List of Western Michigan University alumni

The following is a list of Western Michigan University alumni. Note some of the individuals listed may have only attended the university at one point and not graduated.

Arts and literature

 * Bonnie Jo Campbell, author
 * Xavier Davis, pianist
 * Gwen Frostic, artist, naturalist, poet laureate of Michigan, namesake of WMU's Frostic School of Art, 1929 Bachelor of Arts
 * Peter Geye, author
 * James D. Griffioen, writer and photographer
 * Kyoko Matsuoka, author and translator
 * Richelle Mead, author
 * Hideaki Miyamura, potter
 * Melinda Moustakis, author
 * Howard Norman, novelist
 * Arleta Richardson, author
 * Carey Salerno, poet
 * Diane Seuss, poet
 * Terry Wooten, poet

Business

 * Robert Bobb, Emergency Financial Manager for the Detroit Public Schools
 * Jeanne Dietsch, co-founder of MobileRobots Inc
 * Alec Gores, billionaire president of the Gores Group with an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion
 * Gerrard Wendell Haworth, businessman, founder of Haworth, Inc.
 * Richard Haworth, businessman, chairman of Haworth, Inc., WMU trustee
 * Timothy E. Hoeksema (1972), founder of Midwest Airlines
 * Homer Hartman Stryker, founder of Stryker Corporation, 1916 Certificate of Teaching

Education

 * Terry Bergeson, State of Washington Superintendent of Public Schools
 * Robert H. Bruininks, President of University of Minnesota
 * Dr. James Bultman, President of Hope College
 * John A. Fallon, President, Eastern Michigan University; President, SUNY Potsdam; President, William Penn University
 * Frank Douglas Garrett, All-America basketball, academic dean, Oakland University
 * M. Peter McPherson, President of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, member of the Dow Jones board of directors, President-Emeritus of Michigan State University
 * John J. Pruis, President of Ball State University
 * Merze Tate, first African American graduate of WMU; first African American woman to attend Oxford; Harvard PhD

Entertainment

 * Tim Allen, actor and comedian
 * Bruce Campbell, actor
 * Terry Crews, actor
 * Brooke Elliott, star of Lifetime Television Network show Drop Dead Diva
 * Nicole Forester, actress
 * Mary Jackson, actress
 * Page Kennedy, actor
 * Don Lane, American-born Australian entertainer
 * Loretta Mae Moore Long, Susan Robinson on Sesame Street, 1960 Bachelor of Arts
 * Stephen Lynch, Tony Award-nominated actor, musician, stand-up comedian
 * Marin Mazzie, Tony Award winning actress
 * Jeff Osterhage, film and television actor
 * John Saunders, ABC Sports television personality
 * Paigion, born Kimberly Walker, actress, radio and television personality
 * David Wayne, film, television and Tony Award-winning stage actor
 * Lauren Zakrin, Broadway actress

Journalism

 * Roz Abrams, New York City TV news presenter, CNN reporter
 * Ed Gordon, television talk show host on BET and MSNBC, correspondent for NBC News and CBS News, and radio host on NPR
 * LZ Granderson, columnist for ESPN and CNN
 * Emily Rouleau-McElhaney, sports producer, Bally Sports Detroit

Law

 * Dennis W. Archer, Mayor of Detroit, Michigan Supreme Court Justice, President of the American Bar Association, WMU trustee, 1965 Bachelor of Science
 * John J. Bursch, former Michigan Solicitor General
 * Gershwin A. Drain, Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
 * Michael Cohen, Former lawyer of Donald Trump
 * Karla Gray, Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court
 * Richard Allen Griffin, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
 * Wallace Kent, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
 * John E. Turner, former Washington State Court of Appeals Judge, Division 2

Music

 * Frankie Ballard, country music artist
 * Scott Boerma, Director of Bands at WMU and former Director of the Michigan Marching Band
 * Matt Giraud, American Idol top 5 finalist
 * Josh Gracin, country music artist and American Idol finalist
 * Michael Gungor, lead singer of the musical collective Gungor
 * Sango, DJ and electronic musician, 2015 Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design
 * Wayne Static, lead singer and guitarist of industrial metal band Static-X
 * Luther Vandross, rhythm and blues/urban contemporary singer, songwriter, and record producer

Politics, diplomacy and military

 * Gardner Ackley, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under Lyndon Johnson, Economics Department Chair at the University of Michigan
 * Jase Bolger, State Representative, Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives
 * Scott Boman, Michigan politician
 * Jeanne Dietsch, New Hampshire state senator
 * Gerald Jernigan, mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan
 * Robert B. Jones, Mayor of Kalamazoo and Michigan State Representative
 * Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, U.S. Representative
 * Charles S. May, 16th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
 * Jack B. Olson, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
 * Kristy Pagan, Democratic politician from Michigan who represents the 21st District in the Michigan House of Representatives
 * Kitty Piercy, Mayor of Eugene, Oregon
 * Mark Schauer, U.S. Representative, State Senator, Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate
 * Dylan Schmorrow, Commander, U.S. Navy and aerospace experimental psychologist
 * Mark D. Siljander, U.S. Representative
 * Rashida Tlaib, U.S. Representative and former Michigan state representative;

Athletics

 * Keegan Akin, MLB pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles
 * Richard Ash, NFL player for Dallas Cowboys
 * Jason Babin, NFL player for Arizona Cardinals
 * Freddie Bishop III, CFL player for Calgary Stampeders
 * Jim Bouton, MLB baseball player, World Series pitcher for New York Yankees, actor, author of Ball Four
 * Don Boven, NBA player
 * Daniel Braverman (born 1993), NFL football player
 * Judi Brown, Olympic silver medalist
 * Matt Cappotelli, professional wrestler
 * Orlando Colon, aka Epico, WWE wrestler, played baseball for Western Michigan
 * Scott Colton, aka Colt Cabana, professional wrestler and podcaster
 * Kevin Connauton, NHL player for Dallas Stars
 * Terry Crews, NFL all-conference MAC player and actor
 * Corey Davis, NFL wide receiver for the New York Jets, highest drafted NFL player in WMU history (5th overall)
 * Danny DeKeyser, defenseman for Detroit Red Wings
 * Louis Delmas, All-American free safety NFL player
 * Bill Doba, head football coach at Washington State University (2003–2007)
 * Dave Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations of Boston Red Sox, former GM of Detroit Tigers
 * Shawn Faulkner, football player
 * Brad Fischer, bullpen coach for Oakland Athletics
 * Paul Griffin, NBA player
 * Ben Handlogten, NBA player
 * John Harbaugh, NFL head coach for Baltimore Ravens (Master's degree from WMU)
 * Glenn Healy, NHL goalie
 * Greg Jennings, former NFL wide receiver
 * Keith Jones, hockey analyst on NBC Sports and NHL player
 * Ernie Koob, MLB pitcher, threw no-hitter for 1917 St. Louis Browns
 * John Kusku, Team USA goalball player, Paralympic silver medalist
 * Bill Lajoie, general manager of Detroit Tigers, 1984–90; special advisor for three other teams
 * Rich Maloney, head coach for University of Michigan baseball team
 * Charlie Maxwell, Major League Baseball player
 * Jamal Mayers, NHL player for Chicago Blackhawks
 * Jeff Mayweather, trainer and former professional boxer
 * Jay McDonagh, football player
 * Ira James Murchison, Olympic gold medalist, NCAA national champion
 * Lenda Murray, bodybuilder, 8-time Ms. Olympia
 * Tom Nütten, retired NFL player for St. Louis Rams
 * John Offerdahl, 5-time Pro Bowl NFL player
 * Walter Owens, Negro league baseball pitcher, basketball and track and field player for Michigan, baseball and basketball coach at Detroit's Northwestern High School
 * William Perigo, Western Michigan basketball player and head coach
 * William Porter, Olympic gold medalist
 * John Potter, professional football kicker
 * Mike Prindle, NFL placekicker
 * Frank Quilici, infielder (1965, 1967–70) and manager (1972–75) for the Minnesota Twins
 * Joe Reitz, NFL offensive lineman, WMU basketball player
 * Mark Ricks, football player
 * Sean Riley (born 1974), football player
 * Adam Rosales, MLB third baseman for Oakland Athletics
 * Walker Russell, NBA player
 * Tony Scheffler, NFL tight end for Detroit Lions
 * Neil Smith, owner of Greenville Road Warriors of ECHL, general manager of NHL's New York Rangers and New York Islanders
 * Paul Szczechura, NHL player for Tampa Bay Lightning
 * Wayne Terwilliger, Chicago Cubs second baseman, MLB coach, author
 * Roger Theder, head football coach, University of California, Berkeley (1978–1981)
 * Ray Thomas, MLB player
 * Elliot Uzelac, head football coach, Western Michigan University (1975–1981) and U.S. Naval Academy (1987–1989)
 * John Vander Wal, professional baseball player
 * Jordan White, professional football player

Fictional

 * Tim Taylor, Home Improvement
 * Jill Taylor, Home Improvement