# List of Texas Tech University alumni

Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public, coeducational, research university located in Lubbock, Texas. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the sixth largest student body in the state of Texas. It is the only school in Texas to house an undergraduate institution, law school, and medical school at the same location. Initial enrollment in 1925 was 910 students; as of 2009, the university has 30,049 students from more than 110 countries, all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Since its first graduating class in 1927 of 26 students, Texas Tech has awarded more than 221,000 degrees, including 45,000 graduate and professional degrees to its alumni. The Texas Tech Alumni Association, with over 27,000 members, operates more than 120 chapters in cities throughout the United States and the world.
Throughout Texas Tech's history, alumni have played prominent roles in many different fields. Among the university's Distinguished Alumni is Demetrio B. Lakas, President of the Republic of Panama from 1969 to 1978. Three United States Governors, Daniel I. J. Thornton, Governor of Colorado from 1951 to 1955, John Burroughs, Governor of New Mexico from 1959 to 1961, and Preston Smith, Governor of Texas from 1968 to 1972, are graduates of the university. Five astronauts, including Rick Husband, the final commander of Space Shuttle Columbia and recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. U.S. Marine Corps Major and Medal of Honor recipient, George H. O'Brien, Jr., is a distinguished alumnus. Richard E. Cavazos is a Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Cross recipient and the first Hispanic and Mexican American to advance to the rank of four-star general in the U.S. Army. The school's influence on the business world is seen in such people as General Motors Chairman and CEO Edward Whitacre, Jr., Finisar CEO Jerry S. Rawls, Belo Corporation CEO Dunia A. Shive, and ExxonMobil board member Angela Braly, ranked by Fortune magazine as the most powerful woman in business. Others among the university's alumni are folk rocker John Denver, country singer Pat Green, and actor George Eads. John Hinckley, Jr., who attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1981, attended the university sporadically from 1973 to 1980.

## Alumni

* "—" indicates that class year is unknown.
* To sort these tables by alumni or class year, click on the icon next to the column title.

### Arts and literature

| Name Class year Notability References Susan Budge 1983 Ceramic sculptor Rachel Caine 1985 Author Ruth Hurmence Green 1935 Author Grace Halsell — Writer Stephen Graham Jones — Author Holly Hunt — Designer; founder and CEO of Holly Hunt Design Anne Leaton — Author Ken Little 1970 Sculptor Jim Marrs — Author Douglas Moss 1990 Architect and founding partner of Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture Ruben Quesada — Poet Jodi Thomas — Author Robert Whitehill — Author | Stephen Graham JonesJim Marrs |

### Business

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| Hussein Al Uzri | 1985 | Head of the Trade Bank of Iraq |
| Angela Braly | 1982 | Board member of ExxonMobil |
| Richard L. Clemmer | 1973 | CEO, NXP Semiconductors; former CEO Agere Systems, the former Lucent semiconductor company |
| Ed Cunningham | — | |
| Cindi Love | 1984 | |
| Robert Palmer | — | Former CEO, Digital Equipment Corporation |
| Jerry S. Rawls | — | President and CEO, Finisar Corporation |
| Charles "Tex" Thornton | 1935 | Founder and CEO, Litton Industries |

### Education

| Name Class year Notability References G. Kemble Bennett 1970 (Ph.D.) Two-term dean of the Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M University Robin E. Bowen 1988 (Ed.D.) 12th and current President of Arkansas Tech University David Christiansen 1984 8th and current Chancellor of Penn State York Margaret Formby 1950 Founder of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Michael Hinojosa 1979 Superintendent of Dallas Independent School District (2005–2011, 2015–present), Cobb County School District (2011–2014) Walter B. Huffman 1967 (B.A.), 1968 (M.Ed.), 1977 (J.D.) Texas Tech University School of Law dean; former United States Army Judge Advocate General R. Duane Ireland 1969 (B.B.A.), 1971 (M.B.A.), 1977 (Ph.D.) Former interim dean of Mays Business School at Texas A&M University Jeffry H. Larson 1980 David J. Schmidly 1966 (B.A), 1968 (M.S.) 20th president of the University of New Mexico; former Texas Tech University president; former Oklahoma State University president Barry B. Thompson — 10th Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System | Walter B. HuffmanDavid J. Schmidly |

### Entertainment

| Name Class year Notability References G. W. Bailey 1966 Actor Will Bigham 1998 Winner of the 2007 reality series On the Lot Todd Brunson (did not graduate) Professional poker player Jerry "Bo" Coleman — Radio broadcaster in Lubbock; currently at KDAV AM Barry Corbin 1964 Actor Dayna Devon (did not graduate) Journalist Colby Donaldson 1996 Actor, Reality TV Personality, Runner Up on Survivor: The Australian Outback George Eads 1989 Actor Andy Fickman — Film director Johnny Hardwick — Comedian; voice actor Anne Hudson 1999 Radio and TV personality Brad Leland 1980 Actor Michael Morrison — Actor Keith Samples 1977 Writer, producer William Shockley — Actor Jordan Smith 2008 (M.A.) Conductor Jack Tippit 1947 Cartoonist Alexis Tipton 2008 Voice actress | G.W. BaileyTodd BrunsonDayna DevonGeorge Eads |

### Government, law, and public policy

| Name Class year Notability References Jodey Arrington 1994 (B.S.), 1997 (M.P.A.) Former Chief of Staff, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; current Chief of Staff, Texas Tech University System; Distinguished Alumni, MPA Program Bob Bullock 1955 Former Lieutenant Governor of Texas; former Texas Comptroller John Burroughs 1929 Former Governor of New Mexico Dustin Burrows 2004 Texas State Representative, District 83 (2014– ) Waggoner Carr 1940 Former Texas Attorney General Joel Carson III 1994 U.S. Circuit Court Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit John Carter 1964 United States Representative, Texas District 31 Lauro Cavazos 1949 (B.S.), 1951 (M.S.) Former Texas Tech University president; former U.S. Secretary of Education Tim Cole (did not graduate) First person in Texas to be posthumously acquitted of a crime based on DNA evidence; namesake of the Tim Cole Compensation Act of Texas Louis Conradt — Attorney Kilmer B. Corbin — Former Texas State Senator, District 28 Tom Craddick 1965 Texas State Representative, District 82 Samuel Ray Cummings 1967 United States District Court Judge, Northern District of Texas James G. Denton 1938 Associate Justice, Texas Supreme Court Robert L. Duncan 1976 Texas State Senator, District 28 William Royal Furgeson, Jr. 1964 United States District Court Judge, Western District of Texas Ruben Garcia Jr. 1973 Former Executive Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation Millard Hall — Journalist and political consultant; served as press secretary to Texas Governor Preston Smith; instrumental in the creation of the Texas Film Commission Kent Hance 1965 Former United States Representative, Texas District 19; Texas Tech University System Chancellor Harvey Hilderbran 1983 Texas State Representative, District 53 from Kerrville John Hinckley, Jr. (did not graduate) Attempted assassin of United States President Ronald Reagan John Hodgson 1984 Kentucky state representative Phil Johnson 1975 Texas Supreme Court Justice, Place 8 Delwin Jones 1949 Texas State Representative, District 83 Robert A. Junell 1969 Senior status United States District Court Judge, Western District of Texas Jim Keffer 1975 Texas State Representative from District 60 Demetrio B. Lakas 1963 Former President of the Republic of Panama Pete Laney 1965 Former Texas State Representative W. Mark Lanier 1984 Attorney Tom Martin 1970 Former Mayor of Lubbock, Texas Jim McReynolds 1987 (J.D.) Texas State Representative, District 12 Tibor P. Nagy 1972 Former United States Ambassador to Ethiopia, Guinea Randy Neugebauer 1972 United States Representative, Texas District 19 Charles Perry 1984 Texas State Senate, District 28 Edward Rappaport 1988 Deputy Director, National Hurricane Center Ron Reynolds Member of the Texas House of Representatives from Missouri City since 2011 Lionel Rivera 1979 Mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado Bill Sarpalius 1972 Former Texas State Senator, District 31; former United States Representative, Texas District 13 Clay Sell 1989 Former Deputy Secretary, United States Department of Energy Preston Smith 1934 Former Governor of Texas John T. Smithee 1976 (J.D.) Texas State Representative, District 86 from Amarillo Burt Solomons 1977 Texas State Representative, District 65 Paul Stanley 1985 Former Tennessee State Senator, District 31 Charles Stenholm 1961 (B.S.), 1962 (M.S.) Former United States Representative, Texas District 17 Karen Tandy 1974, 1977 Former Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration Elmer Tarbox 1939 Texas State Representative, District 76 Carl Tepper Carl Tepper Texas House of Representatives, 84th district Mac Thornberry 1980 United States Representative, Texas District 13 Dan Thornton 1932 Former Governor of Colorado T. John Ward 1964 United States District Court Judge, Eastern District of Texas Elizabeth Watson 1971 Former Chief of police, Houston Police Department Joseph M. Watt 1971 Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice, 9th District Jeff Wentworth 1972 (J.D.) Texas State Senator, District 25 John C. White 1946 Former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee | Kent HanceJohn Hinckly, Jr.Randy NeugebauerCharles Stenholm |

### Journalism and media

| Name Class year Notability References Jim Angle 1969 Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent Emily Jones 1998 Fox Sports Net anchor and reporter Wyman Meinzer 1974 State photographer of Texas Robert Montemayor 1975 1978 George Polk Award, Local Reporting, Dallas Times Herald; 1984 Pulitzer Prize, Public Service Award, Los Angeles Times Scott Pelley 1978 Journalist, former anchor and managing editor for CBS Evening News; 60 Minutes correspondent Herbert Southworth — Journalist Dirk West 1954 Cartoonist, journalist | Scott PelleyEmily Jones |

### Military

| Name Class year Notability References John D. Alexander 1982 Assistant Commander of Navy Personnel Command for Career Management (PERS-4) Richard E. Cavazos 1951 First Hispanic 4-star General in the U.S. Army; Commander U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) Robert T. Clark 1970 Lieutenant General; Commander, 5th Army Fred E. Ellis 1967 Major General, Texas Air National Guard Wendy M. Masiello 1980 One of the highest-ranking women in the United States Department of Defense George H. O'Brien, Jr. 1950 Major, USMCR, Medal of Honor recipient Herman C. Wallace — Private first class, United States Army, Medal of Honor recipient Leonard Wong — Professor of Military Strategy in the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College; author on military leadership Charles Q. Brown 1985 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; former 22nd Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, first African-American to become a service chief. | Richard E. Cavazos Wendy M. Masiello |

### Music

| Name Class year Notability References Josh Abbott — Singer, songwriter Jerry Allison — Drummer (Buddy Holly and The Crickets, Jerry Allison and The Crickets) Ponty Bone — Wade Bowen — Singer, songwriter John Denver 1961 Singer, actor Ralna English — Singer Jimmy Dale Gilmore — Singer Susan Graham 1983 Mezzo-soprano Pat Green 1997 Singer William Clark Green Singer, Songwriter Jack Huddle — Musician Virgil Johnson — Musician Bob Livingston — Singer, songwriter Lloyd Maines — Music producer, musician and songwriter Natalie Maines (did not graduate) Singer, songwriter Cory Morrow 1992 Singer, songwriter Timothy Rhea — Director of bands at Texas A&M University Doug Smith — Jordan Randall Smith — conductor Lane Turner — Singer, songwriter | John DenverSusan GrahamBob LivingstonNatalie Maines |

### Science, technology and medicine

| Name Class year Notability References Joseph M. Acaba 2015 Astronaut Charles Bassett 1960 Astronaut Mica Endsley 1982 First female and former Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force Grandmaster Ratte' — Hacker; co-founder of Cult of the Dead Cow Ashawna Hailey — Computer scientist; creator of HSPICE Rick Husband 1980 Former astronaut Ginger Kerrick 1993 First non-astronaut Capsule Communicator (Capcom), first Russian-training-integration instructor, and first Hispanic female NASA Flight Director at NASA Paul Lockhart 1978 Astronaut Benjamin F. Logan — Timothy P. Marshall 1980, 1983 (M.S.) Civil engineer and meteorologist; damage analysis expert Francis Muguet 1992 (Ph.D.) Chemist, information freedom advocate Arati Prabhakar 1979 (B.S) Director of DARPA; first female director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Erik N. Rasmussen 1982 (M.S.) Atmospheric scientist, tornadogenesis expert Nick Tredennick 1968 (B.S.), 1970 (M.S.) Electrical engineer Steven L. West 2000 Disability researcher Joe Ben Wheat (did not graduate) Archaeologist Terry Yates 1978 Biologist | Joseph AcabaCharles BassettRick Husband |

### Honorary

| Name Class year Notability References John W. Carpenter 1940 Former Texas Tech Board of Regents member Amon G. Carter 1930 Former Texas Tech Board of Regents member Tom C. Clark 1947 United States Supreme Court Justice and United States Attorney General Glenna Goodacre — Sculptor Fred Gurley 1953 President of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Kent Hance 2005 Former United States Representative, Texas District 19; Texas Tech University System Chancellor Susan Polgar 2007 Former World Chess Champion Daniel I.J. Thornton 1953 Former Colorado governor Andre Waismann 2000 Medical practitioner, notable for development of the ANR treatment of Opiate addiction | Tom C. Clark Susan Polgar |

### Sports

Texas Tech University alumni have also made contributions to field of sports. Former Red Raiders have gone on to compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball League (NBA), National Football League (NFL), PGA Tour, and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Approximately 94 alumni have been selected to the MLB Draft, 19 alumni have been selected in the NBA draft, 149 alumni have been selected in the NFL draft, and 9 alumni have been selected in the WNBA draft. Texas Tech alumni have also gone on to coach collegiate and professional teams.