List of Northwestern University alumni

Updated on Nov 14, 2023

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The following is a list of notable alumni who attended Northwestern University

Academia

Madeleine Wing Adler (B.A. 1962), President, West Chester University

Amy Allen (Ph.D. 1996), Parents Distinguished Research Professor in the Humanities and professor of philosophy, Dartmouth College

Diane Marie Amann (J.D. 1986), Associate Dean for International Programs & Strategic Initiatives and Emily & Ernest Woodruff Chair in International Law, University of Georgia School of Law

Elijah Anderson (Ph.D. 1976), William K. Lanman, Jr. Professor of Sociology, Yale University

Clinton Bristow, Jr. (B.A. 1971), former President, Alcorn State University

Margery C. Carlson (B.S. 1916), Professor of Botany, Northwestern University

Joyce Chaplin (B.A. 1982), James Duncan Phillips Professor of Early American History, Harvard University

K. T. Chau (Ph.D. 1991), Chair Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, former Associate Dean of Faculty of Construction and Land Use, and former Associate Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Johnnetta B. Cole (M.A. 1959, Ph.D. 1967), President Emerita, Spelman College; President, Bennett College

Juan Cole (B.A. 1975), Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History, University of Michigan

James Hal Cone (M.A. 1963, Ph.D. 1965), Charles A. Briggs Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York

Margaret Cuninggim, Dean of Women at the University of Tennessee and at Vanderbilt University

William C. Dudley (M.A. 1995, Ph.D. 1998), Provost and Professor of Philosophy, Williams College

Mitchell Duneier (B.A.), Professor of Sociology, Princeton University

Troy Duster (B.A. 1957, Ph.D. 1962), Professor of Sociology, New York University and University of California, Berkeley

Lee Edelman (B.A. 1975), Fletcher Professor of English Literature, Tufts University

Kathryn Edin (Ph.D. 1991), Professor of Public Policy and Management, Harvard University

Fred D. Fagg, Jr., former President, University of Southern California

William R. Ferris (M.A. 1965), Joel Williamson Eminent Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Susan Fuhrman (B.A. 1965, M.A. 1966), President, Teachers College, Columbia University

Simon Gikandi (Ph.D., 1986), Robert Schirmer Professor of English, Princeton University

Barry Glassner (B.S. 1974), Executive Vice Provost & Professor of Sociology, University of Southern California

Avner Greif (M.A. 1988, Ph.D. 1989), Bowman Family Endowed Professor in Humanities & Sciences, Stanford University

Herbert S. Hadley (LL.B ) Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis (1923–1927) Governor of Missouri

Geoffrey Galt Harpham (B.A. 1968), Director, National Humanities Center

Cynthia Herrup (B.S.J. 1972, Ph.D. 1982), Professor of History and Law, University of Southern California

Rosanna Hertz (M.A. 1977, Ph.D. 1983), Luella LaMer Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies, Wellesley College

John B. Hogenesch (Ph.D. 1999), Professor of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania

Michael J. Hopkins (B.A. 1979, Ph.D. 1984), Professor of Mathematics, Harvard University

Frank E. Horton (Ph.D. 1968), Chancellor of University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee(1980–1985), University of Oklahoma (1985–1988) and the University of Toledo (1989–1998).

Jonathan D. Katz (Ph.D. 1996), former head of Larry Kramer Initiative for Lesbian and Gay Studies, Yale University

Joann (Wheeler) Kealiinohomoku (M.A. 1965), anthropologist and dance researcher

Marc W. Kirschner (B.A. 1966), John Franklin Enders University Professor and Professor of Systems Biology, Harvard University

Nirmalya Kumar (Ph.D. 1991), Professor of Marketing and Director of Aditya Birla India Centre at London Business School; included in Thinkers50

Zachary Leader (B.A.), Professor of English, Roehampton University

Michael Lounsbury (PhD 1999), professor of strategic management, organizations and sociology at the University of Alberta

Glenn Loury (B.A. 1972), Merton P. Stoltz Professor of the Social Sciences, Brown University

Mark Crispin Miller (B.A. 1971), Professor of Media Ecology, New York University

Ed Morgan (B.A. 1976), Professor of International Law at the University of Toronto

George Nemhauser (Ph.D. 1961), A. Russell Chandler lll Chair and Institute Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

J. Dennis O'Connor (Ph.D. 1968), former Chancellor, University of Pittsburgh

Daniel Oerther (B.A. 1995, B.S. 1995), Mathes Chair of Environmental Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Scott E. Page (M.S. 1990, Ph.D. 1993), Leonid Hurwicz Collegiate Professor of complex systems, political science, and economics, University of Michigan

Vivek Chibber (B.A. 1987 (Political Science)), Professor of Sociology at New York University.

Deborah Paredez (Ph.D. 2002), Professor of Theatre and Dance at University of Texas at Austin, poet and co-founder of Cantomundo

Charles M. Payne (Ph.D. 1976), Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor in the School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago

Ralph Pearson (Ph.D. 1943), Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara

Benjamin Polak (M.A. 1986), William C. Brainard Professor of Economics, Yale University

Jack Nusan Porter (Ph.D. 1971), sociologist; former Research Associate in Ukrainian Studies, Harvard University; former Assistant Professor in Social Science, Boston University

Adam Przeworski (Ph.D. 1966), Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor of European Studies, New York University

Mark Ratner (Ph.D. 1969), Lawrence B. Dumas Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry, Northwestern University

David R. Roediger (Ph.D. 1980), professor of history, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Said Sheikh Samatar (Ph.D. 1979), professor of history, Rutgers University

Norbert M. Samuelson, scholar of Jewish philosophy at Arizona State University and prolific writer and lecturer

John B. Simpson (Ph.D. 1973), President, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

David J. Skorton (B.A. 1970, M.D. 1974), President, Cornell University

Graham Spanier (Ph.D. 1973), President, Pennsylvania State University

Barbara Maria Stafford (B.A. 1964, M.A. 1966), William B. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor of Art History, University of Chicago

Grover C. Stephens (B.A. 1948, M.A. 1949, Ph.D. 1952), Dean, School of Biological Sciences University of California at Irvine

Roger Taylor (J.D. 1971), President, Knox College

Stephan Thernstrom (B.A. 1956), Winthrop Professor of History, Harvard University

Augusta Read Thomas (B.M. 1987), University Professor of Composition, University of Chicago

France Winddance Twine (B.S., 1980), Professor of Sociology University of California Santa Barbara

Glen L. Urban (Ph.D. 1966), Dean Emeritus of MIT Sloan School of Management

John E. Worthen (B.S. 1954), President of Ball State University (1984–2000)

Arts and entertainment (theatre, TV and film)

Mara Brock Akil (B.A. 1992), creator and executive producer of Girlfriends and The Game, former supervising producer of The Jamie Foxx Show

Claude Akins (B.S. 1949), actor (Inherit the Wind, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo)

Ann-Margret (Olsson) (never graduated), Academy Award-nominated actress (Tommy, Carnal Knowledge)

Sharif Atkins (B.S. 1999), actor (ER)

Jayne Atkinson (B.S. 1981), Tony Award-nominated actress (Enchanted April, The Rainmaker); currently portrays Karen Hayes on 24

Jane Badler (B.S. 1976), actress (V)

Kate Baldwin, actress (1997 (theater school))

Bonnie Bartlett (B.S. 1950), Emmy Award-winning actress (St. Elsewhere, Twins, Ghosts of Mississippi)

Warren Beatty (class of 1959, never graduated), Academy Award-winning actor/writer/director (Bonnie and Clyde, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Shampoo, Reds)

Lee Phillip Bell (B.A. 1950) Emmy Award-winning co-creator of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful

Rob Benedict (B.S. 1993), actor (Threshold, Felicity)

Richard Benjamin (B.S. 1960), actor (Catch-22, Westworld, The Last of Sheila); director (My Favorite Year, Mermaids)

Edgar Bergen (attended, did not graduate), Academy Award-winning actor and ventriloquist (Charlie McCarthy)

Greg Berlanti (B.S. 1994), screenwriter and producer (Dawson's Creek); creator of Everwood and Jack & Bobby; writer/director of Broken Hearts Club

Eric Bernt (B.S. 1986), screenwriter (Surviving the Game, Virtuosity, Romeo Must Die)

Craig Bierko (B.S. 1986), actor (Cinderella Man, The Thirteenth Floor); Tony Award nominee (The Music Man)

Andrew Bird (B.S. 1996), musician, songwriter, whistler

Karen Black (attended, never graduated), Academy Award-nominated actress (Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces)

Jeff Blumenkrantz (B.S. 1986), Tony Award-nominated musical theatre composer/lyricist (Urban Cowboy)

Zach Braff (B.S. 1997), Emmy Award-nominated actor (Scrubs); writer/director (Garden State, Wish I Was Here)

Cary Brothers (B.S. 1995), Grammy-nominated musician (Garden State)

Clancy Brown (B.S. 1981), actor (Highlander, The Shawshank Redemption)

Charles Busch (B.S. 1976), Tony Award-nominated playwright (The Tale of the Allergist's Wife)

Frank Buxton (B.S. 1951), actor/writer/director

Bruno Campos (B.S. 1995), actor (Nip/Tuck)

Katie Chang (B.A. 2017), actress ("The Bling Ring")

Josh Chetwynd, UK-based baseball analyst and former player

Cindy Chupack (B.S. 1987), Emmy Award-winning executive producer and writer (Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond)

Jack Clay, acting teacher/director/actor

Jeanne Clemson (M.A.), theater director, stage actress and teacher, preserved the Fulton Opera House

Claire Coffee, actress (General Hospital, Grimm)

Meghan Markle, television actress

Stephen Colbert (B.S. 1987), Emmy Award-winning comedian (The Colbert Report, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)

Kate Collins, actress (All My Children)

Robert Conrad (B.S. 1955), actor (The Wild Wild West, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Hawaiian Eye)

Steven Conrad (B.A. 1991), screenwriter (The Pursuit of Happyness, The Weather Man)

J Anthony Crane (B.S. 1993), actor (The Big Easy, The Lion King)

Cindy Crawford (attended, never graduated), model

Jan Crull Jr. (attended, never graduated), filmmaker, Native American rights activist, attorney

Jane Curtin (attended, never graduated), original cast member of Saturday Night Live; Emmy Award-nominated actress (Kate & Allie, 3rd Rock from the Sun)

Stephanie D'Abruzzo (B.S. 1993), Tony Award-nominated actress and puppeteer (Avenue Q)

William Daniels (B.S. 1950), Emmy Award-winning actor (St. Elsewhere, Boy Meets World); former president of the Screen Actors Guild

Zooey Deschanel (attended, never graduated), actress (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Elf, Almost Famous, New Girl)

Lydia R. Diamond (B.S. 1992), playwright

Matt Doherty (B.S. 1999), actor (So I Married an Axe Murderer, The Mighty Ducks films)

Anne Dudek, actress (House, Psych, Law and Order: CI, Desperate Housewives, How I Met Your Mother, Mad Men, White Chicks, The Human Stain)

Teddy Dunn (B.S. 2003), actor (Veronica Mars)

Nancy Dussault (B.A. 1957), actress (Too Close for Comfort); two-time Tony Award nominee (Do Re Mi, Bajour)

Gregg Edelman (B.S. 1980), Tony Award-nominated actor (City of Angels, Into the Woods)

Billy Eichner, comedian, actor

Jennie Eisenhower (B.S. 2000), actress; granddaughter of Richard Nixon and the great-granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower

Temi Epstein (B.S. 1996), child actress (North and South)

Joe Flynn, actor (McHale's Navy)

Mary Frann (B.S. 1965), actress (Newhart, Days of Our Lives)

Gerald Freedman (B.S. 1949, M.A. 1950), theatre director (The Gay Life, The Robber Bridegroom, The Grand Tour)

David T. Friendly (B.S. 1978), Academy Award-nominated producer (Little Miss Sunshine)

Penny Fuller (B.S. 1959), Emmy Award-winning actress (The Elephant Man); Tony Award nominee (The Dinner Party)

George Furth (B.S. 1955), Tony Award-winning playwright (Company); actor (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid)

Daniele Gaither (B.S. 1993), actress, comic (MADtv)

Frank Galati (B.A. 1965), Tony Award-winning director (The Grapes of Wrath), Academy Award-nominated screenwriter (The Accidental Tourist)

Aimee Garcia (B.S. 2000), actress (George Lopez)

Ana Gasteyer (B.S. 1989), actress (Mean Girls, Wicked); former cast member of Saturday Night Live

Ileen Getz (B.S. 1985), actress (3rd Rock from the Sun)

Zach Gilford (B.S. 2004), actor (Friday Night Lights)

Eric Gilliland (B.S. 1984), writer/producer (Rosanne, My Boys)

Ira Glass (attended, transferred), radio and TV personality

Jonathan Glassner, TV writer/producer, most known for developing Stargate SG-1

Virginia Graham (M.S.J.), former daytime TV talk show host

Michael Greif (B.S. 1981), Tony Award-nominated director of Rent and Grey Gardens

Mamie Gummer (B.S. 2005), actress (Evening), daughter of Meryl Streep

Anna Gunn (B.S. 1990), actress (Deadwood, Breaking Bad)

Kathryn Hahn (B.S. 1995), actress (Crossing Jordan, Step Brothers, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, We're the Millers)

Brad Hall (B.S. 1990), former cast member of Saturday Night Live; creator of The Single Guy, Watching Ellie

Samantha Harris (B.S. 1996), Emmy Award-nominated co-host of Dancing with the Stars

Bill Hayes (M.M. 1949), Daytime Emmy Award-nominated actor (Days of Our Lives)

Heather Headley (B.S. 1997), Tony Award-winning actress and singer (Aida, The Lion King); Grammy Award-nominated R&B vocalist

Kyle T. Heffner, actor, Flashdance

Marg Helgenberger (B.S. 1982), Emmy Award-winning actress (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, China Beach, Erin Brockovich)

Charlton Heston (attended from 1941-1943), Academy Award-winning actor (Ben-Hur) and National Rifle Association President

Michael Hitchcock (B.S. 1980), writer, co-executive producer (MADTv); actor (Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, Serenity )

Ron Holgate (B.S. 1959), Tony Award-winning actor (1776, The Grand Tour)

David Hollander (B.S. 1990), creator, screenwriter, and executive producer of The Guardian

David Horowitz (M.S. 1961), former host of Fight Back! With David Horowitz

Jeffrey Hunter (B.A. 1949), actor (The Searchers, The Last Hurrah, King of Kings, The Longest Day)

Lew Hunter (M.S. 1956), Emmy Award-nominated screenwriter (Fallen Angel); Chairman Emeritus and Professor of Screenwriting, UCLA School of Theater Film and Television

Ron Husmann (B.S. 1959), Tony Award-nominated actor (Tenderloin)

Martha Hyer (B.S. 1945), Academy Award-nominated actress (Some Came Running, Houseboat, The Sons of Katie Elder, Bikini Beach)

Rex Ingram, actor (Cabin in the Sky, The Thief of Baghdad, Sahara, Green Pastures)

Laura Innes (B.S. 1979), Emmy Award-nominated actress (ER); Emmy Award-nominated director (The West Wing)

David Ives (B.A. 1971), playwright, (All in the Timing)

Brian d'Arcy James (B.S. 1990), Tony Award-nominated actor (Sweet Smell of Success: The Musical)

Tim Johnson (B.A. 1983), director (Antz, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas)

Traci Paige Johnson (B.A. 1991), creator of Blue's Clues

Jennifer Jones, Academy Award-winning actress (The Song of Bernadette, Since You Went Away, Love Letters, Duel in the Sun, The Towering Inferno)

Adam Kantor, Broadway actor, singer, dancer, Rent

Peter Kapetan (B.A. 1978), Broadway actor, singer, dancer (1956–2008)

Spencer Kayden (B.S. 1990), former cast member of MADTv; Tony Award nominee for Urinetown

James Keach (B.S. 1970), actor (The Long Riders); producer (Walk the Line); director (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman)

Stacy Keach, Sr. (B.S. 1935), actor (Get Smart); director (Tales of the Texas Rangers)

Clinton Kelly (M.S. 1993), co-host of What Not to Wear

Richard Kind (B.S. 1978), actor (Mad About You, Spin City)

Richard Kline (M.A. 1967), actor (Three's Company)

Robert Knepper (attended, never graduated), actor (Prison Break, Hostage, Carnivàle)

Gary Kroeger (B.S. 1981), former cast member of Saturday Night Live

Roger Kumble (B.S. 1988), writer/director (Cruel Intentions)

Clyde Kusatsu (B.S. 1970), actor (All American Girl, In the Line of Fire)

Mark Lamos (B.S. 1969), Tony Award-winning former artistic director of the Hartford Stage

Sherry Lansing (B.S. 1966), former CEO of Paramount Pictures; Academy Award-nominated producer (Fatal Attraction); 2007 recipient of The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Regina Lasko (B.S. 1982), former staffer on Late Night and Saturday Night Live. wife of David Letterman

Britt Leach, actor (Weird Science)

Cloris Leachman (B.S. 1948), Academy Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning actress (The Last Picture Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Spanglish)

Harry J. Lennix (B.S. 1986), actor (The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Commander in Chief, Ray)

Herschell Gordon Lewis, filmmaker

Richard J. Lewis (B.A. 1982), Emmy Award-nominated director/producer (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)

Laura Linney (attended for a year then transferred), actress (The Truman Show, Love Actually)

John Logan (B.S. 1983), Academy Award-nominated screenwriter (The Aviator, Gladiator, The Last Samurai, Hugo, Skyfall)

Shelley Long (class of 1971, never graduated), Emmy Award-winning actress (Cheers, The Money Pit, Irreconcilable Differences)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (class of 1982, never graduated), Emmy Award-winning actress (Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Veep); former cast member of Saturday Night Live

Paul Lynde (B.S. 1948), actor (Hollywood Squares, Bewitched, Bye Bye Birdie)

J. P. Manoux (B.S. 1991), actor (ER, Phil of the Future, The Emperor's New School)

Stephanie March (B.S. 1996), actress (Law & Order: SVU, Conviction)

Michael Markowitz (B.S. 1983), Emmy Award-nominated writer and producer (Duckman, Becker)

Garry Marshall (B.S. 1956), creator of Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, and Mork & Mindy; director (Pretty Woman, Beaches, The Princess Diaries)

Marshall W. Mason (B.S. 1961), Tony Award-nominated director (Fifth of July, As Is)

Jacquelyn Mayer (B.S. 1964), former Miss America

Ralph Meeker (B.S. 1943), actor (Kiss Me Deadly, Paths of Glory, Picnic, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, The Anderson Tapes)

Susan Messing (B.S. 1986), performer, teacher, and director at The Second City, ImprovOlympic, and the Annoyance Theatre

Josh Meyers (B.S. 1998), actor (MADtv, That '70s Show)

Seth Meyers (B.S. 1996), cast member of Saturday Night Live; host of Late Night with Seth Meyers; winner of the third Celebrity Poker Showdown

Terri Minsky (B.S. 1980), creator, writer, executive producer of Lizzie McGuire, Less Than Perfect, The Geena Davis Show

John Cameron Mitchell (B.S. 1985), writer/actor/director (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), executive producer (Tarnation)

Karen Moncrieff (B.S. 1986), Miss Illinois 1985; writer and director of The Dead Girl and Blue Car

Jason Moore (B.S. 1993), Tony Award-nominated director (Avenue Q)

Andrew Moskos (B.A. 1990), co-founder of Boom Chicago in Amsterdam

Megan Mullally (class of 1981, never graduated), Emmy Award-winning actress (Will and Grace)

Dermot Mulroney (B.S. 1985), actor (About Schmidt, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Family Stone)

Tony Musante, actor (Toma, As the World Turns)

John Musker (B.A. 1975), writer/producer/director (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules)

Margaret Nagle, screenwriter (Emmy Award-winning Warm Springs)

Patricia Neal (B.S. 1947), Academy Award-winning and Tony Award-winning actress (A Face in the Crowd, Hud, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Subject Was Roses)

Tom Neal, actor (Detour, Jungle Girl)

George Newbern (B.S. 1986), actor (Father of the Bride, Father of the Bride Part II, Justice League Unlimited)

Jamie Ray Newman (B.S. 2000), actress (Veronica Mars, Stargate Atlantis)

Agnes Nixon (B.S. 1944), Emmy Award-winning writer/producer (All My Children, One Life to Live, Another World, As the World Turns, Loving)

Denis O'Hare (B.S. 1984), Tony Award-winning actor (Take Me Out, Sweet Charity, Assassins)

Dana Olsen (B.S. 1980), screenwriter (George of the Jungle, The 'Burbs)

James Olson (B.S. 1952), actor (Rachel, Rachel, The Andromeda Strain, Ragtime, Commando)

Jerry Orbach (class of 1956, never graduated), Tony Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated actor (Law & Order, Promises, Promises, Dirty Dancing)

Maulik Pancholy (B.S. 1995), actor (30 Rock, Weeds)

Mary Beth Peil (B.S. 1962), Tony Award-nominated actress (The King and I, Dawson's Creek, The Good Wife)

Jeff Pinkner, screenwriter (Lost)

David Pitts, figure skater (appeared in professional musicals and joined Ice Capades)

Jenny Powers (B.S. 2003), Miss Illinois 2000; Broadway actress (Little Women)

Paula Prentiss (B.S. 1959), Emmy Award-nominated actress (Where the Boys Are, The Parallax View, In Harm's Way, The World of Henry Orient)

Michael Prywes (B.S. 1996), writer and director of Returning Mickey Stern

John Qualen, actor (The Grapes of Wrath, The Searchers, Casablanca, The High and the Mighty)

Maeve Quinlan (attended, transferred to University of Southern California), actress (90210, South of Nowhere, Ken Park, The Bold and the Beautiful)

Lily Rabe (B.S. 2004), actress (No Reservations, Steel Magnolias)

Charlotte Rae (B.S. 1948), Emmy Award-nominated and Tony Award-nominated actress (The Facts of Life, Diff'rent Strokes, Queen of the Stardust Ballroom)

Tony Randall (class of 1941, never graduated), Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated actor (The Odd Couple, Mister Peepers, Inherit the Wind)

Keith Reddin (B.S. 1978), playwright

Robert Reed (B.S. 1954), Emmy Award-nominated actor (The Brady Bunch, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, Roots)

Daphne Maxwell Reid (B.A. 1970), actress (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

Tony Roberts (B.S. 1961), Tony Award-nominated actor (Annie Hall, Serpico, Play It Again, Sam)

Marcia Rodd (B.S. 1960), Tony Award-nominated actress (Little Murders)

Jeri Ryan (B.S. 1991), actress (Boston Public, Star Trek: Voyager, Shark)

Ethan Sandler (B.S. 1995), actor (Crossing Jordan)

Kristen Schaal (B.S. 2001), actress and comedian, contributor to The Daily Show

David Schwimmer (B.S. 1988), Emmy Award-nominated actor (Friends, Band of Brothers, Madagascar)

Yuki Shimoda (Yukio Shimoda, B.A. in Accounting 1950s), Emmy Award-nominated actor

Katherine Shindle (B.S. 1999), Miss America 1998, actress (Capote)

Dan Shor, actor (Tron, Strange Behavior, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure)

Candace Smith (J.D. 2002), Miss Ohio USA 2003; actress (Beerfest)

Jerry Springer (J.D. 1968), host of The Jerry Springer Show; former mayor of Cincinnati

Florence Stanley, actress (My Two Dads, Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

McLean Stevenson (B.S. 1952), Emmy Award-nominated actor (M*A*S*M*A*S*H, The Doris Day Show); guest host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Peter Strauss (B.S. 1969), Emmy Award-winning actor (Rich Man, Poor Man, Masada, Soldier Blue, The Secret of NIMH)

Nicole Sullivan (B.S. 1991), original cast member of MADtv; actress (The King of Queens); winner of the inaugural Celebrity Poker Showdown

Hope Summers, actress (The Andy Griffith Show)

Inga Swenson (B.S. 1953), actress (The Miracle Worker, Benson)

Robin Lord Taylor (B.S. 2000), actor, (Gotham)

Leigh Taylor-Young (attended, never graduated), Emmy Award-winning actress (Soylent Green, Picket Fences, I Love You, Alice B. Toklas)

Lloyd Thaxton (B.A. 1950), television show host, Emmy Award-winning producer of Fight Back! With David Horowitz

David Thompson (B.S.J.), playwright and writer (The Scottsboro Boys, Steel Pier)

Chuti Tiu (B.A. 1991), Miss Illinois 1994; actress (Desire)

Deborah Tranelli (B.S. 1977), actress (Dallas)

Robert Trebor, actor (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Raise Your Voice)

Tom Virtue (B.S. 1979), actor (Even Stevens, Read It and Weep)

Billie Lou Watt (B.S. 1945), actress (Search for Tomorrow, Astro Boy)

Michael Weston (B.S.), actor (The Last Kiss, Coyote Ugly, Six Feet Under)

Kimberly Williams (B.S. 1993), actress (Father of the Bride, Father of the Bride Part II, According to Jim)

Pharrell Williams (attended, never graduated), Grammy-winning musician/producer

Fred Williamson (B.S. 1960), actor (MASH, Three the Hard Way, Black Caesar, Starsky & Hutch); former professional defensive back who played in Super Bowl I

Edward D. Wood, Jr., filmmaker

Mary Zimmerman (B.S. 1982, M.A. 1985, Ph.D. 1994), Tony Award-winning director/writer (Metamorphoses); librettist (Galileo Galilei)

Business

James L. Allen (B.S. 1929), founder of Booz Allen Hamilton

Arthur E. Andersen (B.B.A. 1917), founder of Arthur Andersen LLP

Edwin G. Booz (B.S. 1914), founder of Booz Allen Hamilton

Lisa Caputo (M.S. 1987), Chairman and CEO, Citigroup Women and Company

Sue Castorino (B.S. 1975), founder and President of The Speaking Specialists

Nicholas Chabraja (B.A. 1964), Chairman and CEO, General Dynamics

Douglas Conant (B.A. 1973, MBA 1975), President and CEO, Campbell Soup Company

Bill Cook (B.S. 1953), billionaire founder and owner of the Cook Group

Brian Engel (M.B.A. 1975), former Public Affairs Executive and Marketing Strategist, Continental Resources

D. Cameron Findlay (B.A. 1982), Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Medtronic, Inc.

Scott J. Freidheim (B.A. 1987, MBA 1991), President and CEO, CDI Corp

Christopher Galvin (B.A. 1973), former Chairman and CEO of Motorola

Elbert Henry Gary (J.D. 1868), co-founder of the United States Steel Corporation

Hugh Hefner (attended for semester of graduate sociology courses), founder of Playboy Enterprises, Inc.

David Grossman, founder of The Grossman Group

David Ing (M.B.A. 1982), marketing scientist and senior consultant

John H. Johnson (attended, never graduated), founder of the Johnson Publishing Company (Ebony and Jet magazines)

Sheraton Kalouria (M.B.A. 1993), Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President Sony Pictures Television

Shalom Klein, founder Jewish B2B Networking

Andrew Mason (B.Mus. 2003), founder and CEO, Groupon

Blythe McGarvie, director of Accenture, Viacom, and the Pepsi Bottling Group

John Meriwether (B.S. 1969), founder of Long-Term Capital Management

Divya Narendra (J.D./M.B.A. 2012), co-founder of ConnectU

William A. Osborn (B.A. 1969), Chairman and CEO, Northern Trust Corporation

Peter George Peterson (B.S. 1947), former Chairman and CEO of Lehman Brothers; co-founder of the Blackstone Group

Tom Poberezny (B.S. 1970), former Chairman and President of Experimental Aircraft Association

Christine Poon (B.A. 1973), Vice Chairman and Worldwide Chairman of Medicines & Nutritionals, Johnson & Johnson

Ginni Rometty (B.S. 1979), Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, IBM

Pat Ryan (B.A. 1959), founder and Executive Chairman of Aon Corporation

Paul Sagan (B.S. 1981), President and CEO, Akamai Technologies

Faiza Seth (B.A. 2000), CEO of Casa Forma, Ltd.

Gwynne Shotwell (B.S. 1986, M.S. 1988), President and COO of SpaceX

Judith A. Sprieser (B.A. 1974, M.B.A. 1977), former CFO and EVP of Sara Lee.

Alfred Steele (B.A. 1923), former CEO of Pepsi-Cola

Lee Styslinger III (B.A. 1983), chairman and CEO of Altec, Inc.

Cody Sweet (B.S. 1963, Ph.D. 1972), creator of Milton Bradley Body Language board game, perpetual scholarship recipient

Mary T. Washington, first African-American woman certified public accountant in U.S.

Robert Wayman (B.S. 1967), former CFO and EVP, Hewlett-Packard

Michelle "Shelly" Kern (B.S. 1985), former CFO of Microsoft (honorary)

For notable M.B.A. alumni, also see the Kellogg School of Management

Journalism

J. A. Adande, ESPN contributor, Around the Horn; former Los Angeles Times sports columnist

Peter Alexander, national correspondent, NBC News

Peter Applebome (M.S. 1974), reporter, The New York Times

Jabari Asim, columnist, Washington Post

David Barstow (B.S. 1986), Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, The New York Times

Steve Bell (M.S. 1963), former correspondent for ABC News

Amalie Benjamin, sports columnist, Boston Globe

Ira Berkow (M.S. 1964), author, former sports columnist, The New York Times

Kai Bird (M.S. 1975), Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist

Kevin Blackistone (B.S. 1981), ESPN contributor, Around the Horn; former Dallas Morning News sports columnist

Valerie Boyd (B.S. 1985), author of Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston; former Atlanta Journal-Constitution arts editor

Christine Brennan (B.S. 1980, M.S. 1981), sports columnist, USA Today

Elisabeth Bumiller, former White House Correspondent, The New York Times

Benedict Carey (M.S. 1985), science reporter, The New York Times

Amanda Congdon (B.S. 2003), former hostess of Rocketboom

Mort Crim (M.S. 1963), former correspondent for ABC News and authorr

Benoit Denizet-Lewis (B.S. 1997), contributor to the The New York Times Magazine and author of America Anonymous

Gregg Easterbrook (M.S.J.), author and journalist, senior editor of The New Republic

Rich Eisen, NFL Network anchor

Helene Elliott, sports columnist, Los Angeles Times

Shirley E. Flynn, American historian, author of Let's Go! Let's Show! Let's Rodeo!, a history of Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming

Linda Foley (B.S. 1977) president, The Newspaper Guild

John Fricke, Emmy Award-winning author/historian; expert on Judy Garland and The Wizard of Oz

Georgie Anne Geyer, journalist

Ira Glass, host of NPR's This American Life, attended Northwestern but transferred to and graduated from Brown University

Susan Goldberg, editor-in-chief, National Geographic Magazine

Patrick Goldstein (B.A. 1975, M.A. 1976), former columnist and reporter, Los Angeles Times

Joshua Green (M.S.J.), senior editor, The Atlantic

Lauren Green, religion correspondent for Fox News Channel

Mike Greenberg, ESPN Sportscenter anchor, co-host of Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio

John Heilemann (B.S.J. 1987), journalist at New York magazine and co-author of Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime

Jon Heyman, baseball writer, Sports Illustrated

Cassidy Hubbarth, ESPN anchor

Stephen Hunter, Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Washington Post and novelist

Michael Isikoff, former investigative journalist for Newsweek magazine and NBC News

Laura Jacobs (B.A. 1978), contributing editor at Vanity Fair and New Criterion dance critic

Ryan Jacobs, deputy editor, Pacific Standard magazine

Jeff Jarvis, creator of Entertainment Weekly, columnist, professor at CUNY Journalism program

Clara Jeffery, editor-in-chief, Mother Jones Magazine

Maura Johnston (B.S. 1997), editor and critic

Sheinelle Jones, anchor, NBC News

Sherry Jones (M.S. 1971), senior producer, Frontline

Walter Kerr, Broadway theater critic, playwright, and author

Hank Klibanoff (M.S.J. 1973), former managing editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Pulitzer Prize-winning co-author of The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation

Rikki Klieman, Court TV anchor and legal analyst

Michelle Kosinski, correspondent, NBC News

Irv Kupcinet, former Chicago Sun-Times columnist

Katherine Lanpher (B.S.J.), writer and radio personality, author of Leap Days

Nicole Lapin (B.S.J. 2005), anchor, CNN Pipeline

Stewart Mandel, college football writer, Sports Illustrated

Robert R. McCormick, former owner of the Chicago Tribune

Brent Musburger, sportscaster, ABC

Nyo Mya (M.S. 1943), author and journalist from Burma

Rachel Nichols, ESPN and Washington Post reporter

Kelly O'Donnell (B.A. 1987), White House correspondent for NBC News

John Palmer, former news correspondent for NBC News

Ben Parr (B.A. 2008), CNET columnist and former co-editor of Mashable

Kevin Peraino (B.S.J. 1998), journalist and author of Lincoln in the World: The Making of a Statesman and the Dawn of American Power

Barry Petersen, foreign correspondent, CBS News

Daniel H. Pink (B.A. 1986), author of A Whole New Mind

Neal Pollack, novelist, essayist

Seth Porges, technology writer, television commentator, and Popular Mechanics editor

Steven Reddicliffe (B.S. 1975), former editor-in-chief, TV Guide; current television editor for The New York Times

Nick Reding (B.A. 1994), author, Methland

Kathy Reichs, best-selling novelist and forensic anthropologist

Jacque Reid, television and radio personality, former lead anchor for the BET nightly news

Dave Revsine, sportscaster for Big Ten Network, formerly with ESPN

James Risen (M.S. 1978), Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The New York Times

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Big Ten blogger

Tina Rosenberg (B.A. 1981, M.S.J.) author and journalist at The New York Times Magazine

Darren Rovell, CNBC sports business reporter

Daniel Rubin, metro columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Craig Sager, sportscaster

Steve Scully (Master of Science), host, political editor, and senior producer of C-SPAN's Washington Journal

Anatole Shub, journalist for Washington Post and New York Times, author

David Sirota, author of Hostile Takeover and political strategist

Jane Skinner, host of Fox News Live

Evan Smith, Editor in Chief of Texas Monthly

W. E. "Pete" Snelson, journalist-turned-businessman and member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature from 1961 to 1983, later educational consultant in Austin

Lynn Sweet, Washington, D.C., bureau chief and columnist, Chicago Sun-Times

Rick Telander, sportswriter, Chicago Sun Times

Dina Temple-Raston (B.A. 1986), journalist, author, and National Public Radio correspondent

Sander Vanocur, journalist

Julia Wallace (B.S. 1978), editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jack Wardlaw (B.S., M.A.), Louisiana journalist; capital bureau chief in Baton Rouge of the New Orleans Times-Picayune

David Weigel, political reporter, Slate magazine

Alan Weisman (B.A., M.A.), journalist and author of The World Without Us

Gary Weiss, journalist

Michael Wilbon, ESPN analyst (Pardon the Interruption, NBA Countdown) and Washington Post sports columnist

Law

See also Northwestern University School of Law Medicine

Simeon R. Acoba, Jr. (J.D. 1997), Justice, Hawaii Supreme Court

Diane Marie Amann (J.D. 1996), Associate Dean for International Programs & Strategic Initiatives and Emily & Ernest Woodruff Chair in International Law, University of Georgia School of Law

Gregory S. Alexander (J.D. 2008), A. Robert Noll Professor of Law, Cornell Law School

Rachel E. Barkow (B.A. 1993), Professor of Law, New York University Law School

Randy Barnett (B.A. 1974), Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law, Georgetown University

Henry Moore Bates (LL.B. ), Dean of the University of Michigan Law School and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Richard Ben-Veniste (L.L.M. ), 9/11 Commission member

William Duane Benton (B.A. 1972), Federal Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Raoul Berger (J.D. 1999), former Charles Warren Senior Fellow in American Legal History, Harvard Law School

Mary Frances Berry, Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania; Civil Rights Commissioner, 1980–2004

Dalveer Bhandari (L.L.M. 1999), former Judge, Supreme Court of India, presently a Judge at the International Court of Justice, Hague

Brian Blanchard, Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals

David Boies (B.S. 2005), counsel, Bush v. Gore; founding partner, Boies, Schiller & Flexner

Erwin Chemerinsky (B.S. 1999), dean, University of California, Irvine School of Law

G. Marcus Cole (J.D. 2007), Professor of Law, Helen L. Crocker Faculty Scholar, and Associate Dean for Curriculum, Stanford Law School

Cyrus E. Dietz (J.D. 2006), Justice, Illinois Supreme Court

Carl E. Douglas (B.A. 2007), lawyer

Irina Alejandra González (B.A. 2007), CNA, RNA

Douglas Kmiec (B.A. 1973), Caruso Family Chair and Professor of Constitutional Law, Pepperdine University School of Law; U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malta

Lyman Ray Patterson, former Pope F. Brock Professor of Professional Responsibility, University of Georgia School of Law

Seymour Simon (B.S. 2010), Illinois Supreme Court

Loren Smith (B.A. 2000 J.D. 2010), Federal Judge, United States Court of Federal Claims

Jerry Springer 1968 politician, Jerry Springer Show

John Paul Stevens (J.D. 1947), Justice, U.S. Supreme Court

Richard Tallman, Justice, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Jonathan Turley, J.B. and Maurice Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law, The George Washington University Law School

Medicine, science and technology

Pulickel Ajayan, professor of materials science and nanotechnology, Rice University

David Applebaum, Israeli physician

Deborah Asnis, (B.S., M.D. 2008), infectious disease specialist, discovered and reported the first human cases of West Nile virus in the United States.

Robert A. Buethe, Surgeon General of the U.S. Air Force

Kathryn Bullock, electrochemist

Andy Carvin, founding editor and former coordinator of the Digital Divide Network

George W. Crane, (Ph.D., M.D.), psychologist, physician, author, newspaper columnist

Robert F. Furchgott, (Ph.D., 2007) Physiology/Medicine

Alston Scott Householder, (B.A. 2007), mathematician

Cheddi Jagan, dentist, president of Guyana

JacSue Kehoe, (B.A. 1957) renowned neuroscience researcher at the CNRS

Marc Kirschner, (B.A. 2007), founding chair of Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School

Kermit E Krantz, (B.S. 2007, M.S. 2008, M.D. 2012), professor, developed surgical techniques and invented expandable tampon

Gary Kremen, internet entrepreneur, founder of Match.com; first investor in Dolores Labs

Richard Lerner, past president of Scripps Research Institute, co-inventor of HUMIRA

Irene D. Long, Chief Medical Officer, Kennedy Space Center

Boris Lushniak, Assistant Surgeon General of the United States

Charles Horace Mayo, doctor (Mayo Clinic)

Kathy Reichs, (Ph.D.), forensic anthropologist, former Chief Medical Examiner of North Carolina, author, professor

Sonya Rose, (Ph.D. 2007), sociologist and historian

Richard Skrenta, creator of the first computer virus, Elk Cloner

Thomas Starzl, (M.S. 2000, M.D. 2010), surgeon, father of modern transplantation, performed first liver transplant

Joseph Staten, writer and director of the Halo video games

Debi Thomas, orthopedic surgeon and 1988 Winter Olympics bronze medalist in figure skating

Sam Treiman, former theoretical physicist and professor of physics at Princeton University

Jacques Vallee, (Ph.D. 2007), computer scientist, astronomer and UFO researcher

Edward Weiler, (B.A. 2000, M.S. 2006, Ph.D. 2010), director, Goddard Space Flight Center

Music, literature and the arts

Paul Mason, film producer and scriptwriter

Steve Albini, recording engineer, musician

Jack Anderson, dance critic, The New York Times

Marie Arana, editor of Washington Post Book World, author of National Book Award finalist American Chica and the novel Cellophane

Steven Bach (B.A. 1961), former film executive and author of Final Cut and biographies including Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl

Ernst Bacon, composer

Mary Jo Bang (B.A., M.A.), 2007 National Book Critics Circle award winner for poetry collection Elegy, professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis

Saul Bellow (B.A. 1937), Nobel Prize-winning novelist

Andrew Bird (B.M. 1995), singer-songwriter

Chris Bliss, juggler

Anthony Bozza, music journalist, author of Whatever You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem and Tommyland

Grace Bumbry, mezzo-soprano

Robert Olen Butler (B.S. 1967), Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist

William Butler (B.A. 2005), member of indie rock band Arcade Fire

Mark Camphouse, composer, notably of symphonic wind pieces, and conductor

Dan Chaon, author

Andrew Clements, author

Julia Davids, founding member and Artistic Director of the Canadian Chamber Choir

Lydia R. Diamond (B.S. 1992), playwright and professor at Boston University

Cynthia Dobrinski, handbell composer and clinician

Ivan Doig (B.S.J., M.S.J.), novelist

Tananarive Due, novelist and journalist, The Living Blood

Andy Duncan, former member of OK Go

Mary Dunleavy, soprano

Wilma Dykeman, writer

Timothy Ferris, science author

William R. Ferris (M.A. 1965), former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities

Gillian Flynn (M.S.), author of mystery novels and former television critic at Entertainment Weekly

Kyle Gann, composer, microtonalist

Shari Goldhagen, author

Chester Gould, cartoonist

James Green (B.A. 1966), author

Ayun Halliday, author and actor

Amir Hamed, Uruguaya writer

Howard Hanson, composer

Sheldon Harnick, lyricist

Aleksandar Hemon (M.A. 1996), author and MacArthur Fellow, The Lazarus Project, Nowhere Man

Myron Hunt, architect

Payal Kapadia (M.S.J. 1999), author; winner of the Crossword Book Award for Best Children's Writing in India, 2013

Brendan Kelly, member of The Lawrence Arms

Ardis Krainik (B.S. 1951), former General Manager of the Lyric Opera of Chicago

Jay Krush, tubist

William Lava, composer

Laura Lippman (B.S.J.), mystery novelist

Margaret Lloyd, soprano

George R.R. Martin (B.S.J. 1970, M.S.J. 1971), author, A Game of Thrones

Luke Matheny (B.S.J. 1997), director and star of 2011 Academy Award-winning short film God of Love

Robert McHenry, encyclopedist and author

Sherrill Milnes, baritone

Audrey Niffenegger (M.F.A. 1991), novelist and artist; author of The Time Traveller's Wife

Bruce Norris (B.A. 1982), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Clybourne Park

Tawni O'Dell (B.S.J. 1986), novelist, Sister Mine, Coal Run, Back Roads

Karen A. Page, writer

Marge Piercy, novelist and poet

Leslie Pietrzyk, writer

Neal Pollack (B.S.J. 1992), satirical author and journalist

Joshua Radin, singer-songwriter

Kathy Reichs, author

Steve Rodby, jazz bassist

Ned Rorem, composer

Tina Rosenberg (B.A. 1981, M.S.J.), Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist

Veronica Roth, New York Times best-selling author of Divergent

William M. Runyan, Christian songwriter who composed "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"

Karen Russell (B.A. 2003), author of St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves and Swamplandia!

Thom Russo ( B.A 1988), Grammy-winning record producer, mixer, musician

David Sanborn, saxophonist

Joseph Schwantner, composer

Sandra Seacat, actress and acting teacher/coach; director of In the Spirit

Michael J. Shannon, actor

Sidney Sheldon, author (never graduated)

Nana Shineflug, American dancer and choreographer and founder of the Chicago Moving Company

Philip Skinner, opera singer

Jon Solomon, DJ and record label owner

Warren Spector, game designer

Michael Sprinker, late literary theorist

Peter Stuart (B.A. Film, 1989), singer-songwriter, lead vocalist of Dog's Eye View

Frederick Swann, organist and President of the American Guild of Organists

Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, composer

Augusta Read Thomas (B.M. 1987), composer

Trevanian, author

Gilbert Harry Trythall (M.M. 1952), composer and pianist

Thomas Tyra (B.A. 1954, M.A. 1955), composer, music educator, bandmaster

Walter Wager, author

Nike Wagner, author

Kate Walbert (B.A. 1983), National Book Award-nominated writer, author of A Short History of Women

Margaret Walker (B.A. 1935), poet and author

Doug Wamble (M.M. 1997), musician and composer

Joshua Weiner (B.A. 1985), poet, author of The World's Room

Paul Winter, musician

Rachael Yamagata (B.S. 1997), musician

Claire Zulkey, author

United States Executive Branch

Michael Bakalis (B.A. 1959, M.A. 1962, Ph.D. 1966), former Deputy Secretary of Education in the US Department of Education

George Ball, former Undersecretary of State

William Jennings Bryan, Secretary of State and three-time Democratic presidential nominee

Wendy Chamberlin (B.S. 1970), former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan; former assistant administrator, USAID Bureau for Asia and the Near East

James L. Connaughton, Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality

Wendy Lee Gramm, former head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Robert Hanssen (M.B.A. 1971), former FBI agent who engaged in spying for the Soviet Union and Russia against the United States

Loy W. Henderson (B.A. 1915), former United States Foreign Service Officer

Edwin M. Martin, former United States Foreign Service Officer

Newton Minow, former director of the Federal Communications Commission

Phyllis Oakley (B.A. 1956), former assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research, the State Department

Steven C. Preston (B.A. 1982), former U.S Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

J. Leonard Reinsch, former White House Press Secretary

Alec Ross (B.A. 1994), Senior Adviser on Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Mel Sembler (B.S. 1952), former U.S. ambassador to Italy

Richard E. Wiley (B.S. 1955, J.D.), former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission

United States Senate

Dale Bumpers (J.D. 1951), former U.S. Senator and Governor of Arkansas

Francis H. Case, former U.S. Senator

John Hoeven (M.B.A. 1981), U.S. Senator from North Dakota; former Governor of North Dakota

George McGovern, South Dakota Senator and 1972 Democratic candidate for president

United States House of Representatives

Judy Biggert, Republican congresswoman

Cardiss Collins, former U.S. Representative from Illinois

Dick Gephardt, former House Democratic leader

Earl Dewitt Hutto, former U.S. Representative from Florida

Steve Kagen, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin

Scott L. Klug (M.S.J. 1976), former U.S. Representative from Wisconsin

Jim Kolbe, former U.S. Representative from Arizona, served 11 terms

Dan Lipinski (B.S. 1988), U.S. Representative from Illinois

George M. O'Brien (B.A. 1939), former U.S. Representative from Illinois

John Edward Porter (B.S. and B.A 1957), former U.S. Representative from Illinois

Brad Schneider (MBA 1988), former U.S. Representative from Illinois, and candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois.

Mike Synar (M.A. 1974), former U.S. Representative from Oklahoma

Statewide Officeholders

Rod Blagojevich, Governor of Illinois (2003-2009)

Dennis Daugaard (J.D. 1978), Governor of South Dakota; former Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota

Frank Orren Lowden, former Governor of Illinois

Dawn Clark Netsch (B.A. 1948), Illinois Comptroller and Democratic nominee for governor in 1994

Pat Quinn former Governor of Illinois

Adlai Stevenson, Illinois Governor and two-time Democratic presidential nominee

James R. Thompson, former Governor of Illinois

Judy Baar Topinka, former State Treasurer of Illinois; Republican Gubernatorial candidate, 2006 election

Dan Walker, former Governor of Illinois

State Legislators

William M. Bray, former Wisconsin State Senator

John A. Cade (M.B.A. 1954), former Maryland State Senator

Emery Crosby, Wisconsin State Assembly

Eric Fingerhut Ohio States Senator, and nominee for 2004 Ohio Senate Election

Warren A. Grady, Wisconsin State Assembly

Corwin C. Guell, Wisconsin State Assembly

Liz Krueger (B.A.), New York State Senator

Steve Litzow (B.A.), Washington State Senator from Mercer Island

John L. McEwen, Wisconsin State Assembly

Carroll Metzner, Wisconsin State Assembly

John J. Nimrod, Illinois State Senator

Ora R. Rice, Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Barbara Ulichny, former Wisconsin State Senator

Local Officeholders

Matthew Bogusz (B.A. 2008), Mayor of Des Plaines, Illinois

Dan Cronin, DuPage County Board Chairman and former State Senator

Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago, former aide to Bill Clinton, former Democratic congressman of Illinois' 5th congressional district and former White House Chief of Staff of President Barack Obama

Ruth U. Keeton, Maryland politician

Jim Reese (M.A. 1952), Mayor of Odessa, Texas, from 1968 to 1974; lost to George W. Bush in 1978 primary election runoff in Texas's 19th congressional district

Harold Washington, first black Chicago mayor

Lois Weisberg (B.S. 1946), Commissioner, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs

Activists

Nathan Daschle, former Democratic Governors Association Executive Director

Beau Davidson (B.Mus. 2003), former surrogate for Mitt Romney; Ten Outstanding Young Americans of 2013

Karen DeCrow (B.S. 1959), former President of the National Organization for Women

Al From, founder and current CEO of the Democratic Leadership Council

Chrissy Gephardt, prominent LGBT-rights political advocate, daughter of Dick Gephardt

Barbara Gittings, LGBT activist

Catherine Waugh McCulloch, suffragist

Terry O'Neill (B.A.), president of the National Organization for Women (NOW)

Gary Rader, Green Beret Army Reservist who burned his draft card in 1967

International Figures

Armida Alisjahbana (M.A. 1987), State Minister of National Development Planning, Head of National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), Republic of Indonesia

Ali Babacan (M.B.A. 1992), Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey

Salem Chalabi, ex-General Director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal

Eduardo Mondlane, revolutionary leader of Mozambique

Amos Sawyer, former president of Liberia

Tung Hsiang-lung, Minister of Veterans Affairs Council, and former Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of China Navy

Baseball

Jerry Doggett, former broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers

Eddie Einhorn (J.D. 1960), vice chairman of the Chicago White Sox

Joe Girardi, former baseball player and current New York Yankees manager

J.A. Happ, baseball player

Mike Huff, former baseball player

Kenesaw Mountain Landis (J.D. 1891), first Commissioner of Baseball

Mark Loretta, baseball player

Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls

Mark Walter, founder and CEO of Guggenheim Partners and Chairman of Los Angeles Dodgers

Basketball

Don Adams, former NBA and ABA player

Jim Burns, former NBA and ABA player

Drew Crawford (born 1990), basketball player who last played for Bnei Herzliya of the Israeli Ligat HaAl

Evan Eschmeyer, former basketball player

Jake Fendley, former NBA player for the Fort Wayne Pistons

Glen Grunwald (J.D. 1984), executive for the New York Knicks

Willie Jones, former NBA player

Billy McKinney, former NBA player, current Director of Scouting for the Milwaukee Bucks

Daryl Morey (B.S. 1996), general manager of the Houston Rockets

Max Morris, All-American football and basketball player

Dan Peterson, basketball coach

Kevin Rankin, basketball player and insurance underwriter

Jerry Reinsdorf (J.D. 1960), owner of the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox

Joe Ruklick, former NBA player for the Philadelphia Warriors, gave Wilt Chamberlain the final assist in his 100 point game

Anucha Browne Sanders (B.S. 1985), former executive for New York Knicks

John Shurna, former basketball player

Rick Sund, former general Manager for the Atlanta Hawks

Figure skating

Ronald Joseph, figure skater and long jumper

Debi Thomas, figure skater

Football

Dick Alban, football player

Mike Adamle, football player and sportscaster

Frank Aschenbrenner, football player

Darnell Autry, football player and actor

Frank Baker, football player

Cas Banaszek, football player

Brett Basanez, football player

D'Wayne Bates, football player

Sid Bennett, football player

George Benson, football player

Kevin Bentley, football player

Ron Burton, football player, Boston Patriots (now known as New England Patriots)

Hank Bruder, football player

Luis Castillo, football player, San Diego Chargers

Bob Christian, football player, Atlanta Falcons

Barry Cofield, football player, Washington Redskins

Joe Collier, football head coach, Buffalo Bills

Irv Cross, football player

Andy Cvercko, football player

Bill DeCorrevont, football player for four NFL teams

John L. "Paddy" Driscoll, football player

Curtis Duncan, football player, Houston Oilers

Tiny Engebretsen, football player

Trai Essex, football player, Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts

Pat Fitzgerald, 2-time All-American player, current Northwestern head football coach

Barry Gardner, football player

Otto Graham, football player

Napoleon Harris, football player, Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings

Noah Herron, football player, Green Bay Packers

Chris Hinton, 7-time Pro Bowl player, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings

Paul Janus, football player

Luke Johnsos, football player

Mike Kafka, football player, Philadelphia Eagles

Jim Keane, football player

Doc Kelley, football player

John Kidd, NFL punter for five teams

Elbert Kimbrough, football player

Bob Koehler, football player

Sherrick McManis, football player, Chicago Bears

Alex Moyer, football player

Matt O'Dwyer, football player

Ted Phillips, Chicago Bears president and CEO

Nick Roach, football player, Chicago Bears

Jack Rudnay, football player

Pete Shaw, football player

Zach Strief, football player

Tyrell Sutton, football player, Carolina Panthers

Steve Tasker, football player, sports announcer, Buffalo Bills

Rob Taylor, football player and head coach

Jim Trimble, football player, Atlanta Falcons

Ray Wietecha, football player

George Wilson, football player and head coach

Fred Williamson, football player

Corey Wootton, football player, Chicago Bears

Jason Wright, football player

Trevor Siemian, football player, Denver Broncos

Golf

Jim Benepe, golfer

Luke Donald, golfer

David Lipsky, golfer

David Merkow, golfer

Hockey

Rocky Wirtz, owner, Chicago Blackhawks

Race car driving

Paul Dana, former race car driver in the Indy Racing League

Swimming

Matt Grevers, winner of four gold and two silver Olympic medals in multiple events in 2008 and 2012

Bob Skelton, 1924 Olympic gold medalist in 200-meter breaststroke

Jordan Wilimovsky, 2015 World Champion in the 10 km open water race

Tennis

Katrina Adams, tennis player, president of the USTA

Audra Cohen, 2007 NCAA women's singles champion (never graduated)

Grant Golden, tennis player

Clark Graebner, tennis player

Seymour Greenberg, tennis player

Todd Martin, tennis player

Marty Riessen, tennis player

Track and field

Jim Golliday, track

Annette Rogers, sprinter

Professional softball

Tammy Williams, shortstop, won world championship with Team USA in 2010 and National Pro Fastpitch championship with Chicago Bandits in 2011

Wrestling

Jake Herbert, Olympian

Other

Susan Thompson Buffett, philanthropist, wife of Warren Buffett

Patti Davis (attended, never graduated), daughter of Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis Reagan

Vernard Eller, author and Christian pacifist

Vergel L. Lattimore, Air National Guard Brigadier General

Robert W. Parker, U.S. Air Force Major General

Davis C. Rohr, U.S. Air Force Major General

Crispin Sanchez (Ph.D. in education), advocate for education and athletics among Mexican Americans in South Texas

David N. Senty, U.S. Air Force Major General

References

List of Northwestern University alumni Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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