Lawrence J. Dolan (1931–2025), Cleveland Guardians owner

Lawrence J. Dolan was an attorney best known as the longtime owner of the Cleveland Guardians baseball team, formerly known as the Cleveland Indians.

Clarence Avant (1931–2023), “The Black Godfather” of music

Clarence Avant was a music executive and businessman who advised some of the biggest names in music history.0

James Abourezk (1931–2023), first Arab American U.S. Senator

James Abourezk was a Democratic politician from South Dakota who became the first Arab American elected to the U.S. Senate.

Gavin MacLeod (1931–2021), starred as Captain Stubing on “The Love Boat”

Gavin MacLeod was an actor known for his roles on TV shows including “The Love Boat,” “McHale’s Navy,” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”

Phyllis McGuire (1931–2020), singer with the McGuire Sisters

Phyllis McGuire was the last living member of the McGuire Sisters, the pop singing group that had hits including “Sincerely” and “Sugartime.”

Linda Cristal (1931–2020), starred as Victoria Cannon in “The High Chaparral”

Linda Cristal was an actress who starred as Victoria Cannon in the popular Western series “The High Chaparral” from 1967 to 1970.

Jack Van Impe (1931–2020), popular televangelist who preached about the rapture

Jack Van Impe was a televangelist known for his weekly program “Jack Van Impe Presents,” appearing on the Trinity Broadcasting Network for more than 20 years. An evangelical Christian, he commonly spoke about a coming apocalypse that he believed would happen soon. Van Impe co-hosted the program alongside his wife, Rexella, who read recent news while Van Impe interpreted the stories to bolster his vision of the impending end times. Van Impe was active until his recent illness, with his final broadcast coming earlier in January.

Toni Morrison Changed Literature and the World: A Tribute

When we speak these days of “queens,” it is a sweet and well-meaning hyperbole. Beyonce is a queen. Your girlfriend is a queen. We get that those instances are a caprice. But when you use the word in relation to Toni Morrison, it must be said with all of the qualities the word “queen” possesses.

Toni Morrison (1931–2019), Nobel Prize-winning author of “Beloved”

Toni Morrison was the Nobel Prize-winning author of best-selling novels including “Beloved,” “Song of Solomon,” and “The Bluest Eye.” Her critically acclaimed books told powerful stories of black lives in America, from the time of slavery through modern days. “Beloved” (1987) won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award, while “Song of Solomon” (1977) had the distinction of being the first book by a black author chosen as a main selection of the Book of the Month Club since Richard Wright’s “Native Son,” 37 years earlier. Her most recent work was “God Help the Child” (2015) and she also wrote non-fiction, children’s literature, and plays including “Desdemona.” When she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993, Morrison became the first black woman to win a Nobel Prize. She was recognized with many other honors including the National Humanities Medal in 2000, the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction in 2011, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented to her by President Barack Obama in 2012.

Rip Torn (1931–2019), “Men in Black” and “The Larry Sanders Show” star

Rip Torn was an Emmy-winning actor best known for his roles as Artie on television’s “The Larry Sanders Show” and as Chief Zed in the first two “Men in Black” movies.

Lawrence Montaigne (1931 - 2017), Star Trek actor

Lawrence Montaigne, an actor who had two notable roles on the original “Star Trek” TV series, died Friday, March 17, 2017, according to multiple news sources. He was 86.

Remembering College Basketball Legend Dean Smith

Legendary college basketball coach Dean Smith led North Carolina to two NCAA championships.

James Dean Endures

James Dean starred in just three major movies, more than half a century ago. But he remains one of American culture’s most enduring icons.