# What notable alumni went to your school/university? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 18, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750 "2008-12-18T15:41:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/101 "2008-12-20T15:04:23Z")
Jim Callaghan an ex primeminister was an old boy of my school,but we’re not overwhelmingly proud of it. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/102 "2008-12-20T20:45:32Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > According to [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Carolina_University#Notable_alumni), there’ve been a few “notables,” but the two names that always get tossed around are Sandra Bullock and Vince McMahon. Yeah… Fellow Doper **Lawoot** apparently used to give Ms Bullock backrubs when they were in the Theater program at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/103 "2008-12-21T01:39:50Z")
Richard Gere went to Cicero North Syracuse High School here. The Baldwin Brothers’ mother, Carol, lives around here, with her breast cancer awareness thing. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/104 "2008-12-21T02:25:35Z")
Well I’ll just talk about the three that have personal significance to me. I went to SUNY Stony Brook 92-96. My physics professor was Chen Ning Yang, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957. He was obviously brilliant, but too brilliant to be able to teach effectively 🙂 I was a member of the Science Fiction Forum, a scifi social group. Before my time, the group produced famous scifi writer Spider Robinson. And our advisor used to be John Marburger, who went on to become the current Science Advisor to the President and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the administration of President George W. Bush. As far as high school, I went to school with famous convicted murderer Martin Tankleff. Oh and me. I’m sure I’ll be famous (or infamous) someday… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/105 "2008-12-21T02:33:24Z")
I never even thought to look at who went to my college (University of Minnesota). The stand-outs for me are Maria Bamford and Yanni. Sean William Scott (aka Stifler) went to my high school, but that was quite a few years before I was there. My sister’s friend’s aunt made out with him once. How thrilling. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/106 "2008-12-21T02:46:39Z")
I didn’t go to college, but pro football quarterback Vince Young went to my high school, Madison High. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/107 "2008-12-21T03:14:51Z")
I managed to go to three colleges without getting any degree but in theory my fellow alumni include Dave Annable, Michael Badalucco, Tom Chapin, Joan Chen\*, Chris Clark, Erik Cole, Craig Conroy, Anthony Denison, James Dolan, Dawn Fratangelo, Kent Huskins, Randy Jones, Nancy Kress, Craig Laughlin, Todd Marchant, Willie Mitchell, Colin Patterson\*, Michael Rispoli\*, Tim Robbins\*, Andy Shernoff, Mike Smith, Dave Taylor, Aida Turturro\*, John Turturro, and M. Emmet Walsh (what would seem like a surprising number of hockey players - one of my colleges was a big hockey shcool) \*People I apparently was in school with although I didn’t know any of them ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/108 "2008-12-21T04:51:03Z")
A selection from each: My high school claims the principal from Saved By The Bell, Dennis Haskins. Undergrad - the full list is [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Colby_College_people), but among them are: Billy Bush (of Access Hollywood fame) Benjamin Butler (Civil War General) Elijah P. Lovejoy (abolitionist) Margaret Chase Smith Doris Kearns Goodwin [Grad School](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_University_of_Tennessee_people): Albert Gore, Sr Dixie Carter Alex Haley Cormac McCarthy (no degree earned) Peyton Manning [One place I worked:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youngstown_state_university#Famous_alumni) Thomas Bopp Ed O’Neill Ron Parise [Another place I’ve worked](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_University_of_Arizona_people) Barry Goldwater Bob Dole Greg Kinnear Richard Russo (who taught at my undergrad while I was there) ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/109 "2008-12-21T05:15:25Z")
I remember thinking it odd that Ramón Castro Ruz (older brother to both Cuban presidents) went to my high school, which, at the time, was a Catholic boarding school before it merged many many years later into the school I went to. Still the same old building, though. Never bothered to find out the famous people that went to the college I went to, though. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tofu\_Kitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@The\_Tofu\_Kitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tofu_Kitty)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/110 "2008-12-21T05:27:43Z")
A Mr. Bo Jackson and a Mr. Charles Barkley. Kirsty Coventry Jason Campbell Ronnie Brown Takeo Spikes and too many more athletes Ken Mattingly (of Apollo 13 non-fame) and many other astronauts Toni Tenille (of Captain and Tenille fame) Richard Myers (for grad school) and Jimmy Wales, wikipedia founder! Ha. And for you architecture fans, Samuel Mockbee, who was a very nice guy. ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/111 "2008-12-21T18:39:10Z")
> [@villa](#): > > I’ll take 25 UK PMs, you freaking tab. 😛 (And haven’t you had 15 PMs, or is wiki wrong?) > > As for my college, undergrad wise we had Roger Bannister, William Morris, and J.R.R. Tolkein (and Philip Pullman, I just discovered). > > My US law school had Al Gore and Fred Thompson. you were at exeter? what year did you matriculate? pdts ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/112 "2008-12-21T19:18:11Z")
Kazuo Ishiguro (writer), Gavin Esler (journalist), Alan Davies (actor), Sarah Waters (writer). University of Kent (Canterbury), UK ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/113 "2008-12-21T20:01:51Z")
Undergrad: Stephen King My mom was in a play with him. Olympia Snowe Lots of NHL players Paul Kariya, Mike Dunham, Garth Snow Grad School: Tom Hulce Mary Louise Parker Deidrich Bader Terrence Mann Will Patton Judge Reinhold ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2008, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/114 "2008-12-21T22:37:07Z")
I went to Trinity College Dublin. We have a few Nobel prize winners, 3 Irish presidents and a few others you might recognise: Bram Stoker Oscar Wilde Samuel Beckett Dennis Burkitt Jonathan Swift Ernest Walton Edward Stafford Mary Robinson Oliver Goldsmith Oliver St. John Gogarty J.P. Donleavy Conor Cruise O’Brien ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/115 "2008-12-22T03:56:01Z")
> [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](#): > > you were at exeter? what year did you matriculate? > > pdts 1. Then University of Warwick. Then a brief sojourn at Nuffield College. Then after a long break, Vanderbilt Law School. That should pretty much categorically identify me to anyone here who knows me in the big bad real world. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/116 "2008-12-22T05:37:56Z")
Hard to choose which ones to list from my [alma mater](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_University_of_California,_Berkeley_alumni). JpnDude (Class of 94) ---
**Author:** ![vintageloveletter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@vintageloveletter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vintageloveletter)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/117 "2008-12-22T07:14:18Z")
Queens College, CUNY. There are some interesting alumni. ``` * Joy Behar - comedienne and co-host of The View * Adrian Brody - Actor , Academy award winner. Attended as student in 1990 * Fran Drescher - actress, The Nanny * Jon Favreau - actor and director (attended 1984-1987, 1988 - dropped out a few credits shy of completing his degree) * Marvin Hamlisch - Hollywood and Broadway composer * Ron Jeremy - prolific pornographic film actor * Carole King - songwriter and recording artist * Richard Kline - "Larry Dallas" in Three's Company * Ray Romano - actor, comedian (attended 1975-1978 - dropped out after accumulating only 15 credits in three years) * Neil Sedaka - singer, pianist, and songwriter * Jerry Seinfeld - comedian * Paul Simon - musician, Simon and Garfunkel ``` Ron Jeremy also attended my high school. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/118 "2008-12-22T11:12:42Z")
Harry Anderson went to my JC. He dressed outlandishly and was always squiring 2 or 3 hotties around the campus, talking loudly to them and calling attention to himself. He never spoke to anyone else. He was in the drama department. I always thought, “what a douche”. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/119 "2008-12-22T12:41:52Z")
I went to the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt. We have an alumnus who has a Nobel Price for Physics: [Peter Grünberg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gr%C3%BCnberg) and another who won a Nobel Price for Chemistry: [Gerhard Herzberg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerhard_Herzberg) (but had to flee to Canada when the Nazis gained power). A well known current professor is: [Achim Richter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achim_Richter). Some of the more famous alumni are: [Fritz von Opel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_von_Opel), and [Chaim Weizman](http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaim_Weizmann) (as an undergrad). A name well known to any Anorganic Chemist is [Eduard Zintl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Zintl), a former professor at the TU Darmstadt. ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750/120 "2008-12-22T15:45:51Z")
Throop Polytechnic: Frank Oppenheimer (Commie) Linus Pauling (Vitamin C Guy) Frank Capra (It’s A Wonderful Christmas Movie) Donald Knuth (if you don’t know, you won’t really care) Benoît Mandelbrot (see above) Charles Richter (orgasm rating system) David Brin (sold some books) Larry Niven (sold more books) … groo (not worthy enough to wipe the shit off their shoes) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-notable-alumni-went-to-your-school-university/477750.md?page=7)