List of Sam Houston State University alumni

Since graduating its first class, Sam Houston State University has had many of its former students go on to garner recognition and accolades.

Science and academics

• Hiram Abiff Boaz – Bishop; President of Polytechnic College from 1902 to 1911, and of Southern Methodist University, 1920-1922
• Willie Dee Bowles – historian of women's suffrage
• William "Bill" R. Brinkley – Professor and Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine
• Jess T. Davenport – expert on drug abuse at Brown University School of Medicine
• Melinda Estes – neuropathologist and president and chief executive of the Fletcher Allen Health Care corporation
• Kenneth R. Mladenka – political scientist
• Marilyn McAdams Sibley – historian

Arts and media

• Ryder Dushinsky - Houston Rockets radio announcer
• David Adickes – painter; sculptor; creator of '65 Sam Houston statue, President heads at Presidents Park
• Jonathan Aibel – screenwriter of Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2
• Dana Andrews – Hollywood actor and president of the Screen Actors Guild, 1963-1965
• Frank Bielec – Trading Spaces designer
• Katie Rose Clarke – Broadway actor
• Patricia Coleman – courtroom artist
• James A. Cramer – former President of World Learning and the School for International Training
• Roger Creager – country-western musician
• Brooke Daniels – Miss Texas USA 2009
• Frank Q. Dobbs – writer, director, producer (Streets of Laredo, Gunsmoke)
• Dan Dunn, cartoonist, creator of Paintjam
• Chester W. "Chet" Flippo – music writer and author
• Randy Galloway – writer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; radio personality ESPN 103.3
• Ed Gerlach Jr. – big band leader and entertainer
• Michael Gibson – newscaster KIII-TV (1987, B.A. Journalism)
• Paul Alexander Gonzalez – drummer/percussionist; toured and recorded with many artists including Paulina Rubio, Lonnie Jordan, The Rembrandts, and All 4 One
• Greg Graham – Broadway choreographer
• Sean Hargreaves – production designer
• James Havard – painter and sculptor
• Roy Hazelwood – FBI profiler and author
• Molly Hazlett – 2007 Miss Texas
• Terri Jaggers - Mrs. US America, 2008; National Spokesperson, National Association of Foster Parents
• Richard Linklater – Oscar-nominated film director
• Steven Long – true crime writer
• Debra Maffett – Miss America, 1983; now host of The Harvest Show on LeSea Broadcasting Network (RTF major)
• Johnny Maze – radio program director, DJ (1993; RTF, BFA Communications)
• Emily Neves – voice actor
• Gary L. Powell – songwriter for Disney
• Dan Rather – newscaster (1953, B.A. Journalism)
• Chrissie Roberts - radio air talent
• J. Allen Shamblin – country songwriter (1982)
• Molly Louise Shepard – playwright; attended SHSU in 1978 as an RTF major, 1979–80 as a theatre major, and transferred to the University of Texas at Dallas in 1980
• James Surls – modernist artist
• Jack Tinsley – Fort Worth Star-Telegram executive editor who led the paper to two Pulitzer Prizes in the 1980s
• John L. Dupuis - Author. Novel "Third Party Candidate"
• Lauren Galley - Author, spokesperson

Athletics

• Walt Anderson – NFL referee (1974) and head referee for Super Bowl XLV
• Michael Bankston – professional football player, defensive tackle; 3rd round draft choice in 1991 by the Arizona Cardinals; played ten years in the NFL for AZ, Wash., Cin.
• Stan Blinka – linebacker for the NFL's New York Jets
• Rhett Bomar – quarterback for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings
• Grant Buley - long-run god for Sam Houston State University
• Kenneth Callaway – professional bull rider, PRCA
• Ronnie Carroll – offensive guard for the NFL's Houston Oilers
• Tina Chandler – IFBB professional bodybuilder
• Keith Davis – former safety for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys
• Johnnie Dirden – wide receiver for the NFL's Houston Oilers
• Matt Dominguez – wide receiver for the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders
• Lou "Sweet Lou" Ferrell – baseball (2001–2003)
• Jimmie Gibbs-Munroe – rodeo professional and member of Cowboy Hall of Fame
• Derrick Harris – professional arenafootball2 Rio Grande Valley Dorados player (2006)
• Keith Heinrich – tight end for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Phil Hennigan - former Major League Baseball pitcher, Cleveland Indians and New York Mets
• Ben Hightower – tight end for the AFL's Cleveland Rams
• Gary Kimball – defensive back for the NFL's Washington Redskins
• Hubbard Law – offensive guard for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers
• Josh McCown – backup quarterback for the NFL's Cleveland Browns
• Guido Merkens – quarterback, wide receiver, running back, and defensive back for multiple teams
• McNeil Moore – defensive back for the NFL's Chicago Bears
• Sam Moore – gridiron football player
• Ricky Royal – defensive back for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons
• L.N. "Sonny" Sikes – rodeo professional and Member, Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame
• Monty Sopp, born Billy Gunn - professional wrestler
• Steve Sparks – professional baseball player (1987)
• D.D. Terry – running back for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars
• George Wright – defensive tackle for the NFL's Baltimore Colts

Business

• Arnold A. Allemang – retired Executive Vice President, Dow Chemical
• Charles E. Amato – Chairman, Southwest Business Corp.
• Karoline Patterson Bresenhan – President, Quilts Inc.
• John Charles Carrabba III – owner, Carrabba's Italian Grill
• Gary L. Dudley – President, Southwest Business Corp.
• Timothy Frank – CEO of Conn's Appliances
• Charles "Randy" French – owner and President, Stylecraft Homes
• Eleanor Smith Garrett – Executive Vice President, Garrett Metal Detectors
• Donald G. Russell – retired chairman and CEO, Sonat Exploration
• Don A. Sanders – vice chairman, Sanders Morris Harris Group
• Tom Skains – CEO, President and chairman of the board, Piedmont Natural Gas
• Dan E. Spence – retired CEO, Procorp Associates
• Anton V. Vincent – President, General Mills Snacks Division
• Gary L. Whitlock – Executive Vice President and CFO, CenterPoint Energy
• George C. Yax – retired co-founder, Ceanic Corporation
• Mark Takahashi - Replenishment Analyst, Academy Sports and Outdoors.

John L. Dupuis - President Dad's Root Beer Company Chicago, Ill. President Leading Edge Flavors, Dalllas, Texas, Regional V.P. Dr Pepper Company, Dallas, Texas

Politics

• Joseph A. Adame – Mayor of Corpus Christi
• Kenneth Armbrister – former Texas state senator and director of legislative affairs
• Orville Bullington – Wichita Falls lawyer; 1932 Republican gubernatorial nominee against Miriam A. Ferguson (Class of 1901)
• Allen Fletcher– member of the Texas House of Representatives from Tomball since 2009 (B.S. and M.S. in Criminal Justice)
• Robert Gammage – former US Congressman; former Texas Supreme Court Justice
• Lyda Green – retired educator; Republican politician in Alaska
• John H. Hannah, Jr. – former United States federal judge
• Gibson D. Lewis – former Texas Speaker of the House, the longest serving in state history
• Art Martinez de Vara – Mayor of Von Ormy, Texas
• Will Metcalf - Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 16, beginning January 2015 (Class of 2006, Criminal Justice)
• Borris L. Miles – member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 146
• Cecil J. Picard – Louisiana educator, legislator, state superintendent of education (1996–2007)
• Thaksin Shinawatra – former Prime Minister of Thailand (1979, PhD in Criminal Justice)
• Charlie Wilson – member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 2nd congressional district (portrayed in the movie Charlie Wilson's War by actor Tom Hanks)
• Ralph Yarborough – Texas Democratic politician who served in the United States Senate (1957 to 1971)
• Bill Zedler, member of the Texas House of Representatives from Tarrant County, 2003–2009 and since 2011 ('67 M.B.A.)

Armed services

• Almer C. Burnett – Colonel United States Army; World War I and World War II veteran, Commandant of Junior ROTC, Dallas Public Schools; founder of JROTC Camp Dallas at Fort Wolters
• M.B. Etheredge – World War II combat soldier and Medal of Honor recipient
• William F. Garrison – retired Major General of the United States Army; commander of Operation Gothic Serpent, the military operation launched in 1993 to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid; portrayed in the movie 'Black Hawk Down by Sam Shepard
• Hiram "Doc" Jones – Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force
• Marcus Luttrell – Navy Cross recipient for his actions in 2005 facing Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wing; co-authored the New York Times bestseller Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10; a film version starring Mark Wahlberg was released in 2013
• Jerry Marshall – United States Air Force colonel with 31 years of service; veteran of over 120 combat missions; has more than 5,000 flying hours
• J. Michael Myatt – retired Major General of the United States Marine Corps; commanded the 1st Marine Division during Operation Desert Storm in 1990–91; his division liberated Kuwait City; president and CEO of the Marines Memorial Association
• Larry Snook – former United States Army Colonel; former Grimes County Judge
• John William Thomason Jr. – World War I hero and recipient of Navy Cross
• Carl M. Williams, PhD – Commissioner of Police, Jamaica Constabulary Force