All-Time IU Alumni Starting Five

[rayl456]

Stuhoo had Cuban #1.

[OliviaPope40]

3 minutes ago, rayl456 said:

Napleshoosier did for Pauley and Steele.  And Cuban was surely mentioned by someone.

Didn't know if someone already had. Did anybody mention David Anspaugh or Angelo Pizzo?

[OliviaPope40]

Joshua Bell for music. James Watson who was the co-discoverer of DNA. 

Edited Wednesday at 09:03 PM by OliviaPope40

[Stuhoo]

52 minutes ago, rayl456 said:

Stuhoo had Cuban #1.

Mine were in no particular order.

Read some great suggestions from this thread. So if I took another stab at it I would say: Watson, Hoagy, Cuban, Pence, Minton.

[str8baller]

3 hours ago, OliviaPope40 said:

Angelo Pizzo?

Can’t believe everyone missed him. Absolute icon with two of the most famous sports movies ever.

[OliviaPope40]

Herman B Wells and the sunken library. 

Edited Friday at 10:38 PM by OliviaPope40

[Old Friend]

Gang, the #1 IU alum is Herman B. Wells.

I had the privilege of knowing him and got to introduce him a few times at various events, so I had to know his CV fairly well.  The rest of the list can be debated and all names are valid.   But....the list of that man's accomplishments pales in comparison to no human being I am aware of.

If anyone wants to research him, I'd simply tell you his story is so incredible and the lives he changed (say nothing of his impact on the university we all love) will bring tears to your eyes.  You'll enjoy the journey.  For me, Herman B. Wells is the undisputed and unchallenged #1 alumnus of Indiana University.

[str8baller]

Branch McCracken & Everett Dean

 

3 basketball titles between them plus Dean was an accomplished baseball coach too

[OGIUAndy]

5 and and their backups

James Watson (Ph.D., 1950) – Co-discovered the double-helix structure of DNA. He was awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, a breakthrough that laid the foundation for modern genetics, biotechnology, and molecular biology.

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Robert Gates fits the pure graduate criteria better) -> Let's use Robert Gates (Ph.D., 1974) – 22nd U.S. Secretary of Defense. He is the only defense secretary in history to be asked to remain in office by newly elected presidents from both major political parties (Bush and Obama), managing global military strategy through critical modern conflicts.

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Ernie Pyle (Attended 1919–1923) – Legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent whose front-line dispatches during World War II humanized the conflict for millions of Americans. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential journalists in American history.

 

Mark Spitz (B.S., 1972) – 9-time Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer. He achieved historic, global immortality by winning seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, setting a world record in every single event—a feat unmatched until Michael Phelps in 2008.

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John Chambers (MBA, 1975) – Longtime CEO and Executive Chairman of Cisco Systems. He grew the tech giant from a $70 million company into a $50 billion global powerhouse, effectively building the digital and physical routing infrastructure that powered the modern internet.

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Jimmy Wales (Ph.D. Coursework, 1990s) – Co-founder of Wikipedia. He created the world's largest, most widely used collaborative reference encyclopedia, fundamentally democratizing human knowledge and access to free education globally.

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Howard Ashman (M.F.A., 1974) – Brilliant two-time Academy Award-winning lyricist and playwright. He was the creative anchor behind the "Disney Renaissance," writing the timeless music for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin before his tragic passing in 1991.

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Michael Higgins (M.A., 1967) – Ninth President of Ireland, serving since 2011. A towering political figure, sociologist, and poet, he has used his platform to address global human rights, social justice, and international peace.

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Mark Cuban (B.S., 1981) – Billionaire entrepreneur and tech pioneer who co-founded Broadcast.com, selling it for $5.7 billion. Beyond his sports and television legacy, his creation of the Cost Plus Drugs Company disrupted the pharmaceutical market to provide low-cost lifesaving medications.

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Joshua Bell (Artist Diploma, 1989) – Globally acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning virtuoso violinist. Recognized as one of the most celebrated classical musicians of the modern era, he has performed with nearly every major orchestra in the world and serves as Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.