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322 notable alumni U.S. News #34

Notable Alumni of University of Wisconsin-Madison

Notable alumni of University of Wisconsin-Madison include Frank Lloyd Wright (American architect, designer, writer and educator), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (24th president of Liberia) and Saul Bellow (Writer and 1976 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate).

College data and admissions

Alumni list

Politics and law

Business

Science and academia

Arts and media

Sports

  • Eric Heiden 1958–

    Speed skater who won five golds at 1980 Winter Olympics

    Also attended: Stanford University

    Sibling: Beth Heiden (University of Vermont)

  • Alvin Kraenzlein 1876–1928

    Hurdler who won four golds at 1900 Olympics

    Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

  • Rose Lavelle 1995–

    Soccer midfielder for the US national team

    Bachelor of Arts · Sociology · Class of 2017

  • Russell Wilson 1988–

    NFL quarterback, Super Bowl champion with Seahawks

    Also attended: North Carolina State University at Raleigh

    Spouse: Ciara (Harvard University)

    Sibling: Anna Wilson (Stanford University)

  • Michael Finley 1973–

    Former NBA player, Dallas Mavericks executive

  • Devin Harris 1983–

    Former NBA player and sports analyst

  • Frank Kaminsky 1993–

    American basketball player, Wisconsin Badgers alumnus

    Attended until 2015

  • Dany Heatley 1981–

    Former NHL winger and Calder Trophy winner

    Father: Murray Heatley (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Fred Schule 1879–1962

    American hurdler

    Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

  • Hilary Knight 1989–

    Captain of the US women's national ice hockey team

    Attended until 2012

  • Gwen Jorgensen 1986–

    Triathlete, 2014 and 2015 ITU World Series champion

  • Mohammed Ahmed 1991–

    Canadian long-distance runner, 2021 Olympic 5000m silver medalist

  • Chris Chelios 1962–

    Ice hockey defenseman, three-time Stanley Cup champion

    Child: Jake Chelios (Michigan State University)

    Child: Caley Chelios (Northwestern University)

  • J. J. Watt 1989–

    Former NFL defensive end for Houston Texans

  • Joe Pavelski 1984–

    Former NHL player for Sharks and Stars

  • Curtis Joseph 1967–

    Canadian ice hockey coach and former player

  • Sam Dekker 1994–

    Former pro basketball player, assistant coach

  • Oscar Osthoff 1883–1950

    1904 Olympic gold medalist in all-around dumbbell

  • Ryan Suter 1985–

    Professional ice hockey defenseman

  • Jon Leuer 1989–

    Former NBA player, 40th pick in 2011

  • Brian Rafalski 1973–

    Former NHL defenseman for Devils and Red Wings

  • Derek Stepan 1990–

    Former NHL center for Rangers and others

  • Ryan McDonagh 1989–

    NHL defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning

  • Mike Richter 1966–

    Former NHL goaltender for the New York Rangers

    Also attended: Yale University

  • Evan Jager 1989–

    Steeplechase runner, 2016 Olympic silver medalist

    Also attended: Portland State University

  • Carie Graves 1953–2021

    Rower, 1984 Olympic gold medallist in women's eights

    Also attended: Harvard University

  • Mark Johnson 1957–

    Former NHL player, Wisconsin women's hockey coach

    Father: Bob Johnson (University of Minnesota-Twin Cities)

  • Greg Stiemsma 1985–

    Former NBA player

  • René Bourque 1981–

    Canadian former NHL right winger

  • George Poage 1880–1962

    First African-American Olympic medalist

  • Nigel Hayes-Davis 1994–

    Basketball player for Panathinaikos

  • Lloyd La Beach 1922–1999

    Panamanian sprinter, two-time 1948 Olympic bronze medalist

  • Brian Elliott 1985–

    Canadian former NHL goaltender

  • Kirk Penney 1980–

    New Zealand basketball player, national team all-time leading scorer

  • Julia Roddar 1992–

    Swedish women's footballer and midfielder

  • Micah Boyd 1982–

    Rower at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

  • Craig Smith 1989–

    Former NHL forward with 14 seasons

  • Roger Jackson 1942–

    Canadian rower, 1964 Olympic gold medallist

  • Alev Kelter 1991–

    Rugby sevens player, three-time Olympian

  • Dana Rettke 1999–

    Volleyball player, five-time AVCA First Team All-American

  • Beau Hoopman 1980–

    American rower

  • Brianna Decker 1991–

    Former women's ice hockey player and coach

  • Jake Gardiner 1990–

    Former NHL defenseman

  • Emily Clark 1995–

    Canadian professional ice hockey player

  • Carla MacLeod 1982–

    Canadian hockey player, head coach of Ottawa Charge

  • Andrew Rein 1958–

    Wrestler who competed at the 1984 Olympics

  • Zach Ziemek 1993–

    Decathlete who competed in three Olympics

  • Lauren Carlini 1995–

    Member of the US women's volleyball team

  • Cole Caufield 2001–

    Montreal Canadiens NHL winger

  • Nancy Lethcoe 1940–2022

    Swimmer and 1956 Olympic medalist

    Also attended: University of Washington-Seattle Campus

  • Eric Mueller 1970–

    Two-time Olympic rower

  • Sarah Nurse 1995–

    Ice hockey player, 2022 Olympic gold medallist

  • Tim Mickelson 1948–2017

    Rower and 1972 Olympic medalist

  • Kristen Thorsness 1960–

    Olympic gold medal-winning rower

  • Bill Kazmaier 1953–

    Strongman, three-time World's Strongest Man

  • Carol Feeney 1964–

    Rower who competed in the 1992 Olympics

  • Johnny Davis 2002–

    Professional basketball player, formerly of Wisconsin Badgers

    Father: Mark Davis (Old Dominion University)

  • Justin Schultz 1990–

    Canadian former NHL defenceman

  • Carly Piper 1983–

    Swimmer and Olympic gold medalist

  • Brendan Smith 1989–

    Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman

    Sibling: Reilly Smith (Miami University-Oxford)

  • Gary Suter 1964–

    Former NHL ice hockey defenseman

  • Alando Tucker 1984–

    Former NBA player, Wisconsin's all-time leading scorer

  • Suzy Favor Hamilton 1968–

    Middle-distance runner who competed in three Olympics

  • Meaghan Mikkelson Reid 1985–

    Canadian ice hockey player and broadcaster

  • Jim Carey 1974–

    Former NHL goaltender

  • Addie Joss 1880–1911

    Baseball pitcher nicknamed the Human Hairpin

  • Mike Wilkinson 1981–

    American former professional basketball player

Other fields

From Wikidata “educated at” records (including people who attended without graduating), ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions. Degrees and years follow Wikidata and are left out where it has none.

Alumni network

Colleges that share the most alumni with University of Wisconsin-Madison (people who attended both).