5 PEOPLE YOU DIDN’T KNOW SPENT TIME IN TUSCALOOSA

5 PEOPLE YOU DIDN’T KNOW SPENT TIME IN TUSCALOOSA
CONDOLEEZZA RICE
Condoleezza Rice served as the secretary of state for the US from 2005-2009 under George W. Bush. She was born in Birmingham, but resided in Tuscaloosa while her father taught at Stillman College. Her father, John, would then take the assistant dead job at the University of Denver forcing a relocation. In her time in office, Rice championed the idea of “Transformational Diplomacy,” which she describes as “building and sustaining democratic states around the world.” Rice currently sits on the college football playoff selection committee and the board of directors for Dropbox.com.
TOM CHERONES
Cherones is best known for directing the TV hit Seinfeld. He was raised in Tuscaloosa where his father ran a TV and Radio repair shop. After enrolling in the United States Navy, Cherones got his first directorial gig in Hollywood as a production manager for General Hospital. He was recently inducted into the Alabama Screen and Stage Hall of Fame, and is still heavily involved with the University of Alabama: most notably in the Telecommunications and Film department.
JIMMY WALES
Wales is an internet entrepreneur who is best
known for co-founding the non for profit information hosting site Wikipedia. Wales was born in Huntsville, bur would later move to the University of Alabama to receive his masters degree in finance, while also teaching post-graduate classes at the University. Most recently, Wales has been involved in President Clinton’s “Clinton Global Initiative,” and Google’s
2014 legal battles over their search results.

CHUCK LEAVELL
Leavell is widely considered one of the most successful rock and roll keyboardists of the modern era. Leavell first broke onto the main stage with the Allman Brothers in the 1970’s. Before that, he was a local star. After moving to Tuscaloosa in 1962, Leavell led the band on the “Tuscaloosa Bandstand” TV show in the late 60’s. Since his stint with the Allman Brothers, Leavell has also toured with Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and the Rolling Stones.
COLEMAN YOUNG
Coleman Young served as the first African-American mayor of Detroit from 1974 to 1994. Young was born here in Tuscaloosa, where he lived for the early part of his life before moving to Michigan in 1923. While he was in office, Detroit saw massive infrastructural growth in the automotive industry and beyond. As an outspoken advocate of construction projects, Young was responsible for thousands of jobs and an economic rise for the city of Detroit. Coleman Young passed away on January
3rd, 1994.