# List of Drake University people

This is a list of notable alumni and faculty of Drake University.

## President

* 1881–1882: George Thomas Carpenter
* 1882–1893: George Thomas Carpenter (as chancellor)
* 1894–1897: Barton O. Aylesworth (as acting chancellor)
* 1897–1902: William Bayard Craig (as chancellor)
* 1902–1903: Hill McClelland Bell (as vice chancellor)
* 1903–1918: Hill McClelland Bell
* 1918–1923: Arthur Holmes
* 1922–1923: Daniel Walter Morehouse (as acting president)
* 1923–1941: Daniel Walter Morehouse
* 1941–1964: Henry Gadd Harmon
* 1966–1971: Paul Frederick Sharp
* 1972–1985: Wilbur C. Miller
* 1985–1998: Michael Ferrari
* 1998: Robert D. Ray (as interim president)
* 1999–2015: David Maxwell
* 2015–present: Earl F. Martin
Source:

## Notable alumni
### Politics and military

* Brenna Bird, Iowa Attorney General (2023–)
* Robert D. Blue, Governor of Iowa (1945–1949)
* Terry Branstad, former Governor of Iowa (1983–1999, 2011–2017) and United States ambassador to China (2017–2020), longest-serving state governor in U.S. history
* Bonnie Campbell, lawyer, former Iowa Attorney General (1991–1995) and gubernatorial candidate
* Johnnie Carson, career diplomat
* Merwin Coad, Iowa Congressman (1957–1963)
* Joe Crail, California Congressman (1927–1933)
* Chet Culver, former Governor of Iowa (2007–2011)
* Cassius Clay Dowell, Iowa Congressman (1915–1935, 1937–1940)
* Abby Finkenauer, former Iowa Congresswoman (2019–2021)
* Guy Gillette, Iowa Congressman (1933–1936) and Senator (1936–1945, 1949–1955)
* Robert K. Goodwin, Iowa Congressman (1940–1941)
* Adam Gregg, lieutenant governor of Iowa (2019–present)
* Carl W. Hoffman, U.S. Marine Corps Major general
* Ron Kouchi, president of the Hawaii State Senate
* Darrell R. Lindsey, Medal of Honor recipient
* Zach Nunn, U.S. Representative-elect from Iowa’s 3rd district (2023–)
* Jim Nussle, former Iowa Congressman (1991–2007) and director of the Office of Management and Budget
* Stephen Rapp, former United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues in the Office of Global Criminal Justice
* Clark R. Rasmussen, served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967
* Robert D. Ray, Governor of Iowa (1969–1983)
* David N. Senty, retired U.S. Air Force Major General
* Neal Smith, former Iowa Congressman (1959–1995)
* Sara Taylor, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Political Affairs in the George W. Bush administration
* Hubert Utterback, Iowa Congressman (1935–1937)
* Frederick T. Weber, Naval aviator who died at the Battle of Midway
* David Young, former Iowa Congressman (2015–2019)

### Law

* Mark Cady, lawyer, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Iowa (2011–2019)
* Roxanne Conlin, lawyer, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa (1977–1981), and Iowa senate and gubernatorial candidate
* Robert Cowen, senior judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
* George Gardner Fagg, United States federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
* Cleon H. Foust, Indiana Attorney General (1947–1949)
* Joseph C. Howard Sr., Judge, United States District Court for the District of Maryland (1979–2000)
* Louis A. Lavorato, lawyer, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Iowa (2000–2006)
* Ronald Olson, partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Munger Tolles & Olson LLP
* Wendy J. Olson, United States Attorney for the District of Idaho (2010–2017)
* Marsha Ternus, lawyer, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Iowa (2006–2010)
* Terry Trieweiler, Montana Supreme Court Justice, Montana Lawyer of the Year

### Arts and literature

* Joanne Aono, artist
* Rose Bampton, principal singer at Metropolitan Opera during 1930s and 1940s
* Bruce Brubaker, musician
* Bill Bryson, author
* Marsha Wilson Chall, children's author
* Gwen M. Davidson, artist
* Mark Doty, poet
* Susan Glaspell, author
* Joseph Hermann, conductor, clarinetist and music educator; president of American Bandmasters Association
* Stanley Hess, artist, instrument maker, educator
* Syleena Johnson, R&B singer, actress, and reality television personality
* Ira Levin, author of Rosemary's Baby, The Boys from Brazil, The Stepford Wives, Deathtrap
* Sherrill Milnes, operatic baritone
* Carol Morris, actress and Miss Universe 1956
* Dick Oatts, jazz saxophonist
* Phil Stong, author of State Fair, novel filmed three times
* Matthew Stover, author of fantasy and science fiction, including novelization of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
* Roger Williams, musician and composer
* Bart Yates, author

### Entertainment and media

* Steve Allen, comedian, actor and first host of The Tonight Show (attended, did not graduate)
* Lew Anderson, musician and voice of Clarabell the Clown
* John August, screenwriter
* Steve Bannos, film actor and writer
* Mary Bock, journalist
* Joseph Chaikin, founder of the Open Theater, theater director, actor, author
* Lee Ann Colacioppo, nee Fleet, editor of the Denver Post
* Julee Cruise, singer and actress
* Mark DeCarlo, actor, comedian, host of Taste of America television show, cartoon voice actor
* Anna DeShawn, media personality and podcaster
* Jerry Douglas, writer and director, notably of gay pornographic films
* Michael Emerson, two-time Emmy Award-winning actor
* Bridget Flanery, actress
* Lambert Hillyer, silent film director
* Dave Mallow, voice-over artist for television, film, animation, commercials, video games
* Al McCoy, sports broadcaster, voice of the Phoenix Suns
* Clark R. Mollenhoff, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
* Jeremy Piven, three-time Emmy Award-winning actor (attended, did not graduate)
* Ray Rizzo, three-time Pokémon Video Game World Champion
* Wynn Speece, "Neighbor Lady", WNAX radio station
* Kazuki Takahashi, creator of Yu-Gi-Oh! (attended, did not graduate)
* Jim Uhls, screenwriter, including the script for Fight Club
* Sam Wanamaker, actor and director
* Larry Whiteside, award-winning sportswriter
* Rex Wockner, journalist
* David L. Wolper, television and film producer
* Wendy Naugle, journalist

### Business

* Archie R. Boe, former chairman and CEO of the Allstate Corporation; former president of Sears, Roebuck
* George A. Cohon, founder of McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited and McDonald's in Russia
* Kenneth A. Macke, former CEO and chairman of Dayton Hudson Corporation (since renamed Target Corporation)
* John M. Mathew, president and chief executive officer of Wick Communications Company
* Dwight D. Opperman, former CEO of West Publishing Company, after whom Drake's law library is named
* Johnny C. Taylor Jr., president and CEO of Society for Human Resource Management
* Fred L. Turner, former chairman of McDonald's

### Science and academia

* Jon Bowermaster, oceans expert, journalist, filmmaker and adventurer
* W. Dean Eastman, award-winning educator
* Cuthbert Hurd, computer pioneer
* Rachelle Keck, academic administrator
* Thomas Kunz, researcher notable for insights into bat ecology
* Timothy Ley, hematologist, oncologist and cancer biologist
* William A. Staples, president of the University of Houston–Clear Lake
* Brian Wansink, Cornell University professor and author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
* Harley A. Wilhelm, Manhattan Project scientist and co-inventor of the Ames Process for purifying uranium, co-founder of the Ames Laboratory for the U.S. Dept. of Energy

### Athletics

* Chris Ash, football coach, former head coach at Rutgers University
* Lucas Bartlett, professional soccer player
* Tom Bienemann, former NFL defensive end for the Chicago Cardinals
* Johnny Bright, member of the College and Canadian Football Hall of Fame
* Waldo Don Carlos, retired NFL center for the Green Bay Packers
* Billy Cundiff, NFL placekicker
* Keno Davis, basketball coach, 2008 Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year
* Versil Deskin, former NFL player
* Dave Doeren, head football coach at North Carolina State University
* Pat Dunsmore, former NFL player
* Ezra Hendrickson, professional soccer player and coach
* York Hentschel, CFL player and 3-time Grey Cup champion
* Maury John, Hall of Fame basketball coach: Final Four (1969), and Elite 8 (1970 and 1971)
* Zach Johnson, professional golfer, winner of the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship
* Karl Kassulke, former NFL player
* Wayne Kreklow, retired professional basketball player
* Kevin Little, 1997 world indoor champion, 200-meter dash
* Lewis Lloyd, retired professional basketball player
* John Lynch, former NFL player
* Pug Manders, former NFL player
* Willie McCarter, former NBA player
* Dennis McKnight, former NFL player
* McCoy McLemore, former NBA player
* Jerry Mertens, former NFL player
* Duane Miller, former NFL player, Drake Football record holder
* Bill Myles, former football coach for Nebraska Cornhuskers football and Ohio State Buckeyes football
* Dick Nesbitt, former NFL player
* Bob Netolicky, professional basketball player
* Charlie Partridge, football coach, former head coach at Florida Atlantic University
* Mike Samples, former Canadian Football League player
* Eric Saubert, professional American football player
* Boris Shlapak, professional football and soccer player for the Baltimore Colts and Chicago Sting respectively
* Lee Stange, former MLB pitcher and MLB pitching coach
* Bill Stevenson, CFL all-star and record 7-time Grey Cup champion
* Ann Swisshelm, two-time Olympic curler
* Dan Turk, former NFL player; transferred after his sophomore season
* Dani Tyler, softball player and 1996 Olympic gold medalist
* Rick Wanamaker, winner of the 1971 Pan American Games decathlon
* Willie Wise, professional basketball player
* Felix Wright, former CFL and NFL safety

## Notable faculty

* Chester C. Cole, Drake University Law School founder and professor, University of Iowa College of Law co-founder and professor, Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court
* George Gallup, Head of Journalism Department (1928–1931)
* Frank Irving Herriott (1868–1941), professor of economics (1903–1919), political science and sociology (1903–1941)
* Jacqui Kalin (born 1989), American-Israeli professional basketball player
* Robert Kibbee (died 1982), Chancellor of the City University of New York
* Edward Mansfield, Iowa Supreme Court justice and adjunct law professor
* Milman Parry, professor of Greek and Latin, 1928-29
* Ione Genevieve Shadduck (1923–2022), led women's physical education program in the late 1970s
* Lewis Worthington Smith, Professor of English
* Terri Vaughan, visiting professor in the College of Business and Public Administration
* Francis Wilhoit, Political Science professor
* George G. Wright, Iowa Supreme Court justice, Drake University Law School professor, University of Iowa College of Law co-founder, United States Senator from Iowa
* Oleg Zatsarinny, Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer (Atomic Physics)