Notable Alumni of Tulane University of Louisiana

Newt Gingrich 1943–

50th Speaker of the US House of Representatives

Master of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1971

Also attended: Emory University, Georgia College & State University

Spouse: Callista Gingrich (Luther College)

Sibling: Candace Gingrich (Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus)

Luis Guillermo Solís 1958–

47th President of Costa Rica

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Huey Long 1893–1935

Governor of Louisiana and US senator

Also attended: University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus

Child: Russell B. Long (Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College)

José Raúl Mulino 1959–

39th President of Panama

Jim Garrison 1921–1992

New Orleans district attorney who investigated the JFK assassination

David Vitter 1961–

Former US senator from Louisiana

Also attended: Harvard University

Edward Douglass White Jr. 1845–1921

Ninth Chief Justice of the United States

Also attended: Georgetown University, Mount St. Mary's University

Rachel Levine 1957–

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health

Also attended: Harvard University

Howard Baker 1925–2014

Tennessee senator and diplomat

Also attended: The University of the South, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Spouse: Nancy Kassebaum (University of Kansas, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor)

Father: Howard Baker, Sr. (The University of Tennessee-Knoxville)

Ray Nagin 1956–

60th Mayor of New Orleans

Also attended: Tuskegee University

Luther Strange 1953–

Former US Senator from Alabama

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1975

Lisa P. Jackson 1962–

Former EPA administrator

Also attended: Princeton University

Cedric Richmond 1973–

Democratic politician and attorney

Also attended: Morehouse College, Harvard University

Lindy Boggs 1916–2013

Louisiana's first female congresswoman, ambassador to the Holy See

Spouse: Thomas Hale Boggs, Sr. (Tulane University of Louisiana)

Child: Cokie Roberts (Wellesley College)

Pedro Pierluisi 1959–

Former Governor of Puerto Rico

Also attended: George Washington University

Timothy Griffin 1968–

Attorney General of Arkansas

Also attended: Hendrix College

Thomas Hale Boggs, Sr. 1914–1972

Democratic U.S. Representative from Louisiana

Attended until 1935

Spouse: Lindy Boggs (Tulane University of Louisiana)

Child: Cokie Roberts (Wellesley College)

Shalanda Young 1977–

43rd director of Office of Management and Budget

Master of Health Administration · Health administration · Class of 2001

Also attended: Loyola University New Orleans

Victoria Reggie Kennedy 1954–

Former ambassador to Austria, Ted Kennedy's widow

Spouse: Ted Kennedy (Harvard University, University of Virginia-Main Campus)

David Filo 1966–

Co-founder of Yahoo!

Also attended: Stanford University

James H. Clark 1944–

Founder of Silicon Graphics and Netscape

Also attended: University of New Orleans, University of Utah

Ian Bremmer 1969–

Political scientist, founder of Eurasia Group

Bachelor of Arts · International relations · Class of 1989

Also attended: Stanford University

Neil Bush 1955–

Businessman and investor, son of George H. W. Bush

Father: George H. W. Bush (Yale University)

Mother: Barbara Bush (Yale University, Smith College)

Ricardo Salinas Pliego 1965–

Mexican businessman, chairman of Grupo Salinas

Father: Hugo Salinas Price (University of Pennsylvania)

Douglas G. Hurley 1966–

Former NASA astronaut and Marine Corps pilot

Spouse: Karen L. Nyberg (University of North Dakota, The University of Texas at Austin)

Michael Ellis DeBakey 1908–2008

Cardiac surgeon and Baylor College of Medicine chancellor

Bachelor of Science, Doctor of Medicine

Sibling: Selma DeBakey (Tulane University of Louisiana)

Florian Cajori 1859–1930

Historian of mathematics, author of A History of Mathematical Notations

Doctor · Class of 1894

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Ruth R. Benerito 1916–2013

Physical chemist, developed wash-and-wear cotton

Master of Science · Class of 1938

Also attended: University of Chicago

Marguerite S. Chang 1923–2012

Chinese-born chemist, 1973 Federal Woman's Award winner

Chung Tao Yang 1923–2005

Topologist and University of Pennsylvania math chair

Pan Wei-ta 1956–

Taiwanese legal scholar

Also attended: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Jerry Springer 1944–2023

Host of The Jerry Springer Show

Bachelor of Arts · Political science · Class of 1965

Also attended: Northwestern University, Northwest University

John Kennedy Toole 1937–1969

Novelist, posthumous Pulitzer Prize winner

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

N. K. Jemisin 1972–

Science fiction and fantasy writer

Lauren Hutton 1943–

Model and actress

Also attended: University of South Florida-Main Campus

Shannon Lee 1969–

Actress, daughter of Bruce Lee

Father: Bruce Lee (Seattle Central College, University of Washington-Seattle Campus)

Mother: Linda Lee Cadwell (University of Washington-Seattle Campus)

Paul Michael Glaser 1943–

Actor, director and writer

Also attended: Boston University

Andrew Breitbart 1969–2012

Founder of Breitbart News

D. B. Sweeney 1961–

Actor known for Gardens of Stone

Also attended: Circle in the Square Theatre School, New York University

Enrique Murciano 1973–

Actor known for Without a Trace

Karen Grassle 1942–

Actress known for Little House on the Prairie

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Matthew Labyorteaux 1966–

Film, television and voice actor

Shirley Ann Grau 1929–2020

Novelist and short story writer

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1950

Lawrence Wright 1947–

New Yorker writer, author of The Looming Tower

Henry Hobson Richardson 1838–1886

Architect known for Richardsonian Romanesque

Also attended: Harvard University

Howard K. Smith 1914–2002

Television news anchor and war correspondent

Lawrence Gordon 1936–

Film producer and motion picture executive

Cleanth Brooks 1906–1994

Literary critic and leading figure of New Criticism

Master of Arts · Class of 1928

Also attended: Vanderbilt University

Jessica Valenti 1978–

Feminist writer and co-founder of Feministing

Also attended: SUNY at Albany, SUNY at Purchase College

Bryan Batt 1963–

Actor known for Mad Men

Ed Nelson 1928–2014

Actor known for Peyton Place

Lynda Benglis 1941–

American sculptor and visual artist

Also attended: McNeese State University

Finn Carter 1960–

Former actress known for Tremors

Also attended: Skidmore College

Spouse: Steven Weber (SUNY at Purchase College)

Father: Hodding Carter III (Princeton University)

Les Blank 1935–2013

Documentary filmmaker

Also attended: University of Southern California

Fred Crane 1918–2008

Actor known for Gone with the Wind

Also attended: Loyola University New Orleans

Fernando del Valle 1964–

Operatic tenor

Also attended: Southern Methodist University

Bruce Paltrow 1943–2002

American television and film director and producer

Spouse: Blythe Danner (Bard College)

Child: Gwyneth Paltrow (University of California-Santa Barbara)

Christian LeBlanc 1958–

Television actor, Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless

Howard Scott Warshaw 1957–

Former Atari game designer and psychotherapist

Olga Merediz 1956–

Actress who originated Claudia in In the Heights

Zachary Richard 1950–

Singer-songwriter and poet

Also attended: University of Louisiana--Lafayette

Anthony Jeselnik 1978–

Stand-up comedian, writer and actor

Les Crane 1933–2008

Radio announcer and television talk show host

Spouse: Tina Louise (University of Miami, Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater)

Child: Caprice Crane (New York University)

Evan Farmer 1972–

Television host, actor and musician

Emily Saliers 1963–

Singer-songwriter, member of Indigo Girls

Also attended: Emory University

Micheál Richardson 1995–

Irish actor

Dominik Koepfer 1994–

German professional tennis player

Taylor Rochestie 1985–

Former basketball player, naturalized Montenegrin

Also attended: Washington State University

Ham Richardson 1933–2006

Tennis player active in the 1950s and 1960s

John Williams 1962–2015

NBA basketball player nicknamed Hot Rod

Quincy Davis 1983–

American-born Taiwanese basketball player

Kevin Zhang 1999–

Chinese basketball player for the Shanghai Sharks

Sammis Reyes 1995–

First Chilean player in the NFL

Attended until 2018

Also attended: Palm Beach State College, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Loyola University New Orleans

Cairo Santos 1991–

NFL placekicker for the Chicago Bears

J. P. Losman 1981–

Former NFL quarterback, mainly with Buffalo Bills

Matt Forté 1985–

Former NFL running back, drafted by the Bears

Paul Morphy 1837–1884

American chess master of the 1850s

Also attended: Spring Hill College

Ashley Biden 1981–

Social worker, fashion designer and activist

Attended until 2004

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

Spouse: Howard Krein (Thomas Jefferson University)

Father: Joe Biden (University of Delaware, Syracuse University)

Francis George 1937–2015

Cardinal and former Archbishop of Chicago

Also attended: Catholic University of America, Creighton University

Amy Carter 1967–

Daughter of President Jimmy Carter

Art history

Also attended: Brown University, Memphis College of Art

Father: Jimmy Carter (Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus, Georgia Southwestern State University)

Mother: Rosalynn Carter (Georgia Southwestern State University)