Thought Control

well best of luck with it.

 

Conformity, in itself, is not the problem. But before conforming to something, you have to think about what you're conforming to and what it implies. And let yourself the choice not to conform if it's against your self or if you see it causes suffering and destruction.

 

That's what I was goin to say but you said it better.

 

Ummmm... no offense, but if you don't think we should be preparing kids for 'repetitive slaving for wealth and material gain', then exactly what do you think should be happening at schools? I mean, you're making some pretty bold negative statements about education, so I assume you have an alternative solution?

Most people in this world have 9-5 jobs. If not, then they have an 8-6 job, or maybe even a 7-10 job, or a bunch of jobs. In other countries, they have jobs where they work all day, sleep at their workplace, make next to nothing and if they make a mistake their boss beats the shit out of them. Life is not about doing whatever you want to, it is about doing something because you have to do something in order to live-- if you are lucky, you will like what you are doing.

If you don't have a job, you are either a bum, a monk or a parasite. Should we be teaching kids how to be these things? Oops, no religion in the classroom... looks like you think we should be teaching kids how to be bums and parasites. We could have classes dedicated to begging, or how to collect welfare, or how to look pathetic enough that people will give you money, or strategies for sponging off of your relatives.

I'll admit that as of late there's a lot more emphasis on getting students to 'pass the test', and a lot of teachers end up teaching the test... but if you're so starved for more education, then you can easily pick up a book and learn it yourself, and feel free to come to your own conclusions about things as well. I would wholeheartedly encourage that, and I'm sure a lot of your teachers would as well.

As for this 'teaching kids how to think' stuff... seriously, what does that even mean??? I can teach you how to think in about twenty seconds-->

Step 1: Picture something: for example, a rabbit.
Step 2: Ask yourself a question about it that you do not know the answer to.
Step 3: Go find the answer.
Step 4: Check other sources to make sure that it's the right answer.

If you're expecting teachers to repeat all sorts of anti-social propaganda and encourage students to set up communes because 'society is evil' is a universal 'truth', then you need to wake up and realize that the majority of people will have to embrace society in order to get what they want out of life-- things like travel, love, sex, food, family, education, friends, music, entertainment, etc. If you are not part of this majority, you can drop out, refuse to work and see how far you get.

There are subjects where students are encouraged to express themselves and are always stimulating (unless some fuckwad screws it up, which can happen)-- History, Art, Creative Writing, Literature, and English come to mind. But you can't change math, computers or science. Those subjects are based on facts. Unfortunately, artsy subjects do not land people the kind of jobs they will probably want in the future.

I would love to teach a course on world societies, or world religions, or that kind of thing where there's a lot of potential to ask questions and have debates... but usually, those subjects are saved for University, where students are more interested in what they're doing.

If you're interested in expressing yourself and doing projects that reflect who you are and what you're interested in, then why not start a club? You could write manifestos and share ideas, pick your own topics and learn the way you want to. Or maybe you're too busy being negative about what you don't have and how oppressed you are to actually do something about it?

 

Also, for Topher D.:

By 'selling your wares', do you mean you intend to become a prostitute? A drug dealer? If not, then I'm pretty sure that 'selling wares' means that you need a supplier. Unless you can dive for pearls or you're collecting and polishing seashells. Do you know how to grow your own food? It takes a lot of work-- I guarantee that you will work a lot more than the guy at his 9-5 job, and I can also guarantee that you will sometimes fail. The guy at the 9-5 job has a farmer growing his food for him, but you will have to do the farmer's job plus the merchant's. How are you going to buy this trailer? Will you have a car to get around? Except you can't, because buying gas is buying into the corporations. Are your customers going to come to you? How will you get them to do so? Are you going to advertise? Depending on what you're planning to sell, you probably won't have many customers if you're living out in the countryside, and I highly doubt that you're going to walk into the city everyday. Also, you need to be prepared for failure, because it is going to happen... I'm not saying this to be discouraging, just that it's a constant reality whenever anyone starts up a new business... especially if you're trying to compete with businesses that have more money, more advertising, more brand familiarity, and lower prices than you do.

Still, good luck.

 

The understanding of the world, the motivation to explore, create, etc. Then let the students make there own intelligent choice.

The problem here is that school teach us in a way that 1.accepts no questioning from the student, 2. makes almost no room for the student's creativity, 3. rewards the student with virtual rewards, the grades, therefore the students forget what learning is all about, the love of the world unknown. Isn't that what learning should be about?

That isn't why students go to school everyday.
I know that I have the possibility to not fall into this, but most do, and I care about them, because they are tomorrow's society.

The way you put is the intelligent way, but the classes I receive are more like this, unfortunatly.

Step 1: The subject of the class today is the rabbit.
Step 2: The questions are already in the book you all received.
Step 3: Go find the answer.
Step 4: The teacher says it's the good answer, and the question is in the exam so I better learn it by heart.

Ok I'm making a pretty negative portrait but this is something I see every day at school, so...?

I'm not anti-anything, I'm for a better everything, and yes the world needs change, and so does education.

 

heywood floyd...you seem like a pretty bitter person. I'm sorry, but that's the instant impression I got, you could've done that in a far less patronizing manner...


Personally, I think not enough people think for themselves these days...they just accept what they are told. Alot of people that I have met have difficulty getting around the concept that just because they learnt something, doesn't necessarily make it true. I also think school can kill creativity, save for English (maybe).

 

well i dont think heywood floyd sounds bitter about anything, i think he sounds realistic about everything.

i dont think school does stifle creativity, i got top GCSE grades in english (creative writing), art, drama and music. all creative subjects and now years after i left education, i still write poetry, play music and draw. all things i learnt to do in school, along with my main passion....photography which was also taught at my school. but like heywood said, if you expect teachers to be teaching you how to tye dye t shirts and make home made bongs in design technology you need to get real.

im not going to go into anymore depth as ive already made plenty of posts in this thread and i think my stance is pretty clear here, but my main reason for posting was to say i couldnt agree with either of heywoods posts more. very well put. :cheers2:

 

Look at the world and tell me, without laughing, that it doesn't need change...

 

^^^The world will always need to change. It always has and always will. And people will always try to get other people to change it for them.

Grades are not 'virtual rewards'-- they're indicators that are supposed to give you, your parents and other teachers a clear sign of how well you're doing. Performance evaluation is a major part of any job-- from working at MacDonald's to aerospace engineering. It is something you will always face, throughout your life.

And I don't know what kind of school you're going to, but where I went to school teachers would always welcome some healthy debate. The thing is, very few students had the slightest interest in providing any. Everything that was said was usually met with yet another sea of empty stares. When there was debate, it was a refreshing change of pace... but it didn't happen as often as it should have. And believe it or not, you do not always know everything when you're 17 with zero humility, heaps of angst and a burning need to prove yourself. Very few students your age actually bother to understand the topic before they speak. Do some research, come in prepared, and prove yourself if you're so desperate to learn things your own way. Despite how you might think I sound here speaking freely, I am a teacher in real life and I always take care not to squash someone's confidence especially when they're trying their best. Unfortunately, the truth is that 90 percent of students want to do only as much as they have to, 5 percent want to do less, 4 percent think they could do it all so much better, and the remaining 1 percent is actually interested in going into more depth. Of course, this depends on the school.

I always stress: if you're so interested in going outside the textbook, you can always do your own research and prepare your own argument before class. I'm sure that if one of your teachers would be impressed by your desire to learn and master any topic of discussion, and would happily do whatever he/she could to help you discover the subject more in-depth. Given the availability of information nowadays, it shouldn't be too hard. You don't even have to go to the library- you can do it online.

The trouble is (and I'm not saying this to be bitter, I'm honestly just being realistic) that most kids are not interested in dedicating any of their precious free time to mastering any topic or subject, especially when they could be sleeping, hanging out with friends, watching TV, doing drugs, surfing the net, etc. Unfortunately, your teachers only have so much time in class, and they have in all likelihood been told to teach the exam. The only way they can go outside of this is by assigning a lot more homework, but it's much easier and safer to just do it yourself-- because there is pressure to keep your class grades up, and if your failure rate is too high, it is a reflection on you as a teacher.

Again, I can't stress this enough:

If you think you're missing out, then why not take it upon yourself??? Why should other people be held fully accountable for your own education? If this were the 1800s, then there might be a valid reason why someone would be fully dependent on their teacher, but nowadays, there's no reason for that to be the case.

 

that's why you do your best to get out of there so you can start fighting it from the outside instead of being stuck there.

 

^^^That's giving up.

 

Best thing to do is get your ass the hell out of institutional education and into the public library and get to work. Provided you know how to learn.
This is what elementary school is for. If you haven't been taught to learn on your own by about the 6th grade you are pretty much fucked imho.
Beware!
When you learn things outside the box you can run the risk of becoming maligned from this latest version of what we call western civilization.


ZW

 

Sorry zombiewolf... the days when dropouts can make it rich is over (unless you're already wealthy)... every employer wants to see solid credentials and at least a high school diploma. The work force will eat you alive if you don't have an education, and you'll more than likely get stuck at the bottom, working as a drone at two different jobs, making other people rich just so you can get by... going into debt just to support your family, and never being able to pay off your debts... and having lots of debts makes it very hard to live your life.

People don't need to be taught how to learn on their own-- learning isn't a skill, it's a function of the human brain. The only obstacle to learning is when you think that you already know everything, and have all the answers.

 

It's benefits allow a more united, easily functioning society that can work towards "the greater good" due to acceptance of similar social contract (check out social contract theory, Hobbes, if you don't know what I mean and would like to), at least more so than if every individual had a very personal sense of the world and their role in it. Still, personal freedom to develop ones mind as they please is limited by our overall system of living at this time, but if one so pleases they can escape the boundaries of society and it's views of reality into schizophrenia.

Still, it supplies several educated or demoralized dropouts to businesses and the job market as a whole. Rest assured someone is going to benefit from your having attended school, many times someone other than yourself. The current system farms people for cash to self-perpetuate itself.

I'm currently reading through this sociology book/study called "Ain't No Makin' it", which features a good explanation of several theories which show that the education system merely replicates the class system, among other theories included. It's a good read if you're interested in the subject.

 

LanSLIde...+1

floyd...yer a toady

 

no it isn't but alright.

 

Then please tell me how you're fighting the system without being part of it all you great enlightened 'outside-the-box' people. What do you do for a living that allows you to function without an education?

And exactly how does one go about 'fighting the system from the outside'?? Are you going to be in a cult? A terrorist organization? Unfortunately, those types of things tend to be a lot more rigid and fascistic than society. But maybe you could be a gypsy or join a circus or something... just make sure you have a skill first.

As I said before, I'm not discouraging anyone from broadening their horizons, I'm just saying that without an institutional education you're pretty much fucked... and I don't think any responsible adult would ever encourage a young adult to drop out of school.

 

http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/lists/dropouts.html








Noted Individuals - High School and Elementary School Dropouts

(elementary school dropouts where indicated)

A

Abigail Adams.......wife of the 2nd U.S. President John Adams; America's 2nd First Lady (no formal education; home schooling/life experience).
Ansel Adams.........American wilderness photographer; best-selling photography book author; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient.
Bryan Adams......Oscar-nominated songwriter-singer.
Sheldon Adelson......self-made billionaire American hotel and casino businessman.
Miguel Adrover.....Spanish-born fashion designer.
Christina Aguilera....rock star.
Jack Albertson......Oscar-winning actor.
Peter Allen.........Oscar-winning Australian songwriter-composer-singer.
Rick Allen . . . rock star; member of "Def Leppard".
Dhirubhai Ambani....self-made billionaire Indian businessman.
Anthony Andrews.....actor.
Julie Andrews.......Oscar-winning actress-singer; best-selling British author (as Julie Andrews Edwards); bestowed the rank of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the year 2000 (United Kingdom: Dame Julie Andrews).
Christina Applegate......actress.
Edwin Apps.........British artist.
Joan Armatrading....singer-songwriter.
Louis Armstrong.....singer-musician.
Eddy Arnold.........country music star; Country Music Hall of Fame inductee.
Cliff Arquette ("Charlie Weaver")....comedian-entertainer; American author.
Brooke Astor........wealthy American socialite-philanthropist-author; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
John Jacob Astor......self-made multimillionaire German-born early American businesssman; America's first multimillionaire.
Chet Atkins.........country music star; Country Music Hall of Fame inductee; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; American author.
Jane Austen......best-selling British author (elementary school dropout).
Gene Autry......Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter; the first "singing cowboy"; wrote and co-wrote over 200 songs, including "Back in the Saddle Again" and "Here Comes Santa Claus"; recorded famous rendition of the Johhny Marks song "Rudolph, the Red- Nosed Reindeer"; actor-producer; self-made multimillionaire American businessman; author; Country Music Hall of Fame inductee; National Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee; only person to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in honor of career achievements in five entertainment fields.
Richard Avedon......American photographer-author.
Willy Aybar.....baseball player.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

B

Kevin Bacon.......actor-singer-songwriter; member of the band "The Bacon Brothers".
Pearl Bailey........singer-actress; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; American author.
Josephine Baker.....singer-dancer-actress.
Lucille Ball........actress-comedienne-producer; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; American author.
Hubert Howe Bancroft....American historian-bookseller.
Brigitte Bardot.....actress; former model; French author.
Roseanne Barr.......actress-comedienne-producer-director; American author.
Fantasia Barrino......singer-actress; American author; American Idol television talent show contest winner (season 3; 2004).
Drew Barrymore......actress-producer; American author.
John Bartlett.......best-selling American author.
Shirley Bassey......singer; British author; bestowed the rank of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the year 2000 (United Kingdom: Dame Shirley Bassey).
Bill Bartman........self-made billionaire American businessman.
Count Basie.........bandleader-pianist.
Sean Bean......actor.
Beck (Beck Hansen)....rock star.
Boris Becker.....tennis player; three-time Wimbledon champion.
Anne Beiler......self-made multimillionaire American businesswoman; founder of "Auntie Anne's Pretzels" fast-food restaurant chain.
Jean-Paul Belmondo....actor.
Jack Benny..........comedian-actor-violinist.
Irving Berlin.......Oscar-winning American songwriter-composer; film story writer; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; Congressional Gold Medal recipient.
Yogi Berra.........baseball player-coach-manager; National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee; best-selling American author; famous quote: "It ain't over till it's over."
Claude Berri........Oscar-winning French film director- producer.
Luc Besson..........French film director-writer-producer (La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element, etc.); knighted (France: Chevalier [Knight] of the Legion of Honor; Chevalier [or Chev.] Luc Besson).
Joey Bishop.........comedian-entertainer.
Clint Black.........country music star; American author.
Norman Blake....musician; guitarist.
William Blake.......British poet.
Mary J. Blige......singer-songwriter.
Humphrey Bogart.....Oscar-winning actor.
Peter Bogdanovich....Oscar-nominated American film director-screenwriter (The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon, Mask, etc.); book author.
Michael Bolton......singer-songwriter; American author.
Sonny Bono...........singer-songwriter-actor; U.S. Congressman (California U.S. Representative); best-selling American author.
Daniel Boone........early American frontiersman (little formal education; home schooling/life experience).
John Boorman........Oscar-nominated British film director (Deliverance, Excalibur, etc.).
Bjorn Borg..........tennis player; five-time Wimbledon champion; Swedish-born author.
Clara Bow....early Hollywood actress
David Bowie.........singer-songwriter-musician-actor; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; British author.
Boy George..........rock star; British author.
Barbara Taylor Bradford....best-selling British romance author.
Billy Bragg......rock star.
Marlon Brando.......Oscar-winning actor; American author.
Richard Branson.....self-made billionaire British businessman; founder of "Virgin Atlantic Airways," "Virgin Records," etc.; best-selling British author; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Richard Branson).
Jacques Brel.......singer-songwriter.
Joseph Brodsky.......Nobel Prize-winning Russian-born American poet.
Charles Bronson.....actor.
Gary Brooker.......rock star.
Louise Brooks.......silent-film actress; American author.
Pierce Brosnan......actor.
Margaret Brown.....American socialite; Titanic survivor ("the Unsinkable Molly Brown").
Gisele Bündchen.....actress; supermodel.
George Burns........Oscar-winning actor-comedian; American author (elementary school dropout).
Pete Burns.......rock star (elementary school dropout).
Ellen Burnstyn......Oscar-winning actress.
Raymond Burr.......actor.
Terry Butters.....singer-musician; pianist.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

C

Sebastian Cabot.....actor.
Sammy Cahn..........Oscar-winning American songwriter-composer; American author.
Martin Caidin.......American author; aviation expert; psychokinesis researcher; literary works include the novels "Cyborg" on which the TV series "The Six Million Dollar Man" was based and "Marooned," the basis for the 1969 Oscar-winning movie about astronauts trapped in space.
Michael Caine.......Oscar-winning actor; best-selling British author; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Michael Caine).
Glen Campbell.......country music star; American author.
Neve Campbell.......actress.
Eddie Cantor......actor-singer-comedian-producer; American author (elementary school dropout).
Jennifer Capriati......tennis player.
George Carlin.......comedian-actor; best-selling American author.
Andrew Carnegie.....self-made multimillionaire American businessman-philanthropist (elementary school dropout).
Jim Carrey..........actor-writer-comedian.
Kit Carson.....early American frontier guide; trapper; soldier; Indian agent (no formal education; learned to read and write in his mid 50s).
Giacomo Casanova....Itlaian-born author; diplomat, spy; playboy.
John Chancellor.....American television journalist; evening news anchorman; author.
Charlie Chaplin.....Oscar-winning actor-writer-director- producer; British-born author; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Charlie [or Charles] Chaplin) (elementary school dropout).
Ray Charles.........singer-pianist; one of the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees; American author.
Cesar Chavez.......U.S. farm labor leader pioneer.
Cher......Oscar-winning actress-singer; best-selling American author.
Maurice Chevalier....Oscar-winning actor-singer; French-born author; French Legion of Honor inductee/Medal recipient (note: rank bestowed in 1938 [Knight?] still being researched; if you know this detail or can research French-language websites and find out, please send the missing information the webmaster).
Agatha Christie......best-selling British author; bestowed the rank of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the year 1971 (United Kingdom: Dame Agatha Christie) (no formal education; home schooling/life experience; studied singing and piano at age 16).
Liz Claiborne.......fashion designer.
Eric Clapton......rock star; British author.
John Clare........British poet (elementary school dropout).
Samuel L. Clemens ("Mark Twain")....best-selling American author; humorist (elementary school dropout).
Roberto Clemente....baseball player; National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.
Kurt Cobain........rock star; lead singer of the band "Nirvana."
Eddie Cochran.....rock star.
Jackie Cochran.....pioneering American female aviation pilot; Aviation Hall of Fame inductee; author (elementary school dropout).
Joe Cocker.......rock star.
William Cody ("Buffalo Bill")....Pony Express rider; U.S. Army scout; Wild West show founder (elementary school dropout).
Harry Cohn.....American film producer; early Hollywood pioneer; co-founder of Columbia Pictures.
Toni Collette.......Oscar-nominated actress.
Jackie Collins......best-selling British-born author.
Phil Collins........Oscar-winning songwriter-singer.
Christopher Columbus....Italian explorer (little formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth).
Perry Como..........singer.
Sean Connery........Oscar-winning actor; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Sean Connery).
Billy Connolly......comedian-actor-musician; Scottish author.
Joseph Conrad......best-selling Polish-born British author (little formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth).
Russ Conway.....pianist; composer.
James Cook........British explorer (little formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth).
Jack Kent Cooke.....self-made billionaire Canadian-born American media businessman.
Elvis Costello.......rock star; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Noel Coward.........Oscar-winning actor-director-producer- playwright-composer; British author knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Noel Coward) (elementary school dropout).
Simon Cowell......music producer; oncamera judge on the television series American Idol and Pop idol (UK).
Daniel Craig.......actor.
Joan Crawford.......Oscar-winning actress; American author; former dancer.
Michael Crawford....actor-singer; British author.
Davy Crockett.......early American frontiersman; U.S. Congressman (Tennessee U.S. Representative); died at the battle of the Alamo (little formal education [six months]; home schooling/life experience).
Russell Crowe......Oscar-winning actor.
Tom Cruise..........Oscar-nominated actor.
Charles E. Culpeper....self-made multimillionaire American businessman; early 1900s' owner and head of "The Coca Cola Bottling Company."
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

D

Jim Dale............Oscar-nominated songwriter-singer-actor.
Jerry Daley......artist.
Roger Daltry........singer-actor; member of the rock group "The Who."
Beverly D'Angelo.....actress
Sammy Davis Jr......singer-dancer-actor-entertainer; American author (elementary school dropout)
Robert De Niro......Oscar-winning actor-producer; knighted (France: Chevalier [Knight] of the Legion of Honor; Chevalier [or Chev.] Robert De Niro).
Felix Dennis........self-made multimillionaire British magazine publisher ("Maxim" magazine, etc.).
Lloyd Dennis....Canadian author; teacher; lecturer; awarded the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario
Reginald Denny......actor.
Gerard Depardieu....Oscar-nominated actor; knighted (France: Chevalier [or Chev.] Gerard Depardieu) (elementary school dropout).
Johnny Depp.........Oscar-nominated actor.
Bo Derek............actress; American author.
Richard Desmond.....self-made billionaire British publisher
Diana........Princess of Wales.
Cameron Diaz.......actress; former model.
Charles Dickins.....best-selling British author (elementary school dropout).
Bo Diddley..........rock star; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Matt Dillon......Oscar-nominated actor.
Joe DiMaggio........baseball player; National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; American author.
Celine Dion.......Oscar-winning singer; Canadian-born author.
Thomas Dolby........musician-composer; music producer.
Francis Drake.......British explorer; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Francis Drake) (little formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth).
Theodore Dreiser.....American author
Patty Duke......Oscar-winning actress; best-selling American author; former president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Isadora Duncan......dancer; American author (elementary school dropout).
Charles Durning.....Oscar-nominated actor.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

E

James B. Eads......early American engineer; bridge builder; inventor of the diving bell.
Jeanne Eagels.....Oscar-nominated early Hollywood actress; Broadway actress.
Steve Earle.....country music star.
Dale Earnhardt......race-car driver.
George Eastman......self-made multimillionaire American inventor-founder of the "Kodak" roll film camera and corporation.
Thomas Edison.......self-made multimillionaire American inventor; electrical power usage pioneer; filmmaker; Congressional Gold Medal recipient; knighted (France: first bestowed the rank of Chevalier [Knight], then later upgraded to Officer, then Commander; Commander [or Cmdr.] Thomas Edison) (elementary school dropout).
Duke Ellington......Oscar-nominated American composer- bandleader; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; author.
James Ellroy........best-selling American author.
Eminem......Oscar-winning songwriter-singer; rap music singer; actor.
Robert Evans......Oscar-nominated American film producer (Chinatown, Marathon Man, Urban Cowboy, Popeye, etc.); movie studio executive; author.
Oliver Evans.......American inventor (little formal education).
Rupert Everett......actor.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

F

Adam Faith......rock star; actor.
Lola Falana.........singer.
Nick Faldo..........golfer; British author.
Michael Faraday......British physicist; chemist.
Colin Farrell.......actor.
Jose Feliciano......singer-guitarist.
Joschka Fischer.....German politician; Foreign Minister
Scott Fischer......world-class mountain climber-guide; expedition business owner.
Carl G. Fisher......self-made multimillionaire American businessman; land developer; original developer of Miami Beach, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, etc. (elementary school dropout).
Ella Fitzgerald.....singer; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient.
James Flagg.....magazine and poster illustrator; artist of the famous "Uncle Sam" World War II "I Want You . . . for U.S. Army" recruiting poster; American author
Errol Flynn.......actor; Tasmanian-born author.
Henry Ford..........self-made multimillionaire American businessman; auto manufacturing pioneer; founder of the "Ford Motor Company."
George Foreman......Olympic Gold Medal boxer; best-selling American author; businessman.
Redd Foxx...........actor-comedian.
A. J. Foyt.........race-car driver; American author.
Peter Frampton.....rock star.
Aretha Franklin....singer; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; American author.
Benjamin Franklin....American politician-diplomat-author-printer-publisher-scientist-inventor; co-author and co-signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence; one of the founders of The United States of America; face is pictured on the U.S. one-hundred dollar bill (little formal education [less than two years]; home schooling/life experience).
Joe Frazier........Olympic Gold Medal boxer; American author.
Nick Frost.......British actor.
Samuel Fuller......American film director-writer-actor (director: Merrill's Marauders, The Big Red One, etc.).
Furuzan.......Turkish-born female author (elementary school dropout).
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

G

Clark Gable........Oscar-winning actor.
Eva Gabor..........actress.
Kaba Gandhi.......father of Indian political leader Mohandas "Mathatma" Gandhi (no formal education; home schooling/life experience).
Karasandas Gandhi.....older brother of Indian political leader Matahma Gandhi (left school when he and his brother were married to girls in arranged marriages; his brother, the future political leader returned to school a year later at age 14).
Greta Garbo........Oscar-winning actress.
Mary Gauthier.......singer-songwriter.
Marvin Gaye........singer; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Henry George......best-selling American author; economist (elementary school dropout).
George Gershwin....Oscar-nominated American songwriter-composer; Congressional Gold Medal recipient.
Amadeo Peter Giannini....American-born founder of "Bank of America."
Andy Gibb..........rock star (elementary school dropout).
Barry Gibb.........rock star; member of "The Bee Gees"; British author.
Maurice Gibb.......rock star; member of "The Bee Gees."
Robin Gibb.........rock star; member of "The Bee Gees."
Lillian Gish.......Oscar-winning actress; early Hollywood pioneer; American author.
Jackie Gleason.....Oscar-nominated actor-comedian-entertainer.
Whoopie Goldberg....Oscar-winning actress-comedienne; best-selling American author.
Samuel Gompers.....U.S. labor leader pioneer (elementary school dropout)
Cuba Gooding Jr........Oscar-winning actor.
Benny Goodman.....bandleader-clarinetist; American author.
Maksim Gorky......Russian author (elementary school dropout).
Marjoe Gortner....actor; former child evangelist.
Jay Gould......self-made multimillionaire American financier and railroad builder.
Graham Gouldman.....rock star.
Lew Grade.........British film/TV producer (TV: The Avengers, The Saint, Secret Agent, The Prisoner, The Muppet Show, etc.); Russian-born British author; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Lew Grade).
Cary Grant........Oscar-winning actor.
W.T.Grant.........self-made multimillionaire American businessman; founder of the "W.T. Grant Company" department store chain.
Horace Greeley....American newspaper publisher-editor; U.S. Congressman; 1872 U.S. Presidential candidate; co-founder of the Republican party in the United States.
Roy Greensmith....British politician; Sheriff of Nottingham 1995-1996; Lord Mayor of Nottingham 1997-1998, 2001-present.
D.W. Griffith.....Oscar-winning American film director; early Hollywood pioneer.
Dave Grohl......rock star; founding member of the band "Foo Fighters"; former member of the band "Nirvana."
Woody Guthrie.....folk singer-songwriter; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; American author.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

H

Thomas Haffa......self-made billionaire German media businessman (double- digit billionaire in the late 1990s.)
Merle Haggard.....country music star; Country Music Hall of Fame inductee; American author.
Wang Hai........Chinese consumer advocate.
Bill Haley.....rock star; founding member of the band "Bill Haley and His Comets; recorded famous rendition of the song "Rock Around the Clock; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Pete Hamill......journalist; best-selling American author.
Laird Hamilton.....surfer; surfing video producer-consultant; former model.
Susan Hampshire....actress; best-selling British author.
Dian Hanson......American magazine publisher and editor.
Jean Harlow......actress.
Jet Harris......rock star.
George Harrison....Oscar-winning songwriter-singer-guitarist; former member of "The Beatles"; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
John Harrison......British inventor of the first naval chronometer; inventor and maker of clocks and watches (little formal education; home schooling/life experience).
Beth Hart........singer-songwriter-pianist.
Laurence Harvey....Oscar-nominated actor.
Paul Hawkin........American businessman-author.
Sterling Hayden....actor; American author.
Thomas Hearns......boxer.
Margaux Hemingway......actress-model.
Arthur Henderson....Nobel Prize-winning British Politician; co-founder of the Labour Party; Foreign Secretary 1929-1931; peace conference president (1934 Nobel Peace Prize) (dropped out of school at age 12 to work in a locomotive parts iron foundry).
Kenneth Hendricks......self-made billionaire American businessman.
Karl Hess.........American author; political speechwriter; former "Newsweek" magazine editor.
Benny Hill.........comedian-entertainer; TV comedy-show host.
Al Hirschfeld......caricaturist; American author.
Jimi Hocking......rock star.
Eric Hoffer.......American author-philosopher; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient.
Paul Hogan.........Oscar-nominated screenwriter-actor.
James Hogg.......Scottish poet (elementary school dropout).
Billie Holiday.....singer (elementary school dropout).
Larry Holmes.......boxer; American author (elementary school dropout).
Soichiro Honda......self-made multimillionaire Japaneses businessman; motorcycle industry pioneer; founder of the Honda Motor Company.
John Lee Hooker....blues singer-musician; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Fiona Horne.........rock star; Australian-born author; "Australia's most famous witch."
Lena Horne.........singer-actress.
Harry Houdini.....magician; escape artist; paranormal investigator; Hungarian-born American author.
Djimon Hounsou......Oscar-nominated actor; former model.
Bobby Hull.........hockey player; Canadian author.
J.B. Hunt . . . self-made American multimillionaire transportation businessman (elementary school dropout).
H.L. Hunt........self-made billionaire American oil industrialist (elementary school dropout).
John Huston........Oscar-winning American film director-actor (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen, etc.); book author.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

I

Janis Ian.......singer-songwriter; American author.
Iman........actress-model; Somalia-born author.
Natalie Imbruglia......rock star; actress.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

J

Wolfman Jack.......radio-show host; television personality; actor; American author.
Tony Jacklin.......golfer; British author.
Peter Jackson......Oscar-winning New Zealand film director-writer-producer (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Frighteners, etc.).
Allen W. Jacobson.....early Boeing Company executive; directed American warplane development and production during World War II.
Elizabeth Jagger....runway/photography model; daughter of rock star Mick Jagger and model Jerry Hall.
Billy Joel.........rock star; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; American author.
Elton John.........Oscar-winning songwriter-singer; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; British author; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Elton John).
Andrew Johnson.....17th U.S. President (no formal education; home schooling/life experience).
Catherine Zeta-Jones......Oscar-winning actress-singer-dancer.
George Jones.......country music star; American author (elementary school dropout).
John Paul Jones.....Scottish-born American Revolutionary War U.S. navy commander; famous quote: "I have not yet begun to fight." (little formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth.)
Rickie Lee Jones....pop-jazz singer-songwriter.
Tom Jones..........singer.
Leon Jouhaux.......Nobel Prize-winning French labor leader pioneer (1951 Nobel Peace Prize).
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

K

Joshua Kadison.......singer-songwriter-musician.
Henry J. Kaiser....self-made multimillionaire American businessman; founder of "Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation," "Kaiser Steel," etc.
Garson Kanin.......Oscar-nominated screenwriter; playwright- stage director; American author.
Li Ka-shing......self-made billionaire Chinese-born businessman.
Carmen Kass........supermodel.
Mathieu Kassovitz......French film director-actor-producer.
Miura Kazuyoshi......Japanese-born soccer player.
Kirk Kerkorian......self-made billionaire American businessman.
Chaka Khan.........rock star.
Nicole Kidman......Oscar-nominated actress.
Kid Rock (Robert Ritchie)......rock star; actor.
Jean-Claude Killy....Olympic Gold Medal skier; French author.
Alan King..........comedian-producer; American author.
B.B. King........singer-guitarist; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
George Kirby.......comedian-impressionist.
Eartha Kitt........singer-actress; author.
Evel Knievel.......motorcycle daredevil; American author.
Gladys Knight......rock star; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; American author.
J. Fred Knobloch.......country music star.
Yaphet Kotto.......actor.
Kane Kramer......British inventor of the technology behind the iPod.
Ray Kroc...........self-made billionaire American businessman; founder of the "McDonald's" fast-food restaurant chain; author.
Karolina Kurkova.......supermodel.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

L

Jimmy Lai......self-made multimillionaire Chinese-born Hong Kong businessman; newspaper and magazine publisher; founder of the "Giordano" clothing store chain (elementary school dropout).
Frederick "Freddy" Laker....self-made multimillionaire British businessman; airline entrepeneur; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Frederick [or Freddy] Laker).
Barbara La Marr.....early Hollywood actress-screenwriter
Louis L'Amour......best-selling American author of Old West stories and novels; Congressional Gold Medal recipient.
Burton Lane........Oscar-nominated American songwriter- film/stage composer.
Cleo Lane..........singer-actress.
Tommy Lasorda......baseball team manager; National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee; American author.
Rod Laver..........tennis player; four-time Wimbledon champion; tennis's first millionaire; Australian author.
Jude Law..........Oscar-nominated actor.
Steve Lawrence.....singer-actor-entertainer.
Richard Leakey.......paleoanthropologist; Nairobi-born author.
David Lean.........Oscar-winning British film director (Lawrence of Arabia, Dr.Zhivago, etc.); knighted (United Kingdom: Sir David Lean).
Henrietta Leaver.....Miss America 1935.
Heath Ledger........Oscar-nominated actor.
Albert Lee.......rock star.
Jason Lee.........actor.
Edward Leedskalnin....American sculptor of the Coral Castle in Florida (elementary school dropout).
Anton van Leeuwenhoek....Dutch microscope maker; world's first microbiologist; discoverer of bacteria, blood cells, and sperm cells).
Jennifer Jason Leigh....actress.
Jarod Leto........actor.
Oscar Levant.......American composer-pianist-actor.
Joseph Levine......American film producer (The Graduate, The Lion in Winter, etc.).
Adolph Lewis......self-made multimillionaire American businessman; inventor of the "Slim Jim" meat stick snack in the 1940s.
Jerry Lewis........actor-comedian-singer-entertainer- humanitarian; American author; knighted (France: Chevalier [or Chev.] Jerry Lewis).
Joe Lewis........self-made billionaire British businessman.
Carl Lindner.......self-made billionaire American businessman.
Frank Lindner......artist.
Mark Lindsay.......rock star; member of "Paul Revere & the Raiders."
Little Richard.....rock star; one of the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
Brian Littrell.......rock star; member of "Backstreet Boys."
LL Cool J (James T. Smith)......rock star.
John Llewellyn.....U.S. Labor leader pioneer; for 40 years until his retirement, president of the United Mine Workers' Union.
Marcus Loew........self-made multimillionaire American businessman; early Hollywood pioneer; founder of the "Loews" movie- theater chain; co-founder of "MGM" studios (elementary school dropout).
Dave Lon..........musician.
Julie London.......singer-actress.
Trini Lopez........singer-actor.
Traci Lords........actress-singer-songwriter; American author.
Sophia Loren.......Oscar-winning actress; best-selling Italian- born author; former model (elementary school dropout).
Joe Louis..........boxer; Congressional Gold Medal recipient; American author.
Courtney Love......Oscar-nominated actress; rock star.
Daniel Ludwig......self-made billionaire American businessman (graduated 8th grade; no high schooling).
Loretta Lynn.......country music star; Country Music Hall of Fame inductee; American author.
Shelby Lynne......singer-songwriter.
Mary Lyon.........American women's education pioneer; early American teacher; founder of Mount Holyoke College (America's first women's college).
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

M

Gwendolyn MacEwen....Canadian poet.
John Major.........British Prime Minister 1990-1997; author.
Thomas Karran Maltby....Australian politician; Speaker of the Legislative Assembly 1947-1950; knighted (Sir Thomas Karran Maltby).
Shirley Manson.....rock star.
Sophie Marceau......actress-director; French-born author.
Audrey Marnay......French top runway/photography model.
Evan Marriot.......actor; former model; original "Joe Millionaire" of the reality TV series of the same name.
Jean Marsh.........actress; British author.
Wanda Marsh.......artist; woodcarver; American author.
Dean Martin........singer-actor-entertainer.
Harry Edmund Martinson....Nobel Prize-winning Swedish author (little formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth).
Moa Martinson.....Swedish author.
Lee Marvin.........Oscar-winning actor.
Groucho Marx.......Oscar-winning actor-comedian; American author (elementary school dropout).
Henry Maudslay.....British engineering inventor.
Robert Maxwell.....self-made billionaire British publisher.
Elaine May..........Oscar-nominated screenwriter-actress- director-comedienne; American author.
Oseola McCarty......American author (elementary school dropout).
Patrick McGoohan......actor.
Ewan McGregor......actor.
Rod McKuen.........best-selling American poet (elementary school dropout).
Florence Melton.....American inventor-businesswoman- philanthropist; inventor of the foam-lined slipper and removable shoulder pad.
Herman Melville....best-selling American author (Moby Dick, etc.).
Natalie Merchant......rock star.
Melina Mercouri....Oscar-nominated actress; Greek-born author; Greek politician.
George Michael.....rock star.
Alyssa Milano......actress.
Frankie Miller......blues singer-songwriter.
Max Miller........British comedian-actor.
Roger Miller.......country music star; Country Music Hall of Fame inductee (elementary school dropout).
Heather Mills......British model; television presenter; author; humanitarian; 1996 Nobel Peace Prize nominee; wife of rock star Paul McCartney.
Liza Minnelli......Oscar-winning actress-singer.
Robert Mitchum.....Oscar-nominated actor; American author.
Tina Modotti......Italian-born photographer; early Hollywood actress (elementary school dropout).
Claude Monet.......artist; French painter (elementary school dropout).
Bill Monroe.....country music star; given the title "the Father of Bluegrass Music"; Country Music Hall of Fame inductee (elementary school dropout).
Marilyn Monroe.....actress-singer; former model.
Yves Montand.......singer-actor; Italian-born French author (elementary school dropout).
John Mooney....blues singer-musician.
Demi Moore.........actress-producer; former model.
Roger Moore........actor; United Nations goodwill ambassador; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Roger Moore) .
Garrett A. Morgan....American inventor of the gas mask; one of the early inventors of and first to patent the automatic traffic signal.
Van Morrison.......rock star; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Samantha Mumba.....rock star.
Earl Muntz......self-made multimillionaire businessman; auto dealer; auto manufacturer; inventor; developer of the car stereo tape deck player; television set manufacturing pioneer; coined the term "TV."
David H. Murdock....self-made billionaire American businessman; chairman and CEO of Dole Food Company, Inc.; American author. Also known as David Murdock.
Vali Myers.......artist; former ballet dancer.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

N

Walter Nash.......New Zealand Prime Minister 1957-1960; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Walter Nash).
Nelly (Cornell Haynes Jr.)......rap music singer;actor.
Helmut Newton......German-born fashion photographer; photography book author.
Wayne Newton.......singer-actor-entertainer; American author.
Olivia Newton-John....singer-actress; British-born Australian author.
Phi Nhung.......Vietnamese-born (Amerasian) American singer.
Florence Nightingale....nursing pioneer; best-selling Italian-born British author (no formal education; home schooling/life experience).
Anais Nin.........French-American author.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

O

Annie Oakley.......American Old West sharpshooter; Wild West show performer (no formal education; home schooling/life experience).
Sean O'Casey.......Irish playwright (elementary school dropout).
Adolph Ochs.......self-made multimillionaire American businessman; early owner and publisher of The New York Times newspaper.
Sinead O'Connor....singer-songwriter.
Gil Ofarim........rock star.
Bobby Orr..........hockey player; Canadian author.
Brian Orser........Olympic Silver Medal ice-skater; Canadian author.
Amancio Ortega......self-made billionaire Spanish fashion businessman. Also known as Amancio Ortega Gaona.
Kelly Osbourne.....rock star; daughter of Ozzy Osbourne.
Ozzy Osbourne......rock star; British-born author.
Peter O'Toole......Oscar-winning actor; Irish-born author.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

P

Al Pacino..........Oscar-winning actor.
Thomas Paine.......American Revolutionary War era political theorist; best-selling British-born American author; famous quote: "These are the times that try men's souls." (little formal education; home schooling/life experience).
Charlie Parker.....jazz musician; saxophonist.
Dorothy Parker.....American author; theater critic.
Gordon Parks.......American film director (Shaft, The Super Cops, etc.); "Life" magazine photographer; author.
Henry Parks........English-born Australian newspaper publisher; politician; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Henry Parks).
Rosa Parks.........U.S. civil rights activist-pioneer; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; Congressional Gold Medal recipient; American author.
Jack Parr..........television talk-show host; early television pioneer.
Banjo Patterson....best-selling Australian poet ("Waltzing Matilda," etc.); face is pictured on the Australian ten dollar bank note.
Floyd Patterson....Olympic Gold Medal boxer; American author.
Neil Peart.........rock star; member of "Rush."
Pele.........soccer player; Brazilian-born author (elementary school dropout).
Joe Pepitone.......baseball player; American author.
Evita Peron........First Lady of Argentina 1946-1952; former stage and radio actress.
Joe Pesci..........Oscar-winning actor.
Jon Peters.........American film producer (Rain Man, The Color Purple, Batman, Caddyshack, etc.) (elementary school dropout).
Phillippe Petit....high-wire artist.
Tom Petty..........rock star; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Sam Phillips.......rock-and-roll music industry pioneer; founder of Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee in 1952; music producer- talent scout credited with discovering Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, etc; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; American author.
Joaquin Phoenix....Oscar-nominated actor.
Edith Piaf.......French singer; author.
Mary Pickford......Oscar-winning actress; early Hollywood pioneer; co-founder of "United Artists Corporation"; Canadian-born American author (little formal education [six months]; home schooling/life experience).
François Pinault......self-made billionaire French businessman.
Pink (Alecia Moore)......rock star.
Donald Pleasance....actor.
Sydney Poitier.....Oscar-winning actor; American author (elementary school dropout).
Sara Polley.......actress-singer.
Teri Polo........actress.
Alexander Pope....early British poet (no formal education; self educated).
Paulina Porizkova......actress; former supermodel.
Paula Poundstone.....comedienne.
Luther Powell......father of U.S. Secretary of State/former General Colin Powell.
Charley Pride.......country music star; Country Music Hall of Fame inductee; American author.
Prince..........Oscar-winning songwriter-composer-musician; actor; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Richard Pryor.......actor-comedian; American author.
Robert John Pryse....British author (little formal education, reportedly just four days of schooling).
Wolfgang Puck.......chef-restauranteur; best-selling Austrian-born author.
Tito Puente.........musician-bandleader; American author.
David Puttnam.......Oscar-winning British film producer (Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express, etc.); knighted (United Kingdom: Sir David Puttnam).
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

Q

Anthony Quinn.......Oscar-winning actor; Mexican-born American author.
---------------High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

R

Daniel Radcliffe......actor.
Otis Redding......singer-songwriter; musician.
Keanu Reeves........actor-musician.
Leah Remini.......actress.
Paul Revere.........rock star; lead member of "Paul Revere & the Raiders."
Busta Rhymes......rock star; actor.
Buddy Rich..........bandleader-drummer; American author (elementary school dropout).
Tex Rickard.......American Old West lawman; casino owner; prize-fight promoter (elementary school dropout).
Harold Robbins......best-selling American author.
Bill Robinson ("Bojangles")....dancer-actor; vaudeville performer (elementary school dropout).
Ann Marie Roberts....Australian Olympic athelete in clay target shooting (Sydney 2000 summer games).
Nora Roberts......best-selling American author.
Chi Chi Rodriguez....golfer; Puerto Rican-born author.
Roy Rogers..........actor-singer-guitarist; American author.
Will Rogers.........humorist-lecturer-actor-entertainer; best-selling American author; famous quote: "I never met a man I didn't like."
Kjell Inge Rokke.....self-made billionaire Norwegian businessman.
Axl Rose........rock star.
Frederick Henry Royce....self-made multimillionaire British businessman; co-founder-designer of the "Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Company"; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Frederick Henry Royce) (elementary school dropout).
Ja Rule (Jeffrey Atkins)....rap music singer; actor.
Theresa Russell.....actress; former child model.
Rene Russo..........actress; former top model.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

S

Edmond Safra.......Lebanese-born billionaire banker-philanthropist.
Derek Sanderson.....hockey player; Canadian-born author.
Gene Sarazen.......golfer; American author (elementary school dropout).
David Sarnoff......Russian-born American radio and television pioneer; given the title "Father of American Television" by the Television Broadcasters Association (completed elementary school, but did not attend high school).
William Saroyan.....Oscar-winning screenwriter; Pulitzer Prize- winning American playwright; book author.
Catya Sassoon.......actress; former model.
Vidal Sassoon.......self-made multimillionaire British businessman; founder of "Vidal Sassoon" hairstyling salons, academies, and hair-care products; British author.
Heinrich Schliemann....German archaeologist; wealthy businessman.
Arnold Schönberg....Austrian-born composer.
Seal (Seal Henry Samuel)......rock star.
Charon Severian.....rock star-actress.
William Shakespeare....British playwright; best-selling British author.
George Bernard Shaw....Nobel Prize-winning best-selling Irish-born British author; playwright.
Percy Shaw......self-made millionaire British inventor.
Charlie Sheen.....actor-writer-producer.
Willie Shoemaker....jockey; American author.
Sid Vicious (John Ritchie)......rock star.
John Simplot......self-made billionaire American agricultural businessman. Also known as J.R. Simplot.
Frank Sinatra.......Oscar-winning actor-singer; Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient; Congressional Gold Medal recipient.
Isaac Merrit Singer....American sewing machine inventor; self-made multimillionaire founder of "Singer Industries," "I.M. Singer and Company," etc. (elementary school dropout).
Red Skelton.....actor-comedian-entertainer; TV comedy-show host; artist; American author; Television Hall of Fame inductee (elementary school dropout).
Alfred E. Smith.....New York Governor; 1928 Democratic U.S. Presidential candidate (elementary school dropout).
Anna Nicole Smith....model-actress; 1993 "Playboy" magazine "Playmate of the Year."
Sammi Smith.......country music star.
Howard Solomon......American sculptor of Solomon's Castle in Florida.
Sammy Sosa..........baseball player (no formal education; home schooling/life experience).
John Philip Sousa....American composer-conductor (elementary school dropout).
Henry M. Stanley....British explorer of Africa; author; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Henry M. Stanley) (little formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth).
Scott Stapp........rock star; lead singer of the band "Creed."
Casey Stengel.......baseball player-coach-manager; National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.
Ringo Starr.........Oscar-winning songwriter-musician-singer; actor; former member of "The Beatles."
Edward Steichen.....American photographer; Belgian-born American author; knighted (France: Chevalier [or Chev.] Edward Steichen).
Hiram Stevens.......American-born engineering inventor; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Hiram Stevens).
Jackie Stewart......race-car driver; British author knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Jackie Stewart).
Robert Stigwood.....Australian film/TV/record producer (films: Jesus Christ Superstar, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, etc.); author.
Tom Stoppard......Oscar-winning Czechoslovakian-born British screenwriter; playwright.
Lyle Stuart........American publisher-author.
Donna Summer........rock star.
Kiefer Sutherland....actor-director.
---------------High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

T

Quentin Tarantino....Oscar-winning American film writer-director (Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, etc.); book author.
James Taylor........singer-songwriter-musician; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Koko Taylor......blues singer-songwriter (elementary school dropout).
Zachary Taylor......12th U.S. President (little formal education; home schooling/life experience).
Miguel Tejada.......baseball player.
Charlize Theron......Oscar-winning actress; former model.
Danny Thomas........actor-producer-humanitarian (actor: Make Room for Daddy/The Danny Thomas Show; co-producer: The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, etc.); Congressional Gold Medal recipient; American author.
Rob Thomas......rock star.
Uma Thurman.........Oscar-nominated actress; model.
Alberto Tomba.......Olympic Gold Medal skier.
Randy Travis........country music star-actor; American author.
John Travolta.......Oscar-nominated actor.
Rob Trower.......rock star.
François Truffaut....French film director-producer-writer- actor (director: Fahrenheit 451 [1967], etc.; actor: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, etc.); book author.
Tanya Tucker.....country music star; American author.
Ron Turcotte........jockey.
Twiggy (Lesley Hornby)....actress; British author; former supermodel.
Steven Tyler......rock star; member of "Aerosmith."
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

U

Tracey Ullman.......actress-writer-producer-comedienne-singer; British-born author.
Charles Urban.......American-born early documentary/travel/news film producer; pioneer of the movie theater industry in the United States and Great Britain.
Lesser Ury.......German-born artist; painter.
Peter Ustinov.......Oscar-winning actor-writer-director; British author; knighted (United Kingdom: Sir Peter Ustinov).
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

V

Fernando Valenzuela....baseball player.
Jean-Claude Van Damme....actor; martial artist.
Cornelius Vanderbilt......self-made American multimillionaire steamship and railroad builder (elementary school dropout).
Gloria Vanderbilt....designer-artist; American author.
Vincent Van Gogh......artist; Dutch painter.
Stevie Ray Vaughan.....blues musician; guitarist.
Diana Vreeland......fashion editor; French-born American author.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

W

Ken Wahl......actor; US magazine's 1989's "Sexiest Man on TV."
Eddie Walker.....folk singer-songwriter; guitarist.
Nancy Walker........actress.
Steve Waller...rock star.
Estella Warren.....actress-model.
George Washington....1st U.S. President; former general; Chairman of the Constitutional Convention; U.S. nickname: "The Father of Our Country"; face is pictured on the U.S. one dollar bill and twenty-five cent coin (quarter) (no formal education; home schooling/life experience; went to sea in his youth).
Doc Watson.......folk singer (blind); guitarist; awarded the National Medal of the Arts by President Clinton in 1997 (elementary school dropout).
Naomi Watts.......actress.
Del E. Webb........self-made multimillionaire American businessman; homebuilder; former co-owner of the New York Yankees baseball team 1945-1965 during 10 World Series wins.
Jimmie Wedell......early American aviator; airplane manufacturer; aviation school co-owner.
Weegee (Arthur Fellig)......Polish-born early American photographer; author.
Lawrence Welk.......bandleader; TV musical-variety show host; American author.
Kitty Wells.....country music star; Country Music Hall of Fame inductee.
Mae West..........actress; American author.
Barry White......singer-songwriter; American author.
Ron Whitehead.....American poet.
Walt Whitman......best-selling American poet (elementary school dropout).
Hank Williams......country music star; Country Music Hall of Fame inductee.
August Wilson......Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright.
Kemmons Wilson.......self-made multimillionaire American businessman; founder of the "Holiday Inn" hotel chain; author.
William Bauchop Wilson....U.S. labor leader pioneer; U.S. Congressman (1907-1913); first U.S. Secretary of Labor (elementary school dropout).
Kate Winslet........Oscar-nominated actress.
Harry Winston.......jeweler; American author.
Ernie Wise........British comedian.
John Woo.......Chinese-born film director (Mission Impossible 2, Broken Arrow, Windtalkers, etc.).
Elijah Wood......actor.
Ian Woosnam........golfer.
Orville Wright......aviation pioneer; Congressional Gold Medal recipient.
Richard Wright.....best-selling American author.
Wilbur Wright.......aviation pioneer; Congressional Gold Medal recipient.
Tammy Wynette.......country music star; American author.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

Y

Neil Young..........Oscar-nominated songwriter-singer; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
--------------- High School and Elementary School Dropouts ---------------

Z

Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias....Olympic Gold Medal track- and-field athelete; golfer; women's sports pioneer; National Women's Hall of Fame inductee (won six Gold Medals and broke four world records at the Los Angeles 1932 summer games).

 

OK, that list was absolutely uncalled for.

heywood floyd, you are not only eloquent but also logical And correct imho
I have an education I may never use again insofar as a job; but, it would be terribly ignorant on All levels for any young person not to get ALL the education they possibly can.
All the lists in the world and justifications for being a drop-out are not going to change a thing when a more educated person is hired For That Reason Alone over the "outside the box" person without an education.