This is a list of notable alumni, faculty, and students, from the University of Southern California. Those individuals who qualify for multiple categories have been placed under the section for which they are best known.
Anna Jean Ayres (B.A. 1945, M.A. 1954, Ph.D. 1961) – occupational therapist and developmental psychologist known for her work in the area of Sensory processing disorder
A.V. Balakrishnan (M.A. 1949, M.S. 1950, Ph.D. 1954) – applied mathematician; professor of mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles; initially earned a masters in cinema
Leo Buscaglia (B.A. 1950, M.A. 1954, Ph.D. 1963) – educator, best-selling author
George V. Chilingar (B.S. 1949, M.S. 1950, Ph.D. 1956) – distinguished petroleum geologist
Fred Cohen (Ph.D. 1986) – computer scientist; inventor of computer virus defense techniques
Anita Elberse (M.A.) – Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School
Andrew A. Frank (M.S. 1965, Ph.D. 1968) – professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering at UC Davis; the father of modern plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV)
Alice Gast (B.S. 1980) – President of Imperial College London
George Gerbner (M.A. 1951, Ph.D. 1955) – communication theorist; founder of cultivation theory
Piara Singh Gill (B.S. 1935, M.S. 1936) – pioneer in cosmic ray nuclear physics
Alfred Gottschalk (Ph.D. 1965) – President of Hebrew Union College and leader in the Reform Judaism movement.
Robert M. Gray (Ph.D. 1966) – information theorist; professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University
Loren Grey (B.A. 1939, M.S. 1954, Ph.D. 1959) – author and educational psychologist
Adam Herbert (B.A. 1966, M.P.A. 1968) – President, Indiana University
Philip G. Hoffman (M.A. 1942) – former President of the University of Houston, first Chancellor of the University of Houston System
John B. Hogenesch (B.A. 1989, B.S. 1991) – chronobiologist, Professor of Pharmacology at University of Pennsylvania, discovered the essential circadian clock gene Bmal1
Howard P. House (M.D. 1935) – ear specialist and founder of the House Ear Institute
Ayanna Howard (M.S. 1994, Ph.D. 1999) – roboticist, professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology
Amando Kapauan (Ph.D. 1959) – chemist and researcher
Jonathan Kellerman (Ph.D. 1974) clinical psychologist and writer
Barry Kerzin (Ph.D. 1976) – professor of medicine, Buddhist monk and teacher, and personal physician to the Dalai Lama
Satinder Vir Kessar, (Ph.D. 1958) - organic chemist, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar laureate
Matin Ahmed Khan, Dean and Director, Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, 1972-77
Douglas Kmiec (J.D. 1976) – Caruso Family Chair & Professor of Constitutional Law, Pepperdine University
Ellis O. Knox (M.A. 1928, Ph.D. 1931) – educator, first African-American to be awarded a Ph.D. on the West Coast
Bart Kosko (B.A. 1982) – Hybrid intelligent system expert and science fiction writer
Anthony Lazzaro (B.S. 1948) – USC Senior Vice President
Minnette Gersh Lenier (Ph.D. 1971) – teacher who used magic to improve students’ learning skills.
Paul Locatelli (Ph.D. 1971) – former President and professor of accounting at Santa Clara University
Catherine McBride-Chang (M.A. 1992, Ph.D. 1994) – developmental psychologist and early literacy researcher.
John Mearsheimer (M.A. 1974) – political scientist; professor of political science at the University of Chicago
Max More (Ph.D. 1995) – philosopher and futurist, founder of Extropy Institute
James Porter Moreland (Ph.D. 1985) – professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University
William Moritz (Ph.D. 1968) – film historian
Dennis J. Murray (M.P.A. 1971, Ph.D. 1977) – President of Marist College
Boris Podolsky (B.S.E.E. 1918, M.S. 1926) – physicist
Nemesio Prudente (Ph.D. 1959) – President of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and political activist
Alison Dundes Renteln (J.D. 1991) – Political Scientist, Professor of Political Science, Anthropology, Public Policy and Law at the University of Southern California
Ian Roberts (Ph.D. 1985) – linguist; Professor of Linguistics at the University of Cambridge
Gordon H. Sato (B.S. 1951) – biochemist; former director of the W. Alton Jones Cell Science Center; founder of the Manzanar Project
Gretchen Sibley (A. M. 1946) – zoologist, founder of the docent program at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, first executive director of the California State Science Fair
Rangaswamy Srinivasan (Ph.D. 1956) – discoverer of Ablative Photodecomposition (APD) and co-inventor of the LASIK procedure
Susan Straight (B.A. 1981) – published writer and novelist, professor at the University of California, Riverside
Shang-Hua Teng (M.S. 1988) – computer scientist; chairman of the Computer Science Department at the Viterbi School of Engineering
Norman Topping (B.A. 1933, M.D. 1936) – former University President and NIH associate director; helped develop a typhus vaccine and the first effective treatment against Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Laura Skandera Trombley (Ph.D. 1989) – President of Pitzer College
Cecilia Velástegui – author
Andrew Viterbi (Ph.D. 1962) – inventor of the Viterbi algorithm, CDMA, co-founder of Qualcomm and benefactor of the Viterbi School of Engineering
Gregory Ain (attended the School of Architecture from 1927–28) FAIA – architect active in the mid-20th century
Joel Bergman (B.Arch. 1965) FAIA – architect, designer of several landmark casinos
Al Boeke (B.Arch. 1948) – developer of Sea Ranch, California
Boris Dramov (1966) – architect and principle of ROMA Design Group
Sidney Eisenshtat (B.Arch. 1935) – architect, best known for synagogues and Jewish academic buildings
Edward H. Fickett (B.Arch. 1937) FAIA – architect, consultant to federal and local governments
Frank Gehry (B.Arch. 1954, Honorary Doctorate 2000) FAIA – Canadian-American Pritzker Prize winning architect
Jon Jerde (B.Arch. 1964) FAIA – architect, founder and chairman of The Jerde Partnership
Edward Killingsworth (B.Arch. 1940) FAIA – was an architect best known as a participant in Arts & Architecture's Case Study program in the mid-1950s
Pierre Koenig (B.Arch. 1952) FAIA – architect known for his exposed steel and glass houses
Harold Levitt (1921–2003) – architect, designed homes for the rich and famous
Carl Maston (B.Arch. 1936) – Mid-Century Modern architect and USC Distinguished Alumni Award recipient in 1989
Thom Mayne (B.Arch. 1968) FAIA – principal of Morphosis, Pritzker Prize laureate, and co-founder of Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-ARC)
Allen Siple (1900–1973) – architect
Raphael Soriano (B.Arch. 1934) FAIA – architect and educator, helped define the mid-century modern period
Paul Revere Williams (B.S. 1919) – architect, designed the homes of numerous celebrities, first African American member of the American Institute of Architects
Bernard Zimmerman – Modernist architect,longtime educator at the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design
Khalil Bendib (M.A. 1982) – political cartoonist
Art Clokey (M.A. 1956) – clay animator; creator of Gumby
James Grant (B.S., c. 1945) – painter, sculptor
Corita Kent (M.A. 1951) – artist
Elad Lassry (M.F.A. 2007) – artist
Paul McCarthy (M.F.A. 1973) – artist
Kenneth Price (B.F.A. 1956) – ceramic artist and printmaker
Ada Mae Sharpless (B. A. 1922) – sculptor
Delmer J. Yoakum (attended the Roski School of Fine Arts) – artist
The University of Southern California has had a number of notable American football players. The following list includes all former USC football players that have articles on Wikipedia. Please note: Some former players may be listed elsewhere due to other achievements (i.e. John Wayne and Ward Bond, became better known as actors; Quincy Woods became better known as an Olympian, etc.)
Elías Larry Ayuso – professional basketball player
David Bluthenthal (now "Blu") – professional basketball player
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke – Pprofessional basketball player, 2-time Olympic medalist, member of both the Naismith Memorial and Women's Basketball Halls of Fame
DeMar DeRozan – professional basketball player with the Toronto Raptors, drafted 9th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Raptors
Desmon Farmer – professional basketball player with Ironi Ashkelon
Taj Gibson – Chicago Bulls power forward, 2009–present
Lisa Leslie – WNBA player for Los Angeles Sparks, 4-time Olympic champion, member of the Naismith and Women's Halls of Fame
Steve Malovic (1956–2007), American-Israeli basketball player
O. J. Mayo – professional basketball player with the Milwaukee Bucks
Barry Migliorini – American Basketball Association head coach
Cheryl Miller – member of both the Naismith and Women's Halls of Fame, former USC women's coach
Harold Miner – NBA player and Slam Dunk contest champion
Brian Scalabrine – NBA forward for the Chicago Bulls, NBA champion with the Boston Celtics
Bill Sharman – player and coach, Basketball Hall of Famer
Tina Thompson – WNBA player, 2-time Olympic champion
Paul Westphal – professional basketball player, current head coach at Pepperdine University
Tex Winter – basketball coach (inventor of the Triangle offense)
Nick Young – professional basketball player with the Los Angeles Lakers
Daniel Hackett – professional basketball player with the Olympiacos B.C.
Nicole Castrale (B.A. 2001) – LPGA professional golfer
Al Geiberger (B.A. 1959) – professional golfer
Brian Henninger – professional golfer
Anna Rawson – LPGA professional golfer
Jennifer Rosales – LPGA professional golfer
Dave Stockton – professional golfer
Scott Simpson (B.S. B.A. 1978) – professional golfer
Craig Stadler – professional golfer
Kevin Stadler (B.A. 2002) – professional golfer
Byron Black – tennis champion
Bob Falkenburg – tennis champion
Luke Jensen – tennis champion
Murphy Jensen – tennis champion
Rick Leach – tennis champion
Bob Lutz – tennis champion
Gene Mako – tennis champion
Alex Olmedo (B.S. B.A.) – tennis champion
Rafael Osuna – tennis champion
Raúl Ramírez – tennis champion
Ted Schroeder – tennis champion
Stan Smith – tennis champion
George Toley (B.A. 1942) – tennis coach and player
Ellsworth Vines – tennis champion
Bibiana Candelas – volleyball player
Peter Daland – swimming coach
Phil Hill – only American-born driver to win the Formula One driving championship
Lisa Moretti (B.A. 1984) – professional female wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment under stage name Ivory
Jess Mortensen – NCAA champion track athlete and coach
Dave Salo – swimming coach
Eve Torres – professional female wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment
Dan Bane (B.S. 1969) – Chairman and CEO of Trader Joe's
Tom Barrack (B.A. 1969) – CEO of Colony Capital
Marc Benioff (B.S.B.A. 1986) – founder and CEO of Salesforce.com
Douglas G. Bergeron (M.S. 1987) – CEO of VeriFone
David Bohnett (B.S. 1978) – founder and former CEO of Geocities.com, founder of David Bohnett Foundation
Jerry Buss (Ph.D. 1957) – owner of Los Angeles Lakers
Henry Caruso (B.S.B.A.) – founder of Dollar Rent-A-Car
Rick Caruso (B.S. 1980) – CEO of Caruso Affiliated
Alan Casden (B.S. 1968) – Chairman and CEO of Casden Properties
Fu Chengyu (傅成玉) (M.E.) – Chairman of Sinopec; former CEO of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (2003—2011)
Yang Ho Cho (M.B.A. 1979) – President and CEO of Korean Airlines
Richard W. "Dick" Cook (B.A. 1972) – Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios
Scott Cook (B.A. 1974) – co-founder and chairman of Intuit, Inc.
Kenneth C. Dahlberg (M.S.E.E. 1969) – President and CEO of Science Applications International Corporation
Chris DeWolfe (M.B.A. 1997) – co-founder of MySpace and current CEO
Sanford Diller – real estate developer
David H. Dornsife – Chairman of the Herrick Corporation, USC trustee, namesake of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Seymour Durst - real estate mogul
Vic Edelbrock, Jr. (B.S. B.A. 1959) – President and CEO of Edelbrock Automotive
Pierre El Daher – Chairman and CEO of LBC and PAC Ltd.
Dick Enthoven – South African-born businessman, owner of Nando's
Larry Flax (J.D. 1971) – co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen
Robert M. Fomon – Chairman and CEO of E. F. Hutton & Co.
Carlo Gancia (M.A. in Economics) – co-owner of the Forti Formula One team
Abe Garver – investment banker
Ivan Glasenberg (M.B.A. 1993) – CEO of Glencore, #96 richest man in the world
Stanley Gold (J.D. 1967) – President and CEO of Shamrock Holdings
Steve Goodall (B.S., M.B.A.) – President of J. D. Power and Associates
Frances Hashimoto (1966) – former CEO of Mikawaya, inventor of mochi ice cream
Jerry Heller (B.S.B.A. 1963) – co-founder and CEO of Ruthless Records
Thomas Hicks (M.B.A 1970) – partner at Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst; part-owner of Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers
Barron Hilton (1946) – Co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels chain, and the original owner of the San Diego Chargers
David T. Hon (Ph.D. 1971) – physicist and founder of Dahon folding bicycles
Ming Hsieh (B.S.E.E. 1983, M.S.E.E. 1984) – President and founder of Cogent Systems
Bradley Wayne Hughes (B.S.B.A. 1957) – founder of Public Storage
Jon Huntsman, Sr. (M.B.A.) – founder and Chairman of Huntsman Corporation
Hyekyung "Shelly" Hwang (M.B.A.) – founder of Pinkberry
Ray R. Irani (Ph.D. 1957) – CEO of Occidental Petroleum
James Jannard – founder of Oakley Sunglasses and Red Digital Cinema Camera Company
Suzanne Nora Johnson (B.S. 1979) – Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs
Bruce Karatz (J.D. 1970) – Chairman and CEO of KB Home
Kyle Kazan (B.A. 1990) – co-founder of Beach Front Properties, LLC. and Beach Front Property Management, Inc.
Richard Knerr (B.S.) – co-founder of Wham-O; the creators of the Hula Hoop, Frisbee, and Superball
Ronald Lam (M.B.A. 1986) – former CEO/President of GameWorks
Terrence Lanni (B.S. 1965) – Chairman and CEO of MGM Mirage
Alan Levine (B.S. 1968, J.D. 1971) – former President and COO of Sony Pictures Entertainment
Jack Lindquist (B.A. 1950) – former president of Disneyland
Bryan Lourd (B.A. 1982) – Co-Chairman of Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
Armen Margarian (B.S. 2001, M.B.A. 2006) – co-founder of NexusLab Inc. (an Inc.5000 Company)
Mike Markkula (B.S.E.E., M.S.E.E.) – former CEO and angel investor of Apple Computer, Inc.
Preston Martin (B.S. 1947, M.B.A. 1948) – founder of the PMI Mortgage Insurance Company; former Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board
Steve McIntosh (B.S. 1984) – founder and president of Now & Zen, Inc.; influential writer in the field of integral philosophy
Arthur Melin (B.S.) – co-founder of Wham-O
Oscar Munoz (B.S. 1982) – President and CEO of United Airlines
Brian Mulligan – former chairman of Fox Television
Paul Orfalea – founder of Kinko's
Sol Price (J.D. 1957) – founder of Price Club (now Costco)
Charles Prince (B.A. 1971, M.A. 1975, J.D. 1975) – former Chairman and CEO of Citigroup
Edward C. Raymund – founder of Tech Data Corp.
Jim Rogers (L.L.M. 1963) – Chairman and CEO of Sunbelt Communications
Edward P. Roski (B.S. 1962) – Chairman and CEO of Majestic Realty Co., part owner of the Los Angeles Kings and Los Angeles Lakers
Steve Saleen – CEO and founder of Saleen Performance, Inc.
Devita Saraf – founder of Vu Technologies and co-founder of Vu TelePresence
Robert Sarzo (B.S. 2004) – owner of Sarzo Entertainment LLC
Jeetendr Sehdev – marketing professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Alan Smolinisky (B.S. 2001) – entrepreneur, real estate investor, owner of Palisadian-Post newspaper
Jeff Smulyan (B.S. 1969, J.D. 1972) – founder and CEO of Emmis Communications
Mark Stevens (B.S.E.E. 1981, B.A.ECON 1981, M.S.CENG 1984) – partner at Sequoia Capital
Michael Trope – sports agent, divorce lawyer
Kevin Tsujihara (B.S. 1986) – CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures
Ronald Tutor (B.S.B.A. 1963) – President/CEO of Tutor-Saliba Corp.
Andrew Viterbi (Ph.D. 1962) – co-founder of Qualcomm
William Wang (B.S. 1986) – founder and CEO of Vizio
Craig Winn (B.S. 1977) – founder of Value America; author of Prophet of Doom and Tea With Terrorists
Albert C. Zapanta – President and CEO of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce
Richard Ziman (B.S. 1964, J.D. 1967) – Chairman and CEO of Arden Realty
Film and television
For people primarily known as actors and actresses, see Performing arts, below.
Elizabeth Allen – director
Zeenat Aman – Indian actress, model and Miss Asia Pacific 1970
Thom Andersen – film critic
David Anspaugh – director
Judd Apatow – filmmaker
Gregg Araki – filmmaker
John August – filmmaker
June Bacon-Bercey, M.P.A 1979 – television meteorologist, first African American as well as first woman to be awarded American Meteorological Society's Seal of Approval
John Bailey – cinematographer
Hugh Beaumont – actor, television director, and Methodist minister
Walt Becker – filmmaker
Jack Bender – executive producer of Lost
Beck Bennett – actor and comedian
Laura Bialis – filmmaker
Les Blank – documentary filmmaker
Jeffrey Blitz – filmmaker
Paul Harris Boardman – producer and screenwriter
Robert F. Boyle – art director and production designer
Charles Braverman – filmmaker
Henry Bumstead – art director and production designer
Bryan Burk – executive producer of Lost
Keith Calder – producer
Trey Callaway – screenwriter and producer
Andrés Cantor – sportscaster
John Carpenter – film director
Adam Christian Clark – filmmaker
Lily Collins – actress
Sandro Corsaro – executive producer, creator of Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil
Miranda Cosgrove – actress of iCarly and singer
Sean Covel – producer
Buster Crabbe (B.A. 1931) – actor
R. J. Cutler (B.A. 1993) – filmmaker
Thomas Del Ruth – cinematographer
Scott Derrickson – filmmaker
Caleb Deschanel – cinematographer
Dean Devlin – screenwriter and producer
Susan Downey – producer
Ree Drummond (1991 B.A. Gerontology) – chef and TV personality
Ellis R. Dungan – director
Robert Elswit – cinematographer
Rick Famuyiwa – director
America Ferrera – actress, producer
Verna Fields – film editor and sound editor
Erik Fleming – film director and producer
Dana Fox – screenwriter
William A. Fraker – cinematographer
Joe Francis – adult film producer
Richard Franklin – Australian film director
Sarah Gilman – actress
David S. Goyer – filmmaker
James Gray – film director and screenwriter
Brian Grazer – film and television producer
Taylor Hackford – film director and producer
Kevin Hagen – actor
Conrad Hall – cinematographer
Curtis Harrington – experimental filmmaker
Ami Horowitz – filmmaker, media personality
Ron Howard – film director and actor
George Huang – filmmaker
Martin Hynes – filmmaker
Robert Illes – Emmy-winning TV writer
James Ivory – film director
Frederick Johnson (M.P.W. 1985) -- Emmy-winning TV writer
Rian Johnson – filmmaker
Joe Johnston – film director
Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski – writers
Rob Kardashian – TV personality and businessman
Howard G. Kazanjian – film producer
Richard Kelly – filmmaker
Irvin Kershner – film director
Mahira Khan - Pakistani actress
Karey Kirkpatrick – screenwriter
Randal Kleiser – filmmaker
Tom Klemesrud – editor
John Knoll (B.A. 1984) – motion picture visual effects specialist, co-creator of Adobe Photoshop
Chad Kultgen – writer, producer
Ben Kurland – actor, producer
Gary Kurtz – film producer
Frederick Larson – law professor and filmmaker
Barry Levy – screenwriter
John Longenecker – film director, cinematographer
Robert Lovenheim – film producer and writer
Doug Liman – film director and producer
George Lucas – film director and producer
Joseph Magee (M.L.A. 1984) – music scoring mixer
Felipe Marino – producer
Gregory Markopoulos – filmmaker
Kerry McCluggage – film and TV executive and producer
Bridgit Mendler – actress and singer-songwriter
John Milius – film director and screenwriter
Miles Millar – screenwriter and producer
Herman Miller – writer and producer
Jeremy Miller – actor
Ron W. Miller – CEO and president of Walt Disney Productions
Kyle Mooney – actor, writer, cast member on Saturday Night Live
Walter Murch – film editor and sound designer
Tomas Mureika – filmmaker, playwright, music critic
Don Murphy – producer
Gustin Nash – screenwriter
Tom Neff – film director, producer and executive
Joe Neurauter – producer
Michael Nolin – producer
Natalie Nunn – reality television star
Tommy O'Haver – filmmaker
Tom Oesch – director
Richard Outten – screenwriter
Sam Peckinpah – film director
Brian Wayne Peterson – screenwriter and television producer
Jason Peterson – producer, CEO, digital distribution entrepreneur
Angelo Pizzo – screenwriter and producer
Gene Polito – cinematographer and professor at USC School of Cinematic Arts
Patrik-Ian Polk – film director and producer
Jon Poll – film editor and director
Kelly Preston – actress
Jon Paul Puno – film director
Nathalia Ramos – actress of House of Anubis, seasons 1 – 2, later to return for season 4
Jason Reitman – film director
Shonda Rhimes – screenwriter, director, and producer
Jay Roach – film director and producer
Robert Rodat – screenwriter
Gene Roddenberry – screenwriter and producer
Barry Rubinow – film executive and editor
Jason Russell – film director, co-founder of Invisible Children, Inc.
Emily Rutherfurd – actress
Gary Rydstrom (B.A. 1981) – sound designer
Walter Salles – filmmaker
Jarrett Schaefer – filmmaker
Elle Schneider – cinematographer, developer of Digital Bolex camera
Josh Schwartz – producer and creator of The O.C.
John Schwartzman – cinematographer
Ben Shedd – documentary filmmaker
Sigurjón Sighvatsson – producer
Bryan Singer – film director
John Singleton – film director
Stephen Sommers – film director
Dror Soref – filmmaker
Scott Speer – music video producer
Adam Stein – filmmaker, editor
Tim Story – film director
Madeleine Stowe – actress
Ross Thomas – actor, filmmaker
David E. Tolchinsky – screenwriter
Ron Underwood – film director
Lee Unkrich – film director
Clay Walker – film producer, director, cinematographer and editor
Matthew Weiner – writer, director, producer, creator of television drama series Mad Men
David N. Weiss – screenwriter
Brad Williams – comedian
Max Winkler – director, screenwriter
Alexander Winn – filmmaker
David L. Wolper (B.A. 1949) – film and television producer
Freddie Wong – YouTube celebrity and director
Robert Yeoman – cinematographer
Robert Zemeckis – Academy Award-winning director
Laura Ziskin – producer
Sasha Knezev – filmmaker
See also: USC Thornton School of Music
Ambrose Akinmusire (M.M. 2007) – jazz trumpeter
Herb Alpert (B.M. 1954) – musician, co-founder of A&M Records
Banks – pop singer
Christophe Beck (Graduate Certificate in Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television, 1993) – film score composer
Marco Beltrami (Graduate Certificate in Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television, 1993) – film score composer
Aloe Blacc - soul singer, musician
Houston Bright (Ph.D musicology, 1952) – composer
Harold Budd (B.M. 1966) – Ambient/avant-garde composer
Todd Carey – singer-songwriter and musician
Rob Cavallo (B.A., English 1985) – Grammy Award winning record producer and A&R; Chief Creative Officer of Warner Music Group
Alan Chang (B.M. 2002) – musician, composer, musical director for Michael Bublé
Nicolas Chumachenco – violinist
Alfred Darlington, better known as Daedelus – electronic music producer based in Los Angeles
John Dearman (B.M. 1981, M.M. 1983) – classical guitarist
Marianne Dissard (B.A 1991 Film Production) – singer, lyricist
Flea – bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Nmon Ford (B.M., M.M.) – Grammy Award-winning singer
Jeremiah "JGivens" Givens (B.S., Mechanical Engineering 2010) – rap artist with record label Humble Beast.
Goldroom – musician
Jerry Goldsmith – film score composer
Kina Grannis – musician
Macy Gray (B.A., screenwriting 1990) – Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter
Lionel Hampton – jazz musician
Dexter Holland – singer and guitarist for The Offspring
Marilyn Horne (B.M. 1953) – opera singer
James Horner (B.M. 1974) – film score composer
James Newton Howard, film score composer
Paul Jackson Jr. (B.M.) – guitarist
Tommy Johnson (B.M. 1956) – tuba player
William Kanengiser (B.M. 1981, M.M. 1983) – classical guitarist
Morten Lauridsen (B.M. 1966, M.A. 1968, D.M.A. 1974) – composer
Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. – keyboardist for Jellyfish, Beck and The Moog Cookbook
Anthony Marinelli – Film score composer
Robert Marsteller – faculty, principal trombone, Los Angeles Philharmonic (1946-1971)
Bear McCreary – film score composer
Mark McGrath – singer, frontman of Sugar Ray, host of Extra
Angela Meade (M.M. 2004) – opera singer
J. Greg Miller – horn player
David Newman (M.M. 1982) – film composer
Kelley O'Connor (B.M. 2002) – opera singer
Martin O'Donnell – composer best known for video game work
John Ottman (B.A. 1988) – film score composer
Christopher Parkening (B.M. 1969) – classical guitarist
Elizabeth Pitcairn – concert violinist
Basil Poledouris – film score composer
Brian Ralston – film score composer
Lee Ritenour (B.M. 1972) – jazz guitarist
Jessica Rivera (M.M. 1998) – opera singer
Douglas Romayne (Graduate Certificate in Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television, 2000) – television and film score composer
Patrice Rushen (B.M. 1976) – songwriter, session musician, producer, arranger, film composer, and musical director
Craig Saper – audio engineer, actor
Anil Srinivasan – classical pianist and music educator
Scott Tennant (B.M. 1986) – classical guitarist
Salli Terri – singer and songwriter
Michael Tilson Thomas (B.M. 1967, M.M. 1976) – conductor and music director of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Robyn Troup – singer, "My Grammy Moment 2007" winner
Mack Wilberg – director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Frank Wildhorn – Broadway composer
Andrew York (M.M. 1986) – classical guitarist-composer
Marvin Young (more popularly known as Young MC) – rapper, producer and writer
Steven Zhu (more popularly known as Zhu) – electronic music producer
Patrick J. Adams – actor best known for TV series Suits
Sasha Alexander – actress best known as Maura Isles on Rizzoli & Isles
Zeenat Aman – Indian actress, model and Miss Asia Pacific 1970
Morris Ankrum – actor
Brandon Barash – actor
Troian Bellisario – actress best known as Spencer Hastings on ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars
Beck Bennett – actor and comedian
John Beradino – baseball player and actor, General Hospital
Julie Marie Berman – actress best known as Lulu Spencer on General Hospital
Richard Biggs – actor
Harry Blackstone, Jr. – actor and magician
Ward Bond – football player and actor
LeVar Burton – actor
Sophia Bush – actress
Eric Close – actor
Miranda Cosgrove – actress and singer
Buster Crabbe – actor, All-American swimmer at USC
James Dannaldson – actor, animal handler
Erica Dasher – actress
Jenna Dewan – actress and dancer
Anthony Edwards – film and television actor
Rob Estes – actor
Dorothy Fay – actress
Will Ferrell – actor and comedian
America Ferrera – actress
Joe Flynn – actor
Dave Franco – actor
Jimmy Fowlie – actor
Vova Galchenko – juggler
David Gallagher – actor
Ron Gans – character actor and voice actor
Skyler Gisondo – actor
Renée Elise Goldsberry – Tony winning actress, played Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton
Topher Grace – actor
Greer Grammer – actress
Kevin Hagen – actor
Kristin Hanggi – Tony Award-nominated theatre director
Daryl Hannah – actress
Larry Harmon – actor, known as Bozo the Clown
Mike Henry – actor, also played football at USC and in NFL
James Hong – actor
Patty Hou – TV host, actress, newscaster
Ron Howard – actor, director, producer
Grant Imahara – TV personality
David Jaffe – Award-winning video game designer
Brad Johnson – actor, played deputy Lofty Craig on western series Annie Oakley
Rob Kardashian – actor
Swoosie Kurtz – actress
Raymond Lam – actor at Hong Kong top TV station TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited) (attended USC for one year)
Michael Landon – actor
Joey Lawrence – actor
Matthew Lawrence – actor
Charlotte Laws – TV host, actress, author
Nelson Leigh – actor
James Lesure – actor
Jeff Lewis – star of Flipping Out
Lisa Ling – former co-host of The View
Chris Lowell – actor
Alexander Ludwig – actor, known for playing Cato in The Hunger Games
Joseph Mazzello – actor
Michael McDonald – actor and comedian
Ted McGinley – actor
Bridgit Mendler – singer-songwriter and actress
Ty Miller – actor
Derek Mio – actor
Bentley Mitchum – actor, grandson of Robert Mitchum
Kyle Mooney – actor, comedian
Senta Moses – actress
Timothy Olyphant – actor
Fess Parker – screen and television actor
Kelly Preston – actress
Ke Huy Quan – actor and stuntman
Maeve Quinlan – actress
Michael Pataki – actor
Paula Patton – actress
Drew Pinsky – physician, radio and TV personality
Diana Pinto – Miss India America 2009
Vaneza Leza Pitynski – actress
Whitney Port – cast member on MTV's reality show The Hills, fashion designer
John Ritter – actor
David A. Romero – spoken-word poet
Jon Rudnitsky – actor, comedian
Mort Sahl – comedian
Stark Sands – actor
Kyra Sedgwick – actress
Tom Selleck – actor
Ally Sheedy – actress
Cybill Shepherd – actress
Chima Simone – actress, TV personality
Robert Stack – actor
Eric Stoltz – actor
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa – actor
Marlo Thomas – actress
Eve Torres – wrestler, dancer, and model
Robert Vaughn – actor
Natasha Gregson Wagner – actress
John Wayne – actor (did not graduate)
Forest Whitaker (B.A. 1982) – Academy Award-winning actor
Mary Kate Wiles – actress
Deborah Ann Woll – actress, best known as Jessica on True Blood
Anton Yelchin – actor
Lee Thompson Young – actor, best known as Detective Barry Frost on Rizzoli & Isles
Scott Hoying – singer, baritone from Pentatonix
Presidents and prime ministers
Marouf al-Bakhit (M.P.A. 1982) – 69th Prime Minister of Jordan
Fayez Al-Tarawneh (M.S 1974, Ph.D. 1980) – 73rd Prime Minister of Jordan
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (attended the College from 1947–49) – first democratically elected Prime Minister and President of Pakistan
Abdurrahim El-Keib (M.S.E.E. 1976) – Interim Prime Minister of Libya
Ljupčo Jordanovski (Ph.D. 1985) – former acting President of the Republic of Macedonia, Speaker of the Macedonian Parliament, and Macedonian Ambassador to the U.S.
Takeo Miki (attended the College in the 1930s) – 41st Prime Minister of Japan
Mohamed Morsi (Ph.D. Electrical Engineering 1982) – 5th President of Egypt
Shinzō Abe (attended the College from 1978 to 1979) – 90th and 96th Prime Minister of Japan
Kang Young-Hoon (M.A. 1966, Ph.D. 1973) – 21st Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (South Korea)
Cabinet ministers and secretaries
Ghazi Algosaibi (M.A. 1964) - statesman, former Minister (five portfolios), former Ambassador to Bahrain and the UK, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Rafic Chahine (PhD) - Lebanese Minister of Planning from 1960 to 1961, and Minister of labor and Social Affairs in 1968.
Warren Christopher (B.A. 1945) - 63rd United States Secretary of State
Michael B. Donley (B.A. 1977, M.A. 1978) - 22nd United States Secretary of the Air Force
Robert Finch (LL.B. 1951) - 8th United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, 38th Lieutenant Governor of California
Vecdi Gönül (M.P.A. 1970) - 62nd Minister of Defence of Turkey and Member of Parliament for Kocaeli
Paul Robert Ignatius (B.A. 1942) - United States Secretary of the Navy, 1967–1969
Hilda Solis (M.P.A. 1981) - 25th United States Secretary of Labor
Kantathi Suphamongkhon (Ph.D. 1984) - 39th Foreign minister of Thailand, UC Regent's Professor at UCLA, 2007–2009
Jim Gibbons (attended graduate school in the 1980s) - 28th Governor of Nevada
Fred Hall (B.A. 1938, LL.B. 1941) - 33rd Governor of Kansas
Tomás Yarrington (M.P.A. 1986) - former Governor of Tamaulipas, Mexico
Dean Heller (B.S. 1985) - United States Senator from Nevada
Thomas H. Kuchel (B.A. 1932, LL.B. 1935) - former U.S. Senator from California
Jim Webb (attended the college from 1963–1964) - U.S. Senator from Virginia
Bob Barr (B.A. 1970) - former member of the United States House of Representatives; Libertarian Party nominee for President of the United States (2008)
Henry S. Benedict (LL.B. 1910) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Mary Bono (B.A. 1984) - member of the United States House of Representatives
Yvonne Brathwaite Burke (J.D. 1956) - former Los Angeles County Supervisor; former member of the United States House of Representatives
Phillip Burton (B.A. 1947) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
John Campbell (M.S.B.T. 1977), member of the United States House of Representatives
Wes Cooley (B.S. 1958), former member of the United States House of Representatives
James C. Corman (J.D. 1948) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Christopher Cox (B.A. 1973) - former Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; former member of the United States House of Representatives
Henry Aldous Dixon (Ed.D. 1937) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Charles Djou (J.D. 1996) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
John F. Dockweiler (LL.B. 1921) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Clyde Doyle (LL.B. 1917) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Bertrand W. Gearhart (LL.B. 1914) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Augustus F. Hawkins (M.A. 1932) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Patrick J. Hillings (B.A. 1947, J.D. 1949) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Andrew J. Hinshaw (B.A. 1950) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Joseph F. Holt (B.S. 1947) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Craig Hosmer (J.D. 1940) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
William W. Johnson (LL.B. 1925) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
George A. Kasem (B.S. 1949, LL.B. 1951) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Jay Kim (B.S. 1967, M.S. 1969, M.S. 1970) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Glenard P. Lipscomb - former member of the United States House of Representatives
James F. Lloyd (M.A. 1966) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Cynthia McKinney (B.A. 1978) - former member of the United States House of Representatives; Green Party nominee for President of the United States (2008)
Ralph Metcalfe (M.A. 1939) - former member of the United States House of Representatives; Olympic champion in track & field
Juanita Millender-McDonald (attended the College) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Carlos Moorhead (J.D. 1949) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Dana Rohrabacher (M.A. 1971) - member of the United States House of Representatives
Byron N. Scott (M.A. 1930) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
H. Allen Smith (A.B. 1930, LL.B. 1933) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
William I. Traeger (LL.B. 1909) - former member of the United States House of Representatives; former Los Angeles County Sheriff; former USC Trojans football head coach
Walter R. Tucker III (B.A. 1978) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Robert A. Underwood (Ed.D. 1987) - former delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives
James B. Utt (J.D. 1946) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Lionel Van Deerlin (B.A. 1937) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Tom Vandergriff (B.A. 1947) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
Charles E. Wiggins (B.S. 1953, LL.B. 1956) - former member of the United States House of Representatives
See also: USC Gould School of Law
Arthur Lawrence Alarcon (B.S. 1949, LL.B. 1951) - Judge of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (1979–1992)
James Marshall Carter (J.D. 1927) - Judge of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (1967–1971); Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (1949–1967)
Walter Raleigh Ely, Jr. (LL.M. 1949) - Judge of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (1964–1979)
Warren J. Ferguson (LL.B. 1949) - Judge of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (1979–1986); Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1966–1979)
Ferdinand Francis Fernandez (B.S. 1958, J.D. 1962) - Judge of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (1989–2002); Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1985–1989)
Dorothy Wright Nelson (LL.M. 1956) - Judge of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (1979–1995)
Richard Lowell Nygaard (B.S. 1969) - Judge of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals (1988–2005)
David R. Thompson (B.S. 1952, LL.B. 1955) - Judge of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (1985–1998)
Charles E. Wiggins (B.S. 1953, LL.B. 1956) - Judge of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (1984–1996)
William Matthew Byrne, Jr. (B.S. 1953, LL.B. 1956) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1971–1998)
Thurmond Clarke (LL.B. 1927) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1966–1970); Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (1955–1966)
Elisha Avery Crary (A.B. 1929, LL.B. 1929) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1966–1975); Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (1962–1966)
Richard Arthur Gadbois, Jr. (LL.M. 1960) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1982–1996)
Peirson Mitchell Hall (LL.B.) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1966–1968); Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (1942–1966)
James M. Ideman (J.D. 1963) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1984–1998)
David Vreeland Kenyon (J.D. 1957) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1980–1995)
George H. King (J.D. 1974) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1995–present)
Stephen G. Larson (J.D. 1989) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (2006–2009)
Nora Margaret Manella (J.D. 1975) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1998–2006)
Edward Rafeedie (B.S. 1956, J.D. 1959) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1982–1996)
Manuel Real (B.S. 1944) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1966–present)
Albert Lee Stephens, Jr. (A.B. 1936, LL.B. 1938) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1966–1979); Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (1961–1966)
Alicemarie Huber Stotler (B.S. 1964, J.D. 1967) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1984–2009)
Robert Mitsuhiro Takasugi (J.D. 1959) - first Japanese American federal judge; Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1976–1996)
Dickran Tevrizian (B.S. 1962, J.D. 1965) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1985–2005)
Laughlin Edward Waters, Sr. (J.D. 1947) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1976–1986)
David W. Williams (LL.B. 1937) - first African American federal judge west of the Mississippi River; Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1969–1981)
Harold Michael Fong (A.B. 1960) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii (1982–1995)
J. Lawrence Irving (B.S. 1959, LL.B. 1963) - udge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (1982–1990)
David W. Ling (LL.B. 1913) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona (1936–1964)
Leland Chris Nielsen (J.D. 1946) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (1971–1985)
William Schwarzer (A.B. 1948) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (1976–1991)
Gordon Thompson, Jr. (B.S. 1951) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (1970–1994)
Howard Boyd Turrentine (LL.B. 1939) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (1970–1984)
Oliver Winston Wanger (B.S. 1963) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California (1991–2006)
Ronald M. Whyte (J.D. 1967) - Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (1992–2009)
California Supreme Court Justices
David Eagleson (B.A. 1948, LL.B. 1950) - Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, 1987–1991
Douglas L. Edmonds (LL.B. 1910) - Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, 1936–1955
Frederick W. Houser (LL.B. 1900) - Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, 1937–1942
Marcus Kaufman (LL.B. 1956) - Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, 1987–1990
Joyce L. Kennard (B.A. 1970, M.P.A. 1974, J.D. 1974) - first Asian-American to serve as an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, 1989–present
Malcolm M. Lucas (B.A. 1950, LL.B. 1953) - 26th Chief Justice of California, 1987–1996; Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court, 1984–1987; Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1971–1984)
You Chung Hong (LL.B. 1924, LL.M. 1925) - first Chinese American admitted to practice in California
Charles Older - California Superior Court judge presiding over trial of Charles Manson; one of the famed Flying Tigers pilots of WWII
William A. Reppy (LL.B. 1937) - Associate Justice of the California Second District Court of Appeal, Division Five (1968–1972)
Mabel Walker Willebrandt (J.D. 1916, LL.M. 1917) - U.S. Assistant Attorney General from 1921 to 1929
Ira Eaker (B.A. 1933) - former general of the United States Army Air Forces
Jack K. Farris (1973) - former Major General, United States Air Force
Sandra Finan (1989) - Brigadier General, United States Air Force
Harold J. Greene - major general, U.S. Army, highest ranking casualty of the War in Afghanistan
Dennis R. Larsen (1978) - former Lieutenant General, United States Air Force
William L. McGonagle (1947) - former Captain USS Liberty (AGTR-5), United States Navy; Medal of Honor recipient
Geoffrey Miller (M.A.) - former United States Army Major General
William L. Nyland (M.S.) - retired United States Marine Corps four-star general, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps (2002–2005)
Jerry D. Page (B.S. 1937) - former major general, United States Air Force; commandant, Air War College
Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf (M.S.M.E. 1964) - United States Army Four Star General
Michael J. Williams - retired United States Marine Corps four-star general, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps (2000–2002)
Frances C. Wilson (Ed.D. 1981) - retired United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General, former President, National Defense University (2006–2009)
David G. Young III - former Brigadier General, United States Air Force
Daryl Arnold (B.A. 1944) - 8th United States Ambassador to Singapore
Jack Dyer Crouch, II (B.A. 1980, M.A. 1981, Ph.D. 1987) - former Deputy National Security Advisor, former U.S. Ambassador to Romania
Genta H. Holmes (B.A. 1962) - former United States Foreign Service officer and the first U.S. Ambassador to Namibia
Douglas Kmiec (J.D. 1976) - United States Ambassador to Malta
Edward J. Perkins (M.P.A. 1972 - Ph.D. 1976), former U.S. Ambassador to Australia, South Africa and the United Nations
Warren W. Tichenor (B.A. 1982) - 17th United States Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva
Robert Holmes Tuttle (M.B.A.) - United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
Joseph Cerrell (B.A. 1957) - former political consultant for John F. Kennedy
Herbert G. Klein (B.A. 1940) - former White House Communications Director
Fred Ryan (B.A. 1977, J.D. 1980) - Assistant and Chief of Staff for Ronald Reagan
Donald Segretti (B.A. 1963) - political operative for Richard Nixon
Ron Ziegler (B.A. 1961) - former White House Press Secretary
Greg Aghazarian (B.S. 1986) - California State Assembly
Eugene W. Biscailuz - first Superintendent of the California Highway Patrol, 27th Los Angeles County Sheriff
Martha Escutia (B.S. 1979) - California State Senator
Matthew Harper (B.S. 1997) - California State Assemblyman, 74th District, and the 59th Mayor of Huntington Beach (2013-2014)
Paul Heroux (B.A. 2001) - State Representative from Massachusetts
Sheila M. Kiscaden (M.P.A. 1986) - Minnesota State Senator
Tim Leslie (M.P.A. 1969) - California State Senator
Pat Nolan (B.A. 1972, J.D. 1975) - California State Assembly, 1978–1994, Assembly Republican Leader 1984–1988
Joe Shell (B.S. 1940) - California State Assemblyman; intraparty rival of Richard Nixon; captain of the 1939 USC Trojans football team
Alan Sieroty (LL.B. 1956) - California State Senator
Jesse M. Unruh (B.A. 1948) - California State Treasurer, Speaker of the California State Assembly
Michael L. Williams (B.A. 1975, M.P.A. 1979, J.D. 1979) - senior commissioner of the Railroad Commission of Texas
Lili Bosse - Mayor of Beverly Hills, California
George P. Cronk - Los Angeles City Council member, 1945–52
James Dobson (Ph.D. 1967) - conservative evangelical leader
Charles Elachi (M.B.A. 1978) - director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Michael Fabricant (Ph.D. 1978) - British politician and Member of Parliament
Sattareh Farman Farmaian (B.A. 1946, M.A. 1948) - social reformer, established Tehran School for Social Work and concept of family planning in Iran
John Ferraro (B.S.B.A. 1948) - former Los Angeles city council president, also former football player
Gil Garcetti (B.S. 1963) - Los Angeles County's 39th District Attorney
Earl C. Gay (1902–75) - Los Angeles City Council member, 1933–45
Michael D. Griffin (M.S.E.E. 1979) - NASA Administrator from 2005 to 2009
Roy Hampton (ca. 1901–1953) - Los Angeles City Council member, 1939–41
Carl Hoecker - Inspector General of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Charles A. Holland - Los Angeles City Council member, 1929–31
Quentin Kawānanakoa - Hawaiian politician, heir to the throne of the lapsed Kingdom of Hawaii
Edward L. Masry - lawyer
Frank McEnulty (M.B.A. 1981) - Reform Party candidate for Vice President of the United States (2008)
Cindy Hensley McCain (B.A. 1976, M.A. 1978) - wife of 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Chairwoman of Hensley & Co.
Dominic J. Monetta - deputy director of Defense Research and Engineering (Research and Advanced Technology) at the U.S. Department of Defense from 1991–1993, director, Office of New Production Reactors, at the United States Department of Energy from 1989–1991
Pat Nixon (B.A. 1937) - First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974
Marcus Peacock (B.S. 1982) - deputy administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Reza Pahlavi (B.A. 1985) - former Crown Prince of Iran, the older son of late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Richard Perle (B.A. 1964) - former assistant United States Secretary of Defense
Ann Shaw (social worker) (M.S.W. 1968) - social worker and civic leader in Los Angeles, California
Daniel Seddiqui (B.A. 2005) - author and adventurer of 50 Jobs in 50 States
Lorenzo Bini Smaghi (M.A. 1980) - member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank
Rosalind Wiener Wyman - political figure
Millicent Borges Accardi (MPW 1993) - poet and writer, National Endowment for the Arts
David Bezmozgis (M.F.A.) - writer
Anthony Boucher (B.A. 1932) - science fiction editor and writer of mystery novels and short stories
Stacey Bradford (B.A. 1993) - personal finance author, journalist, and commentator
Tammy Bruce (B.A. 2002) - author and political commentator
Art Buchwald (attended the Annenberg School for Communication from 1945–48) - author and columnist, Pulitzer Prize winner
Stan Chambers (B.A. 1944) - television journalist
Julie Chen (B.A. 1991) - television personality, news anchor, journalist, and producer
Mark Z. Danielewski - (M.F.A. 1993) author
Frank Davey (Ph.D. 1968) - poet
Jerry Del Colliano - journalist, author
Maureen Furniss (Ph.D. 1994) - author, animation historian, and USC faculty member
Joseph Heller - author and satirist
Raj Kamal Jha (M.A. 1990) - author
Spencer Johnson (B.A. 1963) - writer
Pablo Kleinman (B.A. 1996) - political columnist, entrepreneur
Laila Lalami (Ph.D. 1997) - author and essayist
Corinne Lee (B.A. 1983) - poet
Vindy Lee (B.A. 2004) - cookbook author and professional chef
Sandra Tsing Loh (M.P.W. 1984) - radio commentator and author
Bob Lorenz (B.A. Broadcast Journalism) - studio host, anchor, New York Yankees (YES Network)
Marie Lu (B.A. 2006) - author
Arash Markazi (B.A. 2004) - journalist, writer for Sports Illustrated
Stephanie Miller - radio and TV personality, host of The Stephanie Miller Show
C. L. Moore (B.A. 1956, M.A. 1963) - science fiction and fantasy writer
Joan Lowery Nixon (B.A. 1947) - journalist and author
John Norman (M.A. 1957) - science fiction author and philosopher
Téa Obreht, formerly Téa Bajrakterević (B. A. 2007) - novelist, The Tiger's Wife
Petros Papadakis (B.A.) - sportscaster
Alexandra Pelosi (M.A. 1993) - journalist and documentary filmmaker
Katherine Schwarzenegger - author
Joe Sheehan (B.A. 1994) - sportswriter and co-founder of Baseball Prospectus
Lindsay Soto (B.A. 1998) - television sports journalist and producer
Suzy Spencer - true-crime writer
Irving Stone (M.A. 1924) - writer, known for biographical novels of famous historical personalities
Michele Tafoya (M.B.A. 1991) - ESPN sportscaster
Brad Thor - author
Paul Vangelisti (M.A. 1970) - poet and broadcaster
Alex Witt - news anchor
Linda Yu (B.A. 1968) - Chicago television journalist
Gary Anderson (B.Arch. 1970, M.Arch 1971) - creator of the universal recycling symbol
Ethel Percy Andrus (M.A. 1928, Ph.D. 1930) - founder of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
Wanda Austin (Ph.D. 1988) - President and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, NAE
Anita Caspary (1943) - former nun, founder of lay organization
Jenova Chen (M.F.A.) - video game designer, co-founder thatgamecompany
Annabel Chong, pseudonym of Grace Quek - pornographic actress, engaged in 251 sex acts over a ten-hour period in January 1995, resulting footage was promoted as The World's Biggest Gang Bang
Salvatore Ferragamo - fashion designer
Valentino Mazzia (1922–1999) - forensic anesthesiologist
Reuben Fine (Ph.D. 1948) - chess grandmaster, psychologist
Frank Fertitta (B.A./B.S. 1984) - CEO of Station Casinos; owner of Zuffa, LLC, the entity that runs the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Joseph Gutheinz (M.S.S.M 1984) - retired NASA OIG Senior Special Agent, founder of the Moon Rock Project, lawyer, educator, author, commissioner
Irene Hirano Inouye (BA 1970, MPA 1973) - president United States-Japan Council and chair Ford Foundation Board of Trustees
Cliff Johnson (B.F.A. 1974) - author of award-winning computer puzzle games
Joe Medicine Crow (M.A. 1938, Honorary Doctorate 2003) - last war chief of the Crow Tribe of Montana and historian
Tom Morey (B.A. 1957) - creator of the Boogie Board
Sean Plott (M.F.A.) - e-sports commentator for StarCraft II and former progamer
Kellee Santiago (M.F.A.) - video game designer, co-founder thatgamecompany
Sakaye Shigekawa - obstetrician
Brian Sun (J.D.) - trial lawyer
Kathryn Le Veque - author
Joseph Wapner (B.A. 1941, J.D. 1948) - judge of television's The People's Court, former Los Angeles County Superior Court judge
Essie Mae Washington-Williams (M.A.) - educator, writer, daughter of Strom Thurmond
John Zerzan - anarchist and primitivist philosopher
Leonard M. Adleman – co-inventor of RSA, Turing Award laureate
William French Anderson – genetics professor, dubbed "father of gene therapy"
Michael A. Arbib – computational neuroscience professor
Tim Asch – professor at the Center for Visual Anthropology
Lois W. Banner – former president of the American Studies Association, author
Richard Bellman – inventor of dynamic programming
Aimee Bender – novelist
Warren Bennis – university professor, Distinguished Professor of Business Administration; named the "dean of leadership gurus" by Forbes magazine
Shelley Berman – comedian, actor, author; teaches Writing Humor, Literary and Dramatic
Terence Blanchard – jazz trumpeter
Barry Boehm – software engineering economics expert, inventor of COCOMO
Todd Boyd – author, media commentator, producer, and consultant
T.C. Boyle – novelist
Leo Buscaglia – author and motivational speaker
Drew Casper – film historian
Manuel Castells – sociologist, played a key role in the development of a Marxist urban sociology
John Choma – analog and mixed signal circuit designer
Thomas Crow – art critic, Director of the Getty Research Institute
António Damásio – physician and neurologist
Paul Debevec – graphics researcher
Rod Dedeaux – baseball coach
Richard Dekmejian – expert on international relations
Richard Easterlin – economics professor
Mar Elepano – artist, animator, filmmaker
Susan Estrich – author, law professor; former campaign manager, Michael Dukakis for President
Percival Everett – novelist
Rachel Feldman – director, screenwriter
Caleb E. Finch – Alzheimer's disease researcher
Scott Fisher – pioneering virtual reality researcher
Eric Fossum – inventor of CMOS image sensor
Murray Gell-Mann – Professor of Physics and Medicine, Nobel Laureate in Physics
Barry Glassner – sociologist, made an appearance in Bowling for Columbine
Solomon W. Golomb – mathematician, invented the Golomb coding and Golomb ruler
Jane Goodall – distinguished adjunct professor of anthropology
Midori Gotō – violinist and the Jascha Heifetz Chair in Music
Eva Gustavson – opera singer
Judith Halberstam – gender theorist
Ted Harris – mathematician, former President of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics
Jascha Heifetz – violinist, one of the most famous of the 20th century
Tomlinson Holman – inventor of Lucasfilm's THX sound system
John Hospers – philosopher, first presidential candidate of the United States Libertarian Party
A. Quincy Jones – residential architect and influential figure in modern urban planning concepts, USC Dean of Architecture.
Mark Kac – Mathematician, pioneered the modern development of probability
Bart Kosko – professor of electrical engineering, fuzzy logic authority
Timur Kuran – economist, specializing in the study of Islamic finance and its consequences
Jerome Lawrence – playwright
Kurt Lehovec – creator of the p-n junction isolation technique in integrated circuits
Hao Li – professor of Computer Science, CEO of Pinscreen Inc., director of the Vision and Graphics Lab at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies
Robert C. Lipsett – violin pedagogue
David Lloyd – Professor of English and political activist
Raymond Loewy – industrial designer
Leonard Maltin – film critic
Daniel McFadden – econometrician, Nobel Laureate
AnnMaria De Mars – 1984 Judo World Champion, mother of Ronda Rousey; Statistical Consultant at USC
Mardik Martin – screenwriter, Raging Bull, Mean Streets
Barbara Myerhoff – professor at the Center for Visual Anthropology
Richard Neutra – modernist architect
George Olah – Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
Ishu Patel – artist, director, animator, and photographer
William Pereira – architect and urban planner
Gregor Piatigorsky – cellist
Jon Postel – Internet pioneer, former director of Information Sciences Institute's Computer Networks Division
Claudia Rankine – poet
Irving S. Reed – inventor of Reed-Solomon codes
Andrew Robinson – actor
Everett Rogers – professor of communications
Lisa Roma – chair of grand opera in the College of Music, 1930
Steven B. Sample – professor of electrical engineering and leadership, noted author, USC president
Robert Scheer – journalist and social, political activist
Arnold Schoenberg – composer
Hubert Selby Jr. – novelist, screenwriter, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Requiem for a Dream
Shahbudin Rahimtoola – Chief, Division of Cardiology
Scott Soames – professor of philosophy
Esther Somerfeld-Ziskind – neurologist and psychiatrist
Craig Stanford – professor of biological anthropology
Gay Talese – one of the founders of New Journalism
Shirley Thomas – professor of technical writing
Arieh Warshel – Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
Michael S. Waterman – founding editor of Journal of Computational Biology
Paul Wehrle – physician who helped in the development of methods for the prevention and treatment of polio and smallpox
Dallas Willard – philosophy professor, author of Divine Conspiracy and other important Christian works, speaker
Curt Wittig – Professor of Physical Chemistry
Darryl F. Zanuck – major figure in the Hollywood studio system
