Texas A&M Trivia: 25 People you didn't know were Aggies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtsfUAHkyWQrn Texas A&amp;M University is a place unlike any other and so are their former students. Here are 25 men and women you might not know are Aggies. rnThere are over 450,000 Former Students of Texas A&amp;M University. Some, like Johnny Manziel , Von Miller , and Mike Evans are widely known as Aggies. Others, while you may know their name, aren’t as widely known as someone who went to A&amp;M - people such as Gary Kubiak , Michael Wacha , Martellus Bennett and Dude Perfect (above).rnrnDid you know that Texas A&amp;M boasts two presidents, two Miss USAs, the developer of the US Interstate Highway System, and an Executive Vice President of an NFL team? It’s true. Here are 25 people you may not know went to Texas A&amp;M.rn Bonus: Bill Garner, father of actress Jennifer Garner rnYou may have seen the pictures circulating on Twitter and Instagram of actress Jennifer Garner with Reveille at the Aggies football game against Alabama. Turns out, her father, Bill, attended Texas A&amp;M. Bill Garner&#xA0; got his Bachelors of Chemical Engineering in 1961 and his Masters of Chemical Engineering in 1976, both from Texas A&amp;M.rnrnhttps://twitter.com/julie_maeann/status/916777315874549760rn 25. T. Boone Pickens, American business financier rn T. Boone Pickens attended Texas A&amp;M on a basketball scholarship . He didn’t graduate, instead he transferred and eventually graduated from Oklahoma State after losing his scholarship at Texas A&amp;M. As an Aggie he was an Agriculture major and would have been class of 1951.rn 24. Jacobs Crawley, Rodeo World Champion rn Jacobs Crawley attended Texas A&amp;M from 2008-2011. He graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering. Crawley is a Rodeo World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider , winning in 2015.rnrn[nextslide teaser="23 and 22" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_38311" align="aligncenter" width="3000"] (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)[/caption]rn 23. Michael T. Fossum, NASA astronaut rn Michael Fossum graduated from Texas A&amp;M - Galveston in 1980 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. His cumulative spacewalk time is a whopping 48 hours, 32 minutes across seven walks and he has spent more than 194 days in space. Fossum retired in January 2017.rn 22. Donald R. Haragan, President of Texas Tech University rn Donald R. Haragan graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 1960 with a Master's degree in Meteorology. He held several positions within the Texas Tech University system before becoming its president in 1996. He spent time as the Chairman of the Department of Geosciences , Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research, Provost and Executive Vice President of Texas Tech.rnrn[nextslide teaser="21 and 20" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_38310" align="aligncenter" width="3504"] (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 21. Shane Lechler , NFL punter rn Shane Lechler was an All-American punter for the Aggies from 1996 to 1999. He’s one of the best punters the Aggies have ever had and will go down as one of the best punters in NFL history too.rnrnLechler graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 1999 with a degree in Agricultural Development. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2000 draft by the Oakland Raiders, and played 12 seasons there before signing with the Houston Texans in 2012.rn 20. Marvin Girouard, President and COO of Pier 1 rn Marvin Girouard graduated from Texas A&amp;M with a degree in Marketing in 1961. He was President and COO of Pier 1 Imports for 10 years from 1997 to 2007 when he retired. Girouard spent 32 years with Pier 1 including eight as CEO and seven as Chairman of the Board.rnrn[nextslide teaser="19 and 18" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_38322" align="aligncenter" width="5184"] (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)[/caption]rnrn 19. Dennis Allen, former Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders rnrn Dennis Allen got two degrees from Texas A&amp;M – a Bachelors degree in Management in 1995 and a Masters in Kinesiology in 1998. During undergrad, Allen played on R.C. Slocum’s legendary Wrecking Crew defense.rnrnOut of college he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills, but eventually cut. Allen began his coaching career at Texas A&amp;M as a graduate assistant in 1996. Since then he has spent time as the Defensive Coordinator of the Denver Broncos, the Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders (2012-2014) and is currently the Defensive Coordinator of the New Orleans Saints.rn 18. George P. Mitchell, CEO of The Mitchell Family Corporation rn George P. Mitchell attended Texas A&amp;M in the 1930s and graduated in 1940 with a degree in Petroleum Engineering. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands is named after his wife. He is known as the " Father of Fracking, " although he was not the first person to practice fracking. He was, however, the first person to use it commercially.rnrn[nextslide teaser="17 and 16" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_38327" align="aligncenter" width="4736"] (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 17. Rick Perry, Longest-serving Governor of Texas rn Rick Perry served as Governor of Texas from 2000-2014. He served as Lieutenant Governor in 1999, and assumed the Governor position when then-Governor George W. Bush stepped down to run for President of the United States.rnrnPerry was the state’s first Republican lieutenant governor since Reconstruction . After assuming the office when Bush stepped down, Perry was re-elected three times. Today he is the Secretary of Energy.rnrnPerry graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 1972 with a degree in Animal Science.rn 16. Kandace Krueger, Miss USA 2001 rn Kandace Krueger graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 1999 with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism. She would go on to be named Miss USA 2001. She is currently a co-host for the Best Doc Network.rnrn[nextslide teaser="15 and 14" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_36863" align="aligncenter" width="3000"] (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 15. Chris Tomlin, Christian worship artist rnChristian worship artist Chris Tomlin graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. He has gone on to become one of the most famous Christian worship artists today, writing and performing hits such as How Great is Our God, Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies] , Our God , and Indescribable .rnrnToday, Tomlin is involved with Passion Conferences , a yearly Christian conference for young adults aged 18-25, started by famous author and pastor Louie Giglio.rn 14. Kimberly Tomes Dietz, Miss USA 1976 rn Kimberly Tomes is a 1977 graduate of Texas A&amp;M. She graduated with a Bachelors in Physical Education, and was named Miss USA in 1976. Today Tomes works in television, and has been the editor of several TV shows including The Hunt with John Walsh , Hawaii Air Rescue and Dog the Bounty Hunter .rnrn[nextslide teaser="13 and 12" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_38326" align="aligncenter" width="3573"] (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 13. Lyle Lovett, singer, songwriter, and actor rn Lyle Lovett attended Texas A&amp;M in the late 70s, and graduated in the summer of 1980 with a degree in Journalism. He has since gone on to become a famous singer, songwriter and actor.rnrnAs an actor, Lovett has appeared on such shows as Castle , Mad About You and Life in Pieces. He has appeared on the soundtrack of many movies and TV shows, including Parenthood , Toy Story , and Miami Vice .rnrnHe is perhaps most famous – outside of his career – for his marriage and then divorce from actress Julia Roberts.rn 12. Martin Torrijos, former President of Panama rn Martin Torrijos was the President of Panama from 2004-2009, spanning George W. Bush's second term as US President and the first year of Barak Obama's first term. At Texas A&amp;M Torrijos studied Political Science, graduating in 1987 with a Bachelor’s degree.rnrn[nextslide teaser="11 and 10" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_38169" align="aligncenter" width="3000"] (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 11. Sara Winter-Banks, Touring director for Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift rn Winter-Banks graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 2006 with a degree in Speech Communication, and has gone on to one of the most unsual, but exciting jobs you could have: she currently works as the touring director for both Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.rnrnIf you have ever seen Swift or Sheeran in concert, you probably have her to thank for it. She is currently the Senior Vice President of the Messina Touring Group. Winter-Banks was also recently named to Billboard&#x2019;s 40 Under 40 list.rn 10. Rita LeBlanc, Former EVP of the New Orleans Saints rnWomen are a minority in sports, but that doesn’t (always) mean they aren’t powerful. Rita LeBlanc , daughter of Saints owner Tom Benson, is the former co-owner of both the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans organizations.rnrnShe graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 1999 with a Bachelors in Agribusiness. LeBlanc also chairs the NFL Employee Benefits Committee.rnrn[nextslide teaser="9 and 8" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_38319" align="aligncenter" width="3000"] (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 9. Francis Turner, Developer of the US Interstate Highway System rn Francis Turner graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 1929 with a degree in Civil Engineering, and went back to school to get his Masters of Civil Engineering in 1940.rnrnIn 1954 President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Turner as the Executive Secretary of the Clay Commission President’s Advisory Committee on the National Highway Program. Turner would work as the deputy commissioner, chief engineer and was the first Federal Highway Administrator before his death in 1999.rn 8. Jorge F. Quiroga-Ramirez, Former President of Bolivia rn Jorge Quiroga graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering. He was President of Bolivia from 2001-2002, and Vice-President before that, from 1997 until 2001. He was the youngest VP in Bolivian history.rnrn[nextslide teaser="7 and 6" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_36867" align="aligncenter" width="3000"] (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 7. Davey Johnson , Major League Baseball manager rn Davey Johnson only attended Texas A&amp;M for one year, where he was a General Studies major. He signed with the Baltimore Orioles as a free agent in 1962. Johnson bounced around the Orioles minor league system for a few years before settling down as their starting second baseman, eventually finishing third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 1966.rnrn Johnson won multiple Golden Glove Awards throughout his career, as well as two World Series rings. After his playing career was over Johnson managed multiple Major League Baseball clubs, and even spent time at the helm of Team USA.rn 6. Red Cashion, NFL official rn Red Cashion graduated in 1953 with a Bachelors in Personnel Administration and went on to become one of the most popular NFL officials in history. After his retirement in 1997, Cashion moved back to College Station. He still resides there today.rnrn[nextslide teaser="5. Jason Castro" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn(Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Malaria No More)rn 5. Jason Castro , American Idol contestant rn Jason Castro was a contestant on Season 7 of Fox’s hit show American Idol . He did very well, finishing in the top four. The final that season came down to a battle of the Davids – David Cook (the eventual winner) and David Archuleta.rnrnCastro was attending Texas A&amp;M as a Landscape Architecture major when he auditioned for and made it on the show. He did not graduate from A&amp;M, and has been touring and making music since his season of American Idol finished.rnrnCastro’s season was the final season with the three original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson .rnrn[nextslide teaser="4. Chuck Knoblauch" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_38174" align="aligncenter" width="3072"] (Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Alls)[/caption]rn 4. Chuck Knoblauch , Major League Baseball player rnKnoblauch attended Texas A&amp;M from 1986-1989 where he was a member of the baseball team. He played second base for the Aggies and was on the 1989 team that won a school-record 58 games.rnrnKnoblauch spent 12 seasons in the major leagues between three teams: the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals. During his time in the MLB, Knoblauch made four All-Star teams and won both a Golden Glove and a Silver Slugger award.rnrnFun fact: the television show Psych did an episode based off of him – “Shawn Gets the Yips” is based on Knoblauch’s unexplainable inability to throw the ball accurately to first base after having played so well for so long. Shawn has the same problem during the Santa Barbara Police Department’s softball game.rnrn[nextslide teaser="3. Wally Moon" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_38318" align="aligncenter" width="3000"] (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 3. Wally Moon , 1954 National League Rookie of the Year rn Wally Moon was a twelve-year veteran of the MLB, spending his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Among his many accomplishments, Moon was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1954 , beating out two future hall of famers - "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks , and the man who would one day break Babe Ruth ’s home run record, Hank Aaron .rnrnHe was named a National League All-Star Twice, won the Gold Glove in 1960 and played on three World Series teams with the Dodgers. Once his playing career was over Moon spent time as the owner of a minor league baseball team, and ultimately was the athletic director and baseball coach at John Brown University before settling down in Bryan to spend more time with his family.rnrnPerhaps his biggest accomplishment – off the diamond, anyway – was graduating from Texas A&amp;M with a Masters in Education while playing in the minor leagues. He previously got his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education in 1951, also from Texas A&amp;M.rnrn[nextslide teaser="2. Brazil's first Olympic medalist" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_38317" align="aligncenter" width="6431"] (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 2. Tetsuo Okamoto, Brazil's first Olympic medalist rn Tetsuo Okamoto is a name most likely only known by Brazilians or those who love Olympic history. Okamoto was the first athlete from Brazil to win a medal in the Olympics, winning the Bronze in the 1500 meter freestyle in the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics. His bronze medal swim of 18:51.3 stood as the fastest in South America for ten years.rnrnBefore becoming an Olympic champion, Okamoto was a Pan-American champion, a four-time Southwest Conference champion (twice in the 400 free and twice in the 1500 free), and four-time All-American at Texas A&amp;M.rnrnHe won the 440 freestyle at the Southwest Conference Championships in 1956, and the 220, 440, and 1500 meter freestyles in 1957. Okamoto graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 1959 with a degree in Business.rnrn[nextslide teaser="1. The Father of Hollywood" slider="true" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_38081" align="aligncenter" width="3000"] (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)[/caption]rn 1. Charles E. Toberman, "Father of Hollywood" rnIf I asked you who Charles E. Toberman was, you probably couldn’t tell me off the top of your head. But you would know what he did – Toberman helped develop Hollywood into what it is today. He was the mind behind many of Hollywood’s most famous landmarks including Grauman’s Chinese Theater, the El Capitan Theater, the Hollywood Bowl and the Roosevelt Hotel.rnrnToberman was born in Seymour, Texas, and attended Texas A&amp;M in the early days of the school when it was an all-male military academy then known as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. He did not graduate, though he attended for three years as an Agriculture major.rnrnHe left the school after his junior year and spent one year at the Metropolitan Business College of Dallas, which is no longer in existence.rnrn[nextpost teaser="Ranking every coach in Aggie football history" url="https://gigemgazette.com/2017/06/24/best-coaches-in-texas-am-football-history/" /]rnrnSo how did a small-town Texas become the “Father of Hollywood”? His uncle, James R. Toberman, was mayor of Los Angeles from 1872-1874 and again from 1878-1882.

Gig Em Gazette

Texas A&M Trivia: 25 People you didn’t know were Aggies

23. Michael T. Fossum, NASA astronaut

22. Donald R. Haragan, President of Texas Tech University

Newsletter

Your Texas A&M Aggies.
Your Inbox. Every Day.