b
-
Harold Bloom
Literary Critic, Writer / 1930 -
Harold Bloom is an American literary critic widely known for his original theories on the creation of literature, particularly poetry.
See full bio
(1930-)
Literary Critic, Writer
-
Joyce Brothers
Psychologist, Radio Personality, Talk Show Host, Journalist / 1927 - 2013
Dr. Joyce Brothers was a famous psychologist and multimedia personality known for dispensing frank advice on relationships, intimacy, sexuality and self-worth.
See full bio
(1927-2013)
Psychologist, Radio Personality, Talk Show Host, Journalist
-
Pearl S. Buck
Civil Rights Activist, Women's Rights Activist, Author / 1892 - 1973
Prolific author Pearl S. Buck earned a Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Good Earth. She was also the first female to win a Nobel Prize for Literature.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1892-1973)
Civil Rights Activist, Women's Rights Activist, Author
c
-
Elbert Frank Cox
Mathematician / 1895 - 1969
In 1925, Elbert Frank Cox became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. He taught for 40 years and inspired future Black mathematicians.
See full bio
(1895-1969)
Mathematician
e
-
Robert F. Engle
Educator, Economist, Academic Author, Editor / 1942 -
Robert F. Engle is a co-recipient of the 2003 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, honored for developing methods to analyze unpredictable movements in the financial market.
See full bio
(1942-)
Educator, Economist, Academic Author, Editor
f
-
Jessie Fauset
Editor, Journalist, Author, Poet / 1882 - 1961
Jessie Fauset was a teacher and writer who worked as editor for The Crisis magazine, and penned the novels Comedy: American Style and Plum Bun.
See full bio
(1882-1961)
Editor, Journalist, Author, Poet
g
-
Gabrielle Giffords
U.S. Representative / 1970 -
Gabrielle Giffords is a former Arizona congresswoman who made headlines when she became the victim of an assassination attempt, from which she later recovered.
See full bio
(1970-)
U.S. Representative
-
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Supreme Court Justice / 1933 -
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, the second woman to be appointed to the position.
See full bio
(1933-)
Supreme Court Justice
-
Sheldon Glashow
Physicist, Academic Author / 1932 -
Sheldon Glashow received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1979. His work on the electroweak theory explained the unity of electromagnetism and the weak force.
See full bio
(1932-)
Physicist, Academic Author
-
Greg Graffin
Musician / 1963 -
Greg Graffin is the frontman of the punk group Bad Religion, which created albums like How Could Hell Be Any Worse? and Into the Unknown.
See full bio
(1963-)
Musician
h
-
Howard Hawks
Director, Producer, Screenwriter / 1896 - 1977
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Howard Hawks directed Only Angels Have Wings, Sergeant York, Scarface, Bringing Up Baby and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
See full bio
(1896-1977)
Director, Producer, Screenwriter
l
-
Jane Lynch
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress / 1960 -
Jane Lynch is a Golden Globe and Emmy-Award winning film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Coach Sue Sylvester on the TV series Glee.
See full bio
(1960-)
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress
m
-
Bill Maher
Animal Rights Activist, Comedian, Talk Show Host / 1956 -
Bill Maher is an American comedian, talk show host and political commentator.
See full bio
(1956-)
Animal Rights Activist, Comedian, Talk Show Host
-
Barbara McClintock
Botanist, Geneticist / 1902 - 1992
Scientist Barbara McClintock won a Nobel Prize in 1983 for her study of corn chromosomes, which revolutionized the field of cytogenetics.
See full bio
(1902-1992)
Botanist, Geneticist
-
Toni Morrison
Writer / 1931 -
Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1931-)
Writer
n
-
Bill Nye
Engineer, Television Personality / 1955 -
Science educator Bill Nye is best known for hosting Bill Nye, the Science Guy, a PBS Kids show about science.
See full bio
(1955-)
Engineer, Television Personality
o
-
Keith Olbermann
Talk Show Host, News Anchor / 1959 -
Sportscaster and newscaster Keith Olbermann is best known for hosting ESPN's SportsCenter and his own MSNBC/Current TV nightly news program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann.
See full bio
(1959-)
Talk Show Host, News Anchor
p
-
Gregory Pincus
Doctor, Biologist / 1903 - 1967
A pioneer in early hormonal and reproductive research, Gregory Pincus and his team of scientists are credited with formulating the first oral contraceptive for birth control.
See full bio
(1903-1967)
Doctor, Biologist
-
Thomas Pynchon
Author / 1937 -
Thomas Pynchon is an award-winning novelist known for works like The Crying of Lot 49 and Gravity's Rainbow.
See full bio
(1937-)
Author
r
-
Janet Reno
Lawyer / 1938 -
Janet Reno broke new ground in 1993 as the first woman to serve as U.S. Attorney General, serving under President Bill Clinton.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1938-)
Lawyer
s
-
Dick Schaap
Television Personality, Journalist / 1934 - 2001
With a career that spanned five decades, Dick Schaap was one of the most admired journalists of the 20th century, especially in the field of sports.
See full bio
(1934-2001)
Television Personality, Journalist
-
Jimmy Smits
Actor / 1955 -
Jimmy Smits in an Emmy-award winning actor of Puerto Rican and Dutch descent. He starred in the Steven Bochco television dramas "L.A. Law" and "N.Y.P.D. Blue."
See full bio
(1955-)
Actor
v
-
Kurt Vonnegut
Author / 1922 - 2007
Kurt Vonnegut was an American author best known for the novels Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1922-2007)
Author
w
-
Steven Weinberg
Academic, Physicist / 1933 -
Steven Weinberg is a U.S. physicist and Nobel laureate who contributed to work on the unification of the weak force and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles.
See full bio
(1933-)
Academic, Physicist
-
E.B. White
Writer / 1899 - 1985
Writer E. B. White was a contributor to The New Yorker, co-author of The Elements of Style, and the author of Charlotte's Web.
See full bio
(1899-1985)
Writer
-
Paul Wolfowitz
Government Official / 1943 -
Paul Wolfowitz is a U.S. government official who is best known as the leading architect of the Iraq War under President George Bush's administration.
See full bio
(1943-)
Government Official
y
-
Peter Yarrow
Musician / 1938 -
One-third of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, Peter Yarrow co-wrote and sang hits like "Puff the Magic Dragon." He is now a social and political activist.
See full bio
(1938-)
Musician