Roving Reporter

Roving Reporter question: What is it like to have a famous name?

My evil twin? No, I share the same name as my dad. People often ask my dad and me if we’re related to Billy Carter, President Jimmy Carter’s brother, but there is no relation!
Billy Carter, residential educator, MSSD Student Life

If anyone recognizes my name, it’s because they remember the actress Lynda Carter, who used to play Wonder Woman on TV. Whenever someone says “You’re Wonder Woman!” I love to tease and say, “Well, not anymore–I’m retired.”
Lynda Carter, database technician, Development Office.

I started to get the reaction of, “Oh, Barry White, the singer,” some time past the mid-1970s. Then a decade and a half ago, when email and Internet were fairly new, I received an email from a fan club in Australia asking me to help with finding Barry White’s website. And even now, almost every time I hand out my credit card or something that has my name on it, I get a friendly smile with glowing eyes. So it seems that I make new friends instantly just because of my name.

Barry White, senior academic producer, Academic Technology
Photos by Susan Flanigan and Jessica Willoughby.