List of Southern Illinois University alumni

Southern Illinois University Carbondale has had a number of notable alumni since it was first founded in 1869.

Academics

• Robert Coover, T.B. Stowell Adjunct Professor of Literary Arts at Brown University^[1]
• Sir Curtis Price, KBE, current head of New College, Oxford, former President of the Royal Academy of Music^[2] and former president of the Royal Musical Association^[3]

Jared Funk- Funk's Farms

Businesspeople

• Cecil Hale, former Vice President, Capitol Records^[4] and former National President of the National Association of Television and Radio Artists^[5]
• Curt Jones, founder of Dippin' Dots^[6]
• Kenny Troutt, founder of telecommunications company Excel Communications^[7]

Entertainers

• James Belushi, actor/comedian^[8]
• Don S. Davis, actor best known for role on Stargate SG-1^[9]
• Jackie Debatin (attended), actress and businesswoman^[10]
• Bil Dwyer, actor, comedian^[11]
• Dennis Franz, actor best known for his work on NYPD Blue^[6][12]
• Dick Gregory (attended), actor, author, comedian, activist^[13]
• Steve James, documentary director and producer of Sundance award winning Hoop Dreams and Stevie^[14]
• Jenny McCarthy (attended), actress and Playmate of the Year, was studying nursing at SIU when she submitted her photo to Playboy^[15]
• Gary Miller, ESPN SportsCenter anchor^[16]
• Tom Minton, animation producer, writer, artist
• Bob Odenkirk, actor/writer/comedian^[17]
• Tim O'Malley, actor/comedian, Godshow, Second City alum^[18]
• Randal Mario Poffo, also known as professional wrestler Macho Man Randy Savage; graduated 1971
• Rick Rizzs, broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners^[19]
• Richard Roundtree, actor, Shaft^[20]
• Robert K. Weiss, producer of The Blues Brothers^[6]
• Walt Willey, actor best known for All My Children

Musicians

• Hamiet Bluiett, jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer^[21]
• Shawn Colvin, musician, singer^[22]
• Open Mike Eagle, rapper^[23]
• Darryl Jones, bassist of The Rolling Stones
• David Lee Murphy, musician, singer
• Jason Ringenberg, musician, singer

Politicians and government officials

Federal Government

• Roland Burris, former U.S. Senator from Illinois (2009-2010). He previously served as Illinois Comptroller and Illinois Attorney General.^[6]
• Jack Davis, U.S. Congressman from Illinois's 4th Congressional District who served from 1987-1989.^[24]
• William Enyart, U.S. Congressman from Illinois's 12th Congressional District who served from 2013-2013. He earned his law degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law.^[25]
• Tim Lee Hall, U.S. Congressman who represented Illinois’s 15th Congressional District from 1975-1977.^[26]
• Donald McHenry, United States ambassador to the United Nations (from 1979 to 1981)^[6]
• David D. Phelps, U.S. Congressman from Illinois's 19th congressional district who served from 1999-2003.^[27]
• Glenn Poshard, former U.S. Congressman, gubernatorial candidate, president of SIU^[6]

Statewide Officeholders

• Randy Daniels, former New York Secretary of State^[28]
• Albert E. Mead, former Governor of Washington^[29]

State Legislators

• Carl Bearden, member of the Missouri House of Representatives
• John Cavaletto, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 107th district (2009-present).^[30]
• Jerry Costello II, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 116th district (2011-present).^[31]
• William Davis, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 30th district (2002-present).^[32]
• Chad Hays, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 104th district (2010-present).^[33]
• Jeanette Mott Oxford, Democratic member of the Missouri House of Representatives
• Mary Nichols, Democratic member of the Missouri House of Representatives representing the 72nd district (2010-present).^[34]
• Lena Taylor, Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate for the 4th district (since 2005).^[35]
• Art Turner, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2010-present).^[36]
• Kathleen Vinehout, Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate representing the 31st district (since 2007). ^[37]
• Grant Wehrli, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 41st district (2015-present).^[38]

Local Officeholders

• Howard Brookins, Chicago Alderman for the 21st ward.^[39]
• Forrest Claypool, member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners for District 12 (2002-2006). He is currently the CEO of Chicago Public Schools.
• David Coss, Mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico (2006-2014)^[40]
• Jason Ervin, Chicago Alderman for the 28th ward.^[41]

International Figures

• Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq, Pakistani politician and son of former President General Zia-ul-Haq

Sports figures

Baseball

• Jim Dwyer, former Major League Baseball outfielder^[42]
• Steve Finley, former Major League Baseball center fielder, 5-time Gold Glove winner, 2-time All-Star^[42]
• Jason Frasor, Major League Baseball pitcher^[42]
• Joe Hall, former Major League Baseball pitcher^[42]
• Jerry Hairston, Jr., Major League Baseball second baseman^[42]
• Dan Hartleb, college baseball coach at Illinois
• Duane Kuiper, former Major League Baseball second baseman, announcer, commentator for EA Sports baseball video games^[42]
• Al Levine, Major League Baseball pitcher^[42]
• Skip Pitlock, former Major League pitcher
• Bill Stein, former Major League Baseball infielder^[42]
• Dave Stieb, former Major League Baseball pitcher, 7-time All Star^[42]

Basketball

• Ashraf Amaya, former NBA player^[43]
• Chris Carr, former NBA player^[43]
• Walt Frazier, Basketball Hall of Famer and named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History^[6]
• Mike Glenn, former NBA player^[43]
• Nate Hawthorne, former NBA player Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.
• Troy Hudson, NBA guard^[43]
• Joe Meriweather, NBA center

Football

• Tom Baugh, former NFL player
• Jim Hart, former NFL quarterback, 4-time Pro Bowl selection^[44]
• Kevin House, former NFL player^[45]
• Brandon Jacobs, NFL running back^[46]
• Deji Karim, running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Carl Mauck, former NFL player and NFL coach
• Bart Scott, NFL linebacker^[47]
• Sam Silas, former NFL lineman
• Terry Lee Taylor, former NFL player
• Steven C. Jones, 1996 All Gateway conference offensive linemen

Other

• Ron Ballatore, NCAA championship swimming coach, five-time Olympic swimming coach
• Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls, IFBB professional bodybuilder
• Roger Counsil, NCAA championship gymnastics coach
• Thomas Glielmi, Stanford gymnastics head coach, Pan American Games coach
• Randy Savage, professional wrestler
• Cameron Wright, retired high jumper; competed at the 1996 Olympic Games; Southern Illinois University Hall of Fame 2011

Writers and journalists

• Steven Alexander, best selling author and clinical counselor
• Andrea Beaty, award-winning children's author of Iggy Peck, Architect, Dr. Ted, Cicada Summer, and Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies^[48]
• Jim Bittermann, CNN European correspondent based in Paris^[49]
• Chris Bury, ABC news anchor^[6]
• Tom Hebel, Vice President of Creative Services and Local Programming, WLS-TV ABC Affiliate in Chicago^[50]
• Charles Johnson, winner of the National Book Award for Middle Passage^[51]
• Dan Katz, morning news anchor for NBC affiliate WFIE^[52] in Evansville, Indiana
• Joan Lovett (Lovelace), CBS four-time Emmy award winner
• Michael Meyerhofer, poet and fantasy author
• P.S. Mueller, cartoonist for The New Yorker^[12]
• Walter Rogers, CNN international correspondent based in London^[53]
• Chad Simpson, Micro Award-winning short and flash fiction author
• Jackie Spinner, writer at the Washington Post and author of Tell Them I Didn't Cry: A Young Journalist's Story of Joy, Loss, and Survival in Iraq^[54]

Others

• Matthew F. Hale (Law School, 1998), white supremacist who solicited the murder of federal judge Joan Lefkow^[55]
• Joan E. Higginbotham, astronaut^[6]
• Rodney P. Kelly, retired Major General, U.S. Air Force
• Thomas Lord, retired Aviation Ordnance Master Chief, U.S. Navy
• Thomas McClelland, retired Captain, U.S. Navy
• Johnny R. Miller, Assistant Adjutant General of the Illinois Army National Guard
• Joseph Nechvatal, digital artist and art theoretician
• Michael Swango, physician and serial murderer^[56]
• Mallica Vajrathon, United Nations senior staff member
• Gary Whiteside, Corporate Vice President of Quality Control for Warren Oil Company

References

1. "Literary Arts Program: faculty". Archived from the original on 2008-03-03. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
2. "Senior Staff: Principal". Archived from the original on 2008-01-19. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
3. "Council Members & Officers". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
4. http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/cecil-hale-40
5. http://www.ccsf.edu/Info/Dir/cgi-bin/ccsfdirs.pl?&words=Hale,%20Cecil%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&type=2
6. "Distinguished Alumni Wall". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
7. "Troutt-Wittmann Academic and Training Center". Retrieved 2007-08-14.
8. "According to Jim Bios". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
9. http://www.tv.com/don-s.-davis/person/1313/biography.html
10. "Jackie Debatin". Retrieved 2010-10-26.
11. "Last Comic Standing: Bill Dwyer". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
12. Utterback, Wayne (April 19, 2007). "Emprace the 'Dark': Author, SIUC alumnus reprints book about Strip". Daily Egyptian. p. 7.
13. "Dick Gregory: Global Watch-Biography". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
14. "Steve James Biography-Yahoo!Movies". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
15. "Jenny McCarthy Picture, Profile, Gossip, and News at CelebrityWonder.com". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
16. "Jenny Gary Miller Class of 1974". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
17. "Biography for Bob Odenkirk". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
18. http://aol.imdb.com/name/nm0641795/resum
19. "Team: Broadcasters". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
20. "The Working Actor: Richard Roundtree". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
21. "Hamiet Bluiett". mapleshaderecords.com.
22. "Artist Description for Shawn Colvin". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
23. "BA #064:'Open' Mike Eagle". Box Angeles podcast.
24. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=D000106
25. http://bipac.net/briefings/images/2012.1107FreshmanList.pdf
26. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000073
27. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=P000584
28. "SIUC launches 1st Capital Campaign". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
29. "Washington Governor Albert E. Mead". National Governors Association. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
30. http://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?MemberID=2169
31. http://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?MemberID=2201
32. http://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?MemberID=2111
33. http://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?MemberID=2193
34. http://www.house.mo.gov/bio.aspx?year=2016&district=072
35. "4th Senate District – Lena Taylor" (PDF). Wisconsin Blue Book (2015-2016). Wisconsin State Assembly. 2015-01-15. p. 26. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
36. http://www.ilga.gov/house/rep.asp?MemberID=2181
37. "31st Senate District – Kathleen Vinehout" (PDF). Wisconsin Blue Book (2015-2016). Wisconsin State Assembly. 2015-01-15. p. 80. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
38. http://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?MemberID=2269
39. http://www.howardbrookinsjr.com/about_1
40. "Mayor David Coss". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
41. http://www.aldermanervin.com/jason
42. "Southern Illinois University Baseball Players Who Made it to the Major Leagues". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
43. "Players who Played for Southern Illinois University". Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
44. "Southern Illinois Alumni Football Cards". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
45. "Kevin House". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
46. "Player-Brandon Jacobs". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
47. "Bart Scott". Retrieved 2007-06-23.
48. http://www.andreabeaty.com
49. "Radio-Television Goes Golden" (PDf). Daily Egyptian. October 5, 2007.
50. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources/inside_station/station_info&id=6203914
51. http://depts.washington.edu/engl/people/profile.php?id=32
52. http://www.wfie.com
53. "Obama favors federal shield law". Archived from the original on April 20, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
54. "Spring 2005 Commencement Speaker, Jackie Spinner". Archived from the original on 2008-02-13. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
55. "case of Matthew F. Hale: Implications for First Amendment rights, social mores and the direction of bar examiners in an era of intolerance of hatred, The". The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. 2000. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
56. "In Depth: Michael Swango". Retrieved 2007-06-23.

External links

• Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Recreation Center's Distinguished Alumni Wall