List of University of Wisconsin–Madison people

Notable alumni

Nobel Laureates

• Herbert Spencer Gasser, A.B. 1910, A.M. 1911, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1944
• John Bardeen, B.S. 1928 and M.S. 1929, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1956 and 1972
• Edward Lawrie Tatum, B.A. 1931, M.S. 1932, Ph.D. 1935, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1958
• Stanford Moore, Ph.D. 1938, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1972
• John H. Van Vleck, A.B. 1920, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1977
• Theodore Schultz, M.S. 1928, Ph.D. 1930, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1979
• Erwin Neher, M.S. 1967, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1991
• Paul D. Boyer, M.S. 1941, Ph.D. 1943, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1997
• Günter Blobel, Ph.D. 1967, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1999
• Alan G. MacDiarmid, M.S. 1952, Ph.D. 1953, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000
• Saul Bellow, completed graduate work, recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1976

Academics

(UW-Madison alumni only)

Frederick Jackson Turner

• Stephen Ambrose, author and historian
• Henry H. Barschall, physicist
• David T. Beito, author and historian
• Richard Bellman, mathematician and inventor of dynamic programming
• May Louise Cowles, home economics instructor and lecturer
• William Cronon (1976), environmental historian
• Kenneth S. Davis, historian
• Eliza T. Dresang (PhD, 1981), professor and researcher in literacy, library and information sciences, media and technology
• Anne Haas Dyson 1972 College of Education - professor and researcher in literacy
• Lloyd Gardner, historian of U.S. foreign relations
• Clark Hull, influential psychologist of motivation
• J. Martin Klotsche, first chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Walter LaFeber, historian of U.S. foreign relations
• Carolyn "Biddy" Martin, current chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Abraham Maslow (PhD 1934), groundbreaking humanist psychologist, "hierarchy of needs"
• Suzanne E. Moranian, historian
• Richard Nelson, cultural anthropologist
• Maurice F. Neufeld, professor emeritus, Cornell University
• Stephen Nissenbaum (PhD 1968), noted cultural and intellectual historian
• Gerald North, climatologist
• Alton Ochsner, UW medical professor and cancer researcher who later cofounded the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans
• Gil-Sung Park, Korean sociologist
• Andrew C. Porter, former president, AERA; professor, Vanderbilt University
• Walter Ristow, librarian
• Sumner Slichter, labor economist
• Frederick Jackson Turner (1884, MA 1888), historian and professor, Pulitzer-prize winner
• T. Harry Williams, historian
• William Appleman Williams, historian of U.S. foreign relations
• James Wright, 16th president of Dartmouth College

Athletics

• Alan Ameche, 1954 Heisman Trophy winner, NFL player, Baltimore Colts
• Ken Behring, former owner, Seattle Seahawks
• Michael Bennett, NFL player, San Diego Chargers
• Brooks Bollinger, NFL player, Dallas Cowboys
• Rene Bourque, NHL player, Calgary Flames
• Maureen Brunt, curler, Olympian
• Adam Burish, NHL player, Chicago Blackhawks
• Brian Calhoun, NFL player, Detroit Lions
• Chris Chambers, NFL player, San Diego Chargers
• Chris Chelios, NHL player, Detroit Red Wings, 3-time Norris Trophy Winner
• Eddie Cochems, father of the forward pass
• Ken Criter, retired NFL player, Denver Broncos
• Ron Dayne, 1999 Heisman Trophy winner, NFL player, Houston Texans
• Mark Doran, 1983 first round draft choice California Angels MLB
• Jason Doering, NFL player, drafted by Indianapolis Colts, played for Washington Redskins
• Lee Evans, NFL player, Buffalo Bills
• Eric I Farness, wrestler, 1986
• Suzy Favor-Hamilton, track and field, Olympian
• Michael Finley, NBA player, San Antonio Spurs
• Jamar Fletcher, NFL player, Detroit Lions
• Terrell Fletcher, retired NFL player, San Diego Chargers
• Ed Garvey, former executive director, National Football League Players Association
• Tom Gilbert, NHL player, Edmonton Oilers
• Tony Granato, retired NHL player, Los Angeles Kings, head coach Colorado Avalanche
• Devin Harris, NBA player, New Jersey Nets
• Dany Heatley, NHL player, Ottawa Senators
• Phil Hellmuth, Texas hold-em champion 11 bracelets
• Aaron Hohlbein, MLS player, Kansas City Wizards
• Beau Hoopman, Olympic rowing gold medalist
• Bert Husting, football and baseball teams, later a major leaguer (1900-02)
• Erasmus James, NFL player, Washington Redskins
• Al Johnson, NFL player, New England Patriots
• Mark Johnson, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) women's ice hockey coach, NHL player, member of 1980 Miracle on Ice gold medal Olympic team that beat the USSR.
• Curtis Joseph, NHL player, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Addie Joss, former MLB player, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
• Matt Katula, NFL player, Baltimore Ravens
• Harvey Kuenn, retired MLB player and manager
• Jim Leonhard, NFL player, Baltimore Ravens
• D. Wayne Lukas, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame and American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame trainer
• Buddy Melges, America’s Cup skipper
• James Menon, nine-time NCAA All-American Track and Field Cross Country
• Ahmad Merritt, NFL player
• Bob Mionske, former Olympic and professional bicycle racer
• Brian Mullen, former NHL player and current New York Rangers broadcaster
• Jim O'Toole, retired MLB player
• Lance Painter, retired MLB player
• Joe Panos, retired NFL player, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills
• Kirk Penney, former player for ALBA Berlin in basketball's Euroleague, former NBA player for L.A. Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves, currently playing for the New Zealand Breakers
• Joe Pavelski, NHL player, San Jose Sharks
• Carly Piper, swimmer, gold medalist and world record holder in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games
• Joe Piskula, NHL player, Los Angeles Kings
• George Poage, athlete, first African American Olympic medal winner
• Paul Quantrill, retired MLB player
• Brian Rafalski, NHL player, Detroit Red Wings
• Steve Reinprecht, NHL player
• Barry Richter, NHL player
• Mike Richter, retired NHL player, New York Rangers
• Pat Richter, retired NFL player, Washington Redskins
• Bud Selig, Baseball Commissioner
• Beom-Seok Shim, former PGA golfer
• Tony Simmons, Canadian Football League (CFL) player (B.C. Lions) and former NFL player
• Jim Sorgi, NFL player, Indianapolis Colts
• Scott Starks, NFL player, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Christian Steinmetz, Hall of Fame Basketball player
• Bob Suter, retired NHL player, 1980 Olympics gold medalist who played in the Miracle on Ice game.
• Gary Suter, retired NHL player
• Ryan Suter, NHL player
• Mark Tauscher, NFL player, Green Bay Packers
• Joe Thomas, NFL player, Cleveland Browns
• Al Toon, retired NFL player, New York Jets
• Alando Tucker, NBA player Phoenix Suns
• Kyle Turris, drafted into NHL 3rd overall in 2007 NHL Draft Phoenix Coyotes
• Troy Vincent, NFL player, Buffalo Bills
• Mike Wilkinson, American professional basketball player in Russia with Khimki BC
• Brandon Williams, NFL player, San Francisco 49ers
• Brian Elliot, NHL player, Ottawa Senators

Arts and entertainment

Frank Lloyd Wright

• Rick Berman, television/movie producer
• Tamara Braun, actress
• Oscar Brown, musician (no degree obtained)
• Gina Cerminara, author
• Lynne Cheney, former Second Lady, writer
• Dale Chihuly, glass artist
• Joan Cusack, actress
• Oliver DelGado, TV personality
• André DeShields, Emmy Award-winning actor/singer/dancer/choreographer
• Jason Gerhardt, actor
• Daron Hagen (attended), composer, conductor, pianist
• Elizabeth Hoeller, Internet Phenomena
• Jane Kaczmarek, actress (Malcolm in the Middle)
• Michael Mann, movie director/producer
• Fredric March, actor
• Steve Marmel, comedian/writer Fairly Odd Parents
• Steve Miller, musician (left school six credit-hours short of a degree)
• Walter Mirisch, Academy Award-winning film producer
• Kevin Murphy writer, actor, and puppeteer for ''Mystery Science Theater 3000''
• Ken Navarro, jazz guitarist
• Meinhardt Raabe, Munchkin in the Wizard of Oz
• Tom Rosenberg, Academy Award winning film producer
• Boz Scaggs (Wm. Royce Scaggs), musician
• Dorothy Schwartz, violinist with the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Symphony Orchestra
• Ben Sidran, jazz pianist
• Daniel J. Travanti, Emmy Award-winning actor
• Charlie Trotter, chef/PBS host
• Butch Vig, musician, Garbage
• Matt White, singer-songwriter
• Tom Wopat, actor/musician
• Frank Lloyd Wright (attended), architect
• Frank Wu, science-fiction artist
• Joel Zimmerman AKA Deadmau5, DJ/producer
• David Zucker, movie director/producer
• Jerry Zucker, movie director/producer

Aviators and astronauts

Charles Lindbergh

Laurel Clark

• Laurel Clark, astronaut
• Charles Lindbergh, aviator
• Jim Lovell, astronaut, Apollo 13 mission
• Brewster Shaw, astronaut, Space Shuttle Columbia; former director, Space Shuttle Operations, NASA
• Patrick Slane, astronomer, Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Business

• Carol Bartz, CEO of Yahoo!, former chairman of the board, president, and CEO of Autodesk, Inc..
• William S. Harley, founder of Harley-Davidson
• David J. Lesar chairman, president and CEO of Halliburton Energy Services
• John P. Morgridge, chairman of the board, former president and CEO of Cisco Systems, philanthropist
• William Beverly Murphy, former president and CEO Campbell Soup Company
• Daniel J. Piette, director of Petroleum Geo-Services, president and CEO of OpenSpirit Corporation
• Tom Pyle, chairman and president, Pyle Group, former chairman and CEO, Rayovac Group
• Lee R. Raymond, former chairman and CEO, Exxon Mobil
• Reuben Trane, president of Trane

Literature

• August Derleth, writer, editor, anthologist of H. P. Lovecraft, and founder of Arkham House publishing
• Lorraine Hansberry, author and playwright
• Joyce Carol Oates, National Book Award-winning author
• Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author
• Eudora Welty, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist

News, journalism, and broadcasting

• Jim Armstrong, sports writer, The Denver Post
• Ira Basen, producer, CBC Radio
• Lowell Bergman, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
• Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author.
• Rita Braver, national reporter, CBS News
• Jane Brody, columnist, New York Times
• Tim Cahill, adventure travel writer, founding editor of Outside magazine
• Scott Cohn, senior correspondent, CNBC
• Michael Feldman, Host of Public Radio’s Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?
• Jeff Greenfield, senior political correspondent, CBS
• Paul Ingrassia, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
• Haynes Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
• Ben Karlin, creator and former executive producer, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report
• Andy Katz, college basketball writer, ESPN
• David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
• Patricia McConnell, co-host of Public Radio's Calling All Pets
• Robert D. McFadden, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
• Edwin Newman, former NBC news correspondent
• Arthur C. Nielsen Sr., founder of AC Nielsen (TV ratings and market research)
• Phil Rosenthal, columnist, Chicago Tribune
• Anthony Shadid, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
• Leonard Shapiro, sports writer, Washington Post
• Tom Skilling, chief meteorologist, WGN-TV
• Greta Van Susteren, broadcaster and news analyst, Fox News Channel

Law and politics

• Shirley Abrahamson, Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
• Iajuddin Ahmed, former President of Bangladesh
• Tammy Baldwin, member of the United States House of Representatives representing Wisconsin's Second Congressional District.
• Tom Barrett, United States House of Representatives representing Wisconsin's Fifth Congressional District from 1993 to 2003, mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 2004 to present
• Rebecca Birget Certa, a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Alabama's Eighth Congressional District
• Phillip M. Chavez, City of Milwaukee municipal judge (graduated from UW Law and was a member of the 1994 Rose Bowl Team.)
• Dick Cheney, former Vice President of the United States (attended UW as doctoral student; did not graduate.)
• Dr Jon Cruddas, British Member of Parliament. He was a visiting Fellow (1987–1988)
• Glenn Robert Davis, member of the United States House of Representatives
• Jim Doyle, Governor of Wisconsin
• Lawrence Eagleburger, former U.S. Secretary of State
• Evan Alfred Evans, United States federal judge
• Sergio Fajardo, former mayor of Medellin, Colombia
• Russ Feingold, U.S. Senator
• John A. Gronouski, United States Postmaster General
• Philip Gunawardena, former Sri Lankan revolutionary, cabinet minister, Indian freedom fighter; "the father of socialism in Sri Lanka".
• Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia (2006–Present)
• Jim Jordan, Ohio Congressman, two-time wrestling NCAA champion
• Philip Mayer Kaiser, U.S. Diplomat
• Marcy Kaptur, Ohio Congresswoman
• Herb Kohl, U.S. Senator
• Belle Case La Follette, women's suffragist and wife of Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
• Philip La Follette, former Wisconsin governor
• Robert M. La Follette, Sr., former Wisconsin governor and Congressman
• Lee Youn Ho, Minister of Knowledge Economy, South Korea
• Lien Chan, former vice president of Taiwan and the Kuomintang.
• Laura Miller, former mayor of Dallas, Texas
• Bob Mionske, attorney and former Olympic and professional bicycle racer
• Edmund C. Moy, 38th director of the United States mint
• Jayaprakash Narayan, Indian freedom fighter and political leader. In 1998, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna
• Philleo Nash, government official, college professor
• Gaylord Nelson, former U.S. Senator, Wisconsin governor and founder of Earth Day
• Tawiah Modibo Ocran, Supreme Court judge in Ghana
• Russell W. Peterson, governor of Delaware
• Paul Samuel Reinsch, appointed minister to China in 1913
• William A. Steiger, Congress
• Nahathai Thewphaingarm, former Thai Minister of Education and spokesperson of Thai Rak Thai Party
• George Thompson, Attorney General of Wisconsin
• Tommy Thompson, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; former Governor of Wisconsin (1986–2001)
• Edwin E. Witte, Social Security advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Science, technology and engineering

• Gene Amdahl, Ph.D. Amdahl's law.
• John Atanasoff, Ph.D. 1930, inventor of the electronic digital computer
• George H. Brown, inventor, television pioneer, and recipient Edison Medal
• Milton H. Erickson, MD, psychiatrist, founder of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
• Gerson Goldhaber, Ph. D physics 1950, discoverer of Charmed Meson, and Dark Energy
• Willi Kalender, inventor of spiral scan computed tomography and full professor of medical physics at University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
• Lynn Margulis, M.S. zoology and genetics 1960, author of the serial endosymbiotic theory of cell development, advocate of the Gaia hypothesis. professor at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
• Brian Paul, M.S. computer science 1994, computer programmer of the Mesa 3D open source graphics library
• Edward Schildhauer, a chief engineer on the Panama Canal project
• Helmer Swenholt, commanding officer of the 332nd Engineer General Service Regiment
• Stephen Taber III, apiologist, noted authority and author in the field of artificial insemination of queen bees for the purpose of developing disease resistant and gentle bee colonies
• Dr.Paul Williams, inventor of the Wisconsin Fast Plant.
• Samuel D. Wonders, consulting engineer, ink manufacturer and president of Carter's Ink Company

Other notable alumni

• Milo Aukerman, biochemist, taught at UW for several years, also front man of historic punk rock band the Descendents
• Steven Gershone, personal assistant and stylist to Baroness Margaret Thatcher
• Eva Lund Haugen, author and editor
• John Muir (1838—1914), naturalist, founder of the Sierra Club, instrumental in preserving Yosemite National Park

Chancellors and presidents

Main article: List of Presidents and Chancellors of the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Notable faculty and staff

(former and current)

• Ann Althouse, professor of law and well-known blogger
• Rasmus B. Anderson, professor, author, diplomat
• Michael Apple, leading educational theorist
• Stephen Babcock, inventor of the Babcock test for measuring the butterfat content of milk
• Charles Russell Bardeen, first dean of the University of Wisconsin Medical School
• Kevin Barrett, associate lecturer noted for publicly advocating a conspiracy theory regarding the September 11th attacks
• John Bascom, president of the University of Wisconsin
• Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author
• David Bordwell, prominent neoformalist film theorist and author
• Paul S. Boyer, prominent historian of American thought and culture; author of Salem Possessed
• Thomas D. Brock, microbiologist who discovered hyperthermophiles living in hot springs at Yellowstone National Park
• Aaron Brower, professor of social work and Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning
• Sean B. Carroll, professor of evolutionary biology
• John R. Commons, one of the architects of Social Security in the United States
• James F. Crow, professor of genetics, noted population geneticist
• Merle Curti, historian of U.S. intellectual history
• Farrington Daniels, early researcher in solar energy
• Richard Davis, jazz bassist
• Richard Davidson, professor of psychology and psychiatry, widely noted for his mind-body research [1]
• Carl de Boor, professor emeritus of mathematics and computer science; winner of National Medal of Science, best known for pioneering work on splines
• Hector DeLuca, researcher of vitamin D
• Donald Downs, professor of political science
• Jordan Ellenberg, professor of mathematics, novelist, writer
• Richard Theodore Ely (1854–1943), professor, social activist, economist
• Joseph Erlanger, 1944 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Michael V. Fox, professor of Hebrew
• Jeremy Freese, associate professor of sociology and popular blogger
• Milton Friedman, associate professor of Economics Nobel Prize for Economics
• Adam Gamoran, professor of sociology and director, Wisconsin Center for Education Research
• Morton Ann Gernsbacher, professor of psychology and president of the Association for Psychological Science
• James R. Goodman, professor of computer science and computer architect, known for his work on cache coherence protocols
• Michelle Grabner, professor of art
• Harry Harlow, psychologist, known for studies on affection using rhesus monkeys with artificial mothers
• Willard Hurst, seminal figure in the development of modern American legal history
• Har Gobind Khorana, 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

For describing the genetic code and how it operates in protein synthesis

• Stephen Cole Kleene, a foundational contributor to theoretical computer science
• Rudolf Kolisch, violinist
• Gloria Ladson-Billings, leading educational theorist and past president of the American Educational Research Association
• Mike Leckrone, director of the University of Wisconsin marching band since 1969
• Joshua Lederberg, 1958 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

For his research in genetic structure and function in microorganisms

• Gerda Lerner, Professor Emerita; historian of women's and gender history; considered a founder of women's history
• Harvey Littleton, founder of the modern American studio glass movement
• Aldo Leopold, author of A Sand County Almanac, which helped spawn the environmental movement and interest in ecology; also founded the Wilderness Society
• Miron Livny, computer science professor and founder of the Condor High-Throughput Computing System
• Carolyn "Biddy" Martin, professor of German and current chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Abraham Maslow, psychologist, known for Maslow's hierarchy of needs
• Anne McClintock, Simone de Beauvoir Professor and author of Imperial Leather: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the Colonial Contest
• Nellie Y. McKay, scholar of African-American literature and co-editor of the Norton Anthology of African-American Literature
• Alexander Meiklejohn, philosopher and free-speech advocate
• Jack Mitchell, first employee of National Public Radio; first producer of "All Things Considered"
• George L. Mosse, professor; noted historian of European nationalism and gender
• Ronald Numbers, historian of science
• Harry Partch, avant-garde composer
• Zorba Paster, co-host of Public Radio's Zorba Paster On Your Health
• Felix Pollak, curator of Special Collections; poet
• Andrew C. Porter, former director of Wisconsin Center for Education Research, professor of education policy at Vanderbilt
• Carl Rogers, psychologist and founder of Client-Centered Therapy
• Bo Ryan, current head men's basketball coach
• Isaac Jacob Schoenberg, mathematician, best known for the discovery in 1946 of splines
• Harrison Schmitt, adjunct professor of engineering physics, 12th man on the Moon as Apollo 17 astronaut and geologist
• Donna E. Shalala, chancellor 1987–1993; Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1993–2001
• John Sharpless, history professor; former candidate for the United States House of Representatives, 2000
• Oliver Smithies, faculty 1960 to 1988, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2007
• Harry Steenbock, biochemist, vitamin D researcher
• Scott Straus, assistant professor of Political Science and International Studies, specialising in the study of genocide
• Stephen Suomi director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Comparative Ethology Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health
• Cecil Taylor, jazz pianist
• Howard Temin, 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of reverse transcriptase
• James Thomson, credited with first successful culturing of human embryonic stem cells
• Frederick Jackson Turner, historian and creator of the "frontier thesis" explaining the American character
• Timothy Tyson, professor of African-American history and author
• Stanisław Ulam, mathematician who joined the Manhattan Project during World War II
• Charles R. Van Hise, geologist and university president who formulated the "Wisconsin Idea"
• Edward Burr Van Vleck, mathematician and professor
• Alexander Vasiliev (1867–1953), Byzantinist and Arabist
• Jan Vansina, historian of Africa and father of oral historical methodology
• Eugene Wigner, 1963 Nobel Prize in Physics
• William Appleman Williams, historian of American diplomacy
• Erik Olin Wright, noted sociologist
• Sewall Wright, professor of genetics, one of the fathers of population genetics
• Efim Zelmanov, recipient of the Fields Medal in 1994
• Howard Zimmerman, organic chemist, discovered barrelene