Ben Carson defended himself against criticism for purchasing a $31,000 dining set for his office to Congress, saying he left details to his wife and staff. Emails from the secretary of housing and urban development seem to contradict his distancing from the purchase.
Michael Bloomberg will write a $4.5 million check to cover the 2018 U.S. financial commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement after President Trump pulled out last year. The former NYC mayor and billionaire said he hopes Trump will have changed his mind by next year.
Woodrow Wilson, the 28th U.S. president, led America through World War I and crafted the Versailles Treaty's "Fourteen Points," the last of which was creating a League of Nations to ensure world peace. Wilson also created the Federal Reserve and supported the 19th Amendment, allowing women to vote.
Spiro Agnew was twice elected U.S. vice president under Richard Nixon, but resigned from his second term after being charged with bribery, conspiracy and tax fraud.
Mathematician Kelly Miller advanced the intellectual life of African Americans, earning several advanced degrees. He was the first black man to attend Johns Hopkins University.
Park Dietz is best known as one of America's most prominent and accomplished forensic psychiatrists and has provided expert testimony in high profile cases.
Kweisi Mfume is the former President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Alger Hiss was a U.S. State Department official who was accused of membership in a communist espionage ring.
Educator John Dewey originated the experimentalism philosophy. A proponent of social change and education reform, he founded The New School for Social Research.
Rachel Carson was a marine biologist, environmentalist and writer who alerted the world to the environmental impact of fertilizers and pesticides.
Alfred Blalock was a surgeon who pioneered corrective heart surgery in newborns and did groudbreaking work related to blood loss and shock.
Russell Baker was a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and columnist who authored the autobiographies Growing Up and The Good Times.
Virginia Apgar was a physician and medical researcher who developed the Apgar Scoring System, which measures newborn well-being.
Timothy Geithner is best known as the 75th U.S. Sercretary of the Treasury, under President Barack Obama. As the CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank, he was responsible for several crucial decisions during the 2008 financial crisis.
