List of University of Detroit Mercy people

The following is a list of notable people associated with the University of Detroit Mercy, located in Detroit, Michigan.

Academics

 * Andreas Blass, mathematician and professor at University of Michigan
 * Kevin Boyle, winner of 2004 National Book Award for Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age; Professor of History at Ohio State University
 * Thomas Budzynski, psychologist and a pioneer in the field of biofeedback
 * John A. DiBiaggio, former president of University of Connecticut, Michigan State University and Tufts University
 * Dudley Randall, poet, librarian, poet-in-residence

Acting, theater, film and television

 * Anita Barone, actress
 * Phil Cousineau, author, lecturer, independent scholar, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker
 * Pamela Anne Eldred, Miss America 1970
 * David Patrick Kelly, actor
 * Keegan-Michael Key, actor (Key & Peele, madTV, Animal Planet)
 * Connie Kreski (Kornacki), actress, 1969 Playboy Playmate of the Year
 * Allison Payne, news anchor
 * Ted Raimi, actor, best known for his roles on seaQuest DSV and Xena: Warrior Princess
 * Amy Yasbeck, actress

Business

 * W. James Farrell, Chairman and CEO, Illinois Tool Works, 1995–2005
 * A. C. Muthiah, Chairman-Emeritus of Southern Petrochemical Industries Limited (SPIC); Chairman of Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering (SVCE)
 * Thomas Thewes, co-founder, Compuware Corporation

Engineering

 * J. Thomas McCarthy, internationally recognized authority in the field of trademarks
 * Otmar Szafnauer, Former Team Principal Alpine F1 Team; former COO of Sahara Force India Formula 1 Team; former programs manager at Ford

Journalism and writing

 * Bill Bonds, former longtime anchor of WXYZ-TV news
 * Ron Fournier, Associated Press, chief of Washington bureau
 * Elmore Leonard, author, several of whose books have been made into movies, such as Get Shorty, Be Cool, and The Big Bounce
 * J. P. McCarthy, former radio host on Detroit station WJR
 * George Noory, syndicated radio talk show host (Coast to Coast AM)
 * Allison Payne, former anchorwoman with WGN-TV, Chicago

Government and politics

 * Richard Arrington, Jr., first African American mayor of Birmingham, Alabama
 * Donald W. Banner, former United States Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks
 * Kyra Harris Bolden, Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court
 * Thomas E. Brennan, Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (1967–1973); served as Chief Justice 1969–1970; founded the Thomas M. Cooley Law School
 * Vincent M. Brennan, Michigan politician
 * James H. Brickley, 54th and 56th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan and a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court 1982–1999
 * Tina Brooks Green, Chief Judge of the 34th District Court, Romulus, Michigan
 * Vern Buchanan, Republican Congressman representing Florida's 16th congressional district
 * Tim Burns, Michigan politician
 * Pamela Carter, 38th Indiana Attorney General (1993–1997)
 * Jerome Cavanagh, Mayor of Detroit, 1962–1970
 * Michael F. Cavanagh, Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, 1982–2014 (served as Chief Justice 1991–1995)
 * Bob Constan, Michigan State House of Representatives
 * Maura D. Corrigan, director, Michigan Department of Human Services; former Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, 1998–2011 (served as Chief Justice 2001–2004)
 * George Cushingberry, Jr., Michigan House of Representatives
 * James Dinkins, Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations 2010–2014
 * Robert A. Ficano, county executive of Wayne County, Michigan, 2013–2015
 * Roman S. Gribbs, mayor of Detroit, 1970–1974, Judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals
 * Frank J. Kelley, longest-serving Attorney General in Michigan history (1961–1998)
 * Theodore Levin, U.S. District Court Judge (1946–1970); father of Charles and Joseph Levin; uncle of Senator Carl Levin and Representative Sander Levin
 * Greg Mathis, retired Michigan 36th District Court judge and syndicated television show judge
 * E. Michael McCann, former Milwaukee County District Attorney
 * Thaddeus McCotter, former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 11th congressional district (2003–2012)
 * Zenaida Moya, Mayor of Belize City, Belize, 2006–2012
 * L. Brooks Patterson, lawyer and politician, formerly the County Executive of Oakland County, Michigan
 * Gary Peters, United States Senator from Michigan, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 9th congressional district
 * Haider Abbas Rizvi, former member of the National Assembly of Pakistan; a senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party
 * James L. Ryan, retired Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, 1975–1985; Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 1985–present
 * Thomas Patrick Thornton, United States Federal Judge

Military and space

 * Richard F. Abel, former United States Air Force brig. general
 * Paul Bikle, former director of the NASA Flight Research Center
 * Robert J. Elder, Jr, former United States Air Force lt. general
 * Glynn Lunney, NASA flight director

Religion

 * Joseph M. Breitenbeck, eighth Bishop of Grand Rapids, 1969–1989
 * Joseph Cassidy, Anglican priest
 * Gary Habermas, PhD, philosophical theologian and apologist; defender of Christ's historical Resurrection
 * Dario Hunter, first Muslim-born person to be ordained a rabbi
 * Dale Joseph Melczek, third Bishop of Gary, since 1996
 * Robert A. Mitchell, 1st Chancellor of University of Detroit Mercy (1990–1992)
 * Steven J. Raica, fifth Bishop of Gaylord, since 2014
 * Francis R. Reiss, auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, since 2003
 * Jane Dewar Schaberg (1977–2012), Professor of Religious Studies and Women's Studies

Sports

 * Grady Alderman, offensive lineman for 1969 NFL champion Minnesota Vikings and General Manager of Denver Broncos
 * John Barrett (1899–1966), professional football player
 * Dan Boisture (1925–2007), coach of Eastern Michigan (1967–73) and Detroit Wheels (1974) football teams
 * Lloyd Brazil (1906–1965), U of D coach and athletic director
 * Frank Bucher (1900–1970), professional football player
 * Wes Carlson, professional football player
 * Walt Cassidy (1899–1944), professional football player
 * Gus Cifelli (1926–2009), football player for Notre Dame and 1952 NFL champion Detroit Lions
 * Earl Cureton, NBA player for Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, 2-time NBA champion
 * Dave DeBusschere (1940–2003), NBA Hall of Fame, played basketball for Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks, coach of Pistons; also played baseball for Chicago White Sox
 * Terry Duerod, former NBA player, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics
 * Bill Ebben, former NBA player
 * Andrew "Anvil Andy" Farkas (1916–2001), player for 1942 NFL champion Washington Redskins
 * Tom Finnin, former NFL player for Baltimore Colts
 * Willie Green, basketball player for NBA's Orlando Magic, assistant coach Golden State Warriors, head coach New Orleans Pelicans.
 * Jody Handley, soccer player for England women's national football team
 * Spencer Haywood, U of D basketball player, Olympic gold medalist, 4-time NBA All-Star, Basketball Hall of Fame
 * Dave Hill (1937–2011), PGA Tour golfer with 13 tour wins
 * Lee Knorek (1921–2003), NBA player for New York Knicks
 * Joe Kopicki, professional basketball player
 * Dutch Lauer (1898–1978), professional football player
 * John Long, professional basketball player, member of 1989 NBA champion Detroit Pistons
 * Bruce Maher, former NFL player for Detroit Lions
 * Ted Marchibroda (1931–2016), twice head coach of NFL's Baltimore Colts/Indianapolis Colts, offensive co-ordinator for Buffalo Bills Super Bowl teams
 * Ray McCallum, Jr., NBA player for San Antonio Spurs
 * Bob Miller (1926–2020), former MLB player (1949–58) and U-D baseball coach (1965–2000); career Titans coaching record of 896-780-2; named to Titans Hall of Fame 1979
 * Guy Murray, Detroit Titans cross country/track and field head coach
 * Dorie Murrey, NBA player for Detroit Pistons, Seattle SuperSonics
 * A. C. Muthiah, president of Board of Control for Cricket in India 1999–2001
 * Tip O'Neill (1898–1984), professional football player
 * Andrew Ornoch, Mississauga Eagles FC
 * Chase Simon (born 1989), basketball player for Maccabi Ashdod of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
 * Jimmy Simpson (1897–1979), professional football player
 * Gino Sovran (1924–2016), professional basketball player
 * Guy Sparrow, former NBA player for New York Knicks
 * Art Stolkey (1920–2013), professional basketball player
 * Terry Thomas (1953–1998), former NBA player
 * Terry Tyler, NBA player for Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings
 * Owen Wells (1950–1993), professional basketball player

Notable faculty

 * Richard Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller, visiting professor in the School of Architecture at University of Detroit, 1970
 * Robert S. Johnston (1901–1902), classics, English, and mathematics teacher; later president of Saint Louis University
 * Isaiah McKinnon
 * John P. McNichols, S.J., Jesuit priest and 11th president of University of Detroit 1921–1932; established the McNichols Campus, and is the namesake for McNichols Road in Detroit
 * Frank Murphy, law instructor; Michigan jurist; Mayor of Detroit; Governor of Michigan; the last Governor-General of the Philippines; and the first High Commissioner of the Philippines, United States Attorney General, and United States Supreme Court Associate Justice
 * Joyce Carol Oates, taught at the University of Detroit; published her first novel, With Shuddering Fall, when she was 26 years old; her novel them received the National Book Award in 1970; has taught at Princeton University since 1978
 * Dick Vitale, basketball coach and broadcaster, head coach of Detroit Titans men's basketball 1973–1977