List of Central Michigan University people

This is a list of notable alumni and faculty of Central Michigan University.

Acting

 * Tim Allen – actor, Toy Story, Home Improvement (attended; transferred to Western Michigan University)
 * Larry Joe Campbell – actor, co-starred on According to Jim as Andy
 * Jeff Daniels – Emmy-winning actor, Terms of Endearment, Arachnophobia, Gettysburg, Dumb and Dumber, Good Night, and Good Luck, The Newsroom
 * Carter Oosterhouse – reality TV star of Trading Spaces
 * Terry O'Quinn – Emmy-winning actor, co-starred on Lost as John Locke
 * Amy Roloff – reality TV star of Little People, Big World
 * Brad Slaight – actor, The Young and the Restless, Love Chronicles, Unsolved Mysteries; comedian

Broadcasting

 * Cam Brainard – voiceover artist and broadcaster
 * Dick Enberg – Emmy-winning sports broadcaster
 * Clark Howard – syndicated consumer talk-show host
 * Edythe Lewis – pioneering Black disc jockey
 * Lem Tucker – Emmy-winning correspondent, CBS News

Journalism

 * Terry Foster – The Detroit News columnist and WXYT-FM radio host
 * John Grogan – author of best-selling memoir Marley & Me and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist
 * Lorrie Lynch – weekend editor, columnist, USA Today magazine
 * Roger Schawinski – Swiss media pioneer and founder of TeleZüri and Tele24
 * Drew Sheneman – award-winning editorial cartoonist, The Star-Ledger

Politics and military

 * Ralph Baker – U.S. Army brigadier general
 * Matt Bevin – former Governor of Kentucky
 * Kevin Cotter – former speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives
 * Vivien Crea – U.S. Coast Guard vice admiral and 25th Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard
 * Michael P. DeLong – U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general
 * Robert P. Griffin – United States Senator and House of Representatives member
 * Scott Haraburda – U.S. Army colonel and president of Indiana Society of Professional Engineers
 * Joseph R. Inge – U.S. Army lieutenant general
 * Reuben D. Jones – U.S. Army major general
 * William F. Kernan – U.S. Army general and commander of Joint Forces Command
 * Dan Kildee – United States Representative for Michigan's 5th congressional district
 * Alveda King – activist, author, and former state representative for the 28th District in the Georgia House of Representatives; niece of Martin Luther King Jr.
 * Andrea LaFontaine – represents 32nd District in Michigan House of Representatives
 * Brenda Lawrence – United States Representative for Michigan's 14th congressional district, former mayor of Southfield, Michigan, and 2010 Democratic Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
 * Michael R. Lehnert – U.S. Marine Corps major general
 * Mike Maturen – 2016 United States presidential candidate
 * Herbert H. McMillan – former Maryland state delegate
 * William Nolde – U.S. Army colonel last official combat casualty of Vietnam War
 * Thomas M. Pappas – U.S. Army colonel disciplined from the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal
 * Pete Peterson – U.S. Air Force colonel and Florida Representative
 * Lorraine K. Potter – 14th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force
 * Philip Potvin – represents 102nd district in Michigan House of Representatives
 * Joseph Ralston – U.S. Air Force general and commander of NATO
 * John W. Raymond – U.S. Space Force general
 * Verlina Reynolds-Jackson – politician who represents the 15th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly
 * Courtney Rogers – U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and Tennessee Representative
 * Jimmy D. Ross – U.S. Army general and commander of Army Materiel Command
 * John B. Sams – U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General and commander of 15th Air Force
 * Peter Schoomaker – 35th Chief of Staff of the United States Army
 * Norton A. Schwartz – 19th Chief of Staff of the Air Force
 * Mary Sheffield – President of the Detroit City Council
 * Lance L. Smith – U.S. Air Force general
 * Michael D. Steele – U.S. Army colonel
 * Stephen Twitty – U.S. Army major general, Commanding Officer Fort Bliss
 * Anthony Zinni – businessman and retired U.S. Marine Corps general

Sports

 * Curtis Adams – former National Football League running back for the San Diego Chargers
 * Phil Baroni – professional MMA fighter formerly with the UFC
 * Dan Bazuin – former NFL defensive end for the Chicago Bears
 * Walter Beach – former NFL safety for the Cleveland Browns
 * Nick Bellore – NFL fullback for the Seattle Seahawks
 * Ray Bentley – former NFL linebacker, primarily with the Buffalo Bills; ESPN broadcaster
 * Jim Bowman – former NFL defensive back for the New England Patriots
 * Mark Brisker – American-Israeli professional basketball player
 * Antonio Brown – former NFL wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers
 * Josh Collmenter – former MLB player with the Arizona Diamondbacks
 * Tyler Conklin – NFL tight end for the New York Jets
 * Paris Cotton – CFL running back with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * Tom Crean – head men's basketball coach for the Indiana Hoosiers (2008–2017)
 * Todd Dagenais – head coach for UCF Knights women's volleyball
 * Titus Davis – former NFL wide receiver
 * Tony F. Elliott – former NFL defensive back for the Green Bay Packers
 * Paul Emmel – MLB umpire
 * Dietrich Enns – MLB pitcher
 * Tony Ferguson (attended) – mixed martial artist, The Ultimate Fighter 13 winner, currently competing in the UFC's Lightweight Division
 * Eric Fisher – NFL offensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts
 * Eric Ghiaciuc – former NFL center for the Cincinnati Bengals
 * Josh Gordy – former NFL defensive back for the Indianapolis Colts
 * Brock Gutierrez – former NFL center, primarily for the Detroit Lions
 * Gary Hogeboom – former NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys
 * Nate Huffman – professional basketball player, 2001 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
 * Tory Humphrey – former NFL tight end for the New Orleans Saints
 * Robert Jackson – former NFL defensive back for the Cincinnati Bengals
 * Cullen Jenkins – former NFL defensive end for the Green Bay Packers
 * Stephen Jones – CFL All-Star and Grey Cup champion
 * Chris Kaman – former NBA player
 * Adam Kieft – former NFL offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals
 * Chris Knapp – MLB pitcher
 * Dan LeFevour – former NFL quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, and Indianapolis Colts
 * Andy MacDonald – head coach for Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football (1965–1968)
 * James McElroy – former NBA player for the New Orleans Jazz and the Atlanta Hawks
 * Dan Majerle – former NBA player, primarily for the Phoenix Suns
 * Zach McKinstry – MLB player currently with the Detroit Tigers
 * Suzy Merchant – women's basketball head coach, Michigan State
 * Drew Mormino – NFL offensive lineman for the Miami Dolphins
 * Shane Morris – Arena Football League quarterback for the Baltimore Brigade
 * Marguerite Pearson – All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player and athletic instructor at CMU
 * Kito Poblah – former CFL wide receiver, primarily for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * Jim Podoley – former NFL wide receiver for the Washington Redskins
 * Ben Poquette – former NBA player for the Detroit Pistons
 * Ryan Radcliff – former quarterback
 * Thomas Rawls – former NFL running back for the Seattle Seahawks
 * Mose Rison – head coach for North Carolina Central Eagles football (2007–2010)
 * Dan Roundfield – former NBA player, primarily with the Atlanta Hawks
 * Cooper Rush – NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys
 * Chase Simon (born 1989) – basketball player for Maccabi Ashdod of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
 * Joe Staley – former NFL offensive tackle, first-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers (2007)
 * George "The Animal" Steele – professional wrestler
 * Kevin Tapani – former MLB pitcher, primarily with the Minnesota Twins
 * Zurlon Tipton – former NFL running back for the Indianapolis Colts
 * Tom Tresh – 1962 AL Rookie of the Year, shortstop, primarily with the New York Yankees
 * Jonathan Ward – NFL running back for the Arizona Cardinals
 * J. J. Watt – former NFL defensive lineman for the Houston Texans; left school after one year
 * Curt Young – former MLB pitcher, current pitching coach with the Oakland Athletics
 * Frank Zombo – former NFL linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs

Miscellaneous

 * Angeline Boulley – author of Firekeeper's Daughter
 * Jeffrey R. Caponigro – president and CEO of Caponigro Public Relations, Inc
 * Harold Cronk – screenwriter, director, producer and founding partner at 10 West Studios
 * Alex Cruz – former British Airways CEO
 * DDG – Youtuber and rapper
 * Andrew Dost – pianist in the Grammy Award-winning band Fun
 * Dennis Frederiksen – vocalist
 * Brandi Love – pornographic actress
 * Guy Newland – Professor of Philosophy and Religion
 * Karen J. Nichols – physician and former medical school dean
 * Terry Nichols – participant in the Oklahoma City bombing (attended 1 semester)
 * Jennifer Schomaker, chemist, professor, researcher
 * Bill Schwab – fine art photographer
 * Keith Sintay – animation artist
 * Lori Nelson Spielman – author
 * C. W. Thornthwaite – geographer and climatologist
 * Zachery S. Mitcham-Author, MSA '86

Faculty

 * Jeffrey Addicott – Adjunct law professor
 * Bill Ballenger – Political science professor
 * Stephen M. Colarelli – Psychology professor
 * Sidney Graham – Math professor
 * Mitchell K. Hall – History professor
 * Eric A. Johnson – History professor
 * Sari Ibrahim Khoury – Art professor
 * Charles V. Park – Library science professor
 * Paul Yu – Philosophy professor