List of Kansas State University people

Academia

• Anna Estelle Arnold (1879–1942) – school teacher, administrator, textbook publisher
• Erle Bartley – professor (1949–1983); developed widely used preventative for ruminal tympany (ruminant bloat)^[5]
• May Louise Cowles – researcher and nationwide advocate of home economics study^[6]
• Kenneth S. Davis – historian, professor, nominated for National Book Award^[7]
• Milton S. Eisenhower – former president of Kansas State, Penn State, and Johns Hopkins universities; brother of Dwight D. Eisenhower^[8]
• Louis Edwin Fry Sr. (1903–2000) (B.S. 1927, M.S. 1929) – architect, professor; former chair of the department of architecture at Howard University^[9][10][11]
• Leon Quincy Jackson (1926/1927–1995) (M.S. 1954) – architect, professor at Tennessee State University, and an early African American architect in Oklahoma and Tennessee^[12][13]
• Charlotte P. Morris (PhD) – interim president of Tuskegee University (2010; 2017–2018)^[14]
• Ernest Fox Nichols – physicist, president of Dartmouth College (1909–16) and MIT (1921–23)^[15]
• Michael O'Donnell – professor, researcher on adolescent wellness
• George P. "Bud" Peterson – president of the Georgia Institute of Technology (2009–present); chancellor of the University of Colorado-Boulder (2006–09)^[16]
• Imam Prasodjo – professor at the University of Indonesia^[17]
• John Brooks Slaughter – chancellor of University System of Maryland (1982–88), president of Occidental College (1988–99), director of the National Science Foundation^[18]
• Helen B. Thompson (1875–1969) – home economist, professor emeritus at University of California, Los Angeles; Thompson Hall on the Kansas State Agricultural College campus is named in her honor^[19]
• Jackie Vietti – president of Butler Community College for 17 years; interim president of Emporia State University in 2015

Arts and media

• Kirstie Alley – actress (Cheers, Veronica's Closet, Fat Actress); winner of two Emmy Awards^[20]
• Craig Bolerjack – announcer on NFL on CBS; Utah Jazz television announcer^[21]
• Charles L. Brainard – architect; active in preserving the papers of Dwight D. Eisenhower and establishing the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home
• Jane Butel – cookbook author;^[22] founder of the Jane Butel Cooking School^[23]
• Bill Buzenberg – journalist; executive director of Center for Public Integrity; former vice-president of news at NPR^[24]
• Del Close – actor, improviser, writer; co-founder of I.O. theatre in Chicago and one of premier influences on modern improvisational theater
• Lucinda Dickey – actress (Breakin', Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo), former Solid Gold dancer
• Roy M. Fisher – journalist; former editor-in-chief of Chicago Daily News^[25]
• Gail Gregg – artist^[26]
• Eddie Griffin – comedian^[27]
• Mitch Holthus – radio voice of Kansas City Chiefs^[28]
• Nathan Johnson – modernist architect in Detroit^[29]
• Gordon Jump – actor (WKRP in Cincinnati, "Maytag Man")^[30]
• Charles Melton – actor
• Virgil Miller – film special effects pioneer; Academy Award nominee^[31]
• Clementine Paddleford – journalist and food writer; declared by Time magazine in 1953 as the "best known food editor in the United States"^[32]
• Darcy Pattison – writer of children's literature, blogger, writing teacher and indie publisher
• Steve Pepoon – TV writer/producer; Emmy winner, The Simpsons
• Steve Physioc – broadcaster for the Kansas City Royals^[33]
• Keylee Sue Sanders – television fashion consultant; former Miss Teen USA; pageant organizer^[34]
• Lawrence M. Schoen – science fiction author
• Mark Schultz – musician^[35]
• Kevin Warren Sloan – student athlete; landscape architect, urban planner and writer
• Crystal Smith – model, actress, and Playboy centerfold^[35]
• Pete Souza – photojournalist and official White House photographer (1983–1989); chief White House photographer (2009–2017)
• Eric Stonestreet – actor (Modern Family), Emmy Award winner
• Theresa Vail – Miss Kansas 2013
• Jerry Wexler – record producer; enshrined in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame^[36]

English/creative writing

• Traci Brimhall – Kansas Poet Laureate
• Derick Burleson – poet^[37]
• Frank Marshall Davis – poet; journalist; editor of several African-American newspapers^[38]
• Darren DeFrain – fiction writer
• Taylor Mali – slam poet
• Claude McKay – poet influential during Harlem Renaissance^[39]
• Debra Monroe – fiction writer
• Bryan Penberthy – poet
• Kevin Rabas – poet
• Ed Skoog – poet

Business

• Leanne Caret – president and CEO (2018–2022) of Boeing Defense, Space & Security^[40]
• Gregory C. Case – CEO of Aon
• James Harbord – major general during World War I; president and chairman of the board for RCA^[41]
• Damon T. Hininger – chief executive officer of the Corrections Corporation of America^[42]
• Carl Ice – president (2010–14) and president and CEO (2014–20) of BNSF Railway
• Jim Isch – officer at NCAA; interim executive director of NCAA (2009–2010)
• William A. Porter – founder of E-Trade^[43]
• Devon Pritchard – president of Nintendo of America^[44]

Politics, government and military

• Emory S. Adams – United States Army general
• Lewis Bloom (grad. 1972) – member of the Kansas House of Representatives^[45]
• Joseph Boakai – vice president of Liberia (2006–2018)^[46]
• Sam Brinton – nuclear engineer, LGBT activist, policy analyst for Bipartisan Policy Center, and deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy^[47][48][49]
• Sam Brownback – U.S. senator, Kansas (1996–2011),^[50] 46th governor of Kansas (2011–2018)
• Donald M. Campbell Jr. – commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command in Fort Knox
• John W. Carlin – 40th governor of Kansas; Archivist of the United States (1995–2005)^[51]
• Glen E. Edgerton – major general, U.S. Army^[35]
• Marlin Fitzwater – press secretary under Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush^[52]
• Kenji Fujimori – Peruvian businessman and Congressman
• Jim Geringer – 30th governor of Wyoming^[53]
• Mike Hayden – 41st governor of Kansas^[54]
• Lori Healey – commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development
• Lynn Jenkins – Kansas state treasurer (2002–08), U.S. House of Representatives (2009–2019)
• Ronald E. Keys – general, U.S. Air Force^[35]

• Richard A. Knobloch – brigadier general, U.S. Air Force
• Henry D. Linscott – lieutenant general, U.S. Marine Corps
• Roger Marshall – junior United States senator from Kansas
• Michael A. McAuliffe – brigadier general, U.S. Air Force
• Frank B. Morrison – 31st governor of Nebraska (1961–67)
• Richard Myers – chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (2001–2005)^[55]
• Richard Bordeaux Parker – diplomat^[56]
• John Jacob Rhodes – minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives (1973–1981)^[57]
• Pat Roberts – U.S. senator, Kansas (1996–2020)^[58]
• Bernard W. Rogers – NATO Supreme Allied Commander
• Glenn Rogers – member of the Texas House of Representatives (2021–present)
• Susanna M. Salter – mayor of Argonia, Kansas (1887); first female mayor in the United States^[59]
• Fred Andrew Seaton – U.S. senator, Nebraska (1951–1952); U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1956–1961)^[60]
• K. Gary Sebelius – magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas
• Harold Sebring – chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court, American judge at the Nuremberg Trials, dean of the Stetson University College of Law, and head coach of the Florida Gators football team^[61]
• Richard J. Seitz – lieutenant general, U.S. Army
• Theresa Sparks – president of the San Francisco Police Commission
• John Strick – member of the Kansas State Senate (1985–1992)
• Virginia Trotter – U.S. assistant secretary of Education (1974–1977)
• Harriet Waddy – major in the Women's Army Corps
• Allen West – U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 22nd district (2011–2013)

Science and technology

• Mark Alfred Carleton – botanist^[62]
• David Fairchild – botanist and explorer^[63]
• Paul C. Fisher – inventor^[35]
• Philip Fox – astronomer^[64]
• Alwyn Howard Gentry – botanist
• Luis Montaner – HIV/AIDS researcher^[65]
• Nellie M. Payne – entomologist and agricultural chemist
• Elieser Posner – grain scientist^[66]
• Geraldine L. Richmond – physical chemist; National Medal of Science laureate
• Lloyd Carlton Stearman – aircraft designer
• Charles Hazelius Sternberg – paleontologist
• Walter Tennyson Swingle – botanist
• Peter Tsai – inventor of N95 mask^[67][68]
• Samuel Wendell Williston – paleontologist^[69]

Athletics

Basketball

• Ernie Barrett – first-round pick in 1951 NBA draft (Boston Celtics), former athletic director at Kansas State, number retired by KSU^[79]
• Michael Beasley – active NBA player, All-American and Big 12 Conference Player of the Year (2008), second overall selection in the 2008 NBA draft^[80]
• Rolando Blackman – College Basketball Hall of Famer, All-American (1981), first-round pick in 1981 NBA draft (Dallas Mavericks), four-time NBA All-Star^[81]
• Bob Boozer – College Basketball Hall of Famer, two-time All-American (1958, 1959), first overall draft pick in 1959 NBA draft (Cincinnati Royals), NBA All-Star^[82]
• Bob Chipman – former basketball coach at Washburn University; team won 1986–1987 NAIA national championship
• Norris Coleman (born 1961) – NBA forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, 1994 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
• Mike Evans – two-time Big Eight Conference Player of the Year (1977, 1978), first-round pick in 1978 NBA draft (Denver Nuggets), NBA executive and coach^[83]
• Marcus Foster (born 1995) – basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Bill Guthridge – former basketball coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, National Coach of the Year (1998)^[84]
• D.J. Johnson
• Gene Keady – former basketball coach at Purdue, four-time National Coach of the Year (1984, 1994, 1996, 2000)^[85]
• Lon Kruger – basketball coach at Oklahoma, former coach of Atlanta Hawks, two-time Big Eight Conference Player of the Year (1973, 1974)^[86]
• Rodney McGruder – active NBA player (Los Angeles Clippers)^[87]
• Mike McGuirl (born 1998) – player for Hapoel Haifa in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Willie Murrell – led KSU to Final Four in 1964, former ABA basketball player, number retired by KSU^[88]
• Nicole Ohlde – three-time All-American (2002, 2003, 2004), first-round pick in 2004 WNBA draft, number retired by KSU^[89]
• Jacob Pullen – all-time scoring leader for KSU (2,132 career points), winner of Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award
• Mitch Richmond – Naismith Hall of Fame, All-American (1988), first-round pick in 1988 NBA draft, six-time NBA All-Star, NBA All-Star Game MVP^[90]
• Howie Shannon – All-American (1948), first overall draft pick in 1949 BAA Draft (Providence Steamrollers)^[91]
• Xavier Sneed (born 1997) – basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Juan "Pachín" Vicéns – named "Best Basketball Player in the World" in 1959^[92][93]
• Kendra Wecker – All-American and Big 12 Conference Player of the Year (2005), first-round pick in 2005 WNBA draft (San Antonio Silver Stars), number retired by KSU^[94]
• Tex Winter – former KSU basketball coach, innovator of the Triangle Offense

Football

• Elijah Alexander – NFL linebacker; founder of the Tackle Cancer Foundation^[95]
• David Allen – All-American (1998); NFL kick returner^[96]
• Michael Bishop – Davey O'Brien Award winner; second in voting for 1998 Heisman Trophy; All-American (1998)^[97]
• Larry Brown – 1972 NFL MVP; four-time NFL Pro Bowler^[98]
• Russ Campbell – former NFL tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers^[99]
• Chris Canty – two-time All-American (1995, 1996); first-round pick in 1997 NFL draft^[100]
• Henry Childs – NFL Pro Bowler^[101]
• Paul Coffman – three-time NFL Pro Bowler; member of Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame^[102]
• Tyrone Crews – CFL linebacker, Grey Cup champion, BC Lions Wall of Fame^[103]
• Ron Dickerson – head football coach for Temple University
• Darrell Dickey – head football coach for University of North Texas^[104]
• Lynn Dickey – NFL quarterback; named all-time All-Big Eight QB in 1996; member of Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame^[105]
• Josh Freeman – NFL quarterback; first-round draft pick in 2009 NFL draft^[106]
• Ralph Graham – starter in 1934 East-West Shrine Game; head football coach for Kansas State^{[citation needed]}
• Martín Gramática – Lou Groza Award winner; All-American (1997); NFL Pro Bowler^[107]
• Dean Griffing – Canadian Football Hall of Famer; first general manager of Denver Broncos
• Steve Grogan – NFL quarterback; member of New England Patriots Hall of Fame^[108]
• Kirby Hocutt – athletic director at Texas Tech University, Chairman of College Football Playoff Committee (2016– )^[109]
• Jason Johnson – former Indianapolis Colts player^[110]
• Tony Jordan – NFL running back of Phoenix Cardinals^[111]
• Jeff Kelly – All-American (1998); former NFL linebacker^[112]
• Collin Klein – Big XII Offensive Player of the Year 2012; Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award 2012; third in voting for 2012 Heisman Trophy
• Tyler Lockett – NFL wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks selected for the 2016 Pro Bowl
• Jeron Mastrud – NFL tight end (Miami Dolphins)^[113]
• Ralph McFillen – player 1960–1963; NCAA conference commissioner
• Jaime Mendez – All-American (1993); holds KSU record for most interceptions in a season (15)^[114]
• Jordy Nelson – All-American (2007); NFL wide receiver (Green Bay Packers)^[115]
• Quentin Neujahr – NFL center^[116]
• Terence Newman – Jim Thorpe Award winner; unanimous All-American (2002); first-round pick in 2003 NFL draft^[117]
• Gary Patterson – head football coach at TCU^[118]
• Ellis Rainsberger – head football coach for Kansas State University and Pittsburgh Maulers^[119]
• Doug Russell – led NFL in rushing in 1935
• Clarence Scott – All-American (1970); NFL Pro Bowler^[120]
• Harold L. "Tom" Sebring – head football coach for the University of Florida (1925–1927)^[121]
• Mark Simoneau – All-American (1999); Big 12 Player of the Year; former NFL linebacker^[122]
• Sean Snyder – All-American (1992); son of coach Bill Snyder^[123]
• Gary Spani – All-American (1977); member of College Football Hall of Fame and Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame^[124]
• Darren Sproles – All-American (2003); NFL running back; selected as one of "Fifty Greatest San Diego Chargers"^[125]
• Bob Stull – athletic director at UTEP^[126]
• Veryl Switzer – NFL running back; highest NFL draft pick in KSU history (#4 in 1954)^[127]
• Daniel Thomas – NFL running back^[128]
• Brent Venables (class of 1992) – current head football coach at Oklahoma 2022-present, he is a former football player at 1989-1980 Garden City Community College, he is a former football player at 1991-1992 Kansas State Wildcats football, he was a former coach at 1993-1995 Kansas State Wildcats football (graduate student), 1996-1998 Kansas State Wildcats football (linebacker assistant), 1999-2003 Oklahoma Sooners football (co-DC/LB), 2004-2011 Oklahoma Sooners football (AHC/DC/LB), 2012-2017 Clemson Tigers football (DC/LB), 2018-2021 Clemson Tigers football (AHC/DC/LB).
• James J. Yeager – head football coach for Iowa State University and the University of Colorado

Track and field

• Thane Baker – winner of four Olympic medals, including gold, at 1952 Summer Olympics and 1956 Summer Olympics
• Tom Brosius – All-American in shot put and discus
• DeLoss Dodds – Big Seven champion; Kansas State track coach (1963–1976); U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame
• Steve Fritz – Big Eight champion; finished fourth in decathlon at 1996 Summer Olympics; assistant coach at Kansas State
• Kenny Harrison – won gold medal in triple jump at 1996 Summer Olympics
• Erik Kynard – won gold medal in high jump at 2012 Summer Olympics
• Thomas Randolph – two-sport All-American (1992)
• Ivan Riley – won bronze medal in 400 meter hurdles at 1924 Summer Olympics
• Austra Skujytė – won silver medal in heptathlon (for Lithuania) at 2004 Summer Olympics; assistant coach at Kansas State

Others

• Micky Axton – Women Airforce Service Pilot during World War II and Congressional Gold Medal recipient for her WASP service
• Erin Brockovich – activist^[130]
• Sean Lowe – reality star (The Bachelorette, The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars)
• Jim Rayburn – founder of Young Life
• Kevin Saunders – wheelchair Olympian