Notable Alumni of Mississippi State University

Marsha Blackburn 1952–

US senator from Tennessee and governor-elect

Bachelor of Science · Class of 1973

Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero 1943–2020

31st President of Honduras

Licentiate · Agricultural economics · Class of 1966

John C. Stennis 1901–1995

U.S. Senator from Mississippi for over 41 years

Attended until 1923

Also attended: University of Virginia-Main Campus

Michael Guest 1970–

US representative from Mississippi

Also attended: University of Mississippi

Troy H. Middleton 1889–1976

US Army lieutenant general and LSU president

Alan Nunnelee 1958–2015

US Representative from Mississippi

Bachelor of Science · Class of 1980

Webb Franklin 1941–

Former Republican U.S. Representative from Mississippi

Also attended: University of Mississippi

Greg Davis 1966–

Attorney and former mayor of Southaven, Mississippi

Also attended: Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Gillespie V. Montgomery 1920–2006

Mississippi congressman from 1967 to 1997

Attended until 1943

Harry Burgess 1872–1933

Governor of the Panama Canal Zone, 1928-1932

Attended until 1891

Also attended: The United States Military Academy at West Point

Emmett H. Walker, Jr. 1924–2007

U.S. Army lieutenant general, Chief of National Guard Bureau

Bachelor of Science · Agricultural economics

Howard Sanderford 1935–2026

Member of the Alabama House of Representatives

Amy Tuck 1963–

30th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi

Also attended: Mississippi College

Brandon Presley 1977–

Former Mississippi Public Service Commissioner

Also attended: Itawamba Community College

Patricia Morgan 1950–

Rhode Island Republican state representative

Also attended: Kent State University at Kent, Providence College, Rhode Island College

Cynthia Cooper 1964–

WorldCom auditor who uncovered $3.8 billion fraud

Also attended: The University of Alabama

Bill Hawks 1944–

Agricultural businessman and former civil servant

Earl J. Hamilton 1899–1989

Historian and a founder of economic history

Also attended: Harvard University, The University of Texas at Austin

Lewis Edward Anderson 1912–2007

Botanist and expert on North American mosses

Clara Southmayd Ludlow 1852–1924

Entomologist who published extensively on mosquito taxonomy

Also attended: George Washington University

Frank M. Hull 1901–1982

Entomologist specializing in Diptera

Also attended: Harvard University, Ohio State University-Main Campus

John Grisham 1955–

Writer of best-selling legal thrillers

Bachelor of Science · Accounting · Class of 1977

Also attended: Delta State University, University of Mississippi, Northwest Mississippi Community College

Herschell Gordon Lewis 1926–2016

Filmmaker who created the splatter horror subgenre

Also attended: Northwestern University, Roosevelt University

Dave Schwartz 1953–2016

Meteorologist at The Weather Channel

Also attended: Temple University

Gregory Keyes 1963–

Science fiction and fantasy writer

Also attended: University of Georgia, University of Mississippi

Brad Watson 1955–2020

Novelist and creative writing teacher

Ross Hull 1975–

Canadian actor and television personality

Thomas Hal Phillips 1922–2007

Novelist, actor and screenwriter

Also attended: The University of Alabama

Germany Kent 1975–

Actress, journalist and author

Also attended: The University of Alabama, University of Southern California, Northwest Mississippi Community College

Amy Freeze 1974–

Television meteorologist

Bachelor of Science

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

Nick Kosir 1983–

TV meteorologist known for TikTok dancing videos

Graduate certificate · Meteorology · Class of 2010

Also attended: University of Akron

Jerry Clower 1926–1998

Stand-up comedian and author

Reynolds Wolf 1970–

Meteorologist and journalist at The Weather Channel

Also attended: Jacksonville State University

Bill Evans 1960–

Former WABC-TV weatherman in New York

Also attended: Jackson State University

Maria Quiban 1970–

Weather anchor for KTTV in Los Angeles

Spouse: Sean Whitesell (University of California-San Diego, University of Northern Iowa)

Trey Hardee 1984–

Decathlete, 2012 Olympic silver medalist

Also attended: The University of Texas at Austin

Spouse: Chelsea Johnson (University of California-Los Angeles)

Anderson Peters 1997–

Grenadian javelin thrower and world champion

Marco Arop 1998–

Canadian runner, 2023 world 800 m champion

Falilat Ogunkoya 1968–

Nigerian sprinter, first Nigerian individual Olympic track medalist

Rodney Hood 1992–

Former professional basketball player

Jon Heidenreich 1969–

Former WWE professional wrestler

Also attended: University of Louisiana--Monroe

Commodore Cochran 1902–1969

1924 Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist

Sibling: Roy Cochran (University of Southern California, Indiana University-Bloomington)

Erick Dampier 1975–

Former NBA basketball player

Jeff Malone 1961–

Former NBA player, two-time All-Star

Bailey Howell 1937–

Former NBA player with 12 seasons

Dak Prescott 1993–

Dallas Cowboys NFL quarterback

Jarvis Varnado 1988–

Former NBA player and shot-blocking specialist

Curtis Thompson 1996–

Javelin thrower, 2025 World Championships bronze medalist

Dee Bost 1989–

American-born naturalized Bulgarian pro basketball player

Quinten Post 2000–

Dutch basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies

Jamont Gordon 1987–

Former basketball player at Mississippi State

Lash Legend 1997–

WWE wrestler and former basketball player

Also attended: Texas A & M University-College Station

Malik Newman 1997–

Basketball player, played for Mississippi State and Kansas

Michał Ignerski 1980–

Polish former professional basketball player

Quinndary Weatherspoon 1996–

Basketball player for the Qingdao Eagles

Tavaris Tate 1990–

American sprinter

Chris Jones 1994–

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle in the NFL

Jim Pace 1961–2020

Racing driver and engineer

Dick Johnson 1923–2008

Glider pilot, 11-time U.S. national champion

Also attended: Stanford University

Machine Gun Kelly 1900–1954

Prohibition-era American gangster