# Most famous or interesting fictional alumni from your school? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 8, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108 "2020-09-08T17:23:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/44 "2020-09-09T00:46:23Z")
> [@ThisIsTheEnd](#): > > Yeah Penn wins that contest. All people know about it is Joe Paterno. Paterno was at Pennsylvania State University, or Penn State, a state school. Ike is talking about the [University of Pennsylvania,](https://previews.123rf.com/images/jamescumming/jamescumming1705/jamescumming170500002/77438696-green-violetear-hummingbird-in-flight.jpg) or Penn, which is an Ivy League school. It’s a private school. Cornell has the distinction of being both an Ivy League school and a state school. All I know is that Cornell used to have a sign at one of the gates onto campus (or maybe still does) that said “Cornell, An Ivy League University.” The joke among the rest of the Ivies was “Cornell, the only Ivy League school that calls itself one - or needs to.” Besides a State College of Agriculture, Penn doesn’t include a College of Hotel Administration or a College of Human Ecology like Cornell does. Cornell was also founded almost a century after the next youngest Ivy. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/45 "2020-09-09T00:51:11Z")
The Sure Thing, played by Nicollette Sheridan in the film of the same name, as well as Daphne Zuniga’s character’s boyfriend, both attend UCLA. No word on whether either graduated. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/46 "2020-09-09T01:37:06Z")
Right now for NC State probably Christina Koch who spent 9 months on the international space station. Or maybe John Tesh. For reality fans Mohammed Hadid father of models Bella and Gigi Hadid ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/47 "2020-09-09T01:40:23Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Right now for NC State probably Christina Koch who spent 9 months on the international space station. Or maybe John Tesh. For reality fans Mohammed Hadid father of models Bella and Gigi Hadid  I just _knew_ John Tesh was fictional! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/48 "2020-09-09T01:42:24Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I just _knew_ John Tesh was fictional! I was going to say the same thing! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/49 "2020-09-09T01:47:54Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > In 1986, [James McGill Buchanan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_M._Buchanan) ('40) became the first MTSU alumnus to be awarded the Nobel Prize. Buchanan received the [Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Memorial_Prize_in_Economic_Sciences) for his pioneering role in the development of the field of [public choice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_choice), a way of studying politician’s and bureaucrat’s behaviors.[[14]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Tennessee_State_University#cite_note-JamesBuchanan-14) In addition, former MTSU economics professor [Muhammad Yunus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Yunus) received the [Nobel Peace Prize](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Peace_Prize) for efforts through [microcredit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcredit) to create economic and social development.[[50]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Tennessee_State_University#cite_note-Muhammad_Yunus-50) Visiting professor [Al Gore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gore) received a [Nobel Peace Prize](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Peace_Prize) for his work in climate change activism. > ~~From Wiki > > So. > Hooterville gets 3 Nobels. > (SHRUGS) > 🥇 🥈 🥉 The _alumni_ are supposed to be fictional, not the _university._ ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/50 "2020-09-09T02:01:28Z")
The word “fictional” is right there in the thread title, right? 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/51 "2020-09-09T02:06:02Z")
It is, though I suspect that some posters didn’t process “fictional” as being attached to “famous” when they saw the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/52 "2020-09-09T02:13:04Z")
John Tesh roomed with Rick Dees (Disco Duck guy) when they were both in early 20s. Fictional NC State grad was Craig Nelson the coach in All the Right moves. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/53 "2020-09-09T02:16:37Z")
Yes, the thread title is written perfectly correctly, but it’s a rather unusual question, and the “fictional” is omitted from the first line of text of the OP where the question is repeated. So it didn’t sink in for me until I reached “Michael Corleone”. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/54 "2020-09-09T02:17:10Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > (I went to the NY State College of Agriculture, which is part of Cornell.) > > Another fictional graduate is Mitchell Pritchett, from _Modern Family._ Mitchell’s husband Cam went to Univ. of Illinois, one of my alma maters (although a different campus). ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/55 "2020-09-09T07:57:03Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Paterno was at Pennsylvania State University, or Penn State, a state school. Ike is talking about the [University of Pennsylvania,](https://previews.123rf.com/images/jamescumming/jamescumming1705/jamescumming170500002/77438696-green-violetear-hummingbird-in-flight.jpg) or Penn, which is an Ivy League school. Yes I know, that was a joke about people not knowing Penn. Sometimes someone will tell you their kid got into an Ivy school and then they get kind of vague about it and their eyes drift off and they start mumbling and eventually you have to stop them and put your hand on their shoulder and look concerned and go, “It’s Penn, isn’t it?” and let them have a good cry. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/56 "2020-09-09T10:39:50Z")
Sadly, MTSU, & Murfreesboro (the modern incarnation of Hooterville/Bug Tussle) are indeed real. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/57 "2020-09-09T12:22:56Z")
Indiana University. I think there were some Kurt Vonnegut characters that went there, but don’t know which ones. And there was the movie Breaking Away where a lot of the characters were Hoosiers. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/58 "2020-09-09T13:52:43Z")
Your best alum is Leslie Knope! > [@needscoffee](#): > > Mitchell’s husband Cam went to Univ. of Illinois Henry Blake from M_A_S\*H went to U of I, right? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/59 "2020-09-09T13:58:17Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Northwestern University has many famous real life graduates (Stephen Colbert, Meghan Markle, Julia Louis Dreyfuss, just to name a few); but the only fictional one I can recall was Anne Hathaway’s character in _The Devil Wears Prada_ Stephen Colbert is both fictional and non-fictional. Didn’t the fictional version go to Northwestern too? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/60 "2020-09-09T14:15:14Z")
Portland State University. The best I can come up with is… there is a Peter Griffin who got his B.S. at PSU, and now teaches math at Sac State. I don’t think it’s _that_ Peter Griffin, though. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/61 "2020-09-09T14:38:54Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Stephen Colbert is both fictional and non-fictional. Didn’t the fictional version go to Northwestern too? Nope, Dartmouth, as mentioned in the OP. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/62 "2020-09-09T14:43:29Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Nope, Dartmouth, as mentioned in the OP. My bad. I went to a state school 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108/63 "2020-09-09T14:48:57Z")
Purdue didn’t make the cut. And I promise, I’m not fictional. Really. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-famous-or-interesting-fictional-alumni-from-your-school/920108.md?page=4)