# List of University of Oregon alumni

This University of Oregon notable alumni includes graduates and current students of the University of Oregon as well as former students who studied at the university but did not obtain a formal degree.
The university opened in 1876 and the first class contained only five members, graduating in 1878. The university has over 195,000 alumni, 10 of whom are Pulitzer Prize winners, and 2 of whom are Nobel laureates.

## Academic administration

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Gene D. Block | M.S. Ph.D. | 1972 1975 | Chancellor of UCLA |
| Lee Bollinger | B.S. | 1954 | President of Columbia University; former President of University of Michigan |
| Asher Cohen | Ph.D. | | President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Gail Fullerton | Ph.D. | 1954 | President Emeritus of San Jose State University |
| Robert Helsley | B.S. | 1979 | Dean of Sauder School of Business at UBC |
| Karen L. Gould | Ph.D. | 1975 | President of Brooklyn College |
| Victor Pierpont Morris | B.A. M.A. | 1915 1920 | Dean and interim president University of Oregon |
| Joseph Robertson | M.B.A. | 1997 | President of Oregon Health Sciences University |
| Neil Snider | Ph.D. | 1973 | President Emeritus of Trinity Western University |

## Architecture and design

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Howard Backen | B.Arch | 1962 | Founder of BAR Architects and Backen, Gillam & Kroeger |
| Brad Cloepfil | B.Arch | 1980 | Founder of Allied Works Architecture |
| Tinker Hatfield | B.Arch | 1977 | VP, designer and architect for Nike |
| Mazharul Islam | B.Arch | 1952 | Architect credited with bringing modernist architecture to Bangladesh |
| Johnpaul Jones | B.Arch | 1967 | First architect to win the National Humanities Medal |
| Rick Mather | B.IArch | 1961 | RIBA; founder of Rick Mather Architects; trustee of Victoria and Albert Museum |
| Mel Streeter | B.Arch | 1955 | Second African-American to play basketball for the Ducks; founded architecture firm in Seattle |
| Sarah Susanka | B.Arch | 1978 | Architect, author of The Not so Big House |
| Eugene Tsui | B.Arch | 1981 | Controversial architect |
| DeNorval Unthank Jr. | B.Arch | 1952 | Prolific architect in Oregon |
| Margo Grant Walsh | B.IArch | 1960 | Vice Chairman emeritus of Gensler |

## Business and finance

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Kent Alterman | B.F.A | 1981 | President of Comedy Central |
| Edwin Artzt | B.S. | 1951 | Retired CEO and Chairman emeritus of Procter & Gamble |
| Robert D. Atkinson | M.A. | 1985 | President of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation |
| Scott Bedbury | B.S. | 1980 | Marketing guru |
| Tim Berry | M.A. | 1974 | Co-founder of Borland International; founder and president of Palo Alto Software, Inc. |
| Bill Bowerman | B.S. M.Ed. | 1934 1953 | Co-founder of Nike, Inc. |
| Tim Boyle | B.S. | 1971 | CEO of Columbia Sportswear Company |
| Paul Brainerd | B.S. | 1970 | Founder of Aldus; creator of PageMaker and desktop publishing |
| Wallace Campbell | M.A. | 1932 | Co-founder and President of CARE |
| Rudy Chapa | B.A. | 1981 | Founder and CEO of SPARQ |
| Stanley K. Cheng | attended | | CEO of Meyer Corporation |
| Ed Colligan | B.A. | 1983 | President and CEO of Palm, Inc. |
| John Elorriaga | B.B.A. | 1951 | Former chairman and CEO of U.S. Bancorp; former president of US National Bank of Oregon |
| Stephen Gillett | B.S. | 1998 | CEO of Chronicle, an Alphabet company |
| Harry Glickman | B.A. | 1948 | Founder and president emeritus of Portland Trail Blazers |
| Jill Hazelbaker | B.S. | 2003 | Senior Vice President of Global Policy and Communications at Uber |
| Renée James | B.A. M.B.A. | 1986 1992 | Former president of Intel Corporation |
| Michael Jones | B.S. | 1997 | Former CEO of MySpace |
| Jack Joyce | | 1964 | Co-founder of Rogue Ales |
| Patrick Kilkenny | attended | | Former Athletic Director of the University of Oregon, Chairman emeritus and former CEO of Arrowhead General Insurance Agency |
| Phil Knight | B.B.A | 1959 | Co-founder, chairman, and former CEO of Nike, Inc. |
| Charles Lillis | Ph.D. | 1972 | Founder, retired president, chairman and CEO of MediaOne |
| Mickey Loomis | B.S. | 1979 | General Manager for the New Orleans Saints |
| Monica C. Lozano | | 1974 | CEO of La Opinión and ImpreMedia, LLC |
| Miguel McKelvey | B.Arch | 1999 | Co-founder of WeWork |
| Franklin Mieuli | B.A. | 1944 | Principal owner of Golden State Warriors |
| Randy Papé | B.S. | 1972 | President and CEO of Papé Group; President and Chairman of Liberty Financial Group |
| Robert Polet | M.B.A. | 1976 | Chairman and CEO of Gucci |
| Steven A. Raymund | B.S. | 1978 | Chairman and former CEO of Tech Data |
| James Rippey | B.S. | 1953 | Co-founder and CEO of Columbia Management, established Oregon's first mutual fund |
| Bill Trinen | B.A. | 1994 | Director of Product Marketing of Nintendo of America |
| Kurt Widmer | B.A. | 1978 | Co-founder and President of Widmer Brothers Brewing Company |
| Lila Bell Wallace | B.A. | 1917 | Co-founder of Reader's Digest |
| Dan Wieden | B.S. | 1967 | Co-founder of advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy |
| Larry Williams | B.S. | 1964 | Stock trader, author of How to Prosper in the Coming Good Years |

## Fine arts and entertainment
### Film, television and performing arts

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Greg Behrendt | B.A. | 1991 | Stand-up comedian; former consultant for Sex and the City; author of He's Just Not That Into You and It's Called a Breakup Because it's Broken |
| Chris Bliss | attended | | Stand-up comedian and juggler |
| Edgar Buchanan | attended | | Actor (Petticoat Junction) |
| Allan Burns | | 1957 | Emmy Award-winning producer (Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Munsters) and screenwriter (The Bullwinkle Show, A Little Romance) |
| Ty Burrell | attended | | Emmy Award-winning Actor (Modern Family) |
| Stephen J. Cannell | B.S. | 1964 | Emmy Award-winning television producer, writer, and novelist (The A-Team, The Greatest American Hero); founder and chairman of Cannell Studios |
| Terence Chang | | 1973 | Movie producer (Face/Off, Broken Arrow) |
| John Clem Clarke | B.F.A. | 1960 | Painter and graphic artist based in New York City |
| Pam Coats | M.F.A. | 1984 | Producer (Mulan) |
| Sam Elliott | attended | 1962-63 | Actor (The Big Lebowski, Road House) |
| Larry Ferguson | B.S. | 1964 | Writer, producer, and actor (Beverly Hills Cop II, The Hunt for Red October) |
| Mary Finney | attended | | Actress (The Children's Hour, Honestly, Celeste!) |
| Dennis Gassner | B.S. | 1970 | Academy Award-winning set designer (Bugsy, Waterworld, The Truman Show, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) |
| Howard Hesseman | attended | | Actor (WKRP in Cincinnati, About Schmidt) |
| Richard R. Hoover | B.F.A | 1980 | Academy Award Winning visual effects artist (Blade Runner 2049) |
| Joe Hutshing | B.A. | 1980 | Academy Award-winning editor (JFK, Born on the Fourth of July) |
| James Ivory | B.F.A. | 1951 | Academy Award-winning writer (Call Me by Your Name); Director (A Room with a View, Howards End); co-founder of Merchant Ivory Productions |
| Christopher Judge | B.F.A. | 1985 | Actor (Stargate SG-1), graduated from the University as a three-time All-American football player under the name Doug Judge |
| Ben Masters | B.S. | 1969 | Actor, Julian Crane on the NBC soap opera Passions |
| Marissa Neitling | B.S. | 2007 | Actress, (The Last Ship, San Andreas) |
| Kaitlin Olson | B.S. | 1997 | Actress, Sweet Dee on the FX TV show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia |
| James Read | B.S. | 1976 | Actor, George Hazard on the ABC miniseries North and South, Beaches, Eight Men Out, Charmed, Wildfire |
| Heidi Schreck | B.A. | 2009 | Author and Actor, What the Constitution Means to Me |
| Don Simpson | B.S. | 1967 | Producer (Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Bad Boys, Crimson Tide, The Rock) |
| David Ogden Stiers | attended | | Actor (M*A*S*H) |
| Eric A. Stillwell | B.S. | 1985 | Star Trek writer |
| Bergen Swanson | | 1996 | Executive Producer (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Wild) Producer (Stoker and Shame) |
| Jake Swantko | | 2011 | Director of photography (Icarus) |
| Rob Urbinati | Ph.D. | 1994 | Playwright, stage director |
| Jeffrey M. Werner | B.A. | 1993 | Film editor (The Kids Are All Right, Prom) |
| Jeff Whitty | B.A. | 1993 | 2004 Tony Award winner for the musical Avenue Q |
| Daniel Wu | B.Arch | 1997 | Hong Kong movie star (New Police Story) |
| Bryce Zabel | B.A. | 1976 | Television producer, director, and writer |

### Literature

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Paula Gunn Allen | B.A. M.F.A. | 1966 1968 | Native American poet, novelist |
| Olga Broumas | M.A. | 1973 | Poet |
| Eugene Gloria | M.F.A. | 1992 | Poet |
| Ernest Haycox | B.A. | 1923 | Writer of Western fiction; his story "Stage to Lordsburg" was made into the 1939 movie Stagecoach |
| George Hitchcock | B.A. | 1935 | Poet and publisher of the literary journal Kayak |
| Ken Kesey | B.S. | 1957 | Author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Sometimes a Great Notion |
| Chang-Rae Lee | M.F.A. | 1993 | Novelist, Native Speaker; director of Princeton University's Creative Writing program |
| Chuck Palahniuk | B.A. | 1986 | Author of Fight Club, Choke, and Lullaby |
| David Reiter | B.A. | | Author and poet: 1994 Queensland Premier's Poetry Award, The Cave After Saltwater Tide – winner, 2012 Western Australian Premier's Award, My Planets Reunion Memoir – winner, 2013 Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Book for Teens and Kids, Bringing Down the Wall – winner |
| William L. Sullivan | M.A. | 1979 | Author of outdoor guide books |
| Brian Turner | M.F.A. | 1996 | Poet |
| Sophus Keith Winther | B.S. M.A. | 1918 1919 | Professor and novelist |
| Lidia Yuknavitch | B.S. Ph.D. | 1989 1998 | Novelist and Memoirist |

### Music

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Jon Appleton | M.A. | 1965 | Composer, author, and former professor of music at Dartmouth College |
| Anthony Brown | B.S. | 1975 | Jazz musician |
| Dave Depper | B.S. | 2002 | Guitarist and keyboardist for Death Cab for Cutie |
| Tom Grant | M.Ed. | 1971 | Jazz pianist |
| Trey Gunn | B.Mus. | 1986 | Bass player for King Crimson |
| Peter Hollens | B.Mus. | 2005 | Singer and producer |
| Bill Homans | B.A. | 1987 | Blues musician |
| Daniel Levitin | M.S. Ph.D. | 1993 1996 | Musician; cognitive scientist; sound designer for Chris Isaak and Joe Satriani |
| Colin Meloy | attended | | Author, lead singer of The Decemberists |
| Glen Moore | B.S. | 1963 | Composer; founding member and bassist of Oregon |
| Jerold Ottley | D.M.A. | 1972 | Retired director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir |
| Steve Perry | B.S. | 2004 | Lead singer of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies |
| Dan Siegel | B.S. | 1976 | Composer, record producer |
| Ralph Towner | B.Mus. | 1963 | Composer; founding member of Oregon |

### Visual arts

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| James Cuno | M.A. | 1978 | Art historian and museum director |
| Gordon Gilkey | M.F.A. | 1936 | Art preservationist and promoter, awarded the Meritorious Service Medal |
| LaVerne Krause | B.A. | 1946 | Painter and printmaker |
| Suzie Liles | M.F.A. | 2006 | Master weaver, owner of Eugene Textile Center and Glimakra USA |
| Susan Lowdermilk | M.F.A. | 1991 | Artist and Printmaker |
| Eric Norstad | M.F.A. | 1957 | Architect, ceramist, sculptor |
| Joe Sacco | B.A. | 1981 | Comic artist and journalist |
| Heidi Schwegler | M.F.A. | | Artist |
| Charles Stokes | M.F.A. | 1968 | Painter and sculptor |
| Ron Wigginton | M.F.A. | 1968 | Painter, sculptor and landscape architect |
| Russel Wong | B.S. | 1984 | Photographer |

## Journalism and media

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Byron Acohido | B.S. | 1977 | Pulitzer Prize winner (1997 Seattle Times) |
| Rick Attig | B.S. | 1983 | Pulitzer Prize winner (2001 Oregonian, 2006 Oregonian with Doug Bates) |
| Doug Bates | | 1968 | Pulitzer Prize winner (2006 Oregonian with Rick Attig) |
| Abe Deffenbaugh | B.S. | 1994 | Former publisher for the National Rifle Association; author of outdoor-related magazine articles |
| Ann Curry | B.A. | 1978 | The Today Show anchor; co-host of Dateline NBC |
| Steve Dykes | B.S. | 1982 | Pulitzer Prize winner (1993 LA Times with staff, 1995 LA Times with staff, 2000 Rocky Mountain News with photo staff) |
| Neil Everett | | 1984 | ESPNEWS and SportsCenter anchor |
| Lisa Verch Fletcher | B.S. | 1990 | Broadcast journalist for WJLA-TV, the ABC-affiliated television station in Washington, D.C. |
| Thomas Hager | M.A. | | Journalist |
| John Hockenberry | | 1981 | Journalist; four-time Emmy Award winner; three-time Peabody Award winner |
| Polly Irungu | B.A. | 2017 | Photographer and journalist; founder of Black Women Photographers; official photo editor for the office of US Vice President Kamala Harris |
| Mike Lamond | attended | | StarCraft II professional commentator and player |
| Lars Larson | attended | 1977-1979 | Syndicated radio talk show host, political pundit (KEX (AM), FOX News) |
| Nancy Loo | B.S. | 1986 | Broadcast journalist for WGN America |
| John Markoff | M.S. | 1975 | Journalist |
| Kevin McCarey | M.A. | 1980 | Emmy Award-winning filmmaker for National Geographic Television; author (Islands Under Fire) |
| Win McCormack | M.F.A. | | Owner of The New Republic. Co-founder of Mother Jones. Editor-in-chief of Tin House Magazine. |
| Ted Natt | | 1963 | Pulitzer Prize winner (1981 Longview Daily News with staff) |
| Robert Porterfield | | 1967 | Pulitzer Prize winner (1980 The Boston Globe) |
| Randy Shilts | B.S. | 1975 | Journalist; first openly gay reporter on a major American newspaper (the San Francisco Chronicle); author of three best-selling nonfiction books: The Mayor of Castro Street, And the Band Played On, and Conduct Unbecoming |
| Karen Stallwood | B.A. | 1986 | Pulitzer Prize winner (1994 Dallas Morning News with staff) |
| Alex Tizon | B.S. | 1994 | Pulitzer Prize winner (1997 Seattle Times with Eric Nalder and Deborah Nelson) |
| Brent Walth | B.S. | 1984 | Pulitzer Prize winner (2001 Oregonian with Julia Sullivan-Springhetti, Kim Christensen, and Richard Read) |
| Mark Zusman | M.S. | 1978 | Journalist; editor; winner of Gerald Loeb Award; was editor of the Willamette Week one of his reporters made it the only weekly to ever win the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting (2005, Nigel Jaquiss) |

## History and humanities

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| LaWanda Cox | B.A. | 1931 | Historian, Hunter College |
| Dennis Jenkins | Ph.D. | 1991 | Archaeologist |
| Huping Ling | M.A. | 1987 | History professor at Truman State University, award-winning author |
| Fredrik Logevall | M.A. | 1989 | Historian, Pulitzer Prize winner |
| Nicholas V. Riasanovsky | B.A. | 1942 | Professor emeritus of European History at University of California, Berkeley |
| W. Sherman Savage | M.A. | 1926 | History professor at Lincoln University in Missouri; first African American to graduate from the University of Oregon |
| Brian Swimme | Ph.D. | 1978 | Professor at California Institute of Integral Studies |
| Angela Yang | M.L.S. | | Former president of Chinese American Librarians Association from 1992 to 1993, multicultural services and outreach services librarian |

## Military

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| George L. Bartlett | B.S. | 1951 | Brigadier general, USMC; veteran of three wars |
| William E. Birkhimer | LL.D. | 1889 | Recipient of the Medal of Honor |
| Creed C. Hammond | | 1896 | Major General, US Army |
| David E. Jeremiah | B.S. | 1955 | Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral, US Navy |
| Donald Malarkey | B.S. | 1948 | Sergeant in Easy Company of the 101st Airborne; was in Stephen E. Ambrose's book Band of Brothers, made into an HBO miniseries |
| Herbert B. Powell | B.S. | 1927 | General, US Army |
| Charles C. Pixley | M.D. | 1946 | Lieutenant General, US Army |
| Raymond F. Rees | J.D. | 1976 | Major General, US Army |
| William B. Rosson | B.S. | 1940 | General, US Army |
| Rodger W. Simpson | attended | | Rear Admiral, US Navy |
| Mary Josephine Shelly | B.A. | | Lieutenant, WAVES, US Navy; Colonel, United States Air Force |
| Tammy Smith | B.S. | 1986 | Brigadier General, US Army |
| Gordon Arthur Stanley | attended | 1943 | Lieutenant Commander, US Navy, ace |
| James B. Thayer | B.S. | 1940–42, 1947 | Brigadier General, US Army |

## Politics and law
### Heads of state

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability | Reference |
| Dinesh Gunawardena | B.B.A | 1972 | Prime minister of Sri Lanka | |
| Hilda Heine | B.A. | 1974 | President of the Marshall Islands | |

### Governors

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Victor G. Atiyeh | attended | | Former Governor of Oregon |
| Neil Goldschmidt | B.A. | 1963 | Former Governor of Oregon and mayor of Portland, Oregon |
| Robert D. Holmes | | 1932 | Former Governor of Oregon |
| Leonard B. Jordan | B.A. | 1923 | Former Governor of Idaho and former US Senator |
| John Kitzhaber | M.D. | 1973 | Former Governor of Oregon |
| Tina Kotek | B.S. | 1990 | Governor of Oregon |
| Tom McCall | B.S. | 1936 | Former Governor of Oregon; television reporter and commentator for KGW and KATU in Portland |
| Julius L. Meier | LL.B | 1895 | Former Governor of Oregon |
| Paul L. Patterson | B.A. J.D. | 1923 1926 | Former Governor of Oregon; President of the Oregon State Senate |

### Judges

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Robert S. Bean | B.S. | 1878 | Former Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice |
| David V. Brewer | J.D. | 1977 | Oregon Supreme Court Justice |
| Oliver Perry Coshow | | 1885 | Former Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice |
| Alfred Goodwin | B.A. J.D. | 1949 1951 | Former Oregon Supreme Court Justice |
| Jim Jones | B.A. | 1964 | Chief Justice of Idaho Supreme Court; former Attorney General of Idaho |
| Earl C. Latourette | | 1912 | Former Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice |
| John Hugh McNary | | 1894 | Former federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Oregon in Portland |
| Edwin J. Peterson | B.S. LL.B | 1951 1957 | Former Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice |
| Hollie Pihl | Bachelor's of ? | c. 1952 | Circuit Court Judge |
| David Schuman | J.D. | 1984 | Oregon Court of Appeals Judge |
| Thomas Tongue | J.D. | 1937 | Former Oregon Supreme Court Justice |
| Martha Lee Walters | J.D. | 1977 | Oregon Supreme Court Justice |
| Walter C. Winslow | B.A. | 1906 | Oregon Supreme Court Justice pro tempore |

### Legislators

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Homer D. Angell | B.A. | 1900 | Former US Representative from Oregon |
| Emery Barnes | B.S. | 1954 | Former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada |
| Alexander G. Barry | LL.B | 1917 | Former US Senator from Oregon |
| Jim Battin | B.A. | 1985 | Former California State Senator |
| Suzanne Bonamici | B.S. J.D. | 1980 1983 | US Representative from Oregon |
| Walt Brown | M.L.S. | 1975 | Former Oregon State Senator |
| Peter DeFazio | M.A. | 1977 | US Representative from Oregon |
| Verne Duncan | Ph.D. | 1968 | Former Oregon State Senator |
| Edwin R. Durno | B.S. | 1921 | US Representative from Oregon |
| Harris Ellsworth | B.A. | 1922 | Former Oregon State Senator and US Representative from Oregon |
| Ted Ferrioli | B.A. | 1973 | Oregon State Senator |
| Peter Fonseca | B.A. | | Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada (2015-); Member of Provincial Parliament in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (2003-2011) |
| Edith Green | B.A. | 1939 | Former US Representative from Oregon |
| Kenzaburo Hara | M.A. | | Japan's second longest-serving legislator |
| Elaine Hopson | PhD | 1988 | Oregon state legislator |
| Nancie Fadeley | M.A. | 1974 | Oregon State legislator |
| Franklin F. Korell | | 1910 | Former US Representative from Oregon |
| James F. Lloyd | attended | | Former US Representative from California |
| Clifton N. McArthur | B.A. | 1901 | Former US Representative from Oregon |
| Frederick W. Mulkey | | 1896 | Former US Senator from Oregon |
| Maurine Brown Neuberger | B.A. | 1929 | First woman US Senator from Oregon |
| Richard L. Neuberger | | 1935 | Former US Senator from Oregon |
| Howard C. Nielson | M.S. | 1949 | Former US Representative from Utah |
| A. Walter Norblad | J.D. | 1932 | Former US Representative from Oregon |
| Ron Packard | D.M.D. | 1957 | Former US Representative from California |
| Alfred E. Reames | B.A. | | Former US Senator |
| William V. Roth, Jr. | B.A. | 1944 | Former US Senator and member of House of Representatives from Delaware; legislative sponsor of the individual retirement account plan, the Roth IRA, named for him; served as Chairman of U.S. Senate Committee on Finance |
| Paul Simon | B.S. | 1949 | Former US Senator from Illinois |
| Pete Simpson | Ph.D. | | Former member of the Wyoming House of Representatives and administrator at the University of Wyoming |
| Jefferson Smith | B.S. | 1996 | Political activist and former state legislator |
| Vic Snyder | M.D. | 1979 | Former US Representative from Arkansas |
| Frederick Steiwer | B.A. | 1906 | Former US Senator from Oregon |
| Clark W. Thompson | attended | | US Representative from Texas |
| Greg Walden | B.S. | 1981 | US Representative from Oregon |
| James H. Weaver | B.S. | 1952 | Former US Representative from Oregon |
| Ben Westlund | attended | | Oregon State Senator |
| Wendell Wyatt | LL.B. | 1941 | Former US Representative from Oregon |
| Ron Wyden | J.D. | 1974 | US Senator and former Representative from Oregon |

### Mayors

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Sam Adams | B.A. | 2002 | Former Mayor of Portland, Oregon |
| Ryan Coonerty | | 1996 | Former Mayor of Santa Cruz, California |
| Marko Dapcevich | | 1991 | Mayor of Sitka, Alaska |
| Ivor Dent | Ph.D. | 1962 | Former mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Tom Hughes | B.S. | 1965 | Former mayor of Hillsboro, Oregon |
| John Ssebaana Kizito | M.A. | 1962 | Mayor of Kampala, Uganda |
| Alan Lowe | M.Arch | 1985 | Former Mayor of Victoria, British Columbia |
| Connie McCready | | 1943 | Former mayor of Portland, Oregon |
| Charles Royer | B.S. | 1966 | Former mayor of Seattle, Washington |

### Diplomats

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| George Edward Glass | B.S. | 1980 | U.S. Ambassador to Portugal |
| Carol Hallett | | 1959 | Former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas |
| Yosuke Matsuoka | LL.B | 1900 | International war criminal and influential Japanese Foreign Minister during World War II |
| Terence McCulley | B.A. | 1979 | Former U.S. Ambassador to the Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Republic of Mali |
| Michael Retzer | B.A. | 1968 | U.S. Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania |
| Victor L. Tomseth | B.A. | 1963 | Former U.S. Ambassador to the Lao People's Democratic Republic |
| Witold Waszczykowski | M.A. | 1991 | Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland and Polish Ambassador to Iran |
| Kent Wiedemann | M.A. | 1973 | Former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia |

### Other politicians, activists and whistleblowers

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Aisha al-Mana | B.S. | 1970 | Women's rights activist in Saudi Arabia |
| Peter Buxtun | B.A. | 1959 | Whistleblower responsible for ending the unethical Tuskegee syphilis experiment |
| Mabel Byrd | attended | | Civil Rights activist |
| Donald Hodel | J.D. | 1960 | Former Secretary of Energy and former Secretary of the Interior for the Reagan administration |
| Richard James Kerr | B.A. | 1959 | Former Acting Director of the CIA, 1 September–6 November 1991. Former Deputy Director of the CIA 20 March 1989 – 2 March 1992. |
| Hardy Myers | LL.B. | 1964 | Former Attorney General of Oregon |
| Theodora Nathan | B.A. | 1971 | First woman to have received an electoral vote in a US presidential election; one of the founders of the Libertarian Party |
| Steve Novick | B.A. | 1981 | City of Portland Commissioner |
| Nguyen Thien Nhan | M.P.A. | 1995 | Current Party Secretary (de facto leader) of Ho Chi Minh City. Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education. |
| Ellen Rosenblum | B.S. J.D. | 1971 1975 | Attorney General of Oregon |
| Betty Gram Swing | attended | | Women's Suffrage activist |
| Susan Sygall | B.S. | 1947 | Disability rights activist |
| Robert Y. Thornton | Postdoc | 1995 | Former Attorney General of Oregon |
| Minoru Yasui | B.A. LL.B. | 1937 1939 | Activist against discriminatory laws against Japanese Americans during World War II |
| Ryan Zinke | B.S. | 1984 | 52nd United States Secretary of the Interior, serving in the Trump administration. U.S. representative for Montana's at-large congressional district from 2015 until 2017. |

## Science, technology and psychology

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Amir Aczel | Ph.D. | 1982 | Author of science and mathematics |
| Raymond Delacy Adams | Bachelors | 1933 | Neurologist and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences |
| Geoffrey R. Ball | B.S. | 1987 | Physiologist; co-founder of Symphonix Devices Inc., which pioneered the development of middle ear implants |
| David M. Beazley | M.S. | 1993 | Computer scientist, Python developer, and author |
| Kent Beck | B.S., M.S. | 1987 | Software engineer, creator of the Extreme Programming and Test Driven Development software development methodologies, also named agile software development |
| Pamela J. Bjorkman | B.A. | 1971 | Biochemist; pioneer in x-ray crystallography; Max Delbruck Professor of Biology at California Institute of Technology |
| Richard Gordon | Ph.D. | 1967 | Theoretical biologist; pioneer in image processing; Professor of Radiology at University of Manitoba |
| Walter Houser Brattain | M.A. | 1926 | Co-winner of 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics, co-inventor of the transistor |
| Clifford E. Brubaker | Ph.D. | 1968 | Founding member and former president of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America |
| Anthony W. Case | B.S. | 2004 | Developed devices to measure the solar wind used on the Parker Solar Probe and other unmanned spacecraft |
| Robert S. Cunningham | M.S. Ph.D. | 1969 | Professor emeritus of computer science at CSU Stanislaus |
| Stanislas Dehaene | Postdoc | | Neuroscientist in numerical cognition |
| Sarah Donaldson | B.S., R.N. | 1961 | Pediatric radiation oncologist |
| Ann E. Elsner | Ph.D. | 1977 | Researcher and Distinguished Professor of Optometry, Indiana University Bloomington |
| Anne Fernald | PhD | 1982 | Psychologist at Stanford University |
| N. Gregory Hamilton | B.A. | 1971 | Psychiatrist and proponent of assisted suicide |
| Douglas Hofstadter | M.S. Ph.D. | 1972 1975 | Professor of cognitive science; winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction (1980); author of Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid |
| Anthony Leiserowitz | M.S. Ph.D. | | Director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication |
| Daniel Levitin | M.S. Ph.D. | 1993 1996 | Cognitive scientist |
| Esther Pohl Lovejoy | M.D. | 1894 | Early female physician; women's suffrage activist |
| William Murphy | B.A. | 1914 | Co-winner of 1934 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine |
| PZ Myers | Ph.D. | 1985 | Biologist and noted science blogger |
| Harry F. Noller | Ph.D. | 1985 | Biochemist; director of the UC Santa Cruz's Center for the Molecular Biology of RNA; made significant contributions to our understanding of the ribosome; member of the National Academy of Sciences |
| Michael Posner | Postdoc | 1985 | Neuroscientist |
| Loren Pankratz | Ph.D. | 1968 | Psychologist, former professor at Oregon Health Sciences University |
| Vladimir Rojansky | M.A. | 1925 | Physicist, known for work on antimatter |
| Raemer Schreiber | M.A. | 1932 | Physicist, known for work on Manhattan Project |
| Joseph Takahashi | Ph.D. | 1981 | Discovered the CLOCK gene |
| Robert Wah | B.S. | 1979 | President of the American Medical Association, 2014–15 |
| Rebecca Wirfs-Brock | B.A. | | Software engineer and consultant; founder of the information technology consulting firm Wirfs-Brock Associates; inventor of Responsibility-Driven Design |

## Sports
### Basketball

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Greg Ballard | B.S. | 1977 | Former NBA forward |
| Jim Barnett | B.S. | 1966 | Former NBA guard-forward |
| Jordan Bell | attended | | NBA forward for the Golden State Warriors |
| Terrell Brandon | | 1991 | Former NBA guard |
| Aaron Brooks | B.S. | 2007 | NBA guard for the Phoenix Suns |
| Dillon Brooks | attended | | NBA swingman for the Memphis Grizzlies |
| Mark Few | B.S. | 1987 | Current head basketball coach at Gonzaga University |
| Lauren Gale | | 1939 | Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member |
| Ruthy Hebard | | | WNBA forward for the Chicago Sky; first-round pick in the 2020 WNBA draft. Two-time recipient (2018, 2020) of the Katrina McClain Award as the top power forward in NCAA Division I women's basketball. |
| Howard Hobson | B.S. | 1926 | Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member; former basketball Head Coach for the Oregon Ducks and Yale Bulldogs |
| Sabrina Ionescu | B.A. M.A. | 2019 2020 | Current WNBA player with the New York Liberty; top pick in the 2020 WNBA draft; recipient of multiple NCAA Division I national player of the year awards in 2019 and 2020 |
| Luke Jackson | B.S. | 2004 | Former NBA forward with the Portland Trail Blazers |
| Stu Jackson | | 1980 | Former NBA head coach, current NBA executive |
| Tom Jernstedt | B.S. M.S. | 1964 1973 | Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member; architect of March Madness |
| Fred Jones | | 2002 | Former NBA guard with the New York Knicks |
| Ernie Kent | B.S. | 1977 | Former basketball head coach for the Oregon Ducks |
| Ron Lee | B.S. | 1976 | Former NBA guard |
| Jim Loscutoff | | 1955 | Former NBA forward |
| Stan Love | | 1971 | Former NBA forward. Also notable as father of current NBA forward Kevin Love and younger brother of Beach Boys founding member Mike Love. |
| Blair Rasmussen | B.S. | 1985 | Former NBA center |
| Luke Ridnour | attended | | NBA Point Guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Satou Sabally | B.A. | 2020 | WNBA forward for the Dallas Wings; chosen second (behind Ionescu) in the 2020 WNBA draft. 2020 recipient of the Cheryl Miller Award as the top small forward in NCAA Division I women's basketball. |
| Zollie Volchok | | 1939 | Former general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics; winner of the 1983 NBA Executive of the Year Award |
* Tyler Dorsey (born 1996), Greek–American basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Roman Sorkin (born 1996), Israeli basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Jamil Wilson (born 1990), basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israeli Basketball Premier League

### Football

Full list of former University of Oregon players who have played football professionally
Full list of former University of Oregon players who are currently playing in the NFL
| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability | Reference |
| Evan Baylis | | | NFL tight end | |
| Bob Berry | | 1964 | Former Pro Bowl NFL quarterback | |
| Josh Bidwell | B.A. | 1998 | Pro Bowl NFL punter with the Washington Redskins | |
| Jairus Byrd | attended | 2008 | Pro Bowl NFL safety for the Carolina Panthers | |
| Patrick Chung | B.S. | 2008 | Safety for the New England Patriots | |
| Kellen Clemens | B.S. | 2006 | NFL quarterback with the San Diego Chargers | |
| Gunther Cunningham | B.S. | 1969 | Former head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs | |
| Dennis Dixon | B.S. | 2007 | NFL quarterback with the Philadelphia Eagles | |
| Reuben Droughns | | 2000 | NFL running back with the New York Giants | |
| A.J. Feeley | | 2000 | NFL quarterback with the St. Louis Rams | |
| Dan Fouts | B.S. | 1977 | Pro Football Hall of Fame member; former six-time Pro Bowl NFL quarterback; ABC television sports announcer | |
| Russ Francis | | 1975 | Former three-time Pro Bowl NFL tight end | |
| Mike Gaechter | B.S. | 1962 | Former NFL safety for the Dallas Cowboys | |
| Roy Gagnon | | | NFL guard for the Detroit Lions | |
| Dave Grayson | B.S. | 1960 | Former AFL / NFL safety for the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders | |
| Tony Hargain | | | Former NFL wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers | |
| Joey Harrington | B.S. | 2002 | Former NFL quarterback with the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints | |
| Josh Huff | B.S. | 2013 | NFL wide receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles. | |
| Shy Huntington | B.S. | 1924 | Former football, basketball, and baseball head coach for the Oregon Ducks | |
| Dick James | | 1956 | Former Pro Bowl NFL running back | |
| Darron Thomas | | 2011 | | |
| LaMichael James | | 2011 | NFL running back with the Miami Dolphins. Doak Walker Award winner | |
| Casey Matthews | | 2010 | NFL linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles | |
| Jeff Maehl | | 2010 | NFL wide receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles | |
| June Jones | attended | | Head coach of the SMU Mustangs; former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Hawaii Warriors | |
| Tuffy Leemans | attended | | Pro Football Hall of Fame member; former NFL running back for the New York Giants | |
| Jeff Lockie | | | Oregon Ducks quarterback | |
| George Martin | | 1975 | Former NFL defensive end for the New York Giants | |
| John McKay | B.S. | 1950 | Former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the USC Trojans | |
| Chris Miller | | 1987 | Former NFL quarterback | |
| Alex Molden | B.S. | 1998 | Former NFL cornerback | |
| Maurice Morris | | 2002 | NFL running back with the Detroit Lions | |
| Bill Musgrave | | 1990 | NFL quarterback and offensive coordinator | |
| Anthony Newman | | 2002 | Former NFL defensive back with the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders | |
| John Nisby | | | Former NFL guard with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Redskins | . |
| Haloti Ngata | attended | | Two-time Pro Bowl NFL defensive tackle with the Detroit Lions | |
| Mike Nolan | B.S. | 1981 | Former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers | |
| Igor Olshansky | B.S. | 2004 | NFL defensive tackle with the Miami Dolphins | |
| Jack Patera | B.S. | 1955 | Former head coach of the Seattle Seahawks | |
| Fred Quillan | | 1977 | Former two-time Pro Bowl NFL center with the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers | |
| Ahmad Rashad | B.Ed | 1972 | Former four-time Pro Bowl NFL wide receiver, Emmy Award-winning sportscaster | |
| Mel Renfro | B.S. | 1964 | Pro Football Hall of Fame member; former ten-time Pro Bowl; five-time All-Pro NFL cornerback | |
| Dante Rosario | B.S. | 2006 | NFL tight end with the Carolina Panthers | |
| John Robinson | B.S. | 1960 | Former head coach of the Los Angeles Rams and USC Trojans | |
| Brett Salisbury | attended | 1991 | Former quarterback and sports nutrition author | |
| Geoffrey Isaiah Schwartz | B.S. | 2008 | NFL offensive tackle with the Kansas City Chiefs | |
| Akili Smith | B.S. | 1999 | Former NFL quarterback | |
| Onterrio Smith | attended | | Former NFL halfback | |
| Adam Snyder | B.S. | 2005 | NFL offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers | |
| Bruce Snyder | B.S. | 1963 | Former head coach of the California Golden Bears and the Arizona State Sun Devils | |
| Jonathan Stewart | attended | | NFL running back with the Carolina Panthers | |
| De'Anthony Thomas | attended | 2013 | NFL running back with the Kansas City Chiefs | |
| Norv Turner | B.S. | 1976 | Offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns; former head coach of the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders | |
| Max Unger | | 2008 | Pro Bowl NFL center with the Seattle Seahawks | |
| Norm Van Brocklin | B.S. M.S. | 1949 1951 | Pro Football Hall of Fame member, former nine-time Pro Bowl NFL quarterback | |
| Michael Walter | B.S. | 1982 | Former NFL linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers | |
| Dave Wilcox | | 1965 | Pro Football Hall of Fame member, former seven-time Pro Bowl NFL linebacker | |
| Josh Wilcox | | | NFL tight end with the New Orleans Saints | |
| Demetrius Williams | | 2006 | NFL wide receiver with the Cleveland Browns | |
| George Wrighster | attended | | Former NFL tight end with the New York Giants | |
| Brett Young | attended | | Former CFL defensive back | |
| Gary Zimmerman | B.S. | 1986 | Pro Football Hall of Fame member, former seven-time Pro Bowl NFL offensive lineman | |

### Track and field

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Keshia Baker | | 2010 | 2012 Summer Olympics gold medalist in the 4 × 400 m relay |
| Mike Boit | Ph.D. | 1986 | 1972 Summer Olympics bronze medalist in the 800m |
| Bill Bowerman | B.S. M.Ed. | 1934 1953 | Former track and field head coach for the Oregon Ducks |
| Doug Clement | B.Sc. | 1955 | Canadian sprinter and proponent of fitness and sports medicine |
| Joaquim Cruz | attended | | 1984 Summer Olympics gold medalist; 1988 Summer Olympics silver medalist in the 800m |
| Otis Davis | B.S. | 1960 | 1960 Summer Olympics gold medalist in the 400m and 4x400 relay |
| Mary Decker | | 1980 | Record setting long-distance runner |
| Bill Dellinger | B.S. M.Ed. | 1956 1962 | 1964 Summer Olympics bronze medalist in the 5000m; former track and field head coach for the Oregon Ducks |
| Ashton Eaton | B.A. | 2010 | World record holder in the decathlon with 9045 points in 2015 and the heptathlon with 6499 points in 2010, 6568 points in 2011 and 6645 points in 2012; 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics gold medalist in the decathlon |
| Ken Flax | B.S. | 1986 | Two-time Olympian, record-setting hammer thrower |
| Martin Hawkins | LL.B | 1913 | 1912 Summer Olympics bronze medalist in the 100m hurdles |
| Ralph Hill | B.S. | 1931 | 1932 Summer Olympics silver medalist in the 5000m |
| Cyrus Hostetler | B.S. | 2010 | Javelin thrower at the 2012 Summer Olympics |
| Harry Jerome | M.S. | 1963 1968 | 1964 Summer Olympics bronze medalist in the 100m, world record holder |
| Daniel Kelly | | 1908 | 1908 Summer Olympics silver medalist in the long jump |
| Steve Prefontaine | B.S. | 1974 | Record setting long-distance runner, Olympian |
| Mack Robinson | attended | 1941 | 1936 Summer Olympics silver medalist in the 200m |
| Galen Rupp | B.A. | 2009 | 2012 Summer Olympics silver medalist in the 10,000 meters; inaugural winner of the Bowerman Award |
| Alberto Salazar | B.A. | 1981 | Marathon runner and coach |
| Brianne Theisen-Eaton | B.S. | 2012 | Canadian record holder in the heptathlon with 6808 points in 2015 and the indoor pentathlon with 4881 points in 2016; 2016 World Indoor Track and Field Championships gold medalist in the pentathlon; 2016 Summer Olympics Bronze medalist in the heptathlon |
| Mac Wilkins | B.S. | 1973 | World record holder in the discus throw; 1976 Summer Olympics gold medalist; 1984 Summer Olympics silver medalist in the discus throw |
* Shem-Tov Sabag (B.S. 1986; Masters 1989) – Israeli Olympic marathoner, won both the 1984 Lake County Marathon, and the 1989 Vancouver Marathon, and competed for Israel at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

### Other sports

| Name | Degree(s) | Year(s) | Notability |
| Tyler Anderson | | 2011 | Major League Baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners |
| Earl Averill | B.S. | 1953 | Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder for the Cleveland Indians |
| Ann Bancroft | B.S. | 1981 | First woman to reach the North Pole on foot and by dogsled |
| Martenne Bettendorf | B.A. | 2016 | Volleyball player |
| Wyndham Clark | | | Golfer, winner of the 2023 U.S. Open |
| Garrett Cleavinger | | | Major League Baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Ben Crane | B.S. | 1999 | Professional golfer |
| Clare Drake | attended | 1968 | Ice Hockey Coach and Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame |
| Evan Dunham | B.S. | 2004 | NCAA wrestler, retired professional MMA fighter for the UFC's Lightweight Division |
| Peter Foley | | | Former snowboarding coach; suspended for 10 years for sexual misconduct |
| Greg Gibson | | 1978 | 1984 Summer Olympics silver medalist in wrestling |
| Joe Gordon | B.S. | 1939 | Baseball Hall of Famer second baseman with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians |
| Bob Hindmarch | M.S. Ph.D. | 1959 1962 | Director of physical education at the University of British Columbia, inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, member of the Order of Canada |
| Peter Jacobsen | | 1977 | Professional golfer |
| Dave Jansen | attended | | NCAA collegiate wrestler; professional MMA fighter formerly with the WEC and Bellator |
| Yohanan Moyal | | | Israeli Olympic gymnast |
| Jake Reed | | | Major League Baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Dave Roberts | | 1971 | MLB first overall draft pick in 1972 by the San Diego Padres |
| Tom Shaw | | 1962 | Professional golfer |
| Jimmie Sherfy | | | Major League Baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Chael Sonnen | B.S. | 2001 | NCAA All-American and U.S. Olympic team alternate wrestler, Retired professional mixed martial artist, former UFC, Bellator MMA Middleweight, Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight title challenger |
| Robert Steadward | Ph.D. | | Founder of the International Paralympic Committee |
| Paul Sunderland | attended | | 1984 Summer Olympics gold medalist in men's volleyball |
| Zack Test | | | Rugby union player |
| Carolyn Wood | B.A. | 1967 | 1960 Summer Olympics gold medalist in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay in swimming |
| Gary Wiren | Ph.D. | | Golfer and golf instructor |