18 famous people were born in Oxford, more of them leaders than in most towns

Isaiah Hicks, the American basketball player, is the most widely known, written about in 12 languages. Second and third on the list are Franklin Wills Hancock, Jr. and Benjamin Chavis. Between 1920 and 1969, 8 were born, the most of any period. Per head, the list is long: 20.2 for every 10,000 residents, where the typical town in North Carolina has 1.8.