Bill Cosby

Growing up in Philadelphia, William Henry “Bill” Cosby was a self-described class clown. Cosby won a track and field scholarship to Philadelphia’s Temple University but left college to pursue a stand-up comedy career. In the 1970s, Cosby returned to academics, earning a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and also embarked on a career as a TV and movie actor. His greatest TV success came with the 1984 debut of The Cosby Show. Running through 1992, the show would go on to become the highest-ranking sitcom of all time. Today, Cosby continues to work as a touring stand-up comedian.