Billionaire businessman Charles B. Johnson has lived an enchanted life. In 1957, at the age of 24, he became CEO of investment firm Franklin Resources. As a money manager, Johnson developed a reputation for being one of the shrewdest brains in the business…
In 1947, Marie Maynard Daly made history by becoming the first African American woman to receive a doctorate in chemistry in the U.S. Her groundbreaking research disclosed the relationship between high cholesterol and clogged arteries and increased our understanding of how foods and diet affect the health of the heart and the circulatory system…
Although one of the wealthiest individuals in the U.S., Marc Rowan does his best to keep a low profile. Rowan is Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Global Management, one of the largest alternative asset managers with assets under management in excess of $455 billion and a market capitalization of $11 billion…
For nearly three decades, Lamar Alexander dominated the landscape of Tennessee politics. A member of the Republican Party, Alexander is the only Tennessean ever popularly elected both Governor and U.S Senator, serving a combined 26 years in these two positions…
One of America’s leading authors since the 1960s, Joan Didion has achieved a rare combination of critical acclaim and wide popularity. Known for her lucid prose style and incisive depictions of social unrest and psychological fragmentation, Didion’s work has been associated with the ‘New Journalism’ movement…
In 2014, tech entrepreneur Megan Smith was named the United States Chief Technology Officer, becoming only the third person to ever serve in this federal position. Smith held her CTO role until 2017, helping President Obama and his teams harness the power of data, innovation, and technology on behalf of the nation…
From modest roots as a German immigrant, media mogul John Kluge rose to become one of the wealthiest men in the United States. Beginning with his creation of a single radio station in Maryland in 1946, Kluge built the Metromedia broadcasting empire, which owned numerous radio and television stations and later syndicated rights to TV shows and movies…
One of Silicon Valley’s most prominent landowners today, John Arrillaga amassed his fortune through his real estate business. The low-key (yet legendary) mogul began his career over six decades ago…
Ernest Everett Just (1983-1941) was a pioneering African American biologist who broke through racial barriers and conducted groundbreaking research in cell biology. Just’s primary legacy is his recognition of the fundamental role of the cell surface in the development of organisms…
John Updike (1932-2009) was one of America’s foremost men of letters. During his prolific career, Updike published more than 25 novels. He also published over a dozen short story collections, numerous poems, professional criticism, and a memoir…
