List of Drake University people

This is a list of notable alumni and faculty of Drake University.

Notable alumni

Politics and military

Brenna Bird, Iowa Attorney General (2023–)
Governor of Iowa
(1945–1949)

United States ambassador to China
(2017–2020), longest-serving state governor in U.S. history

Bonnie Campbell, lawyer, former Iowa Attorney General (1991–1995) and gubernatorial candidate
Johnnie Carson, career diplomat
Merwin Coad, Iowa Congressman (1957–1963)
Joe Crail, California Congressman (1927–1933)
Chet Culver, former Governor of Iowa (2007–2011)
Cassius Clay Dowell
, Iowa Congressman (1915–1935, 1937–1940)
Abby Finkenauer, former Iowa Congresswoman (2019–2021)
Guy Gillette, Iowa Congressman (1933–1936) and Senator (1936–1945, 1949–1955)
Robert K. Goodwin, Iowa Congressman (1940–1941)
Adam Gregg, lieutenant governor of Iowa (2019–present)
Carl W. Hoffman, U.S. Marine Corps Major general
Hawaii State Senate
Darrell R. Lindsey, Medal of Honor recipient
Zach Nunn, U.S. Representative-elect from Iowa’s 3rd district (2023–)
Jim Nussle, former Iowa Congressman (1991–2007) and director of the Office of Management and Budget
United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues in the Office of Global Criminal Justice

Robert D. Ray, Governor of Iowa (1969–1983)
U.S. Air Force
Major General
Neal Smith, former Iowa Congressman
(1959–1995)

Sara Taylor, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Political Affairs in the George W. Bush
administration

Hubert Utterback, Iowa Congressman (1935–1937)
Frederick T. Weber, Naval aviator who died at the Battle of Midway
David Young, former Iowa Congressman (2015–2019)

Law

Mark Cady, lawyer, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Iowa (2011–2019)
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa
(1977–1981), and Iowa senate and gubernatorial candidate
Robert Cowen, senior judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
George Gardner Fagg, United States federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit^[1]
Cleon H. Foust, Indiana Attorney General (1947–1949)^[2]
Joseph C. Howard Sr., Judge, United States District Court for the District of Maryland (1979–2000)
Louis A. Lavorato, lawyer, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Iowa (2000–2006)
Ronald Olson, partner in the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Munger Tolles & Olson LLP
Wendy J. Olson, United States Attorney for the District of Idaho (2010–2017)
Marsha Ternus, lawyer, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Iowa (2006–2010)
Terry Trieweiler
, Montana Supreme Court Justice, Montana Lawyer of the Year

Arts and literature

Joanne Aono, artist
Rose Bampton, principal singer at Metropolitan Opera during 1930s and 1940s
Bruce Brubaker, musician
Bill Bryson, author
Marsha Wilson Chall, children's author
Gwen M. Davidson, artist
Mark Doty, poet
Susan Glaspell, author
Joseph Hermann, conductor, clarinetist and music educator; president of American Bandmasters Association
Stanley Hess, artist, instrument maker, educator
Syleena Johnson, R&B singer, actress, and reality television personality
Ira Levin, author of Rosemary's Baby, The Boys from Brazil, The Stepford Wives, Deathtrap
Sherrill Milnes, operatic baritone
Carol Morris, actress and Miss Universe 1956
Dick Oatts, jazz saxophonist
Phil Stong, author of State Fair, novel filmed three times
Matthew Stover, author of fantasy and science fiction, including novelization of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Roger Williams, musician and composer
Bart Yates, author

Entertainment and media

Steve Allen, comedian, actor and first host of The Tonight Show (attended, did not graduate)
Lew Anderson, musician and voice of Clarabell the Clown
John August, screenwriter
Steve Bannos, film actor and writer
Mary Bock, journalist
Joseph Chaikin, founder of the Open Theater, theater director, actor, author
Lee Ann Colacioppo, nee Fleet, editor of The Denver Post^[3]
Julee Cruise, singer and actress
Mark DeCarlo, actor, comedian, host of Taste of America television show, cartoon voice actor
Jerry Douglas, writer and director, notably of gay pornographic films
Michael Emerson, two-time Emmy Award-winning actor
Bridget Flanery, actress
Lambert Hillyer, silent film director
Dave Mallow, voice-over artist for television, film, animation, commercials, video games
Al McCoy, sports broadcaster, voice of the Phoenix Suns

Clark R. Mollenhoff, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
Jeremy Piven, three-time Emmy Award-winning actor (attended, did not graduate)
Ray Rizzo, three-time Pokémon Video Game World Champion
Wynn Speece, "Neighbor Lady", WNAX radio station
Kazuki Takahashi, creator of Yu-Gi-Oh! (attended, did not graduate)
Jim Uhls, screenwriter, including the script for Fight Club
Sam Wanamaker, actor and director
Larry Whiteside, award-winning sportswriter
Rex Wockner, journalist
David L. Wolper, television and film producer

Business

Archie R. Boe, former Chairman and CEO of the Allstate Corporation; former president of Sears, Roebuck
George A. Cohon, founder of McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited
and McDonald's in Russia

Dayton Hudson Corporation (since renamed Target Corporation
)

Chief Executive Officer of Wick Communications
Company

Dwight D. Opperman, former CEO of West Publishing Company, after whom Drake's law library is named
Johnny C. Taylor Jr., president and CEO of Society for Human Resource Management
Fred L. Turner, former Chairman of McDonald's

Science and academia

Jon Bowermaster, oceans expert, journalist, filmmaker and adventurer
W. Dean Eastman, award-winning educator
Cuthbert Hurd, computer pioneer^[4]
Rachelle Keck, academic administrator
Thomas Kunz, researcher notable for insights into bat ecology
Timothy Ley
, hematologist, oncologist and cancer biologist
William A. Staples, president of the University of Houston–Clear Lake
Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
Harley A. Wilhelm, Manhattan Project scientist and co-inventor of the Ames Process for purifying uranium, co-founder of the Ames Laboratory for the U.S. Dept. of Energy

Athletics

Chris Ash, football coach, former head coach at Rutgers University
NFL defensive end for the Chicago Cardinals

Johnny Bright, member of the College and Canadian Football Hall of Fame
center for the Green Bay Packers

Billy Cundiff, NFL placekicker
Keno Davis, basketball coach, 2008 Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year
NFL
player
North Carolina State University
NFL
player
Ezra Hendrickson, professional soccer player and coach
York Hentschel, CFL player and 3 time Grey Cup champion
Maury John, Hall of Fame basketball coach: Final Four (1969), and Elite 8 (1970 and 1971)
Zach Johnson, professional golfer, winner of the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship
NFL
player
Wayne Kreklow, retired professional basketball player
Kevin Little, 1997 world indoor champion, 200-meter dash
Lewis Lloyd, retired professional basketball player
NFL
player
NFL
player
NBA
player
NFL
player
NBA
player
NFL
player
NFL
player, Drake Football record holder
NFL
player
Bob Netolicky, professional basketball player
Charlie Partridge, football coach, former head coach at Florida Atlantic University
Mike Samples, former Canadian Football League player
Eric Saubert, professional American football player
Baltimore Colts and Chicago Sting
respectively

MLB

pitcher and MLB pitching coach

Bill Stevenson, CFL all-star and record 7 time Grey Cup champion
Ann Swisshelm, two-time Olympic curler
NFL
player; transferred after his sophomore season
Dani Tyler, softball player and 1996 Olympic gold medalist
Rick Wanamaker, winner of the 1971 Pan American Games decathlon
Willie Wise, professional basketball player
safety

Notable faculty

Chester C. Cole, Drake University Law School founder and professor, University of Iowa College of Law co-founder and professor, Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court
George Gallup, Head of Journalism Department (1928-1931)
Frank Irving Herriott
(1868-1941), professor of economics (1903-1919), political science and sociology (1903-1941)
Jacqui Kalin (born 1989), American-Israeli professional basketball player
Robert Kibbee (died 1982), Chancellor of the City University of New York
Edward Mansfield, Iowa Supreme Court justice and adjunct law professor
Milman Parry, professor of Greek and Latin, 1928-29
Terri Vaughan, Visiting professor in the College of Business and Public Administration
Francis Wilhoit
, Political Science Professor
George G. Wright, Iowa Supreme Court justice, Drake University Law School professor, University of Iowa College of Law co-founder, United States Senator from Iowa
Oleg Zatsarinny, Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer (Atomic Physics)

References

^ "Biographical Directory of Federal Judges Fagg, George Gardner". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
^ White, Donald (10 Apr 1973). "The Hoosier Day". Rushville Evening Daily Republican.
^ "Lee Ann Colacioppo". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
New York Times
. Retrieved May 24, 2010.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Drake_University_people&oldid=1220872188"

[1] "Biographical Directory of Federal Judges Fagg, George Gardner". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved September 2, 2012.

[2] White, Donald (10 Apr 1973). "The Hoosier Day". Rushville Evening Daily Republican.

[3] "Lee Ann Colacioppo". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2021-06-26.

[4] New York Times
. Retrieved May 24, 2010.

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