List of Washington State University people

The Washington State University Alumni Association defines an alumnus as anyone who was a student at WSU and is no longer attending. This page lists accomplished alumni and faculty members of WSU.

Notable alumni

American Idol Season 6 Runner-Up, Blake Lewis.

Academe

• Judith A. Bense, American academic, and the current Interim President of the University of West Florida.
• Howard Bowen, 1929 B.A. Econ, '33 M.A. Econ., former president of Claremont University Center, the University of Iowa, Grinnell College, and the American Association of Higher Education. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1965.
• David Comer, consultant in the field of circuit design for IBM, Intel, Lawrence Livermore National Labs, and Mobility Systems Inc.
• Gordon G. Gallup, psychologist currently working at the University at Albany's Psychology department in the biopsychology program.
• Weldon Gibson, 1938 B.A. Bus. Adm., executive vice president of Stanford Research Institute. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1979.
• Henry Heald, 1923 B.S. Civil Engr., President of the Ford Foundation, New York University, Illinois Institute of Technology, & American Society for Engineering Education. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1962.
• W. Hudson Kensel, historian of the American West
• David Miller, notable Seattle architect. He is a co-founder of the Miller/Hull Partnership, an architecture professor at the University of Washington, and, since January 2007, has been Chair of the UW Department of Architecture.
• George B. Thomas, former professor of mathematics at MIT best known for being the author of a widely used calculus textbook.
• Matsuyo Omori Yamamoto '37 B.A. Home Ec., served as the first chief of the Rural Home-living Improvement Section of Japan’s Ag. Extension; chief of the Education and Training Section, Home Economics Branch, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1967.
• Avimanyu Datta, 2011 Ph.D.Carson College of Business, Assistant Professor Illinois State University College of Business at the Illinois State University.
• Jon Wefald, former President of Kansas State University

Animal husbandry

• Leo Bustad, 1941 B.S. Ag., ’48 M.S. Ag., ’49 D.V.M., Dean of the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine from 1973–83, Pioneer in the international human-companion animal bond movement. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1984.
• Helen Elaine Freeman, American conservationist and endangered species advocate, who specialized in saving snow leopards.
• Jack Gorski, 1956 M.S. Ani. Sci., 1958 Ph.D. Ani. Sci., discovered the estrogen receptor. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999.
• Charles Schroeder, 1929 D.V.M., Director of the San Diego Zoo for 19 years. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1979.

The arts, literature & media

• Jayceon Terrell Taylor (Game), Rapper
• Edward R. Murrow, 1930 B.A. Speech, Father of Television News Broadcasting, WWII Radio Correspondent, Hear It Now radio program host, See It Now television program host. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1963.
• Sherman Alexie, 1994 B.A. Am. St., author & film maker. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2003.
• Rudy Autio, American sculptor, best known for his figurative ceramic vessels.
• Kieffer A. Bryant, 1962 B.A., Former San Diego radio show host and philanthropist, alumni member of the fraternity Phi Kappa Theta. Currently lives in Bellevue with his new wife Eva and hosts a radio show on Seattle's 1250 AM Radio Disney.
• Mary Turner DeGarmo, '26 B.A. Educ., pioneer in working with music & Braille, developed the first and only detailed, comprehensive teaching text on transcribing musical compositions into Braille for blind musicians, a volume used worldwide. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1988.
• Limuel B. Forgey III, 1994 B.M. Performance. Nationally acclaimed and award winning baritone singer.
• Deborah Gardner, Peace Corps volunteer murdered in Tonga in 1976. Subject of American Taboo, by Philip Weiss
• Art Gilmore, 1931 Voice actor and announcer.
• Keith Jackson, 1954 B.A. Sp. Comm., ABC-TV sports commentator. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1978.
• Gary Larson, 1972 B.A. Comm., "Far Side" cartoonist. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1990.
• Scott MacDonald, American television actor.
• Barry Serafin, 1986 B.A. Hum., ABC news correspondent. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1991.
• Wes Henricksen, 2003 B.A. Bus. Adm., author of Making Law Review.
• D. C. Simpson, creator of the webcomic Ozy and Millie and the political cartoon I Drew This.
• Frances Yeend, American lyric soprano opera singer.
• Patrick F. McManus, American outdoor humor writer. Studied at Washington State College before it became Washington State University
• Bob Condotta, Seattle Times writer
• Edward Kienholz, American Pop Art installation artist

Business

• Paul Allen, 1977 (1973–75), co-founder of Microsoft, owner of Vulcan Enterprises, owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers, and philanthropist. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999.
• J.Patrick Foley, 1955 B.A. Education, President of Hyatt Hotels Corporation (1978-1984), Chief Executive Officer of Braniff Airlines, a Hyatt subsidiary (1984 to 1988). Also served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of DHL Corporation Inc./DHL Airways Inc., a global document, package and airfreight delivery company (1988 to 1999).
• Scott E. Carson, B.A. Bus. Adm., President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airlines.
• Arjun Gupta, Founder and Chief Believer of TeleSoft Partners.
• Bill Mundy, recognized as one of the leading authorities in real estate appraisal in the United States.
• Robert Stevenson, 1929 B.A. Econ., CEO, president, and board chairman of Allis-Chalmers; trustee of Carroll College; board chairman of the Medical College of Wisconsin; director of Northwest Mutual Life Insurance Company, Marshall & Ilsey Bank, and Universal Oil Products Company. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983.
• Mark Suwyn, 1967 Ph.D. Inorganic Chem., CEO of NewPage Corp.; former chair and CEO of Louisiana-Pacific Corp., 1996–2004; former executive at International Paper and E.I. DuPont; members and former chair of the WSU Foundation Board of Trustees.
• Julian Chang, 1998 B.A. Bus. Adm., Founder of inspireYou.org
• Justin Esch, Co-Founder of J&D Foods-makers of Baconsalt & Baconnaise.
• Clint Cole, Co-Founder of Heartstream, creator of first Automatic External Defibulator (AED) for commercial use. Also co-founder of Digilent, a local Pullman electronics manufacturer.

Government, law & politics

• Svend Auken, 1962, Danish politician, Minister of Environmental Affairs 1993-2001
• John Folger, 1914 B.S. Hort., '17 M.S. Hort., U.S. Ambassador to Belgium 1957-59, member of the Board of Governors of the New York Stock Exchange, & president of the Investment Bankers Association of America, and chaired the GOP National Finance Committee. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1963.
• Walt Horan, American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for ten terms.
• Mike Lowry, 1962 B.A. Gen. St., Former Governor of Washington.
• Jim Moeller, American politician from Washington, who serves in the Washington State House of Representatives representing the 49th Legislative District.
• Patty Murray, 1972 B.A. Rec., U.S. Senator representing Washington.
• Marshall Neill, 1936 B.A. Pol. Sci., Fed district court judge, Washington State Supreme Court judge. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1979.
• George Nethercutt, 1967 B.A. Engl., U.S. Congressman from 1995-2005.
• Sam Reed, Washington Secretary of State
• Robert A. Roe, Democrat representing New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives for over twenty-three years.
• Oscar Edward Desper Esquire, P.C. 1981 High Honors, B.A. - Political Science, Washington State University, Arizona State University (1985), Honors Program. Advanced Trial Lawyers Training, Harvard University/American Trial Lawyers Association. Mr.Desper has an impressive record in employment,personal injury and criminal law cases. High-profile national class action cases that Mr. Desper has participated as lead counsel and co-lead counsel which include: (1). Beck v. Boeing, $82 million settlement.

Humanities

• James Blackwell, 1959 Ph.D. Soc., national study ranked him fifth among black sociologists, living & dead, who made the most significant contribution to the field. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2002.
• Gary J. Coleman, general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Timothy Leary, 1946 M.S. Psych.
• Laurence Peter, 1963 Ed.D., co-author the international best seller, The Peter Principle: Why Things Go Wrong, & author of three sequels, The Peter Prescription, The Peter Plan, and The Peter Pyramid. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980.
• William Julius Wilson, 1966 Ph.D. Soc., wrote The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass and Public Policy and The Declining Significance of Race; one of nine people to receive the National Medal of Science for creativity, resolve & innovation. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1988.
• Anthony Curcio (born 1980) is an author and youth speaker. Graduated in 2004 with a degree in social sciences. Once former standout athlete, became notorious criminal known as D.B. Tuber after masterminding one of the most elaborate armored car robberies in history. Has since devoted his life to educating youth in the field of drug addiction.

Military

• Robert Higgins, 1957 B.S. Pharm., Navy Rear Admiral, Deputy Surgeon General, & Medical Corps chief. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2002.
• Dale Noyd, decorated captain and fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force who gained worldwide attention when he became a conscientious objector to protest the Vietnam War.
• Robert D. Russ (1933-1997), 1955 B.A. Bus. Adm., Four-star general in U.S. Air Force. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1992.
• Ross Greening, Colonel in U.S. Air Force. Captained the Hari Kari-er in the Doolittle Raid of Japan.
• Bhaps Mahal, First Lieutenant Muth Indian Army. Most notable for his achievements as an undercover inspector against Shiv Sena(RSS) terrorists in the early 1990s.
• James Fleming, Colonel in U.S. Air Force. Helicopter pilot. Medal of Honor recipient for life-saving actions at Duc Co, South Vietnam in 1968.

Science, space & technology

• John Abelson, 1960 B.S. Physics, Co-founder & president of Agouron Pharmaceuticals; through rational drug design developed Viracept, the leading drug used for controlling HIV infections, which cut the death rate in half among AIDS patients in the mid-1990s. Nephew of Philip Abelson and Neva Abelson. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2004.
• Neva Abelson, 1934 B.S. Chem., Developed the blood test for the Rh disease. Wife of Philip Abelson. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1989.
• Philip Abelson, 1933 B.S. Chem., '35 M.S. Physics, Father of nuclear-fueled submarine; Manhattan Project participant; Editor of Science. Husband of Neva Abelson. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1962.
• Gary L. Bennett, American scientist and engineer, specializing in aerospace and energy.
• Jacob Bigeleisen 1941 M.S. Chem., founder of the modern school of isotope chemistry; Manhattan Project participant; researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory; vice president for research, dean of Graduate Studies and a leading chemistry professor at State University of New York at Stony Brook. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983.
• William A. Bugge, 1922 B.S. Civil Engr., Washington director of highways from 1949–63, project director for design & construction of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) System in San Francisco. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980.
• John Fabian, 1962 B.S. Mech. Engr., NASA astronaut. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983.
• Charles Glen King, 1918 B.S. Chem., leading authority on Vitamin C. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1964.
• Simon S. Lam, 1969 B.S. Elec. Engr., 2004 ACM SIGCOMM Award winner. Member, National Academy of Engineering.
• Irwin Rose, x'48, 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner for his research in immune defense and proteins; discoveries may lead to the development of drugs to combat Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, and cervical cancer. First year of undergraduate study was at WSU. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005.
• Edmund Schweitzer, 1977 Ph.D. Elec. Engr., founder of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories.
• Karl Sax, 1916 B.S. Hort., Radiation biologist and geneticist. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1966.
• Orville Vogel, 1939 Ph.D. Agronomy, Wheat breeder whose findings sparked the "Green Revolution". Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1977.
• Allan Wilson, 1957 M.S. Zoo., Evolutionist. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1990.
• Vicky Bajwa, 2003 B.S. Electrical Engineering. Recognized for outstanding achievement in the field of electrical engineering.
• Wajih Owais, Jordanian professor and researcher. Chairman of Board of Directors of King Abdullah University Hospital and the current President of Jordan University of Science and Technology.
• Clint Cole Co-Founder of Heartstream, inventor, creator and patent-holder of first Automatic External Defibulator (AED) for commercial use. Also co-founder of Digilent, a local Pullman electronics manufacturer.

Sports & athletics

• Husain Abdullah, National Football League (NFL) strong safety for the Kansas City Chiefs.
• Hamza Abdullah, former National Football League (NFL) safety for the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, and Arizona Cardinals.
• Frank Akins, former NFL running back for the Washington Redskins.
• Mike Akiu, American football player
• Josh Akognon, member of the Nigeria national basketball team.
• Calvin Armstrong, CFL offensive tackle for the Edmonton Eskimos.
• Dominique Arnold, 1996, Track & Field NCAA champion and current American record holder in the 110m High Hurdles (12.90).
• Rick Austin, former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers.
• Byron Bailey, former NFL running back for the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
• Ed Barker, former NFL wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins.
• Norton Barnhill, former National Basketball Association (NBA) guard for the Seattle SuperSonics.
• Kyle Basler, NFL punter for the Cleveland Browns.
• Aron Baynes, NBA center for the San Antonio Spurs and a 2014 NBA champion with the Spurs.
• Pat Beach, former NFL tight end.
• Todd Belitz, former MLB pitcher.
• Leon Bender, drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 1998, but died before playing an NFL game.
• Troy Bienemann, NFL tight end for the Arizona Cardinals.
• Gale Bishop former player for the Philadelphia Warriors in the BAA.
• Drew Bledsoe, 1993 B.A. educ. Former NFL quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and the Buffalo Bills.
• Dorian Boose, former NFL defensive end for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins.
• Ed Bouchee, former MLB first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets.
• Adam Braidwood, first overall by the Edmonton Eskimos in the 2006 Canadian College Draft.
• Bob Bratkowski, current offensive coordinator for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals.
• Bobo Brayton, 1950 B.A. Phys. Ed., '59 M.S. Phys. Ed., former WSU Baseball Coach.
• Chuck Brayton, former head coach of the Washington State Cougars baseball team from 1962 to 1994.
• Ed Brett, former NFL defensive end.
• Alex Brink, NFL quarterback for the Houston Texans.
• Steve Broussard, former NFL running back and current WSU assistant football coach.
• Mkristo Bruce, current NFL defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Michael Bumpus, wide receiver with the Seattle Seahawks.
• Joe Burks, former NFL center.
• Greg Burns, defensive backs coach for Kansas State University.
• Lewis Bush, former linebacker for the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.
• Hugh Campbell, former head coach of the Houston Oilers.
• Ron Cey, former MLB third baseman, 6-time All-Star and graduate of Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington.
• Cliff Chambers, former MLB pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals.
• John Chaplin, 1963 B.A. Geography, WSU Track & Field Coach, 2000 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Coach.
• Gail Cogdill, former NFL wide receiver, 3X Pro Bowl participant and 1960 NFL Rookie of the Year.
• Erik Coleman, defensive back for the Atlanta Falcons.
• Don Collins, former NBA player for the Atlanta Hawks.
• Jed Collins, NFL full back Signed with Philadelphia Eagles in 2008.
• Gene Conley, former MLB All-Star and NBA player. First person to win a championship title in both sports.
• Omowale Dada, NFL cornerback for the New Orleans Saints.
• Joe Danelo, former NFL placekicker.
• Devard Darling, NFL wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens that was featured in an extensive Sports Illustrated article..
• James Darling, NFL middle linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals.
• Jason David, as of 2007, NFL cornerback for the New Orleans Saints.
• Steve Dildine, linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers.
• James Donaldson, former NBA center.
• Manjotinder Brar, Basketball player for the Desi-League in Greater Seattle.
• Dan Doornink, former running back for the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks. Currently a practicing M.D of Internal Medicine.
• Chad Eaton, former NFL defensive tackle and recipient of the Morris Trophy.
• Dave Edler, former MLB third baseman for the Seattle Mariners.
• Turk Edwards, former offensive tackle for the Washington Redskins and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Craig Ehlo, former NBA Player.
• Garner Ekstran, former CFL defensive end for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and winner of the 1966 Grey Cup.
• Jack Elway, former football coach and the father of the Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway.
• Dick Farman, former offensive lineman and Pro Bowl selection for the Washington Redskins.
• Mark Fields (American football), former linebacker and Pro Bowl selection for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers.
• Danielle Fisher, at the age of 20, youngest person in the world to summit the tallest mountain on each continent (on June 2, 2005).
• Eric Frampton, NFL safety for the Oakland Raiders.
• Isaac Fontaine, former NBA guard for the Memphis Grizzlies.
• Rodrigo De la Fuente, Spanish basketball player, formerly with FC Barcelona.
• Aaron Garcia, quarterback for the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League.
• Jason Gesser, quarterback for the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League.
• Steve Gleason, 1998 Pac-10 Defensive MVP and special teams captain of the New Orleans Saints.
• Phil Glover, linebacker for the Tampa Bay Storm.
• Ed Goddard, former All-American quarterback and NFL player.
• Kenny Graham, former AFL All-Star safety for the San Diego Chargers.
• Dan Grayson, football player
• Brad Greenberg, current head men's basketball coach at Radford University.
• Ken Greene, former NFL safety for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Chargers.
• Jason Hanson, 1993 B.S. Zoo., NFL Place Kicker for the Detroit Lions.
• Glenn Harper, former CFL punter and winner of a Grey Cup.
• Charles Harris (football player), offensive lineman for the Tennessee Titans.
• Tony Harris (1970–2007), basketball player for several international pro teams.
• Jerome Harrison, former NCAA All-American and current running back for the Cleveland Browns.
• James Hasty, former Pro Bowl cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs.
• Scott Hatteberg, former MLB first baseman for the Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds.
• Chris Hayes, former defensive back and Super Bowl XXXI champion for the Green Bay Packers.
• Mel Hein, 1931 B.S. Phys. Ed., All-American football player in 1930; 8-time All-Pro with New York Giants. Received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983. Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Mark Hendrickson, former NBA player and MLB pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Jason Hill, NFL wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers.
• Chris Jackson, standout wide receiver for the AFL's Philadelphia Soul.
• Jerry Houghton, former NFL offensive tackle.
• Don Hover, former linebacker for the Washington Redskins.
• Erik Howard, former defensive tackle and member of two Super Bowl Championship teams.
• George Hurley, former offensive guard for the Washington Redskins.
• Bernard Jackson, former NFL defensive back.
• Tim Jankovich, current head men's basketball coach at Illinois State University.
• Eldon Jenne, former American track and field athlete who competed in the Summer Olympics. Jenne also served as head football and basketball coach at Pacific University.
• Brian Kelly, former wide receiver and member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
• Allan Kennedy, former NFL offensive tackle.
• Samson Kimobwa, retired distance runner from Kenya.
• Mike Kinkade, 2000 Olympic Baseball Gold Medalist currently in the Chicago Cubs organization.
• Julius Korir, 1984 Olympic Steeplechase Champion
• Bernard Lagat, '00, Two-time Olympic track & field medallist in the 1500m.
• Ryan Leaf, x'99 (1995–98), former NFL quarterback with the San Diego Chargers. Taken second in the '98 NFL Draft
• Ron Lewis, former offensive guard for the Washington Redskins.
• Keith Lincoln, former NFL running back; record 206 yards rushing in the 1964 American Football League Championship game for the San Diego Chargers, two time Pro Bowl MVP.
• Rian Lindell, kicker for the Buffalo Bills
• Gerry Lindgren, won 11 NCAA Track & Field distance running championships.
• Chad Little, Former NASCAR driver.
• Don Long, current MLB hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Rien Long, 2003, only WSU player to win the Outland Trophy, current defensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans.
• Dan Lynch, former first team AP All-American football lineman, 1984
• John Marshall (football coach), defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks.
• Rueben Mayes, former NFL running back with the New Orleans Saints.
• Rob Meier, current NFL defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Keith Millard, former Pro-Bowl defensive lineman.
• Singor Mobley, former safety for the Dallas Cowboys.
• Calvin Monroe, WSU cornerback who became a pro boxer who had a brief stint as welterweight champion.
• Tom Niedenfuer, former MLB relief pitcher.
• Laurie Niemi, former Pro-Bowl offensive lineman for the Washington Redskins.
• Paul Noce, former MLB shortstop for the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds.
• John Olerud, former MLB first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.
• Rich Olson, offensive coordinator for the Arizona State University football team.
• Karl Paymah, current NFL cornerback for the Denver Broncos.
• Scott Pelluer, former NFL linebacker for the New Orleans Saints.
• Brian Quinnett, former NBA player for the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks.
• Pete Rademacher, Olympic Gold Medal recipient for boxing in 1956.
• George Raveling, One of the winningest coaches in Washington State University basketball history.
• Henry Rono, former track & field world record holder in the 10,000m, 5,000m, 3,000m, and 3,000m steeplechase.
• Timm Rosenbach, former NFL QB with the Phoenix Cardinals. As of 2007, the quarterbacks coach for WSU.
• Rob Ryan, former MLB outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Oakland Athletics.
• Mark Rypien, former NFL quarterback, Super Bowl XXVI MVP with the Washington Redskins.
• Herb Schmalenberger, former college football coach at UC Davis.
• Aaron Sele, former Major League Baseball pitcher.
• Doug Sisk, former MLB relief pitcher.
• Howie Slater, former NFL fullback.
• Jonathan McKenzi Smith, NFL running back for the Kansas City Chiefs.
• Raonall Smith, former NFL outside linebacker for the St. Louis Rams.
• Jack Spring, former MLB relief pitcher.
• Wes Stock, former MLB pitcher.
• Wayne Sutton, former head football coach at Louisiana State University.
• Jack Thompson, the "Throwin' Samoan," '84 Bus. Adm., former NFL quarterback.
• Lamont Thompson, former All-American and NFL safety for the Tennessee Titans.
• Robbie Tobeck, former Pro Bowl center for the Seattle Seahawks.
• Klay Thompson- Golden State Warriors Shooting Guard
• Marcus Trufant, 2003, Highest pick in NFL Draft at #11. Former All-Pro cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks 2003-2012, 2014.
• Jeff Varem, NBA guard for the Chicago Bulls.
• Ed Viesturs, 1987 D.V.M., one of 12 people in the world and the only American to climb the 14 tallest mountains in the world; Viesturs completed the task unaided by supplemental oxygen.
• Ian Waltz, 8 time NCAA All-American for discus and shot put, 2004 US Olympian for discus.
• Duke Washington, former running back for the Philadelphia Eagles.
• Kyle Weaver, NBA guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
• Cory Withrow, NFL center for the San Diego Chargers.
• Mike Wilson, former NFL wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers.
• Paul Wulff, former NCAA All-American and former head coach of the WSU football team.
• Mike Utley, -former offensive lineman for Detroit Lions. Became paralyzed during a game against the Los Angeles Rams in 1991.

Notable faculty

• James Asay, Institute of Shock Physics researcher. Member, National Academy of Engineering.
• LeRoy Ashby, Regents Professor of History, twice Washington Professor of the Year, author of "With Amusement for All: A History of American Popular Culture Since 1830."
• Brett Atwood, print and online journalist. Co-founder of Rolling Stone Radio and former managing editor at Amazon.com, RealNetworks and Billboard magazine.
• Buck Bailey, WSU baseball coach.
• V. N. Bhatia, former WSU Honors Program director, Knight of Denmark, Dannebrog Order.
• Anjan Bose, electrical engineering professor and former dean, developed training simulators and computational tools for reliable power-system operation. Member, National Academy of Engineering.
• Walter Clore, horticulture researcher, Father of Washington Wine Industry.
• R. James Cook, plant pathologist, cropping systems and biotechnology researcher, led first field test of a genetically modified organism in the Pacific Northwest. Member, National Academy of Sciences.
• Rodney Croteau, leader in biosynthesis of cancer-fighting Taxol, expert on terpenoids. Member, National Academy of Sciences.
• J. Thomas Dickinson, physicist, known for work in fracture, tribology and laser interactions with materials. Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• William Henry Dietz ("Lone Star Dietz"), WSU football coach, won First Annual Rose Bowl, professional football coach.
• Don A. Dillman, sociologist, Regents Professor, Foley Distinguished Professor of Government and Public Policy, major contributions to modern survey methods. Past president, American Association of Public Opinion Research. Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• Elson S. Floyd, Professor, Higher Education Administration, and President, Washington State University
• Roald H. Fryxell, WSU professor of geoarchaeology in the Department of Anthropology. The Fryxell crater on the Moon was named after him.
• Norman S. Golding, food scientist, inventor of Cougar Gold cheese.
• Yogendra Gupta, physicist, director of WSU Institute for Shock Physics. Fellow, American Physical Society. Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• John Hirth, mechanical and materials engineer who characterized and modeled the behavior of materials at atomic and microstructural levels, including thin film formation useful to the semiconductor industry. Member, National Academy of Engineering.
• Alexander Kuo, humanities and creative writing professor and author/writer-in-residence.
• Mark G. Kuzyk, physicist, discoverer of the Kuzyk limit and the Kuzyk quantum gap.
• Kelvin Lynn, materials scientist, renowned for "positron annihilation" research. Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• John M. Madsen, former dean and general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Frances K. McSweeney, psychologist known for work on behavior and reinforcement, with findings on short-term changes in reinforcer effectiveness. Was WSU Meyer Distinguished Professor of Psychology. Fellow, Association for Behavior Analysis.
• Charles Pezeshki (Dr. Chuck), WSU professor of mechanical and materials engineering 1998–present, is currently the Past Chair of the University Faculty Senate. As the founder and Director of the Industrial Design Clinic, he is viewed by most MME students as the best WSU professor - of all time.
• V. Lane Rawlins, professor of economics and WSU President Emeritus
• Clarence A. "Bud" Ryan Jr., isolated and synthesized systemin, first polypeptide hormone found in plants, and discovered that plants produce natural insecticides in response to pest attacks. Member, National Academy of Sciences.
• Michael Skinner, molecular and reproduction biologist, discoveries in epigenetics including reduction in male fertility for four generations. Findings on "Discover" magazine's "100 top science stories of 2005."
• Samuel H. Smith, WSU President Emeritus; former NATO post-doctoral fellow.
• William Jasper Spillman, WSU professor of agriculture, wheat breeder, independently rediscovered Mendel's Law of Heredity, Father of Agricultural Economics.
• Orville Vogel, WSU and USDA wheat breeder, developer of semi-dwarf wheat varieties that fueled the Green Revolution. Recipient, National Medal of Science.
• Diter von Wettstein, plant geneticist, internationally recognized for genetically modifying barley for brewing processes and disease resistance. National Academy of Sciences foreign associate. Member, Royal Danish Academy of Sciences.
• Allen I. White, WSU professor of pharmacy faculty 1940-1960, dean of the WSU College of Pharmacy from 1960-79. White pioneered off-campus training for the college.
• Clint Cole, Electrical Engineering Department (current), Co-Founder of Heartstream, creator of first Automatic External Defibulator (AED) for commercial use. Also co-founder of Digilent, a local Pullman electronics manufacturer.

Notable regents

• Frances Penrose Owen, first woman on the WSU Board of Regents, serving 1957-1975