# Who went to your school? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 6, 2000, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007 "2000-10-06T20:54:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/41 "2000-10-07T16:31:23Z")
I attended a couple of different high schools, one junior high, and three elementary schools. Out of all that, the only two I can think of who come close to being famous would be: [ul] [li]Skip Holtz, Lou Holtz’s son. While Lou was coach at the University of Arkansas, Skip attended Woodland Junior High and Fayetteville High in Fayetteville, AR. Same age and grade as me. I’m not sure he graduated from FHS, however; Lou might have left UofA before his senior year. In any case, he’s been Lou’s offensive coordinator at Notre Dame and now at South Carolina, with a stint as head coach at UConn in between.[/li][li]A girl from Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, AR, who went on to be a Miss Tennessee and was a second runner-up in the Miss America pageant. You’d never have guessed it when she was in high school. It should tell you where she ranked in perceived attractiveness that she was the drum major in the band instead of a cheerleader or majorette.[/li][/ul] There have no doubt been other Fayetteville grads who’ve gone on to great things, but I don’t know of any of them offhand. I’d be shocked if anyone of any consequence ever graduated from Harrisburg High (yours truly excepted, of course). Since we seem to have graduated (you should pardon the expression) to including our colleges, I can add to the list: [ul] [li]Mary Steenburgen (only there for one term before she was told that she wasn’t going to learn anything about acting there so she might as well go ahead and move to New York)[/li][li]William Ragsdale, star of the movie _Fright Night_ and the TV series _Herman’s Head_ and _My Brother’s Keeper_. Bill was a senior when I was a freshman. Didn’t know him really, but saw him MC a couple of student talent shows.[/li][li]Natalie Canerday, who’s appeared in a couple of Billy Bob Thornton projects, _One False Move_ and of course _Sling Blade_, where she played the little boy’s mother. She’s also been in _Biloxi Blues_ in a blink-and-you-miss-it part, _October Sky_ and a handful of other films. I’m pretty sure Natalie started a year ahead of me, but graduated the same year I did. We had classes together and ran in some of the same circles (I took a couple of theatre courses).[/li][li]Metropolitan Opera conductor Sarah Caldwell[/li][li]TV gardening show host [P. Allen Smith](http://www.pallensmith.com) was a senior my freshman year.[/li][li]Dr. Harry Meyer, who developed the vaccine for german measles[/li][/ul] Not much, but not terrible for a school that graduates fewer than 300 a year. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/42 "2000-10-07T17:38:19Z")
The high school I went to is only 9 years old. Nobody from it is famous…yet. I’m sure someone will end up being a psycho killer or a slum lord or something. ---
**Author:** ![mega\_the\_roo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mega\_the\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mega_the_roo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/43 "2000-10-07T18:11:45Z")
Larmal. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/44 "2000-10-07T18:13:19Z")
I went to two different high schools, and so far the only celebrity I know of is Debbie Gibson. We went to the same high school in New York but she graduated before I got there. Amy Fisher went to one of our rival high schools. I found a website with celebrities from the same town but there’s no mention of where they went to school or how long they lived there: Ed Begley (and Ed Begley Jr.) - (Actors) Gregg Burge - (Dancer/Choreographer) Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield - (inventors of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream) I’m still to find celebrities from the high school I went to in Florida. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/45 "2000-10-07T19:14:11Z")
Just remembered – a recent graduate of my high school was Jason Nastke, mayor of my hometown of Kinderhook, New York. He’s the youngest elected mayor in America, at age 20 (he was 18 or 19 when elected). He’s been on some talk shows and was even a trivia question on Hollywood Squares. He was a senior when I was a frosh. ---
**Author:** ![Eo\_Echo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ebca7d/32.png) [@Eo\_Echo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eo_Echo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/46 "2000-10-07T21:29:10Z")
Former major leaguer Tony Sauders went to my high school his freshman year. I met him for the first time since 1989 a few days ago, something I talked about in another thread. A friend of mine went to high school with Edward Norton, the actor. In fact, Norton’s grandfather James Rouse was a famous land developer who masterminded the building of my hometown of Columbia, MD (also Norton’s hometown, natch). ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/47 "2000-10-07T22:42:07Z")
We brag constantly that Joanne Woodward went to my high school. She did, but only for her senior year. I think it’s a little misleading. ---
**Author:** ![Malarky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Malarky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malarky)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/48 "2000-10-08T00:16:07Z")
Dave Matthews, lead singer of Dave Matthews Band (ader) went to my middle school…he even got our town a mention in Spin magazine!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/49 "2000-10-08T00:16:22Z")
The Farrelly brothers went to my high school… not while I was there, but they did. And for the record, that is not Cumberland High in “Something About Mary”, though it looks like a lovely school. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/50 "2000-10-08T00:49:23Z")
There were over 1000 kids in my H.S. graduating class, and I’ve never heard about any of them, including me. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/51 "2000-10-08T01:16:59Z")
One of the girls who was 2 years ahead of me in high school became a Rockette and, later, one of Dean Martin’s Golddiggers. Dunno what happened to her after that. Gus Grissom went to my college, as did Orville Redenbocker. ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/52 "2000-10-08T02:22:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by stuyguy \* > You mean other than **Dire Wolf**?!? > > Besides a few Olympic athletes, a Nobel Prize winner and a Space Shuttle astronaut (all of whose names won’t sound familiar), the list includes **James Cagney, Theloneous Monk, Louis Mumford, Dick Morris, Roy Innis, Ben Gazzara, Sheldon Leonard,** screenwriter **Joseph Mankiewicz, Tim Robbins, Paul Reiser, Ron Silver,** one or more of the **Beastie Boys** and soon-to-be Charlie’s Angel, **Lucy Liu.** Author **Frank McCourt** taught English there, but did not attend as a student. > > And that’s just the A list. Thanks, **stuyguy**! Like he said, so I’ll just use the same list. ---
**Author:** ![GuyShyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/57b2e6/32.png) [@GuyShyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuyShyGirl)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/53 "2000-10-08T23:54:13Z")
I don’t know of any famous people that went to my primary high school, but Billy Joel attended Hicksville High school in Hicksville, NY, and I attended night school there. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![rockstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockstar)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/54 "2000-10-09T00:07:02Z")
The guys from Bowling for Soup went to my high school. Heard of them? Didn’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/55 "2000-10-09T06:13:40Z")
Besides me? Well the only person who would qualify that I can think of is Brian Billick, Head Coach of the Baltimore Ravens NFL football team. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/56 "2000-10-09T07:16:03Z")
Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sons and daughters of most NASCAR drivers. Not that i give a shit about NASCAR… ---
**Author:** ![KevinLeeC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@KevinLeeC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KevinLeeC)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/57 "2000-10-09T18:05:28Z")
Christine Cavanaugh was a year ahead of me in high school. “Who?” you ask. Christine is a voice actress who has done tons of stuff for Nickelodeon. At the moment, she’s the voice of Chucky on the Rugrats. She was also the voice of Babe the pig in the first film. And she’s done guest appearances on various shows including Cheers and the X-files. (She played Luke Skywalker’s mother.) So, my claim to fame (slim as it is) was that I played opposite Christine in a production of The Man Who Came to Dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/58 "2000-10-09T18:30:47Z")
When I was a sophomore, **Jesse Ventura** (real name: Jim Janos) was a senior at Roosevelt High School in South Minneapolis. He was the tall, skinny guy on the swim team. ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/59 "2000-10-09T18:35:46Z")
Mike Webster, All-Pro center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007/60 "2000-10-09T19:06:06Z")
**Jim Henson** of The Muppets fame went to my high school, so _there_. I can’t find any on-line cite for this but it was always affirmed by staff & faculty during my years in high school. Additionally, checking out his on line biography it does say he lived in University Park a.k.a. Hyattsville which places him at ground zero. That’s good enough for me 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-went-to-your-school/36007.md?page=4)