List of University of Wisconsin–Madison people
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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)
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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[1]
- Eudora Welty, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist[1]
News, journalism, and broadcasting
- Jim Armstrong, sports writer, The Denver Post
- Ira Basen, producer, CBC Radio
- Lowell Bergman, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist[1]
- 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[1]
- Haynes Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist[1]
- 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[1]
- Patricia McConnell, co-host of Public Radio's Calling All Pets
- Robert D. McFadden, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist[1]
- 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[1]
- 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 [2]
- 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
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