Notable Alumni of University of Houston

Elizabeth Warren 1949–

US senator from Massachusetts

Bachelor of Science · Audiology, Pathology · Class of 1970

Also attended: George Washington University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Spouse: Bruce Mann (Yale University, Brown University)

Jasmine Crockett 1981–

US representative for Texas's 30th district

Juris Doctor · Class of 2006

Also attended: Washington University in St Louis, Rhodes College

Jack Valenti 1921–2007

Special Assistant to President Johnson; longtime MPAA president

Also attended: Harvard University

Kamal Kharazi 1944–2026

Former Foreign Minister of Iran

Doctor of Philosophy · Industrial and organizational psychology

Tom DeLay 1947–

Former US House majority leader

Bachelor of Science · Class of 1970

Also attended: Baylor University

Margaret Spellings 1957–

8th United States Secretary of Education

Matt Mullenweg 1984–

Co-founder of WordPress, founder of Automattic

Kenneth Lay 1942–2006

Former chairman and CEO of Enron

Also attended: University of Missouri-Columbia

Mary Kay Ash 1918–2001

Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

Akihiko Hoshide 1968–

Japanese astronaut, former ISS commander

Bonnie J. Dunbar 1949–

Engineer and retired NASA astronaut

Also attended: University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Spouse: Ronald M. Sega (University of Colorado Boulder, United States Air Force Academy)

Nancy J. Currie-Gregg 1958–

US Army colonel and NASA astronaut

Also attended: University of Southern California, Ohio State University-Main Campus

Brené Brown 1965–

Academic and author known for work on shame and vulnerability

Also attended: The University of Texas at Austin

Rex J. Walheim 1962–

NASA astronaut who flew three Space Shuttle missions

Attended until 1989

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

John Danny Olivas 1966–

Former NASA astronaut, two space shuttle missions

Master's degree · Mechanical engineering · Class of 1993

Also attended: Rice University, University of Texas--El Paso

Maurizio Cheli 1959–

Italian ESA astronaut who flew one Space Shuttle mission

William Frederick Fisher 1946–

Former NASA astronaut and physician

Also attended: University of Florida, Stanford University

Spouse: Anna Lee Fisher (University of California-Los Angeles)

Bernard A. Harris, Jr. 1956–

Former NASA astronaut and physician

Also attended: Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Wu Maw-kuen 1949–

Taiwanese physicist and former university president

Kenny Rogers 1938–2020

Country music singer-songwriter

Jim Parsons 1973–

Actor, four-time Primetime Emmy winner

Bachelor of Arts · Theatre

Also attended: University of San Diego

Dennis Quaid 1954–

Actor starring in Breaking Away and Innerspace

Spouse: Meg Ryan (University of Connecticut, New York University)

Spouse: P. J. Soles (Georgetown University)

Lizzo 1988–

Singer, rapper, songwriter and actress

Bill Hicks 1961–1994

Stand-up comedian and satirist

Brent Spiner 1949–

Actor who played Data in Star Trek

Randy Quaid 1950–

Actor and Academy Award nominee

Sibling: Dennis Quaid (University of Houston)

Julian Schnabel 1951–

Painter and filmmaker

Child: Vito Schnabel (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Donald Barthelme 1931–1989

Postmodernist short story writer and novelist

Also attended: University at Buffalo

Sibling: Frederick Barthelme (Johns Hopkins University)

Gene Wolfe 1931–2019

Science fiction and fantasy writer

Mechanical engineering · Class of 1956

Also attended: Texas A & M University-College Station

Liza Koshy 1996–

YouTuber and actress

Brett Cullen 1956–

Actor in Lost and Person of Interest

Loretta Devine 1949–

Actress of stage and screen

Also attended: Brandeis University

Master P 1970–

Rapper and founder of No Limit Records

Also attended: Merritt College

Child: Romeo Miller (University of Southern California)

Alice Sebold 1963–

Author of The Lovely Bones

Also attended: University of California-Irvine, Syracuse University

Spouse: Glen David Gold (University of California-Irvine, Wesleyan University)

Robert Wuhl 1951–

Actor and comedian, creator of Arliss

Crystle Stewart 1981–

Actress and beauty pageant titleholder

Tom Byron 1961–

Adult film actor, director and producer

Pauline Oliveros 1932–2016

Composer and accordionist in experimental music

Townes Van Zandt 1944–1997

Singer-songwriter known for Pancho and Lefty

Also attended: University of Colorado Boulder

Paul Wall 1981–

American rapper and DJ from Texas

Cristina Rivera Garza 1964–

Mexican writer and professor

Peter Breck 1929–2012

American character actor

Ric Jan 1973–

Taiwanese singer and actor

Esther Yang 1987–

Taiwanese actress

Carl Lewis 1961–

Track and field athlete with nine Olympic golds

Sibling: Carol Lewis (University of Houston)

Hakeem Olajuwon 1963–

NBA player, 1994 MVP and two-time champion

Clyde Drexler 1962–

Former NBA player, second Big3 commissioner

Leroy Burrell 1967–

Sprinter who twice set the 100m world record

Shannon Miller 1977–

Gymnast; 1996 Olympic balance beam champion

Also attended: Boston College

Michelle Smith 1969–

Irish swimmer, three-time 1996 Olympic champion

Elvin Hayes 1945–

NBA player and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

Nick Faldo 1957–

English golfer and television commentator

Joe DeLoach 1967–

Sprinter, 1988 Olympic 200 m champion

Kirk Baptiste 1962–2022

Track and field athlete, 200 metres specialist

Johnny Chan 1957–

Poker player with 10 World Series of Poker bracelets

Oliver Lafayette 1984–

American-born Croatian former basketball player

Also attended: Blinn College District

Allan Lawrence 1930–2017

Australian long-distance runner, 1956 Olympic bronze medalist

Carol Lewis 1963–

Long jumper, 1983 World Championship bronze medalist

Sibling: Carl Lewis (University of Houston)

Frank Rutherford 1964–

Retired Bahamian triple jumper

Otis Birdsong 1955–

Former NBA player, four-time All-Star

Ollan Cassell 1936–

1964 Olympic 4×400 m relay gold medalist

Dawn Burrell 1973–

Long jumper, 2001 World Indoor Championships gold medalist

Flo Hyman 1954–1986

Volleyball player and Olympic silver medalist

Also attended: El Camino Community College District