Yalies are persons affiliated with Yale University, commonly including alumni, current and former faculty members, students, and others. Records are kept by the Association of Yale Alumni. Here follows a list of notable Yalies.
Notes:
The LL.B. was the primary professional degree in law conferred by Yale Law School until 1971, when it began awarding the J.D..
For a list of notable alumni of Yale Law School, see Yale Law School alumni.
George Akerlof (B.A. 1962). Economics, 2001
Raymond Davis Jr. (Ph.D. 1942). Physics, 2002
Peter A. Diamond (B.A. 1960). Economics, 2010
John F. Enders (B.A. 1920). Physiology or Medicine, 1954
John Fenn (Ph.D. 1940). Chemistry, 2002
Murray Gell-Mann (B.S. 1948). Physics, 1969
Alfred G. Gilman (B.S. 1962). Physiology or Medicine, 1994
Brian Kobilka (M.D. 1981). Chemistry, 2012
Paul Krugman (B.A. Economics, 1974). Economics, 2008. Architect of "New Trade Theory", winner of the John Bates Clark Medal, Princeton University economics professor, New York Times columnist
Ernest Lawrence (Ph.D. 1925). Physics, 1939. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are named for him
Joshua Lederberg (Ph.D. 1948). Physiology or Medicine, 1958
David Lee (Ph.D. 1959). Physics, 1996
Sinclair Lewis (B.A. 1908). Literature, 1930
Lars Onsager (Ph.D. 1935). Chemistry, 1968
Edmund Phelps (Ph.D. 1959). Economics, 2006
Dickinson W. Richards (B.A. 1917). Physiology or Medicine, 1956
James Rothman (B.A. 1971). Physiology or Medicine, 2013
William Vickrey (B.S. 1935). Economics, 1996.
George Whipple (A.B. 1900). Physiology or Medicine, 1934
Eric Wieschaus (Ph.D. 1974). Physiology or Medicine, 1995
Anne Applebaum (B.A. 1986), 2004 Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction
Ellen Barry (B.A. 1993), won 2011 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting
Charles Bartlett (B.A. 1943), 1956 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting
Stephen Vincent Benét (B.A. 1919, M.A. 1920), two-time Pulitzer-winning author
Ron Chernow (B.A. 1970), 2011 Pulitzer Prize for biography of George Washington.
Charles Forelle (B.A. 2002), co-author of articles for which the Wall Street Journal won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2007
John Lewis Gaddis, 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Biography, Cold War Historian
Paul Goldberger (B.A. 1972), 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Criticism
Stephen Greenblatt (B.A. 1964, M.Phil 1968, Ph.D. 1969), general editor of the Norton Shakespeare, 2012 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
Linda Greenhouse (M.A. 1978), U.S. Supreme Court correspondent for the New York Times, received the Pulitzer in 1998
John Hersey (B.A. 1936), Pulitzer-winning author in 1945 for the novel A Bell for Adano, namesake of the annual John Hersey Lecture at Yale
Quiara Alegría Hudes (B.A. 1999), playwright, writer of In the Heights, 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Charles Ives (B.A. 1898), 1947 Pulitzer Prize for Music
David M. Kennedy (M.A. 1964, Ph.D. 1968), 2000 Pulitzer Prize for History for "Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–45"
Elizabeth Kolbert (B.A. 1983), 2015 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-fiction
David McCullough (B.A. 1955), famous historian, winner of two Pulitzers, best known for his books on American presidents Harry S. Truman and John Adams
J.R. Moehringer (B.A. 1986), Los Angeles Times reporter, won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing
Douglas Moore (B.A. 1915), 1951 Pulitzer, Music
Wesley Morris (B.A. 1997), film critic at the Boston Globe, 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism
Lynn Nottage (M.F.A.), playwright and Pulitzer Prize–winning dramatist of Ruined
Mel Powell (B.A. 1952 ), 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Music for Duplicates: A Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra; founding dean and professor of music of the California Institute of the Arts
Samantha Power (B.A. 1992), Pulitzer Prize for the book A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide
Kevin Puts (M.M. 1996), 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music
Thomas E. Ricks (B.A. 1977), 2000 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting (on Wall Street Journal team); former reporter who writes on defense topics
Mark Schoofs (B.A. 1985), reporter, won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting
Lewis Spratlan (B.A. 1962, M.M. 1965), composer, won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Music for Life is a Dream, Opera in Three Acts: Act II, Concert Version
Garry Trudeau (B.A. 1970, M.F.A. 1973), Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for his comic strip Doonesbury
Wendy Wasserstein (M.F.A. 1976), playwright and Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist of The Heidi Chronicles
Thornton Wilder (B.A. 1920), playwright, winner of two Pulitzers, the first in 1928 for The Bridge of San Luis Rey, and the second in 1938 for the play Our Town; recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963
Bob Woodward (B.A. 1965), journalist, co-author of the Pulitzer-winning book All the President's Men, won a second Pulitzer in 2002 for National Reporting
Doug Wright (B.A. 1985), screenwriter, winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for drama, winner of a Tony Award
Yehudi Wyner (B.A. 1950, B. Mus. 1951, M. Mus. 1953), composer, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2006 for his piano concerto 'Chiavi in Mano'; professor emeritus of musical composition at Brandeis University
Daniel Yergin (B.A. 1968), wrote Pulitzer-winning The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power; founded Cambridge Energy Research Associates
Inventors and innovators
Joseph P. Allen (Ph.D. 1965), NASA Astronaut with two STS missions experience
David Bushnell (ca. 1776), inventor of the screw propeller, submarine, naval mine, and time bomb
Ben Carson (B.A. 1973), pediatric neurosurgeon, first surgeon to successfully separate twins conjoined at the back of the head
Herbert Boyer, (1963–66), co-founder of Genentech, Genetic Engineering Pioneer
Francis S. Collins (Ph.D. 1974), director, Human Genome Project
Harry B. Combs (B.S. 1935, Sheffield Scientific School), aviation pioneer
Harvey Williams Cushing (B.A.), pioneer of modern brain surgery and considered by many the greatest neurosurgeon of the 20th century
Lee De Forest (B.S. 1896, Ph.D. 1899), inventor of the triode
W. Edwards Deming (Ph.D. 1928), "total quality management" (TQM) guru
Helen Flanders Dunbar (M.D. 1930), important early figure in U.S. psychosomatic medicine
Henry Leavitt Ellsworth (B.A. 1810), first commissioner of United States Patent Office, founder of United States Department of Agriculture
Irving Fisher (B.A. 1888, Ph.D. 1891), economist, "father of monetarism"
Eric Fossum (Ph.D. 1984), inventor of CMOS image sensor
J. Willard Gibbs (1858, Ph.D. 1863), mathematician, physical chemist, thermodynamicist, known for Gibbs' Phenomenon
Grace Hopper (M.A. 1930, Ph.D. 1934), inventor of COBOL programming language
Elmer McCollum (Ph.D. 1904), biochemist, co-discovered vitamins A, B, and D
Warren Sturgis McCulloch (B.A. 1921), cybernetics pioneer, created the first computational models for studying the brain
Paul B. MacCready (1947), "Engineer of the Century", won the Kremer prize for first human-powered flying machine (the Gossamer Condor); pioneer in solar powered flight; founder of AeroVironment
Saunders Mac Lane (B.A. 1930), mathematician, one of the founders of "category theory"
Aaron Marcus (B.F.A., M.F.A. 1968), the first graphic designer in the world to work with computer graphics
Samuel F. B. Morse (1810), telegraph pioneer, inventor of Morse code
Harry Nyquist (Ph.D. 1917), engineer known for the Nyquist theorem
John Ousterhout (B.S. 1975), creator of the Tcl programming language
Ronald Rivest (B.S. 1969), computer scientist, the "R" in the RSA cryptography, 2002 Turing Award recipient
George B. Selden, awarded the first United States patent for an automobile in 1895
Benjamin Silliman (8 August 1779 – 24 November 1864), early chemist and science educator; one of the first professors of science at Yale College; the first person to distill petroleum; a founder of the American Journal of Science, the oldest scientific journal in the United States
Benjamin Silliman, Jr., professor of chemistry at Yale University, instrumental in developing the oil industry
Benjamin Spock (B.A. 1925), child psychology guru
Eli Whitney (1792), inventor of the cotton gin
Technologists and entrepreneurs
John J. Donovan (M.S. 1964, M.Ph. 1965, M.Eng. 1965, Ph.D. 1967), IT entrepreneur, founder of Cambridge Technology Partners
Julie Doyle Roberts, co-founder of MetaCritic
Donna Dubinsky (B.A. 1977), former CEO of PDA company Palm Inc., co-founder of PDA company Handspring
Eric Friedman (B.S, M.S., 2000), co-founder of Fitbit
Rob Glaser (B.A., M.A.), founder and CEO, RealNetworks
Bing Gordon (B.A. 1972), co-founder, executive vice-president, and chief creative officer of Electronic Arts
Edward R. Hartman, co-founder of LegalZoom
Justin Kan (B.A. 2005), founder of Justin.tv and twitch.tv
Mitch Kapor (B.A. 1971), founder, Open Source Applications Foundation, investor (Kapor Enterprises), founder and former CEO, Lotus Software
Tom Lehman, co-founder of RapGenius
Jordan Mechner (B.A. 1985), videogame developer, created Prince of Persia
Mahbod Moghadam, co-founder of RapGenius
Wendi Deng Murdoch (1997), director, MySpace China; former VP, News Corporation; wife of Rupert Murdoch
Tiffany Pham (B.A. 2008), founder and CEO of Mogul
Eric Ries (B.S. 2001), Silicon Valley entrepreneur, author of The Lean Startup, pioneer of the Lean Startup methodology
Kevin P. Ryan, internet entrepreneur, founder of Gilt Groupe, MongoDB, and Business Insider
Ben Silbermann (B.A. 2003), co-founder and CEO of Pinterest
Joseph Tsai (B.A./B.S. 1986, Phd 1990 in Law School), businessman, co-founder, Vice President and CFO of Alibaba
Anne Wojcicki (B.S., 1996), co-founder and CEO of personal genomics company 23andMe
Tim and Nina Zagat, founders of Zagat
Ilan Zechory, co-founder of RapGenius
Joel Spolsky (B.S. 1991), co-founder of Fog Creek Software and Stack Exchange Network
Wallace M. Alexander (1869–1939), heir, corporate director, philanthropist
Herbert M. Allison (1965), former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability; former Chairman, President, and CEO of TIAA-CREF; former President and COO of Merrill Lynch
Hugh D. Auchincloss (1879), Standard Oil
Perry Richardson Bass (1914–2006), investor and philanthropist
Robert M. Bass (B.A. 1971), chairman, Aerion, member and former chair of the Stanford University Board of Trustees
Roland W. Betts (B.A. 1968), investor, film producer (Gandhi), owner of Chelsea Piers, lead owner in George W. Bush's Texas Rangers partnership
Morris Burke Belknap (B.A. 1878) Belknap Hardware and Manufacturing Company Vice President.
Jeffrey Bewkes (B.A. 1974), Time Warner President and COO
Francis Biondi Jr, co-founder of King Street Capital Management
James Chanos (B.A. 1980), billionaire hedge fund investor, founder of Kynikos Associates
Tim Collins (M.B.A. 1982), founder and CEO, Ripplewood Holdings LLC
Granger Kent Costikyan (1929), banker, partner of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
Charles B. Finch (B.A. 1941, L.L.B. 1944), CEO and chairman of the board, Allegheny Power Systems, and political activist
Ted Forstmann (B.A. 1961 (TC)), co-founder and senior partner of Forstmann Little & Company, member of the Forbes 400
Roberto C. Goizueta (B.A., 1953) CEO and Chairman of the Board, The Coca-Cola Company
Robert Greenhill (B.A. 1958), founder of M&A department at and former president of Morgan Stanley, former chairman of Smith Barney, CEO of investment banking firm Greenhill & Co.
Briton Hadden (B.A. 1920), co-founder of Time magazine
Peter Halloran (B.A. 1984), investment banker specializing in Russia and the surrounding region; founder and CEO of Pharos Financial Group
Daniel S. Hamermesh (Ph.D. 1968), professor of economics at University of Texas at Austin, research associate at National Bureau of Economic Research, and research associate and program director at the Institute for the Future of Labor (IZA)
Henry Holt (B.A. 1862), founder of publishing firm Henry Holt & Company, which would later merge with other companies to become Holt, Rinehart & Winston
George H. Hume, President and CEO of Basic American Foods
Robert S. Ingersoll (1937), former CEO and chairman, BorgWarner
Brewster Jennings (1920), founder and president of the Socony Mobil Oil Company (Standard Oil of New York, now ExxonMobil), President of Memorial Center for Cancer and Allied Diseases and Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research
Charles B. Johnson (B.A. 1954), chairman, Franklin Templeton Investments
Ellis Jones (M.B.A.), CEO, Wasserstein Perella & Co.
Henry Bourne Joy, president of Packard
Peter S. Kaufman (B.A. 1975), investment banker, president of the Gordian Group LLC
Clarence King (Sheffield 1862), first head of the U.S. Geological Survey
Herbert Kohler (B.S. 1965), chairman and president, Kohler Company
Julius Kruttschnitt II (B. Phil. 1906), general manager of Mount Isa Mines
Edward Lampert (B.A. 1984), founder and chairman, ESL Investments (hedge fund), chairman of Sears Holding Company
William K. Lanman (B.S. Sheffield 1928), aviator, benefactor
Henry Luce (B.A. 1920), co-founder of Time magazine
John C. Malone (B.A. 1963), CEO of TCI, chairman of Liberty Media, and largest individual landowner in the U.S.
Aaron Marcus (B.F.A., M.F.A. 1968), founder of Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc. (AM+A) in 1982
John Franklyn Mars (B.S. 1957), CEO, Mars, Incorporated
Victoria B. Mars, Chairman of Mars Incorporated
Robert McCormick (1903), owner, president, editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune; co-founder of Kirkland & Ellis
Robert L. McNeil, Jr. (B.S. 1936), developer of paracetamol (acetaminophen) and chairman of McNeil Laboratories
W. James McNerney (B.A. 1971), CEO of The Boeing Company
Robert Moses, mid-20th-century New York City construction czar
Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi (M.P.P.M. Yale School of Management 1980), CEO and President, Pepsi
Eric Ober (B.A. 1966), president, CBS News, Food Network
Joseph M. Patterson (1901), American media mogul, manager of the Chicago Tribune; founder and president, New York Daily News
John Pepper (B.A. 1960), former chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble
Harry M. Perks (M.Sc. Eng. 1952) Executive Director, Pennsylvania Convention Center; Streets Commissioner of Philadelphia; President, Day & Zimmermann; Deputy Superintendent of Schools of Philadelphia
James Stillman Rockefeller, president and chairman, The First National City Bank of New York; Olympic gold medal for crew, 1924
Joel Root (1770–1847), supercargo on the sealing ship Huron, author of a journal of his voyage around the world on that ship
Elihu Rose (B.A. 1954), real estate developer and military historian
Wilbur Ross (B.A. 1959), investor, steel magnate, member of the Forbes 400, secretary of commerce in the Trump presidential administration
Stacy H. Schusterman, (B.A. 1985), former CEO and chairman of Samson Resources, philanthropist.
Stephen A. Schwarzman (B.A. 1969), co-founder and CEO of the Blackstone Group, member of the Forbes 400
Daniel C. Searle, heir, CEO of G. D. Searle & Company, conservative philanthropist
Forest Shely (B.S. 1946), physician and bank director in Campbellsville, Kentucky; 56-year trustee of Campbellsville University
Timothy Shriver (B.A. 1981), Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics and member of Kennedy Family
Frederick W. Smith (B.A. 1966), founder and CEO, FedEx
Charles F. Spalding (a.k.a. Chuck Spalding) (1919–2000), Vice President of Lazard, political campaigner for John F. Kennedy, television writer
Harold Stanley, founder, Morgan Stanley
Richard Thalheimer (B.A. 1970), founder and CEO of The Sharper Image
John L. Thornton (M.P.P.M. Yale School of Management 1980), former president and co-COO, Goldman Sachs
Juan Trippe (B.A. 1921), founder and CEO, Pan Am
Frederick William Vanderbilt (Sheffield 1893), philanthropist, director of the New York Central Railroad
Friedrich Weyerhäuser, founded Weyerhaeuser
Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney (1922), businessman, film producer, writer, and government official, owner of thoroughbred racehorses
John (Jock) Hay Whitney (B.A. 1926), philanthropist and founder of J.H. Whitney & Co., first U.S. venture capital firm
Payne Whitney (B.A. 1898)
College founders and presidents
Frederick Barnard (B.A. 1828), mathematician, educator, president (1856–1858) and chancellor (1858–1861) of the University of Mississippi, president (1864–1889) of Columbia University, posthumous namesake of Barnard College, active in the founding of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Academy of Sciences
J. Seelye Bixler (Ph.D 1924), 16th president of Colby College 1960–1979
Kimberly W. Benston (B.A. 1974, M.A. 1977, M. Phil. 1978, and Ph.D. 1980), president of Haverford College (2015–present)
Richard H. Brodhead (B.A. 1968), president of Duke University
Samuel Palmer Brooks, President of Baylor University from 1902 to 1931
Aaron Burr, Sr. (B.A. 1735), second president of Princeton University, father of the third Vice-President of the United States, Aaron Burr
Gerhard Casper (LL.B. 1962; Honorary doctorate, 2000), ninth president of Stanford University, former provost at the University of Chicago, member of the Yale Corporation
William Chauvenet (B.A. 1840), Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis (1863–1869)
Henry Roe Cloud, first full-blooded Native American to attend Yale, reformer, educator, President of Haskell Indian Nations University; first Native American member of a Yale secret society (Elihu)
Oscar Henry Cooper, President of Baylor University 1899–1902, and of Simmons College, now known as Hardin-Simmons University, 1902–1909
Raymond Culver, fourth president of Shimer College
Jonathan Dickinson (B.A. 1706, when Yale was still named the Collegiate School of Connecticut), founder of the College of New Jersey, later named Princeton University
Elliot Hirshman (1983), eighth president of San Diego State University
James Johnson Duderstadt (B.E. 1964), President of the University of Michigan
Henry Durant (B.A. 1827), first president of the University of California (Berkeley)
Peter Tyrrell Flawn (Ph.D 1951), geologist and former president of the University of Texas at Austin
Edward "Tad" Foote (B.A.), former president of the University of Miami
Thomas H. Gallaudet (B.A. 1805, M.A. 1810), educator for the deaf, co-founder and principal (1817–1830) of the American School for the Deaf, namesake of Gallaudet University
Thomas F. George (M.A. 1968, Ph.D. 1970), chemist and current chancellor of the University of Missouri-St. Louis
Daniel Coit Gilman (B.A. 1852), second president of the University of California (Berkeley); first president of Johns Hopkins University (1876–1901); first president of the Carnegie Institution
William Rainey Harper (Ph.D. 1874), first president of the University of Chicago
Catharine Bond Hill (Ph.D. 1974), tenth president of Vassar College
Joseph Gibson Hoyt (B.A. 1840), first chancellor of Washington University
Robert M. Hutchins (B.A. 1921, LL.B 1925), president (1929–1945) and chancellor (1945–1951) of the University of Chicago
John Wesley Johnson (1862), first president of the University of Oregon
Samuel Johnson (B.A. 1714, M.A. 1717), first president of Columbia University ( then known as King's College), father of William Samuel Johnson, signer of the US Constitution and third president of Columbia College ( Columbia University)
Wiliam Samuel Johnson (B.A. 1744, M.A. 1747), signer of the U.S. Constitution, third president of Columbia College ( now Columbia University) and first US Senator from Connecticut
Yamakawa Kenjiro (ca. 1876), founder of Kyūshū Institute of Technology
Joseph D. Kearney (1986), Dean at Marquette University Law School
Aptullah Kuran (B.A.1952, M.A.1954), founder and first president(1971–1979) of Bogazici University, Istanbul.
Theodore C. Landsmark (B.A. 1973, J.D. 1973), president (1997–present) of Boston Architectural College
Anthony W. Marx (B.A. 1981), president (2003–2011) of Amherst College
Mario Monti (M.Sc.), Rector and then President of Bocconi University, Milan, Italy and Italian Prime Minister
Douglas M. North (B.A. 1962), President of Prescott College and Alaska Pacific University. Head of School The Albany Academies
G. Dennis O'Brien (B.A. 1952), former president of Bucknell University and the University of Rochester
Helen Parkhurst (M.A. 1943), progressive educator, created the Dalton Plan, founder of The Dalton School
Aurelia H. Reinhardt (Ph.D. 1905), president of Mills College (1916–1943)
Andrew Sledd (Ph.D. 1903), first President of the University of Florida (1905–1909); President of Southern University (1910–1914); first Professor of New Testament Literature at Emory University's Candler School of Theology (1914–1939)
Frank Strong (Ph.D. 1897), third president of the University of Oregon and sixth chancellor of the University of Kansas
Ambrose Tighe (B.A. 1879, M.A. 1891), co-founder of William Mitchell College of Law
Eleazar Wheelock (B.A. 1733), founder of Dartmouth College
Andrew Dickson White (B.A. 1853), co-founder and first president of Cornell University
Professors and scholars
Arts and Humanities
Frank Aarebrot, professor of comparative politics at University of Bergen
James S. Ackerman (B.A.), Arthur Kingsley Porter Professor of History of Art and Architecture, Harvard
Diogenes Allen (B.D., Ph.D. 1964), philosopher, theologian, professor at Princeton Theological Seminary (1981–2002)
David Boren (B.A. 1963), Governor of Oklahoma (1975–79), U.S. Senator (D-Oklahoma, 1979–94), president of University of Oklahoma
Robert Brandom (B.A. 1972), philosopher at the University of Pittsburgh
Susan Buck-Morss (M.A.), philosopher, intellectual historian, professor of political science at CUNY Graduate Center
Michael Burns, actor and professor of history
Judith Butler (Ph.D. 1984), author of Gender Trouble, philosopher, queer theorist, and feminist scholar
Mark T. Carleton (B.A. 1957), Louisiana historian
Steve Charnovitz (B.A. 1975, J.D. 1998), law professor at George Washington University
Janet Coleman (B.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.), professor of Ancient & Medieval Political Thought, London School of Economics
William Cornyn (A.M. 1942, Ph.D. 1944), professor of Slavic and South East Asian Linguistics
Leo Damrosch (B.A. 1963), professor at Harvard University, 2005 National Book Award finalist for Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Restless Genius
Alan Dershowitz (LL.B. 1962), law professor at Harvard University
David Bates Douglass, professor at the U.S. Military Academy, President of Kenyon College, designer of Green-Wood Cemetery, member of Lewis Cass expedition of 1820
Jacques Ehrmann, literary theorist and French Department professor from 1961 to 1972
Henry Louis Gates Jr. (B.A., M.A. 1973), professor, chair of Harvard's African and African American Studies department
Roberto S. Goizueta (B.A., 1976), professor of theology, Boston College
Daniel Harrison (Ph.D 1986), Chairman of Department of Music, Yale University
David Kolb (M.Phil. 1970, Ph.D. 1972), philosopher at Bates College
Hart Day Leavitt (B.A. 1934), English teacher, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, 1937–1975* Lawrence Lessig (J.D. 1989), copyright activist, law professor at Harvard University
Robert Oscar Lopez (B.A. 1993), associate professor of English and classics at California State University, Northridge.* F. O. Matthiessen (B.A. 1923), literary historian, professor at Harvard University
Scotty McLennan (B.A. 1970), dean for Religious Life at Stanford University
Thomas V. Morris (Ph.D.), former University of Notre Dame philosophy professor, currently founding chairman of the Morris Institute of Human Values
Don Nakanishi (B.S. 1971), former professor of Asian American studies at University of California, Los Angeles
Bilal Orfali (Ph.D. 2009), professor of Arabic language and Islamic studies at the American University of Beirut
Camille Paglia (Ph.D. 1972), author of Sexual Personae, cultural critic and feminist scholar
Andrew Pessin, philosopher at Connecticut College
Alvin Plantinga (Ph.D. 1958), Christian philosopher, professor at University of Notre Dame
Eileen Pollack (B.S.), professor of creative writing at University of Michigan
Richard Rorty (Ph.D 1956), philosopher and professor of Humanities at University of Virginia, 1982–1998 and Stanford University, 1998–2007
Ofelia Schutte, professor of philosophy at the University of Southern Florida* T. K. Seung (B.A., Ph.D.), professor of philosophy, government, and law at the University of Texas at Austin
Derek Shearer (B.A.), Director of the McKinnon Center for Global Affairs and Chevalier Professor of Diplomacy and World Affairs of Occidental College, former United States Ambassador to Finland
Robert B. Stepto, professor of English, pioneering African-American studies scholar
Matthias Storme, professor of law at the Catholic University of Louvain and the Antwerp University
Richard Sugarman (born 1944), B.A. & M.A. from Yale University; professor of philosophy and religion at the University of Vermont; advisor to Bernie Sanders.
David E. Tolchinsky (B.A. 1985), screenwriter and Chairman of the Department of Radio-TV-Film, Northwestern University* Donald Goddard Wing, librarian and bibliographer, of Yale University Library
Yung Wing (B.A. 1854), first Chinese person to receive an American college degree
Frank Bigelow Tarbell (B.A. 1873, Ph.D. 1879), historian, archeologist and professor of classic studies at Yale and University of Chicago
Reinhold Niebuhr (B.D. 1914), author, theologian, Serenity Prayer
Hossein Ziai (B.A. 1967), intensive mathematics and physics; (Ph.D. Harvard 1976), medieval philosophy. Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Chair in Iranian Studies UCLA.
Natural Sciences and Medicine
A. Elizabeth Adams (Ph.D. 1926), professor of Zoology at Mount Holyoke College
Michael L.J. Apuzzo (B.A. 1961), academic neurosurgeon, surgical pioneer, Editor and educator; Edwin M. Todd/Trent Wells, Jr. Professor of Neurological Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, University of Southern California; Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Neurosurgery, Yale University
Richard Lee Armstrong (BSc 1959, Ph.D. Geology 1964), American/Canadian geochemist
George Alfred Baitsell (M.A. 1909, Ph.D. 1914), American biologist, official of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Walter A. Bell (MSc 1911, Ph.D. Geology 1920), Canadian geologist and paleontologist
Edward Bouchet (B.A. 1874, Ph.D. Physics 1876), first African-American to graduate from Yale and the first to receive a Ph.D. at an American university
Katharine Jeanette Bush (Ph.D. 1901), zoologist, first woman to receive a Ph.D. in sciences from Yale
Schuyler V. Cammann (B.A. 1935), anthropologist professor at University of Pennsylvania
John Elefteriades (M.D. 1976), cardiac surgeon, professor at Yale School of Medicine
John C. Ewers (M.A. 1934), ethnologist and first Director of the National Museum of American History
McAllister Hull (B.S. 1948, Ph.D. 1951), Manhattan Project explosive lens expert, Yale physics professor, SUNY Buffalo dean, University of New Mexico professor and provost
Ebenezer Kingsbury Hunt (B.A. 1833), President of the Connecticut State Medical Society, director of the Retreat for the Insane
Howard Koh (B.A. 1973, M.D. 1977), professor, Harvard School of Public Health
Jeffrey Laitman (Ph.D 1977), anatomist and physical anthropologist, Distinguished Professor of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, President-Elect of the American Association of Anatomists
Arthur Lander, B.A., developmental biologist at University of California, Irvine
Robert Langlands (Ph.D. 1960), mathematician, emeritus professor, Institute for Advanced Study, author of the Langlands Program
Aldo Leopold (Master's degree in Forestry, 1909), pioneer in the field of wildlife management at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, author of A Sand County Almanac
Andreas Mandelis (B.Sc. 1974), expert on photonics. Professor at the University of Toronto
Michael E. Mann (Ph.D. 1998), climatologist and geophysicist at Penn State University, originator of the "hockey stick graph"
George Marcus (B.A. 1968), anthropologist, professor at University of California, Irvine
Clark Blanchard Millikan (B.A. 1924), professor of aeronautics, noted researcher, administrator and advisor at California Institute of Technology
Harold J. Morowitz (B.S. 1947, M.S. 1950, Ph.D. 1951), professor of biology and natural philosophy at George Mason University
E. R. Ward Neale (M.S. 1951; Ph.D. 1952), geologist, professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland
Johnathan Oberlander (M.A. 1990, M.Phil 1993, Ph.D. 1995), author and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
H.T. Odum (Ph.D. 1950), ecologist, professor at the University of Florida
Saul K. Padover (M.A., 1930), historian and political scientist at The New School of Social Research in New York City
J. Roger Porter (Ph.D. 1938), microbiology professor at University of Iowa, 1938–1979
Tia Powell (M.D,), psychiatrist, former head of NY State Task Force on Life & the Law
Christian R. H. Raetz (B.S. 1967), professor of biochemistry at Duke University
Michael A. Rogawski (M.D., Ph.D. Pharmacology 1980) professor at the University of California, Davis; former chief Epilepsy Research Section at NIH; epilepsy drugs
James Rothman (B.A. 1971), biologist, winner of 2002 Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (sometimes called "America's Nobel Prize")
Florence B. Seibert (Ph.D. 1923), biochemist, winner of 1942 Garvan–Olin Medal and member of the National Women's Hall of Fame
Robert Shope (faculty 1965–95), arbovirologist and emerging infectious diseases expert
Linda Siegel, cognitive psychologist, holder of the Dorothy C. Lam Chair in Special Education at the University of British Columbia 1996–201
Benjamin Silliman (B.A. 1796) (M.A. 1799), "father of American scientific education"
John Griggs Thompson (B.A. 1955), mathematician, winner of the Fields Medal in 1970
Daniel S. Weld (B.A., B.S. 1982), professor of Computer Science and Engineering at University of Washington
Hassler Whitney (B.S. 1928) (B.A. 1929), mathematician, founder of singularity theory, foundational work in manifolds and embedding
Josiah Whitney (B.A. 1839), geologist, chief of California Geological Survey, and geology professor at Harvard University
Hossein Ziai (B.A. 1967), intensive mathematics and physics; (Ph.D. Harvard 1976), medieval philosophy. Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Chair in Iranian Studies, UCLA.
Social Sciences
Douglas Hodgkin (B.A.), political scientist at Bates College, author
Robert C. Lieberman (B.A. 1986), political scientist and provost of the Johns Hopkins University
Andrew Lo (B.A. 1980), Charles E. and Susan T. Harris Professor of Finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Director of MIT's Laboratory for Financial Engineering
Kenneth Rogoff, economist, professor at Harvard University, former director of research at the International Monetary Fund
Chris William Sanchirico (J.D., Ph.D. 1994), professor of law, business and public policy at University of Pennsylvania Law School
David Swensen (Ph.D.), Yale Endowment Manager and professor at the Yale School of Management
Karl Taube (M.A. 1983, Ph.D. 1988 Anthropology), pre-Columbian Mesoamerica researcher and Mayanist, professor of Anthropology at UC Riverside
David A. Thomas (B.A. 1978, Ph.D. 1986), Dean of the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, former professor at Harvard Business School
Mahbub ul Haq (PhD, Economics), Pakistani Minister of Finance, Professor at University of Karachi, creator of Human Development Index
Presidents and vice presidents, royalty, other heads of state, prime ministers, and ministers
Abd al-Karim al-Iryani (Ph.D. 1968), Prime Minister of the Republic of Yemen (1980–1983, 1998–2001), and Foreign Minister (1993–1998).
George H. W. Bush (B.A. 1948), President of the United States (1989–1993), Vice Pof the United States (1981–1989), member of the House of Representatives (R-Texas) (1967–1971)
George W. Bush (B.A. 1968), President of the United States (2001–2009), Governor of Texas (1995–2000)
John C. Calhoun (B.A. 1804), seventh Vice President of the United States, for two different presidents, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson; Senator; Member of the House of Representatives; Secretary of State in the Tyler presidential administration
Karl Carstens (L.L.M. 1949), fifth President of Germany (1979–1984)
Dick Cheney (Class of 1963), Vice President of the United States (2001–2009)
Tansu Çiller (Postdoctoral Fellow), Prime Minister of Turkey (1993–1996)
Bill Clinton (J.D. 1973), President of the United States (1993–2001), Governor of Arkansas (1979–1981,1983–1992)
Gerald Ford (LL.B. 1941), President of the United States (1974–1977), Vice President of the United States (1973–1974), member of the House of Representatives
Wiliam Samuel Johnson ( B.A. 1744, M.A. 1747), signer of the U.S. Constitution, first U.S. senator from Connecticut, third president of Columbia College (now Columbia University)
Stavros Lambrinidis (J.D. 1988), Vice President of the European Parliament (2009–2011), Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece (2011)
José P. Laurel, President of the Philippines in World War II
Salvador H. Laurel (LL.M 1953) (J.S.D.1960), Vice President of the Philippines (1986–1992)
Lee Hong-koo (Ph.D. 1968), Prime Minister of South Korea (1994–1995)
Mario Monti (M.Sc. 1968), Prime Minister of Italy (2011–2013)
Wendell Mottley (B.A. 1964), Olympic medalist and subsequently a government of Trinidad and Tobago minister
Peter Mutharika (LL.M. 1966, J.S.D. 1969), 5th President of Malawi
Jovito R. Salonga (J.S.D.1949), Senator of the Philippines (1965–1972) (1987–1992)
William Howard Taft (B.A. 1878, honorary LL.D. 1893), 27th President of the United States (1909–1913), 10th Chief Justice of the United States (1921–1930)
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden of the House of Bernadotte (Class of 2000, attended for two years)
Valdis Zatlers, President of Latvia (2007–)
Ernesto Zedillo (Ph.D. 1981), President of Mexico (1994–2000)
Information can be verified through the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges.
Samuel Alito (J.D. 1975), Supreme Court justice (2006–present)
Henry Baldwin (1797), Supreme Court justice (1830–1844)
David J. Brewer (1856), Supreme Court justice (1889–1910)
Henry B. Brown (1856, and law study), Supreme Court justice (1891–1906)
David Davis (Law 1835), Supreme Court justice (1862–1877)
Oliver Ellsworth (Class of 1766), Supreme Court justice (1796–1800)
Abe Fortas (Law 1933), Supreme Court justice (1965–1969)
Sherman Minton (YLS one-year degree, 1917), Supreme Court justice (1949–1956)
George Shiras, Jr. (1853), Supreme Court justice (1892–1903)
Sonia Sotomayor (J.D. 1979), Supreme Court justice (2009–present)
Potter Stewart (1937, Law 1941), Supreme Court justice (1958–1981)
William Strong (1828, GRD 1831, briefly attended YLS), Supreme Court justice (1870–1880)
William Howard Taft (B.A. 1878, LL.D. 1893), 27th President of the United States (1909–1913), 10th chief justice of the United States (1921–1930)
Clarence Thomas (J.D. 1974), Supreme Court justice (1991–present)
Morrison R. Waite (1837), Chief Justice of the United States (1874–1888)
Byron White (Law 1946), Supreme Court justice (1962–1993)
William B. Woods (1845), Supreme Court justice (1881–1887)
Information can be verified at the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress.
Alva B. Adams (1896), U.S. senator (D-Colorado, 1923–24, 1932–1941)
John Ashcroft (B.A. 1964 cum laude), U.S. attorney general (2001–2005), U.S. senator (R-Missouri, 1995–2001), governor of Missouri (1985–1993)
Abraham Baldwin (B.A. 1772), U.S. representative (1789–1799), U.S. senator (1799–1807); author of the charter for, and president of, the University of Georgia (1786–1801)
Roger Sherman Baldwin (B.A. 1811), governor of Connecticut (1844–46), U.S. senator (Whig-Connecticut, 1847–51)
John Beall (B.A. 1950), U.S. senator (R-Maryland, 1971–1976)
Michael Bennet (J.D. 1993), U.S. senator (D-Colorado, 2009–)
Hiram Bingham III (1898), governor of Connecticut (1925), U.S. senator (R-Connecticut, 1924–1933); explorer who rediscovered the lost city of Machu Picchu, Peru; said to be the inspiration behind the fictional Indiana Jones character
Richard Blumenthal (J.D. 1973), U.S. senator (D-Connecticut, 2011–)
David Boren (B.A. 1963), governor of Oklahoma (1975–79), U.S. senator (D-Oklahoma, 1979–94), president of University of Oklahoma
Stephen R. Bradley (B.A. 1775, M.A. 1778), U.S. senator (Democratic-Republican Party), Vermont, 1801–1813
Nicholas F. Brady (B.A. 1952), U.S. senator (R-New Jersey, 1982)
Sherrod Brown (B.A. 1974), U.S. representative (1993–2007), U.S. senator (D-Ohio, 2007–present)
James L. Buckley (B.A. 1943, Law 1949), U.S. senator (C-New York, 1971–1977); president of Radio Free Europe, 1982–1985; federal judge for the United States Court of Appeals (District of Columbia Circuit) (1985–1996)
Prescott Bush (B.A. 1917), U.S. senator (R-Connecticut, 1953–1963), father of George H.W. Bush, grandfather to George W. Bush
John Chafee (B.A. 1947), governor of Rhode Island (1962–69), secretary of the navy (1969–72), U.S. senator (R–Rhode Island, 1976–99)
John M. Clayton (1815), secretary of state in the Taylor administration, U.S. senator (AJ–Delaware, 1829–1836; W-Delaware, 1845–1849; O-Delaware 1853–1856)
LeBaron Colt (B.A. 1868), U.S. senator (R-Rhode Island, 1913–1924)
Chris Coons (J.D./M.A.), U.S. senator (D-Delaware, 2010–)
David Daggett (1783), U.S. senator (F-Connecticut, 1813–19)
David Davis (Law 1835), appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by Lincoln (1862–1877); U.S. senator (I-Illinois, 1877–1883)
John Davis (1787–1854), U.S. senator (W/NR-Massachusetts, 1835–1841 and 1845–1853)
Henry L. Dawes (1839), U.S. senator (R-Connecticut, 1875–93)
John Danforth (J.D, DIV 1963), U.S senator (R-Missouri, 1976–95)
Mark Dayton (B.A. 1969), U.S. senator (D-Minnesota, 2001–2007)
Fred Dubois (B.A. 1872), U.S. senator (R-Idaho,1891–1897; D-Idaho, 1901–1907)
William M. Evarts (1837), secretary of state under Hayes, U.S. senator (R-New York, 1885–91)
Gary Hart (DIV 1961, LLB 1964), U.S. senator (D-Colorado, 1975–1987)
John Heinz (B.A. 1960), U.S. senator (R-Pennsylvania)
James Hillhouse (B.A. 1773), U.S. senator (F-Connecticut, 1796–1810 )
James Jeffords (B.A. 1956), U.S. senator (I-Vermont, 1989–2007)
William Samuel Johnson (B.A. 1744, M.A. 1747), United States Founding Father, member of the Continental Congress (1785–1787), delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, president (1787–1800) of Columbia University (he was its first president under its new name of Columbia College; his father was the first president of the institution when it was known as King's College), U.S. senator (Connecticut, 1789–1791)
John Kean (1852–1914), U.S. senator (R-New Jersey)
Amy Klobuchar (B.A. 1982), U.S. senator (D-Minnesota, 2007–present)
James Lanman (1788), U.S. senator
Joseph Lieberman (B.A. 1964, J.D. 1967), U.S. senator (I-Connecticut, 1989–2013)
Joseph Medill McCormick (1900), U.S. senate 1919–24, publisher, Chicago Tribune
Return J. Meigs, Jr. (B.A. 1785), U.S. senator (DR–Ohio, 1808-181), 4th governor of Ohio (1810–1814), 8th U.S. postmaster general (1814–1823); namesake of Meigs County, Ohio
Henry Mitchell (1804), U.S. representative (Jacksonian-New York, 1833–35)
Thurston Morton (B.A. 1929), U.S. senator (R-Kentucky, 1957–68)
Bill Nelson (B.A. 1965), U.S. representative (D-Florida, 1979–91), astronaut (STS-61-C, 1986), U.S. senator (D-Florida, 2001–present)
Truman Newberry, Republican United States senator from Michigan 1919–1922, secretary of the navy 1908–1909
Francis Newlands (ca. 1859), U.S. senator (D-Nevada, 1903–17)
William Proxmire (B.A. 1948), U.S. senator (D-Wisconsin, 1957–89)
Arlen Specter (LL.B. 1956), U.S. senator (D-Pennsylvania, 1981–2011)
Stuart Symington (B.A. 1923), United States Secretary of the Air Force, U.S. Senator (D-Missouri, 1953–1976)
Robert A. Taft (B.A. 1910), U.S. senator (R-Ohio, 1939–1953)
Robert Taft, Jr. (B.A. 1939), U.S. representative (R-Ohio, 1963–64, 1967–70), U.S. senator (R-Ohio, 1971–76)
John V. Tunney (B.A. 1956), U.S. representative (D-California, 1965–1970), U.S. senator (D-California, 1971–1977). He was the inspiration for Robert Redford's character in the film The Candidate
Frederic Walcott (1891), U.S. senator (R-Connecticut, 1929–35)
John Wales (B.A. 1801), U.S. senator (W-Delaware, 1849–1851); co-founder of Delaware College
Malcolm Wallop (B.A. 1954), U.S. senator (R-Wyoming, 1977–95)
Lowell Weicker (B.A. 1953), U.S. representative (R-Connecticut, 1968–1971), U.S. senator (R-Connecticut, 1971–1989), governor of Connecticut (1990–1994).
Sheldon Whitehouse (B.A. 1978), U.S. senator (D-Rhode Island, 2006–present)
Pete Wilson (B.A. 1956), U.S. senator (R-California, 1983–1991), governor of California 1991–1999
Alumni who have served as governors may also have served in other government capacities, such as president or senator. In such cases, the names are left un-linked, but are annotated with a "See also:" which links to the section on this page where a more detailed entry can be found.
James Hopkins Adams (1831), Governor of South Carolina (1854–1856)
John Ashcroft (B.A. 1964 ), Governor of Missouri (1985–1993) (See also: Senators)
Roger Sherman Baldwin (B.A. 1811), Governor of Connecticut (1844–46) (See also: Senators)
Hiram Bingham III (B.A. 1898), Governor of Connecticut (1925) (See also: Senators)
David L. Boren (B.A. 1963), Governor of Oklahoma (1975–79) (See also: Senators)
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. (J.D. 1964), current and 39th Governor of California and California's 34th Governor (1975–1983)
George W. Bush (B.A. 1968), Governor of Texas (1995–2000) (See also: Presidents & Vice Presidents)
Dick Celeste (B.A. Magna Cum Laude 1959), Governor of Ohio (1983–1991) (See also: #Diplomats)
John Chafee (B.A. 1947), Governor of Rhode Island (1962–69) (See also: Senators)
William Jefferson Clinton (J.D.), Governor of Arkansas (1983–1992) (See also: Presidents & Vice Presidents)
Wilbur L. Cross (B.A.1885, Ph.D. 1889), Governor of Connecticut (1931–1939), Yale professor of English
Jack Dalrymple (B.A. 1970), Governor of North Dakota (2010–)
John Davis (1787–1854), Governor of Massachusetts (1834–1835 and 1841–1843)
Mark Dayton (B.A. 1969), Governor of Minnesota (2011–)
Howard Dean (B.A. 1971), Governor of Vermont (1991–2003)
Henry Huntly Haight (B.A. 1844), Governor of California (1867–1871)
W. Averell Harriman (B.A. 1913), Governor of New York (1955–1958), U.S. Ambassador to Russia (1943–1946), Ambassador to Britain (1946), Secretary of Commerce (1946–1948)
Tony Knowles (B.A. 1968), Governor of Alaska (1994–2002), Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska (1981–1987)
William Livingston (B.A. 1741), first Governor of New Jersey (1776–1790) after the signing of the Declaration of Independence
Gary Locke (B.A. 1972), Governor of Washington (1997–2005) (thereby the first Chinese American governor in the United States)
Return J. Meigs, Sr. (B.A. 1785), 4th Governor of Ohio (1810–1814) (See also: Senators)
Marshall F. Moore, 7th Governor of Washington Territory
George Pataki (B.A. 1967), Governor of New York (1995–2007)
Gifford Pinchot (Yale College graduate, 1889), Governor of Pennsylvania (1923–1927, 1931–1935), first Chief of the United States Forest Service (1905–1910), and founder of and professor in Yale School of Forestry
Winthrop Rockefeller (Class of 1935), attended Yale from 1931 to 1934; Governor of Arkansas (1967–1971)
Carlos Romero Barceló (B.A. 1953), Governor of Puerto Rico (1977–1985) (See also: Other Legislators)
William Scranton (B.A. 1939, J.D. 1946), Governor of Pennsylvania (1963–1967), United States Ambassador to the United Nations (1976–1977), member of the United States House of Representatives Undergraduate picture at:
Israel Smith (Yale College graduate, 1781), Governor of Vermont (1807–1808), member of the United States House of Representatives and member of the United States Senate
Robert Taft (B.A. 1953), Governor of Ohio (1999–2007)
Samuel J. Tilden (B.A. 1837, LL.D. 1875), Governor of New York (1875–1876), Democratic nominee for President in 1876
Lowell Weicker (B.A. 1953), Governor of Connecticut (1990–1994) (See also: Senators)
Pete Wilson (B.A. 1956), Governor of California (1991–1999) (See also: Senators)
The following have worked within the cabinet for their respective governments.
Dean Acheson (B.A, 1915), Secretary of State in the Truman presidential administration
James Jesus Angleton (B.A. 1941), chief of CIA Counterintelligence Staff (1954–1974)
Les Aspin (B.A. 1960), Secretary of Defense, congressman (D–Wisconsin) (1971–1993)
McGeorge Bundy (B.A. 1940), former cabinet official, National Security Advisor (1961–1966)
Ashton Carter (B.S. 1976), physicist, Harvard University professor, and United States Secretary of Defense in the Obama administration
John Chafee (B.A. 1947), Governor of Rhode Island (1962–69), Secretary of the Navy (1969–72), U.S. senator (R-Rhode Island, 1976–99) (also listed under Senators and Governors)
John M. Clayton (1815), secretary of state in the Zachary Taylor administration, senator (AJ-Delaware, 1829–1836; W-Delaware, 1845–1849; O-Delaware 1853–1856) (also listed under Senators)
Hillary Clinton (J.D. 1973), U.S. Secretary of State (2009–2013), U.S. senator (D-New York, 2001–2009)
William H. Donaldson (B.A. 1954), chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (2003–2005), co-founder of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, founder and former dean of the Yale School of Management, president of the New York Stock Exchange
William M. Evarts (1837), secretary of state in the Rutherford B. Hayes administration, U.S. senator (R-New York, 1885–91) (also listed under Senators)
Olu Falae, Finance Minister of Nigeria (1989–1991), presidential candidate (1999)
Roswell Gilpatric (B.A. 1928), Deputy Secretary of Defense (1961–1964), presiding partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore (1966–1977)
Austan Goolsbee (B.A. 1991, M.A. 1991), Chairman of the U.S. Council of Economic Advisors (2010–2011), professor of economics, University of Chicago
Porter Goss (B.A. 1960), CIA director (2004–2006), Florida congressman
Stephen Hadley (J.D. 1972), national security advisor
Robert S. Ingersoll (1937), deputy secretary of state and ambassador to Japan under presidents Nixon and Ford
John Kerry (B.A. 1966), U.S. senator (D-Massachusetts, 1985–2013) United States Secretary of State (2013–2017)
William McChesney Martin, Jr. (B.A. ca. 1926), the ninth and longest-serving chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve
Rogers Morton (BA.) Secretary Interior and Secretary Commerce
John Negroponte (B.A. 1960), first director of national intelligence (2005–present), first ambassador to post-Saddam Iraq (2004–2005)
Wilbur Ross (B.A ), secretary of commerce (2017-incumbent) in the Trump presidential administration
Robert Rubin (LL.B. 1964), secretary of the treasury (1995–1999) in the Clinton presidential administration
Henry L. Stimson (B.A. 1888), secretary of state in the Hoover presidential administration
Alphonso Taft (B.A. 1833, Law), attorney general and secretary of war in the Ulysses S. Grant presidential administration
Strobe Talbott (B.A. 1968), deputy secretary of state (1994–2001) in the Clinton presidential administration, president of the Brookings Institution
Cyrus Vance (B.A. 1939, Law 1942), secretary of state in the Carter presidential administration
Steven Mnuchin (B.A. 1985), secretary of the treasury (2017-incumbent) in the Trump presidential administration
Roy L. Austin, U.S. ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago (2001–2009)
Hiram Bingham IV, U.S. vice consul in Marseilles, France, 1940–1941
L. Paul Bremer (B.A. 1963), U.S. ambassador
Dick Celeste ( B.A. Magna Cum Laude 1959), U.S. ambassador to India (1997–2001)
Robert P. De Vecchi (B.A. 1952, L.H.D.H honorary 2005), president emeritus of the International Rescue Committee
Carl Gershman (B.A. Magna Cum Laude 1965), U.N. Representative and National Endowment for Democracy President
Donald Gips (MBA), U.S. ambassador to South Africa (2009–2013)
Gordon Gray III (B.A. 1978), U.S. ambassador to Tunisia (2009–2012)
David Huebner (J.D.), U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa (2009–2014)
Rashad Hussain (J.D.), U.S. special envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
Howard Leach (B.A.), U.S. ambassador to France (2001–2005)
Gary Locke (B.A. 1972), U.S. ambassador to China (2011–present)
Robert D. McCallum, Jr., U.S. ambassador to Australia (2006–2009)
John Negroponte (B.A. 1960), U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (2001–2004) and Deputy Secretary of State (2007–2009)
John O'Leary (B.A. 1969), U. S. ambassador to Chile
Samantha Power (B.A. 1992), U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (2013–present)
Clark T. Randt, Jr., U.S. ambassador to China (2001–2009)
Philip T. Reeker (B.A. 1986), U.S. ambassador to Macedonia (2008–present)
Ogden Reid, U.S. ambassador to Israel (1959–1961)
Charles Rivkin (B.A. 1984), U.S. ambassador to France and Monaco (2009–2013)
William Scranton (B.A. 1939, J.D. 1946), U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (1976–1977)
Derek Shearer (B.A.), U.S. ambassador to Finland (1994–1997)
R. Douglas Stuart, Jr. (J.D. 1946), U.S. ambassador to Norway (1994–1989)
Richard Swett (B.A. 1979), U.S. ambassador to Denmark (1998–2001)
David Thorne (B.A. 1966), U.S. ambassador to Italy (2009–present)
Peter Tufo (J.D.), U.S. ambassador to Hungary (1997–2001)
Frederick Vreeland (B.A. 1951), U.S. ambassador to Morocco (1992–1993)
Justices and attorneys
See also: Supreme Court Justices
Cecilia Altonaga (J.D. 1986), federal judge, first Cuban American woman to be appointed as a federal judge in the United States
R. Lanier Anderson III (B.A., 1958), federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Richard S. Arnold (B.A., 1957), late judge of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, federal courthouse in Little Rock named in his honor
Richard Blumenthal (J.D.), Connecticut attorney general
David Sherman Boardman (B.A. 1793), Connecticut judge and congressman
David Boies (LL.B.. 1966), famous lawyer (Microsoft antitrust, Bush v. Gore, Napster v. RIAA)
José A. Cabranes (J.D. 1965), judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Benjamin Darrow (J.D., ca. 1890), New York district attorney
Daryl Dawson (L.L.M.), justice of the High Court of Australia
Marc Stuart Dreier (B.A. 1972), lawyer and felon
Dwight Foster (B.A. 1848), Massachusetts Attorney General and Associate Justice on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Nathan L. Hecht (B.A. 1971), Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court
Ernest W. Gibson III (B.A. 1951), Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
James Kent (B.A. 1781), father of American equity jurisprudence, Chancellor of New York
William Kunstler (B.A. 1941), civil liberties lawyer
Burke Marshall (B.A. 1943, LL.B. 1951), assistant attorney general
Edwin Meese (B.A. 1953), former United States Attorney General
John W. Nields Jr. (B.A. 1964), former chief counsel to House Select Committee investigating Iran–Contra affair
Barrington Daniels Parker, Jr. (B.A. 1965, J.D. 1969), United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Sonia Sotomayor (J.D. 1979), Supreme Court Justice
Robert W. Sweet (LL.B. 1948), judge of New York Southern District
Thomas Day Thacher (B.A. 1904), United States Solicitor General and federal judge
Cyrus Vance, Jr. (B.A. 1978), New York County District Attorney
Leonard Bacon (B.A. 1820), abolitionist
Aditi Banerjee, attorney, writer and minority (Hindu) rights activist in the US
Cassius Marcellus Clay (B.A. 1832), abolitionist; namesake of Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., whose son, boxer Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., took the name Muhammad Ali
Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Jr. (B.D. 1956), chaplain of Yale (1958–1975), senior minister of Riverside Church in New York, political and civil rights activist, author
Severn Cullis-Suzuki (B.S. 2002), environmental activist, speaker, television host, and author; member of Kofi Annan's Special Advisory Council (United Nations)
David Dellinger (B.A. 1936), conscientious objector, member of the Chicago Seven
Jeremiah Evarts (B.A. 1802), author, editor, activist, opponent of the Indian Removal Act of 1830
Bruce W. Klunder (B.D. 1961), Presbyterian minister, civil rights activist with C.O.R.E., killed during protest against segregated schools in Cleveland, Ohio
Barry Scheck (B.S., 1971), co-founded the Innocence Project
Sargent Shriver (B.A. 1938, LL.B. 1941), main organizer and first director of the Peace Corps; California politician and businessman; husband of Eunice Kennedy; father of Maria Shriver (news journalist and wife of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Bobby Shriver (Yale B.A. 1976)
Ron Sider (B.D., 1967, Ph.D. 1969), theologian and activist; President of Evangelicals For Social Action and professor at Palmer Theological Seminary.
Jared Taylor (B.A., 1973), author, editor, activist, founder of the New Century Foundation
Phyllis Ann Wallace (1948), economist and civil rights activist
Y.C. James Yen (B.A. 1918; M.A. (Honorary) 1928), founder of Chinese Mass Education Movement and Rural Reconstruction Movement
Christopher Buckley (B.A. 1975), political pundit, columnist, author of Thank You for Smoking
William F. Buckley (B.A. 1950), political pundit, founder of the National Review, host of public affairs television show Firing Line
David Gergen (B.A. 1963), political pundit, worked as an advisor for the Republican and Democratic presidential administrations of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton
Andrés Martinez (B.A. 1988), editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times
Marvin Olasky (B.A. 1971), editor-in-chief of WORLD magazine
Kenneth M. Pollack (B.A. 1988), Middle East expert, author, fellow of the Brookings Institution
Gideon Rose (B.A. 1985), author, editor-in-chief of Foreign Affairs
Fareed Zakaria (B.A. 1986), political pundit, author, host of public affairs show Foreign Exchange
Moses Cleaveland (B.A. 1777), founder of Cleveland, Ohio
Manasseh Cutler (B.A. 1765), co-author of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, member of the Ohio Company of Associates (the first non-Native American settlement in Ohio), congressman (F-Massachusetts) (1801–1805)
James Gadsden (B.A. 1806), namesake of the Gadsden Purchase, in which the United States purchased from Mexico the land that became parts of Arizona and New Mexico
James Wadsworth (1787), founder of Geneseo, New York, and leading pioneer and community leader of the Genesee Valley
John Brown (B.A. 1771), accuser of Benedict Arnold
Henry B. Carrington (1845), Union army general in the American Civil War
A. Peter Dewey, first American to be killed in the Vietnam War, in 1945
Nathan Hale (B.A. 1773), America's first spy, "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country."
David Humphreys (B.A. 1771), aide-de-camp to George Washington
Lewis Nixon, army officer featured in Band of Brothers
Jarvis Offutt (1917), World War I aviator, namesake of Offutt Air Force Base.
John Paterson (B.A. 1762), major general in the American Revolution and congressman from New York
John Francisco Richards II (B.A. 1917), World War I aviator, namesake of Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base
Richard K. Sutherland (B.A. 1916), army general during World War II
Benjamin Tallmadge (B. A. 1773), head of General George Washington's Cuper Spy Ring on Long Island and New York
Decius Wadsworth (1785), Colonel U.S. Army War of 1812 and Chief of Ordnance 1815–1821
Nathan Whiting (B.A. 1743), colonel of Connecticut troops during the French and Indian War; nephew of university president Thomas Clap
David Wooster (B.A. 1738), brigadier general in the American Revolutionary War; namesake of Wooster, Ohio, The College of Wooster, and the Wooster School
Richard S. Aldrich (B.A. 1906), U.S. Representative, R-Rhode Island
Lawrence Coughlin, Republican Representative from Pennsylvania 1969–1991
Nelson Antonio Denis (J.D., 1980), New York State Assemblyman
Charles S. Dewey, Republican Representative from Illinois 1941–1942
Jerome F. Donovan (Law 1894), U.S. Representative, D-New York (1918–1921)
E. D. Estilette (B. A. 1857), Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1876; state district court judge in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Porter J. Goss (U.S. Representative, R-FL, 1989–2004, and director of CIA)
George Hambrecht (LL.B. 1904), Wisconsin State Assembly (1909–1910, 1915)
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (B.A. 2012), Alaska House of Representatives (2013–)
Sheila Jackson Lee (B.A. 1972), U.S. Representative, D-Texas
Phillip Livingston (B.A. 1737), Delegate and signer of the Declaration of Independence from New York, state senator
Dwight Loomis (1847), U.S. Representative from Connecticut (1859–1863)
Samuel Augustus Maverick (B.A. 1828), member of the Texas State Senate, namesake for eponym maverick
Edward Ralph May (1838), sole delegate to the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to support African American suffrage
David M. McIntosh (B.A. 1980), U.S. Representative, R-Indiana (1994–2001)
Warren A. Morton (1924–2002), (B.S. 1945), speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives (1979–1980)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (M.A. 1963, LL.B. 1964), non-voting congressional delegate for District of Columbia (1991–present)
Hugh Q. Parmer (B.A.), Democratic member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature, 1963–1965 and 1983–1991; mayor of Fort Worth, Texas from 1977 to 1979
William S. Reyburn, Republican Representative from Pennsylvania 1911–1913
Carlos Romero Barceló (B.A. 1953), U.S. Representative (Resident commissioner), D-Puerto Rico (1993–2000), Governor of Puerto Rico (1977–1985).
Gerry Studds (B.A. 1959, M.A. 1961), U.S. Representative, D-MA, 1973–1997
Richard Swett (B.A. 1979), U.S. Representative, D-New Hampshire, 1991–1995 (See also: Diplomats)
Bradford Bishop, fugitive, indicted for murder
Cory Booker (J.D. 1997), mayor of Newark, New Jersey
Jabez Bowen (B.A. 1757), Federalist supporter, deputy governor of Rhode Island
Susan Bysiewicz (B.A. 1983), Secretary of State for the State of Connecticut, 1999–2010
Jay Carney (B.A. 1987), White House Press Secretary in the Obama administration, 2011–present
John T. Downey, judge, former CIA flyer imprisoned in China 1952–1973
Albert Bel Fay (B.S. 1936), Houston, Texas, shipbuilder, oilman, and Republican Party official
Stephen Clark Foster (1815–1898), first American mayor of Los Angeles, California
David Frum (B.A. and M.A. 1982), White House Speech writer in the Bush administration (2000) who coined Axis of Evil phrase
Jodi Grant (B.A. 1990), executive director of the Afterschool Alliance
Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, Taliban spokesman
Robert Hathaway, ruler of Sark
Clarence King (Ph.D. 1862), founder of the U.S. Geological Survey
Denison Kitchel (B.A. 1930), attorney in Phoenix, Arizona, and national campaign manager for Barry M. Goldwater in 1964
Lewis Libby (B.A. 1972), former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, principal figure in the Plame Affair
John Lindsay (B.A. 1944, LL.B. 1948), Mayor of New York City
Arthur Mag, lawyer, legal counsel to Harry S. Truman
Robert Marjolin (Economics, 1934), French Marshall Plan implementor and European Commissioner
Walter Russell Mead (B.A. 1976), academic, writer on foreign affairs, and public intellectual
Roger Milliken, textiles magnate and godfather of American conservatism
Shannon K. O'Neil (B.A. 1993 and M.A. 1999), Douglas Dillon fellow in the Latin America studies department at the Council on Foreign Relations
Robert DeShaun "Shawn" Peace (B.S. 2002), the subject of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, was born and raised in East Orange
Gifford Pinchot, founder of the United States Forest Service
Thomas Thacher (B.A. 1871), founder of prominent law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and first president of the Yale Club
Sean Trende (B.A. 1995), Senior Elections Analyst for RealClearPolitics, co-author of The Almanac of American Politics
Kori Udovički (Ph.D 1999 in Economics), Governor of the National Bank of Serbia 2003–2004, assistant secretary-general of United Nations 2007–
Aleksey Vayner, an internet sensation due to his video resume sent to UBS titled Impossible is Nothing
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
Anthony A. Williams (B.A. 1979), Mayor of Washington, D.C., 1999–2007
Janet Wu (B.A., 1988), broadcast journalist and writer
Janet Yellen (Ph.D. 1971), Chair of the Federal Reserve, 2014–present
Hiram Bingham II (1853), missionary to Hawaii and the Gilbert Islands
William Ragsdale Cannon (B.D., 1940; PhD, 1942), professor and dean of the Candler School of Theology at Emory University; United Methodist Church bishop
Thomas Frederick Davies, Sr. (1853 & 1893), third Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, 1889–1905
Jonathan Edwards, New England pastor and theologian
Leroy Gilbert, Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard
Jeffrey R. Holland (PhD, 1973), former president of Brigham Young University, Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
Ashley Day Leavitt (B.A. 1900), minister of Harvard Congregational Church, Brookline, Massachusetts
John H. Leith (PhD, 1949), Presbyterian author, theologian and professor
Aaron L. Mackler (B.A. 1980), notable rabbi in the Conservative movement
Asahel Nettleton (1809), theologian and pastor from Connecticut who was highly influential during the Second Great Awakening
James W.C. Pennington (1809–1870), African American orator, minister, and abolitionist; the first black man to attend classes at Yale when he audited classes at Yale Divinity School from 1834 to 1839
Harry Boone Porter, liturgist, journalist, clergyman of the Episcopal Church, editor of The Living Church magazine
Yasir Qadhi (Ph.D. candidate), Muslim theologian
Andrew Leete Stone (1836), minister, author
Anson Phelps Stokes, III (BA 1927), eleventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Roy M. Terry, Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force
Asa Thurston (1816), one of the first missionaries to introduce Christianity to the Kingdom of Hawai'i
Architecture and visual art
Josef Albers, painter
Richard Anuszkiewicz, painter of the Op-Art movement
Graham Arader (B.A. Economics 1972), rare map and print dealer
Matthew Barney (B.A. 1989), video and installation artist
Jennifer Bartlett (M.F.A), painter
Jonathan Borofsky, artist
Steven Brill (B.A. 1972, J.D. 1975), founder of Court TV and The American Lawyer
Theophilus Brown, painter
Norman Carlberg, sculptor, director of Rinehart School of Sculpture
Chuck Close (M.F.A. 1964), painter
Gregory Crewdson (M.F.A. 1988), photographer
John Currin (M.F.A. 1986), painter
Brian D'Amato (B.A. 1984), novelist and sculptor
Edward D. Dart (B.A. 1949), architect
Philip-Lorca diCorcia (M.F.A. 1979), photographer
Rackstraw Downes (B.F.A. 1963, M.F.A 1964), painter
Leya Evelyn, painter
Janet Fish (M.F.A. 1963), painter
Paul Fontaine (B.F.A. 1935), painter
Norman Foster (M.Arch. 1961), architect
Helen Frank, painter and printmaker
Dan Friedman, graphic designer
Ann Gale (M.F.A. 1991), painter, professor at the University of Washington School of Art
Aaron Gilbert (M.F.A. 2008), painter
Brendan Gill (B.A. 1936), architecture writer and critic
Steve Giovinco (M.F.A. 1989), photographer
John Graham, Jr. (1931), architect, designer of the Space Needle
Nancy Graves, sculptor
William Harlan Hale (B.A. 1931), writer, journalist, editor
Erwin Hauer, sculptor
Barkley L. Hendricks (B.F.A. and M.F.A. 1970–1972), painter
Eva Hesse (M.F.A. 1959), sculptor
Muzharul Islam (M.Arch. 1961), Bangladeshi architect
Sujata Keshavan (M.F.A. 1987), graphic designer
Johannes Knoops (M.Arch II 1995), architect, educator, Rome Prize Fellow
Jack Lembeck (MFA 1970), painter and sculptor
Maya Lin (B.A. 1981, M. Arch 1986, honorary Ph.D. 1987), architect, best known for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, subject of the 1995 Academy Award-winning documentary Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision
Robert Mangold, painter
Brice Marden (M.F.A. 1963), painter
Malerie Marder (M.F.A. 1998), photographer
Joshua Meyer (B.A. 1996), painter
Don Nice (M.F.A. 1964), painter
Hally Pancer (M.F.A 1988), photographer
Scott Pask (M.F.A. 1997), scenic designer, Tony Award for The Pillowman
Joshua Prince-Ramus (B.A., 1991), architect
Martin Puryear (M.F.A. 1971), sculptor
Richard Rogers (M.Arch. 1962), architect, 2007 Pritzker Prize winner
Mark Rothko (Class of 1924), painter
Leo Rubinfien (M.F.A. 1976), photographer
Eero Saarinen (B.Arch, 1934), architect, best known for the St. Louis Gateway Arch
Richard Serra (B.F.A., M.F.A. 1964), sculptor
Rodney Smith (Th.M 1973), photographer
Robert A. M. Stern (M. Arch. 1965), architect, current dean of Yale School of Architecture
Sarah Sze (B.A.), sculptor and MacArthur Foundation fellow
Garry Trudeau (B.A. 1970, M.F.A. 1973), Doonesbury cartoonist
Marc Trujillo (M.F.A. 1994), painter
Katie Vida (M.F.A. 2010), interdisciplinary artist and curator
William T. Williams (M.F.A 1968), artist, first African American included in the H.W. Janson History of Art
Ann Temkin, (PhD 1984), curator, currently Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture at MoMA
Constance Thalken, (M.F.A 1988), photographer
History, literature, and journalism
Carl Bialik (Class of 2001), journalist, Wall Street Journal
Harold Bloom (Ph.D. 1956), literary critic
Steven Brill (B.A. 1972, J.D. 1975), founder of Court TV and The American Lawyer
Robert Brustein (DRA 1951), founder of the Yale Repertory Theatre, critic, author
Thad Carhart, writer of The Piano Shop on the Left Bank and other books
Lan Samantha Chang (B.A. 1987), writer and director of the Iowa Writers' Workshop
Susan Choi (B.A. 1990), author
Marie Colvin (B.A. 1978), journalist
James Fenimore Cooper (Class of 1805), author of The Last of the Mohicans
Wilbur Cross, author
Brian D'Amato (B.A. 1984), novelist and sculptor
Ilana Dayan (Ph.D 1992), Israeli journalist and anchorwoman
Charles DeKay, linguist, poet, critic and fencer
Randy Charles Epping (M.A. 1983), author
Charles Finch (B.A. 2002), novelist and critic
Justus Miles Forman (1898), author and playwright
Brendan Gill (B.A. 1936), architectural critic
David Gonzalez, journalist, New York Times
Dana Goodyear (B.A. 1998), journalist and poet
Linda Greenhouse, journalist, covers the United States Supreme Court for the New York Times
Edwin S. Grosvenor (B.A. 1974), President and Editor-in-Chief, American Heritage magazine
Gilbert M. Grosvenor (B.A. 1954), formerly editor, then president, now Chairman Emeritus at National Geographic
Lloyd Grove, editor at large for The Daily Beast
Roland Hagenbüchle, scholar for American Studies and philosopher
William Harlan Hale (B.A. 1931), writer, journalist, editor
Quiara Alegria Hudes (BA), playwright, In the Heights, 2008 Tony for Best Musical
Joan Kahn (attended Yale School of Art one year, early 1930s), mystery editor and anthologist; novelist and children's writer
Michiko Kakutani (B.A. 1976), book critic for the New York Times
Mina Kimes (B.A. English 2008), investigative journalist
Karl Kirchwey (B.A. 1979), poet
John Knowles (B.A. 1949), author of A Separate Peace
Larry Kramer (B.A. 1957), playwright and gay activist
John Lahr (B.A. 1963), drama critic for the New Yorker
David Leavitt (B.A. 1983), author
David Leonhardt (B.A. 1994), Washington bureau chief for New York Times
Elizabeth Letts (B.A. 1983), author of The Eighty Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse that Inspired a Nation
Jeremy Leven, author, screenwriter, director and producer whose works include Don Juan DeMarco
Jonathan Levi, author, producer, musician, co-founder of Granta
Adam Liptak (B.A. 1984), Supreme Court correspondent for The New York Times
Jonathan Littell (B.A. 1989), writer; won the Prix Goncourt
William Logan (B.A. 1972), poet, critic
Wednesday Martin, journalist, memoirist, anthropologist
Peter Matthiessen (B.A. 1950), naturalist, author of historical fiction and non-fiction
Jane Mayer (B.A. 1977), journalist and author
J.D. McClatchy (Ph.D. 1974), poet, critic, member of American Academy of Arts and Letters
Gordon McLendon (B.A. 1942), radio pioneer, Top 40 radio format, co-founder of the Association for Intelligence Officers
Claire Messud (B.A. 1987), author of The Emperor's Children
Nerissa Nields (B.A. 1989), of the band The Nields
Ann Packer (B.A. 1981), author
George Packer (B.A. 1982), author
ZZ Packer (B.A. 1994), author
Jon Pareles (B.A), popular music critic at The New York Times
Tom Perrotta (B.A. 1983), author
David Pogue (B.A. 1985), technology columnist for The New York Times
Martin Puryear (M.F.A. 1971), sculptor
Alexandra Robbins (B.A. 1998), author
Sam Savage (B.A., 1968, Ph.D., 1979), author
Vincent Scully (B.A. 1940), art historian
Ari Shapiro (B.A. 2000), White House correspondent for National Public Radio
Alex Sheshunoff (B.A. 1996), author
Amity Shlaes (B.A. 1982), journalist, New York Times bestselling author
Andrew Solomon (B.A. 1985), writer
Mark Strand (B.F.A 1959), former Poet Laureate of the United States
Sarah Sze (B.A.), sculptor and MacArthur Foundation fellow
Marc Trujillo (M.F.A. 1994), painter
Erica Simone Turnipseed, writer
Noah Webster (B.A. 1778, Ll.D. 1823), lexicographer, author of the first definitive dictionary of the American English language, helped found Amherst College
Frederic Will (Ph.D., 1954), writer
Dick Wimmer (M.A. 1959), novelist
Naomi Wolf (B.A. 1984), feminist writer
Tom Wolfe (Ph.D. 1957), journalist, author of The Right Stuff and The Bonfire of the Vanities
Ben Yagoda (B.A. 1975), journalist, author of a history of the New Yorker
Anna Ziegler (B.A. 2001), playwright
Musicians and composers
Marin Alsop (1973–1975, transferred to Juilliard), conductor and music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
June Anderson, soprano
Eric Banks (B.A. 1990), composer
Jane Ira Bloom, soprano saxophonist
Carter Brey, principal cellist for the New York Philharmonic
Robert Carl, composer and chair of the Composition Department at the Hartt School
Rachel Cheung (M.Mus. 2013), Hong Kong pianist
Jonathan Coulton (B.A. 1992), musician, internet celebrity
Jack Glatzer (B.A. 1960), concert violinist
Michael Gore (B.A. 1973), Academy Award-winning composer
Adam Guettel (B.A. 1987), Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist
Mark Helias (M.Mus. 1976), bassist and composer
Walter Hekster (M.Mus. 1963), composer, clarinetist and conductor
Lisa Hopkins, opera singer and Tony Award winner
Charles Ives (B.A. 1898), composer, classical music
Ranidu Lankage (B.A. 2005), Sinhalese R&B and hip-hop artist
Mitch Leigh (B.A 1951, M.Mus. 1952), composer, producer Man of La Mancha, "To Dream the Impossible Dream"
Gilbert Levine (M.A. 1972), conductor, leading figure in classical music television
George Lewis (B.A. 1974), trombonist and composer
David Longstreth, songwriter, singer, guitarist for the Dirty Projectors
Robert Lopez (B.A. 1997), co-creator of the Broadway musicals Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon and winner of 3 Tony Awards
Alvin Lucier, experimental composer
John Mauceri (B.A. 1967), conductor and scholar
Pras Michel, Grammy Award-winning rapper, member of hip-hop trio The Fugees
Douglas Moore (B.A 1915, B.M 1917), composer
Kevin Olusola (B.A. 2011), beatboxer, cellist, singer, songwriter, Grammy-winning member of Pentatonix
Johann Sebastian Paetsch (M.M. 1987), musician and cellist
Cole Porter (B.A. 1913), composer
André Raphel, conductor of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra
Root Boy Slim, real name Foster MacKenzie III (B.A. 1967), lyricist and blues musician
Kurt Hugo Schneider (B.A. 2010), YouTube sensation, music producer, and filmmaker
Chad Shelton (M.A. 1997), operatic tenor
Sam Tsui (B.A. 2011), YouTube sensation, singer
Rudy Vallée (B.A. 1927), singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer
Maury Yeston (B.A. 1967, Ph.D. 1974 ), lyricist, composer, Tony Awards for Nine and Titanic
Joel Benjamin (B.A. 1985), three-time U.S. chess champion (1987, 1997, 2000)
Steve Benjamin (B.A. 1978), silver medalist in Sailing at the 1984 Summer Olympics, and competitive sailor
Johnny Bent, silver medalist with the American hockey team in the 1932 Winter Olympics
Craig Breslow, Major League Baseball pitcher
Johnny Broaca, Major League Baseball player, 1936 World Series champion
Walter Camp (B.A. 1880), the "Father of American Football"
Alan L. Corey, Jr., polo player, five-time winner of the Monty Waterbury Cup
Ron Darling, Mets pitcher
Brian Dowling (B.A. 1969), quarterback
Chris Dudley (B.A. 1987), former NBA player
Theo Epstein (B.A. 1995), became Red Sox general manager at age 28, youngest in Major League Baseball history
Gary Fencik (Class of 1975, B.A. 1976), professional football player twice selected for the Pro Bowl as a defensive back for the Chicago Bears
Robert A. Gardner (Class of 1912), two-time U.S. Amateur golf champion
Earl G. Graves, Jr. (B.A. 1984), former NBA player, all-time leading scorer in Yale's Men's Basketball history (3rd Ivy)
Howard (Howdy) Groskloss, oldest living former Major League Baseball player, aged 100 as of 2006
George Haas, Jr., polo player, three-time winner of the Monty Waterbury Cup.
Chris Hetherington (B.A. 1996), NFL running back
Chris Higgins, forward for the National Hockey League Vancouver Canucks
Calvin Hill (B.A. 1969), football player with the NFL's Cowboys, Redskins and Browns
Kenny Hill (B.A. 1980), football player with the NFL's Raiders, Giants and Chiefs
Sarah Hughes (Class of 2008), gold medalist in 2002 Olympic figure skating
Bill Hutchinson, former Major League Baseball player
Philip L. B. Iglehart, Chilean polo player
Levi Jackson (1926–2000), first African American elected by his teammates to captain an Ivy League football team
Sada Jacobson (B.A. 2006), bronze medalist in 2004 Olympic women's saber
Dick Jauron (B.A. 1973), head coach of the National Football League's Buffalo Bills (2006–2009)
Eric Johnson (B.A. 2001), NFL tight end
Ryan Lavarnway, major league baseball catcher (Boston Red Sox/Los Angeles Dodgers)
Nate Lawrie (B.A. 2004), NFL tight end
Glenn Layendecker (B.A. 1983), professional tennis player
Bob McKeown (B.A. 1971), Canadian Football League Grey Cup champion, award-winning journalist with CBC News, NBC and CBS.
David Meckler, professional ice hockey player
Chuck Mercein (B.A. 1964), football player with the NFL's Giants, Packers, Redskins and Jets
Wendell Mottley (B.A. 1964), Olympic medalist, and subsequently a government minister for Trinidad and Tobago
Kate O'Neill (B.A. 2003), long distance runner 2004 Summer Olympics competitor in 10,000 m
Winthrop Palmer, silver medalist with the American hockey team in the 1932 Winter Olympics
Mike Pyle (B.A. 1960), professional football player selected for the Pro Bowl as a center for the Chicago Bears
Renée Richards, former professional tennis player, captain of the 1954 men's team as Richard Raskind
Mike Richter (B.A. 2006), former New York Rangers goaltender
Ryan Max Riley, World Cup ski racer and two-time national champion on the US Ski Team
John Rogan, former CFL quarterback
Jeff Rohrer (B.A. 1981), football player with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys
Don Schollander (B.A. 1968), swimmer, five-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist: 1964, 4 gold; 1968, 1 gold, 1 silver; one of the first inductees into U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (1983)
George C. Sherman, Jr., polo player
Frank Shorter (B.A. 1969), gold medal (1972) and silver medal (1976), Olympic Marathon
Adam Snow, polo player, played varsity hockey and lacrosse at Yale against Harvard University
John Spagnola (B.A. 1978), football player with the NFL's Eagles, Seahawks and Packers
Jeff Van Gundy (attended Yale College for his freshman year), head coach for the NBA's New York Knicks and Houston Rockets
Anne Warner (B.A. 1976), first Yale College female undergraduate to win an Olympic medal (bronze, rowing)
Josh West, Olympic medalist rower.
Blair Yaworski (born 1985), Canadian professional ice hockey player.
Angela Bassett (B.A. 1980 African-American Studies, MFA 1983), Academy Award-nominated actress
Jennifer Beals (B.A. 1987 American Literature), actress, best known for Flashdance and The L Word
Henry Bean, screenwriter/director The Believer
Jordana Brewster, actress, plays Mia in The Fast and the Furious
Rob Campbell (MFA 1990), actor, debuted in Unforgiven
Bruce Cohen, film producer, won an Academy Award for American Beauty
Michael Cimino (B.A. 1961, M.A. 1963), Academy Award-winning director of The Deer Hunter
Jennifer Connelly (Class of 1992), Academy Award-winning actress
Whitfield Cook, author, playwright and screenwriter
Robert Curtis Brown (B.A. 1979), television, film, and stage actor
Claire Danes (Class of 2002), actress
Noah Emmerich (B.A. 1992), actor
Jodie Foster (B.A. 1985 in literature, magna cum laude), Academy Award-winning actress (The Accused, The Silence of the Lambs), and director
James Franco, actor, comedian
Paul Giamatti (BA 1989, MFA 1994), actor, starred in Sideways
Alex Gibney, Academy Award-winning documentary-filmmaker (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, 2005; Taxi to the Dark Side, 2007)
David Alan Grier, actor, comedian
Kathryn Hahn, actress
Michael Herz, director, founder of Troma Studios
George Hickenlooper (B.A. 1985), film director
George Roy Hill, Academy Award-winning director
Lloyd Kaufman (B.A. 1968), director, actor, President of Troma Studios, IFTA Charman
Elia Kazan, Academy Award-winning director
Zoe Kazan (B.A. 2005, Theatre), film and stage actress, Elia's granddaughter
Phil LaMarr (B.A. 1989), actor, comedian
Adam Leipzig (B.A. 1979 in literature), film and theater producer
Thomas F. Lennon (B.A. 1973), Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker
Ron Livingston (B.A. 1989), actor, best known for Office Space
Frances McDormand (MFA 1982), Academy Award-winning actress
Bill Moseley, actor
Paul Newman (DRA 1954), Academy Award-winning actor
Alessandro Nivola (B.A. 1994), actor
Edward Norton (B.A. 1991), Academy Award-nominated actor (American History X), also known for Fight Club
Lupita Nyong'o (MFA 2012), Academy Award-winning actress (12 Years A Slave)
Kip Pardue (B.A. 1998), actor
Bronson Pinchot (B.A. 1981), actor
Vincent Price (B.A. 1933, History & English), actor
Ira Sachs (B.A. 1987), director
Liev Schreiber, (MFA 1992), actor
Robert Simonds, film producer, best known for Big Daddy, Cheaper by the Dozen, and The Wedding Singer
Gene Siskel (B.A. 1967), movie critic
Todd Solondz (B.A. 1981), director, Welcome to the Dollhouse and Happiness
Oliver Stone (Class of 1968), Academy Award-winning director
Meryl Streep (MFA), Academy Award-winning actress
Ted Tally (B.A.), Academy Award-winning screenwriter
John Turturro (MFA 1983), actor
Sam Waterston (B.A. 1961), actor
Sigourney Weaver (MFA), actress
Sam Weisman (B.A. 1969), director/producer/actor
Jennifer Westfeldt (B.A. 1991), actress, screenwriter (Kissing Jessica Stein)
James Whitmore, actor
Douglas Wick (B.A. 1976), film producer
Jessica Yu (B.A. 1987), Academy Award-winning film director
Lewis Black (MFA 1977), stand-up comedian who often appears on The Daily Show
James Bohanek (B.A. 1991), Broadway and television actor
James Burrows (M.A.), producer, Cheers,Will & Grace
Dick Cavett, TV personality, nominated eleven times for the Emmy Award, and won three times
Enrico Colantoni (MFA), actor, Just Shoot Me, Galaxy Quest, and Veronica Mars
Anderson Cooper (B.A. 1989), CNN anchor of Anderson Cooper 360°
Bill Corbett (DRA 1989), actor, writer, played Crow T. Robot in Mystery Science Theater 3000
Suzanne Cryer (B.A., M.F.A.), actress, Silicon Valley, Two Guys and a Girl
Brett Dalton (MFA 2011), actor in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Claire Danes (did not graduate), actress in Homeland
David Duchovny (M.A. English literature 1989), actor in The X-Files, Californication
Dick Ebersol, president of NBC sports division, helped launch Saturday Night Live
Kathryn Finney (MPH 2000), television correspondent Today Show
Malcolm Gets (MFA), actor, best known for as "Richard Karinsky" on Caroline in the City
Sara Gilbert (B.A. 1997), actress, best known for her portrayal as the daughter "Darlene Conner" on the sit-com Roseanne
Felipe Gozon, Philippine television executive
Michael Gross (DRA 1973), actor, best known as "Steven Keaton" (the father of Michael J. Fox's character) on Family Ties
Harry Hamlin (B.A. 1974), actor best known as attorney "Michael Kuzak" in NBC TV drama L.A. Law
John Hodgman (B.A. 1992), author and comedian who often appears on The Daily Show and in the Get a Mac ad campaigns, representing a humanized PC.
Conor Knighton (B.A. 2003 Film Studies), host of InfoMania on Current TV
Leo Laporte, host of The Screen Savers on TechTV
Matt Jackson (B.A. 2014), 4th longest winstreak on Jeopardy!
Alex Jacob (B.A. 2006), winner of Jeopardy! 2015 Tournament of Champions
Demetri Martin (B.A. 1995), stand-up comedian who often appears on The Daily Show
Kellie Martin (B.A 2001)
Crystal McKellar (B.A. 1999), played "Becky Slater" in The Wonder Years in her youth; now an attorney
Anne Meacham (B.A. 1947), Broadway and television actress (Another World)
Ari Meyers (B.A. 1991), actress, played Emma McArdle on Kate & Allie
Robert Myhrum (MFA), Emmy-nominated television director
Chris Noth (CDR 1985), actor Law & Order: Criminal Intent", Sex and the City
Maulik Pancholy (MFA 1998), actor, 30 Rock, Phineas and Ferb, Whitney
Walter F. Parkes (B.A. 1973), producer/writer, former head of Dreamworks
Stone Phillips (B.A. 1977), television anchor for NBC
Robert Picardo (B.A. 1975), the holographic doctor on the television show Star Trek: Voyager
David Hyde Pierce (B.A. 1981), actor, best known as "Dr. Niles Crane" on Frasier; winner of four Emmy Awards
Alan Poul (B.A. 1976), television director and producer
Josh Saviano (B.A. 1998), played Paul Pfeiffer on The Wonder Years
Matt Shakman (B.A. circa 1997), director, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Tony Shalhoub (MFA 1980), actor, Monk
Gene Siskel (MFA 1974), film critic, At the Movies
Steve Skrovan (B.A. 1979), executive producer of Everybody Loves Raymond and An Unreasonable Man
Ben Stein (LLD 1970), economist, host of Win Ben Stein's Money
Ming Tsai (B.A. 1986), chef on East Meets West with Ming Tsai on PBS
Courtney B. Vance (MFA 1986), actor, 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent as "Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver"
Margaret Warner, co-anchor on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, PBS' weekday news program
Sam Waterston (B.A. 1962), actor, played A.D.A. Jack McCoy on Law & Order
Suzanne Whang (B.A. 1983), hostess of HGTV's House Hunters and House Hunters International
Allison Williams (B.A. 2010), actress, Girls
Henry Winkler (MFA 1970), actor, best known as "Fonzie" on Happy Days
Bellamy Young (B.A. 1991), Broadway and television actress
Victoria Clark (BA 1982), Tony Award for Best Lead Actress for The Light in The Piazza
Michael P. Price (MFA 1963), theatre producer and longest-serving artistic director in American theatre, Executive Director of Tony Award-winning Goodspeed Musicals
Ted Sperling (BA 1982), Tony Award for orchestration
Andy Sandberg (BA 2005/06), Tony Award-winning producer of Hair, 2009.
Professors who are also Yale alumni are listed in italics.
Sidney Altman: Chemistry, 1989
Gérard Debreu: Economics, 1983
John Fenn: Chemistry, 2002. Received his PhD from Yale 1940, and was a member of the Yale faculty from 1962 to 1994
Tjalling Koopmans: Economics, 1975
Wangari Maathai: Peace, 2004; visiting professor at the Forestry School in 2002 YDN article
Erwin Neher: Physiology or Medicine, 1991; biophysicist at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry who was previously a postdoctoral fellow at Yale
George Palade, professor at Yale Medical School from 1973–1990: Physiology or Medicine, 1974.
James Rothman: Physiology or Medicine, 2013
Robert Shiller: Economics, 2013
Thomas A. Steitz: Chemistry, 2009
Edward Tatum: Physiology or Medicine, 1958; was at Yale from 1945 to 1948
James Tobin: Economics, 1981
Robert P. Abelson, late Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology and professor of Political Science
Sydney E. Ahlstrom, historian of religion in America
Josef Albers, artist
Akhil Amar (B.A. 1980, J.D. 1984), law professor
Kanichi Asakawa (Ph.D. 1902), historian, first Japanese professor at U.S. university
E. Wight Bakke, economist and industrial relations scholar; director of the Yale Labor and Management Center
Harold Bloom (Ph.D 1955), writer and critic, author of The Anxiety of Influence, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human and many other scholarly books
Grigory Margulis, mathematician, Fields medallist and Wolf Prize winner
Serge Lang, mathematician and activist
John Morton Blum, professor of political history
Cleanth Brooks, Professor of English, world-renowned expert on writer William Faulkner
John Carlson, molecular biologist
Neil W. Chamberlain, economist and industrial relations scholar; assistant director of the Yale Labor and Management Center
Dennis S. Charney, expert in the neurobiology and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.
Kenneth L. Davis, president and CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City
Arthur Louis Day, geophysicist and volcanologist
Paul de Man, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, departments of French and Comparative Literature; literary critic posthumously controversial for articles he wrote for collaboration paper in occupied Belgium, one of which is widely held to be antisemitic
Jacques Derrida, philosopher; held visiting professorship at invitation of Paul de Man
Wai Chee Dimock, William Lampson Professor of English and American Studies
Inge Druckrey, teacher of graphic design
Isidore Dyen, professor of comparative linguistics and Austronesian languages
John Elefteriades, cardiac surgeon
Donald Engelman, biochemist and cancer researcher
Anne Fadiman, author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Francis Writer in Residence at Yale
Fred Rogers Fairchild (1877–1966), economist
Irving Fisher, economist
Bassam Frangieh, scholar of Arabic language and literature
John Lewis Gaddis, Cold War historian
Jacques Armand Gauthier, comparative morphologist, paleontologist, and systematist
Peter Gay, Enlightenment historian
John Geanakoplos, economist, current James Tobin professor of economics
David Gelernter (1976), computer scientist, co-creator of the Linda programming language
Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839–1903), theoretical physicist, chemist, and mathematician, first American Ph.D. in engineering
Louise Gluck, Pulitzer Prize winner, poet
Orvan Hess, M.D. (1906–2002), practitioner and researcher at the Yale School of Medicine, known for the fetal heart monitor
Paul Hindemith, composer, musician, conductor, music theorist
Valerie Horsley, biologist
Rene Edward De Russy Hoyle, U.S. Army Major General
G. Evelyn Hutchinson, zoologist, considered to be the father of modern limnology
Donald Kagan, historian of ancient Greece
Louis I. Kahn, architect
Shizuo Kakutani, mathematician, Kakutani fixed-point theorem
Deen Kemsley, taught at Yale School of Management for a year in 2003, currently teaches at A.B. Freeman School of Business
Paul Kennedy, historian
Harold Hongju Koh, dean of Yale Law School, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor in the Clinton Administration
Joseph LaPalombara, Arnold Wolfers Professor of Political Science and Management Emeritus
Alvin Lustig, graphic designer
Bronisław Malinowski (1884–1942), pioneer in ethnographic anthropology, and a professor at Cornell University, Yale University, and Harvard University
Benoît Mandelbrot, mathematician known for fractal geometry
Julián Marías, philosopher, author of History of Philosophy
Samuel Elmo Martin (1924–2009), linguist, developed the Yale Romanization system for transliterating Korean
John S. Meyer, physician
Neal E. Miller, James Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology
James Mitchell, actor, played Palmer Cortlandt on All My Children
David Montgomery, Professor of History
Edmund S. Morgan, Professor of History
Elting E. Morison, historian, essayist, military biographer, was Professor of History and American Studies as well as the master of Timothy Dwight College between 1966 and 1972
William Nordhaus (1963), economist
Sherwin B. Nuland, surgeon and author of How We Die
William Odom, director, National Security Agency
Arthur Okun, economist
Oystein Ore, mathematician
Aldo Parisot, musician and cellist
Jaroslav Pelikan, historian, author of The Christian Tradition
Peter C. Perdue, historian of Modern China
Alan Perlis, professor of Computer Science and first ever recipient of the Turing Award
Douglas W. Rae, political theorist
Emir Rodríguez Monegal, professor of Latin American contemporary literature, founder of Mundo Nuevo
Juan Rosai, professor of Pathology and Director of the Department of Anatomic Pathology at Yale University, 1985–1991
Philip Rubin, cognitive scientist, CEO, Haskins Laboratories
Herbert Scarf, economist
James C. Scott, political scientist and anthropologist
Vincent Scully, Sterling Professor Professor of the History of Art in Architecture
Benjamin Silliman, Jr., professor of chemistry, son of Benjamin Silliman, founder of Yale Chemistry Department
Oktay Sinanoğlu, theoretical chemist and molecular biologist, and the youngest Yale full professor
J. Morris Slemons, formed the Department of Obstetrics at the School of Medicine in 1914
Jonathan Spence, historian, author of The Search For Modern China
Joan Steitz, biochemist, discoverer of snRNPs
William Francis Gray Swann, Anglo-American physicist
David Underdown, historian of 17th-century England
Lee Watson, Broadway and opera lighting designer, author and Purdue University professor
Jay Winter, Charles J. Stille Professor of History; World War I specialist
Paul Wolfowitz, political science instructor from 1970–72
C. Vann Woodward, professor of history
Mary C. Wright (1917–1970), historian of China, and first woman to be appointed a full professor in the arts and sciences faculty, in 1964
Ernesto Zedillo (Ph.D. 1981), economics teacher and head of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, president of Mexico (1994–2000)
W. Mark Saltzman, founder of Yale's Department of Biomedical Engineering
