List of Wheaton College (Illinois) alumni

This list of Wheaton College alumni includes notable individuals who studied as undergraduates or graduate students at Wheaton College (Illinois).

Academia

 * Bart D. Ehrman, 1978 – Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
 * John J. Tyson, 1969 – Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech and former president of the Society for Mathematical Biology
 * C. Stephen Evans, BA philosophy, 1969 – University Professor of Philosophy and the Humanities at Baylor University
 * Nathan O. Hatch, (summa cum laude) 1968 – former president of Wake Forest University and provost of University of Notre Dame
 * Arthur F. Holmes – philosopher and professor at Wheaton College
 * Douglas Jacobsen, BA philosophy, 1973 – scholar of global Christianity, Distinguished Professor at Messiah University
 * Walter Kaiser Jr. – Old Testament scholar
 * Robert A. Kraft – historian of early Judaism and Christianity at the University of Pennsylvania
 * Merritt Maduke, BS chemistry (summa cum laude), 1989 – Associate Professor of Molecular & Cellular Physiology at Stanford University
 * Gerald P. McKenny, BA philosophy, 1979 – Walter Professor of Theology at University of Notre Dame
 * Niel B. Nielson, BA philosophy, 1976 – former president of Covenant College
 * Mark Noll, BA English – professor of history at University of Notre Dame
 * Phil Ryken, BA English literature and philosophy, 1988 – former pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church and current president of Wheaton College
 * Daniel W. Smith, BA literature
 * John H. Walton – Old Testament scholar
 * Marvin R. Wilson, BA history – Professor of Biblical Studies at Gordon College

Business

 * Dwayne Andreas. former CEO of Archer Daniels Midland ADM
 * Robert Van Kampen, 1960, founder of the investment banking firm Van Kampen
 * Robert W. Lane, former CEO of John Deere
 * C. William Pollard, former chairman and CEO of ServiceMaster

Civil Rights

 * C. Herbert Oliver, civil rights activist

Media, arts and entertainment

 * Jim Abel – singer-songwriter
 * Nuala Archer – Irish-American poet
 * Scott Baker – journalist, editor in chief of The Blaze
 * Wes Craven, writing and psychology – horror film director
 * Piper Curda – singer and actress
 * Ian Eskelin, BA Communications – singer-songwriter, All Star United
 * Cathleen Falsani, 1992 – journalist; columnist for Chicago Sun-Times
 * Colyn Fischer, Bachelor of Music Performance, 1999 – violinist
 * Jason Harrod – singer-songwriter, Harrod and Funck
 * Carol Huston – actress, Matlock
 * Camille and Kennerly Kitt – twin harpists and actresses
 * Margaret Landon, 1925 – author of the novel Anna and the King of Siam
 * Elliot Leung – film composer – The Battle at Lake Changjin, the highest grossing non-English film of all time
 * Kurt Lightner – artist
 * Adam McCune, BA, 2006 – co-author of the novel The Rats of Hamelin
 * Sylvia McNair, Bachelor of Music, 1978 – soprano
 * John Nelson, Bachelor of Music, 1963, DMUS 1989 – conductor
 * Jeffrey Nordling, BA, 1984 – actor
 * Martin O'Donnell, Bachelor of Music, 1977 – composer, Halo video game series
 * Kate Pierson – singer with the B-52s
 * Walter Ratliff, MA Communications – journalist
 * Luci Shaw, BA English Literature/New Testament Greek, magna cum laude, poet
 * Mischa Willett - poet
 * Robert H. Siegel, BA, 1961 – poet, novelist
 * Wendy White, Bachelor of Music, 1975 – mezzo-soprano
 * Douglas Yeo, Bachelor of Music, 1976 – bass trombonist
 * Ken Klippenstein, Bachelor of Arts English Literature, 2010 – Journalist

Politics

 * David J. Apol – Acting Director of U.S. Office of Government Ethics (2017–2018)
 * Torrey C. Brown – Secretary, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
 * Dan Coats – Director of National Intelligence (2017–2019), U.S. Senator (R-IN) (1989–1999, 2011–2017)
 * Michael Gerson – senior advisor to President George W. Bush (2000–2006)
 * Richard C. Halverson – chaplain, U.S. Senate (1981–1994)
 * Dennis Hastert – U.S. Representative (R-IL) (1987–2007), former Speaker of the House
 * Paul B. Henry – U.S. Representative (R-MI) (1985–1993)
 * David Iglesias – U.S. Attorney, District of New Mexico (2001–2006)
 * Jim McDermott – U.S. Representative (D-WA) (1989–2017)
 * Abram B. Steele – New York State Assembly (1904–1906)
 * Russell Vought – Director, Office of Management and Budget (2020–2021)
 * Tim Walberg – U.S. Representative (R-MI) (2007–2009, 2011–present)
 * Timothy Weeden – Wisconsin State Legislature (1987–1997)
 * David Young – Nixon administration (1970–1973); co-founder of the Nixon Administration's White House Plumbers

Religion

 * David Anders – later Catholic convert; author, radio host on EWTN, main contributor to "Called to Communion - Catholic and Reformed Dialogue" website
 * Juanita Breckenridge Bates – Congregationalist minister
 * Rob Bell – founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church and featured speaker in NOOMA films
 * Paul-Gordon Chandler – Episcopal priest, author and interfaith advocate
 * Edmund Clowney – theologian and president of Westminster Theological Seminary
 * Mal Couch – founder and president of the Tyndale Theological Seminary
 * William Lane Craig – apologist, professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, author of The Kalam Cosmological Argument
 * Chip Edgar – Anglican bishop of South Carolina
 * Jim Elliot – martyred missionary
 * Elisabeth Elliot – author, noted missionary; widow of Jim Elliot
 * David Otis Fuller – author, pastor, founder of the "Which Bible?" Society, editor of the Baptist Bulletin
 * Bill Gothard – minister and author, former president of the Institute in Basic Life Principles
 * Billy Graham – evangelist
 * Ruth Graham – author and poet, wife of Billy Graham
 * Carl F. H. Henry – first editor-in-chief of the magazine Christianity Today
 * Paul King Jewett – theologian and professor at Fuller Theological Seminary
 * Daniel C. Juster – leader in the Messianic Judaism movement
 * Harold Lindsell – former editor of the magazine Christianity Today
 * Ed McCully – martyred missionary
 * Josh McDowell – Christian apologist
 * Alvera Mickelsen, 1942 – writer, journalism professor, advocate of Christian feminism and co-founder of Christians for Biblical Equality
 * John Ortberg – pastor and author
 * John Piper – pastor and author
 * Stewart Ruch – Anglican bishop of the Upper Midwest
 * Nate Saint – martyred missionary
 * Steve Saint – author, missionary; son of Nate Saint
 * Burton Smith – minister and community organizer
 * Jon M. Sweeney – author, editor, book publisher
 * Kenneth N. Taylor – paraphraser of The Living Bible and founder of Tyndale Publishers
 * Frances E. Townsley – minister
 * A. W. Tozer – minister and author
 * John Walvoord – author and former president of Dallas Theological Seminary
 * Gary Wilde – minister and author
 * Philip Yancey – author and editor
 * So Yan Pui - Founder of Breakthrough movement, a youth ministry in Hong Kong and Taiwan

Science

 * James S. Albus (1935–2011), B.S. 1957 – engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology
 * Harold Alden (1890–1964), 1912 – astronomer
 * Arthur J. Ammann, 1958 – pediatric immunologist; pioneer in understanding HIV transmission, helped develop pneumococcal vaccine
 * Paul Werner Gast (1930–1973), 1952 – geochemist and geologist
 * J. Laurence Kulp (1921–2006), 1942 – geochemist; pioneer in radiometric dating methods
 * Ronald C. Phillips (1932–2005), 1954 – marine botanist; pioneer in seagrass science
 * John Wesley Powell (1834–1902), – 19th-century geologist and explorer of the American West
 * Dr. Taylor McKenzie - The first  Navajo to graduate from a medical school. A surgeon and former Navajo Nation Vice President.

Sports

 * Marshall Hollingsworth, 2015 – professional soccer player
 * Pete Ittersagen, 2009 – NFL cornerback, Tennessee Titans
 * Donnie Nelson, 1986 – General Manager, Dallas Mavericks
 * Mel Peterson, 1960 – former NBA player
 * Randy Pfund, 1974 – General Manager, Miami Heat
 * Andy Studebaker, 2008 – NFL linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs

Other

 * Todd Beamer, 1991 – passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93
 * Clinton F. Irwin – Justice of the Oklahoma Territorial Supreme Court (1899–1907)
 * Raymond Joseph, 1960 – former Haitian Ambassador to the United States
 * Trevor N. McFadden, 2001 – Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
 * Samuel H. Sedgwick, Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court
 * Edward Breathitte Sellers, 1866 – first Wheaton College graduate of color
 * Timothy Stoen, 1960 – member of Peoples Temple; Jonestown defector
 * Dave Theurer – game designer; created Missile Command and Tempest for Atari
 * R. Timothy Ziemer – Navy admiral and global health expert