#JimGoodnight October 11
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October 2026 several of us are going to take on the 30-Day Celebrity Alma Mater Coach4aday Challenge. Each day we will identify a celebrity and share where they attended college. For Day 11 it is on JIM GOODNIGHT the founder of SAS in North Carolina.
Realize that not everyone may have heard of the company Statistical Analysis System, better known as SAS. Today’s post profiles the founder Jim Goodnight and how his privately owned company has garnered a reputation as one of the best places to work in America.
Goodnight grew up in Salisbury NC and attended NC State University. At NC State he earned three degrees and also taught as a professor from 1972 to 1976. Today the company he founded in 1976 celebrates 50 years of being in existence. As of September 2026, Jim Goodnight is recognized as the wealthiest person in the State of North Carolina. Number 2 on the list is John Sall a co-founder of SAS.
Celebrity Alma Mater Coach4aday Challenge Guidelines
Basic daily format:
- Celebrity – Who are they?
- Alma Mater – Where did they attend college?
- Why They’re Famous – One-sentence context.
- College Connection – Degree, major, sports, fraternity/sorority, or other connection.
- Interesting Fact – Something surprising about their college years.
Day 11-Jim Goodnight-NC State
Celebrity: Jim Goodnight
Alma Mater: NC State
Why They’re Famous: Developed and pioneered analytic software. His company SAS became famous for benefits such as childcare, healthcare, recreational facilities, flexible work practices and a campus designed around employees
College Connection: He and his wife created the Goodnight Scholarships at NC State University.
Interesting Fact: Jim Goodnight and his wife Ann Goodnight own the Umstead Hotel and Spa which houses Herons a restaurant. That eatery is just one of the four 5-Star Restaurants in North Carolina according to Forbes Travel Guide.
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