List of University of Kansas people

The list of University of Kansas people includes notable alumni and faculty of the University of Kansas.

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

Alumni

Nobel laureates

• Frank Sherwood Rowland (1956–64), awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Politics, government, and education

• Alexander C. Mitchell (1889), Kansas Board of Regents, State House and Representative to the Sixty-second US Congress
• William H. Avery (politician) (1934), 37th Governor of Kansas (1965–1967)
• Sheila C. Bair, Former Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
• Kay Barnes, Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri from 1999 to 2007
• Carol A. Beier, Kansas Supreme Court Justice
• George L. Brown, First African-American elected lieutenant governor and first African-American elected to statewide office in Colorado
• Arthur Linton Corbin (1894), professor at Yale Law School and scholar of contract law
• Jonathan M. Davis, 22nd Governor of Kansas
• George Docking (1925), 35th Governor of Kansas (1957–1961)[1]
• Robert Docking (1948), 38th Governor of Kansas (1967–1975) [2]
• Bob Dole, former U.S. Senate majority leader and Senator from Kansas (1969–1996), presidential and vice-presidential nominee. [3]
• Jerry Elliott, Kansas jurist
• Sam C. Ford, the 12th Governor of Montana.
• Thomas Frank, author, What's the Matter with Kansas?
• Frederick Funston, attended 1885–1888, US Army general, recipient of Congressional Medal of Honor.
• John B. Gage (1907), mayor of Kansas City, Missouri (1940–1946)
• Francisco Santos Calderón 9th Vice President of Colombia.
• Robert L. Gernon (BS 1966), Kansas Supreme Court Justice.
• Arthur Harkins (BA 1959) & (PhD 1968), UMN Graduate Certificate in Innovation Studies.
• Jane Dee Hull (1957), 24th Governor of Arizona (1997–2003) [4]
• Robert Frederick Bennett 37th Governor of Kansas (1975–1979)
• Lee A. Johnson (BS 1964) Kansas Supreme Court Justice
• Nancy Landon Kassebaum (1954), First female U.S. senator (1979–1997) elected without having been preceded in office by her husband.
• Kenton Keith, U.S. ambassador to Qatar, 1992–1995.
• Joan F. Kessler, Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge.
• Phill Kline (JD 1987), Former Attorney General of Kansas (2003–2006), District Attorney of Johnson County, KS (2007–2008)
• Ron Kuby, civil rights attorney
• Alf Landon (1908), 26th Governor of Kansas (1933–1937) and Republican nominee in the 1936 presidential election
• Delano Lewis, former National Public Radio CEO and ambassador to South Africa
• Deane Waldo Malott (1921), former Chancellor of KU and 6th president of Cornell University (1951–1963)
• David McClain, President, University of Hawaii
• John H. McClendon, an African-American scholar at Michigan State University
• Merritt C. Mechem, 5th Governor of the State of New Mexico (1921–1923)
• Dennis Moore, U.S. Congressman for Kansas District 3 (1999–2011)
• Franklin David Murphy (B.S. 1936), Chancellor of the University of Kansas and Chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles
• Lawton Nuss (BA 1975, JD 1982), Kansas Supreme Court Justice
• Frank D. Parent, California municipal court judge
• William C. Perry (1922), Chief Justice Oregon Supreme Court
• Eric Rosen, Kansas Supreme Court Justice
• Jim Ryun, former U.S. Congressman Kansas District 2 (1997–2007), three-time U.S. Olympic runner and silver medalist
• Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia. Elected in 2010.
• Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services under Obama, 44th Governor of Kansas (2003–2009)
• Stephen Six, Attorney General of Kansas
• Sam V. Stewart, Montana Supreme Court Justice and the sixth Governor of Montana.
• David R. Stras, Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
• Walter R. Stubbs, 18th Governor of Kansas
• Deanell Reece Tacha (BA 1968), current chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2001–present)
• Rosalie E. Wahl (1946), first women appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court
• Caroline Lucas, first Member of Parliament (UK) elected as a Green Party of England and Wales candidate
• Bob Whittaker, U.S. Representative from Kansas

Media and the arts

• Mike Anderson award winning writer and host of The Not So Late Show
• Wendall Anschutz, bachelors and masters in communications, long time KCTV news anchor
• Sanora Babb, novelist, best known for An Owl on Every Post and Whose Names Are Unknown
• Scott Bakula, actor, star of Quantum Leap and Star Trek: Enterprise
• Etta Moten Barnett, actress and singer, the first black artist to perform at the White House.
• James Barnes, professor and award-winning composer
• Liliana V. Blum, Mexican writer
• Danni Boatwright, former Miss Teen USA and Miss USA contestant, winner of Survivor: Guatemala
• Kara Brock, Television and film actress
• Terry Bryant, Journalist. Sports and Weather anchor KMPH FOX 26-Fresno, CA
• Igor Buketoff, conductor
• Jan Chiapusso, piano pedagogue
• Evan S. Connell, novelist, best known for Mrs. Bridge and Mr. Bridge
• Christina Chang, television actress
• Steve Doocy, Fox News anchor, and New York Times bestselling author
• Bob Dotson, documentarian and NBC reporter, 4-time Emmy Award winner
• Bill Downs, CBS and ABC News correspondent and one of the original Murrow Boys
• Robert Ebendorf, international metalsmith and jeweler who uses found objects in his artwork
• Von Freeman, Television Executive Producer ABC,NBC TV - The Radio Music Awards, marketing director.
• Kori Gardner, vocalist, organist, and pianist in Mates of State / writer of Band on the Diaper Run
• Frances Ginsberg, opera singer
• Nikki Glaser, comedian
• Cara Gorges, Miss Kansas USA 2007, controversial 2nd runner up Miss USA
• Moses Gunn, actor, was in the TV mini-series Roots
• Sherman Halsey, music video director, producer and artist manager
• Ann Hamilton (BFA 1979), sculptor, installation artist and 1993 MacArthur Fellow recipient
• Jason Hammel, musician & member of Mates of State
• Kevin Harlan, broadcaster for CBS and TNT sports
• Herk Harvey, Academy Award-winning director of over 400 industrial and educational short films as well as cult film Carnival of Souls
• Scott Heim, novelist
• Kevin Helliker, Chicago bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal, awarded the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting
• David Hill, international award winning industrial designer and executive leader. BFA Design 1982
• Bob Holtzman, ESPN bureau-reporter for SportsCenter
• William Inge, a Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award winning author/playwright
• Don Johnson, actor, co-star of Miami Vice and Nash Bridges
• Tim Joyce, television journalist, writer, meteorologist
• Jay Karnes, television actor, most notably from The Shield
• George E Kimball III, author, poet
• Bill Kurtis, television journalist and producer, host of A&E shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files.
• Neil LaBute, filmmaker/screenwriter, wrote and directed In the Company of Men, nominated for Palme D'Or for Nurse Betty
• Wayne Lamb, Broadway dancer, choreographer and Professor Emeritus at Purdue University.
• Margaret Larkin, writer, poet, singer-songwriter, theater personality, researcher, and union activist.
• Jack Lembeck, painter and sculptor.
• Keith Loneker, NFL player, St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons. Actor, Leatherheads Superbad Lakeview Terrace and More...
• Robert Morris, contemporary sculptor and painter (transferred to Reed College)
• Laura Moriarty, novelist
• Rob Neyer, baseball author and columnist for ESPN.com
• Sara Paretsky, novelist, best known for her frequent protagonist, V.I. Warshawski
• Mandy Patinkin, Emmy and Tony Award winning actor and singer (Yentl, The Princess Bride; TV's Chicago Hope, Criminal Minds)
• Artur Pizarro, concert pianist
• Maurice Prather, motion picture and still photographer and film director
• Betsy Randle, actress best known as the mother on Boy Meets World
• Rob Riggle, comedian, The Daily Show correspondent and former Saturday Night Live cast member
• Aaron S. Rosenberg, author and game designer
• Paul Rudd, actor from TV's Friends, Clueless, The Cider House Rules, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
• Samantha Ryan, adult film actress
• Devin Scillian, television journalist and children's author
• Gary Mark Smith, artist, author, master global street photographer
• William Stafford (BA 1937), poet and pacifist, winner of the National Book Award for Travelling Through the Dark
• Oscar S. Stauffer (1910), founder of Stauffer Communications
• Laurence Traiger, composer
• Dee Wallace, actress (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Howling)
• Catherine Warren, Miss Illinois USA 2006
• William Allen White, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author
• Frank Wilcox, actor (attended for one year before transferring to St. Benedict's College).

Science and technology

• Paul R. Ehrlich (MA/PhD 1957), entomologist, researcher and author of The Population Bomb, and 1990 MacArthur Fellow recipient
• Joe Engle (BS 1955), former NASA astronaut and a retired U.S. Air Force colonel [5]
• Ronald E. Evans (BS 1956), former NASA astronaut and a retired U.S. Navy captain [6]
• Steve Hawley (BA 1973), former NASA director and former astronaut. Now Professor of Physics and Astronomy at KU.
• Erasmus Haworth, founder of the Kansas Geological Survey
• David Hillis, evolutionary biologist and 1999 MacArthur Fellow recipient
• Wes Jackson (MA 1960), environmental historian and founder of the Land Institute, a 1992 MacArthur Fellow recipient
• Bill James, noted Baseball sabermetrician; author of The Bill James Baseball Abstract, starting in 1977; named to the Time 100 in 2006.
• William T. Kane, physicist in field of fiber optics
• Joseph W. Kennedy (MA 1937), co-discoverer of the element plutonium
• Brian McClendon (BSEE 1986), VP of Engineering for Google Earth, formerly Keyhole, Inc.
• Elmer McCollum, co-discoverer of Vitamin A
• Nariman Mehta, Pharmacologist, developer of the antidepressant and smoking cessation drug Bupropion
• Douglas Shane, (BS 1982) director of flight operations for SpaceShipOne, which made the first privately funded human spaceflight
• Kathryn Stephenson (MD 1941), first American woman board-certified plastic surgeon
• Walter Sutton, pioneer of cellular biology and genetics, physician, inventor
• George Tiller (BS 1963, MD 1967), physician, abortion provider, pro-choice advocate
• Clyde Tombaugh, astronomer, discoverer of the dwarf planet Pluto
• Kent Whealy, co-founder of the Seed Savers Exchange, and 1988 MacArthur Fellow recipient
• Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer, "father" of the Aegis Combat System and namesake of the USS Wayne E. Meyer naval destroyer.
• Vernon L. Smith (M.A. in economics 1952), awarded the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics[7]

Business

• Kenneth S. "Boots" Adams (1921), former President and CEO of Phillips 66 Petroleum Company
• K. S. "Bud" Adams, Jr., CEO of Adams Resources and owner of the Tennessee Titans
• Philip Anschutz (1961), billionaire, founder of Qwest
• Cynthia Carroll, CEO of Anglo American, one of the world’s largest independent mining companies
• Linda Z. Cook (1980), executive director of Shell Gas & Power, part of Royal Dutch Shell
• Tim Crown, co-founder of Insight Enterprises
• David Dillon, Chairman and CEO, Kroger Co.
• Robert Eaton, former CEO of Chrysler Corporation
• Robert Kleist, founder and CEO of Printronix
• Lou Montulli, co-founder of Netscape
• Alan Mulally (BS/MS), President and CEO of Ford Motor Company
• Christopher A. Sinclair (1971), former CEO of Pepsi-Cola, Co.
• Harry F. Sinclair, founder of Sinclair Oil Corporation
• Charles E. Spahr (1934), former CEO of Standard Oil of Ohio
• Kenneth A. Spencer (1926), Spencer Chemical Company founder whose philanthropies to KU include the Kenneth Spencer Research Library and the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art
• Paul Wilbur, CEO, Saleen, Incorporated
• David Wittig, (1977) Former President and CEO of Westar Energy
• Cheryl Womack, founder of insurance company for National Association of Independent Truckers, who donated the money for Arrocha Ballpark on the KU campus
• Robert Kaplan, former Vice Chairman of The Goldman Sachs Group, professor at Harvard

Honorary alumni

• Donald J. Hall, Sr., Chairman of the Board and former President and CEO of Hallmark Cards
• Chester Nez, WWII Veteran and one of the Navajo Code Talkers. Nez previously attended classes at KU but by 1952 discontinued his studies after having exhausted funding from his GI bill. Was announced by the College of Liberal Arts and Science that Nez would be awarded an honorary Bachelors degree on Veterans Day, 2012.

Faculty

• Jan Chiapusso, Dutch-born pianist and pedagogue
• J C D Clark, Ph.D., Cambridge University. Professor of History, History of Political Thought, 17th and 18th Century Britain, History of Religion.
• Loren Eiseley, anthropology professor from 1937 to 1944
• Michael S. Engel, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Curator of Entomology, expert on fossil insects.
• Bryant C. Freeman, founded the Institute of Haitian studies at KU, was given the protocol rank of Major General with the U.N. peacekeeping force, and has published dictionaries in the language.
• James Gunn – Hugo Award-winning science fiction author and creative writing professor
• Steve Hawley Professor of Physics and Astronomy, former astronaut and director of flight crew operations of Johnson Space Center.
• Kermit E Krantz MD, LittD (deceased 2007), University Distinguished Professor; Professor and Chairman Emeritus, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; developed the Marshall–Marchetti–Krantz (MMK) and invented the expandable tampon.
• Stanley Lombardo – Classics professor and translator of classical works into English, including the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid.
• Adrian Melott, Professor of Physics and Astronomy. Astrophysicist and astrobiologist, researched the large-scale structure of the Universe, and mass extinctions.
• Charles D. Michener Ex-chairman of KU Entomology Department, ex-director of the Snow Entomological Museum.
• Richard Moore, distinguished Professor emeritus
• Jan Roskam, emeritus Professor of Aerospace Engineering, author of eleven books on airplane design and flight dynamics.
• Jeffrey Vitter, provost, executive vice chancellor, and Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor
• Kevin Willmott, associate professor of Theater & Film, writer and director of the film C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
• Donald Worster, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, considered one of the founders of the field of environmental history.

Athletes and coaches

For athletes and coaches, see the relevant section in Kansas Jayhawks

Baseball

• Bob Allison, All-Star outfielder of the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins, 1959 American League Rookie of the Year.
• Jeff Berblinger, former Major League Baseball player
• Tom Gorzelanny, major league pitcher for the Washington Nationals
• Travis Metcalf, former Major League Baseball player
• Steve Renko, major league pitcher, winner of 136 games for seven different teams.
• Mike Getto, Head Baseball Coach, All-Americanin Football, Head Coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) Football Team in 1942.
• Mike Zagurski, major league pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks

Basketball

• Cole Aldrich, 2010 All-American, 11th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Forrest "Phog" Allen, Head basketball coach; Won 3 national championships, the 10th winningest coach in college basketball history and #1 winningest when he retired.
• Darrell Arthur, 2008 National Champions, 27th pick of 2008 NBA draft, Memphis Grizzlies
• Nick Bradford, basketball player 1997–2000, played professionally in Iceland, France, and Romania
• Bill Bridges, All-American, 1975 NBA Championship with Golden State Warriors.
• Mario Chalmers, 2007 Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, 2008 National Champions, MOP of 2008 Championship Game, 34th pick of 2008 NBA draft, Miami Heat
• Wilt Chamberlain, two-time All-American, NBA hall of famer and NBA all-time leader for career rebounds and most points in a single game with 100 points.
• Sherron Collins, 2010 All American, NBA player for Charlotte Bobcats, currently with BC Lietuvos Rytas
• Nick Collison, All-American, NBA player for the Oklahoma City Thunder also known as "Mr. USA Basketball" for representing the country in international basketball.
• Drew Gooden, All-American, 4th pick 2002 NBA draft, Basketball America Player of the Year 2002, Milwaukee Bucks.
• Xavier Henry, All Big 12 honorable mention, 12th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Memphis Grizzlies
• Kirk Hinrich, All-American, NBA player with the Chicago Bulls.
• Keith Langford, professional basketball player (with Maccabi Tel Aviv)
• Raef LaFrentz, All-American, NBA player with the Portland Trail Blazers.
• Clyde Lovellette, All-American, the first basketball player in history to play on NCAA, Olympic, and NBA championship squads. Three NBA Finals titles and 1952 Olympic gold medal and NCAA Champion.
• Danny Manning, basketball player and coach. Two-time All-American, 1988 recipient of the Naismith and Wooden Awards, Big 8 Player of the Decade for the 1980s, two-time NBA all-star.
• Ralph Miller, former men's basketball coach at Oregon State University, the University of Iowa, and Wichita State University, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
• Marcus Morris, All-American basketball player, fourteenth pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Houston Rockets
• Markieff Morris, Thirteenth pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, Phoenix Suns
• James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.
• Gregory Donovan Ostertag, NBA Utah Jazz Retired 1995-2012.
• Paul Pierce, All-American, NBA All-Star on the Boston Celtics.
• Scot Pollard, NBA, Free Agent
• Tyrel Reed, winningest player in Kansas history
• Thomas Robinson, NBA player for the Sacramento Kings
• Dave Robisch, 2-time All-American, 13 seasons in the ABA and NBA.
• Adolph Rupp, former men's basketball coach at the University of Kentucky and the third winningest coach in the sport. 2-time Helms National Championship team member at KU.
• Brandon Rush, two-time All-American, MVP of the 2008 Big 12 Tournament, 2008 National Champions, 13th pick of 2008 NBA draft, Indiana Pacers
• Wayne Simien, 2-time All-American, 2005 Big 12 Player of the Year.
• Dean Smith, Basketball coach at the University of North Carolina and the third winningest coach in the sport. 1952 NCAA Basketball title at KU.
• Tyshawn Taylor, NBA player for the Brooklyn Nets
• Mark Turgeon, former player and current head coach for University of Maryland, formerly at Wichita State and Texas A&M.
• Darnell Valentine, All-American, 3-time Academic All-American, 16th pick in 1981 NBA Draft, 10 years in NBA.
• Jacque Vaughn, two-time All-American, 27th pick in 1997 NBA Draft.
• Jo Jo White, All-American, 1968 gold medal Mexico City Olympics, named the most valuable player of the 1976 NBA Finals, seven-time NBA All-Star with Boston Celtics.
• Lynette Woodard, Four-time All-American at KU; major college basketball's career women's scoring leader. First female member of the Harlem Globetrotters. Olympic women's basketball gold medalist.
• Julian Wright, All-American, 13th pick of 2007 NBA draft, Toronto Raptors

Football

• Gilbert Brown, NFL Nose Tackle for Super Bowl XXXI Champion Green Bay Packers. 11 seasons in NFL.
• Nolan Cromwell, All-American, In 1976 set NCAA rushing record for a quarterback. 1980 NFC Defensive Player of the Year. 4-time pro bowl selection in 11 years with the Los Angeles Rams.
• Mike Getto, Head Baseball Coach, All-Americanin Football, Head Coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) Football Team in 1942.
• John Hadl, 2-time All-American, once as halfback and once as quarterback. Selected as KU Football Player of the Century. NFL Quarterback from 1962 to 1977.
• Rod Jones, Aloha Bowl Champion 1995, National Football League 1996–2002, Cincinnati BengalsSt.Louis RamsWashington Redskins
• Curtis R. McClinton, Jr. played in Super Bowl IV with the Kansas City Chiefs. He is the sixth-leading rusher in franchise history and MVP
• Willie Pless, Star football linebacker in the Canadian Football League. NCAA and Big 8 record holder for tackles with 633 (in only 3 years). 11 time All-Pro and 5 time Defensive Player of the Year in CFL.
• John Riggins, Super Bowl XVII MVP. NFL Hall of Fame inductee.
• Jack Del Rio, former NFL linebacker, former head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars(Del Rio played collegiately for the University of Southern California (USC). He earned his degree from KU while playing for the Kansas City Chiefs.)
• Gale Sayers, All-American, NFL Hall-of-Fame running back.
• Dana Stubblefield, NFL all-pro defensive end. Stubblefield was drafted in the 1st round of the 1993 NFL Draft, 26th overall, by the San Francisco 49ers. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. 4x All-Pro selection (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997). 1997 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
• Darrell Stuckey, NFL Safety, San Diego Chargers
• Aqib Talib, 2008 Orange Bowl MVP and first round NFL draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Golf

• Gary Woodland, professional golfer on the PGA Tour. Winner of the 2011 Transitions Championship at Innisbrook on the PGA Tour.
• Matt Gogel, professional golfer on the PGA Tour. Winner of the 2002 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on the PGA Tour.

Track and Field

• Glenn Cunningham, 1933 James E. Sullivan award, former world record holder in 1500m and the mile, Silver Medal in 1936 Olympics in 1500m
• Billy Mills, the only US athlete ever to win an Olympic 10,000m gold medal (at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics) and former world record holder.
• Al Oerter, All-American, Track and Field (discus), 4 consecutive gold medals in olympic discus throw (1956–1968). 2-time world record holder.
• Jim Ryun, former U.S. Congressman for Kansas District 2 (1997–2007), three-time U.S. Olympic runner and silver medalist. Held world records in the 880, 1,500m, and indoor and outdoor miles.
• Bill Nieder, Track and Field (shot put), won silver at the 1956 Summer Olympics and gold in 1960 Summer Olympics. Set three shot put world records.

See also

• List of lists of people from Kansas