100 Notable Alumni of CUNY Brooklyn College [Sorted List]
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Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from CUNY Brooklyn College sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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100 Notable alumni of

CUNY Brooklyn College

Updated: February 29, 2024

EduRank

CUNY Brooklyn College is 215th in the world, 93rd in North America, and 90th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from CUNY Brooklyn College sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.

James Franco

Born in

United States

Years

1978-.. (age 46)

Occupations

screenwriterwriterfilm produceractortelevision presenter

Biography

James Edward Franco is an American actor and filmmaker. He has starred in numerous films, including Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007), Milk (2008), Eat Pray Love (2010), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). He is known for his collaborations with fellow actor Seth Rogen, having appeared in eight films and one television series with him, examples being Pineapple Express (2008), This Is the End (2013), Sausage Party (2016), and The Disaster Artist (2017), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. For his role in 127 Hours (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Bernie Sanders

Born in

United States

Years

1941-.. (age 83)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

Studied psychology

Occupations

politician

Biography

Bernard Sanders is an American politician and activist who is the senior United States senator from Vermont. Sanders is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history but has a close relationship with the Democratic Party, having caucused with House and Senate Democrats for most of his congressional career and sought the party's presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, coming second in both campaigns. He is often seen as a leader of the U.S. progressive movement.

Mel Brooks

Born in

United States

Years

1926-.. (age 98)

Occupations

actorwriterlibrettisttheatrical producervoice actor

Biography

Melvin James Brooks is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, songwriter, and playwright. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. A recipient of numerous accolades, he is one of 19 entertainers to win the EGOT, which includes an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award. He received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2010, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2013, a British Film Institute Fellowship in 2015, a National Medal of Arts in 2016, a BAFTA Fellowship in 2017, and the Honorary Academy Award in 2024.

Jimmy Smits

Born in

United States

Years

1955-.. (age 69)

Occupations

television actorfilm actoractorfilm producer

Biography

Jimmy L. Smits is an American actor. He is best known for playing attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s–1990s legal drama L.A. Law, NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s–2000s police drama NYPD Blue, Matt Santos on the political drama The West Wing, and for appearing in Switch (1991), My Family (1995), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), and In the Heights (2021). He also appeared as Bail Organa in the Star Wars franchise and as ADA Miguel Prado in Dexter. From 2012 to 2014, he joined the main cast of Sons of Anarchy as Nero Padilla. Smits also portrayed Elijah Strait in the NBC drama series Bluff City Law.

Alan Dershowitz

Born in

United States

Years

1938-.. (age 86)

Occupations

university teacherscreenwriterlawyer

Biography

Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer and law professor known for his work in U.S. constitutional law and American criminal law. From 1964 to 2013, he taught at Harvard Law School, where he was appointed as the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law in 1993. Dershowitz is a regular media contributor, political commentator, and legal analyst.

Don Lemon

Born in

United States

Years

1966-.. (age 58)

Occupations

opinion journalist

Biography

Don Lemon is an American television journalist best known for being a host on CNN from 2014 until 2023. He anchored weekend news programs on local television stations in Alabama and Pennsylvania during his early days as a journalist. Lemon worked as a news correspondent for NBC on its programming, such as Today and NBC Nightly News. Lemon is also a recipient of an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2002 for his coverage of the capture of the Washington, D.C. snipers. He also received three regional Emmy Awards for his special report on real estate in Chicago and a business feature on craigslist.

David Geffen

Born in

United States

Years

1943-.. (age 81)

Occupations

music executivetelevision producertheatrical producertalent agentrecord producer

Biography

David Lawrence Geffen is an American filmmaker, record executive, and entrepreneur. He co-created Asylum Records in 1971 with Elliot Roberts, Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1990, and DreamWorks SKG in 1994.

Al Sharpton

Born in

United States

Years

1954-.. (age 70)

Occupations

politiciantelevision presenterradio personalityfilm actorhuman rights activist

Biography

Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. is an American civil rights and social justice activist, Baptist minister, radio talk show host, and TV personality, who is also the founder of the National Action Network civil rights organization. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election. He hosts a weekday radio talk show, Keepin' It Real, which is nationally syndicated by Urban One, and he is a political analyst and weekend host for MSNBC, hosting PoliticsNation.

Shirley Chisholm

Born in

United States

Years

1924-2005 (aged 81)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

In 1946 studied sociology

Occupations

politician

Biography

Shirley Anita Chisholm was an American politician who, in 1968, became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm represented New York's 12th congressional district, a district centered on Bedford–Stuyvesant, for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In 1972, she became the first black candidate for a major-party nomination for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Throughout her career, she was known for taking "a resolute stand against economic, social, and political injustices," as well as being a strong supporter of black civil rights and women's rights.

Philip Zimbardo

Born in

United States

Years

1933-.. (age 91)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

Studied in 1954

Occupations

university teacherscreenwriterpsychologistsocial psychologistnon-fiction writer

Biography

Philip George Zimbardo is an American psychologist and a professor emeritus at Stanford University. He became known for his 1971 Stanford prison experiment, which was later severely criticized for both ethical and scientific reasons. He has authored various introductory psychology textbooks for college students, and other notable works, including The Lucifer Effect, The Time Paradox, and The Time Cure. He is also the founder and president of the Heroic Imagination Project.

Dominic Chianese

Born in

United States

Years

1931-.. (age 93)

Occupations

singeractorexecutive produceranimatorproducer

Biography

Dominic Chianese is an American actor, singer, and musician. He is best known for his roles as Junior Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos (1999–2007), Johnny Ola in The Godfather Part II (1974), and Leander in Boardwalk Empire (2011–2013).

Barbara Boxer

Born in

United States

Years

1940-.. (age 84)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

In 1962 graduated with Bachelor of Arts

Occupations

writercongressional staffnewspaper editorpoliticianstockbroker

Biography

Barbara Sue Boxer is an American politician, lobbyist and former reporter who served in the United States Senate, representing California from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the U.S. representative for California's 6th congressional district from 1983 until 1993.

Stanley Milgram

Born in

United States

Years

1933-1984 (aged 51)

Occupations

social psychologistuniversity teacherpsychologistsociologist

Biography

Stanley Milgram was an American social psychologist, best known for his controversial experiments on obedience conducted in the 1960s during his professorship at Yale.

Steve Schirripa

Born in

United States

Years

1958-.. (age 66)

Occupations

actorwritertelevision producer

Biography

Steven Ralph Schirripa is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos, Leo Boykewich on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and Detective Anthony Abetemarco on Blue Bloods. Schirripa is host of two Investigation Discovery series: Karma's A B*tch! and Nothing Personal. He is the voice of Roberto in the Open Season film series.

Herb Edelman

Born in

United States

Years

1933-1996 (aged 63)

Occupations

stage actortelevision actorfilm actoractor

Biography

Herbert Edelman was an American actor of stage, film and television. He was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for his television work. His best-known role was as Stanley Zbornak, the ex-husband of Dorothy Zbornak (played by Bea Arthur) on The Golden Girls. He also had a recurring role on the 1980s medical drama St. Elsewhere.

Linda Sarsour

Born in

United States

Years

1980-.. (age 44)

Occupations

community organizerhuman rights activistwriterpolitical activist

Biography

Linda Sarsour is an American political activist. She was co-chair of the 2017 Women's March, the 2017 Day Without a Woman, and the 2019 Women's March. She is also a former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York. She and her Women's March co-chairs were profiled in Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People" in 2017.

Saul Bass

Born in

United States

Years

1920-1996 (aged 76)

Occupations

filmmakergraphic artistdesignerphotographergraphic designer

Biography

Saul Bass was an American graphic designer and Oscar-winning filmmaker, best known for his design of motion-picture title sequences, film posters, and corporate logos.

Larry Sanders

Born in

United States

Years

1935-.. (age 89)

Occupations

politicianuniversity teacher

Biography

Lawrence Sanders is an American-British academic, social worker, politician, and former Health and Social Care Spokesperson of the Green Party of England and Wales. He is the older brother of Bernie Sanders, United States Senator from Vermont, and two-time U.S. presidential candidate.

Brian Quinn

Born in

United States

Years

1976-.. (age 48)

Occupations

television actorcomedian

Biography

Brian Michael "Q" Quinn is an American podcaster, improvisational comedian, and actor. He is a member of The Tenderloins, a comedy troupe also consisting of Sal Vulcano, James Murray, and formerly Joe Gatto. Along with the other members of The Tenderloins, he stars in the television series Impractical Jokers, which premiered on December 15, 2011, on TruTV.

Sara Shepard

Born in

United States

Years

1977-.. (age 47)

Occupations

novelistchildren's writerwriter

Biography

Sara Shepard is an American author. She is known for the bestselling Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game book series, both of which have been turned into television shows on Freeform.

Ocean Vuong

Born in

Vietnam

Years

1988-.. (age 36)

Occupations

poetwriteruniversity teacheressayist

Biography

Ocean Vuong is a Vietnamese American poet, essayist, and novelist. Vuong is a recipient of the 2014 Ruth Lilly/Sargent Rosenberg fellowship from the Poetry Foundation, a 2016 Whiting Award, and the 2017 T. S. Eliot Prize for his poetry. His debut novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, was published in 2019. He received a MacArthur Grant the same year.

Necro

Born in

United States

Years

1976-.. (age 48)

Occupations

musicianrapperrecord producer

Biography

Ron Raphael Braunstein, professionally known by his stage name Necro, is an American rapper and record producer from New York City. He founded his own independent record label Psycho+Logical-Records in November 1999. He is a member of hip hop groups the Circle of Tyrants and Secret Society together with his older brother Ill Bill, and one-half of The Godfathers alongside Kool G Rap.

Alan Vega

Born in

United States

Years

1938-2016 (aged 78)

Occupations

sculptorpaintermusiciansinger

Biography

Alan Bermowitz, known professionally as Alan Vega, was an American vocalist and visual artist, primarily known for his work with the electronic protopunk duo Suicide.

Paul Mazursky

Born in

United States

Years

1930-2014 (aged 84)

Occupations

directorscreenwriterfilm actoractorfilm producer

Biography

Irwin Lawrence "Paul" Mazursky was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor. Known for his dramatic comedies that often dealt with modern social issues, he was nominated for five Academy Awards for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), An Unmarried Woman (1978), Harry and Tonto (1974), and Enemies, A Love Story (1989). He is also known for directing such films as Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Moon over Parador (1988), and Scenes from a Mall (1991).

Sylvia Fine

Born in

United States

Years

1913-1991 (aged 78)

Occupations

songwriteractorcomposerfilm producerlyricist

Biography

Sylvia Fine Kaye was an American lyricist, composer, and producer. Many of her compositions and productions were performed by her husband, comedian Danny Kaye. Fine was a Peabody Award-winner and was nominated for two Academy Awards and two Emmys during her career. She won an Emmy award in 1976 for children's special.

Sharon Jones

Born in

United States

Years

1956-2016 (aged 60)

Occupations

singer

Biography

Sharon Lafaye Jones was an American soul and funk singer. She was the lead singer of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, a soul and funk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Jones experienced breakthrough success relatively late in life, releasing her first record when she was 40 years old. In 2014, Jones was nominated for her first Grammy, in the category Best R&B Album, for Give the People What They Want.

Benjamin Brafman

Born in

United States

Years

1948-.. (age 76)

Occupations

lawyer

Biography

Benjamin Brafman is an American criminal defense attorney and founder of the Manhattan-based law firm Brafman & Associates. Brafman is known for representing many high-profile defendants, including celebrities, accused Mafia members, and political figures.

Bruce Morrow

Born in

United States

Years

1935-.. (age 89)

Occupations

disc jockey

Biography

Bruce Morrow is an American radio performer, publicly known as Cousin Brucie or Cousin Bruce Morrow. In an October 2020 interview, Morrow said he received the moniker "Cousin" while in the lobby of his midtown Manhattan WABC studio when an elderly woman once asked him "Cousin, lend me fifty cents to get home" to whom he did give that fifty cents. The name stuck for six decades.

Iris Weinshall

Born in

United States

Years

1953-.. (age 71)

Occupations

politician

Biography

Iris Weinshall is the chief operating officer of The New York Public Library, former vice chancellor at the City University of New York and a former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation. Weinshall was appointed Chief Operating Officer by the Library in July 2014, and she began her tenure on September 1, 2014. She is the wife of U.S. Senator and Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer.

Ira Rennert

Born in

United States

Years

1934-.. (age 90)

Occupations

financier

Biography

Ira Leon Rennert is an American billionaire businessman, and the chairman and CEO of Renco Group.

Charlie Shrem

Born in

United States

Years

1989-.. (age 35)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

2008-2012 graduated with Bachelor of Science

Occupations

entrepreneur

Biography

Charles Shrem IV is an American entrepreneur and bitcoin advocate. He co-founded the now-defunct startup company BitInstant, and is a founding member of the Bitcoin Foundation. In 2014 he was sentenced to two years in prison for aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money-transmitting business related to the Silk Road marketplace. He was released from prison in 2016. In 2017, he joined Jaxx and served as its chief operating officer, and founded cryptocurrency advisory CryptoIQ.

Gata Kamsky

Born in

Russia

Years

1974-.. (age 50)

Occupations

chess player

Biography

Gata Kamsky is a Soviet-born American chess grandmaster, and a five-time U.S. champion.

Jumaane Williams

Born in

United States

Years

1976-.. (age 48)

Occupations

politician

Biography

Jumaane D. Williams is an American activist and politician who has served as the New York City Public Advocate since 2019. He is a former member of the New York City Council from the 45th district, which includes East Flatbush, Flatbush, Flatlands, Marine Park, and Midwood in Brooklyn.

Marvin Kaplan

Born in

United States

Years

1927-2016 (aged 89)

Occupations

film actorscreenwritertelevision actoractorfilm producer

Biography

Marvin Wilbur Kaplan was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter who was best known as Henry Beesmeyer in Alice (1978–1985).

Paul Beatty

Born in

United States

Years

1962-.. (age 62)

Occupations

novelistwriterpoet

Biography

Paul Beatty is an American author and an associate professor of writing at Columbia University. In 2016, he won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Booker Prize for his novel The Sellout. It was the first time a writer from the United States was honored with the Man Booker.

Doc Pomus

Born in

United States

Years

1925-1991 (aged 66)

Occupations

songwriterwritermusiciansinger

Biography

Jerome Solon Felder, known professionally as Doc Pomus, was an American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-writer of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer in 1992, the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1992), and the Blues Hall of Fame (2012).

Mousa Kraish

Born in

United States

Years

1975-.. (age 49)

Occupations

actor

Biography

Mousa Hussein Kraish is an American actor and director, who has appeared in several Hollywood films including Steven Spielberg's 2005 film Munich. He is best known for his role as the Jinn in American Gods.

Sandy Baron

Born in

United States

Years

1937-2001 (aged 64)

Occupations

stage actortelevision actorscreenwriterfilm actor

Biography

Sandy Baron was an American actor and comedian who performed on stage, in films, and on television. He is best known for his recurring role of Jack Klompus on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld.

Malachi Throne

Born in

United States

Years

1928-2013 (aged 85)

Occupations

television actorstage actorfilm actoractorvoice actor

Biography

Malachi Throne was an American actor best known as Noah Bain on It Takes a Thief. He also had guest-starring roles on multiple television series, including Star Trek and Batman, and appeared in films and theater.

Mike Garson

Born in

United States

Years

1945-.. (age 79)

Occupations

pianistcomposer

Biography

Michael David Garson is an American pianist, who has worked with David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, St. Vincent, Duran Duran, Free Flight, The Smashing Pumpkins, Melissa Auf der Maur and The Pretty Reckless.

Donald Kagan

Born in

Lithuania

Years

1932-2021 (aged 89)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

In 1954 graduated with Bachelor of Arts

Occupations

historianuniversity teacheracademicclassical philologistnon-fiction writer

Biography

Donald Kagan was a Lithuanian-born American historian and classicist at Yale University specializing in ancient Greece. He formerly taught in the Department of History at Cornell University. Kagan was considered among the foremost American scholars of Greek history and is notable for his four-volume history of the Peloponnesian War.

Walter Block

Born in

United States

Years

1941-.. (age 83)

Occupations

businesspersonphilosophereconomist

Biography

Walter Edward Block is an American Austrian School economist and anarcho-capitalist theorist. He was the Harold E. Wirth Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Economics at the School of Business at Loyola University New Orleans and a senior fellow of the non-profit think-tank Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama.

Stanley Cohen

Born in

United States

Years

1922-2020 (aged 98)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

Graduated with bachelor's degree in chemistry and zoology

Occupations

biochemistphysiologistendocrinologistuniversity teacher

Biography

Stanley Cohen was an American biochemist who, along with Rita Levi-Montalcini, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1986 for the isolation of nerve growth factor and the discovery of epidermal growth factor. He died in February 2020 at the age of 97.

Mark Lane

Born in

United States

Years

1927-2016 (aged 89)

Occupations

writerlawyerconspiracy theoristpoliticianjurist

Biography

Mark Lane was an American attorney, New York state legislator, civil rights activist, and Vietnam war-crimes investigator. Sometimes referred to as a gadfly, Lane is best known as a leading researcher, author, and conspiracy theorist on the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy. Lane authored 10 books on the JFK assassination, including Rush to Judgment,, the 1966 number-one bestselling critique of the Warren Commission and Last Word: My Indictment of the CIA in the Murder of JFK, published in 2011.

Annie Baker

Born in

United States

Years

1981-.. (age 43)

Occupations

playwrightpedagogueteacher

Biography

Annie Baker is an American playwright and teacher who won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for her play The Flick. Among her works are the Shirley, Vermont plays, which take place in the fictional town of Shirley: Circle Mirror Transformation, Nocturama, Body Awareness, and The Aliens. She was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2017.

Glenn Thrush

Born in

United States

Years

1967-.. (age 57)

Occupations

political journalistjournalist

Biography

Glenn Thrush is an American journalist, pundit, and author. He is a reporter for The New York Times, formerly a White House correspondent. He is also a contributor for MSNBC, and was previously chief political correspondent at Politico and a senior staff writer for Politico Magazine.

Sid Rosenberg

Born in

United States

Years

1967-.. (age 57)

Occupations

radio personalityjournalist

Biography

Sidney Ferris Rosenberg is an American radio personality. He is currently the host of Sid and Friends in the Morning and "Sid Sports Sunday" plus sports reporter on 77 WABC in New York City.

Israel Kirzner

Born in

United Kingdom

Years

1930-.. (age 94)

Occupations

writeruniversity teachereconomistethicistrabbi

Biography

Israel Meir Kirzner is a British-born American economist, historian, rabbi, and Talmudist closely identified with the Austrian School.

Bhikkhu Bodhi

Born in

United States

Years

1944-.. (age 80)

Occupations

Bhikkhu

Biography

Bhikkhu Bodhi, born Jeffrey Block, is an American Theravada Buddhist monk ordained in Sri Lanka. He teaches in the New York and New Jersey area. He was appointed the second president of the Buddhist Publication Society and has edited and authored several publications grounded in the Theravada Buddhist tradition.

Fran Fraschilla

Born in

United States

Years

1958-.. (age 66)

Occupations

basketball playerbasketball coachhead coach

Biography

Francis John Fraschilla is an American basketball commentator and former college basketball coach.

Elliot Tiber

Born in

United States

Years

1935-2016 (aged 81)

Occupations

painterwriterscreenwriterlibrettist

Biography

Elliot Michael Tiber was an artist, professor, and screenwriter who wrote a memoir about the Woodstock Festival held in Bethel, New York in 1969. He claimed responsibility for the relocation of the festival after a permit for it was withdrawn by the zoning board of a nearby town.

Peter Nero

Born in

United States

Years

1934-2023 (aged 89)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

Studied in 1956

Occupations

pianistmusicianconductor

Biography

Peter Nero was an American pianist and pops conductor. He directed the Philly Pops from 1979 to 2013, and earned two Grammy Awards, including the award for Best New Artist in 1962, as well as a total of 8 nominations.

Rachelle Vinberg

Born in

United States

Years

1998-.. (age 26)

Occupations

skateboarderactor

Biography

Rachelle Vinberg is an American skateboarder and actress. She is best known for starring as Camille, a fictionalized version of herself, in the film Skate Kitchen and the TV series Betty inspired by the real group of female skaters she is a part of.

Marty Markowitz

Born in

United States

Years

1945-.. (age 79)

Occupations

politician

Biography

Martin Markowitz is an American politician who served as the borough president of Brooklyn, New York City. He was first elected in 2001 after serving 23 years as a New York State Senator. His third and final term ended in December 2013.

Robert A. Daly

Born in

United States

Years

1936-.. (age 88)

Occupations

business executive

Biography

Robert Anthony Daly is an American business executive who has led organizations such as CBS Entertainment, Warner Bros., Warner Music Group, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Novella Nelson

Born in

United States

Years

1939-2017 (aged 78)

Occupations

television actorstage actorsingerfilm actoractor

Biography

Novella Christine Nelson was an American actress and singer. She established her career as a singer, both on the off-Broadway and Broadway stage and in cabaret-style locales.

Joel Zwick

Born in

United States

Years

1942-.. (age 82)

Occupations

film directortheatrical directorfilm producertelevision director

Biography

Joel Rudolf Zwick is an American film director, television director, and theater director. He worked on the television series Perfect Strangers, Full House, and Family Matters, and directed the films My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Second Sight, and Fat Albert.

Michael Salzhauer

Born in

United States

Years

1972-.. (age 52)

Occupations

plastic surgeon

Biography

Michael Salzhauer is an American celebrity doctor who practices plastic surgery. He is active on social media as Dr. Miami, has been on reality TV, has recorded a song, and written a children's book. He runs a plastic surgery practice in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida.

Sam Levenson

Born in

United States

Years

1911-1980 (aged 69)

Occupations

journalisttelevision presenterwriterteacher

Biography

Samuel Levenson was an American humorist, writer, teacher, television host, and journalist.

Alfred Drake

Born in

United States

Years

1914-1992 (aged 78)

Occupations

television actortheatrical directorstage actorsingerplaywright

Biography

Alfred Drake was an American actor and singer.

Gloria Naylor

Born in

United States

Years

1950-2016 (aged 66)

Occupations

novelistwriter

Biography

Gloria Naylor was an American novelist, known for novels including The Women of Brewster Place (1982), Linden Hills (1985) and Mama Day (1988).

Tuli Kupferberg

Born in

United States

Years

1923-2010 (aged 87)

Occupations

writersongwritersingerpoetmusician

Biography

Naphtali "Tuli" Kupferberg was an American counterculture poet, author, singer, cartoonist, publisher, and co-founder of the rock band The Fugs.

Vera Katz

Born in

Germany

Years

1933-2017 (aged 84)

Occupations

politician

Biography

Vera Katz was an American Democratic politician in the state of Oregon. She was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and was the 49th mayor of Portland, Oregon's most populous city. She grew up in New York City, moving to Portland in 1962, and was elected to the Oregon House in 1972. She served as mayor from 1993 to 2005.

Naren Weiss

Born in

United States

Years

1991-.. (age 33)

Occupations

stage actor

Biography

Naren Weiss is an actor, playwright, and former model. He played Osama bin Laden in Kamal Haasan's film on terrorism Vishwaroopam, Dekker in the ABC series Deception, and is known for his work in theatre in India and the United States.

Roya Hakakian

Born in

Iran

Years

1966-.. (age 58)

Occupations

film directorhuman rights activistwriterbiographerreporter

Biography

Roya Hakakian is an Iranian American Jewish journalist, lecturer, and writer. Born in Iran, she came to the United States as a refugee and is now a naturalized citizen. She is the author of several books, including an acclaimed memoir in English called Journey from the Land of No (Crown), Assassins of the Turquoise Palace (Grove/Atlantic), and A Beginner's Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious (Knopf).

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Born in

United States

Years

1939-.. (age 85)

Occupations

theologianwriterbiographerpoetpainter

Biography

Satsvarupa das Goswami is a senior disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), better known in the West as the Hare Krishna movement. Serving as a writer, poet, and artist, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami is the author of Bhaktivedanta Swami's authorized biography, Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta. After Prabhupada's death, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami was one of the eleven disciples selected to initiate future disciples. Satsvarupa dasa Goswami is one of the first few Westerners ordained by Bhaktivedanta Swami in September 1966. He is a Vaishnava writer, poet, and lecturer, who published over a hundred books including poems, memoirs, essays, novels, and studies based on the Vaishnava scriptures.

Jean-Claude La Marre

Born in

United States

Years

1973-.. (age 51)

Occupations

screenwritertelevision actoractorfilm producerfilm director

Biography

Jean-Claude La Marre is a Haitian-American actor, writer, and director. His acting credits include the films Malcolm X and Dead Presidents. On television, he has guest-starred on New York Undercover, Law & Order, and NYPD Blue. He is also the writer and director of the independent films Gang of Roses and Go for Broke.

Jack B. Weinstein

Born in

United States

Years

1921-2021 (aged 100)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

Graduated with Bachelor of Arts

Occupations

lawyerjuristuniversity teacherjudge

Biography

Jack Bertrand Weinstein was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Until his entry into inactive senior status on February 10, 2020, he maintained a full docket of cases.

Walter Yetnikoff

Born in

United States

Years

1933-2021 (aged 88)

Occupations

record producer

Biography

Walter Yetnikoff was an American music industry executive who was the president of CBS Records International from 1971 to 1975 and then president and CEO of CBS Records from 1975 to 1990.

Dmitry Chaplin

Born in

Russia

Years

1982-.. (age 42)

Occupations

dancerchoreographer

Biography

Dmitry Chaplin is a Russian dancer, choreographer, and actor, best known for being a Top 10 finalist on the second season of the dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance. While competing on the series, he became known for performing shirtless, with one solo routine having him rip off his shirt. In 2009, Chaplin was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his choreography.

Izzy Young

Born in

United States

Years

1928-2019 (aged 91)

Occupations

music journalistwritermanufacturer

Biography

Israel Goodman Young, known as Izzy Young, was a noted figure in the world of folk music, both in America and Sweden. He was once the owner of the Folklore Center in Greenwich Village, New York, and from 1973 until his death, owned and operated the Folklore Centrum store in Stockholm.

Leonard Lopate

Born in

United States

Years

1940-.. (age 84)

Occupations

radio personality

Biography

Leonard Lopate is an American radio personality. He is the host of the radio talk show Leonard Lopate at Large, broadcast on WBAI, and the former host of the public radio talk show The Leonard Lopate Show, broadcast on WNYC. He first broadcast on WKCR, the college radio station of Columbia University, and then later on WBAI, before moving to WNYC.

Robert Rosenthal

Born in

United States

Years

1917-2007 (aged 90)

Occupations

prosecutorlawyer

Biography

Lieutenant Colonel Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal was an American lawyer and Army officer. A highly decorated B-17 commander of the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, Rosenthal was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross. Although bomber crews were only required to complete 25 combat missions in a combat tour to earn the right to rotate home, Rosenthal flew a total of 52 missions and was shot down twice. After the war, Rosenthal served as an assistant to the U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials.

Robert Katz

Born in

United States

Years

1933-2010 (aged 77)

Occupations

writerproducernovelistscreenwriterjournalist

Biography

Robert Katz was an American novelist, screenwriter, and non-fiction author.

Young Jean Lee

Born in

South Korea

Years

1974-.. (age 50)

Occupations

university teachercreatorplaywrighttheatrical directorwriter

Biography

Young Jean Lee is an American playwright, director, and filmmaker. She was the Artistic Director of Young Jean Lee's Theater Company, a not-for-profit theater company dedicated to producing her work. She has written and directed ten shows for Young Jean Lee's Theater Company and toured her work to over thirty cities around the world. Lee was called "the most adventurous downtown playwright of her generation" by Charles Isherwood in The New York Times and "one of the best experimental playwrights in America" by David Cote in Time Out New York. With the 2018 production of Straight White Men at the Hayes Theater, Lee became the first Asian American woman to have a play produced on Broadway.

Stanley Aronowitz

Born in

United States

Years

1933-2021 (aged 88)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

Studied in 1950

Occupations

sociologistpoliticiancultural studies scholar

Biography

Stanley Aronowitz was an American sociologist, trade union official, and political activist. A professor of sociology, cultural studies, and urban education at the CUNY Graduate Center, his longtime political activism and cultural criticism was influential in the New Left movement of the 1960s, 1970s, and beyond. He was also an advocate for organized labor and a member of the interim consultative committee of the International Organization for a Participatory Society. In 2012, Aronowitz was awarded the Center for Study of Working Class Life's Lifetime Achievement Award at Stony Brook University.

Arturo O'Farrill

Born in

Mexico

Years

1960-.. (age 64)

Occupations

university teacherjazz musiciancomposerconductorbandleader

Biography

Arturo O'Farrill is a jazz musician, the son of Latin jazz musician, arranger and bandleader Chico O'Farrill, and pianist, composer, and director for the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. He is best known for his contributions to contemporary Latin jazz (more specifically Afro-Cuban jazz), having received Grammy Awards and nominations, though he has trained in other forms such as free jazz and experimented briefly with hip hop.

Greg Grandin

Born in

United States

Years

1962-.. (age 62)

Occupations

historian

Biography

Greg Grandin is an American historian and author. He is a professor of history at Yale University. He previously taught at New York University.

Yossi Klein Halevi

Born in

United States

Years

1953-.. (age 71)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

In 1978 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in Jewish studies

Occupations

historianwriteropinion journalistactivistjournalist

Biography

Yossi Klein Halevi is an American-born Israeli author and journalist.

Edward Taub

Born in

United States

Years

1931-.. (age 93)

Occupations

neuroscientist

Biography

Edward Taub is a behavioral neuroscientist on the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is best known for his involvement in the Silver Spring monkeys case, for making discoveries in the area of neuroplasticity, and developing constraint-induced movement therapy; a family of techniques which helps the rehabilitation of people who have developed learned non-use as a result of suffering neurological injuries from a stroke or other cause.

Paul Tripp

Born in

United States

Years

1911-2002 (aged 91)

Occupations

stage actorvoice actorscreenwriterfilm actor

Biography

Paul Tripp was an American children's musician, author, songwriter, and television and film actor. He collaborated with a fellow composer, George Kleinsinger. Tripp was the creator of the 1945 "Tubby the Tuba", a piece of classical music for children that has become his best-known work. He authored several books, including Rabbi Santa Claus and Diary of a Leaf.

David Weiss Halivni

Born in

Ukraine

Years

1927-2022 (aged 95)

Occupations

educatortalmudisttheologianrabbi

Biography

David Weiss Halivni was a European-born American-Israeli rabbi, scholar in the domain of Jewish sciences, and Professor of Talmud. He served as Reish Metivta of the Union for Traditional Judaism's rabbinical school.

Naomi Ragen

Born in

United States

Years

1949-.. (age 75)

Occupations

children's writerwriteractivist

Biography

Naomi Ragen is an American-Israeli modern-Orthodox Jewish author and playwright. Ragen lives in Jerusalem, and writes in English. A recurring theme in her fictional works is injustice against women in the Haredi Jewish community. Ragen has been the subject of various lawsuits over claims of plagiarism.

Bill Baird

Born in

United States

Years

1930-.. (age 94)

Occupations

human rights activist

Biography

Bill Baird is a reproductive rights pioneer, called by some media the "father" of the birth control and abortion-rights movement. He was jailed eight times in five states in the 1960s for lecturing on abortion and birth control. Baird is believed to be the first and only non-lawyer in American history with three Supreme Court victories.

Stanley Shapiro

Born in

United States

Years

1925-1990 (aged 65)

Occupations

film producerwriterscreenwriter

Steve Malzberg

Years

1959-.. (age 65)

Occupations

radio personality

Biography

Stephen D. Malzberg is an American television and radio host, syndicated columnist, and political commentator. He hosted The Steve Malzberg Show, a cable news and opinion show on Newsmax TV. He has also hosted The Steve Malzberg Show and various other radio shows on WABC Radio in NYC and on WOR Radio, also in NYC where his show was syndicated on the WOR Radio Network.

Paul Davidson

Born in

United States

Years

1930-.. (age 94)

Occupations

economistuniversity teacher

Biography

Paul Davidson is an American macroeconomist who has been one of the leading spokesmen of the American branch of the post-Keynesian school in economics. He has actively intervened in important debates on economic policy (natural resources, international monetary system, developing countries' debt) from a position critical of mainstream economics.

Frank Harary

Born in

United States

Years

1921-2005 (aged 84)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

Studied in 1938-1945

Occupations

university teachermathematician

Biography

Frank Harary was an American mathematician, who specialized in graph theory. He was widely recognized as one of the "fathers" of modern graph theory. Harary was a master of clear exposition and, together with his many doctoral students, he standardized the terminology of graphs. He broadened the reach of this field to include physics, psychology, sociology, and even anthropology. Gifted with a keen sense of humor, Harary challenged and entertained audiences at all levels of mathematical sophistication. A particular trick he employed was to turn theorems into games—for instance, students would try to add red edges to a graph on six vertices in order to create a red triangle, while another group of students tried to add edges to create a blue triangle (and each edge of the graph had to be either blue or red). Because of the theorem on friends and strangers, one team or the other would have to win.

Aleksandr Lenderman

Born in

Russia

Years

1989-.. (age 35)

Occupations

chess player

Biography

Aleksandr "Alex" Lenderman is an American chess grandmaster. He won the 2005 World Under-16 Championship in Belfort with a score of 9/10 (+8 −0 =2), becoming the first American to win a gold medal at the World Youth Chess Championship since Tal Shaked won the World Junior Championship in 1997.

Shosha Goren

Born in

Iraq

Years

1943-.. (age 81)

Occupations

actorstage actor

Biography

Shosha Goren is an Israeli actress and comedian of Iraqi Jewish descent. She immigrated to Israel in 1951. While on a visit to the United States, she abandoned her position as teacher of Hebrew Literature and Language and went on to pursue her acting career at Brooklyn College in New York. However, in 1980, she returned to Israel with her family.

Irving Greenberg

Born in

United States

Years

1933-.. (age 91)

Occupations

educatorhistorianphilosopherrabbi

Biography

Irving Yitzchak Greenberg, also known as Yitz Greenberg, is an American scholar, author and rabbi. He is known as a strong supporter of Israel, and a promoter of greater understanding between Judaism and Christianity.

Bernice Sandler

Born in

United States

Years

1928-2019 (aged 91)

Occupations

women's rights activist

Biography

Bernice Resnick Sandler was an American women's rights activist. She is best known for being instrumental in the creation of Title IX, a portion of the Education Amendments of 1972, in conjunction with representatives Edith Green and Patsy Mink and Senator Birch Bayh in the 1970s. She has been called "the Godmother of Title IX" by The New York Times. Sandler wrote extensively about sexual and peer harassment towards women on campus, coining the phrase "the chilly campus climate".

Tina Satter

Born in

United States

Occupations

film directorplaywrighttheatrical directorscreenwriter

Biography

Kristina "Tina" Satter is an American filmmaker, playwright, and director based in New York City. She is the founder and artistic director of the theater company Half Straddle, which formed in 2008 and received an Obie Award grant in 2013. Satter won a Guggenheim in 2020. Satter was described by Ben Brantley of the New York Times as "a genre-and-gender-bending, visually exacting stage artist who has developed an ardent following among downtown aesthetes with a taste for acidic eye candy and erotic enigmas." Her work often deals with subjects of gender, sexual identity, adolescence, and sports.

Sante D'Orazio

Born in

United States

Years

1956-.. (age 68)

Occupations

fashion photographerphotographer

Biography

Sante D'Orazio is an American photographer. D'Orazio exhibited in the Kunsthaus Munich, Kunsthauswien Vienna, the L.A. County Museum, Kahmann Gallery (Amsterdam), Stellan Holm Gallery (New York), Cameraworks Gallery (Berlin) Hilario Galguera Gallery (Mexico City), and NRW Forum in Düsseldorf. His publications include: A Private View, Sante D'Orazio Photographs, Pam: American Icon, Katlick School, Gianni and Donatella, and Barely Private.

Melvin Konner

Born in

United States

Years

1946-.. (age 78)

Occupations

anthropologistpsychiatrist

Biography

Melvin Joel Konner is an American anthropologist who is the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Anthropology and of Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology at Emory University. He studied at Brooklyn College, CUNY (1966), where he met Marjorie Shostak, whom he later married and with whom he had three children. He also has a PhD from Harvard University (1973) and a MD from Harvard Medical School (1985).

Reed Farrel Coleman

Born in

United States

Years

1956-.. (age 68)

Occupations

novelist

Biography

Reed Farrel Coleman is an American writer of crime fiction and a poet.

Lotti Golden

Born in

United States

Years

1949-.. (age 75)

Occupations

singersinger-songwritercomposer

Biography

Lotti Golden is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, poet and artist. Golden is best known for her 1969 debut album Motor-Cycle, on Atlantic Records.

Joel Lebowitz

Born in

Ukraine

Years

1930-.. (age 94)

Enrolled in CUNY Brooklyn College

In 1952 graduated with Bachelor of Science

Occupations

university teacherphysicistmathematician

Biography

Joel Louis Lebowitz is a mathematical physicist widely acknowledged for his outstanding contributions to statistical physics, statistical mechanics and many other fields of Mathematics and Physics.

Tom Kahn

Born in

United States

Years

1938-1992 (aged 54)

Occupations

trade unionist

Biography

Tom David Kahn was an American social democrat known for his leadership in several organizations. He was an activist and influential strategist in the Civil Rights Movement. He was a senior adviser and leader in the U.S. labor movement.

R. O. Kwon

Born in

South Korea

Occupations

novelistuniversity teacher

Biography

R. O. Kwon is a South Korean–born American author. In 2018, she published her nationally bestselling debut novel The Incendiaries with Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.