From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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
[1]
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
[2]
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
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 ,
[3] 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
[4]
Bruce Campbell , actor
[4]
Terry Crews , actor
[4]
Brooke Elliott , star of
Lifetime Television Network show
Drop Dead Diva
[4]
Nicole Forester , actress
[4]
Mary Jackson , actress
Page Kennedy , actor
[4]
Don Lane , American-born Australian entertainer
Loretta Mae Moore Long ,
Susan Robinson on
Sesame Street , 1960 Bachelor of Arts
[5]
Stephen Lynch ,
Tony Award -nominated actor, musician, stand-up comedian
[4]
Marin Mazzie ,
Tony Award winning actress
[4]
Jeff Osterhage , film and television actor
John Saunders ,
ABC Sports television personality
[4]
Paigion , born Kimberly Walker, actress,
radio and television personality
David Wayne , film, television and
Tony Award -winning stage actor
[4]
Lauren Zakrin , Broadway actress
Journalism
Law
Judge
Gershwin A. Drain
Dennis W. Archer ,
Mayor of Detroit ,
Michigan Supreme Court
Justice ,
President of the
American Bar Association , WMU
trustee , 1965 Bachelor of Science
[6]
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
[7]
Music
Frankie Ballard
Frankie Ballard , country music artist
[4]
Scott Boerma , Director of Bands at WMU
[8] and former Director of the Michigan Marching Band
Matt Giraud ,
American Idol top 5 finalist
[4]
Josh Gracin , country music artist and American Idol finalist
[4]
Michael Gungor , lead singer of the musical collective Gungor
Sango , DJ and electronic musician, 2015 Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design
Wayne Static , lead singer and guitarist of
industrial metal band
Static-X
[4]
Luther Vandross ,
rhythm and blues /
urban contemporary singer, songwriter, and record producer
[4]
Politics, diplomacy and military
Gardner Ackley , Chairman of the
Council of Economic Advisers under
Lyndon Johnson , Economics Department Chair at the University of Michigan
[9]
Jase Bolger ,
State Representative ,
Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives
[10]
Scott Boman , Michigan politician
[11]
Jeanne Dietsch , New Hampshire state senator
Gerald Jernigan , mayor of
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Robert B. Jones , Mayor of Kalamazoo and Michigan State Representative
[12]
Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick ,
U.S. Representative
[13]
Charles S. May , 16th
Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Jack B. Olson ,
Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
[14]
Kristy Pagan , Democratic politician from Michigan who represents the 21st District in the Michigan House of Representatives
Kitty Piercy , Mayor of
Eugene, Oregon
[15]
Mark Schauer ,
U.S. Representative , State Senator, Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate
[16]
Dylan Schmorrow , Commander, U.S. Navy and aerospace experimental psychologist
[17]
Mark D. Siljander ,
U.S. Representative
[18]
Rashida Tlaib ,
U.S. Representative and former Michigan state representative;
Athletics
Jim Bouton
Keegan Akin , MLB pitcher for the
Baltimore Orioles
[19]
Richard Ash ,
NFL player for
Dallas Cowboys
[20]
Jason Babin ,
NFL player for
Arizona Cardinals
[21]
Freddie Bishop III ,
CFL player for
Calgary Stampeders
[22]
Jim Bouton , MLB baseball player, World Series pitcher for
New York Yankees , actor, author of Ball Four
[23]
Don Boven ,
NBA player
[24]
Daniel Braverman (born 1993), NFL football player
[25]
[26]
Judi Brown , Olympic
silver medalist
[27]
Matt Cappotelli , professional wrestler[
citation needed ]
Orlando Colon , aka Epico, WWE wrestler, played baseball for Western Michigan
Scott Colton , aka Colt Cabana, professional wrestler and podcaster[
citation needed ]
Kevin Connauton ,
NHL player for
Dallas Stars
[28]
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
[29]
Louis Delmas ,
All-American free safety
NFL player
[30]
Bill Doba , head football coach at
Washington State University (2003–2007)
[31]
Dave Dombrowski , President of Baseball Operations of
Boston Red Sox , former GM of
Detroit Tigers [
citation needed ]
Shawn Faulkner , football player
[32]
Brad Fischer , bullpen coach for
Oakland Athletics
[33]
Paul Griffin , NBA player
[34]
Ben Handlogten , NBA player
[35]
John Harbaugh , NFL head coach for
Baltimore Ravens (Master's degree from WMU)
[36]
Glenn Healy , NHL goalie
[37]
Greg Jennings , former
NFL
wide receiver
[38]
Keith Jones , hockey analyst on NBC Sports and NHL player
[39]
Ernie Koob , MLB pitcher, threw no-hitter for 1917 St. Louis Browns
John Kusku , Team USA
goalball player, Paralympic silver medalist
[40]
Bill Lajoie , general manager of
Detroit Tigers , 1984–90; special advisor for three other teams
[41]
Rich Maloney , head coach for University of Michigan baseball team
[42]
Charlie Maxwell , Major League Baseball player
[43]
Jamal Mayers , NHL player for
Chicago Blackhawks
[44]
Jeff Mayweather , trainer and former professional boxer[
citation needed ]
Jay McDonagh , football player
[45]
Ira James Murchison , Olympic
gold medalist ,
NCAA national champion
[46]
Lenda Murray , bodybuilder, 8-time
Ms. Olympia
Tom Nütten , retired
NFL player for
St. Louis Rams
[47]
John Offerdahl , 5-time Pro Bowl NFL player
[48]
Walter Owens , Negro league baseball pitcher, basketball and track and field player for Michigan, baseball and basketball coach at Detroit's
Northwestern High School
[49]
William Perigo , Western Michigan basketball player and head coach
William Porter , Olympic
gold medalist
[50]
John Potter , professional football kicker
[51]
Mike Prindle ,
NFL placekicker
[52]
Frank Quilici , infielder (1965, 1967–70) and manager (1972–75) for the
Minnesota Twins
[53]
Joe Reitz ,
NFL
offensive lineman , WMU basketball player
[54]
Mark Ricks , football player
Sean Riley (born 1974), football player
[55]
Adam Rosales ,
MLB third baseman for
Oakland Athletics
[56]
Walker Russell ,
NBA player
[57]
Tony Scheffler ,
NFL
tight end for
Detroit Lions
[58]
Neil Smith , owner of
Greenville Road Warriors of
ECHL , general manager of NHL's
New York Rangers and
New York Islanders
[59]
Paul Szczechura , NHL player for Tampa Bay Lightning
Wayne Terwilliger ,
Chicago Cubs second baseman, MLB coach, author
[60]
Roger Theder , head football coach, University of California, Berkeley (1978–1981)[
citation needed ]
Ray Thomas ,
MLB player
[61]
Elliot Uzelac , head football coach,
Western Michigan University (1975–1981) and
U.S. Naval Academy (1987–1989)
[62]
John Vander Wal , professional
baseball player
[63]
Jordan White , professional football player
[64]
Fictional
References
^
"Michigan State University Libraries - Michigan Writers Series - Bonnie Jo Campbell, 1/24/03" .
^
"National Endowment for the Arts, Melinda Moustakis, 2014 Prose" .
^
"1970 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient" . wmich.edu .
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o Bennett, Bryan (November 16, 2016).
"These Are The Most Famous Western Michigan Alumni" . Retrieved April 8, 2017 .
^
"1971 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient" . wmich.edu .
^
"1982 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient" . wmich.edu .
^
"John Turner – an Olympia, Washington (WA) Criminal Law Lawyer" . findlaw.com . Retrieved April 8, 2017 .
^
"Marching Band director resigns" . The Michigan Daily . January 9, 2013.
^
"Gardner Ackley" . University of Michigan Digital Library. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Jase Bolger MI House GOP Bio" . Michigan House Republican Caucus. Retrieved December 6, 2015 .
^ Yoakum, Ted (October 18, 2012).
"WMU alumnus and former Western Herald contributor running for US Senate seat in Michigan" . Western Herald .
^
"Robert Jones" . Michiganliberal.com. Archived from
the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2013 .
^
"Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick" . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 16, 2013 .
^
"Jack B. Olson" . Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved December 16, 2013 .
^
"Kitty Piercy" . eugene-or.gov. Retrieved December 16, 2013 .
^
"Mark Schauer" . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 16, 2013 .
^
"Dylan Schmorrow" . soartech.com. Archived from
the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2013 .
^
"Mark D. Siljander" . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 16, 2013 .
^
"Keegan Akin" . baseball-reference.com/players. Retrieved March 5, 2023 .
^
"Richard Ash" . Pro-Football Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Jason Babin" . Pro-Football Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Freddie Bishop III" . wmubroncos.com. Retrieved October 7, 2014 .
^
"Jim Bouton" . baseball-reference.com/players. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Don Boven" . Pro-Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Be Like Mike: Motivated Bears WR Daniel Braverman has no regrets," ESPN.
^
"In Jewish faith and talent, Daniel Braverman is a rare NFL prospect," Sports Illustrated .
^
"Judi Brown" . sports-reference.com. Archived from
the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Kevin Connauton" . Retrieved January 18, 2014 .
^
"Danny DeKeyser" . hockey-reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Louis Delmas" . Pro-Football Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Bill Doba" . sports-reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Shawn Faulkner" . justsportsstats.com. Retrieved November 6, 2015 .
^
"Brad Fischer" . baseball-reference.com/players. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Paul Griffin" . Pro-Basketball Reference.Com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Ben Handlogten" . Pro-Basketball Reference.Com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"John Harbaugh" . Pro-Football Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Glenn Healy" . hockeydb.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Greg Jennings" . Pro-Football Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Keith Jones" . Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"John Kusku" . teamusa.org. Archived from
the original on December 29, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2016 .
^
"Bill Lajoie" . baseball-reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Rich Maloney" . baseball-reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Charlie Maxwell" . baseball-reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Jamal Mayers" . hockeydb.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Jay McDonagh" . arenafan.com. Retrieved December 27, 2014 .
^
"Ira James Murchison" . sports-reference.com. Archived from
the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Tom Nütten" . National Football League. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"John Offerdahl" . Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
Walt Owens biography . Negro League Baseball Museum website . Retrieved February 25, 2019.
^
"William Porter" . sports-reference.com. Archived from
the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"John Potter" . National Football League. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Mike Prindle" . Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Frank Quilici" . Pro-Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Joe Reitz" . Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Sean Riley" . arenafan.com. Retrieved January 6, 2015 .
^
"Adam Rosales" . Pro-Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Walker Russell" . Pro-Basketball-Reference. Com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Tony Scheffler" . Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Neil Smith" . hockeydb.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Wayne Terwilliger" . Pro-Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"1934 Huntington Red Birds" . Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 3, 2013 .
^
"Elliot Uzelac" . sports-reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"John Vander Wal" . Pro-Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
^
"Jordan White" . Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013 .
External links
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Founded : 1903
Students : 23,914
Endowment : 330 million