# List of University of Central Missouri people

The following is a list of notable people associated with the University of Central Missouri, located in the American city of Warrensburg, Missouri.

## Notable alumni
### Politics and government

* Rex Barnett (born 1938), politician and former officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol
* Wallace H. Graham, physician to the President (1945–1953); major general
* James Kirkpatrick, served as 32nd Missouri secretary of state
* Phill Kline, former Kansas attorney general; law professor at Liberty University
* Randy Pike, member of the Missouri House of Representatives
* Darrell Pollock, former member of the Missouri House of Representatives
* James B. Potter Jr., member of the Los Angeles City Council (1963–1971)
* Carl Turner, member of the Kansas House of Representatives

### Arts and media

* David R. Bunch, author of short stories and poetry who works primarily in science fiction, satire, surrealism, and literary fiction
* Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People
* Tolga Çevik, actor from Turkey
* David Cook, 2008 American Idol winner
* Grant Curtis, executive producer of Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3
* Thomas Hollyman, photojournalist
* David Holsinger, wind ensemble composer
* Allan Kayser, actor who played Bubba Higgins on Mama's Family
* Erich "Mancow" Muller, host of Mancow's Morning Madhouse, a Chicago-based radio show syndicated across the U.S.
* Brian Thomas Smith, actor known for The Big Bang Theory

### Education

* Christopher Bell (1974–2009), scholar, author, and president of the Society for Disability Studies
* Robert P. Foster, president of Northwest Missouri State University 1964–1977
* Lawrence Walkup (1914–2002), president of Northern Arizona University

### Science and technology

* Curtis Cooper, mathematician known for discovering largest known prime number
* Thomas Kunz, researcher notable for insights into bat ecology
* Gregg Miller, inventor of Neuticles and author; 2005 recipient of Ig Nobel Prize for Medicine
* Richard Schelp, mathematician; frequent research collaborator with Paul Erdős
* David Steward, billionaire CEO of World Wide Technology, Inc., the world's largest African American-owned company

### Sports
#### Athletes

* Jim Chaney, offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Volunteers
* Mark Curp, former world and American record-holder in the half-marathon
* Zach Davidson, tight end and punter for the Buffalo Bills, drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings
* Todd Devoe, wide receiver in the NFL and Arena Football League
* Anna Glennon, jet ski racer
* Roderick Green, defensive end and linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers
* Maury John, basketball coach at Drake University (1958–1971) and Iowa State University (1971–1974)
* Vern Kennedy, former pitcher of the Chicago White Sox, best known for throwing the first no-hitter in Comiskey Park
* Toby Korrodi, quarterback signed by the Arizona Cardinals in 2007 and cut in training camp
* Chuck Palumbo, professional wrestler
* Butch "Hacksaw" Reed, professional wrestler
* Jerry Reuss, former pitcher best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers
* Katie Sowers, offensive assistant for the San Francisco 49ers; first openly gay coach in NFL history and first female coach to coach in a Super Bowl
* Ron Tabb, marathon runner
* Delanie Walker, tight end for the Tennessee Titans
* Colston Weatherington, former NFL and AFL player
* Jeff Wright, former nose tackle for the Buffalo Bills

#### Owners and executives

* Russ Ball, NFL executive
* Jim Crane, owner of Houston Astros baseball team

### Other

* Jeffrey Lundgren, self-proclaimed prophet; former leader of a cult group and convicted murderer
* James O. McKinsey, founder of McKinsey & Company
* Carrie Nation, leader of the temperance movement

## Notable faculty

* Phog Allen, basketball coach known as the "father of basketball coaching"; spent majority of career at the University of Kansas and namesake of Allen Fieldhouse
* Kim Anderson, replaced Frank Haith as head basketball coach of the Missouri Tigers
* Gene Bartow, replaced John Wooden as basketball coach of the UCLA Bruins
* Mildred Barnes, basketball coach 1971–1980, member of the U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball Committee 1965–1972 (chair 1974–1976), inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000
* Curtis Cooper, mathematics
* Joe B. Hall, replaced Adolph Rupp as basketball coach of the Kentucky Wildcats
* Christopher Jargocki, physics
* Jim Johnson, associate athletic director (2003 to 2005); current athletic director for Pittsburg State University
* Mike Racy, vice president for law, policy, and strategy (2013–2016); current commissioner of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association