Famous Alumni

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, one of the best-known American dramatists of the mid-20th century.

Actor who grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, and attended KU. He broke out in Clueless and has since starred in Anchorman, Knocked Up, and the Marvel film Ant-Man.

Director of the FBI from 1973 to 1978, leading the bureau through the years after Watergate. Before that, he was Chief of Police in Kansas City, Missouri, and he is a KU graduate.

KU engineering graduate, Navy officer, and NASA astronaut. He was Command Module Pilot on Apollo 17 in December 1972, the last crewed mission to the Moon. He orbited the Moon alone while his crewmates explored the surface.

Offensive tackle who played at KU and then for the Cleveland Browns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984 and later went on to coach in the NFL.

KU football standout and College Football Hall of Fame member. He played 16 seasons in the AFL and NFL, most of them as quarterback of the San Diego Chargers. He later coached and returned to KU as an associate athletic director.

CEO of Ripple, a blockchain and digital payments company. Earlier in his career he held senior roles at Yahoo, AOL, and Hightail, and he became widely known for his “Peanut Butter Manifesto” memo at Yahoo.

Artist, designer, and author best known for his pop-up books. His work combines art, design, and publishing.

Served as a Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court from 2003 to 2005, the state’s highest court.

Former collegiate and professional football player.