Notable People I Have Met

The List

(Names in blue are linked to short essays.)

(2nd part means the person is on the second half of the post.)


Bill Clinton: 42nd president of the United States.

Ray Bradbury: Author, screenwriter and winner of a Pulitzer Prize lifetime achievement award.

Sherwood Rowland: UC Irvine chemistry professor who won the 1995 Nobel Prize for discovery of man-made depletion of the ozone layer.

Alex Trebek: Host of “Jeopardy” ~ A brief question and answer period during taping of the show.

Rafael Mendez: Trumpet virtuoso.


Gary Owens: Radio and television personality.


O.C. Smith: ~ Pop "Little Green Apples" singer. (2nd part)


Ralph Humphrey: Virtuoso drummer who played and recorded with Frank Zappa.


Carlos Vega: Virtuoso session drummer who toured with James Taylor.


Tom Hayden: California state senator and activist at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.


Abbie Hoffman: Political activist at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. (2nd part)


Harlan Ellison: Science fiction novelist and television screen playwright.


Don Callender: Founder of Marie Callender’s restaurant chain.


Stan Wall: Pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.


Johnny Carson: 30-year host of "The Tonight Show." (2nd part)


Steve Allen: Original host of the “Tonight Show” and songwriter.


Marty Baron: Journalist and editor who hired me to work for the Los Angeles Times, later editor of the Washington Post.


Michael Chabon: Novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2001.

Ken Jennings: Attended a Jeopardy! show in October 2022 and told him about my enounter eight years earlier with Alex Trebec. 

Carolyn Porco: Planetary scientist, leader of Cassini Imaging Team, member of Voyager Imaging Team and known for discoveries about Saturn and planetary rings.

Michael Dukakis: Massachusetts governor and 1988 Democratic presidential nominee.

Quentin Crisp: Author of “The Naked Civil Servant” and gay rights advocate.


Robert Bork: Solicitor General nominated by President Ronald Reagan for the Supreme Court in 1987.


Chang-Lin Tien: Chancellor of UC Berkeley.


Jack Peltason: Chancellor of UC Irvine and later of the entire UC system.


Oakley Hall: Author of “The Downhill Racers” and head of the UC Irvine writing program.


David Stockman: Reagan administration budget director.


Jack Kelly: Co-star of 1950s TV show “Maverick”


Joey Bishop: Entertainer and member of the “Rat Pack.”


Sonny Bono: Singer with Sonny & Cher, later congressman and U.S. senator.


Leslie Nielsen: Film and television actor in “Airplane,” “Naked Gun” and others.


Politicians: Dana Rohrabacher, Chris Cox, Bob Dornan, Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, Kathleen Brown, George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson, Dan Quayle, Ann Richards.


Oliver North: Ronald Reagan aide implicated in Iran-Contra Scandal and later NRA president.


Ed Meese: US Attorney General in the Reagan Administration.


Barbara Bush: Wife of President H.W. Bush.


Mamie Van Doren: “B” movie actress and sexpot.


Arnold Beckman: Inventor of the PH meter and philanthropist.


Duvall Hecht: Founder of Books On Tape.


Daryl Gates: Los Angeles police chief.


James Edwards Senior: Founder of the Edwards theater chain.


Chuck Jones: Animator and creator of Porky Pig, Daffy Duck and others.


John H. Dalton: Secretary of the US Navy.


Arthur Laffer: Supply-side economist who influenced President Reagan’s monetary policies.


C. Everett Koop: US Surgeon General


Boyd Coddington: Hot rod and custom automobile designer.


David Broder: Washington Post writer, political columnist and author.


William Kennedy: Novelist and author of “Ironweed” ~ mail contact


Patrick Stewart: Actor who portrayed Captain Jean-Luc Picard on “Star Trek.”


Ken Norton: Former boxing heavyweight champion of the world.


Adrienne Rich: Poet


Edward Albee: Playwright


Robert Hass: Poet


Seamus Heaney: Poet, playwright and translator.


Czeslaw Milosz: Poet


W.S. Merwin: Poet


James Roosevelt: Son of and secretary to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.


David Harrington: Co-founder of the Kronos Quartet.


John Cleese: Actor and a member of Monty Python.


Robert Pinsky: US Poet Laureate.


W.D. Snodgrass: Pulitzer Prize winning poet.


Louise Gluck: US Poet Laureate.


William Rusher: Publisher of the “National Review” magazine.


Neil deGrasse Tyson: Astrophysicist, author, television host & many appearances ~ by email.


Henrik Drescher: Children’s books illustrator ~ by email.


James MacGregor Burns: Historian and presidential biographer.


Jean-Michel Cousteau: ~ Environmentalist, oceanographic explorer and son of Jacques Cousteau.


Frederick Reines: UC Irvine Physics professor awarded the Nobel Prize in 1995 for discovery of the neutrino.


[Many more who I've either overlooked or forgotten.]

[More essays to come.]

~ by Russ Allison Loar

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