List of Whitman College alumni

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Following is a list of notable Whitman College alumni.

Academia[edit]

Name Class Major Notability References
Roland Bainton 1914 Protestant church historian and professor of ecclesiastical history at Yale Divinity School [1]
Robert Clodius 1942 Educator and acting President of University of Wisconsin–Madison [1]
Paula England 1971 Sociology and psychology Award-winning sociologist, professor at New York University [2][1]
Reginald Green 1955 Development economist and academic [1]
Torey Hayden 1973 Biology and chemistry Child psychologist, special education teacher, university lecturer, and author [3]
Stephen A. Hayner 1970 English literature President of Columbia Theological Seminary [4]
Dan Fenno Henderson 1944 Founder of the University of Washington Asian Law program [5][1]
Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg 2001 Politics Executive in Residence at Schmidt Futuresrme and former professor at the University of San Francisco. [6]
Ben Kerkvliet 1965 Author and educator in comparative politics, Southeast Asia, and Asian studies. [7]
Frances Penrose Owen 1919 Greek First woman Regent of Washington State University [8][1]
Gordon Wright 1933 BA History professor at the University of Oregon and Stanford University,
Robert W. Young 1955 Linguist known for his work on the Navajo language and professor at the University of New Mexico [1]

Art and museums[edit]

Name Class Major Notability References
Marcus Amerman 1981 Art Artist
Douglas Cole 1960 Art history Historian and professor specializing in art and Pacific Northwest cultural history
David Crockett Graham 1908 BA Curator of the Museum of Art, Archaeology, and Ethnology at the West China Union University and field collector for the Smithsonian [1]

Business[edit]

Name Class Major Notability References
Ralph Cordiner 1922 Economics and political science CEO and chairman, General Electric, Corp.(1958–1963); President (1950–1958) [9]
Stephanie Dorgan 1977 Economics Founder and owner of Seattle music venue The Crocodile
Ashifi Gogo 2005 Mathematics and physics Co-founder of Sproxil [1]
Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg 2001 Politics Executive in Residence at Schmidt Futures [1]
John W. Stanton 1977 Political science Founder and CEO, Western Wireless, majority owner of the Seattle Mariners [1]
Colleen Willoughby 1955 Founder of the Washington Women's Foundation and the director of Global Women Partners in Philanthropy [10][1]

Entertainment[edit]

Name Class Major Notability References
Anomie Belle 2002 Sociology Professional musician and artivist
Dirk Benedict 1967 Dramatic art Actor known for Battlestar Galactica and The A-Team.
Chastity Belt (band) 2010 Indie-rock band formed by Whitman students
Richard Garfield 1990's Game designer and creator of Magic: The Gathering
Otto Harbach c. 1900 MA Lyricist and librettist of about fifty musical comedies, including The Desert Song
Cullen Hoback 2003 Filmmaker, Monster Camp Terms and Conditions May Apply, Q Into the Storm
Shane Johnson 1998 Actor, Saving Private Ryan, Black Cadillac
Morten Lauridsen 1965 Composer and professor emeritus of composition at the USC Thornton School of Music [1]
Lela Loren 2002 Theatre Television actress
John Moe 1990 Dramatic art NPR host and author
Lance Norris 1985 Dramatic art Actor known for Mystic River
Patrick Page 1985 Actor and playwright
Kathryn Shaw 1971 Dramatic art Artistic director of Studio 58 at Langara College i
Rick Stevenson 1977 History Film writer, director, and producer
Adam West 1951 English Actor known for Batman and Family Guy

Government and military[edit]

Name Class Major Notability References
Alan K. Campbell 1947 First director of the United States Office of Personnel Management [1]
Alan W. Jones 1917 non-degreed U.S. Army Major general [11][12]
Neil Kornze 2000 Politics former Director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management

Law[edit]

Name Class Major Notability References
Kenneth Culp Davis 1931 Legal scholar remembered as "the father of administrative law." [1]
William O. Douglas 1920 English and economics U.S. Supreme Court Justice [1]
James Alger Fee 1910 Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit [1]
W. Michael Gillette 1963 BA Oregon Supreme Court Justice
Meda Chesney-Lind 1969 Criminologist and advocate for girls and women who come in contact with the criminal justice system in Hawaii. [1]
Lucile Lomen 1941 First woman to serve as a law clerk for a Supreme Court justice
James L. Robart 1969 Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington [1]
Charles F. Stafford 1940 Justice of the Washington Supreme Court [1]

Literature and journalism[edit]

Name Class Major Notability References
Nate Cohn 2010 BA Journalist for The New York Times
Craig Lesley 1967 Novelist who has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize [1]
John Markoff 1971 Sociology The New York Times journalist and co-author of Takedown
Edward P. Morgan 1932 Journalist and writer who reported for newspapers, radio, and television media services including ABC, CBS, and PBS [1]

Politics[edit]

Name Class Major Notability References
Jack Burtch 1951 Political science Washington State Representative
Ryan Crocker 1971 English U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Syria, and Pakistan [1]
Jena Griswold 2006 Politics Secretary of State of Colorado
Hal Holmes 1923 United States House of Representatives [1]
Walt Minnick 1964 former Idaho Congressman
Pat Thibaudeau 1960 Psychology former Washington State Senator
Al Ullman 1935 United States House of Representatives for 24 years [1]
Ben Westlund 1971 Education and history former Oregon State Treasurer

Science and medicine[edit]

Name Class Major Notability References
Alexander Barnes 2003 Chemistry chemist, professor, and recipient of the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award
J. Bruce Beckwith 1954 Pediatric pathologist known for helping to identify Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome [1]
Gerard van Belle 1990 Physics and astronomy Astronomer.
Bernard Berelson 1934 English Behavioral scientist known for work on communication and mass media
Walker Bleakney 1924 Physics Inventor of mass spectrometer, chair of department of physics at Princeton University [1]
Robert Brattain 1931 Physics Physicist
Walter Brattain 1924 Physics Nobel Prize winner, physicist, and co-inventor of the transistor [1]
Robert Brode 1921 Physicist and leader at the Manhattan Project's Los Alamos Laboratory [1]
Wallace R. Brode 1921 BA Chemist, specializing in the absorption spectra of dyes [1]
William M. Fairbank 1939 Physicist known in particular for his work on liquid helium [1]
Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger 1997 Geology NASA astronaut
Webb Miller 1965 BA Computational biology pioneer
David R. Nygren 1960 Particle physicist, inventor of the Time projection chamber.
Edith Quimby 1912 Mathematics and physics Medical researcher and physicist [1]
Vladimir Rojansky 1924 BS Physicist, one of the earliest researchers of quantum mechanics [1]
E. J. Workman 1924 BS Atmospheric physicist [1]

Sports[edit]

Name Class Major Notability References
Mara Abbott 2008 Economics Professional cyclist [13]
Ingrid Backstrom 2000 Geology Professional skier [14]
Holly Brooks 2004 Sociology and environmental studies Winter Olympian in Nordic skiing [15]
Derrike Cope 1980 NASCAR driver, 1990 Daytona 500 winner [16]
Ben Eisenhardt 2014 Professional player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League [17]
Tommy Lloyd 1998 Biology Head basketball coach at the University of Arizona [18]

Technology[edit]

Name Class Major Notability References
Marlin Eller 1974 Mathematics Programmer and software developer, co-author of Barbarians Led by Bill Gates [19]
Steve McConnell 1985 Philosophy, mathematics, and computer science Software engineer and author of Code Complete [20][21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah "Honorary Degrees". Whitman College. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  2. ^ "Paula England". New York University Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  3. ^ "Biography". Torey Hayden. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  4. ^ "Steve Hayner". InterVarsity Press. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  5. ^ Sanders, Eli. "Dan Henderson, UW program founder, dies." Seattle Times. March 18, 2001. Retrieved on May 5, 2012.
  6. ^ "Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg '01 counsels Whitman graduates to do good". Whitman College. May 21, 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Ben Kerkvliet". The Department of Political and Social Change. 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  8. ^ Johnson, Tracy (March 17, 2002). "Schools leader Frances Owen dies at 102". Seattle Post-Intelligences Reporter. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  9. ^ "Biography: Ralph J. Cordiner". GE Past leaders, GE website
  10. ^ Brauhn, David. "Trustee emerita Colleen Willoughby '55 urges women students to "step up, step out and engage" in this year's Women in Leadership Symposium". Whitman Magazine. Whitman College. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  11. ^ "Alan W. Jones is Promoted". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, WA. August 28, 1918. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Morelock, J. D. (1994). Generals of the Ardennes: American Leadership in the Battle of the Bulge. Washington, DC: National Defense University Press. p. 279. ISBN 978-0-16-042069-6 – via Internet Archive.
  13. ^ Weinman, Edward (December 2013). "Easy Rider". Whitman College. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  14. ^ "Out of bounds". Whitman College. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  15. ^ Wohlforth, Charles (2016-08-12). "A Conversation with Holly Brooks". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  16. ^ Bonkowski, Jerry (2015-02-18). "25 years ago, Derrike Cope pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Daytona 500 history". NBC Sports. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  17. ^ "Ben Eisenhardt - 2013-2014 - Men's Basketball". Whitman College Athletics. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  18. ^ "Basketball Alumnus Assists at Gonzaga". Whitman College. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  19. ^ "About Us - Staff - UW Language Learning Center". depts.washington.edu. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  20. ^ Rich, Whitney (2020-09-29). "Just the Facts: Alum Creates No-Spin COVID-19 Data Center". Whitman College. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  21. ^ "Steve McConnell". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2023-09-17.

External links[edit]