List of University of Central Missouri people

The following is a list of notable people associated with the University of Central Missouri, located in the American city of Warrensburg, Missouri.

Politics and government

 * Rex Barnett (born 1938), politician and former officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol
 * Wallace H. Graham, physician to the President (1945–1953); major general
 * James Kirkpatrick, served as 32nd Missouri secretary of state
 * Phill Kline, former Kansas attorney general; law professor at Liberty University
 * Randy Pike, member of the Missouri House of Representatives
 * Darrell Pollock, former member of the Missouri House of Representatives
 * James B. Potter Jr., member of the Los Angeles City Council (1963–1971)
 * Carl Turner, member of the Kansas House of Representatives

Arts and media

 * David R. Bunch, author of short stories and poetry who works primarily in science fiction, satire, surrealism, and literary fiction
 * Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People
 * Tolga Çevik, actor from Turkey
 * David Cook, 2008 American Idol winner
 * Grant Curtis, executive producer of Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3
 * Thomas Hollyman, photojournalist
 * David Holsinger, wind ensemble composer
 * Allan Kayser, actor who played Bubba Higgins on Mama's Family
 * Erich "Mancow" Muller, host of Mancow's Morning Madhouse, a Chicago-based radio show syndicated across the U.S.
 * Brian Thomas Smith, actor known for The Big Bang Theory

Education

 * Christopher Bell (1974–2009), scholar, author, and president of the Society for Disability Studies
 * Robert P. Foster, president of Northwest Missouri State University 1964–1977
 * Lawrence Walkup (1914–2002), president of Northern Arizona University

Science and technology

 * Curtis Cooper, mathematician known for discovering largest known prime number
 * Thomas Kunz, researcher notable for insights into bat ecology
 * Gregg Miller, inventor of Neuticles and author; 2005 recipient of Ig Nobel Prize for Medicine
 * Richard Schelp, mathematician; frequent research collaborator with Paul Erdős
 * David Steward, billionaire CEO of World Wide Technology, Inc., the world's largest African American-owned company

Athletes

 * Jim Chaney, offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Volunteers
 * Mark Curp, former world and American record-holder in the half-marathon
 * Zach Davidson, tight end and punter for the Buffalo Bills, drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings
 * Todd Devoe, wide receiver in the NFL and Arena Football League
 * Anna Glennon, jet ski racer
 * Roderick Green, defensive end and linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers
 * Maury John, basketball coach at Drake University (1958–1971) and Iowa State University (1971–1974)
 * Vern Kennedy, former pitcher of the Chicago White Sox, best known for throwing the first no-hitter in Comiskey Park
 * Toby Korrodi, quarterback signed by the Arizona Cardinals in 2007 and cut in training camp
 * Chuck Palumbo, professional wrestler
 * Butch "Hacksaw" Reed, professional wrestler
 * Jerry Reuss, former pitcher best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers
 * Katie Sowers, offensive assistant for the San Francisco 49ers; first openly gay coach in NFL history and first female coach to coach in a Super Bowl
 * Ron Tabb, marathon runner
 * Delanie Walker, tight end for the Tennessee Titans
 * Colston Weatherington, former NFL and AFL player
 * Jeff Wright, former nose tackle for the Buffalo Bills

Owners and executives

 * Russ Ball, NFL executive
 * Jim Crane, owner of Houston Astros baseball team

Other

 * Jeffrey Lundgren, self-proclaimed prophet; former leader of a cult group and convicted murderer
 * James O. McKinsey, founder of McKinsey & Company
 * Carrie Nation, leader of the temperance movement

Notable faculty

 * Phog Allen, basketball coach known as the "father of basketball coaching"; spent majority of career at the University of Kansas and namesake of Allen Fieldhouse
 * Kim Anderson, replaced Frank Haith as head basketball coach of the Missouri Tigers
 * Gene Bartow, replaced John Wooden as basketball coach of the UCLA Bruins
 * Mildred Barnes, basketball coach 1971–1980, member of the U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball Committee 1965–1972 (chair 1974–1976), inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000
 * Curtis Cooper, mathematics
 * Joe B. Hall, replaced Adolph Rupp as basketball coach of the Kentucky Wildcats
 * Christopher Jargocki, physics
 * Jim Johnson, associate athletic director (2003 to 2005); current athletic director for Pittsburg State University
 * Mike Racy, vice president for law, policy, and strategy (2013–2016); current commissioner of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association