Famous Educators

Bill Cosby, born William Henry Cosby Jr. on July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, grew to become a dominant figure in American entertainment throughout the latter half of the 20th century. Known primarily for his work in comedy and acting, Cosby's career spanned over five decades, during which he achieved significant milestones that have left an indelible mark on the industry. He attended Temple University in the late 1950s but dropped out to pursue his career in stand-up comedy, only to return later in life to earn his degree. Cosby's early success began in the 1960s with I Spy, a tel

Newt Gingrich's path toward a long, influential career in politics was paved at an early age. He was born Newton Leroy McPherson on June 17, 1943, in Harrisburg, Pa., and was raised on military bases where his adoptive father, career Army officer Robert Gingrich, was stationed. While he lived with his family in France in the late 1950s, the younger Gingrich developed an interest in history and politics. A visit to the World War II site of the Battle of Verdun was particularly influential, as Newt learned about the sacrifices of war and the importance of political leadership. In 1970, Gingrich

As a child, Charlie Korsmo made an auspicious start as an actor, playing Jessica Lange's troubled younger son in the drama "Men Don't Leave" (1990). Later that year, he was well-cast as the precocious street urchin known simply as 'The Kid' in Warren Beatty's big-budget "Dick Tracy." In 1991, Korsmo appeared as the offspring of leading actors in films of varying quality: Richard Dreyfuss' death-obsessed son in "What About Bob?"; William Hurt's offspring kid in "The Doctor"; and Robin Williams' child who falls under the sway of Dustin Hoffman's "Hook." Shortly thereafter, he "retired" from acti

William James Adams Jr., known professionally as will.i.am, is a dynamic personality in the global entertainment industry with his diverse talents spanning music, acting, and philanthropy. Born March 15, 1975, in Los Angeles, California, he was raised in the Eastside's Boyle Heights neighborhood, experiencing first-hand the socio-economic challenges of the area. This background fueled his passion for music and community engagement, and has greatly influenced his multifaceted career. will.i.am gained worldwide fame as a founding member of The Black Eyed Peas, an American musical group that fuse

Booker Taliaferro Washington (c. 1856 – November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and advisor to presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American community. Washington was from the last generation of black American leaders born into slavery and became the leading voice of the former slaves and their descendants. They were newly oppressed in the South by disenfranchisement and the Jim Crow discriminatory laws enacted in the post-Reconstruction Southern states in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Washingto

Bill Nye, popularly known as "The Science Guy", is an eminent television presenter, science communicator, and mechanical engineer. Nye's passion for science was ignited at a young age, leading him to pursue a Mechanical Engineering degree at Cornell University, where he graduated in 1977. After a spell working as an engineer at Boeing, his career took a dramatic twist when he won a Steve Martin look-alike contest and began moonlighting as a stand-up comedian. Combining his love for comedy with his scientific background, he started making appearances on a local sketch comedy show in Seattle, Al

Robby Benson (born Robin David Segal; January 21, 1956), is an American actor, singer, musician, director, producer, writer, composer and educator. He is best known as the voice of Beast in the Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast and its numerous sequels and spin-offs, and directed six episodes of the sitcom Friends.

Marcus Albert Foster (March 31, 1923 – November 6, 1973) was an American educator who gained a national reputation for educational excellence while serving as principal of Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1966-1969) as Associate Superintendent of Schools in Philadelphia (1969-1970), and as the first black Superintendent of a large city school district when he was appointed Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District in Oakland, California in 1970. Foster was assassinated in 1973 by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori ( MON-tiss-OR-ee, Italian: [maˈriːa montesˈsɔːri]; August 31, 1870 – May 6, 1952) was an Italian physician and educator best known for the philosophy of education that bears her name, and her writing on scientific pedagogy. At an early age, Montessori broke gender barriers and expectations when she enrolled in classes at an all-boys technical school, with hopes of becoming an engineer. She soon had a change of heart and began medical school at the Sapienza University of Rome, where she graduated – with honors – in 1896. Her educational method is still in use to

Marshall McLuhan is an actor who appeared in "Annie Hall."

Blessed with a creative streak and an aptitude for working with his hands, Adam Savage began his career onscreen as a child. Savage's father, Whitney, was an artist and filmmaker, and produced animated shorts for the children's series "Sesame Street" (PBS 1969- ). Savage began providing voice acting for the pieces as a small boy and went on to take acting classes. At the age of 18, he appeared in the music video for the Billy Joel song "You're Only Human (Second Wind)." Eventually, however, Savage discovered that he was more interested in other aspects of filmmaking. He began working in the mo

Professor Charles W. J. Withers FBA, FRSE, FAcSS is professor of historical geography at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Angela Davis was born on January 26, 1944, in Birmingham, Alabama. She became known as a radical African American educator and civil rights activist. Racial segregation and societal turmoil marked her early life. Her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement started young. Her mother, Sallye Davis, was an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Davis pursued knowledge and equality outside her hometown, earning her Bac

Fred Rogers, known as Mister Rogers, was an iconic figure in American television history. He was born on March 20, 1928, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Rogers dedicated his life to educating children and improving their well-being through his television programming. He earned a degree in Music Composition from Rollins College in Florida in 1951. Rogers began broadcasting in 1954 after seeing the medium's potential for educational purposes.

Mary Jane McLeod Bethune (born Mary Jane McLeod; July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955) was an American educator and civil rights activist. She founded a private school for African-American students in Daytona Beach, Florida. On April 25, 1944, she co-founded UNCF with William Trent and Frederick D. Patterson. She attracted donations of time and money to develop the academic school into a college, which later became Bethune-Cookman University. She also served as a national adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Roberta Bondar (; born December 4, 1945) is Canada's first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space. After more than a decade as head of an international space medicine research team collaborating with NASA, Bondar became a consultant and speaker in the business, scientific, and medical communities. Bondar has received many honours including Companion of the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario, the NASA Space Medal, over 28 honorary degrees, induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, the International Women's Forum Hall of Fame and has her own star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

Ian Campbell Bradley (born 28 May 1950) is a retired British academic, author, theologian, Church of Scotland minister, journalist and broadcaster. At the University of St Andrews, he was Professor of Cultural and Spiritual History, and was previously Principal of St Mary's College and a University chaplain. He also served as the associate minister of Holy Trinity Church, St Andrews.He has researched and written widely on religious matters, from Celtic Christianity to the future of spirituality in Britain. In addition, he has published works on the subjects of hymnody, monarchy, the Victorian

Samuel R. Delany (; born April 1, 1942), Chip Delany to his friends, is an African-American author and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism and essays on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society. His fiction includes Babel-17, The Einstein Intersection (winners of the Nebula Award for 1966 and 1967 respectively), Nova, Dhalgren, the Return to Nevèrÿon series, and Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders. His nonfiction includes Times Square Red, Times Square Blue, About Writing, and eight books of essays. After winning four Nebu

Geoffrey Canada (born January 13, 1952) is an American educator, social activist and author. Since 1990, Canada has been president of the Harlem Children's Zone in Harlem, New York, an organization that states its goal is to increase high school and college graduation rates among students in Harlem. This initiative serves a 97-block area of Harlem replete with at-risk children. Canada serves as the chairman of Children's Defense Fund's board of directors. He was a member of the board of directors of The After-School Corporation, a nonprofit organization that aims to expand educational opportun

Charles Gordone (October 12, 1925 – November 16, 1995) was an American playwright, actor, director, and educator. He was the first African American to win the annual Pulitzer Prize for Drama and he devoted much of his professional life to the pursuit of multi-racial American theater and racial unity.

Peter Ustinov was an extraordinary personality in the world of entertainment. Born on April 16, 1921, in London, England, Ustinov's career spanned six decades and encompassed everything from acting to playwriting, directing, and even journalism. He was a student of the prestigious Westminster School, after which he decided to forgo university and dive straight into his burgeoning acting career. Ustinov's talent knew no bounds as he excelled in multiple forms of art. His very first play, titled House of Regrets, debuted when he was just 19 years old, indicating a prodigious talent right from th

Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer, and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures, 532 of which were completed. Wright believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture. This philosophy was best exemplified by Fallingwater, which has been called "the best all-time work of American architecture". Wright was a leader of the Prairie School movement of architecture and developed the concept of the Usonian home, his unique vision for urban planning in the United States.

Pete Hamill was a writer and actor who was known for writing "The Yellow Handkerchief," "Flesh and Blood," and "Snow in August."

William Morris Meredith Jr. lived from January 9, 1919, to May 30, 2007. He was an American poet and educator. From 1978 to 1980, he served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.

James Randi acted in "An Honest Liar," "Nova," and "Color of Gold: A Celebration of the Klondike Centennial 1897-1902."

Charles Edward Merrill Jr. (August 17, 1920 – November 29, 2017) was an American educator, author, and philanthropist. He supported historically black colleges and founded the Commonwealth School in Boston.

John Rogers Searle, born July 31, 1932, is an American philosopher. He served as Willis S. and Marion Slusser Professor Emeritus of the Philosophy of Mind and Language and Professor of the Graduate School at UC Berkeley. Searle contributed to the philosophy of language, mind, and social thought. He began teaching at UC Berkeley in 1959. As an undergraduate, he was secretary of "Students against Joseph McCarthy". Searle earned his BA, MA, and DPhil degrees from the University of Oxford.

Sir Charles Edward Saunders (February 2, 1867 – July 25, 1937) was a Canadian agronomist. He invented the 'Marquis' wheat cultivar. His secondary school in London, Ontario, carries his name alongside other family members, including his father William Saunders and brother William Edwin Saunders.

Taha Hussein (November 15, 1889 – October 28, 1973) was one of the most influential 20th-century Egyptian writers and intellectuals. He led The Egyptian Renaissance and the modernist movement across the Middle East and North Africa. He received a sobriquet as "The Dean of Arabic Literature" (Fr. doyen des lettres arabes). Hussein was nominated for a Nobel prize in literature fourteen times.

Stedman Graham Jr. (born March 6, 1951) is an American educator, author, businessman, speaker, and podcaster. He is primarily known as the longtime partner of media mogul Oprah Winfrey. Graham and Winfrey were engaged in November 1992 but chose a "spiritual union" instead.

Jonathan Kozol, born September 5, 1936, is an American writer, educator, and activist. He is best known for his books about public education in the United States.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar CIE (September 26, 1820 – July 29, 1891), born Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay (Ishshor Chôndro Bôndopaddhae), was a Bengali polymath from the Indian subcontinent. He was a key figure in the Bengal Renaissance. Vidyasagar acted as a philosopher, academic educator, writer, translator, printer, publisher, entrepreneur, reformer, and philanthropist. His efforts to simplify and modernize Bengali prose were important. He also rationalized the Bengali alphabet and type, which had not changed since Charles Wilkins and Panchanan Karmakar cut the first (wooden) Bengali t.

David B. Yoffie is the Max and Doris Starr Professor of International Business Administration at Harvard Business School. Yoffie earned his Bachelor's degree summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brandeis University. He obtained his Master's and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford. Yoffie spent two years teaching there and served as a Visiting Scholar in 1995-6 and 2002-3. Over the last two decades, Yoffie chaired Harvard’s HBS Strategy department, the Advanced Management Program, and the Young Presidents' Organization program. He now chairs Harvard's World President's Organization.

Kenji Yoshino, born May 1, 1969, is a legal scholar and the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at New York University School of Law. He was previously the Guido Calabresi Professor of Law at Yale Law School. His work covers Constitutional law, anti-discrimination law, civil and human rights, law and literature, and Japanese law and society. Yoshino actively participates in various social and legal issues and writes books.

Elizabeth Ellery Bailey is an American economist. She holds the John C. Hower Professorship of Business and Public Policy at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She has been Director of Altria since 1989.

Jean-Michel Cousteau (born May 6, 1938) is a French oceanographic explorer, environmentalist, educator, and film producer. He is the first son of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau and the father of Fabien Cousteau and Céline Cousteau.

Salman “Sal” Khan, born October 11, 1976, is an American educator and mathematician. He founded Khan Academy, a free online education platform. Through this organization, he produced over 6,500 video lessons covering various academic subjects, focusing initially on mathematics and sciences. Salman also established Khan Lab School, a physical school linked to Khan Academy. As of June 2019, the Khan Academy YouTube channel has more than 4.8 million subscribers. The videos have been viewed over 1.6 billion times. Time named Salman in 2012.

Andrew Harvey may refer to Andrew Harvey (religious writer, author, and mystic traditions teacher), Andrew Harvey (journalist born 1944), British journalist Andrew Harvey (politician), Canadian politician Andrew Harvey, or the character in The Ambassador's Daughter.

Septima Poinsette Clark (May 3, 1898 – December 15, 1987) was a black American educator and civil rights activist. Clark developed the literacy and citizenship workshops that played an important role in the drive for voting rights and civil rights for African Americans in the Civil Rights Movement. Septima Clark's work was commonly under-appreciated by Southern male activists. She became known as the "Queen mother" or "Grandmother" of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Martin Luther King, Jr. commonly referred to Clark as "The Mother of the Movement". Clark's argument for her posi

Francisco Pascasio Moreno (May 31, 1852 – November 22, 1919) was an explorer and academic in Argentina. He is often referred to as Perito Moreno. Perito Moreno influenced the incorporation of large parts of Patagonia and its development.

Michael D. Jackson is a New Zealand poet and anthropologist. He taught at Massey University, the Australian National University, Indiana University Bloomington, and the University of Copenhagen. Jackson holds the position of distinguished professor of world religions at Harvard Divinity School.

Igor Anvar Kufayev (born January 5, 1966) is a Russian British artist, yogi, and spiritual teacher. He is also known as 'Vamadeva,' which means "preserving the aspect of Shiva in his peaceful, graceful, and poetic form".

Cheryl L. Clarke (born Washington DC, May 16, 1947) is a lesbian poet, essayist, educator, and Black feminist community activist. She lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, and Hobart, New York. She co-owns Bleinheim Hill Books, a used and rare bookstore in Hobart with her life partner, Barbara Balliet. Her younger sister, Breena Clarke, and she organize the Hobart Festival of Women writers each summer. Clarke’s scholarship focuses on African-American women's literature, black lesbian feminism, and the Black Arts Movement in the United States.

Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. He pioneered bebop and worked across many music styles. He is considered among the most important drummers in history. He collaborated with musicians including Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Stan Getz. He was inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame in 1980.

Buffy Sainte-Marie was born on February 20, 1941, on the Piapot Cree First Nation Reserve in the Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada. She is of Indigenous Canadian descent, which shapes her music and advocacy. Early life involved tragedies; she was orphaned and later adopted by a family in Maine, USA. Despite these hardships, she developed a love for music early on, learning piano and guitar and developing a talent for songwriting.

Amos Bronson Alcott (November 29, 1799 – March 4, 1888) was an American teacher, writer, philosopher, and reformer. As an educator, Alcott pioneered a conversational style for interacting with students and avoided traditional punishment. He advocated for a vegan diet before the term existed. Alcott also worked as an abolitionist and fought for women's rights. Born in Wolcott, Connecticut in 1799, he had minimal formal schooling before attempting to work as a traveling salesman.

Jesmyn Ward is an American novelist and an associate professor of English at Tulane University. She won the 2011 National Book Award for Fiction and a 2012 Alex Award with her second novel Salvage the Bones, a story about familial love and community covering the 10 days preceding Hurricane Katrina, the day of the cyclone, and the day after. Prior to her appointment at Tulane, Ward was an assistant professor of Creative Writing at the University of South Alabama. From 2008 to 2010, Ward had a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University. She was the John and Renée Grisham Writer in Residence at th

Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist.

Shelton "Shelly" Glen Berg (born August 18, 1955) is an American pianist, composer, arranger, orchestrator, and producer. He is the Dean and Patricia L. Frost Professor of Music at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

James D. Plummer has been a director of Intel since 2005. He has been a Professor in Electrical Engineering at Stanford since 1978, and Dean of Engineering since 1999. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. His research and teaching at Stanford focus on nanoscale silicon devices and technology.