Charles Bacarisse—Vice President for Advancement
Houston Baptist University—Houston, Texas
United States
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Home > Publications & Products > Community College Advancement News > 2011 > September 2011 > Noteworthy Former Community College Students
Volume 1, Issue 3


Noteworthy Former Community College Students

When Business Insider last month published its list of "the most famous community college students of all time," it created an opportunity for community colleges to showcase their vast reach as well as their accomplished former students.

Here is a list of some noted and noteworthy former community college students, assembled by the Center for Community College Advancement, using a variety of sources:

  • Nolan Archibald, chief executive officer of Black and Decker
  • Halle Berry, Emmy, Golden Globe and Oscar winner
  • Gwendolyn Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
  • Richard Carmona, former U.S. Surgeon General
  • Eileen Collins, the first woman Space Shuttle commander
  • Billy Crystal, comedian and actor
  • James Dean, Oscar winner
  • Walt Disney, co-founder Walt Disney Productions
  • Clint Eastwood, actor, director and Oscar winner
  • Rudy Gatlin, Grammy winner
  • Carol Guzy, four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer
  • Tom Hanks, actor and Oscar winner
  • Queen Latifah, Golden Globe and Grammy winner
  • Jim Lehrer, journalist
  • George Lucas, filmmaker
  • Christian Frederick Martin IV, Martin Guitar Chairman and CEO
  • Eddie Murphy, actor and comedian
  • Ross Perot, businessman and billionaire
  • Nolan Ryan, baseball hall-of-famer
  • Sam Shepard, playwright
  • Brian Williams, NBC Nightly News anchor

Who's missing?

Help us identify some of the many other successful former community college students. Send your suggestions to Paul Heaton.

This article is from the September 2011 issue of the Community College Advancement News.

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CCCAResourcesSept2011

The VSE: An Invauable Tool for Assessing Your Community College's Fundraising Efforts

Sept. 21, 2011
Free Online Webinar
2-3 p.m. EDT
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The Voluntary Support of Education survey is considered by many to be the authoritative national source of information on private giving to higher education. This free CASE webinar will provide an introduction to the survey, show some of the many ways community college advancement professionals can use data from it, and provide guidance on completing the instrument.

Mobilizing a Volunteer Team for Your Community College Annual Fund Campaign

Oct. 4, 2011
2-3 p.m. EDT
$125 members/$175 nonmembers
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How can a small shop run a robust annual fund appeal with a budget of less than $250? Learn how the Los Rios Community College District mobilized a group of volunteers to conduct a successful ($40,000 in two weeks) and fun annual campaign blitz. Get step-by-step advice and tips ... and realize the value of investing your time in volunteers.

The Power of Legacy and Planned Gifts: How Nonprofits and Donors Work Together to Change the World

Small or mid-sized institutions that have thought about starting a legacy or planned giving program can find themselves stalled by certain assumptions. The Power of Legacy and Planned Gifts addresses these fears and assumptions and presents a simple, multi-stage process to help institutions undertake a planned giving effort.

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