Notable Alumni

Arts, Entertainment & Literature 

  • Brad Pitt, actor and producer
  • Cal Fussman, New York Times Bestselling Author
  • Chris Cooper, actor
  • David Koechner, actor
  • Debbye Turner Bell, TV personality, Miss America 1990
  • George C. Scott, actor
  • Jon Hamm
    Jon Hamm, Actor
  • Greg Miller, IGN cast member, host of Up at Noon
  • James Lee Burke, Pulitzer-nominated author, two-time Edgar Award winner
  • Jann Carl, television personality, Entertainment Tonight
  • Jim Berger, Chairman, High Noon Entertainment
  • Jeffery Deaver, New York Times Best Selling mystery and crime author
  • John Edward Williams, author and winner of the National Book Award
  • Jonathan Murray, co-creator of MTV’s The Real World
  • Kate Capshaw, actress
  • Kay Adams, TV personality, Good Morning Football, People Entertainment
  • Linda Bell Blue, Entertainment Tonight executive producer
  • Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, writer and TV producer
  • Marcia Chatelain, 2021 Pulitzer Prize for History winner
  • Marijane Meaker, novelist
  • Mort Walker, cartoonist
  • Neal Boyd, winner of America’s Got Talent 2008
  • Nischelle Turner, Emmy-Award Winning Co-Host, Entertainment Tonight
  • Richard Matheson, screenwriter
  • Robert Loggia, actor
  • Sheryl Crow, Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter
  • Sally Ann Salsano, producer and creator of reality TV shows for MTV, including Jersey Shore
  • Tennessee Williams, playwright and American Theater Hall of Fame member
  • Tom Berenger, Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning actor
  • William Froug, TV writer and producer
  • William Least Heat-Moon, New York Times bestselling author

Business & Industry

  • Andy Bryant, chairman of Intel Corporation
  • Bill Morgan, co-founder, vice chairman and president of Kinder Morgan
  • Clyde Lear, co-founder of Learfield Sports
  • David Casey, co-founder of Garmin Ltd.
  • Peggy and Andrew CherngPeggy and Andrew Cherng
    Founders of Panda Express
  • David Novak, CEO of Yum! Brands
  • Derry Brownfield, co-founder of Learfield Sports
  • Donald W. Reynolds, businessman and philanthropist 
  • Edward D. “Ted” Jones, managing partner of Edward Jones Investments
  • Harry Cornell, CEO of Leggett & Platt
  • James E. Nave, Owner, The Nave Veterinary Group
  • James White, Interim CEO of Ocean Spray and formerly chairman, president and CEO of Jamba Juice
  • Jay Sarno, founder of Las Vegas hotels, Caesar’s Palace and Circus Circus
  • Jim Fitterling, Chairman and CEO, Dow
  • Larry Potterfield, founder of Midway USA
  • Matthew K. Rose, chairman, CEO and president of Burlington Northern Santa Fe
  • Paul Shumaker, co-founder of Garmin Ltd.
  • Pam Nicholson, president and CEO of Enterprise Holdings
  • Pam Patsley, executive chairman and former CEO of MoneyGram
  • Ralph Babb, CEO of Comerica
  • Rich Kinder, chairman of CEO of Kinder Morgan, former president of Enron 
  • Robert J. Trulaske, Sr., founder of True Manufacturing Company
  • Rodger Riney, founder of Scottrade
  • Sam Walton, founder of Walmart 
  • Stan Kroenke, owner of Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche; co-owner of LA Rams; majority shareholder in Arsenal FC
  • William S. Thompson, Jr., retired CEO of PIMCO

Government & Public Service

  • Ann K. Covington, Retired Chief Justice, Missouri Supreme Court
  • Charles Griffith Ross, White House Press Secretary for President Harry S. Truman
  • Claire McCaskill, U.S. Senator (2007-19); Political Analyst - NBC
  • Tim KaineTim Kaine
    Governor of Virginia (2006-10)
    U.S. Senator (2013-present)
  • Cleo Noel, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to Sudan (1972-73)
  • Emily Newell Blair, suffragist and founder of the League of Women Voters
  • Guy B. Park, Missouri Governor (1933-37)
  • Hon. Harsha de Silva, Sri Lankan Member of Parliament
  • Ike Skelton, U.S. Congressman (1977-2011)
  • James T. Blair, Jr., Missouri Governor (1957-61)
  • Jay Nixon, Missouri Governor (2009-17)
  • Jean Becker, Chief of Staff, George H.W. Bush
  • John A. Gordon, General, United States Air Force; Undersecretary, Department of Energy
  • John M. Dalton, Missouri Governor (1961-65)
  • Kenny Hulshof, U.S. Congressman (1997-2009)
  • Martin Heinrich, U.S. Congressman (2009-13) and Senator (2013-present)
  • Mel Carnahan, Missouri Governor (1993-2000)
  • Ted Kulongoski, Governor of Oregon (2003-11)
  • Paul Coverdell, U.S. Senator (1993-2000)
  • Roger Wilson, Missouri Governor (2000-2001)
  • Russ Carnahan, U.S. Congressman (2005-13)
  • Warren E. Hearnes, Missouri Governor (1965-73)

JOURNALISM & STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

*We are honored that many J-School alumni and current faculty have won the Pulitzer Prize. For a list of alumni that have won this honor, please visit the J-School Pulitzer Prize winners webpage.

  • John AndersonJohn Anderson
    ESPN Sports Center anchor
  • Alex Brandon, 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography
  • Albert L. Delugach, 1969 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Alison Sherwood, 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Barbara Laker, 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Bob Sullivan, founding member of MSNBC
  • Brian Storm, Founder and Executive Producer, MediaStorm
  • Bryan Burrough, Author and Special Correspondent, Vanity Fair
  • Candy Altman, Vice President-News, Hearst Television
  • Carol Loomis, Senior Editor-at-Large, Fortune
  • Charles Minshew, 2013 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Chris Hamby, 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Chuck Roberts, CNN anchor
  • Clyde Lear, Chairman and CEO, Learfield Communications, Inc.
  • Elizabeth McGowan, 2013 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Elizabeth Vargas, television anchor and investigative reporter
  • Elmer Lower, President, ABC News
  • Fredric N. Tulsky, 1987 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Gerald Boyd, first African-American managing editor at the New York Times
  • Harold V. Boyle, 1945 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Haynes Johnson, 1966 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Heath Meriwether, Publisher, Detroit Free Press
  • James V. Grimaldi, 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Janet Shamlian, National Correspondent, NBC News
  • Jim Lehrer, PBS News anchor
  • Jim Spencer, President and Founder, Newsy
  • John A. Walsh, Managing Editor, ESPN, Inc.
  • John D. Graham, Chairman & CEO, Fleishman Hillard, Inc.
  • John Mack Carter, President, Hearst Magazine Enterprises
  • Jon Cook, Global CEO, VML
  • Jon Scott, Fox News Channel anchor
  • Juana Summers, co-host NPR’s All Things Considered
  • Karen Sauder, President of Global Client and Agency Solutions, Google
  • Ken Paulson, USA Today editor
  • Kim Komenich, 1987 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Lance Heflin, Executive Producer, America’s Most Wanted
  • Lee Hills, 1956 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Lisa Meyers, TV journalist, NBC investigative correspondent
  • Louis M. Kohlmeier, 1965 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Lynden Steele, 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Major Garrett, Chief Washington Correspondent, CBS News
  • Mark Hoffman, Chairman, CNBC
  • Mark Potter, Emmy Award-winning network news correspondent
  • Manny Crisostomo, 1989 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Mary Ann Gwinn, 1990 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Mary McNamara, 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Megan (McCloskey) Rose, 2020 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Meredith Artley, Editor-in-Chief and Senior Vice President, CNN Digital
  • Michael Golden, Vice Chairman, The New York Times Company
  • Michael Kim, ESPNEWS host
  • Mike McGraw, 1992 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Mike Wheeler, President, MSNBC
  • Pam Johnson, 1982 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Paul Greenberg, 1969 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Paul W. Fiddick, President, Emmis International Broadcasting Corp.
  • Robert Lewis Breeden, Editor, National Geographic
  • Robert S. Leaf, International Chairman, Burson-Marsteller, Inc.
  • Ronald Powers, 1973 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Russ Mitchell, CBS Evening News weekend anchor
  • Seymour Topping, Managing Editor, The New York Times
  • Stanley Penn, 1967 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Steve Fainaru, 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Teresa Carpenter, 1981 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Wallace Turner, 1957 Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Wilbur (Bill) Garrett, Editor, National Geographic

Science

  • Linda GodwinLinda Godwin, NASA astronaut
  • Harlow Shapley, astronomer
  • James Fergason, inventor of the first practical uses of liquid crystals
  • Robert K. Dixon, White House scientist and Environment and Energy Policy Advisor, recipient of 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work as part of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
  • William F. Baker, chief structural engineer of Burj Khalifa, world’s tallest man-made structure

Sports

  • Andy Russell, Super Bowl Champion (IX, X), NFL Pro-Bowler
  • Ben Askren, 2008 Olympian and professional mixed martial artist
  • Ben Plucknett, 1980 US Olympic team
  • Carl Edwards, NASCAR driver
  • Chase Daniel, Super Bowl Champion (XLIV)
  • Christian Cantwell, World Champion shot putter, 2012 Olympian
  • David Freese, 2011 MLB NLCS MVP and World Series MVP
  • Derrick Peterson, Middle-distance runner, 2004 Olympian
  • Jackson Scholz, sprinter and two-time Olympic gold medalist (1920, 1924)
  • Jden CoxJ’Den Cox
    Wrestler and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist
  • Jon Sundvold, NBA shooting guard
  • Kellen Winslow, NFL tight end and member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
  • Michael Chandler, professional mixed martial artist, Bellator Lightweight Champion
  • Larry Drew, assistant coach of 2016 NBA champions
  • Matt Winer, ESPN Sports Center host
  • Max Scherzer, MLB All-Star, Cy Young Award winner
  • Michael Sam, first publicly gay player drafted in the NFL
  • Mike Shannon, MLB player, St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcaster
  • Nat Page, 1980 US Olympic team  
  • Natasha Kaiser-Brown, sprinter, Mizzou Track and Field coach, Olympian (1992, 1996), Olympic silver medalist (1992)
  • Nick Bolton, Super Bowl Champion (LVII)
  • Norm Stewart, Mizzou men’s basketball coach (1967-99)
  • Phil Bradley, MLB All-Star
  • Rick Lyle, Super Bowl Champion (XXXVIII)
  • Roger Wehrli, 7-time Pro Bowler, member of the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football  Hall of Fame
  • Russ Washington, NFL Pro Bowler, All-Pro, San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame
  • Sammie Henson, freestyle wrestler and 2000 Olympic silver medalist
  • Sonny Siebert, MLB All-Star
  • Steve Stipanovich, NBA center
  • Tyron Woodley, professional mixed martial artist, 2016 UFC Welterweight Champion