# Who is/was the Most Famous Person to graduate from your Alma Mater? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962 "2011-06-18T19:34:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [June 18, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/21 "2011-06-18T20:58:18Z")
I went to a very small Catholic high school outside of Green Bay, WI, which no longer even exists. Our most well-known alumnus probably wasn’t _that_ well-known: [Ted Fritsch, Jr.](http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FritTe21.htm), who played in the NFL for 7 years as a center and long-snapper. My college alma mater is the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which has a number of famous alumni, including: - 11 Nobel Laureates, including Saul Bellow and John Bardeen (the only person to win the Physics Nobel twice) - Actor Don Ameche - Rock guitarist Steve Miller (left before he finished his degree) - Architect Frank Lloyd Wright (attended, but did not graduate) - Aviator Charles Lindburgh (maybe; he’s listed on the Wikipedia list, but I can’t find corroboration) - Astronaut James Lovell - Author Joyce Carol Oates - Hockey player Chris Chelios - Olympic track star Suzy Favor-Hamilton - Football player Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch Of those, the most famous are probably either Wright or Lindburgh. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/22 "2011-06-18T21:00:33Z")
Oh, I forgot about grad school - maybe the guys from Hootie and the Blowfish? I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/23 "2011-06-18T21:04:37Z")
College: The list goes on. Supreme Court Justices, a Chief Justice, scienticians, Nobel Laureates, actors, and one president. HS: Umm, probably rapper Ice(d) T. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/24 "2011-06-18T21:21:45Z")
Nobody famous from my high school. I went to Harvard for undergrad. [Here’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Harvard_University_people) a list of notable grads. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/25 "2011-06-18T21:29:00Z")
long before I attended - [james michener](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_A._Michener) - author in my class - [marshall yanda](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshal_Yanda) - Ravens fb player for the university of colorado, the list is longer, but my son just wrote a fan letter to his hero [scott carpenter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Carpenter). ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/26 "2011-06-18T21:34:15Z")
Nobody from high school. Northwestern, probably a toss-up between Charlton Heston and Stephen Colbert. ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/27 "2011-06-18T21:45:59Z")
From my high school, Keith Whitley. For college I attended University of Kentucky, so any of a number of basketball players. For non-basketball, the most famous is probably Ashley Judd. The high school my son currently attends had Rex Chapman, Brad Wilkerson, and Michael Waltrip. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/28 "2011-06-18T21:48:57Z")
My HS, grades 9-11: Cameron Crowe (University Of San Diego HS) My HS, grade 12: Bill Walton (Helix HS) . ---
**Author:** ![Gilles\_de\_Rais](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@Gilles\_de\_Rais](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilles_de_Rais)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/29 "2011-06-18T21:49:33Z")
College - Steven Spielberg. He returned to Cal State Long Beach to obtain a degree in film making, graduating in 2002. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/30 "2011-06-18T21:53:36Z")
The College of William and Mary - Thomas Jefferson - Jon Stewart ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/31 "2011-06-18T21:54:23Z")
Gary Payton Linus Pauling No one particularly famous from my high school. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/32 "2011-06-18T21:54:29Z")
High School – possibly me. It’s a small school and few go on to any sort of fame, so the bar is pretty low. It could be my aunt, who played Carnegie Hall. College: Chester Alan Arthur ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/33 "2011-06-18T21:55:18Z")
I have in common with William Shatner that we both attended McGill University. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/34 "2011-06-18T22:02:59Z")
HS - no one I know of. Did my undergrad at Oxford, so God knows who’s the most famous alumnus. God himself maybe, I think he did an exchange year there. Or Jesus, they did name a college after him afterall. PhD was at University College London, probably loads of famous graduates but the political philosopher Jeremy Bentham is very prominent in the history of the place - statues etc. I think he may have been involved in founding it from memory. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/35 "2011-06-18T22:11:01Z")
I guess I could include graduate school: Ithaca College: David Boreanaz University of Washington has too many to name, but here’s my best guest: Bill Gates, Sr. Frank Herbert Warren Moon Fred Hutchinson Kenny G (couldn’t someone else take him??) Rainn Wilson Kyle MacLachlan Gregory “Pappy” Boyington ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/36 "2011-06-18T22:11:40Z")
My alma mater is [Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shippensburg_University_of_Pennsylvania#Notable_alumni). Probably the most famous is Dean Koontz, but we also had Steve Spence (marathon runner), Jeanne Shaheen (Governor/Senator from New Hampshire), Chris Raab (from _Jackass_), Tommy Franks and Jay Garner. Shippensburg is a popular school to get a Masters Degree in Public Administration from with the officer corps from the US Army War College in Carlisle. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/37 "2011-06-18T22:20:59Z")
High school: Ike Diogu might be it - he’s in the NBA (David Koresh attended but did not graduate) College: Garth Brooks, with T Boone Pickens and Barry Sanders somewhere behind him. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/38 "2011-06-18T22:33:43Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > The College of William and Mary > > - Thomas Jefferson > - Jon Stewart Heh, just the two I was going to mention. Hail, fellow Tribesman (or -woman)! ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/39 "2011-06-18T22:41:58Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > University of Washington has too many to name, but here’s my best guest: > Bill Gates, Sr. > Frank Herbert > Warren Moon > Fred Hutchinson > Kenny G (couldn’t someone else take him??) > Rainn Wilson > Kyle MacLachlan > Gregory “Pappy” Boyington You forgot Ted Bundy:) ---
**Author:** ![Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ec9cab/32.png) [@Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962/40 "2011-06-18T22:55:20Z")
St. Etheldreda in 673 AD > **[King's Ely](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King's_School,_Ely)** > > St Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury and Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester (Founded the current version of the school in 970; 1053 years ago (970)) > King's Ely (renamed from "The King's School" in March 2012), is a co-educational public school (English private boarding and day school) and Cathedral school in the city of Ely in England. It was founded in 970 AD, making it one of the oldest schools in the world. It was given its first Royal Charter by King Henry VIII in 1541, its second by Queen E... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-most-famous-person-to-graduate-from-your-alma-mater/585962.md?page=3)