# List of Wheaton College (Illinois) alumni

This list of Wheaton College alumni includes notable individuals who studied as undergraduates or graduate students at Wheaton College (Illinois).

## Academia

* Bart D. Ehrman, 1978 – Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
* John J. Tyson, 1969 – Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech and former president of the Society for Mathematical Biology
* C. Stephen Evans, BA philosophy, 1969 – University Professor of Philosophy and the Humanities at Baylor University
* Nathan O. Hatch, (summa cum laude) 1968 – former president of Wake Forest University and provost of University of Notre Dame
* Arthur F. Holmes – philosopher and professor at Wheaton College
* Douglas Jacobsen, BA philosophy, 1973 – scholar of global Christianity, Distinguished Professor at Messiah University
* Walter Kaiser Jr. – Old Testament scholar
* Robert A. Kraft – historian of early Judaism and Christianity at the University of Pennsylvania
* Merritt Maduke, BS chemistry (summa cum laude), 1989 – Associate Professor of Molecular & Cellular Physiology at Stanford University
* Gerald P. McKenny, BA philosophy, 1979 – Walter Professor of Theology at University of Notre Dame
* Niel B. Nielson, BA philosophy, 1976 – former president of Covenant College
* Mark Noll, BA English – professor of history at University of Notre Dame
* Phil Ryken, BA English literature and philosophy, 1988 – former pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church and current president of Wheaton College
* Daniel W. Smith, BA literature
* John H. Walton – Old Testament scholar
* Marvin R. Wilson, BA history – Professor of Biblical Studies at Gordon College

## Business

* Dwayne Andreas. former CEO of Archer Daniels Midland ADM
* Robert Van Kampen, 1960, founder of the investment banking firm Van Kampen
* Robert W. Lane, former CEO of John Deere
* C. William Pollard, former chairman and CEO of ServiceMaster

## Civil Rights

* C. Herbert Oliver, civil rights activist

## Media, arts and entertainment

* Jim Abel – singer-songwriter
* Nuala Archer – Irish-American poet
* Scott Baker – journalist, editor in chief of The Blaze
* Wes Craven, writing and psychology – horror film director
* Piper Curda – singer and actress
* Ian Eskelin, BA Communications – singer-songwriter, All Star United
* Cathleen Falsani, 1992 – journalist; columnist for Chicago Sun-Times
* Colyn Fischer, Bachelor of Music Performance, 1999 – violinist
* Jason Harrod – singer-songwriter, Harrod and Funck
* Carol Huston – actress, Matlock
* Camille and Kennerly Kitt – twin harpists and actresses
* Margaret Landon, 1925 – author of the novel Anna and the King of Siam
* Elliot Leung – film composer – The Battle at Lake Changjin, the highest grossing non-English film of all time
* Kurt Lightner – artist
* Adam McCune, BA, 2006 – co-author of the novel The Rats of Hamelin
* Sylvia McNair, Bachelor of Music, 1978 – soprano
* John Nelson, Bachelor of Music, 1963, DMUS 1989 – conductor
* Jeffrey Nordling, BA, 1984 – actor
* Martin O'Donnell, Bachelor of Music, 1977 – composer, Halo video game series
* Kate Pierson – singer with the B-52s
* Walter Ratliff, MA Communications – journalist
* Luci Shaw, BA English Literature/New Testament Greek, magna cum laude, poet
* Mischa Willett - poet
* Robert H. Siegel, BA, 1961 – poet, novelist
* Wendy White, Bachelor of Music, 1975 – mezzo-soprano
* Douglas Yeo, Bachelor of Music, 1976 – bass trombonist
* Ken Klippenstein, Bachelor of Arts English Literature, 2010 – Journalist

## Politics

* David J. Apol – Acting Director of U.S. Office of Government Ethics (2017–2018)
* Torrey C. Brown – Secretary, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
* Dan Coats – Director of National Intelligence (2017–2019), U.S. Senator (R-IN) (1989–1999, 2011–2017)
* Michael Gerson – senior advisor to President George W. Bush (2000–2006)
* Richard C. Halverson – chaplain, U.S. Senate (1981–1994)
* Dennis Hastert – U.S. Representative (R-IL) (1987–2007), former Speaker of the House
* Paul B. Henry – U.S. Representative (R-MI) (1985–1993)
* David Iglesias – U.S. Attorney, District of New Mexico (2001–2006)
* Jim McDermott – U.S. Representative (D-WA) (1989–2017)
* Abram B. Steele – New York State Assembly (1904–1906)
* Russell Vought – Director, Office of Management and Budget (2020–2021)
* Tim Walberg – U.S. Representative (R-MI) (2007–2009, 2011–present)
* Timothy Weeden – Wisconsin State Legislature (1987–1997)
* David Young – Nixon administration (1970–1973); co-founder of the Nixon Administration's White House Plumbers

## Religion

* David Anders – later Catholic convert; author, radio host on EWTN, main contributor to "Called to Communion - Catholic and Reformed Dialogue" website
* Juanita Breckenridge Bates – Congregationalist minister
* Rob Bell – founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church and featured speaker in NOOMA films
* Paul-Gordon Chandler – Episcopal priest, author and interfaith advocate
* Edmund Clowney – theologian and president of Westminster Theological Seminary
* Mal Couch – founder and president of the Tyndale Theological Seminary
* William Lane Craig – apologist, professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, author of The Kalam Cosmological Argument
* Chip Edgar – Anglican bishop of South Carolina
* Jim Elliot – martyred missionary
* Elisabeth Elliot – author, noted missionary; widow of Jim Elliot
* David Otis Fuller – author, pastor, founder of the "Which Bible?" Society, editor of the Baptist Bulletin
* Bill Gothard – minister and author, former president of the Institute in Basic Life Principles
* Billy Graham – evangelist
* Ruth Graham – author and poet, wife of Billy Graham
* Carl F. H. Henry – first editor-in-chief of the magazine Christianity Today
* Paul King Jewett – theologian and professor at Fuller Theological Seminary
* Daniel C. Juster – leader in the Messianic Judaism movement
* Harold Lindsell – former editor of the magazine Christianity Today
* Ed McCully – martyred missionary
* Josh McDowell – Evangelical Christian apologist and evangelist. Author or co-author of over 150 books.
* Alvera Mickelsen, 1942 – writer, journalism professor, advocate of Christian feminism and co-founder of Christians for Biblical Equality
* John Ortberg – pastor and author
* John Piper – pastor and author
* Stewart Ruch – Anglican bishop of the Upper Midwest
* Nate Saint – martyred missionary
* Steve Saint – author, missionary; son of Nate Saint
* Burton Smith – minister and community organizer
* Jon M. Sweeney – author, editor, book publisher
* Kenneth N. Taylor – paraphraser of The Living Bible and founder of Tyndale Publishers
* Frances E. Townsley – minister
* A. W. Tozer – minister and author
* John Walvoord – author and former president of Dallas Theological Seminary
* Gary Wilde – minister and author
* Philip Yancey – author and editor
* So Yan Pui - Founder of Breakthrough movement, a youth ministry in Hong Kong and Taiwan

## Science

* James S. Albus (1935–2011), B.S. 1957 – engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology
* Harold Alden (1890–1964), 1912 – astronomer
* Arthur J. Ammann, 1958 – pediatric immunologist; pioneer in understanding HIV transmission, helped develop pneumococcal vaccine
* Paul Werner Gast (1930–1973), 1952 – geochemist and geologist
* J. Laurence Kulp (1921–2006), 1942 – geochemist; pioneer in radiometric dating methods
* Ronald C. Phillips (1932–2005), 1954 – marine botanist; pioneer in seagrass science
* John Wesley Powell (1834–1902), – 19th-century geologist and explorer of the American West
* Dr. Taylor McKenzie - The first Navajo to graduate from a medical school. A surgeon and former Navajo Nation Vice President.

## Sports

* Marshall Hollingsworth, 2015 – professional soccer player
* Pete Ittersagen, 2009 – NFL cornerback, Tennessee Titans
* Donnie Nelson, 1986 – General Manager, Dallas Mavericks
* Mel Peterson, 1960 – former NBA player
* Randy Pfund, 1974 – General Manager, Miami Heat
* Andy Studebaker, 2008 – NFL linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs

## Other

* Todd Beamer, 1991 – passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93
* Clinton F. Irwin – Justice of the Oklahoma Territorial Supreme Court (1899–1907)
* Raymond Joseph, 1960 – former Haitian Ambassador to the United States
* Trevor N. McFadden, 2001 – Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
* Samuel H. Sedgwick, Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court
* Edward Breathitte Sellers, 1866 – first Wheaton College graduate of color
* Timothy Stoen, 1960 – member of Peoples Temple; Jonestown defector
* Dave Theurer – game designer; created Missile Command and Tempest for Atari
* R. Timothy Ziemer – Navy admiral and global health expert