# List of Western Michigan University alumni

The following is a list of Western Michigan University alumni. Note some of the individuals listed may have only attended the university at one point and not graduated.

## Arts and literature

* Bonnie Jo Campbell, author
* Xavier Davis, pianist
* Gwen Frostic, artist, naturalist, poet laureate of Michigan, namesake of WMU's Frostic School of Art, 1929 Bachelor of Arts
* Peter Geye, author
* James D. Griffioen, writer and photographer
* Kyoko Matsuoka, author and translator
* Richelle Mead, author
* Hideaki Miyamura, potter
* Melinda Moustakis, author
* Howard Norman, novelist
* Arleta Richardson, author
* Carey Salerno, poet
* Diane Seuss, poet
* Terry Wooten, poet

## Business

* Robert Bobb, Emergency Financial Manager for the Detroit Public Schools
* Jeanne Dietsch, co-founder of MobileRobots Inc
* Tom Englert, second CEO of Discount Tire
* Alec Gores, billionaire president of the Gores Group with an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion
* Gerrard Wendell Haworth, businessman, founder of Haworth, Inc.
* Richard Haworth, businessman, chairman of Haworth, Inc., WMU trustee
* Timothy E. Hoeksema (1972), founder of Midwest Airlines
* Homer Hartman Stryker, founder of Stryker Corporation, 1916 Certificate of Teaching

## Education

* Terry Bergeson, State of Washington Superintendent of Public Schools
* Robert H. Bruininks, President of University of Minnesota
* Dr. James Bultman, President of Hope College
* John A. Fallon, President, Eastern Michigan University; President, SUNY Potsdam; President, William Penn University
* Frank Douglas Garrett, All-America basketball, academic dean, Oakland University
* M. Peter McPherson, President of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, member of the Dow Jones board of directors, President-Emeritus of Michigan State University
* John J. Pruis, President of Ball State University
* Merze Tate, first African American graduate of WMU; first African American woman to attend Oxford; Harvard PhD

## Entertainment

* Tim Allen, actor and comedian
* Bruce Campbell, actor
* Terry Crews, actor
* Brooke Elliott, star of Lifetime Television Network show Drop Dead Diva
* Nicole Forester, actress
* Mary Jackson, actress
* Darren Edward Johnston, Tony Award winning producer
* Page Kennedy, actor
* Loretta Mae Moore Long, Susan Robinson on Sesame Street, 1960 Bachelor of Arts
* Stephen Lynch, Tony Award-nominated actor, musician, stand-up comedian
* Marin Mazzie, Tony Award-nominated actress
* Jeff Osterhage, film and television actor
* John Saunders, ABC Sports television personality
* Beby Tsabina, Indonesian actress, model, and singer
* Paigion, born Kimberly Walker, actress, radio and television personality
* David Wayne, film, television and Tony Award-winning stage actor
* Lauren Zakrin, Broadway actress

## Journalism

* Roz Abrams, New York City TV news presenter, CNN reporter
* Ed Gordon, television talk show host on BET and MSNBC, correspondent for NBC News and CBS News, and radio host on NPR
* LZ Granderson, columnist for ESPN and CNN
* Emily Rouleau-McElhaney, sports producer, Bally Sports Detroit

## Law

* Dennis W. Archer, Mayor of Detroit, Michigan Supreme Court Justice, President of the American Bar Association, WMU trustee, 1965 Bachelor of Science
* John J. Bursch, former Michigan Solicitor General
* Gershwin A. Drain, Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
* Michael Cohen, Former lawyer of Donald Trump
* Karla Gray, Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court
* Richard Allen Griffin, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
* Wallace Kent, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
* John E. Turner, former Washington State Court of Appeals Judge, Division 2

## Music

* Frankie Ballard, country music artist
* Scott Boerma, Director of Bands at WMU and former Director of the Michigan Marching Band
* Matt Giraud, American Idol top 5 finalist
* Josh Gracin, country music artist and American Idol finalist
* Michael Gungor, lead singer of the musical collective Gungor
* Sango, DJ and electronic musician
* Wayne Static, lead singer and guitarist of industrial metal band Static-X
* Luther Vandross, rhythm and blues/urban contemporary singer, songwriter, and record producer

## Politics, diplomacy and military

* Gardner Ackley, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under Lyndon Johnson, Economics Department Chair at the University of Michigan
* Jase Bolger, State Representative, Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives
* Scott Boman, Michigan politician
* Jeanne Dietsch, New Hampshire state senator
* Gerald Jernigan, mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan
* Robert B. Jones, Mayor of Kalamazoo and Michigan State Representative
* Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, U.S. Representative
* Charles S. May, 16th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
* Jack B. Olson, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
* Kristy Pagan, Democratic politician from Michigan who represents the 21st District in the Michigan House of Representatives
* Kitty Piercy, Mayor of Eugene, Oregon
* Mark Schauer, U.S. Representative, State Senator, Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate
* Dylan Schmorrow, Commander, U.S. Navy and aerospace experimental psychologist
* Mark D. Siljander, U.S. Representative
* Rashida Tlaib, U.S. Representative and former Michigan state representative;

## Athletics

* Keegan Akin, MLB pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles
* Richard Ash, NFL player for Dallas Cowboys
* Jason Babin, NFL player for Arizona Cardinals
* Freddie Bishop III, CFL player for Calgary Stampeders
* Jim Bouton, MLB baseball player, World Series pitcher for New York Yankees, actor, author of Ball Four
* Don Boven, NBA player
* Daniel Braverman (born 1993), NFL football player
* Judi Brown, Olympic silver medalist
* Matt Cappotelli, professional wrestler
* Orlando Colon, aka Epico, WWE wrestler, played baseball for Western Michigan
* Scott Colton, aka Colt Cabana, professional wrestler and podcaster
* Kevin Connauton, NHL player for Dallas Stars
* Terry Crews, NFL all-conference MAC player and actor
* Corey Davis, NFL wide receiver for the New York Jets, highest drafted NFL player in WMU history (5th overall)
* Danny DeKeyser, defenseman for Detroit Red Wings
* Louis Delmas, All-American free safety NFL player
* Bill Doba, head football coach at Washington State University (2003–2007)
* Dave Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations of Boston Red Sox, former GM of Detroit Tigers
* Shawn Faulkner, football player
* Brad Fischer, bullpen coach for Oakland Athletics
* Paul Griffin, NBA player
* Ben Handlogten, NBA player
* John Harbaugh, NFL head coach for Baltimore Ravens (Master's degree from WMU)
* Glenn Healy, NHL goalie
* Greg Jennings, former NFL wide receiver
* Keith Jones, hockey analyst on NBC Sports and NHL player
* Ernie Koob, MLB pitcher, threw no-hitter for 1917 St. Louis Browns
* John Kusku, Team USA goalball player, Paralympic silver medalist
* Bill Lajoie, general manager of Detroit Tigers, 1984–90; special advisor for three other teams
* Rich Maloney, head coach for University of Michigan baseball team
* Charlie Maxwell, Major League Baseball player
* Jamal Mayers, NHL player for Chicago Blackhawks
* Jeff Mayweather, trainer and former professional boxer
* Jay McDonagh, football player
* Ira James Murchison, Olympic gold medalist, NCAA national champion
* Lenda Murray, bodybuilder, 8-time Ms. Olympia
* Tom Nütten, retired NFL player for St. Louis Rams
* John Offerdahl, 5-time Pro Bowl NFL player
* Walter Owens, Negro league baseball pitcher, basketball and track and field player for Michigan, baseball and basketball coach at Detroit's Northwestern High School
* William Perigo, Western Michigan basketball player and head coach
* William Porter, Olympic gold medalist
* John Potter, professional football kicker
* Mike Prindle, NFL placekicker
* Frank Quilici, infielder (1965, 1967–70) and manager (1972–75) for the Minnesota Twins
* Joe Reitz, NFL offensive lineman, WMU basketball player
* Mark Ricks, football player
* Sean Riley (born 1974), football player
* Adam Rosales, MLB third baseman for Oakland Athletics
* Walker Russell, NBA player
* Tony Scheffler, NFL tight end for Detroit Lions
* Neil Smith, owner of Greenville Road Warriors of ECHL, general manager of NHL's New York Rangers and New York Islanders
* Paul Szczechura, NHL player for Tampa Bay Lightning
* Wayne Terwilliger, Chicago Cubs second baseman, MLB coach, author
* Roger Theder, head football coach, University of California, Berkeley (1978–1981)
* Ray Thomas, MLB player
* Elliot Uzelac, head football coach, Western Michigan University (1975–1981) and U.S. Naval Academy (1987–1989)
* John Vander Wal, professional baseball player
* Jordan White, professional football player

## Fictional

* Tim Taylor, Home Improvement
* Jill Taylor, Home Improvement