Rosenbaum is an American actor and podcaster. He is known for portraying Lex Luthor on the television series Smallville, a role that TV Guide included in their 2013 list of "The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time".
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70. Dwight Butler
1963-. (aged 63)
politician
Dwight D. Butler is an American politician and was a Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives representing District 18 until January 2015.
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71. C. B. Embry
1941-2022 (aged 81)
politician
Carlos Brogdon Embry Jr. was an American politician and a Republican member of the Kentucky Senate representing District 6 from January 1, 2015, until September 26, 2022, when he resigned due to cancer. He previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives starting on January 1, 2003, and leaving office on January 1, 2015, to serve in the Kentucky Senate....
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72. Steven L. Basham
1965-. (aged 61)
military leader
Steven L. Basham is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant general who last served as the deputy commander of the United States European Command from 2022 to 2024. He previously served as deputy commander of United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa from 2019 to 2022.
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73. Derrick Gordon
1991-. (aged 35)
basketball player
Derrick Robert Gordon is an American former professional basketball player. A shooting guard, Gordon attended and played for three universities, originally the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, where in 2014, Gordon became the first men's basketball player in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I to come out as gay and play in a game. On March 24, 2015, Gordon announced his...
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74. Jack Keane
1943-. (aged 83)
army officer
John M. Keane is an American retired general who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1999 to 2003. He is a national security analyst, primarily on Fox News, chairman of the Institute for the Study of War, and chairman of AM General.
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75. Kevin Willard
1975-. (aged 51)
basketball player
basketball coach
Kevin Schreiber Willard is an American college basketball coach who is currently the head men's basketball coach at Villanova University. He played basketball at Western Kentucky during the 1992–93 season before transferring to Pittsburgh to finish his playing career.
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76. Barry A. Vann
1960-. (aged 66)
geographer
Barry Aron Vann is an American author, speaker, and retired dean of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Colorado Christian University. His research focuses on environmental perceptions and religious geography, particularly on the relationship between religious beliefs and environmental views in politicized regions such as Northern Ireland and the American Bible Belt.
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77. Japeth Aguilar
1987-. (aged 39)
basketball player
Japeth Paul Cabrera Aguilar is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He first played college basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eagles of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), but after two seasons, he moved to the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers in the Division I of the National...
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