Fred R. Harris (1930–2024), former Oklahoma senator

Fred R. Harris was a former U.S. senator from Oklahoma who once chaired the Democratic National Committee and twice sought a presidential nomination.

Lore Segal (1928–2024), Pulitzer Prize-finalist author

Lore Segal was an author and Holocaust survivor whose 2007 novel, “Shakespeare's Kitchen,” was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction.

Bill Pascrell Jr. (1937–2024), longtime New Jersey congressman

Bill Pascrell Jr. was a former mayor of Paterson, New Jersey and longstanding New Jersey congressman, serving over 25 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Tsung-Dao Lee (1926–2024), Nobel-winning physicist

Tsung-Dao Lee was a Chinese-born physicist who won the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discoveries on the nature of subatomic particles.

Rev. Bill Lawson (1928–2024), civil rights leader who worked with MLK

Rev. William “Bill” Lawson was a Houston civil rights leader who helped peacefully integrate his city and worked alongside

Dr. Cyril Wecht (1931–2024), famed forensic pathologist

Dr. Cyril Wecht was a longtime forensic pathologist who became a high-profile public official after working on landmark cases like on the assassination of President , the killing, and death. 

Jim Simons (1938–2024), groundbreaking investor and philanthropist

Jim Simons was a groundbreaking investor who used complex statistical models to become wealthy, then later turned towards philanthropy and gave away billions.

Terry Anderson (1947–2024), reporter held hostage in Lebanon

Terry Anderson was an Associated Press reporter who was held hostage in Lebanon by Islamic militants for nearly seven years from 1985 to 1991.

Rev. Cecil Murray Sr. (1929–2024), Los Angeles civil rights leader

Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray Sr. was a minister and civil rights leader who emerged as a calming voice during the Los Angeles Riots of 1992.

Ramona Edelin (1945–2024), activist who coined the term African American

Ramona Edelin was an academic and civil rights activist who helped bring the term African American into widespread use. 

Steven Wise (1950–2024), legal scholar and animal rights advocate

Steven Wise was a legal scholar, educator, and fierce proponent of animal rights who founded the Nonhuman Rights Project.

Brooke Ellison (1978–2024), prominent disability rights advocate 

Brooke Ellison was a prominent disability rights activist, author, professor, and a noted advocate for stem cell research.

N. Scott Momaday (1934–2024), Pulitzer-winning Native American author

N. Scott Momaday was a Kiowa author, essayist, and poet whose novel, “House Made of Dawn,” won the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and helped spark the Native American Renaissance movement in literature.

Guy Stern (1922–2023), Holocaust refugee and WWII intel operative

Guy Stern was a German refugee who fled the Nazis in the 1930s and became a military intelligence operative for the U.S. during World War II as part of the elite group known as the Ritchie Boys.

Charles Ogletree (1952–2023), Pres. Obama's Harvard law mentor

Charles Ogletree was an attorney and Harvard law professor who served as a mentor to the Obamas and represented clients such as Anita Hill and Tupac Shakur, as well as advocating for victims of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre.

Clarence Gilyard Jr. (1955–2022), “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Die Hard” star

Clarence Gilyard Jr. was an actor known for starring roles in movies and TV shows including “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Matlock,” and “Die Hard.”

Samella Lewis (1923–2022), “Godmother of African American Art”

Samella Lewis was an artist and art historian known for her influential support of fellow Black artists.

Lauro Cavazos (1927–2022), first Latino cabinet member

Lauro Cavazos was the first Latino cabinet member as he served as secretary of education under presidents and .

Arnie Kantrowitz (1940–2022), early LGBTQ rights activist

Arnie Kantrowitz was a pioneer of LGBTQ civil rights activism and one of the founders of GLAAD.

Narinder Kapany (1926–2020), physicist who co-invented fiber optics

Narinder Kapany was a physicist known as the “father of fiber optics,” who was one of the inventors of fiber optics technology.

David Dinkins (1927–2020), NYC’s only Black mayor

David Dinkins was the first and, to date, only Black mayor of New York City.

Florence Howe (1929–2020), women’s studies pioneer

Florence Howe was a pioneer of women’s studies and the founder of the Feminist Press.  

Constance Weldon (1932–2020), pioneering tuba player

Constance Weldon was a pioneering tuba player believed to be the first woman to play the tuba in a major American orchestra when she joined the Boston Pops in 1955.

Shanna Hogan (1982–2020), bestselling true crime author

Shanna Hogan was a New York Times bestselling author of true crime books including “Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story.”

Rudolfo Anaya (1937–2020), “godfather” of Chicano literature

Rudolfo Anaya was called the “godfather” of Chicano literature. He was best known for hisnovel, “Bless Me, Ultima.”

Ruth Mandel (1938–2020), leading advocate for women in politics

Ruth Mandel was a leading advocate for women in politics and Holocaust survivor who was the former Vice Chair of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council.

Nicholas Kittrie (1926–2019), Pulitzer Prize-nominated author

Nicholas Kittrie was a legal scholar, a law professor, and the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of books about international law and morality including “Rebels With a Cause: The Minds and Morality of Political Offenders.” His “The Task Ahead” helped inform the development of the South African constitution, and he co-edited “The Future of Peace in the 21st Century” in collaboration with the Nobel Peace Prize Committee as part of the celebration of the prize’s 100th anniversary. A professor at American University’s Washington College of Law, Kittrie was the college’s longest-tenured professor and taught for more than 50 years.

Tom Lyle (1953–2019), comic book artist known for “Spider-Man” and “Robin”

Tom Lyle was a comic book artist for both Marvel and DC, known for co-creating “Starman” and working on “Spider-Man” and the “Robin” miniseries and its sequels.

Wallace Broecker (1931–2019), scientist popularized the term “global warming”

Predicted rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide would raise global temperatures.

Rosemary Mariner (1953–2019), first female navy fighter pilot

First woman to command an operational air squadron.

Julius Lester (1939 - 2018), author of award-winning children's book "To Be a Slave"

Julius Lester, an author, musician, civil rights activist and university professor who made a late-life conversion to Judaism, has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 78.

Tobe Hooper (1943–2017)

Director of the iconic horror film “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

Roger Wilkins (1932–2017), Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist

Roger Wilkins, a civil rights activist, historian, and journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize, died Sunday, March 26, 2017, according to multiple news sources. He was 85.

Herschell Gordon Lewis (1929–2016)

Horror filmmaker known as the Godfather of Gore.

Remembering Randy Pausch

Not everybody can face a terminal diagnosis with humor and wisdom — but Randy Pausch wasn't just anybody.