Sun (Winston-Salem) Eva Clayton (born 1934), U.S. Congresswoman from North Carolina 1992–2003; she graduated from Johnson C. Smith University and North Carolina Central University Allison Hedge Coke (born 1958), American Book Award-winning author of Blood Run and other novels (raised in North Carolina, various counties) John Edwards (born 1953), former U.S. Senator and 2004 Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee (Robbins) Renee Ellmers (born 1964), U.S. Congresswoman from North Carolina 2011–2017 (Dunn) Ric Flair (born 1949), most decorated professional wrestling champion of all time (Charlotte) Robert Wilkie (born 1962), Defense Department Leader and National Security Assistant to the President (Fayetteville) John Hope Franklin (1915–2009), historian and professor of African-American history at Duke University; also a civil-rights activist in the 1950s and 1960s (Durham) Harry Golden (1902–1981), Jewish-American humorist, writer and publisher of the Carolina Israelite; author, Only in America (Charlotte) T. Adelaide Goodno (1858-1931), president, North Carolina Woman's Christian Temperance Union Alex Grant, Scottish-born American poet, instructor (Chapel Hill) Bob Havens (born 1930), musician who played trombone for the Lawrence Welk orchestra, 1960–1983, born in Quincy, Illinois (Buies Creek) Joseph Hewes (1730–1779), signatory of the Declaration of Independence for North Carolina and first U.S. Secretary of the Navy (Edenton) Samantha Holvey (born 1986), Miss North Carolina USA 2006 (Buies Creek) Si Kahn (born 1944), singer-songwriter and activist, supporting numerous civil-rights and environmental causes with his music (Charlotte) Mike Krzyzewski (born 1947), long-time men's basketball coach for Duke University, garnering four NCAA basketball national championships (Durham) Harvey Littleton (1922–2013), glass artist, founder of American Studio Glass movement (Spruce Pine) M–Z Wilmer Mizell (1930–1990), Major League Baseball pitcher and NC congressman (Midway) Sue Myrick (born 1941), Mayor of Charlotte 1987–1991; U.S. Congresswoman from North Carolina 1995–2013 (Charlotte) Michael Peterson (born 1943), novelist and convicted murderer; currently serving a life sentence for the 2003 murder of his wife (Durham) Tom Regan (1938–2017), philosopher and animal rights activist at North Carolina State University Kathy Reichs (born 1950), forensic anthropologist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; also the author of best-selling mystery novels featuring the character Temperance Brennan (Charlotte) Tony Rice (1951–2020), musician (Reidsville) Eric Rudolph (born 1966), anti-abortion terrorist currently serving five life sentences for the bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics which killed one person and injured 111 others; Rudolph eluded capture for 5 years (Murphy) Randolph Scott (1898–1987), film actor 1928–1962; his most enduring image is that of the tall-in-the-saddle Western hero; of