List of Michigan State University people

University From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michigan State University alumni number around 634,300 worldwide.[1] Famous Spartans include NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson; MLB stars Kirk Gibson, Steve Garvey, Robin Roberts; NFL stars Brad Van Pelt, Bubba Smith, Herb Adderley and Joe DeLamielleure; actors James Caan and Robert Urich; Evil Dead trilogy director Sam Raimi; LGBT rights activist and internet personality Tyler Oakley; former Michigan governors James Blanchard, Fred M. Warner, and John Engler; former U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Spencer Abraham; and billionaires Eli Broad, Reinhold Schmieding, Drayton McLane, Jr., Harley Hotchkiss, Thomas H. Bailey, Tom Gores, Andrew Beal and Dan Gilbert.

Liberty Hyde Bailey, Class of 1882

Michigan State's faculty and academic staff number around 4,500 researchers. Throughout the years, notable researchers have included William J. Beal, who developed hybrid corn; psychologist Erich Fromm; G. Malcolm Trout, who invented the process for the homogenization of milk; and Barnett Rosenberg, the discoverer of cancer-fighting drug cisplatin.

In addition to faculty, Michigan State has around 6,000 administrative and non-academic staff. This includes the university's governing board, the board of trustees. Elected by statewide referendum every two years, trustees have eight-year terms, with two of the eight elected every other year.[2] As of 2007, the board is made up of three Republicans and five Democrats, and has a 4:4 gender balance.[3]

Other notable staff members include President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Athletic Director J Batt, men's basketball coach Tom Izzo, ice hockey coach Adam Nightingale, and football coach Jonathan Smith.

Notable alumni

Academia

Administration

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
David Kpakpoe Acquaye B.S. 1952 professor, first head of the Soil Science, dean of agriculture, University of Ghana [4]
Debra D. Austin B.A. former chancellor, State University System of Florida [5]
Jacquelynn Baas B.A. 1971 curator, cultural historian, writer, and director emeritus, UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive [6]
Hugh P. Baker B.S. 1901 president, University of Massachusetts Amherst; dean, New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University [7]
Sian Beilock Ph.D. 2003 president, Dartmouth College [8]
Warren W. Brandt B.S. 1944 first president, Virginia Commonwealth University [9]
Frank A Buckless B.A. 1981 dean, Poole College of Management, NC State [10]
Kenyon Butterfield B.S. 1891 president, University of Rhode Island, UMass, and Michigan State University, appointed to the Country Life Commission by President Theodore Roosevelt [11]
Antoinette Candia-Bailey M.A. 2001 vice president for student affairs at Lincoln University, 2023 [12]
Oscar Clute B.S. 1862 president, Michigan State, Florida Agricultural College (predecessor to University of Florida), ordained minister [13]
Richard A. Cosier B.A. 1969 dean emeritus, Krannert School of Management, Purdue [14]
William H. Cunningham B.B.A., M.B.A. 1966, 1967 former chancellor, University of Texas System [15]
Paul D'Anieri B.A. 1986 vice president and provost, University of California, Riverside [16]
Grover C. Dillman B.S. 1913 president, Michigan Tech University, 1935–1956 [17]
Jeffrey Docking B.A. 1983 president, Adrian College [18]
Kristie L. Ebi B.S. 1972 founder, former director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington School of Public Health [19]
Glenn Goerke Ph.D. 1962 former president/chancellor, University of Houston, University of Houston–Clear Lake, University of Houston–Victoria, and Indiana University East [20]
Lloyd Vincent Hackley B.A. former chancellor, Fayetteville State University
Wendy Hensel B.A. 1992 president, University of Hawaiʻi [21]
Stanley O. Ikenberry M.A., Ph.D. 1957, 1960 former president (twice), University of Illinois [22]
Charles L. Ingersoll B.S. second president (1882–91), Colorado State University, credited with broadening and liberalizing the school's formerly narrow, vocational curriculum [23]
Anne Khademian B.A. M.P.A. political scientist, executive director of the Universities at Shady Grove, the University System of Maryland [24]
Charles Kiesler B.A. 1958 former chancellor, University of Missouri [25]
William Edward Lavery B.A. 1953 former president, Virginia Tech [26]
Jay Robert McColl B.S. 1890 dean of engineering, University of Detroit [citation needed]
Charles McKenny B.S. 1881 former president, Central Michigan University, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and Eastern Michigan University [27]
William H. Sewell B.A., M.A. 1933, 1934 former chancellor, University of Wisconsin–Madison [28]
Bernard Sliger B.A., M.A., Ph.D. 1949, 1950. 1955 economist, former president, Florida State University [citation needed]
James D. Spaniolo B.A. 1968 former president, University of Texas at Arlington [29]
Teresa A. Sullivan B.A. 1970 former president, University of Virginia [30]
Dwight B. Waldo attended 1881–82 first president, Western Michigan University [31]
Kim A. Wilcox B.S. 1976 chancellor, University of California, Riverside, former Michigan State University provost [32]
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Biology

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Edgar Anderson B.S. 1918 botanical geneticist [33]
Liberty Hyde Bailey B.S. 1882 botanist, horticulturist, the "father of modern horticulture", author, philosopher [34]
Charles Fuller Baker B.S. 1892 professor of Biology, Botany; college dean [7]
Frank Benton B.S. 1879 entomologist educator, researcher, author, beekeeping innovator [35]
Charles E. Bessey B.S. 1869 pioneer 19th-century botany educator; former president, American Association for the Advancement of Science [36]
Robert L. Carroll B.S. 1959 vertebrate paleontologist, former director of Redpath Museum, McGill University [37]
William James Clench B.S. 1921 former curator of the Mollusk Collection, Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology [38]
Leon Jacob Cole attended 1890s geneticist and ornithologist, nicknamed the "father of American bird banding" [39]
Albert John Cook B.S. 1862 zoology, entomology educator; chairman, California State Commission of Horticulture [40]
Larry Dalton B.S. 1965 chemist best known for polymeric nonlinear electro-optics; recipient of Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship and NIH Research Career Development Award [41]
Arnold L. Demain B.S. M.S. 1949 1950 former professor of microbiology, MIT, founder and head of the Department of Fermentation Microbiology, Merck & Co, world-leading industrial microbiologist [42]
Lyster H. Dewey B.S. 1888 botanist, expert at USDA researching various fibre plants, most notably hemp (cannabis) [43]
C. Kurt Dewhurst B.A. 1970 curator and folklorist, director emeritus of the Michigan State University Museum, past president, American Folklore Society [44]
Michael Donoghue B.A. 1976 vice president, Evelyn Hutchinson Professor Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale; former director of the university's Peabody Museum of Natural History; elected to U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2005 [45]
Mary K. Firestone B.S M.S. Ph.D. member, National Academy of Sciences, professor of soil microbiology in the Department of Environmental Studies, Policy, and Management, UC Berkeley [46]
Charles Christian Georgeson B.S. 1877 founding director of Alaska Agricultural Experiment Station, namesake of Georgeson Botanical Garden at University of Alaska [47]
Alfred Gurdon Gulley B.S. 1868 University of Connecticut revered horticulture professor; the university administration building bears his name [48]
Byron Halsted B.S. 1871 botany educator, former president of the Botanical Society of America [49]
Ulysses P. Hedrick B.S. 1893 botanist, horticulturalist [50]
Perry G. Holden M.S. 1895 first professor of Agronomy in the US (1896) [51]
Patricia Hunt B.A. 1977 Meyer Distinguished Professor in the School of Molecular Bioscience, Washington State University [52]
Walter Stephen Judd B.S. M.S. 1973 1974 botanist and taxonomist, distinguished professor in the Department of Botany, University of Florida [53]
Ezra J. Kraus B.S. 1907 former chair of Botany Department, University of Chicago [54]
Minakata Kumagusu did not graduate naturalist, known for study of slime molds in early 20th-century Japan [55]
Amy K. LeBlanc D.V.M. 1999 veterinary oncologist and biologist, director of the Comparative Oncology Program at the National Cancer Institute [56]
Henry J. Oosting M.S. 1927 ecologist at Duke University [57]
John J. Pipoly III B.S. 1978 botanist [58]
Thomas D. Sharkey B.S. Ph.D. 1974 1980 distinguished professor, biochemistry and microbiology, Michigan State University [59]
James W. Toumey B.S. 1889 botanist, co-founder, early dean of Yale School of Forestry; namesake of the cactus genus Toumeya and New Hampshire's Yale-Toumey Forest [60]
Samuel Mills Tracy B.S., M.S. 1868, 1871 botany educator; donator and founder of Tracy Herbarium at Texas A&M [61]
Truman G. Yuncker B.S. 1915 bacteriologist, botanist; chair of Botany Department, DePauw University; appointed curator of DePauw Herbarium, later named the T.G. Yuncker Herbarium [62]
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Business

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Deborah A. Cobb-Clark B.A. 1983 Australian economist, professor, University of Sydney [63]
Scott DeRue Ph.D. former dean of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan [64]
Connel Fullenkamp B.A. 1987 economics professor at Duke University, financial trainer of US banks and corporations for the International Monetary Fund [65]
John Thomas Mentzer M.B.A, Ph.D. Chancellor's Professor and Vivienne R. Bruce Chair of Excellence in Business, University of Tennessee [66]
Sue Schurman B.S. M.A. 1969 1977 distinguished professor at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, former dean (2011–2015) [67]
Close

Education

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
William Chandler Bagley B.S. 1895 educator, pedagogy reformer championing Essentialism (as opposed to the Progressivism championed by John Dewey); founder, School and Society; editor-in-chief, Journal of the National Education Association, 1920–25 [68]
Christine L. Borgman B.A. 1973 Presidential Chair in Information Studies, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA [69]
Catherine Corrigan B.S. 1995 meteorite curator at the Smithsonian [70]
Eugene Davenport B.S., M.S. 1878, 1884 agriculture educator; invited in 1891 by the government of Brazil to duplicate Michigan State with "Little Lansings"; dean of University of Illinois, College of Agriculture [71]
Eduard C. Lindeman B.A. 1911 pioneer and champion of adult education [72]
Myrtle Craig Mowbray B.S. 1907 first African-American woman to graduate from MSU; professor at historically black colleges and universities in Kansas and Missouri [73]
Roy Pea B.A. 1974 education scholar, Rhodes Scholar [74]
Ione Genevieve Shadduck M.A., PhD educator, women's rights activist, and attorney [75]
Marta Tienda B.A. 1972 director, Graduate Studies; former director, Office of Population Research, Princeton University; TIAA trustee since 2005 [76]
Boyce Courtney Williams M.A., Ph.D. vice president of the NCATE [77]
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Engineering

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Bruce Ableson B.A. 1984 created Open Diary, the first online blogging community [78]
Susan Avery B.S. 1972 first female president and director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution [79]
Louis George Carpenter B.S., M.S. 1879, 1883 pioneer, expert on irrigation engineering [80]
Rolla C. Carpenter B.S., M.S. 1873, 1876 pioneer in heating and ventilating buildings as an Engineering Professor at Michigan State and Cornell; co-planned "Collegeville", the first subdivision in what later became East Lansing [81][82]
Lloyd Groff Copeman B.S. 1903 invented first electric stove (precursor to the microwave oven) [83]
Margaret J. Eppstein B.S. 1978 research scholar in complex systems, founder, Vermont Complex Systems Center [84]
Ryan M. Eustice B.S. 1998 roboticist, senior vice president of Human-centric AI and Technology Adoption at the Toyota Research Institute [85]
Martha Gray B.A. 1978 biomedical engineer, professor, MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science [86]
Laurel Kuxhaus B.S, B.A. 2001 biomechanical engineer and researcher, program director at the National Science Foundation, 2019–2023 [87]
Ivan LaHaie B.S. 1976 electrical engineer, IEEE Fellow for radar contributions [88]
Charles Severance B.S. M.S. Ph.D. 1984 1990 1996 computer scientist, first executive director of the Sakai Foundation [89]
Janelle Shane B.S. 2007 research scientist, author, public speaker and humorist regarding artificial intelligence [90]
Gary Starkweather B.S. 1960 invented the laser printer [91]
Ellen D. Williams B.S. 1976 nanotechnology researcher; member, National Academy of Sciences [92]
Close

Law

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Larry T. Garvin B.A., B.S. 1983 Lawrence D. Stanley Professor of Law, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, elected to the American Law Institute [93]
Douglas Laycock B.A. 1970 Robert E. Scott Distinguished Professor at the University of Virginia School of Law [94]
Connie S. Rosati B.A. 1979 professor of law and philosophy, University of Texas at Austin [95]
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Medicine

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Lisa Bero B.S. 1980 internationally recognized former chair within the World Health Organization (WHO), professor of medical and pharmaceutical policy, University of Colorado School of Medicine [96]
Vence L. Bonham Jr. B.A. 1978 deputy director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health, and leader of the NHGRI Health Disparities Unit [97]
Myrtelle Canavan attended 1898–99 pioneer pathologist [98]
Raymond J Dingledine B.S. 1971 professor, associate dean, Emory University, elected National Academy of Medicine, and the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters [99]
Darlene Dixon Ph.D. 1985 veterinary scientist, toxicologic pathologist, and senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health [100]
Max Essex D.V.M 1967 virologist, professor (emeritus) of Health Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health [101]
Philip Felgner B.S. 1972 noted immunologist, a developer of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine [102]
Eldon Leroy Foltz B.S. 1941 former chair of neurosurgery, UC Irvine School of Medicine [103]
Alfred D. Hershey B.S., Ph.D. 1930, 1934 1969 Nobel laureate for physiology or medicine [104]
Richard E. Holmes M.D. 1977 among the first African-Americans to attend Mississippi State University [105]
Mark A. Kay B.S. 1980 physician, professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, recognized for contributions in gene therapy, genome editing, and RNA biology [106]
Sharon Kujawa B.S. clinical audiologist, Director of Audiology Research at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, associate professor of otology and laryngology, Harvard Medical School [107]
Mary L. Marazita B.S. 1976 geneticist, Distinguished Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Scientist Award in Craniofacial Biology Research, International Association for Dental Research [108]
Delano Meriwether B.S. 1963 immunologist, first African-American accepted to Duke University School of Medicine, champion sprinter [109]
Vinay Prasad B.S. 2005 professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, author [110]
Barbara Ross-Lee D.O. 1969 first African-American woman dean of a U.S. medical school: New York College of Osteopathic Medicine [111]
Edwin Rubel B.S. M.S. Ph.D. leading developmental neurobiologist [112]
Linda C. Samuelson B.S. 1976 pioneering physiologist in stem cell research [113]
Carolyn Sargent B.A. Ph.D. 1968 1979 medical anthropologist, professor emerita of Sociocultural Anthropology and of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Washington University in St. Louis [114]
David Sulzer B.S. professor of neurobiology, Columbia, musician [115]
Michael VanRooyen B.S. 1984 director, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard Medical School [116]
Walter Willett B.S. 1966 epidemiology professor, Harvard School of Public Health [117]
Close

Physics

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
John G. Anderson B.S. Physics 1970 seismologist [118]
Lyman J. Briggs B.S. 1893 physicist; director of the National Bureau of Standards; chaired the Uranium Committee (precursor to the Manhattan Project) [119]
Gregory Charvat B.S., M.S., Ph.D. 2002, 2003, 2007 led an MIT research team to develop radar that can penetrate walls and display real-time video of the activity on the other side [120]
John Park Finley B.S. 1873 meteorologist, pioneered tornado forecasting [121]
Njema Frazier Ph.D. 1997 nuclear physicist at the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, past visiting professor at the National Defense University, named on list of "top 100 most powerful Black women" [122]
Scott Gaudi B.S. 1995 professor of astronomy at Ohio State University, former chair of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group and Astrophysics Advisory Committee, co-chair of the National Academy of Sciences Exoplanet Science Strategy study [123]
T. A. Heppenheimer B.S., M.S. 1967, 1968 aeronautics and space scholar, researcher and author; researcher associate fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; has held research fellowships at Caltech and the Max Planck Institute [124]
Donald Keck B.S., M.S. 1962, 1964 co-developed low-loss optical fiber; recipient, National Medal of Technology [125]
Eugene Parker B.S. 1948 astrophysicist, developed concept of supersonic solar wind; Bruce Prize, Kyoto Prize winner [126]
Nan Phinney B.S. 1966 accelerator physicist at SLAC, American Physical Society Fellow [127]
Charles E. St. John B.S. 1887 physicist at Mt. Wilson observatory; starred scientist, American Men of Science, 1903–1943 [128]
Norman Sleep B.S. 1967 professor of geophysics, Stanford University; member, National Academy of Sciences [129]
Norman Sperling B.A. 1970 astronomer, author, teacher [130]
Rick Stevens attended professor, computer science, University of Chicago, and associate laboratory director, Argonne National Laboratory [131]
Paula Szkody B.S. 1970 professor, Department of Astronomy, University of Washington; past president, American Astronomical Society [132]
Herman Brenner White B.S. 1970 nuclear physicist at Fermilab, won the 2010 American Physical Society Edward A. Bouchet Award [133]
Close

Psychology

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Richard N. Aslin B.A. 1971 psychologist, focusing on speech perception [134]
Charles Brainerd B.S., M.A. Ph.D. 1966 1968 1970 psychology professor, Cornell, known for co-developing fuzzy-trace theory [135]
Jennifer Crocker B.A. 1975 professor, Ohio Eminent Scholar in Social Psychology at Ohio State; past president, Society for Personality and Social Psychology [136]
Paul Dressel M.A. 1934 founding director of Michigan State University's Counseling Center [137]
David Dunning B.A. 1982 social psychology professor, University of Michigan, co-author of the Dunning–Kruger effect [138]
Raquel Gur B.S. M.A. Ph.D. 1971, 1972, 1974 research psychiatrist and expert on schizophrenia, professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania [139]
James Jackson B.S. 1966 Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan, past director of the university's Institute for Social Research, named to the National Science Board [140]
Peter Richard Killeen B.A. 1964 advanced psychology professor and researcher [141]
Joe Kort B.A. 1985 psychotherapist, clinical social worker, board-certified clinical sexologist and author [142]
Rollo May transferred scholar, the "father of American existential psychology" [143]
Daniel Wegner B.S. 1970 psychologist, introduced ironic process theory [144]
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Other sciences

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Edward Aboufadel B.S. 1986 mathematics professor, elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science [145]
Mark Batzer B.S. M.A. 1983 1985 geneticist, LSU Boyd Professor at Louisiana State University, elected fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science [146]
Joanne Eicher B.A. M.S. Ph.D. 1948 1952 1959 scholar in fashion design, recognized by the British Museum, editor-in-chief of the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion [147]
Harold B. Evans B.S. M.S 1931 1932 research chemist, one of few African-American scientists to work on the Manhattan Project [148]
Fang Zhouzi Ph.D. 1995 pen name of Fang Shimin; popular scientific writer in China [149]
Jennifer Juengel B.S. 1987 animal health researcher, fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand [150]
Julie Kovacs B.S. 1981 bioinorganic chemist and professor, University of Washington [151]
Verghese Kurien M.S. 1948 dairy scientist, father of White Revolution in India; Padma Vibhushan recipient [152]
Steven Lalley B.S 1976 statistician and mathematician, professor, former department chair at The University of Chicago [153]
Daniel Mindiola B.S. 1992 professor of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania [154]
Jennifer Tank B.S. 1988 ecologist, Galla Professor of Ecology of Streams and Rivers at the University of Notre Dame [155]
Chelsea Walton B.S. 2005 mathematician, professor at Rice University, won a fellowship to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (the fourth African-American to do so) as well as to the American Mathematical Society [156]
Bess Ward B.S. 1976 William J. Sinclair Professor of Geosciences, director of Ward Research Laboratory, Princeton University [157]
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Social science

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Jeffrey Arnett B.S. 1980 Clark University professor who carved out the research discipline "emerging adulthood", for which he coined the term [158]
David W. Blight B.A. 1971 Sterling Professor of History, African American Studies, Yale, Pulitzer Prize winner [159]
Charles Butterworth B.A. 1959 political philosophy scholar focusing on the Greek, medieval Islamic, and Enlightenment periods [160]
Annping Chin B.S. 1972 historian and sinologist, senior lecturer at Yale [161]
Angela D. Dillard B.A. 1988 scholar and author in African-American Studies, University of Michigan [162]
Robert E. Hegel B.A. 1965 sinologist, Liselotte Dieckman Professor of Comparative Literature and Chinese, Washington University in St. Louis [163]
Abdi Kusow B.A. 1990 Somali sociology scholar [164]
Anthony Leiserowitz B.A. 1990 researcher, human geographer at Yale University, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication [165]
Yvonna Sessions Lincoln A.B. 1967 methodologist and higher-education scholar, Distinguished Professor of Higher Education and Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University [166]
Theodore J. Lowi B.A. 1954 Political Science Scholar; author of treatise The End of Liberalism; Distinguished Professor, Cornell University; voted one of the most influential political thinkers of the modern era by the American Political Science Association [167]
W.J.T. Mitchell B.A. 1963 Gaylord Donnelley Distinguished Service Professor of English and Art History, University of Chicago, Guggenheim Fellow [168]
Stephen O. Murray B.A. 1972 scholar of gay anthropology, sociology [169]
Ted Peters B.A. 1963 Lutheran theologian, professor emeritus [170]
James Piereson B.A., Ph.D. 1968. 1973 pollical science educator, president, William E. Simon Foundation, former executive director and trustee, John M. Olin Foundation [171]
Erik Qualman B.A. 1994 world-wide digital influencer, best-selling author [172]
Michael L. Radelet B.A. 1972 death penalty scholar, professor emeritus, criminology, former department chair, University of Colorado [173]
Andrew Rossos B.A. 1963 international authority on Macedonian history, professor emeritus, University of Toronto [174]
Peter Schmidt B.A., M.A., Ph.D. 1969, 1970, 1970 MSU Distinguished Professor, econometrics pioneer [175]
Theda Skocpol B.A. 1969 former dean, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; appointed senior adviser in the social sciences to Harvard's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study [176]
Rogers Smith B.A. 1974 distinguished professor, political science, University of Pennsylvania [177]
Douglas V. Steere B.S. 1923 Quaker philosopher, religious leader, Rhodes Scholar (1925) [178]
Marilyn Stokstad M.A. 1953 art historian [179]
Linda Waite B.A. 1969 George Herbert Mead Distinguished Service Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago [180]
John D. Woodbridge M.A. 1965 research professor of Church History and Christian Thought at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School [181]
Richard Yarborough B.A. 1973 professor of English and African American literature; faculty research associate; former interim director, Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, UCLA [182]
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Arts and media

Cinema

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
James Caan did not graduate actor, Las Vegas series, The Godfather, Mickey Blue Eyes [183]
Jim Cash B.A. 1970 Hollywood writer, Top Gun, Legal Eagles, Dick Tracy [184]
Areeya Chumsai B.A. 1993 filmmaker, author, lecturer, teacher, journalist and former Miss Thailand [185]
Michael Cimino B.A. 1959 Academy Award-winning writer, director; directed, co-wrote The Deer Hunter [186]
Edward S. Feldman B.A. 1950 film and television producer [187]
Sarah Habel B.A. 2004 actress [188]
Greg Harrison B.A. 1991 film director of Groove (2000) and November (2004) [189]
Anthony Heald B.A. 1971 actor, The Silence of the Lambs [190]
Walter Hill B.A. 1962 producer, director of Last Man Standing and 48 Hrs. [191]
David Magee B.A. 1984 screenwriter, nominated for 2004 Academy Award for Finding Neverland [192]
Bill Mechanic B.A. 1973 CEO, Pandemonium Films; former CEO, 20th Century Fox; producer of 82nd Academy Awards [193]
Bob Murawski B.A. film editor, winner, 2010 Academy Award for editing The Hurt Locker [194]
Sam Raimi did not graduate director, producer, actor (Spider-Man, Evil Dead series) [195]
Michealene Risley B.A. writer, director; human rights activist [196]
Tom Sizemore did not graduate actor, Saving Private Ryan [197]
Bernard White B.A. actor, screenwriter and film director [198]
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Journalism

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Tim Alberta B.A. 2008 journalist and author, has written articles for The Hotline, The Wall Street Journal, The National Journal, The National Review, Politico, and The Atlantic [199]
Amy Astley B.A. 1989 editor-in-chief, Architectural Digest, founded Teen Vogue [200]
Ray Stannard Baker B.S. 1889 early 20th-century "muckraker" journalist; won 1940 Pulitzer Prize for last two volumes of biography of President Woodrow Wilson [201]
Jack Berry B.S. 1956 sports journalist with The Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, United Press International, and the Golf Writers' Association of America [202]
Richard Cooper B.A. 1969 won 1972 Pulitzer Prize for Attica Prison riot coverage [203]
Craig Custance B.A. 1999 sports journalist, author [204]
M.L. Elrick B.A. 1990 2009 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting, Detroit Free Press [205]
Ryan Field B.A. 1999 sports anchor, WABC-TV [206]
Martin Finn B.A. 2002 Fox News Channel producer for anchor Shepard Smith [207]
Susan Goldberg B.A. 1984 editor-in-chief of National Geographic, editorial director, National Geographic Partners; first woman to hold position in National Geographic's history (published since 1888) [208]
Don Gonyea B.A. 1978 White House correspondent, National Public Radio; won Peabody Award [209]
Chris Hansen B.A. Dateline NBC correspondent [210]
Tanya Hart B.A. Emmy Award-winning commentator, host of Hollywood Live with Tanya Hart, syndicated on American Urban Radio Networks; owns Tanya Hart Communications, Inc., a multimedia company [211]
Thom Hartmann B.A. broadcaster on Free Speech TV (formerly of Air America Radio), author [212]
Jemele Hill B.A. 1997 columnist, The Atlantic, former television host at ESPN, columnist ESPN Page 2 [213]
Jacob Kornbluth B.A. 1994 Emmy-winning documentarian
Adrienne LaFrance B.A. 2004 executive editor of The Atlantic [214]
Wanda Lau B.S. editor of technology and practice for Architect Magazine [215]
Myra MacPherson B.A. 1956 Pulitzer Prize nominee, journalist, author [216][217]
James C. Moore B.A. 1974 award-winning writer (including an Emmy, Edward R. Murrow Award, and Dartmouth College National Media Award for Economic Understanding); New York Times bestseller (as co-author) of Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential [218]
Suzanne Sena B.A. Fox News anchor [219]
Fay Gillis Wells did not graduate first woman to parachute from an aircraft; White House correspondent for Storer Broadcasting Co. [220]
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Literature

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Verna Aardema B.A. 1934 award-winning author of children's novels using an African motif [221]
Diane Asitimbay B.A. author, poet, teacher, and intercultural trainer [222]
Wilton Barnhardt B.A. 1982 novelist; director of M.F.A. program in Creative Writing, NC State University; former Sports Illustrated reporter [citation needed]
Tom Bissell B.A. 1996 author, journalist [223]
Jan Harold Brunvand B.A. 1955 writer, folklorist scholar, popularized the term "urban legend" [224]
Stephanie Burgis attended fantasy novelist, music historian [225]
Jeanne Cavelos B.S. 1982 science fiction writer, editor, educator, and former astrophysicist [226]
Kelly DiPucchio B.A. 1989 author of children's books [227]
Carolyn Forché B.A. 1972 poet, editor, human rights advocate [228]
Richard Ford B.A. 1966 writer of novel Independence Day; first to win both the Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award [229]
R. Barri Flowers B.A., M.S. 1977, 1980 author of fiction and nonfiction; inducted into MSU Criminal Justice Wall of Fame in 2006 [230]
Peter Gent B.A. 1964 novelist, athlete, wrote novel-turned-film North Dallas Forty [231]
Dan Gerber B.A. 1962 poet, novelist and essayist [232]
Jennifer Greene B.A. romance novelist, published 85 books, inducted into Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame [233]
Jim Harrison B.A., M.A. 1960, 1966 author, Guggenheim Fellowship recipient; novel, Legends of the Fall, basis for Hollywood film of same name [234]
Jim C. Hines B.S. 1996 fantasy and science fiction writer [235]
Helen Hull attended 1905–07 novelist, early feminist, English professor, Wellesley, Columbia [236]
Cynthia Huntington B.A. poet [237]
Beverly Jenkins B.A. novelist of mainly African-American historical romance, noted as one of the "100 most popular African American authors" [238]
Geoff Johns B.A. 1995 award-winning comic book author (Sinestro Corps War, Blackest Night), New York Times bestselling author [239]
Josh Kilmer-Purcell B.A. 1991 New York Times bestselling author of memoirs I Am Not Myself These Days and The Bucolic Plague, novel Candy Everybody Wants, and The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook; starred in television reality series The Fabulous Beekman Boys [240]
Michael Kimball B.A. 1990 novelist, founding editor of Taint Magazine [241]
J.T. Krul B.A. 1995 comic book writer, published in Marvel and DC Comics [242]
Michael P. Kube-McDowell B.A. 1976 award-winning science fiction writer; author of more than 500 nonfiction articles [243]
Allison Leotta B.A. 1991 crime thriller novelist, former federal prosecutor [244]
Josh Malerman B.A. musician, novelist, novel Bird Box basis for Hollywood film [245]
Tom McGuane B.A. 1962 novelist [246]
Nnedi Okorafor M.A. science fiction/fantasy novelist [247]
Daniel O'Malley B.A. novelist [248]
Janice Radway B.A. 1971 author, literary and cultural studies scholar [249]
Alma Routsong B.A. 1949 author, alternative fiction [250]
Pat Schmatz B.S. 1983 author of young adult fiction [251]
Sandra Seaton M.A. 1989 playwright and librettist [252]
Elizabeth Sims B.A. novelist, crime and mystery writer; Lambda Literary Award winner; contributing editor at Writer's Digest magazine [253]
Robin Sloan B.A. 2002 noted novelist, short story writer, literary magazine founder, columnist,The Atlantic [254]
Vernor Vinge B.S. science fiction writer; retired math and computer science professor, San Diego State University [255]
Bob Wood B.A. 1980 author of Dodger Dogs to Fenway Franks and Big Ten Country [256]
Timothy Zahn B.S. 1973 science fiction writer; winner of Hugo Award for novella Cascade Point; author of New York Times best-selling Star Wars novel Heir to the Empire [257]
Close

Music

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Bethany Beardslee B.A. 1948 soprano noted for her performances of contemporary classical music [258]
Dee Dee Bridgewater did not graduate Grammy- and Tony Award-winning jazz singer, actress [259]
Henry Butler M.M. 1974 jazz pianist [260]
James Chance attended no wave jazz musician [261]
Dorothy DeLay B.M. 1936 master violin teacher; trained superstars Itzhak Perlman, Cho-Liang Lin, Midori, and Sarah Chang [262]
Thaddeus Dixon B.M. 2006 songwriter, music producer, director, and instructor at UC Berkeley [263]
Clare Fischer B.M. 1951 Grammy Award-winning composer, arranger, and pianist; Latin jazz motif [264]
GRiZ did not graduate DJ and electronic producer [265]
Tee Grizzley did not graduate rapper, singer, and songwriter; "First Day Out" [266]
Milt Jackson did not graduate jazz vibraphonist; member of the Modern Jazz Quartet [267]
Doug Johnson B.M. 1986 jazz and classical pianist, performer and teacher at Berklee College of Music and Wellesley College [268]
Angela Lanza B.A. 2006 singer, toured overseas with USO [269]
Lazarus medicine (did not graduate) rapper, songwriter [270]
Jacques Levy Ph.D. 1961 lyricist, librettist and theatrical director whose collaborators included Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn and Lucy Simon; others who have performed his work include Joe Cocker, Crystal Gayle and Carly Simon [271]
Joseph Lulloff B.A., M.A. saxophonist performing with numerous major orchestras, educator, Distinguished Professor at the Michigan State University College of Music [272]
David Maslanka M.M., Ph.D. 1967, 1971 composer, best known for his works for wind ensemble [citation needed]
Dika Newlin B.M. 1940 musicologist, composer, pianist [273]
Izler Solomon B.M. conductor, led major Midwest city orchestras; founder, Lansing Symphony Orchestra [274]
Robin Spielberg attended noted pianist, composer, actress, and author [275]
Noel Paul Stookey did not graduate "Paul" of 60s folk group Peter, Paul and Mary [276]
Ben Williams B.M. 2007 jazz bassist, winner of the 2009 Thelonious Monk Award [277]
Janet Williams B.M. 1982 internationally renowned soprano [278]
Close

Television and radio

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
John Ahlers B.A. Anaheim Ducks play-by-play announcer [279]
Emanuele Berry B.A. 2012 writer, radio producer, and journalist; executive editor at This American Life, and Fulbright recipient [280]
Tom Bodett did not graduate author, satirist, pitchman for Motel 6 [281]
Chayse Dacoda attended interior designer, television personality, Emmy nominee [282]
Ryan Devlin B.A. 2003 actor, TV host, producer [283]
Carol Duvall B.A. long-running host of The Carol Duvall Show, HGTV [284]
Chad Everett did not graduate actor, starred in Medical Center [285]
Pat Foley B.A. 1977 TV play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Blackhawks; inductee in the Chicago Sports Hall of Fame [286]
Dan Gheesling B.A., M.A. 2005, 2006 Big Brother 10 winner; Big Brother 14 runner-up [287]
Timothy Granaderos 2009 actor and model, starred in T@gged, 13 Reasons Why, in addition to several music videos [288]
Bob Guiney B.A. 1993 appeared on The Bachelor's fourth season [289]
Jon-Erik Hexum B.A. 1980 actor, starred in Voyagers!, Making of a Male Model, and Cover Up [290]
Stephanie Koenig B.F.A. 2009 actor, several TV series starring roles [291]
Kay Koplovitz M.A. 1968 founded USA Networks and the Sci-Fi Channel in 1992; women's business advocate [292]
Jim Kozimor B.A. 1982 national sportscaster mainly with the NBC network, three-time Emmy Award winner [293]
Jackie Martling B.S. 1971 stand-up comedian, member of The Howard Stern Show until 2001 [294]
Matt McConnell B.A. 1985 television play-by-play broadcaster, Arizona Coyotes (NHL); 2013 Arizona Sports Broadcaster of the Year [295]
Rachel Miskowiec B.A. 1992 TV producer [296]
Tyler Oakley B.A. 2011 YouTube video blogger and internet personality [297]
Tim O'Brien B.A. lawyer, professor, award-winning legal correspondent at ABC News and CNN [298]
Susan Packard B.A., M.A. 1979, 1981 founding CEO of HGTV (1997 Cable TV "Woman of the Year"); president of brand outreach for Scripps Networks New Ventures [299]
James Quello B.A. 1935 former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) [300]
Jay Schadler B.A. 1974 ABC News correspondent, Emmy Award winner [301]
Susan Spencer B.A. 1968 CBS News correspondent, Emmy Award winner [302]
Ed Swiderski B.S. 2002 The Bachelorette season 5 contestant and winner [303]
Robert Urich M.A. 1971 actor, Vega$ and Spenser: For Hire [304]
Mike Valenti B.A. 2002 host of the Valenti and Foster show on 97.1 The Ticket, WXYT-FM [305]
Close

Theatre

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
William David Brohn B.A. 1955 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical arranger for Ragtime; won Drama Desk Award for Miss Saigon orchestration [306]
Robert Lyons B.A. writer, playwright, director [307]
Kęstutis Nakas B.A. 1975 playwright, author, performer, director, and teacher [308]
Michael P. Price B.A. 1969 executive director of Goodspeed Musicals, the major producer of American musical theatre [309]
Close

Visual arts

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Mona A. El-Bayoumi B.F.A. 1985 painter, mixed media artist [310]
Ginger Gilmour special course sculptor [311]
Thomas Kovachevich B.A. 1964 contemporary visual artist and physician [312]
Eric Millikin painter, webcomics artist, Pulitzer winner [313]
Shani Peters B.A. 2002 multidisciplinary artist [314]
Close

Business

Consumer goods

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Michael R. Cannon B.A. president of Global Operations, Dell [315]
Drayton McLane, Jr. M.B.A. 1959 owner of Houston Astros; director of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. [316]
Mark A. Murray B.A. president and CEO of Meijer; former president of Grand Valley State University (2001–2006) [317]
Close

Finance

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Thomas H. Bailey B.A. 1961 founder and former CEO, Janus Capital Group [318]
Eli Broad B.B.A. 1954 billionaire industrialist and philanthropist; former CEO of AIG [319]
Dan Gilbert B.B.A. 1982 chairman and founder of Quicken Loans; owner, NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers [320]
Tom Gores B.S. 1986 global private-equity magnate, billionaire, owner of NBA's Detroit Pistons [321]
Ernest Green B.A., M.A. 1962, 1964 Little Rock Nine member; assistant labor secretary (Carter administration); vice president, manager at Lehman Brothers [322]
Andrew Lahde B.A. former hedge fund manager, founder, Lahde Capital [323]
M. Peter McPherson B.A. 1963 chairman, Dow Jones; president of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges; MSU president 1993–2004 [324]
William Raduchel B.A. 1966 independent director, advisor, former Harvard professor [325]
Edward W. Scott B.A., M.A. businessman, philanthropist [326]
Close

Industry

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Darius Adamczyk B.S. 1988 chairman (and former CEO) of Honeywell International Inc., elected, National Academy of Engineering [327]
Montie Brewer B.B.A. former president and CEO, Air Canada [328]
Rufus T. Bush did not graduate 19th-century oil refining industrialist, yachtsman, New York socialite [329]
Jack DeBoer B.A. 1952 hotelier, founder of five national hotel brands, including Residence Inn [330]
Jim Delligatti B.A. 1964 creator of the Big Mac sandwich, owner of over 50 McDonald's restaurants [331]
Chris Denson graduated innovation expert, marketer, humorist, host of podcast Innovation Crush, director of Ignition Factory, Omnicom Group [332]
Molly Fletcher B.A. 1993 sports agent, president of client representation, Career Sports & Entertainment [333]
Mary Kay Henry B.A. 1979 president, Service Employees International Union [334]
James P. Hoffa B.A. 1963 president, Teamsters; son of Jimmy Hoffa [335]
Walter T. Kelley B.S. 1919 founded beekeeping supply company the Walter T. Kelley Company in 1926 (later, the Kelly Company) [336]
Laura M. Labovich B.A. 1994 author, national job search expert, speaker, CEO [337]
Michael Lamach B.S. 1985 CEO, Ingersoll-Rand Corp. [338]
Joanne M. Maguire B.S. 1975 executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space Systems, 2006–2013 [339]
Russell Mawby B.S., Ph.D. 1959 philanthropist, 25-year CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation [340]
John H. McConnell B.B.A. 1949 founder, chairman emeritus, Worthington Industries; former owner of NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets [341]
Craig Menear B.B.A. 1979 president, CEO, Home Depot [342]
Dawn Riley B.A. 1986 first female yachting CEO; America's Cup participant; educator [343]
Andy Roeser B.A. 1981 former president of the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA [344]
Reinhold Schmieding B.A. 1977 specialized medical tools manufacturer, Forbes 400 billionaire [345]
JR Shaw B.B.A. 1955 Canadian communications company founder/owner [346]
Rick Sirvaitis B.A., M.A. 1971, 1976 president of Storeboard Media LLC. [347]
Robert C. Stempel M.B.A. 1970 former chairman, CEO, General Motors [348]
Paul Waterman B.S. 1987 CEO of BP Castrol and Elementis Plc
Kate Williams chef and restaurateur, owner of Lady of the House in Detroit [349]
Close

Politics and government

Activism

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
John H. Adams B.A. 1959 environmental activist, lawyer, and co-founder of the Natural Resource Defense Council, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom [350]
Abraham Aiyash B.A. 2017 US foreign policy activist, House majority floor leader, Michigan House of Representatives, 4th legislative district [351]
Suzanne Marie Babich B.S. 1981 public health scientist, author, dietitian and vegetarianism activist, professor, Fulbright Award winner [352]
Gladys Beckwith B.A., M.A. Ph.D. 1951 1956 1968 activist, founder of the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame [353]
Richard Conlin B.A. 1968 affordable housing activist and developer, former member of the Seattle City Council president [354]
Donald N. Duquette B.A. 1969 founding director of the Child Advocacy Law Clinic, University of Michigan Law School [355]
Emma Genevieve Gillette B.S. 1920 "mother of Michigan's State Park system" [356]
Shelly Grabe B.A. 1996 women's rights activist, social psychology professor, provost, UC Santa Cruz [357]
Florence Hall B.S. 1909 led Woman's Land Army of America during World War II [358]
Rutherford P. Hayes attended 1876-77 library innovator, banker, son of U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes [359]
Jon Hoadley B.A. 2006 former executive director, National Stonewall Democrats [360]
Susan Jacoby B.A. 1965 journalist; author, Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism; NYC program director, Center for Inquiry [361]
Russell Kirk B.A. 1940 National Review magazine co-founder, "father of the modern conservative movement" [362]
Jeffrey Miller transferred Kent State shootings victim [363]
Michael Schwerner transferred civil rights activist, martyr; along with James Chaney and Andrew Goodman, was murdered by Philadelphia, MS-area Ku Klux Klan members for his African-American voter registration efforts during Freedom Summer, 1964 [364]
Lou Sheldon B.A. 1957 evangelical conservative activist, founder and chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition [365]
Jim Wallis B.A. 1970 liberal Christian evangelical activist; author, God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It [366]
Close

Diplomacy

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Richard Clark Barkley B.A. 1954 former U.S. ambassador to East Germany and Turkey [367]
Stuart A. Bernstein B.A. 1960 former U.S. ambassador to Denmark [368]
Clarence A. Boonstra B.A. 1936 former US ambassador to Costa Rica [369]
Robin Diallo B.A. 1982 former US ambassador to Haiti [370]
John A. Heffern B.A. 1976 former United States ambassador to Armenia 2011–2014 [371]
Donna Hrinak B.A. 1972 U.S. ambassador to Venezuela [372]
Riina Kionka B.A. 1983 EU ambassador to Pakistan [373]
John C. Kornblum B.A. 1964 former ambassador to Germany [374]
Roger A. Meece B.S. 1971 former U.S. ambassador to Malawi and Congo [375]
Peter F. Secchia B.A. 1963 former U.S. ambassador to Italy [376]
Close

Armed forces

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Judith Fedder B.S. 1980 lieutenant general of the United States Air Force [377]
William F. Friedman attended leading cryptographer, led the research division of the U.S. Army's Signal Intelligence Service [378]
James D. Hittle B.S. 1937 brigadier general, U.S. Marine Corps [379]
John D. Hutson B.A. 1969 former president and dean, Franklin Pierce Law Center, rear admiral (retired), U.S. Navy; former Staff Judge Advocate and executive assistant to the commander, Naval Investigative Command [380]
Frederick J. Kenney B.A. 1981 former rear admiral and Judge Advocate General, U.S. Coast Guard [381]
William J. Maddox Jr B.A. 1944 major general in the United States Army, commander of the United States Army Aviation Center [382]
Paul T. Mikolashek M.A. 1982 U.S. Army lieutenant general [383]
George F. Schulgen B.S. 1922 former brigadier general, U.S. Air Force [384]
Caral Spangler B.A. 1980 assistant secretary, US Army [385]
Donald A. Stroh B.S. 1915 U.S. Army major general [386]
Frances C. Wilson B.S. retired lieutenant general of United States Marine Corps; former president of National Defense University [387]
Close

Law

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Rosemarie Aquilina B.A. 1979 judge of the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County, Michigan, presided over the trial and sentencing of Larry Nassar [citation needed]
Dennis Archer J.D. 1970 former president of the American Bar Association, the first African-American elected to the position; former justice, Michigan Supreme Court; former mayor of Detroit, chairman of Detroit-based law firm Dickinson Wright [388]
W. Scott Bales B.A. 1978 justice, Arizona Supreme Court [389]
Debra Bowen B.A. 1979 California secretary of state [390]
William L. Carpenter B.S. 1876 justice, Michigan Supreme Court [391]
Robert Hardy Cleland B.A. 1969 judge, US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan [392]
Jeffrey Cummings B.A. 1984 judge, US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois [393]
John F. Dean B.S. 1970 first African-American judge, US Tax Court [394]
Geoffrey Fieger J.D. 1979 attorney for Jack Kevorkian; 1998 Democratic candidate for Michigan governor [395]
John Warner Fitzgerald B.A. former chief justice, Michigan Supreme Court [396]
John D. Hutson B.A. 1969 president, Franklin Pierce Law Center; rear admiral (retired), U.S. Navy [397]
Kathleen Jansen B.S. 1971 judge, Michigan Court of Appeals [398]
Wallace B. Jefferson B.A. 1985 first African-American chief justice, Supreme Court of Texas [399]
Kirsten Frank Kelly B.A. 1978 judge, Michigan Court of Appeals [400]
Allan Kornblum B.S. 1958 United States magistrate judge [401]
Carlotta Walls LaNier transferred Little Rock Nine member; real estate entrepreneur in Englewood, Colorado [402]
Michael W. McConnell B.A. 1976 former judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit [403]
Allen B. Morse Graduated 1859 justice, Michigan Supreme Court, 1886–93 [404]
Gordon Jay Quist B.A. 1959 judge, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan [405]
Louise Renne B.A. 1958 former city-county attorney and member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors [406]
Robert Ressler B.S., M.S. 1972 criminologist, coined the term "serial killer" [407]
Andree Layton Roaf B.S. 1972 first African-American woman on the Arkansas Supreme Court [408]
Kenneth Sanborn B.A. lawyer whose key 1953 legal defense helped turn public opinion against McCarthyism [409]
Virgil C. Smith B.A. former state representative, senator, judge on the 3rd Circuit Court in Wayne County, Michigan [410]
Kara Farnandez Stoll B.S. 1991 judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit [411]
Valerie Zachary B.A. with honor 1984 judge, North Carolina Court of Appeals [412]
†Graduate of the Detroit College of Law before its merger with Michigan State
Close

Public office

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Spencer Abraham B.A. 1974 former U.S. Secretary of Energy and U.S. senator from Michigan [413]
Sandra E. Adams B.A. 1978 rear admiral in U.S. Navy [414]
Abraham Aiyash B.A. 2017 representative, 9th district, Michigan [351]
Tylease Alli B.A. 2002 reading clerk, Democratic, US House of Representatives [415]
George R. Ariyoshi B.A. 1949 third governor of Hawaii [416]
Adnan Badran M.A., Ph.D. 1961, 1963 former prime minister of Jordan [417]
James Blanchard B.A. 1964 former Michigan governor (1983–1991); former ambassador to Canada (1993–1996; appointed by President Bill Clinton) [418]
Eljay B. Bowron B.S. 1973 former director of the US Secret Service; chairman and co-founder, Torchstone Global, LLC, a security company [419]
Augustus Caine Ph.D. Secretary of Education of Liberia, 1965–1970 [420]
Albert J. Campbell attended 1870s representative, U.S. Congress, Montana 1899–1901 [421]
Linda Chapin B.A. first chairman of the Orange County Commission in Florida; unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000 [422]
Ted Chudleigh B.S. 1965 member, Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Canada) [423]
Donald G. Cook B.S. 1969 commander, Air Education and Training Command, U.S. Air Force [424]
Richard Cordray B.A. 1981 Ohio state treasurer (2007–2009); Ohio attorney general (2009–2011); inaugural chief, United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2011–2017) [425]
Charles Dwight Curtiss B.S. 1911 former commissioner, Federal Highway Administration [426]
Charles J. DeLand B.S. 1899 Michigan secretary of state, 1921–1926 [427]
Nancy E. Dick B.A. 1951 former lieutenant governor, Colorado, first woman to hold this office [428]
Emily Dievendorf B.A. 2001 representative, Michigan House of Representatives, 77th district, first openly nonbinary Michigan state representative [429]
Tony Earl B.A. 1958 former Wisconsin governor (currently on governing board, Common Cause-Wisconsin) [430]
John Engler B.S. 1971 former Michigan governor (1991–2003) [431]
Bob Evnen B.A. 1974 secretary of state, Nebraska [432]
Robert A. Ficano B.A. 1974 former Wayne County (Michigan) executive [433]
Jason E. Hammond B.S., M.S. 1886, 1900 former Michigan superintendent of Public Instruction [434]
Penny Harrington B.A. 1964 former police chief; first woman to head a major US city police force (Portland, Oregon) [435]
Jim Hill B.A. 1969 first African-American elected statewide in Oregon [436]
Derek Hodge B.A. 1963 former lieutenant governor, U.S. Virgin Islands [437]
Jennifer White Holland B.A. 2010 delegate, Maryland House of Delegates for District 10 [438]
Tim Johnson 1970–1971 Democratic senator of South Dakota (1997–present) [439]
Don A. Jones B.S. 1933 rear admiral and civil engineer; served as the seventh director of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and second director of the Environmental Science Services Administration Corps [440]
Lawrence Kestenbaum B.A. 1979 attorney, politician, and the creator and webmaster of the Political Graveyard website [441]
H. Stuart Knight B.S. 1948 director of the U.S. Secret Service [442]
Jerry Knirk B.S. 1974 doctor and politician, served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives [443]
Moussa Koussa B.A. 1978 former foreign minister of Libya, 2009–2011 [444]
Lee Wan-koo M.S. 1984 prime minister of South Korea [445]
Wilson Livingood B.A. 1961 former United States House sergeant at arms [446]
Chris Magnus B.A. chief of police of Tucson, Arizona [447]
Mark Mazur B.A. 1978 former assistant secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury [448]
Eileen McNulty B.A. government official, first female chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality [449]
Chris Meagher B.A. 2005 former assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs [450]
Harry Moniba Ph.D. vice president of Liberia, 1984–90 [451]
William Penn Mott Jr. B.S. 1931 former director of the National Park Service [452]
Frederick H. Mueller B.S. 1914 former United States Secretary of Commerce under President Dwight Eisenhower [453]
Shahzada Jamal Nazir B.A. 1999 former federal minister for the ministries of National Health Services, Religious Affairs, National Harmony, National Heritage & Integration, in the government of Pakistan [454]
Bryan Newland B.A., J.D. 2003, 2007 assistant secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs [455]
James S. Nunneley 1933 former Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives [456]
Diane Pappas B.A. Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives [457]
Gregory Quinn B.A. 1972 representative, St. Louis County Council, attorney [458]
Peter Rheinstein B.A., M.S. 1964 former official of the Food and Drug Administration [459]
Kristen McDonald Rivet B.A. 1992 U.S. congresswoman for Michigan's 8th congressional district [460]
Kathleen D. Roe B.A., M.A. former director of Archives and Records Management Operations at the New York State Archives [461]
Helen Rosenthal B.A. 1982 New York City Council member, 6th District [462]
Debbie Stabenow B.A., M.A. 1972, 1975 U.S. senator from Michigan [463]
David A. Stockman B.A. 1968 former director of Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan [464]
Marta Suplicy B.A. in Psychology mayor of São Paulo, 2001–2004; senator for São Paulo, 2010–present [465]
Clay Tallman B.A. 1895 commissioner, United States General Land Office, member of Nevada State Senate 1909–1913, president pro tempore [466]
Bob Traxler B.A. 1953 U.S. Congress, Michigan, 1974–93; Mackinac Island State Park Commission, 1992–present [467]
John P. Walters B.A. 1974 former director, Office of National Drug Control Policy [468]
Fred M. Warner attended, did not graduate 1880s governor of Michigan, 1905–1911 [469]
Gretchen Whitmer B.A., J.D. 1993, 1998 49th governor of Michigan, second woman to hold the position [470]
Close

Sports and athletics

Baseball

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Steve Garvey B.A. 1968 former first baseman, Los Angeles Dodgers [471]
Kirk Gibson B.A. 1979 former manager, Arizona Diamondbacks; former outfielder, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers [472]
Mike Marshall B.S., M.S., PhD 1965, 1967, 1978 former closer for several Major League teams [473]
Anthony Misiewicz current pitcher, Seattle Mariners [474]
Mark Mulder B.A. 1998 former pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals [475]
Dale Petroskey B.A. 1978 president, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum [476]
Robin Roberts B.A. 1947 former pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies; Hall of Fame member [477]
Close

Basketball

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Maurice Ager former professional basketball player [citation needed]
Alan Anderson former professional basketball player [478]
Charlie Bell B.S. 2000 former professional basketball player [479]
Miles Bridges professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets [citation needed]
Shannon Brown professional basketball player with the Miami Heat [480]
Ben Carter professional basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League [citation needed]
Mateen Cleaves B.S. 2000 former professional basketball player [481]
Deyonta Davis professional basketball player [citation needed]
Paul Davis former professional basketball player [482]
Draymond Green B.A. 2012 professional basketball player with the Golden State Warriors [483]
Johnny Green former professional basketball player [484]
Gary Harris professional basketball player with the Denver Nuggets [citation needed]
Mark Hollis B.S. 1985 former team manager; current athletic director [citation needed]
Jaren Jackson Jr. professional basketball player with the Memphis Grizzlies [citation needed]
Earvin "Magic" Johnson businessman and former Los Angeles Lakers basketball player [485]
Greg Kelser broadcaster and former professional basketball player [486]
Erazem Lorbek former professional basketball player [citation needed]
Kalin Lucas professional basketball player Forlì of the Serie A2 [citation needed]
Matt Mazza former professional basketball player [487]
Adreian Payne B.S. 2014 professional basketball player [citation needed]
Morris Peterson B.S. 2000 former professional basketball player [488]
Zach Randolph former professional basketball player [489]
Shawn Respert B.A. 1995 former professional basketball player [490]
Jason Richardson former professional basketball player [491]
Scott Skiles B.S. 1986 former professional basketball player, former coach of the Chicago Bulls [492]
Steve Smith B.S. 1991 former professional basketball player; philanthropist [493]
Eric Snow B.S. 1995 former professional basketball player [494]
Denzel Valentine professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls [495]
Sam Vincent B.S. 1981 former professional basketball player
Kevin Willis B.S. 1984 former professional basketball player [496]
Close

Bodybuilding

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Colette Nelson B.S. IFBB professional bodybuilder [497]
Close

Football

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Flozell Adams B.A. 1998 former offensive tackle, Dallas Cowboys [498]
Herb Adderley B.S. 1961 former cornerback, Green Bay Packers; elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 [499]
Brian Allen B.A. 2017 center, Los Angeles Rams [500]
Denicos Allen B.S. 2014 linebacker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers [citation needed]
Morten Andersen B.A. 1982 former placekicker, New Orleans Saints; all-time leading scorer in NFL history [501]
Fred Arbanas B.A. 1961 former tight end, Kansas City Chiefs [502]
Edwin Baker B.A. 2013 running back, New Orleans Saints [citation needed]
Tony Banks B.A. 1996 former quarterback, Houston Texans [503]
Le'Veon Bell NFL running back, Kansas City Chiefs [citation needed]
Larry Bethea B.A. 1977 former NFL defensive end, Dallas Cowboys [citation needed]
Ed Budde B.S. 1963 former offensive lineman, Kansas City Chiefs [504]
Max Bullough B.A. 2014 former NFL linebacker, Houston Texans [citation needed]
Derek Bunch 1985 former NFL linebacker, Washington Redskins [citation needed]
Plaxico Burress B.A. 2000 former wide receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers [505]
Garrett Celek B.S. 2011 former NFL tight end, San Francisco 49ers [citation needed]
Connor Cook B.A., M.A. 2014, 2015 quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals [citation needed]
Kirk Cousins B.A. 2011 quarterback, Minnesota Vikings [citation needed]
Demetrious Cox 2016 safety, Carolina Panthers [citation needed]
B.J. Cunningham B.S. 2012 wide receiver, Chicago Bears [citation needed]
Kellen Davis B.A. 2007 former NFL tight end, New York Jets [citation needed]
Joe DeLamielleure B.A. 1973 former guard, Buffalo Bills; elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003 [506]
Darqueze Dennard B.A. 2014 cornerback, Cincinnati Bengals [citation needed]
Tony Discenzo former tackle, Boston Patriots and Buffalo Bills [507]
Kurtis Drummond B.A. 2015 safety, Houston Texans [citation needed]
T. J. Duckett B.A. 2002 former running back, Seattle Seahawks [508]
Billy Joe DuPree B.A. 1972 former NFL tight end, Dallas Cowboys [citation needed]
Paul Edinger B.S. 2000 former placekicker, Minnesota Vikings [509]
Dixon Edwards B.A. 1990 former NFL linebacker, Dallas Cowboys [citation needed]
Brandon Fields B.A. 2007 former NFL punter, Miami Dolphins [citation needed]
Fou Fonoti B.A. 2014 offensive tackle, San Francisco 49ers [citation needed]
Wayne Fontes B.S. 1961 former coach, Detroit Lions [510]
Bennie Fowler B.A. 2014 wide receiver, Denver Broncos [citation needed]
Dan France B.A. 2014 offensive tackle, Cincinnati Bengals [citation needed]
William Gholston defensive end, Tampa Bay Buccaneers [citation needed]
Joel Heath defensive tackle, Houston Texans [citation needed]
Tyler Hoover B.A. 2014 defensive end, Indianapolis Colts [citation needed]
Brian Hoyer B.A. 2008 quarterback, Houston Texans [citation needed]
Mark Ingram B.S. 1996 former wide receiver, Philadelphia Eagles [511]
Taiwan Jones B.A. 2015 linebacker, New York Jets [citation needed]
Jeremy Langford B.A. 2015 running back, Chicago Bears [citation needed]
Tony Lippett B.A. 2015 wide receiver, Miami Dolphins [citation needed]
Keshawn Martin B.A. 2011 wide receiver, Houston Texans [citation needed]
Derrick Mason B.A. 1997 former wide receiver, Baltimore Ravens [512]
Brandon McKinney B.A. 2006 former defensive tackle, Indianapolis Colts [citation needed]
Jim Miller B.S. 2002 former quarterback, New York Giants [513]
Earl Morrall B.A. 1955 former quarterback, Baltimore Colts [514]
Muhsin Muhammad B.A. 1996 former wide receiver, Carolina Panthers [515]
Keith Mumphery B.A. 2015 wide receiver, Houston Texans [citation needed]
Domata Peko defensive tackle, Cincinnati Bengals [516]
Julian Peterson B.A. 2000 former linebacker, Detroit Lions [517]
Javon Ringer B.S. 2009 former running back, Tennessee Titans [citation needed]
Andre Rison B.A. 1989 former wide receiver, Oakland Raiders [518]
Trenton Robinson B.A. 2011 defensive back, Washington Redskins [citation needed]
Charles Rogers B.S. 2003 former wide receiver, Detroit Lions [519]
Marcus Rush B.A. 2015 linebacker, San Francisco 49ers [citation needed]
George Saimes B.S. 1963 former safety, Buffalo Bills [520]
Dion Sims B.A. 2013 tight end, Miami Dolphins [citation needed]
Bubba Smith B.A. 1966 former defensive end, Baltimore Colts; actor, Police Academy - Jeff Smoker B.S. 2007 former quarterback, Arizona Rattlers [522]
Drew Stanton B.S. 2007 quarterback, Arizona Cardinals [523]
Kevin Vickerson B.A. 2005 defensive tackle, New York Jets [citation needed]
Kenneth Walker III 2021 running back, Seattle Seahawks
Trae Waynes cornerback, Minnesota Vikings [citation needed]
George Webster B.A. 1966 former linebacker, Houston Oilers [521]
Tyrone Willingham B.A. 1977 former wide receiver; head coach of Stanford, Notre Dame and Washington [citation needed]
Jerel Worthy B.A. 2012 defensive tackle, Kansas City Chiefs [citation needed]
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Golf

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Emily Bastel Glaser B.S. 2002 head coach of Florida Gators women's golf team; former LPGA Tour pro golfer [524]
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Gymnastics

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Stanley Tarshis NCAA champion gymnast, horizontal bar [525]
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Ice hockey

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Justin Abdelkader winger, Detroit Red Wings [526]
Rod Brind'Amour B.S. 1989 right wing, Carolina Hurricanes [527]
Anson Carter B.S. 1996 right wing, Carolina Hurricanes [528]
Adam Hall B.S. 2002 right wing, Philadelphia Flyers [529]
Duncan Keith defense, Chicago Blackhawks [530]
John-Michael Liles B.S. 2003 defense, Toronto Maple Leafs [531]
Donald McSween B.S. 1987 defense, Buffalo Sabres [532]
Drew Miller did not graduate left wing, Detroit Red Wings [533]
Kelly Miller B.S. 1985 former left wing, Washington Capitals [534]
Kip Miller B.S. 1990 former forward, Washington Capitals; 1990 Hobey Baker Award winner [535]
Ryan Miller B.S. 2002 goaltender, Vancouver Canucks; 2001 Hobey Baker Award winner [536]
Corey Tropp forward, Columbus Blue Jackets [citation needed]
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Running

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Michael Wardian 1996 marathoner [537]
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Soccer

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Jordan Gruber American-Israeli soccer player [citation needed]
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Olympians

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Fred Alderman B.S. 1927 winner of gold medal in 4x400-meter relay at the 1928 Summer Olympics [538]
Savatheda Fynes B.S. winner of gold medal in 4x100-meter freestyle relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics [539]
Linda Gustavson B.A. 1972 winner of gold, silver and bronze medals in 4x100-meter freestyle relay, and 400- and 100-meter freestyle events at the 1968 Summer Olympics [540]
Pam Kruse B.A., M.A., PhD 1973, 1975, 1979 winner of silver medal in 800-meter freestyle at the 1968 Summer Olympics [541]
Allan Kwartler B.S. 1948 three-time Olympic saber champion [542]
Howard Patterson B.A. 1950 competitor in 100-meter backstroke at the 1948 Summer Olympics [543]
Clarke Scholes B.A. 1952 winner of gold medal in 100-meter freestyle at the 1952 Summer Olympics [544]
Ken Walsh B.A. 1967 winner of gold medals in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay and 4x100-meter medley relay at the 1968 Summer Olympics [545]
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Mixed martial arts

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
Rashad Evans B.S. 2003 professional mixed martial artist; won The Ultimate Fighter 2, former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion [546][547]
Gray Maynard 2003 three-time NCAA All-American wrestler; professional MMA fighter; former UFC Lightweight Champion [548][549]
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Wrestling

More information Name, Degree ...
Name Degree Year Comments Reference
George "The Animal" Steele B.S. 1960 professional wrestler, school teacher, author, and actor [citation needed]
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Faculty and administration

Notable faculty

Arts and humanities

More information Name, Tenure ...
Name Tenure Comments Reference
Theophilus C. Abbot 1858–1889 professor of English literature, president, State Agricultural College [550]
Wes "Warmdaddy" Anderson present associate professor of Jazz Studies, Michigan State University [551]
Michael Dease present associate professor of Jazz Studies, Michigan State University [citation needed]
Henry R. Pattengill 1886–1890 assistant professor of English [552]
H. Owen Reed 1939–1976 composer, conductor, music theorist [553]
A. J. M. Smith 1943–1972 Canadian poet and anthologist [554]
Diane Wakoski retired 2011 professor of Creative Writing, Michigan State University [citation needed]
Rodney Whitaker present director of Jazz Studies, Michigan State University [555]
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Science

More information Name, Tenure ...
Name Tenure Comments Reference
Selman Akbulut 1986–present mathematician specializing in real algebraic geometry and 4-dimensional manifolds [556]
James C. Anthony 2003–present psychopathologist [557]
Warren Babcock 1891–1913 professor of Mathematics; secretary of the faculty, 1898–1913; second mayor of East Lansing [558]
William J. Beal 1871–1910 developed hybrid corn; co-planned "Collegeville", the first subdivision in what later became East Lansing, Michigan [559]
Marc Breedlove 2001–present neuroscientist specializing in steroid hormones and sexual behavior [560]
Cem Göknar Electrical/electronics engineer, specialising in Circuit theory [561]
Dennis R. Heldman 1966–1984 food scientist; Institute of Food Technologists president (2006–07) [562]
John C. Holmes 1855–1861 horticulturalist; founder of MSU [563]
Richard Lenski 1991–present microbiologist; conductor of the E. coli long-term evolution experiment [564]
Barry Pittendrigh 2016–present molecular biologist [565]
Robert Root-Bernstein 1987–present physiologist, author, MacArthur Fellow [566]
Barnett Rosenberg 1961–1997 discoverer of cisplatin [567]
Anatoliy Skorokhod 1993–2011 probabilist [568]
Horst Stöcker 1982–1985 theoretical physicist [569]
Walter M. Urbain 1965–1975 food scientist [570]
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Social science

More information Name, Tenure ...
Name Tenure Comments Reference
Walter Adams 1947–1992 economist, former president of Michigan State (1969) [571]
Mohammed Ayoob 1990–present professor of international relations and Muslim studies [572]
Kent John Chabotar 1972–1975 political scientist; president, Guilford College [573]
Robert C. Craig 1966–1989 professor in the department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education [574]
Erich Fromm 1957–1961 psychologist and philosopher [citation needed]
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Current administration

Board of trustees

More information Name, End of term ...
Current trustees
Name End of term Position Reference
Dianne Byrum 2025 Chair [575]
Dan Kelly 2025 Vice chair [575]
Joel Ferguson 2021 [575]
Melanie Foster 2023 [575]
Renee Knake Jefferson 2023 [575]
Brian Mosallam 2021 [575]
Brianna T. Scott 2027 [575]
Kelly Tebay 2027 [575]
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Head coaches

More information Name, Tenure ...
Name Tenure Comments Reference
J Batt 2025–present athletic director [576]
Robyn Fralick 2023–present women's basketball [577]
Tom Izzo 1995–present men's basketball [578]
Adam Nightingale 2022–present men's ice hockey coach [579]
Jonathan Smith 2024–present men's football [citation needed]
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Former administration

Presidents

More information Name, Administration ...
Name Administration Comments Reference
Joseph R. Williams 1857–1859 first president of the college; lieutenant governor of Michigan [580]
Lewis R. Fiske 1859–1862 Methodist minister; president of Albion College [581]
Theophilus C. Abbot 1862–1885 professor of English literature; earned an LL.D. from the University of Michigan [550]
Edwin Willits 1885–1889 former principal for the State Normal School; assistant secretary of agriculture for the Cleveland administration [582]
Oscar Clute 1889–1893 [583]
Lewis G. Gorton 1893–1895 [584]
Jonathan L. Snyder 1896–1915 [585]
Frank S. Kedzie 1915–1921 [586]
David Friday 1922–1923 [587]
Kenyon L. Butterfield 1924–1928 [588]
Robert S. Shaw 1928–1941 [589]
John A. Hannah 1941–1969 chairman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights [590]
Walter Adams 1969–1970 [591]
Clifton Reginald Wharton, Jr. 1970–1978 11th United States deputy secretary of state [592]
Edgar L. Harden 1978–1979 president of Northern Michigan University [593]
M. Cecil Mackey 1979–1985 president of University of South Florida, president of Texas Tech University [594]
John A. DiBiaggio 1985–1992 president of the University of Connecticut, president of Tufts University [595]
Gordon Guyer 1992–1993 vice president for Governmental Affairs at MSU [596]
M. Peter McPherson 1993–2004 deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Treasury, chairman of Dow Jones [597]
Lou Anna K. Simon 2004–2018 John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in the College of Education at MSU [598]
John Engler 2018–2019 46th governor of Michigan [citation needed]
Satish Udpa 2019–2019 [citation needed]
Samuel L. Stanley Jr. 2019–2022 president of Stony Brook University [citation needed]
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References

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