Notable Alumni of American University

Queen Rania of Jordan 1970–

Queen of Jordan

Spouse: Abdullah II of Jordan (Georgetown University)

Child: Princess Iman bint Abdullah of Jordan (Georgetown University)

Paul Ryan 1970–

54th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

Also attended: Miami University-Oxford

Iván Duque 1976–

Former President of Colombia, 2018–2022

Master's degree · Economic law

Also attended: Georgetown University, Harvard University

Alice Paul 1885–1977

Suffragist who led campaign for the 19th Amendment

Also attended: Georgetown University, University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College

Robert Byrd 1917–2010

U.S. Senator from West Virginia, 1959–2010

Juris Doctor · Class of 1963

Also attended: George Washington University, University of Charleston, Concord University

Julius Maada Bio 1964–

President of Sierra Leone

Petra Kelly 1947–1992

German Green politician and ecofeminist activist

Salman bin Hamad, Crown Prince of Bahrain 1969–

Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain

Bachelor's degree · Management studies

Keith Mitchell 1946–

Former Prime Minister of Grenada

Also attended: Howard University

Muriel Bowser 1972–

Mayor of the District of Columbia

Also attended: Chatham University

Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer 1958–

Former interim president of Iraq

Also attended: George Washington University

Sarah McBride 1990–

U.S. representative for Delaware and LGBTQ rights activist

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 2013

Spouse: Andrew Cray (Northwestern University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor)

Robert Kagan 1958–

Neoconservative scholar and foreign policy analyst

Also attended: Yale University, Harvard University

Spouse: Victoria Nuland (Brown University)

Father: Donald Kagan (CUNY Brooklyn College, Ohio State University-Main Campus)

Edmundo González 1949–

Venezuelan opposition politician and diplomat

Allen Chastanet 1960–

Former Prime Minister of Saint Lucia

Virginia Hall 1906–1982

American spy for SOE and OSS in World War II

Also attended: Harvard University, Barnard College

Maria Butina 1988–

Russian activist convicted as unregistered foreign agent

Attended until 2018

Ibrahima Kassory Fofana 1954–

Former Prime Minister of Guinea

Michael Cohen 1966–

Former personal attorney to Donald Trump

Also attended: Thomas M Cooley Law School, Western Michigan University

Todd Blanche 1974–

88th United States Attorney General

Also attended: Brooklyn Law School, Beloit College

Loretta Sanchez 1960–

Former U.S. representative from California

Master of Business Administration · Class of 1982

Also attended: Chapman University

Sibling: Linda Sánchez (University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Los Angeles)

Donna Shalala 1941–

Former US Secretary of Health and Human Services

Also attended: Syracuse University, Miami University-Oxford

John P. O'Neill 1952–2001

FBI special agent and counter-terrorism expert

Also attended: George Washington University

Brittany Packnett 1984–

Activist and co-founder of Campaign Zero

Also attended: Washington University in St Louis

Jordan Belfort 1962–

Former stockbroker convicted of securities fraud

Joel Glazer 1970–

Co-owner of Manchester United and Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sibling: Avram Glazer (American University, Washington University in St Louis)

Sibling: Bryan Glazer (Whittier College, American University)

Rebecca Enonchong 1967–

Cameroonian entrepreneur, founder of AppsTech

Attended until 1986

Also attended: Catholic University of America

Gary Cohn 1960–

Former director of the National Economic Council

Avram Glazer 1960–

Businessman, co-owner of Manchester United and Buccaneers

Also attended: Washington University in St Louis

Sibling: Joel Glazer (American University)

Sibling: Bryan Glazer (Whittier College, American University)

Bruce Schneier 1963–

Cryptographer and computer security expert

Also attended: University of Rochester

Dambisa Moyo, Baroness Moyo 1969–

Zambian-born economist and author

Also attended: Harvard University

Margaret D. Foster 1895–1970

Chemist who worked on the Manhattan Project

Also attended: George Washington University, Illinois College

Hongbing Song 1968–

Economist and writer

Goldie Hawn 1945–

Actress and singer

Child: Wyatt Russell (University of Alabama--Huntsville)

America Ferrera 1984–

Actress, Emmy and Golden Globe winner

Also attended: University of Southern California, Northwestern University, Northwest University

Spouse: Ryan Piers Williams (The University of Texas at Austin)

Sean Astin 1971–

Actor in The Lord of the Rings; SAG-AFTRA president

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles Valley College

Barry Levinson 1942–

Filmmaker, Best Director Oscar winner for Rain Man

Also attended: Baltimore City Community College

Spouse: Valerie Curtin (Lake Erie College)

Cass Elliot 1941–1974

Singer of The Mamas & the Papas

Henry Rollins 1961–

Singer, writer and actor, Black Flag frontman

Luis Gómez 1956–

Puerto Rican actor

Also attended: CUNY--City College

Caroline Aaron 1952–

Actress in Woody Allen and Nora Ephron films

Nancy Meyers 1949–

Film director, producer and screenwriter

Gale Harold 1969–

Actor, star of Queer as Folk

Also attended: San Francisco Art Institute

Kathy Reichs 1948–

Crime writer and forensic anthropologist

Bachelor's degree · Class of 1971

Also attended: Northwestern University

Alice Bradley Sheldon 1915–1987

Science fiction author, pen name James Tiptree Jr

Bachelor of Arts

Also attended: George Washington University, Sarah Lawrence College

Mother: Mary Hastings Bradley (Smith College)

Judy Sheindlin 1942–

Television judge of Judge Judy

Also attended: New York Law School

Spouse: Jerry Sheindlin (Brooklyn Law School)

Max Brooks 1972–

Writer and actor, son of Mel Brooks

Also attended: Pitzer College, University of the Virgin Islands

Father: Mel Brooks (CUNY Brooklyn College, Virginia Military Institute)

Mother: Anne Bancroft (University of California-Los Angeles, American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York)

Mo Hayder 1962–2021

British author of crime and thriller fiction

Kelela 1983–

Singer, known for mixtape Cut 4 Me

Giuliana Rancic 1974–

Television personality, former E! co-anchor

Also attended: University of Maryland-College Park

Spouse: Bill Rancic (Loyola University Chicago)

A. M. Homes 1961–

Novelist and memoirist, author of The End of Alice

Also attended: Sarah Lawrence College

Ann Beattie 1947–

Novelist and short story writer

Undergraduate degree · Class of 1969

Also attended: University of Connecticut

Spouse: David Gates (University of Connecticut)

Asra Nomani 1965–

Indian American journalist and author

Also attended: West Virginia University

Benjamin Salisbury 1980–

Actor known for The Nanny

John Fahey 1939–2001

Fingerstyle guitarist and composer

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

Bryan Callen 1967–

Stand-up comedian, actor, writer and podcaster

Jack Douglass 1988–

YouTuber and sketch comedian

Carmen Maria Machado 1986–

Author of Her Body and Other Parties

Zheng Cao 1966–2013

Chinese-born mezzo-soprano known for Madama Butterfly

Also attended: Curtis Institute of Music

Henry Liu 1932–1984

Taiwanese-American writer and journalist, pen name Chiang Nan

Muhammad ibn Sulayem 1961–

President of the FIA, former rally driver

Sibling: Sultan Ahmed ibn Sulayem (Temple University)

Shelley Mann 1937–2005

Swimmer, 1956 Olympic 100m butterfly gold medalist

Avery John 1975–

Trinidad and Tobago footballer and defender

Also attended: Yavapai College

Kermit Washington 1951–

Former professional basketball player

David Nakhid 1964–

Trinidad and Tobago footballer turned senator