Notable Alumni of Harvard University

Barack Obama 1961–

44th President of the United States

Juris Doctor · Law · Class of 1991

Also attended: Occidental College, Columbia University in the City of New York, Western Seminary

Spouse: Michelle Obama (Harvard University, Princeton University)

Father: Barack Obama Sr. (Harvard University)

George W. Bush 1946–

43rd President of the United States

Master of Business Administration · Class of 1975

Also attended: Yale University

Spouse: Laura Bush (Southern Methodist University, The University of Texas at Austin)

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

John F. Kennedy 1917–1963

35th President of the United States

Bachelor of Arts · International relations · Class of 1940

Also attended: Princeton University, Stanford University

Spouse: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (George Washington University, Georgetown University)

Father: Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (Harvard University)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1882–1945

32nd President of the United States

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Eleanor Roosevelt (The New School)

Father: James Roosevelt (Harvard University, Union College)

Theodore Roosevelt 1858–1919

26th President of the United States

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Child: Kermit Roosevelt (Harvard University)

Child: Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (Harvard University)

John Adams 1735–1826

Second President of the United States

Father: John Adams, Sr. (Harvard University)

Child: John Quincy Adams (Harvard University)

John Quincy Adams 1767–1848

Sixth President of the United States

Father: John Adams (Harvard University)

Child: George Washington Adams (Harvard University)

Jacques Chirac 1932–2019

President of France from 1995 to 2007

Ban Ki-moon 1944–

8th Secretary-General of the United Nations

Benazir Bhutto 1953–2007

Twice Prime Minister of Pakistan

Bachelor of Arts

Father: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (University of California-Berkeley, University of Southern California)

Sibling: Murtaza Bhutto (Harvard University)

Henry Kissinger 1923–2023

Former U.S. Secretary of State and national security advisor

Master of Arts, Bachelor of Arts · Political science · Class of 1954

Also attended: CUNY--City College

Spouse: Nancy Kissinger (Harvard University, Mount Holyoke College)

Rutherford B. Hayes 1822–1893

19th President of the United States

Also attended: Kenyon College

Spouse: Lucy Webb Hayes (Ohio Wesleyan University)

Child: Webb Hayes (Cornell University)

Michelle Obama 1964–

Former First Lady of the United States

Juris Doctor · Class of 1988

Also attended: Princeton University, Marymount University

Spouse: Barack Obama (Occidental College, Harvard University)

Child: Malia Obama (University of Chicago, Harvard University)

Al Gore 1948–

45th Vice President of the United States

Also attended: Vanderbilt University

Spouse: Tipper Gore (Boston University, Simmons University)

Father: Albert Gore Sr. (Middle Tennessee State University)

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 1938–

24th president of Liberia

Master in Public Administration · Class of 1971

Also attended: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Shimon Peres 1923–2016

Former President and Prime Minister of Israel

Also attended: The New School, New York University

Child: Tsvia Walden (Harvard University)

Mitt Romney 1947–

Former Utah senator and 2012 Republican presidential nominee

Juris Doctor, Master of Business Administration · Class of 1975

Also attended: Brigham Young University-Provo, Stanford University

Spouse: Ann Romney (Harvard University, Brigham Young University-Provo)

Father: George W. Romney (George Washington University, University of Utah)

Juan Manuel Santos 1951–

Former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Prize recipient

Also attended: University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Tufts University

Romano Prodi 1939–

Former Italian prime minister and European Commission president

Robert F. Kennedy 1925–1968

64th U.S. Attorney General and New York senator

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1948

Also attended: Bates College, University of Virginia-Main Campus

Spouse: Ethel Kennedy (Manhattanville University)

Father: Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (Harvard University)

Cyril Ramaphosa 1952–

5th President of South Africa

Also attended: Yale University

Spouse: Tshepo Motsepe (Harvard University)

Maia Sandu 1972–

President of Moldova

Attended until 2010

Sebastián Piñera 1949–2024

Former president of Chile and businessman

Master of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy · Economics

Sibling: José Piñera Echenique (Harvard University)

Gro Harlem Brundtland 1939–

Former Prime Minister of Norway and WHO director-general

Attended until 1965

Mark Carney 1965–

24th Prime Minister of Canada

Ashraf Ghani 1949–

Former President of Afghanistan

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Stanford University

Spouse: Rula Ghani (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Child: Mariam Ghani (New York University, School of Visual Arts)

Syngman Rhee 1875–1965

First President of South Korea

Also attended: George Washington University, Princeton University

Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1933–2020

Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Cornell University

Spouse: Martin D. Ginsburg (Harvard University, Cornell University)

Child: Jane C. Ginsburg (University of Chicago, Harvard University)

Pierre Trudeau 1919–2000

15th Prime Minister of Canada

Antony Blinken 1962–

71st U.S. Secretary of State

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1984

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Evan Ryan (Johns Hopkins University, Boston College)

Father: Donald M. Blinken (Harvard University)

Kyriakos Mitsotakis 1968–

Prime Minister of Greece

Bachelor's degree, Master of Business Administration · Social studies · Class of 1996

Also attended: Stanford University

Spouse: Mareva Grabowski–Mitsotakis (Boston College, Harvard University)

Navanethem Pillay 1941–

South African jurist and former UN human rights chief

Master of Laws, Doctor of Juridical Science · Class of 1988

Mike Pompeo 1963–

Former US Secretary of State and CIA director

Juris Doctor · Class of 1994

Also attended: The United States Military Academy at West Point

Mary Robinson 1944–

First female President of Ireland

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Lee Hsien Loong 1952–

Former Prime Minister of Singapore, now Senior Minister

Spouse: Ho Ching (Stanford University)

Sibling: Lee Hsien Yang (Stanford University)

Zbigniew Brzezinski 1928–2017

Jimmy Carter's National Security Advisor

Attended until 1953

Spouse: Emilie Benes Brzezinski (Wellesley College)

Child: Mika Brzezinski (Williams College)

Frederik X of Denmark 1968–

King of Denmark since 2024

Student exchange program · Political science · Class of 1993

Haakon VIII of Norway 1973–

King of Norway

Public policy, Global leadership · Attended until 2008

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Magdalena Andersson 1967–

Former Prime Minister of Sweden

Attended until 1995

Isoroku Yamamoto 1884–1943

Japanese admiral, Combined Fleet commander in World War II

Felipe Calderón 1962–

Former President of Mexico

John Key 1961–

38th Prime Minister of New Zealand

Ted Kennedy 1932–2009

U.S. Senator from Massachusetts

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1956

Also attended: University of Virginia-Main Campus

Spouse: Joan Bennett Kennedy (Lesley University, Manhattanville University)

Spouse: Victoria Reggie Kennedy (Tulane University of Louisiana)

Ted Cruz 1970–

U.S. senator from Texas

Juris Doctor · Class of 1995

Also attended: Princeton University

Spouse: Heidi Cruz (Claremont McKenna College, Harvard University)

Father: Rafael Bienvenido Cruz (The University of Texas at Austin)

Ma Ying-jeou 1950–

Former leader of Taiwan

Doctor of Juridical Science · Class of 1981

Also attended: New York University

Spouse: Christine Chow Ma (New York University)

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala 1954–

Director-General of the World Trade Organization

Bachelor's degree

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Child: Uzodinma Iweala (Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Giorgos Papandreou 1952–

Former Prime Minister of Greece

Also attended: Amherst College

Father: Andreas Papandreou (Harvard University, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities)

Mother: Margaret Papandreou (University of Minnesota-Twin Cities)

Ralph Bunche 1904–1971

Diplomat and first Black Nobel laureate

Master of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1934

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

Samuel Adams 1722–1803

Founding Father and governor of Massachusetts

Rahul Gandhi 1970–

Indian politician and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha

Also attended: Rollins College

Morgan Tsvangirai 1952–2018

Former Prime Minister of Zimbabwe

Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj 1963–

Former President of Mongolia, 2009–2017

Also attended: University of Colorado Boulder

Pete Buttigieg 1982–

19th United States Secretary of Transportation

Study of history, Literary studies · Attended until 2004

Spouse: Chasten Buttigieg (DePaul University, Northwestern Michigan College)

Father: Joseph Buttigieg (Binghamton University)

Adlai Stevenson II 1900–1965

Illinois governor and UN ambassador

Also attended: Illinois State University, Northwestern University, Princeton University

Father: Lewis Stevenson (Illinois State University)

Child: Adlai Stevenson III (Harvard University)

Chuck Schumer 1950–

US senator and Senate Democratic leader

Juris Doctor, Bachelor of Arts · Social studies · Class of 1974

Robert McNamara 1916–2009

8th US Secretary of Defense

Master of Business Administration · Administration · Class of 1939

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Spouse: Margaret McNamara (University of California-Berkeley)

Álvaro Uribe Vélez 1952–

Former President of Colombia

John Roberts 1955–

17th Chief Justice of the United States

Bachelor of Arts, Juris Doctor · Study of history · Class of 1979

Elbridge Gerry 1744–1814

5th Vice President of the United States

Pete Hegseth 1980–

29th United States Secretary of Defense

Master of Public Policy · Class of 2013

Also attended: Princeton University

Iván Duque 1976–

Former President of Colombia, 2018–2022

Also attended: American University, Georgetown University

Daniel Noboa 1987–

President of Ecuador

Public administration

Also attended: George Washington University, Northwestern University, New York University

Irina Bokova 1952–

Former Director-General of UNESCO

Shankar Dayal Sharma 1918–1999

9th President of India

Antonis Samaras 1951–

Former Prime Minister of Greece

Master of Business Administration · Class of 1976

Also attended: Amherst College

Steve Bannon 1953–

Trump's first-term White House chief strategist

Master of Business Administration · Class of 1985

Also attended: Georgetown University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Ron DeSantis 1978–

46th Governor of Florida

Juris Doctor · Class of 2005

Also attended: Yale University

Spouse: Casey DeSantis (College of Charleston)

Antonin Scalia 1936–2016

Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court

Bachelor of Laws · Class of 1960

Also attended: Georgetown University

Child: Eugene Scalia (University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania)

Dean Acheson 1893–1971

51st US Secretary of State

Also attended: Yale University

Spouse: Alice Acheson (George Washington University, Wellesley College)

Child: David Campion Acheson (Yale University, Harvard University)

Andreas Papandreou 1919–1996

Former Greek prime minister, founder of PASOK

Philosophy, Economics

Also attended: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Spouse: Margaret Papandreou (University of Minnesota-Twin Cities)

Child: Níkos Papandréou (Yale University, Princeton University)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 1954–

26th US Secretary of Health and Human Services

Also attended: Pace University-New York, University of Virginia-Main Campus

Spouse: Cheryl Hines (University of Central Florida, Florida State University)

Spouse: Mary Richardson Kennedy (Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design)

Birendra of Nepal 1945–2001

King of Nepal

Father: Mahendra I of Nepal (Harvard University)

Ralph Nader 1934–

Consumer advocate and repeated presidential candidate

Also attended: Princeton University

Sibling: Laura Nader (Harvard University, Wells College)

Caroline Kennedy 1957–

Author, attorney, former ambassador to Japan and Australia

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1980

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Edwin Schlossberg (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Father: John F. Kennedy (Harvard University, Princeton University)

Empress Masako 1963–

Empress of Japan, Harvard College graduate

Carlos Salinas de Gortari 1948–

60th President of Mexico

Master's degree · Public administration, Economia Politica

Child: Emiliano Salinas (Harvard University)

William Lyon Mackenzie King 1874–1950

10th Prime Minister of Canada

Also attended: University of Chicago

Lawrence Wong 1972–

Prime Minister of Singapore since 2024

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Tharman Shanmugaratnam 1957–

9th President of Singapore

Master in Public Administration

Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant 2001–

Heir apparent to the Belgian throne

Master's degree · Public policy

Father: Philippe of Belgium (Stanford University)

Kayleigh McEnany 1988–

33rd White House press secretary

Juris Doctor · Class of 2017

Also attended: Georgetown University, University of Miami

Spouse: Sean Gilmartin (Florida State University)

Elaine Chao 1953–

Former US Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Transportation

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Dartmouth College

Spouse: Mitch McConnell (University of Kentucky, University of Louisville)

Father: James S.C. Chao (St John's University (NY))

Donald Tsang 1944–

Former Chief Executive of Hong Kong

T. V. Soong 1891–1971

Chinese banker, finance minister and Premier

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Father: Charlie Soong (Duke University, Vanderbilt University)

Sibling: Soong Ching-ling (Wesleyan College)

Li Yuanchao 1950–

Former Vice President of China

Attended until 2002

Katherine Tai 1974–

19th United States Trade Representative

Juris Doctor · Class of 2001

Liu He 1952–

Chinese economist and former vice premier

Also attended: Seton Hall University

Elena Kagan 1960–

Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Also attended: Princeton University

Jennifer Granholm 1959–

16th US Secretary of Energy, former Michigan governor

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, College of San Mateo

Janet Reno 1938–2016

First female US Attorney General

Also attended: Cornell University

Mark Warner 1954–

US Senator from Virginia and former governor

Juris Doctor · Class of 1980

Also attended: George Washington University

Henry Paulson 1946–

74th United States Secretary of the Treasury

Also attended: Dartmouth College

Alberto Gonzales 1955–

80th United States Attorney General

Also attended: Rice University

Elizabeth Dole 1936–

Former U.S. senator and Secretary of Transportation

Master of Arts, Juris Doctor · Class of 1965

Also attended: Duke University

Spouse: Bob Dole (University of Arizona, University of Kansas)

Ron Klain 1961–

White House Chief of Staff from 2021 to 2023

Juris Doctor · Class of 1987

Also attended: Georgetown University

Spouse: Monica Medina (Georgetown University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Charlie Baker 1956–

NCAA president and former Massachusetts governor

Also attended: Northwestern University, Northwest University

Father: Charles D. Baker (Harvard University)

Elise Stefanik 1984–

U.S. Representative from New York

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 2006

David Vitter 1961–

Former US senator from Louisiana

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1983

Also attended: Tulane University of Louisiana

Leonard Wood 1860–1927

US Army Chief of Staff, Military Governor of Cuba

Also attended: Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Peter Navarro 1949–

Economist and senior trade counselor to Trump

Doctor of Philosophy

Also attended: Tufts University

Dan Crenshaw 1984–

US Representative from Texas, former Navy SEAL

Also attended: Tufts University

Subramanian Swamy 1939–

Indian politician and economist

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Fiona Hill 1965–

Foreign policy adviser and Brookings senior fellow

Master of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy · Soviet studies · Class of 1998

John Francis Fitzgerald 1863–1950

Mayor of Boston and U.S. Representative

Also attended: Boston College

Child: Rose Kennedy (The New England Conservatory of Music, Manhattanville University)

Reem Al Hashimy 1978–

UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation

Also attended: Tufts University

Martin D. Ginsburg 1932–2010

Tax lawyer and husband of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Also attended: Cornell University

Spouse: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Child: Jane C. Ginsburg (University of Chicago, Harvard University)

Daniel B. Shapiro 1969–

US Ambassador to Israel from 2011 to 2017

Also attended: Brandeis University, Washington University in St Louis

Lina Hidalgo 1991–

County judge of Harris County, Texas

Also attended: New York University, Stanford University

Jeremy Bash 1971–

Former CIA and Pentagon chief of staff, lawyer

Also attended: Georgetown University

Spouse: Dana Bash (George Washington University)

Max Kennedy 1965–

Lawyer and author, son of Robert F. Kennedy

Also attended: University of Virginia-Main Campus

Father: Robert F. Kennedy (Bates College, Harvard University)

Mother: Ethel Kennedy (Manhattanville University)

Chuck Rosenberg 1960–

Former Acting Administrator of the DEA

Also attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Tufts University, University of Virginia-Main Campus

Patrick F. Philbin 1960–

Lawyer, Deputy White House Counsel under Trump

Also attended: Yale University

Jennifer Elrod 1966–

Chief judge of the US Fifth Circuit

Also attended: Baylor University

Max Kennedy Jr. 1993–

Political organizer and Kennedy family member

Bill Gates 1955–

Co-founder of Microsoft

Attended until 1975

Spouse: Melinda Gates (Duke University)

Father: Bill Gates Sr. (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Washington-Seattle Campus)

Mark Zuckerberg 1984–

Co-founder and CEO of Facebook and Meta

Computer science, Psychology

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University, Mercy University, New York Medical College

Spouse: Priscilla Chan (University of California-San Francisco, Harvard University)

Sibling: Donna Zuckerberg (Princeton University)

Paul Allen 1953–2018

Co-founder of Microsoft

Also attended: Washington State University

Sibling: Jody Allen (Whitman College)

Michael Bloomberg 1942–

Co-founder of Bloomberg L.P. and former New York City mayor

Master of Business Administration · Class of 1966

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University

Child: Georgina Bloomberg (New York University)

Steve Ballmer 1956–

Former Microsoft CEO; owner of the Los Angeles Clippers

Bachelor's degree · Mathematics, Economics · Class of 1977

Also attended: Lawrence Technological University, Stanford University

Sheryl Sandberg 1969–

Former Meta COO and founder of LeanIn.Org

Bachelor of Arts, Master of Business Administration · Economics · Class of 1995

Spouse: Dave Goldberg (Harvard University)

David Rockefeller 1915–2017

Former chairman of Chase Manhattan Corporation

Also attended: University of Chicago, Columbia University in the City of New York

Father: John D. Rockefeller Jr. (Brown University)

Child: David Rockefeller, Jr. (Harvard University)

William Randolph Hearst 1863–1951

American newspaper publisher, built Hearst media empire

Child: William Randolph Hearst Jr. (University of California-Berkeley)

Gabe Newell 1962–

Co-founder and president of Valve

Attended until 1983

Susan Wojcicki 1968–2024

Former CEO of YouTube

Bachelor of Arts · Study of history, Literary studies · Class of 1990

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles, University of California-Santa Cruz

Father: Stanley Wojcicki (University of California-Berkeley, Harvard University)

Mother: Esther Wojcicki (University of California-Berkeley, San Jose State University)

Jared Kushner 1981–

Businessman, investor and Donald Trump's son-in-law

Also attended: New York University

Spouse: Ivanka Trump (Georgetown University, University of Pennsylvania)

Father: Charles Kushner (Hofstra University, New York University)

Stephen Covey 1932–2012

Educator and author of The 7 Habits

Also attended: Brigham Young University-Provo, University of Utah

Child: Sean Covey (Harvard University, Brigham Young University-Provo)

Ratan Tata 1937–2024

Indian industrialist, former chairman of Tata Group

Also attended: Cornell University

Meg Whitman 1956–

Business executive and former US ambassador to Kenya

Master of Business Administration · Class of 1979

Also attended: Princeton University

Sal Khan 1976–

Founder of Khan Academy

Also attended: University of New Orleans, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Charlie Munger 1924–2023

Vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway

Doctor of Laws · Class of 1948

Also attended: California Institute of Technology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Abigail Johnson 1961–

Chairman and CEO of Fidelity Investments

Master of Business Administration

Also attended: Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Father: Edward Johnson, III (Harvard University)

Eduardo Saverin 1982–

Brazilian entrepreneur and co-founder of Facebook

John Jacob Astor IV 1864–1912

Business magnate who died aboard the Titanic

Father: William Backhouse Astor, Jr. (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Child: John Jacob Astor VI (Harvard University)

Dustin Moskovitz 1984–

Co-founder of Facebook and Asana

Chris Hughes 1983–

Facebook co-founder and former publisher of The New Republic

Spouse: Sean Eldridge (Columbia University in the City of New York, Brown University)

Jamie Dimon 1956–

Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase

Also attended: Tufts University

Ray Dalio 1949–

Founder of Bridgewater Associates

Master of Business Administration · Class of 1973

Also attended: Long Island University

Child: Paul Dalio (New York University)

Edwin H. Land 1909–1991

Co-founder of Polaroid and inventor

Morris Chang 1931–

Founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company

Attended until 1950

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University

An Wang 1920–1990

Co-founder of Wang Laboratories and computer engineer

Shou Zi Chew 1983–

CEO of TikTok, former Xiaomi CFO

Master of Business Administration

Paul Volcker 1927–2019

12th chairman of the Federal Reserve

Also attended: Princeton University

Stephen A. Schwarzman 1947–

Chairman and CEO of Blackstone

Also attended: Yale University

Child: Teddy Schwarzman (Duke University, University of Pennsylvania)

Anthony Scaramucci 1964–

Financier and former White House communications director

Also attended: Tufts University

Robert Kraft 1941–

Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Myra Kraft (Brandeis University)

Child: Jonathan Kraft (Harvard University, Williams College)

Lloyd Blankfein 1954–

Former CEO of Goldman Sachs

Nadiem Makarim 1984–

Founder of Gojek, former Indonesian education minister

Also attended: Brown University

Jeff Immelt 1956–

Former CEO of General Electric

Also attended: Dartmouth College

Eric Weinstein 1965–

Mathematician, investor and podcast host

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1992

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

Sibling: Bret Weinstein (University of California-Santa Cruz, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor)

John Doerr 1951–

Venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins

Also attended: Rice University

Ali Koç 1967–

Turkish businessman from the Koç family

Also attended: Rice University

Father: Rahmi Koç (Johns Hopkins University)

Chris Kempczinski 1968–

Chairman and CEO of McDonald's

Also attended: Duke University

Leon Black 1951–

Co-founder of Apollo Global Management

Also attended: Dartmouth College

Father: Eli M. Black (Yeshiva University)

Michael LeMoyne Kennedy 1958–1997

Lawyer and businessman, son of Robert F. Kennedy

Also attended: University of Virginia-Main Campus

Father: Robert F. Kennedy (Bates College, Harvard University)

Mother: Ethel Kennedy (Manhattanville University)

Paul Singer 1944–

Hedge fund manager, founder of Elliott Management

Also attended: University of Rochester

Chatri Sityodtong 1971–

Founder and CEO of ONE Championship

Also attended: Tufts University

Debra Lee 1955–

Former Chair and CEO of BET Networks

Also attended: Brown University

Paul Bilzerian 1950–

Businessman and former corporate raider

Also attended: Stanford University

Child: Dan Bilzerian (University of Florida, Vanderbilt University)

Rohan Murty 1983–

Indian entrepreneur, founder of Soroco

Also attended: Cornell University

Jeff Bezos 1964–

Founder of Amazon

Also attended: Princeton University

Spouse: MacKenzie Scott (Princeton University)

Spouse: Lauren Sánchez (El Camino Community College District)

Anand Piramal 1985–

Indian businessman, chairman of Piramal Finance

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

Spouse: Isha Ambani (Yale University, Stanford University)

Father: Ajay Piramal (Harvard University)

Ric Lewis 1962–

Businessman, founding partner of Tristan Capital Partners

Also attended: Dartmouth College

James Sokolove 1944–

Personal injury attorney and Sokolove Law founder

Also attended: Case Western Reserve University

Noam Chomsky 1928–

Linguist, philosopher and political activist

Linguistics · Attended until 1955

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania

Spouse: Carol Chomsky (Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania)

Father: William Chomsky (Johns Hopkins University)

Richard Stallman 1953–

Free software activist, founder of the GNU project

Bachelor of Arts

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

J. Robert Oppenheimer 1904–1967

Theoretical physicist, "Father of the Atomic Bomb"

Spouse: Katherine Oppenheimer (University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus)

Sibling: Frank Oppenheimer (California Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University)

William James 1842–1910

Philosopher and psychologist, father of American psychology

Father: Henry James, Sr. (Union College)

Sibling: Henry James (Harvard University)

Dani Rodrik 1957–

Turkish economist, professor at Harvard Kennedy School

Also attended: Princeton University

Jacques Derrida 1930–2004

French philosopher who developed deconstruction

Maryam Mirzakhani 1977–2017

Iranian mathematician, first woman Fields Medalist

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 2004

Paul Samuelson 1915–2009

Economist, first American Nobel economics laureate

Doctor of Philosophy, Master's degree · Economics · Class of 1941

Also attended: University of Chicago

Dennis M. Ritchie 1941–2011

Computer scientist, co-inventor of Unix and C

Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy · Applied mathematics, Physics

Edward Said 1935–2003

Palestinian-American academic and literary critic

Also attended: Princeton University

Spouse: Mariam C. Said (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Child: Najla Said (Princeton University)

B.F. Skinner 1904–1990

Behaviorist psychologist and Harvard professor

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1931

Also attended: Hamilton College

Child: Julie Vargas (Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Buckminster Fuller 1895–1983

Architect, systems theorist, inventor and futurist

Also attended: Bates College

Herbert Marcuse 1898–1979

Philosopher associated with the Frankfurt School

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Child: Peter Marcuse (University of California-Berkeley, Yale University)

Michael Collins 1930–2021

Apollo 11 command module pilot and astronaut

Also attended: The United States Military Academy at West Point

Father: James Lawton Collins (The United States Military Academy at West Point)

Child: Kate Collins (Northwestern University)

Jennifer Doudna 1964–

CRISPR pioneer, 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate

Doctor of Philosophy · Biochemistry · Class of 1989

Also attended: Pomona College

Samuel P. Huntington 1927–2008

Political scientist and Harvard professor

Also attended: Yale University, University of Chicago

Neil deGrasse Tyson 1958–

Astrophysicist and science communicator

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, The University of Texas at Austin

Charles Sanders Peirce 1839–1914

Philosopher and logician; father of pragmatism

Father: Benjamin Peirce (Harvard University)

Sibling: James Mills Peirce (Harvard University)

Percy Williams Bridgman 1882–1961

Physicist, 1946 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate

Francis Fukuyama 1952–

Political scientist, author of The End of History

Also attended: Cornell University

Thomas Kuhn 1922–1996

Philosopher of science, wrote The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Bachelor of Science, Doctor of Philosophy · Physics, Master of Science · Class of 1949

David Gross 1941–

Theoretical physicist, 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Father: Bertram Myron Gross (University of Pennsylvania)

Nicolaas Bloembergen 1920–2017

Dutch-born physicist known for nonlinear optics

Edward Mills Purcell 1912–1997

Physicist, 1952 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate

Also attended: Purdue University-Main Campus

W. E. B. Du Bois 1868–1963

Sociologist, historian and civil rights activist

Also attended: Fisk University

Spouse: Shirley Graham Du Bois (Yale University, Howard University)

Ben Bernanke 1953–

14th chairman of the Federal Reserve, economist

Attended until 1975

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Michio Kaku 1947–

Theoretical physicist and science writer

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Norbert Wiener 1894–1964

Mathematician and MIT professor, cybernetics pioneer

Attended until 1913

Also attended: Tufts University, Cornell University

Saul Perlmutter 1959–

Astrophysicist and Nobel laureate

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

David J. Wineland 1944–

Physicist at NIST, ion trapping pioneer

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1970

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Roy J. Glauber 1925–2018

Theoretical physicist and Harvard professor

Philip W. Anderson 1923–2020

Theoretical physicist, 1977 Nobel Prize in Physics co-winner

Sheldon Glashow 1932–

Theoretical physicist, 1979 Nobel laureate in Physics

Also attended: Boston University, Cornell University

Brian Schmidt 1967–

Astrophysicist and former ANU Vice-Chancellor

Also attended: University of Arizona

Edward O. Wilson 1929–2021

Biologist who developed the field of sociobiology

Doctor of Philosophy · Biology

Also attended: The University of Alabama

Ben Roy Mottelson 1926–2022

Nuclear physicist, 1975 Nobel laureate in Physics

Also attended: Purdue University-Main Campus

Adam Riess 1969–

Astrophysicist, professor at Johns Hopkins University

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Kenneth G. Wilson 1936–2013

Theoretical physicist, 1982 Nobel Prize in Physics

Also attended: California Institute of Technology

Father: Edgar Bright Wilson (California Institute of Technology)

Daniel Dennett 1942–2024

Philosopher and cognitive scientist

Bachelor of Arts · Philosophy · Class of 1963

Also attended: Wesleyan University

Carolyn Bertozzi 1966–

Chemist and Nobel laureate

Bachelor of Arts · Chemistry · Class of 1988

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Sibling: Andrea Bertozzi (Princeton University)

Joseph Hooton Taylor 1941–

Astrophysicist and Nobel Prize winner

Also attended: University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Haverford College

John Hasbrouck Van Vleck 1899–1980

Physicist, 1977 Nobel Prize in Physics

Also attended: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Father: Edward Burr Van Vleck (Wesleyan University, Johns Hopkins University)

Annie Jump Cannon 1863–1941

Astronomer who pioneered stellar classification

Attended until 1896

Also attended: Wesley College, Wellesley College

Roger D. Kornberg 1947–

Biochemist and Stanford structural biology professor

Also attended: Stanford University

Father: Arthur Kornberg (CUNY--City College, New York University)

Jared Diamond 1937–

Author of Guns, Germs, and Steel

Bachelor of Arts · Biochemistry · Class of 1958

Father: Louis Diamond (Harvard University)

Karl Barry Sharpless 1941–

Chemist, two-time Nobel laureate in chemistry

Also attended: Dartmouth College, Stanford University

Gilbert N. Lewis 1875–1946

Physical chemist who discovered the covalent bond

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Stephen Jay Gould 1941–2002

Paleontologist, evolutionary biologist and science writer

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Antioch University-Los Angeles, Antioch College

Marvin Minsky 1927–2016

AI pioneer and MIT professor

Bachelor of Arts · Mathematics · Class of 1950

Also attended: Princeton University

Hugh David Politzer 1949–

Theoretical physicist, 2004 Nobel laureate in Physics

Doctor of Philosophy · Physics · Class of 1974

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Robert Solow 1924–2023

Economist, 1987 Nobel Memorial Prize winner

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1951

Leonid Hurwicz 1917–2008

Polish-American economist and mathematician

Also attended: University of Chicago

Ryōji Noyori 1938–

Japanese chemist, 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Jim Lovell 1928–2025

Astronaut and naval aviator

Also attended: University of Southern California, United States Naval Academy, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Percival Lowell 1855–1916

Astronomer and founder of Lowell Observatory

Father: Augustus Lowell (Harvard University)

Sibling: Abbott Lawrence Lowell (Harvard University)

Henrietta Swan Leavitt 1868–1921

Astronomer who found how to measure cosmic distances

Attended until 1892

Also attended: Oberlin College

Robert S. Mulliken 1896–1986

Physical chemist, pioneer of molecular orbital theory

Also attended: University of Chicago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Thomas Schelling 1921–2016

Economist and nuclear strategy professor

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1951

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Edward Thorndike 1874–1949

Psychologist at Columbia Teachers College

Also attended: Wesleyan University, Columbia University in the City of New York, Teachers College at Columbia University

Child: Elizabeth Frances Cope (Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Child: Robert L. Thorndike (Wesleyan University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Theodore William Richards 1868–1928

Chemist, first American Nobel laureate in Chemistry

Also attended: Haverford College

Father: William Trost Richards (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts)

David Lee 1931–

Physicist, 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate

Also attended: University of Connecticut, Yale University

Willard Van Orman Quine 1908–2000

Logician and philosopher, Harvard professor

Attended until 1932

Also attended: Oberlin College

James Batcheller Sumner 1887–1955

Biochemist, 1946 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate

Bertil Ohlin 1899–1979

Swedish economist and politician

Attended until 1923

Child: Anne Wibble (Stanford University)

Jeffrey Sachs 1954–

Economist and Columbia University professor

Roger Y. Tsien 1952–2016

Biochemist, 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner

Bachelor of Science · Chemistry, Physics · Class of 1972

Sibling: Richard Tsien (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Steven Pinker 1954–

Cognitive psychologist, linguist and popular science author

Doctor of Philosophy · Experimental psychology · Class of 1979

Spouse: Nancy Etcoff (Boston University, Harvard University)

Spouse: Rebecca Goldstein (Princeton University, Barnard College)

Frank Borman 1928–2023

Apollo 8 commander and NASA astronaut

Also attended: California Institute of Technology, The United States Military Academy at West Point

Alfred Kinsey 1894–1956

Sexologist, founder of the Kinsey Institute

Also attended: Bowdoin College

Abhijit Banerjee 1961–

Economist, co-founder of J-PAL

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1988

Spouse: Esther Duflo (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Walter Gilbert 1932–

Biochemist and Nobel laureate

James Tobin 1918–2002

Yale economist and Keynesian scholar

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1947

Also attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Child: Christina Tobin (Saint Mary's University of Minnesota)

Christian B. Anfinsen 1916–1995

American biochemist

Doctor of Philosophy · Biochemistry · Class of 1943

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College

Cecilia Helena Payne Gaposchkin 1900–1979

British-born American astronomer and astrophysicist

Doctorate · Class of 1925

Jean-Marie Lehn 1939–

French chemist, 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate

Lynn Margulis 1938–2011

Evolutionary biologist and proponent of symbiosis theory

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, University of Chicago, University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Spouse: Carl Sagan (University of Chicago)

Walter Kohn 1923–2016

Physicist, 1998 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner

Martin Chalfie 1947–

Biochemist and Columbia University professor

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Edward Adelbert Doisy 1893–1986

Biochemist, 1943 Nobel Prize winner for vitamin K

Doctorate

Also attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Ralph Steinman 1943–2011

Immunologist, 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate

Also attended: The Rockefeller University

Thomas A. Steitz 1940–2018

Biochemist, 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner

Doctorate · Class of 1966

Also attended: Lawrence University

Spouse: Joan A. Steitz (Harvard University, Antioch College)

John Franklin Enders 1897–1985

Biomedical scientist and Nobel laureate

Also attended: Yale University

Mario Capecchi 1937–

Molecular geneticist, 2007 Nobel laureate in Medicine

Also attended: Antioch University-Los Angeles, Antioch College

Thomas C. Südhof 1955–

Stanford professor and biochemist studying synaptic transmission

Spouse: Lu Chen (University of Southern California)

Eric Kandel 1929–

Neuroscientist and Columbia University professor

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, New York University

Spouse: Denise Kandel (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Jerome Karle 1918–2013

Physical chemist, 1985 Nobel Chemistry laureate

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, CUNY--City College

Spouse: Isabella Karle (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor)

William P. Murphy 1892–1987

Physician, 1934 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Also attended: University of Oregon

Child: William P. Murphy Jr. (Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Joseph Murray 1919–2012

Plastic surgeon, 1990 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine

Also attended: College of the Holy Cross

Roald Hoffmann 1937–

Theoretical chemist, 1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate

Doctor of Philosophy · Chemical physics · Class of 1962

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Bill Anders 1933–2024

NASA astronaut and Apollo 8 crew member

Also attended: United States Naval Academy

Hans Kelsen 1881–1973

Jurist known for the pure theory of law

Vannevar Bush 1890–1974

Engineer who headed the US OSRD during World War II

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University

Stanley Milgram 1933–1984

Social psychologist known for obedience experiments

Also attended: CUNY Brooklyn College, CUNY Queens College

Hiram Bingham III 1875–1956

Explorer who publicized Machu Picchu

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, Yale University

Father: Hiram Bingham II (Yale University, Andover Newton Theological School)

Child: Jonathan Brewster Bingham (Yale University)

Robert Metcalfe 1946–

Co-inventor of Ethernet and co-founder of 3Com

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Philip Kotler 1931–

Marketing author, consultant, and professor

Also attended: University of Chicago, DePaul University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Howard H. Aiken 1900–1973

Computing pioneer and designer of Harvard Mark I

Doctor of Philosophy · Physics · Class of 1939

Also attended: University of Chicago, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Carol Gilligan 1936–

Feminist psychologist and NYU professor

Also attended: Swarthmore College

Spouse: James Gilligan (Harvard University)

Andrew Yao 1946–

Computer scientist and Tsinghua University professor

Also attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Spouse: Frances Yao (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Chao Yuen Ren 1892–1982

Chinese-American linguist and musician

Also attended: Cornell University

Child: Lensey Namioka (University of California-Berkeley)

Child: Rulan Chao Pian (Harvard University)

David Ho 1952–

Virologist who pioneered combination HIV therapy

Also attended: California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Daniel Carleton Gajdusek 1923–2008

Medical researcher, 1976 Nobel laureate in Medicine

Doctor of Medicine · Class of 1946

Also attended: California Institute of Technology, University of Rochester

Thomas Sowell 1930–

Economist and social theorist

Also attended: Howard University, University of Chicago, Columbia University in the City of New York

Jerome Bruner 1915–2016

Psychologist in cognitive learning theory

Also attended: Duke University

Harrison Schmitt 1935–

Apollo 17 astronaut, geologist and former US senator

Also attended: California Institute of Technology

Manjul Bhargava 1974–

Mathematician, professor at Princeton University

Also attended: Princeton University

Michael Walzer 1935–

Political theorist and Institute for Advanced Study professor emeritus

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1961

Also attended: Brandeis University

Cornel West 1953–

Philosopher, theologian, activist and public intellectual

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1973

Also attended: Princeton University

Nancy Chodorow 1944–2025

Feminist sociologist and psychoanalyst

Attended until 1966

Also attended: Brandeis University

Jeffrey A. Hoffman 1944–

Former NASA astronaut and MIT professor

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1971

Also attended: Amherst College, Rice University

Paul Farmer 1959–2022

Medical anthropologist, physician and Harvard professor

Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Medicine

Also attended: Duke University

George M. Whitesides 1939–

Harvard chemistry professor

Also attended: California Institute of Technology

Child: George T. Whitesides (Princeton University)

Carter Godwin Woodson 1875–1950

Historian, founder of ASALH

Also attended: University of Chicago, Berea College, West Virginia State University

Angela Duckworth 1970–

Psychologist and University of Pennsylvania professor

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1992

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania, Converse University

John Boswell 1947–1994

Yale professor and historian

Also attended: College of William and Mary

Gordon S. Wood 1933–2026

Brown University historian, 1993 Pulitzer Prize winner

Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Arts · History · Class of 1964

Also attended: Tufts University

Robert Zimmer 1947–2023

Mathematician; 13th president of University of Chicago

Doctor of Philosophy

Also attended: Brandeis University

Spouse: Shadi Bartsch (University of California-Berkeley, Harvard University)

Samuel Moyn 1972–

Yale professor of law and history

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, Washington University in St Louis

Claudia Goldin 1946–

Harvard economist and Nobel prize winner

Also attended: University of Chicago, Cornell University

Spouse: Lawrence F. Katz (University of California-Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Walter Reed 1851–1902

Army physician who led yellow fever transmission research

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, New York University

Dr. Manny Sethi 1978–

Orthopaedic trauma surgeon and founder of Healthy Tennessee

Also attended: Brown University

Helen Keller 1880–1968

Deafblind author and disability rights advocate

T. S. Eliot 1888–1965

Modernist poet, essayist and playwright, Nobel laureate

Father: Henry Ware Eliot (Washington University in St Louis)

Mother: Charlotte Champe Stearns (Framingham State University)

Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803–1882

Essayist, philosopher and transcendentalist leader

Father: William Emerson (Harvard University)

Child: Edward Waldo Emerson (Harvard University)

Judy Garland 1922–1969

Actress, singer and vaudevillian

Henry David Thoreau 1817–1862

Essayist and philosopher, author of Walden

Natalie Portman 1981–

Israeli-American actress and filmmaker

Bachelor of Arts · Psychology · Class of 2003

Robert Frost 1874–1963

Poet known for depicting rural New England life

Attended until 1897

Also attended: Dartmouth College

Matt Damon 1970–

Actor, screenwriter and film producer

Ursula K. Le Guin 1929–2018

Author of the Earthsea fantasy series

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Father: Alfred L. Kroeber (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Mother: Theodora Kroeber (University of California-Berkeley)

Margaret Atwood 1939–

Canadian novelist, poet and literary critic

Master of Arts · English-language literature · Class of 1967

Henry James 1843–1916

American-British novelist, key figure between realism and modernism

Father: Henry James, Sr. (Union College)

Sibling: William James (Harvard University)

Kareena Kapoor 1980–

Indian Hindi film actress

Susan Sontag 1933–2004

Writer, critic and activist

Master of Arts

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, University of Chicago

Spouse: Philip Rieff (University of Chicago)

Child: David Rieff (Amherst College, Princeton University)

I. M. Pei 1917–2019

Chinese-American architect

Master of Architecture

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania

John Updike 1932–2009

American novelist and poet

Bachelor's degree · English-language literature · Class of 1954

Pete Seeger 1919–2014

Folk singer, songwriter and social activist

Father: Charles Seeger (Harvard University)

Norman Mailer 1923–2007

Writer and journalist; author of The Naked and the Dead

Aerospace engineering · Attended until 1943

Child: Michael Mailer (Harvard University)

Child: John Buffalo Mailer (Wesleyan University)

Gertrude Stein 1874–1946

Novelist, poet, playwright and art collector

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University

Sibling: Leo Stein (Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University)

Michael Crichton 1942–2008

Author, screenwriter and film director

George Santayana 1863–1952

Spanish-American philosopher, essayist and poet

Frank Gehry 1929–2025

Canadian-American architect and designer

Also attended: University of Southern California

Tommy Lee Jones 1946–

Actor and director, Academy Award winner

Leonard Bernstein 1918–1990

Conductor, composer and pianist

Also attended: Curtis Institute of Music

Tyra Banks 1973–

Model, television personality and producer

Also attended: Loyola Marymount University, Walsh University

Jack Lemmon 1925–2001

Hollywood actor

Child: Chris Lemmon (California Institute of the Arts)

William S. Burroughs 1914–1997

Writer, primary figure of the Beat Generation

Spouse: Joan Vollmer (Barnard College)

Ernesto Sabato 1911–2011

Argentine novelist, painter and physicist

Steve Zahn 1967–

Actor and comedian

Also attended: Northern Kentucky University, Gustavus Adolphus College

Philip Johnson 1906–2005

Architect who designed the Glass House

Ashley Judd 1968–

Film and television actress

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, University of Kentucky

Mother: Naomi Judd (College of Marin)

Conan O'Brien 1963–

Late-night talk show host and comedian

Mira Sorvino 1967–

Actress, Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress

Father: Paul Sorvino (American Musical and Dramatic Academy)

Elisabeth Shue 1963–

Actress, starred in Leaving Las Vegas

Also attended: Wellesley College

Spouse: Davis Guggenheim (Brown University)

Sibling: Andrew Shue (Dartmouth College)

John Lithgow 1945–

Actor on stage and screen

Child: Ian Lithgow (Harvard University)

Henry Adams 1838–1918

Historian, journalist and author of the Adams family

Father: Charles Francis Adams Sr. (Harvard University)

Sibling: Charles Francis Adams Jr. (Harvard University)

John Dos Passos 1896–1970

American novelist known for the U.S.A. trilogy

Oliver Wendell Holmes 1809–1894

Poet and physician based in Boston

Father: Abiel Holmes (Yale University)

Child: Oliver Wendell Holmes (Harvard University)

E. E. Cummings 1894–1962

Poet, painter, essayist and playwright

Douglas Fairbanks 1883–1939

Silent film actor, first to play Zorro

Yo-Yo Ma 1955–

Cellist

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, The Juilliard School

Darren Aronofsky 1969–

Film director, screenwriter and producer

Also attended: American Film Institute Conservatory

Thomas Wolfe 1900–1938

Novelist, author of Look Homeward, Angel

Also attended: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Terrence Malick 1943–

Film director and screenwriter

Bachelor of Arts · Philosophy · Class of 1965

Also attended: American Film Institute Conservatory

Cole Porter 1891–1964

Composer and songwriter for Broadway and Hollywood

Also attended: Yale University

David Foster Wallace 1962–2008

Novelist and essayist, author of Infinite Jest

Philosophy · Attended until 1989

Also attended: University of Arizona, Amherst College

Walter Lippmann 1889–1974

Journalist and political commentator, author of Public Opinion

Broderick Crawford 1911–1986

Actor known for All the King's Men

Wallace Stevens 1879–1955

American modernist poet

Also attended: New York Law School

Jon Bernthal 1976–

Actor known for The Walking Dead

Also attended: Skidmore College

Wallace Shawn 1943–

Actor and playwright, played Vizzini in The Princess Bride

Father: William Shawn (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor)

Sibling: Allen Shawn (Harvard University)

Damien Chazelle 1985–

Director of Whiplash and La La Land

Father: Bernard Chazelle (Yale University)

John Reed 1887–1920

Journalist, poet and communist activist

Spouse: Louise Bryant (University of Nevada-Reno, University of Oregon)

Rashida Jones 1976–

Actress and filmmaker, The Office and Parks and Recreation

Father: Quincy Jones (Berklee College of Music)

Sibling: Kenya Kinski-Jones (Loyola Marymount University)

Ciara 1985–

Singer, songwriter and dancer

Attended until 2019

Spouse: Russell Wilson (North Carolina State University at Raleigh, University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Mira Nair 1957–

Indian-American filmmaker

Spouse: Mitch Epstein (The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Union College)

Spouse: Mahmood Mamdani (Harvard University, Tufts University)

Ben Shapiro 1984–

Conservative commentator, co-founder of The Daily Wire

Juris Doctor · Class of 2007

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

Bridgit Mendler 1992–

Former actress and singer turned entrepreneur

Also attended: University of Southern California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Amanda Gorman 1998–

Poet and activist

Charles Ives 1874–1954

American modernist composer

Also attended: Yale University

Josephine Hull 1877–1957

Stage and film actress

Also attended: The New England Conservatory of Music

Bonnie Raitt 1949–

Singer-songwriter and guitarist

Spouse: Michael O'Keefe (American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York, New York University)

Father: John Raitt (University of Redlands)

Stockard Channing 1944–

Actress; Tony and three-time Emmy winner

Spouse: Paul Schmidt (Harvard University, Colgate University)

Tom Morello 1964–

Guitarist of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave

Attended until 1986

Mother: Mary Morello (Loyola University Chicago)

Amy Goodman 1957–

Journalist and host of Democracy Now!

Bachelor of Arts

Also attended: College of the Atlantic

Nestor Carbonell 1967–

Actor, rose to fame in Suddenly Susan

Edward Zwick 1952–

Filmmaker and producer

Also attended: American Film Institute Conservatory

David Heyman 1961–

Producer of all Harry Potter films

Anne McCaffrey 1926–2011

Science fiction writer, first woman to win a Hugo

Child: Todd McCaffrey (Lehigh University)

Amy Brenneman 1964–

Actress known for NYPD Blue

Spouse: Brad Silberling (University of California-Los Angeles, University of California-Santa Barbara)

Tatyana Ali 1979–

Actress and singer, began on Sesame Street

Bachelor of Arts

Spouse: Vaughn Rasberry (Howard University, University of Chicago)

Haylie Duff 1985–

Actress and singer

Sibling: Hilary Duff (Harvard University)

Lawrence O'Donnell 1951–

Television anchor and political commentator

Spouse: Kathryn Harrold (Northeastern University Oakland)

Jonathan Frakes 1952–

Actor and director, played Riker in Star Trek

Also attended: The Pennsylvania State University, The Pennsylvania State University

B. J. Novak 1979–

Actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer

Dan Schneider 1966–

Television producer of Nickelodeon children's shows

Also attended: Yale University

Dean Norris 1963–

Actor best known for Breaking Bad

Ogden Nash 1902–1971

Poet known for humorous light verse

Joseph Losey 1909–1984

American film and theatre director, producer and screenwriter

Also attended: Dartmouth College

Yara Shahidi 2000–

Actress and producer

Robert Benchley 1889–1945

Humorist, columnist and actor

Child: Nathaniel Benchley (Harvard University)

Betsy Brandt 1973–

Actress known for Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad

Also attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Benny Carter 1907–2003

Jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader

Also attended: Princeton University

Peter Benchley 1940–2006

Author of the novel Jaws

Father: Nathaniel Benchley (Harvard University)

Margo Martindale 1951–

Actress and 2011 Primetime Emmy winner

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Harry Shearer 1943–

Actor, comedian and musician

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

John D. MacDonald 1916–1986

Crime and suspense novelist

Also attended: Syracuse University, University of Pennsylvania

Alex D. Linz 1989–

Former child actor in Home Alone 3

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Los Angeles

Donal Logue 1966–

Actor, played Harvey Bullock in Gotham

Courtney B. Vance 1960–

Actor in stage, film and television

Also attended: Yale University

Spouse: Angela Bassett (Yale University)

Lin Yutang 1895–1976

Writer and linguist, author of My Country and My People

Ken Liu 1976–

Sci-fi and fantasy author, Hugo and Nebula winner

Bill O'Reilly 1949–

Conservative commentator and television host

Master in Public Administration · Class of 1996

Also attended: University of Notre Dame, Boston University, Marist University

Jodi Picoult 1966–

Novelist who has published 30 novels

Also attended: Princeton University

Mehmet Öz 1960–

Dr. Oz, cardiac surgeon, TV host and CMS administrator

Bachelor of Science

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

Spouse: Lisa Oz (Columbia University in the City of New York, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York)

Child: Daphne Oz (Princeton University)

Jonathan Taylor Thomas 1981–

Actor known for Home Improvement

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Colin Jost 1982–

Saturday Night Live writer and Weekend Update co-anchor

M. Scott Peck 1936–2005

Psychiatrist and author of The Road Less Traveled

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Case Western Reserve University

Reza Aslan 1972–

Iranian-American writer, scholar and television host

Also attended: University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Clara University, University of Iowa

Spouse: Jessica Jackley (Bucknell University, Stanford University)

Nat Hentoff 1925–2017

Jazz critic and Village Voice columnist

Also attended: Northeastern University

Henry Hobson Richardson 1838–1886

Architect known for Richardsonian Romanesque

Also attended: Tulane University of Louisiana

Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. 1951–

Newspaper publisher and journalist

Also attended: Tufts University, State University of New York at New Paltz

Spouse: Gail Gregg (Kansas State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Father: Arthur Ochs Sulzberger (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Virginia Heffernan 1969–

Journalist and cultural critic

Also attended: University of Virginia-Main Campus

Eugene O'Neill 1888–1953

American playwright

Also attended: Princeton University

Mother: Ella O'Neill (Saint Mary's College)

Child: Eugene O'Neill, Jr. (Yale University)

Georgia O'Keeffe 1887–1986

Modernist painter, Mother of American modernism

Also attended: School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia University in the City of New York, Teachers College at Columbia University

Spouse: Alfred Stieglitz (CUNY--City College)

Sibling: Ida O'Keeffe (Columbia University in the City of New York, University of Virginia-Main Campus)

Liang Sicheng 1901–1972

Architect and father of modern Chinese architecture

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

Spouse: Lin Huiyin (Yale University, University of Pennsylvania)

Sibling: Liang Siyong (Harvard University)

Hilary Duff 1987–

Actress and singer, Disney Channel star

Spouse: Mike Comrie (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor)

Sibling: Haylie Duff (Harvard University)

Caroline Wozniacki 1990–

Danish former professional tennis player

Spouse: David Lee (University of Florida)

Nuri Şahin 1988–

Turkish-German footballer and manager

Jeremy Lin 1988–

Former NBA player behind Linsanity

Bachelor of Arts · Economics · Class of 2010

Ellery Harding Clark 1874–1949

First modern Olympic champion in high jump and long jump

Bobby Jones 1902–1971

Influential amateur golfer and lawyer

Also attended: Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Ted Kaczynski 1942–2023

Mathematician and domestic terrorist, the Unabomber

Bachelor of Arts · Mathematics · Class of 1962

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Sibling: David Kaczynski (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Aga Khan IV 1936–2025

49th Imam of Nizari Isma'ili Muslims

Attended until 1959

Child: Rahim Aga Khan (Brown University)

Child: Princess Zahra Aga Khan (Harvard University)

Terry Fox 1958–1981

Canadian athlete who ran across Canada for cancer research

Priscilla Chan 1985–

Pediatrician and philanthropist, wife of Mark Zuckerberg

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 2007

Also attended: University of California-San Francisco

Spouse: Mark Zuckerberg (Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University)

Stephen Chow 1959–

Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong

Also attended: Loyola University Chicago, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Xi Mingze 1992–

Daughter of Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan

Attended until 2014