Notable Alumni of William & Mary

Thomas Jefferson 1743–1826

Third US President, primary author of Declaration of Independence

James Monroe 1758–1831

Fifth President of the United States

John Tyler 1790–1862

10th President of the United States

Attended until 1807

Father: John Tyler (College of William and Mary)

Child: Lyon Gardiner Tyler (University of Virginia-Main Campus)

Robert Gates 1943–

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense and CIA director

Also attended: Georgetown University, Indiana University-Bloomington

John Marshall 1755–1835

Fourth Chief Justice of the United States

James Comey 1960–

7th Director of the FBI

Also attended: University of Chicago

Michele Bachmann 1956–

Former U.S. representative and 2012 presidential candidate

Master of Laws · Class of 1988

Also attended: Winona State University, Oral Roberts University

Jen Psaki 1978–

34th White House Press Secretary

Henry Clay 1777–1852

Statesman, House speaker and secretary of state

Child: James Brown Clay (Transylvania University, Kenyon College)

Child: Henry Clay (The United States Military Academy at West Point)

Winfield Scott 1786–1866

US Army Commanding General and presidential candidate

Edmund Randolph 1753–1813

Founding Father and seventh Governor of Virginia

Child: Peyton Randolph (College of William and Mary)

Matt Gaetz 1982–

Former US representative from Florida

Juris Doctor · Class of 2007

Also attended: Florida State University

Father: Don Gaetz (Troy University, Concordia College at Moorhead)

Eric Cantor 1963–

Former US House majority leader

Juris Doctor · Class of 1988

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

Stephanie Murphy 1978–

Vietnamese-born former U.S. Representative from Florida

Bachelor of Arts · Economics · Class of 2000

Also attended: Georgetown University

William Wyatt Bibb 1781–1820

First governor of Alabama

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

Benjamin Harrison V 1726–1791

Founding Father and Declaration of Independence signer

Child: Carter Bassett Harrison (College of William and Mary)

Child: William Henry Harrison (University of Pennsylvania, Hampden-Sydney College)

Peyton Randolph 1721–1775

President of the First Continental Congress, Founding Father

Father: John Randolph (College of William and Mary)

John Breckinridge 1760–1806

US Senator and lawyer from Kentucky

Also attended: Washington and Lee University

Child: William L. Breckinridge (Transylvania University)

Child: Cabell Breckinridge (Colby-Sawyer College, Princeton University)

Ming Chang 1932–2017

US Navy rear admiral, first naturalized Asian American flag officer

Bachelor of Science · Physics

Also attended: Naval Postgraduate School

John J. Crittenden 1787–1863

Kentucky statesman and twice US Attorney General

Also attended: Washington and Lee University

Child: Thomas Leonidas Crittenden (The United States Military Academy at West Point)

Child: George B. Crittenden (Transylvania University, The United States Military Academy at West Point)

John Blair Jr. 1732–1800

Founding Father and first Supreme Court justice

George Wythe 1726–1806

Founding Father and Declaration of Independence signer

Bushrod Washington 1762–1829

Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Jacob Frey 1981–

Mayor of Minneapolis since 2018

Bachelor's degree · Government · Class of 2004

Also attended: Villanova University

Dina Titus 1950–

U.S. Representative from Nevada

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1970

Also attended: Florida State University, University of Georgia

James Murray Mason 1798–1871

Virginia senator and Confederate diplomat

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

Mary Jo White 1947–

31st Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission

Bachelor of Arts

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

Alexander Hugh Holmes Stuart 1807–1891

U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 1850 to 1853

Also attended: University of Virginia-Main Campus

William Short 1759–1849

Diplomat and Thomas Jefferson's private secretary in Paris

Tommy Norment 1946–

Former Majority Leader of the Virginia Senate

Also attended: Virginia Military Institute

Todd Boehly 1973–

Co-founder and CEO of Eldridge Industries

Beth Comstock 1960–

Former vice chair of General Electric

Joe J. Plumeri 1943–

Former chairman and CEO of Willis Group Holdings

Also attended: New York Law School

David M. Brown 1956–2003

NASA astronaut lost in Columbia disaster

Christina Romer 1958–

Economist, former Council of Economic Advisers chair

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jerry Coyne 1949–

Biologist, professor emeritus at University of Chicago

Also attended: Harvard University

William Barton Rogers 1804–1882

Founder and first president of MIT

Also attended: University of Virginia-Main Campus

Sibling: James Blythe Rogers (College of William and Mary)

Sibling: Robert Empie Rogers (Dickinson College, University of Pennsylvania)

John Boswell 1947–1994

Yale professor and historian

Also attended: Harvard University

Ellen R. Stofan 1961–

Planetary geologist, Smithsonian science under secretary

Also attended: Brown University

Nalini Ambady 1959–2013

Social psychologist and nonverbal behavior expert

Also attended: Harvard University

H. Allen Orr 1960–

Evolutionary biologist at the University of Rochester

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

Glenn Close 1947–

Actress, three-time Emmy and Tony winner

Father: William Close (Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Child: Annie Starke (Hamilton College)

Jon Stewart 1962–

Comedian and former host of The Daily Show

Attended until 1984

Patton Oswalt 1969–

Stand-up comedian and actor

Bachelor of Arts · English studies · Class of 1991

Spouse: Meredith Salenger (Pepperdine University, Harvard University)

Scott Glenn 1941–

Actor known for The Silence of the Lambs

Donald Judd 1928–1994

Minimalist artist

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Dylan Baker 1959–

Actor known for Spider-Man 2 and Happiness

Also attended: Yale University, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus, Southern Methodist University

Spouse: Becky Ann Baker (Western Kentucky University)

Todd Howard 1970–

Director at Bethesda Game Studios, Fallout and Elder Scrolls

James Branch Cabell 1879–1958

Author of fantasy fiction and belles-lettres

Yuri Lowenthal 1971–

Voice actor known for Spider-Man video games

Steven Culp 1955–

Actor known for Thirteen Days

Also attended: Brandeis University

Linda Lavin 1937–2024

Actress and singer, Tony Award winner

Spouse: Kip Niven (University of Kansas, Baylor University)

Spouse: Ron Leibman (American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York, Ohio Wesleyan University)

Stephanie Szostak 1975–

French actress in The Devil Wears Prada

Liu Kang 1982–

Actor and singer, son of Jackie Chan

Charles Esten 1965–

Actor and singer in the series Nashville

Bill Lawrence 1968–

TV producer, creator of Scrubs

Spouse: Megyn Price (Stanford University)

Gary Wright 1943–2023

Musician known for Dream Weaver

Also attended: New York University, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

Kyle Soller 1983–

Actor, 2019 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor winner

Alexandra Bracken 1987–

Author of The Darkest Minds and Passenger series

Michelle Wolf 1985–

Comedian, writer and television host

Joseph Ellis 1943–

Historian of the Founding Fathers, Pulitzer Prize winner

Also attended: Yale University

Perry Ellis 1940–1986

Fashion designer who founded his eponymous sportswear house

Weijia Jiang 1983–

Senior White House Correspondent for CBS News

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 2005

Also attended: Syracuse University

Forrest Gander 1956–

Poet and translator; Pulitzer Prize for Poetry winner

Ashley Miller 1971–

Screenwriter and producer of Thor and X-Men: First Class

Stephen Marlowe 1928–2008

Novelist, creator of detective Chester Drum

Kelly Choi 1976–

TV host, former Top Chef Masters host

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Lisa Desjardins 1972–

PBS NewsHour political correspondent

Also attended: Northwestern University, Northwest University

Ben Domenech 1981–

Commentator and Daily Wire opinion editor

Also attended: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Spouse: Meghan McCain (Howard University, Barnard College)

Father: Douglas Domenech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

Georgia O'Keeffe 1887–1986

Modernist painter, Mother of American modernism

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

Spouse: Alfred Stieglitz (CUNY--City College)

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

Jill Ellis 1966–

Football manager and FIFA chief football officer

Attended until 1988

Also attended: North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Megan Moulton-Levy 1985–

Former professional tennis player

Mike Tomlin 1972–

Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach

Nathan Knight 1997–

Basketball player who starred at William & Mary

Adin Brown 1978–

Soccer player and goalkeeping coach

Marcus Thornton 1993–

Professional basketball player from William & Mary

Steve Christie 1967–

NFL placekicker for the Buffalo Bills

Steven Pruitt 1984–

English Wikipedia's most prolific editor

Art history · Attended until 2006