Notable Alumni of Colgate University

Charles Evans Hughes 1862–1948

11th Chief Justice of the United States

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

Child: Charles Evans Hughes Jr. (Harvard University, Brown University)

Child: Elizabeth Hughes Gossett (Barnard College)

William P. Rogers 1913–2001

US Secretary of State and Attorney General

Also attended: Cornell University

John Dean 1938–

White House Counsel under President Nixon

Also attended: Georgetown University, College of Wooster

William Sterling Cole 1904–1987

First Director General of the IAEA

Attended until 1925

Also attended: Albany Law School

Claudia Tenney 1961–

U.S. representative from New York

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1983

Also attended: University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Mary Gay Scanlon 1959–

US Representative from Pennsylvania

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. 1908–1972

Harlem congressman and Baptist pastor

Attended until 1930

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

Spouse: Hazel Scott (The Juilliard School)

Father: Adam Clayton Powell (Yale University)

Brad Ashford 1949–2022

Former U.S. Representative from Nebraska

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1971

Also attended: Creighton University

Antonio Delgado 1977–

Lieutenant governor of New York, former U.S. Representative

Bachelor of Arts · Philosophy · Class of 1999

Also attended: Harvard University

Samuel L. Devine 1915–1997

Republican U.S. Representative from Ohio

Also attended: University of Notre Dame, Ohio State University-Main Campus

Bruce Buck 1946–

Lawyer and former Chelsea FC chairman

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Cyrus Stephen Eaton Sr. 1883–1979

Investment banker, businessman and philanthropist

Warren Anderson 1921–2014

Union Carbide chairman during the Bhopal disaster

Chemistry · Attended until 1942

Also attended: Case Western Reserve University

Chase Carey 1953–

Former CEO of Formula One Group

Also attended: Harvard University

Ben Cohen 1951–

Co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream

Also attended: The Pennsylvania State University

Robert Ho 1932–2025

Chinese Canadian-American philanthropist and former journalist

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Kenneth Hartley Blanchard 1939–

Author of The One Minute Manager

Also attended: Cornell University

Oswald Avery 1877–1955

Canadian-American physician and medical researcher

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Neil H. Shubin 1960–

Paleontologist and University of Chicago professor

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Albert Allen Bartlett 1923–2013

Physics professor at University of Colorado Boulder

Bachelor of Arts

Also attended: Harvard University

G. Arthur Cooper 1902–2000

Paleobiologist

Also attended: Yale University

Peter Gould 1932–2000

Penn State professor emeritus of geography

Also attended: Northwestern University

Robert Audi 1941–

Philosopher and University of Notre Dame professor

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Kevin Padian 1951–

Paleontologist, professor emeritus at UC Berkeley

Also attended: Yale University

Erazim Kohák 1933–2020

Czech philosopher and writer

Also attended: Yale University

John Cassavetes 1929–1989

Actor and director, pioneer of American independent cinema

Also attended: American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York

Spouse: Gena Rowlands (American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York, University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Child: Nick Cassavetes (American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York, Syracuse University)

Charles Addams 1912–1988

Cartoonist who created the Addams Family characters

Attended until 1930

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

Bob Balaban 1945–

Actor, director and producer

Chris Hedges 1956–

Journalist, author and former war correspondent

Also attended: Harvard University

Andy Rooney 1919–2011

60 Minutes commentator and television writer

Gillian Vigman 1972–

Actress, comedian and screenwriter

Andrew Hill 1931–2007

Jazz pianist and composer

Poppy Liu

Chinese-born American actress known for Hacks

Jay Chandrasekhar 1968–

Actor, screenwriter and director

Kate Clinton 1947–

Comedian specializing in LGBTQ political commentary

Also attended: Le Moyne College

Joe Berlinger 1961–

Documentary filmmaker and producer

David G. Hartwell 1941–2016

Science fiction and fantasy editor, publisher and critic

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

James Manos Jr. 2000–

Film and television writer and producer

Kevin Heffernan 1968–

Actor and Broken Lizard comedy group member

Also attended: Brooklyn Law School

Kim Edwards 1958–

Bestselling novelist and educator

Also attended: University of Iowa

Johnny Marks 1909–1985

Songwriter of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Francesca Zambello 1956–

Opera and theatre director

Gloria Borger 1952–

Journalist and former CNN senior political analyst

Jon Alpert 1948–

Journalist and documentary filmmaker

Bob Woodruff 1961–

ABC News television journalist

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Steve Lemme 1968–

Actor and writer, member of Broken Lizard

Robert Dalva 1942–2023

Film editor

Also attended: University of Southern California

Adonal Foyle 1975–

Former NBA center, eighth pick in 1997 draft

Lauren Schmetterling 1988–

Rower, 2016 Olympic women's eight gold medalist

Frank Castleman 1877–1946

1904 Olympic hurdler and multi-sport coach

Otto Graham 1921–2003

Quarterback for the Cleveland Browns

Also attended: Northwestern University

Cory Murphy 1978–

Canadian former hockey player and Kraken coach

Andy McDonald 1977–

Canadian former ice hockey player

Kyle Wilson 1984–

Canadian former NHL centre

Mike Milbury 1952–

Former Boston Bruins player and sports announcer

Kathryn Bertine 1975–

Road cyclist, author and film-maker

Also attended: University of Arizona

Kelly Chiavaro 1996–

Football and beach soccer goalkeeper

Livia Altmann 1994–

Swiss ice hockey player, 2014 Olympic bronze medalist

Chris Wagner 1991–

Professional ice hockey forward

Craig Woodcroft 1969–

Canadian ice hockey head coach and former forward

Richard Spencer 1978–

White supremacist and prominent alt-right figure

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1999

Also attended: University of Chicago, Duke University, University of Virginia-Main Campus

Harry Emerson Fosdick 1878–1969

Prominent liberal Protestant pastor