List of Drake University people

This is a list of notable alumni and faculty of Drake University.

Notable alumni

Politics and military

• Brenna Bird, Iowa Attorney General (2023–)
• Robert D. Blue, Governor of Iowa (1945–1949)
• Terry Branstad, former Governor of Iowa (1983–1999, 2011–2017) and United States ambassador to China (2017–2020), longest-serving state governor in U.S. history
• Bonnie Campbell, lawyer, former Iowa Attorney General (1991–1995) and gubernatorial candidate
• Johnnie Carson, career diplomat
• Merwin Coad, Iowa Congressman (1957–1963)
• Joe Crail, California Congressman (1927–1933)
• Chet Culver, former Governor of Iowa (2007–2011)
• Cassius Clay Dowell, Iowa Congressman (1915–1935, 1937–1940)
• Abby Finkenauer, former Iowa Congresswoman (2019–2021)
• Guy Gillette, Iowa Congressman (1933–1936) and Senator (1936–1945, 1949–1955)
• Robert K. Goodwin, Iowa Congressman (1940–1941)
• Adam Gregg, lieutenant governor of Iowa (2019–present)
• Carl W. Hoffman, U.S. Marine Corps Major general
• Ron Kouchi, President of the Hawaii State Senate
• Darrell R. Lindsey, Medal of Honor recipient
• Zach Nunn, U.S. Representative-elect from Iowa’s 3rd district (2023–)
• Jim Nussle, former Iowa Congressman (1991–2007) and director of the Office of Management and Budget
• Stephen Rapp, former United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues in the Office of Global Criminal Justice
• Robert D. Ray, Governor of Iowa (1969–1983)
• David N. Senty, retired U.S. Air Force Major General
• Neal Smith, former Iowa Congressman (1959–1995)
• Sara Taylor, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Political Affairs in the George W. Bush administration
• Hubert Utterback, Iowa Congressman (1935–1937)
• Frederick T. Weber, Naval aviator who died at the Battle of Midway
• David Young, former Iowa Congressman (2015–2019)

Law

• Mark Cady, lawyer, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Iowa (2011–2019)
• Roxanne Conlin, lawyer, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa (1977–1981), and Iowa senate and gubernatorial candidate
• Robert Cowen, senior judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
• George Gardner Fagg, United States federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
• Cleon H. Foust, Indiana Attorney General (1947–1949)
• Joseph C. Howard Sr., Judge, United States District Court for the District of Maryland (1979–2000)
• Louis A. Lavorato, lawyer, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Iowa (2000–2006)
• Ronald Olson, partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Munger Tolles & Olson LLP
• Wendy J. Olson, United States Attorney for the District of Idaho (2010–2017)
• Marsha Ternus, lawyer, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Iowa (2006–2010)
• Terry Trieweiler, Montana Supreme Court Justice, Montana Lawyer of the Year

Arts and literature

• Joanne Aono, artist
• Rose Bampton, principal singer at Metropolitan Opera during 1930s and 1940s
• Bruce Brubaker, musician
• Bill Bryson, author
• Marsha Wilson Chall, children's author
• Gwen M. Davidson, artist
• Mark Doty, poet
• Susan Glaspell, author
• Joseph Hermann, conductor, clarinetist and music educator; president of American Bandmasters Association
• Stanley Hess, artist, instrument maker, educator
• Syleena Johnson, R&B singer, actress, and reality television personality
• Ira Levin, author of Rosemary's Baby, The Boys from Brazil, The Stepford Wives, Deathtrap
• Sherrill Milnes, operatic baritone
• Carol Morris, actress and Miss Universe 1956
• Dick Oatts, jazz saxophonist
• Phil Stong, author of State Fair, novel filmed three times
• Matthew Stover, author of fantasy and science fiction, including novelization of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
• Roger Williams, musician and composer
• Bart Yates, author

Entertainment and media

• Steve Allen, comedian, actor and first host of The Tonight Show (attended, did not graduate)
• Lew Anderson, musician and voice of Clarabell the Clown
• John August, screenwriter
• Steve Bannos, film actor and writer
• Mary Bock, journalist
• Joseph Chaikin, founder of the Open Theater, theater director, actor, author
• Lee Ann Colacioppo, nee Fleet, editor of The Denver Post
• Julee Cruise, singer and actress
• Mark DeCarlo, actor, comedian, host of Taste of America television show, cartoon voice actor
• Jerry Douglas, writer and director, notably of gay pornographic films
• Michael Emerson, two-time Emmy Award-winning actor
• Bridget Flanery, actress
• Lambert Hillyer, silent film director
• Dave Mallow, voice-over artist for television, film, animation, commercials, video games
• Al McCoy, sports broadcaster, voice of the Phoenix Suns
• Clark R. Mollenhoff, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
• Jeremy Piven, three-time Emmy Award-winning actor (attended, did not graduate)
• Ray Rizzo, three-time Pokémon Video Game World Champion
• Wynn Speece, "Neighbor Lady", WNAX radio station
• Kazuki Takahashi, creator of Yu-Gi-Oh! (attended, did not graduate)
• Jim Uhls, screenwriter, including the script for Fight Club
• Sam Wanamaker, actor and director
• Larry Whiteside, award-winning sportswriter
• Rex Wockner, journalist
• David L. Wolper, television and film producer

Business

• Archie R. Boe, former Chairman and CEO of the Allstate Corporation; former president of Sears, Roebuck
• George A. Cohon, founder of McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited and McDonald's in Russia
• Kenneth A. Macke, former CEO and chairman of Dayton Hudson Corporation (since renamed Target Corporation)
• John M. Mathew, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wick Communications Company
• Dwight D. Opperman, former CEO of West Publishing Company, after whom Drake's law library is named
• Johnny C. Taylor Jr., president and CEO of Society for Human Resource Management
• Fred L. Turner, former Chairman of McDonald's

Science and academia

• Jon Bowermaster, oceans expert, journalist, filmmaker and adventurer
• W. Dean Eastman, award-winning educator
• Cuthbert Hurd, computer pioneer
• Rachelle Keck, academic administrator
• Thomas Kunz, researcher notable for insights into bat ecology
• Timothy Ley, hematologist, oncologist and cancer biologist
• William A. Staples, president of the University of Houston–Clear Lake
• Brian Wansink, Cornell University professor and author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
• Harley A. Wilhelm, Manhattan Project scientist and co-inventor of the Ames Process for purifying uranium, co-founder of the Ames Laboratory for the U.S. Dept. of Energy

Athletics

• Chris Ash, football coach, former head coach at Rutgers University
• Tom Bienemann, former NFL defensive end for the Chicago Cardinals
• Johnny Bright, member of the College and Canadian Football Hall of Fame
• Waldo Don Carlos, retired NFL center for the Green Bay Packers
• Billy Cundiff, NFL placekicker
• Keno Davis, basketball coach, 2008 Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year
• Versil Deskin, former NFL player
• Dave Doeren, head football coach at North Carolina State University
• Pat Dunsmore, former NFL player
• Ezra Hendrickson, professional soccer player and coach
• York Hentschel, CFL player and 3 time Grey Cup champion
• Maury John, Hall of Fame basketball coach: Final Four (1969), and Elite 8 (1970 and 1971)
• Zach Johnson, professional golfer, winner of the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship
• Karl Kassulke, former NFL player
• Wayne Kreklow, retired professional basketball player
• Kevin Little, 1997 world indoor champion, 200-meter dash
• Lewis Lloyd, retired professional basketball player
• John Lynch, former NFL player
• Pug Manders, former NFL player
• Willie McCarter, former NBA player
• Dennis McKnight, former NFL player
• McCoy McLemore, former NBA player
• Jerry Mertens, former NFL player
• Duane Miller, former NFL player, Drake Football record holder
• Dick Nesbitt, former NFL player
• Bob Netolicky, professional basketball player
• Charlie Partridge, football coach, former head coach at Florida Atlantic University
• Mike Samples, former Canadian Football League player
• Eric Saubert, professional American football player
• Boris Shlapak, professional football and soccer player for the Baltimore Colts and Chicago Sting respectively
• Lee Stange, former MLB pitcher and MLB pitching coach
• Bill Stevenson, CFL all-star and record 7 time Grey Cup champion
• Ann Swisshelm, two-time Olympic curler
• Dan Turk, former NFL player; transferred after his sophomore season
• Dani Tyler, softball player and 1996 Olympic gold medalist
• Rick Wanamaker, winner of the 1971 Pan American Games decathlon
• Willie Wise, professional basketball player
• Felix Wright, former CFL and NFL safety

Notable faculty

• Chester C. Cole, Drake University Law School founder and professor, University of Iowa College of Law co-founder and professor, Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court
• George Gallup, Head of Journalism Department (1928-1931)
• Frank Irving Herriott (1868-1941), professor of economics (1903-1919), political science and sociology (1903-1941)
• Jacqui Kalin (born 1989), American-Israeli professional basketball player
• Robert Kibbee (died 1982), Chancellor of the City University of New York
• Edward Mansfield, Iowa Supreme Court justice and adjunct law professor
• Milman Parry, professor of Greek and Latin, 1928-29
• Terri Vaughan, Visiting professor in the College of Business and Public Administration
• Francis Wilhoit, Political Science Professor
• George G. Wright, Iowa Supreme Court justice, Drake University Law School professor, University of Iowa College of Law co-founder, United States Senator from Iowa
• Oleg Zatsarinny, Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer (Atomic Physics)