The

Washington State University Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant uni ...

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.

Nobel laureates

Norman Borlaug Norman Ernest Borlaug (; March 25, 1914September 12, 2009) was an American agronomist who led initiatives worldwide that contributed to the extensive increases in agricultural production termed the Green Revolution. Borlaug was awarded multiple ...

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...

, 1970, recipient for "Green Revolution", honorary doctorate recipient from WSU *

Irwin Rose Irwin Allan Rose (July 16, 1926 – June 2, 2015) was an American biologist. Along with Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko, he was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation. Educati ...

Mario Vargas Llosa Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquess of Vargas Llosa (born 28 March 1936), more commonly known as Mario Vargas Llosa (, ), is a Peruvian novelist, journalist, essayist and former politician, who also holds Spanish citizenship. Vargas Ll ...

, recipient of 2010 Nobel Prize in literature, visiting faculty, 1968–69

Notable alumni

Academe

* Judith A. Bense, academic; president of

University of West Florida The University of West Florida (West Florida or UWF) is a public university in Pensacola, Florida. Established in 1963 as part of the State University System of Florida, the university sits on the third largest campus in the State University Sys ...

Howard Bowen Howard Rothmann Bowen (October 27, 1908 – December 22, 1989) was an American economist and college president, serving as the president of Grinnell College from 1955 to 1964 and as the fourteenth President of the University of Iowa from 1964 to 19 ...

, 1929 B.A. economics, 1933 M.A. economics, former president of Claremont University Center,

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...

Grinnell College Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1846 when a group of New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College. Grinnell has the fifth highest endowment-to-stu ...

and American Association of Higher Education; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1965 * David Comer, consultant in field of circuit design for IBM,

Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 seri ...

Lawrence Livermore National Labs Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a federal research facility in Livermore, California, United States. The lab was originally established as the University of California Radiation Laboratory, Livermore Branch in 1952 in response ...

, and Mobility Systems Inc. *

Gordon G. Gallup Gordon G. Gallup Jr. (; born 1941) is an American psychologist in the University at Albany's psychology department, researching biopsychology. Early life and education Gallup received his Ph.D. from Washington State University in 1968, after w ...

, psychologist at

University at Albany The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one ...

's Psychology Department in biopsychology program * Weldon Gibson, 1938 B.A. business administration, executive vice president of

Stanford Research Institute SRI International (SRI) is an American nonprofit scientific research institute and organization headquartered in Menlo Park, California. The trustees of Stanford University established SRI in 1946 as a center of innovation to support economic ...

; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1979 *

Henry Heald Henry Townley Heald (1904–1975) was the first president of Illinois Institute of Technology and the Ford Foundation. Career Heald was president of Armour Institute of Technology from 1937 to 1940, at which time it became the Illinois Institute of ...

, 1923 B.S. civil engineering, president of

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

Illinois Institute of Technology Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...

, and

American Society for Engineering Education The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) is a non-profit member association, founded in 1893, dedicated to promoting and improving engineering and engineering technology education. The purpose of ASEE is the advancement of education ...

; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1962 * W. Hudson Kensel, historian of American West * David Miller, Seattle architect; co-founder of

Miller/Hull Partnership The Miller Hull Partnership is an architectural firm based in Seattle, Washington, founded by David Miller and Robert Hull. The firm's major works in the domains of municipal, commercial, and residential architecture reflect a modernist aesthet ...

; architecture professor at

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...

; chair of UW Department of Architecture 2007–15 * George B. Thomas, former professor of mathematics at

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

; best known for being author of widely used

calculus Calculus, originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of infinitesimals", is the mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape, and algebra is the study of generalizations of arithm ...

textbook *

Jon Wefald Jon Michael Wefald (November 24, 1937 – April 16, 2022) was an American educator and served as the twelfth president of Kansas State University. Biography Wefald was born in Minneapolis and moved, at age six, with his family to Minot, North ...

, former president of Kansas State University

Animal husbandry

* Helen Elaine Freeman, conservationist and endangered species advocate; specialized in saving

snow leopard The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''), also known as the ounce, is a felid in the genus '' Panthera'' native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is es ...

s * Ivan Peterson, 1942 D.V.M., member of Alpha Tau Omega; president of Sphinx Club and of Crimson Court; veterinarian in California; worked with television series ''Lassie''; friend to

Jane Goodall Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall on 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English primatologist and anthropologist. Seen as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best kn ...

and helped sponsor her chimpanzee research; died in 1967

The arts, literature and media

Sherman Alexie Sherman Joseph Alexie Jr. (born October 7, 1966) is a Spokane- Coeur d'Alene-Native American novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and filmmaker. His writings draw on his experiences as an Indigenous American with ancestry from se ...

, 1994 B.A. American studies,

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

and filmmaker; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2003 *

Rudy Autio Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch polit ...

, sculptor, best known for figurative ceramic vessels * Cindy Brunson, 1996 B.A. communications/broadcasting, ESPN anchor, Pac-12 Networks commentator * Ana Cabrera, 2004 B.A. communications, CNN reporter and anchor *

Betty Feves Betty Feves (1918–1985) was an Oregon artist who helped shape the development of clay as an expressive medium in the years following World War II. Biography Feves was academically trained in the late 1930s and early 1940s, first earning a degr ...

, artist * Deborah Gardner, Peace Corps volunteer murdered in Tonga in 1976; subject of ''American Taboo'' by Philip Weiss *

Art Gilmore Arthur Wells Gilmore, known as Art Gilmore (March 18, 1912 – September 25, 2010) was an American actor and announcer heard on radio and television programs, children's records, movies, trailers, radio commercials, and documentary films. He also ...

, 1931, voice actor and announcer * Keith Jackson, 1954 B.A. sports communications, ABC-TV sports commentator; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1978 *

Edward Kienholz Edward Ralph Kienholz (October 23, 1927 – June 10, 1994) was an American installation artist and assemblage sculptor whose work was highly critical of aspects of modern life. From 1972 onwards, he assembled much of his artwork in close collab ...

, pop art installation artist * Grace Kim, cofounder of Schemata Workshop architecture firm in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

;

cohousing Cohousing is an intentional community of private homes clustered around shared space. The term originated in Denmark in late 1960s. Each attached or single family home has traditional amenities, including a private kitchen. Shared spaces typic ...

expert; author of ''The Survival Guide to Archit''ec''tural Internship and Career Development''; commissioner of the Seattle Planning Commission. *

Gary Larson Gary Larson (born August 14, 1950) is an American cartoonist, environmentalist, and former musician. He is the creator of ''The Far Side'', a single-panel cartoon series that was syndicated internationally to more than 1,900 newspapers for fif ...

, 1972 B.A. communications, '' Far Side'' cartoonist; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1990 * Blake Lewis, ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'' Season 6 runner-up *

Dolph Lundgren Hans Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957), better known as Dolph Lundgren, is a Swedish actor, filmmaker and martial artist. His breakthrough came in 1985, when he starred in '' Rocky IV'' as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, Lu ...

, Swedish actor, studied chemical engineering for a year at Washington State * Scott MacDonald, television actor * Patrick F. McManus, outdoor humor writer; studied at Washington State College before it became Washington State University *

Edward R. Murrow Edward Roscoe Murrow (born Egbert Roscoe Murrow; April 25, 1908 – April 27, 1965) was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He first gained prominence during World War II with a series of live radio broadcasts from Europe f ...

, 1930 B.A. speech, journalist for CBS; "father of television news broadcasting"; WWII radio correspondent; ''

Hear It Now ''Hear It Now'', an American radio program on CBS, began on December 15, 1950, ending in June 1951. It was hosted by Edward R. Murrow and produced by Murrow and Fred W. Friendly. It ran for one hour on Fridays at 9 pm Eastern Time. The show's be ...

'' radio program host; ''

See It Now ''See It Now'' is an American newsmagazine and documentary series broadcast by CBS from 1951 to 1958. It was created by Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly, with Murrow as the host of the show. From 1952 to 1957, ''See It Now'' won four Emmy ...

'' television program host; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1963 *

Krist Novoselic Krist Anthony Novoselic (; ; born May 16, 1965) is an American musician and activist. He was the bassist and co-founder of the rock band Nirvana. Novoselic and Kurt Cobain formed the band Nirvana in 1987 along with drummer Aaron Burckhard, wh ...

, 2016 B.S. social sciences, founding member and bassist for grunge band

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

Barry Serafin Barry Serafin (born June 22, 1941) is an American television journalist and former weekend anchor of ABC World News. An Oregon native, born in Coquille, and raised in Roseburg, Serafin graduated from Washington State University in 1964, and b ...

, 1986 B.A. humanities, ABC News correspondent; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1991 * D. C. Simpson, creator of webcomic '' Ozy and Millie'' and political cartoon '' I Drew This'' *

Clyfford Still Clyfford Still (November 30, 1904 – June 23, 1980) was an American painter, and one of the leading figures in the first generation of Abstract Expressionists, who developed a new, powerful approach to painting in the years immediately follow ...

, 1935 MFA, abstract expressionist painter, *

Frances Yeend Frances Yeend (; 28 January 1913 – 27 April 2008) was an American classical soprano who had an active international career as a concert and opera singer during the 1940s through the 1960s. She had a long and fruitful association with the New Y ...

, lyric soprano opera singer

Business

Paul Allen Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate, computer programmer, researcher, investor, and philanthropist. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation with childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which ...

, 1977 (1973–75), co-founder of

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...

; owner of Vulcan Enterprises, Seattle Seahawks and

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

; philanthropist; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999 * Scott E. Carson, B.A. business administration, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airlines * Clint Cole, co-founder of Heartstream, creator of first automatic external defibrillator (AED) for commercial use; co-founder of Digilent, a Pullman electronics manufacturer * J. Patrick Foley, 1955 B.A. education, president of Hyatt Hotels Corporation (1978–1984); chief executive officer of Braniff Airlines (1984–1988); served as chairman, president and chief executive officer of DHL Corporation Inc./DHL Airways Inc. (1988–1999) *Nick Huzar, 1999 B.A. MIS. CEO of OfferUp *

Jamie Kern Lima Jamie Kern Lima ('' née'' Jamie Marie Kern) is an American entrepreneur, investor and media personality. She is recognized as the co-founder of IT Cosmetics and the first female chief executive officer of a L'Oréal brand in the company's hist ...

, 1999 B.A. business administration, co-founder of IT Cosmetics * Robert L. Phillips, 1976 B.A. economics and B.A. mathematics author, entrepreneur and professor * Mark Suwyn, 1967 Ph.D. inorganic chemistry, CEO of NewPage Corp.; former chair and CEO of Louisiana-Pacific Corp., 1996–2004; former executive at International Paper and E.I. DuPont; member and former chair of WSU Foundation Board of Trustees

Government, law and politics

* Svend Auken, 1962, Danish politician, Minister of Environmental Affairs 1993–2001 * John C. Early, American colonial administrator in the Philippines * John Folger, 1914 B.S. horticulture, 1917 M.S. horticulture,

US Ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the country's diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

1957–59; member of board of governors of

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed ...

; president of Investment Bankers Association of America; chaired GOP National Finance Committee; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1963 * Walt Horan, politician; Republican member of

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

for ten terms *

Mike Lowry Michael Edward Lowry (March 8, 1939 – May 1, 2017) was an American politician who served as the 20th governor of Washington from 1993 to 1997. His political career ended abruptly following a sexual misconduct allegation made against him by h ...

, 1962 B.A. general studies, former

Governor of Washington The governor of Washington is the head of government of Washington and commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.WA Const. art. III, § 2. The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws,WA Const. art. III, § 5. the power to either a ...

* Jim Moeller, politician from

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, serves in

Washington State House of Representatives The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, and along with the Washington State Senate makes up the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 dis ...

representing 49th Legislative District *

Sid Morrison Sidney Wallace Morrison (born May 13, 1933) is an American farmer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1981 until January 3, 1993. A member of the Republican Party, Morrison had prev ...

, 1954 B.S. horticulture, US Congressman, 1981–93, Washington's 4th District *

Patty Murray Patricia Lynn Murray (; born October 11, 1950) is an American politician and educator who is the senior United States senator from Washington since 1993. A member of the Democratic Party, Murray was in the Washington State Senate from 1988 to ...

, 1972 B.A. physical education,

US Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

representing Washington * Marshall Neill, 1936 B.A. political science, Federal district court judge;

Washington State Supreme Court The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The court is composed of a chief justice and eight associate justices. Members of the court are elected to six-year terms. Justices must retire ...

judge; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1979 *

George Nethercutt George Rector Nethercutt Jr. (born October 7, 1944) is an American lawyer, author, and politician. Nethercutt is the founder and chairman of The George Nethercutt Foundation. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representative ...

, 1967 B.A. English, US Congressman, 1995–2005 *

Sam Reed Sam S. Reed (born January 10, 1941) is an American accountant and politician who served as the 14th Secretary of State of Washington from 2001 to 2013 and is a member of the Republican Party. Reed was Washington's fourteenth Secretary of State. ...

, 2000–2013

Washington Secretary of State The secretary of state of Washington is an independently elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Washington. Fifteen individuals have held the office of Secretary of State since statehood. The ...

* Robert A. Roe,

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

representing

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

in US House of Representatives for over 23 years

Humanities

Gary J. Coleman Gary Jerome Coleman (born September 18, 1941) has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1992. Coleman was born in Wenatchee, Washington. He was raised a Roman Catholic in the Diocese of ...

, general authority of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

* Anthony Curcio, 2004 social sciences, author and youth speaker; athlete; became notorious criminal known as D.B. Tuber after masterminding armored car robbery; has since devoted life to educating youth on drug addiction *

Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...

, 1946 M.S. psychology * Laurence Peter, 1963 Ed.D., co-author of 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 WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980 *

William Julius Wilson William Julius Wilson (born December 20, 1935) is an American sociologist. He is a professor at Harvard University and author of works on urban sociology, race and class issues. Laureate of the National Medal of Science, he served as the 80th P ...

, 1966 Ph.D. sociology, wrote ''The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass and Public Policy'' and ''The Declining Significance of Race''; one of nine people to receive

National Medal of Science The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social scienc ...

; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1988

Military

* James Fleming, colonel in US Air Force; helicopter pilot; Medal of Honor recipient for life-saving actions at Duc Co, South Vietnam in 1968 * Charles Ross Greening, 1936 B.S. Fine Arts, colonel in US Air Force; captained the ''Hari Kari-er'' in the

Doolittle Raid The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was an air raid on 18 April 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II. It was the first American air operation to strike the Japa ...

of Japan * Robert Higgins, 1957 B.S. pharmacy, navy rear admiral, deputy surgeon general, and Medical Corps chief; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2002 * Dale Noyd, decorated captain and fighter pilot in

US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sig ...

who gained worldwide attention when he became conscientious objector to protest

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

* Sigmund R. Petersen, 1961 B.S. in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...

, rear admiral in

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, known informally as the NOAA Corps, is one of eight federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administ ...

(NOAA Corps); fourth director of NOAA Corps (1990–1995) * Ronald J. Shurer II, 2001 B.A. Business Administration, Staff Sergeant and US Army Special Forces Medic; recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

for actions in the Battle of Shok Valley, 2008 in Afghanistan

Science, space and technology

John Abelson John Norman Abelson (born 1938 in Grand Coulee, WashingtonNicole Kresge, Robert D. Simoni and Robert L. Hill, 2009DNA Transcription and tRNA Ligase: the Work of John Abelson The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 284, e20-21.) is an American molec ...

, 1960 B.S. physics, co-founder and president of Agouron Pharmaceuticals; through

rational drug design Drug design, often referred to as rational drug design or simply rational design, is the inventive process of finding new medications based on the knowledge of a biological target. The drug is most commonly an organic small molecule that activa ...

developed Viracept, leading drug used for controlling

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

infections, which cut death rate in half among AIDS patients in the mid-1990s; nephew of

Philip Abelson Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

and Neva Abelson; received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2004 * Neva Abelson, 1934 B.S. chemistry, developed blood test for

Rh disease Rh disease (also known as rhesus isoimmunization, Rh (D) disease, and blue baby disease) is a type of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). HDFN due to anti-D antibodies is the proper and currently used name for this disease as the ...

; wife of Philip Abelson; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1989 *

, 1933 B.S. chemistry, 1935 M.S. physics, "father of the nuclear-fueled submarine";

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...

participant; editor of ''

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...

''; husband of Neva Abelson; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1962 * Gary L. Bennett, scientist and engineer, specializing in aerospace and energy *

Jacob Bigeleisen Jacob Bigeleisen (pronounced ''BEEG-a-lie-zen''; May 2, 1919 – August 7, 2010) was an American chemist who worked on the Manhattan Project on techniques to extract uranium-235 from uranium ore, an isotope that can sustain nuclear fission and ...

, 1941 M.S. chemistry, founder of modern school of isotope chemistry;

participant; researcher at

Brookhaven National Laboratory Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory located in Upton, Long Island, and was formally established in 1947 at the site of Camp Upton, a former U.S. Army base and Japanese internment c ...

; vice president for research, dean of Graduate Studies and chemistry professor at State University of New York at Stony Brook; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983 * William A. Bugge, 1922 B.S. civil engineering, Washington director of highways 1949–63; project director for design and construction of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) System in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980 * Clint Cole, co-founder of Heartstream, creator of first automatic external defibrillator (AED) for commercial use; co-founder of Digilent, a Pullman electronics manufacturer * John Fabian, 1962 B.S. mechanical engineering,

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

astronaut; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983 * Hary Gunarto, 1988 Ph.D. electrical & computer engineering, Professor Emeritus of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan * Sharon Hillier, 1982 Ph.D. Bacteriology and Public Health, faculty member of

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is a $23billion integrated global nonprofit health enterprise that has 92,000 employees, 40 hospitals with more than 8,000 licensed beds, 800 clinical locations including outpatient sites and d ...

* Charles Glen King, 1918 B.S. chemistry, leading authority on

Vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...

; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1964 * Simon S. Lam, 1969 B.S. electrical engineering, 2004 ACM

SIGCOMM Award The SIGCOMM Award recognizes lifetime contribution to the field of communication networks. The award is presented in the annual SIGCOMM Technical Conference. The awardees have been: * 2022 Henning Schulzrinne * 2021 Hari Balakrishnan * 2020 Ami ...

winner; member of

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of ...

, 2016 B.S

social science Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...

; former bassist from punk rock band

& Sweet 75; FAA licensed Pilot * Wajih Owais,

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

ian professor and researcher; chairman of board of directors of

King Abdullah University Hospital King Abdullah University Hospital ( ar, مُستشفى الملك المؤسس عبد الله الجامعي), often abbreviated KAUH, is a teaching hospital in Ar Ramtha, Jordan. It is the largest medical structure in the north of the country, ...

;t President of

Jordan University of Science and Technology The Jordan University of Science and Technology ( ar, جامعة العلوم والتكنولوجيا الأردنية ''Jami'at Al-Ulum wa Al-Tiknolojia Al-Urdunia''), often abbreviated JUST, is a public university, state-supported university ...

* Martin Pall,

professor emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...

and basic medical sciences, specializing in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and

multiple chemical sensitivity Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), also known as idiopathic environmental intolerances (IEI), is an unrecognized and controversial diagnosis characterized by chronic symptoms attributed to exposure to low levels of commonly used chemicals. Sym ...

, 1948, 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner for research in immune defense and proteins; discoveries may lead to 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 WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005 * Karl Sax, 1916 B.S. horticulture, radiation biologist and geneticist; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1966 * Edmund Schweitzer, 1977 Ph.D. electrical engineering, founder of

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) designs, manufactures, and supports products and services ranging from generator and transmission protection to distribution automation and control systems. Founded in 1982 by Edmund O. Schweitzer ...

* Melissa Skala, 2002 B.S., cancer researcher and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Morgridge Institute for Research * Orville Vogel, 1939 Ph.D. agronomy, wheat breeder whose findings sparked "

Green Revolution The Green Revolution, also known as the Third Agricultural Revolution, was a period of technology transfer initiatives that saw greatly increased crop yields and agricultural production. These changes in agriculture began in developed countrie ...

"; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1977 * Allan Wilson, 1957 M.S. zoology, evolutionist; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1990

Sports and athletics

* Hamza Abdullah, former NFL safety for

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...

, and Arizona Cardinals *

Husain Abdullah Husain Ibn Muhammed Abdullah (born July 27, 1985) is a former American football free safety. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and also played for the Kansas City Chief ...

, former

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) strong safety for

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

and

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

* Frank Akins, former NFL

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

for

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

* Mike Akiu, football player *

Josh Akognon Joshua Emmanuel Akognon (born February 10, 1986) is a Nigerian–American professional basketball player who last played for Montakit Fuenlabrada of the Liga ACB. He played college basketball for Washington State and Cal State Fullerton. Standing ...

, member of the Nigeria national basketball team * Calvin Armstrong, CFL offensive tackle for Edmonton Eskimos *

Dominique Arnold Dominique Arnold (born September 14, 1973, in Compton, California) is an American hurdling athlete. He is tied for being the fifth fastest all-time 110 m hurdler, with a time of 12.90 s (+1.1 m/s), which was the American record from 2 ...

, 1996, track & field NCAA champion; American record holder in 110m high hurdles (12.90) * Rick Austin, former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

for

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

and Milwaukee Brewers * Byron Bailey, former NFL running back for Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers *

LaVar Ball LaVar Christopher Ball (born October 23, 1967) is an American businessman. He is the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the sports apparel company Big Baller Brand and founder of the now defunct Junior Basketball Association (JBA ...

, former basketball and football player *

Ed Barker Edward Ross Barker (born May 31, 1931 – September 6, 2012) was a National Football League (NFL) end who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Washington State University and was drafted ...

, former NFL wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers and

* Norton Barnhill, former

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

(NBA)

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

for

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

* Kyle Basler, NFL punter for

* Aron Baynes, NBA

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

for

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

; 2014 NBA champion * Pat Beach, former NFL

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

Todd Belitz Todd Belitz (born October 23, 1975) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played for the Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Belitz attended Edison High School (Huntington Beach, California ...

, former MLB pitcher * Leon Bender, drafted by Oakland Raiders in 1998, but died before playing an NFL game * Troy Bienemann, NFL tight end for Arizona Cardinals * Gale Bishop, former player for Philadelphia Warriors in BAA *

Drew Bledsoe Drew McQueen Bledsoe (born February 14, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Washington State, whe ...

, 1993 B.A. educ., NFL

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

with

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills; top pick of

1993 NFL Draft The 1993 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25–26, 1993, at the Marriot Ma ...

Dorian Boose Dorian Alexander Boose (January 29, 1974 – November 22, 2016) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League for the New York Jets and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Washington State University ...

, former NFL

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...

for New York Jets and

Ed Bouchee Edward Francis Bouchee (March 7, 1933 – January 23, 2013) was an American professional baseball first baseman. He appeared in Major League Baseball (MLB) for three National League (NL) ballclubs – the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and ...

, former MLB

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

for Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

Adam Braidwood Adam Braidwood (born June 1, 1984) is a Canadians, Canadian professional boxing, boxer, actor, martial artist and retired professional Canadian football, football defensive end. He spent the entirety of his professional football career with the ...

, first overall by Edmonton Eskimos in 2006

Canadian College Draft The CFL Draft (also known as the CFL Canadian Draft, CFL College Draft or the Canadian College Draft) is an annual sports draft in which the teams of the Canadian Football League (CFL) select eligible Canadian/non-import players, typically from ...

Bob Bratkowski Robert Bratkowski (born December 2, 1955) is a former American football coach. He is the son of former NFL quarterback Zeke Bratkowski. Bratkowski played his college football for Washington State, as a wide receiver from 1975 to 1977. Colleg ...

, current offensive coordinator for NFL's Cincinnati Bengals *

Bobo Brayton Frederick Charles Brayton (October 20, 1925 – March 28, 2015), usually known as Chuck Brayton or Bobo Brayton, was an American college baseball head coach; he led the Washington State Cougars for 33 seasons, from 1962 to 1994. He is the winninge ...

, 1950 B.A. physical education, 1959 M.S. physical education, former WSU baseball coach * Ed Brett, former NFL defensive end *

Alex Brink Alex Brink (born June 2, 1985) is a former professional Canadian football quarterback. After playing college football at Washington State, Brink was drafted by the Houston Texans in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. In 2010, he joined the ...

, NFL quarterback for Houston Texans * Steve Broussard, NFL running back and WSU assistant football coach *

Mkristo Bruce Mkristo Eugene Bruce (born October 16, 1984) is a former American football defensive end. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Washington State. Bruce has also been a member of th ...

, NFL defensive end for

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...

* Deone Bucannon, NFL inside linebacker for Arizona Cardinals * Michael Bumpus, wide receiver with Seattle Seahawks * Joe Burks, former NFL center * Greg Burns, defensive backs coach for Kansas State University *

Lewis Bush Lewis Fitzgerald Bush (December 2, 1969 – December 8, 2011) was an American football linebacker in the National Football League. High school career Bush prepped at Washington High School in Tacoma, Washington. College career Bush played col ...

, former

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

for San Diego Chargers and

Hugh Campbell Hugh Campbell (born May 21, 1941) is a former American football and Canadian football player, coach, and executive. He served as a head coach in three different professional gridiron football leagues: the Canadian Football League (CFL), the Unit ...

, former head coach of

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...

Ron Cey Ronald Charles Cey (; born February 15, 1948), nicknamed "Penguin", is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from through , most notably as an integral member of the Los Angeles Do ...

, MLB

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

, six-time All-Star; graduate of Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma *

Cliff Chambers Clifford Day Chambers (January 10, 1922 – January 21, 2012) was an American professional baseball pitcher who appeared in 189 games in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. He ...

, former MLB pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

* John Chaplin, 1963 B.A. geography, WSU track & field coach, 2000 US Olympic coach * Gail Cogdill, NFL wide receiver, 3X

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

participant and 1960

NFL Rookie of the Year Various entities present a National Football League Rookie of the Year Award each season to the top rookie(s) in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL considers the (rookie) of the year awards by the Associated Press (AP) to be its official ...

* Erik Coleman, defensive back for Atlanta Falcons *

Don Collins Donald Collins (born November 28, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player. Collins was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, in the first round (18th pick), of the 1980 NBA draft. Collins played in 303 National Basketball Association ...

, NBA player for

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

* Jed Collins, NFL fullback; signed with

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

in 2008 *

Gene Conley Donald Eugene Conley (November 10, 1930 – July 4, 2017) was an American professional baseball and basketball player. He played as a pitcher for four teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1952 to 1963. Conley also played as a forward in ...

, MLB All-Star and NBA player; first person to win championship in both sports *

Joe Danelo Joseph Peter Danelo (born September 2, 1953) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League for ten seasons with the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Buffalo Bills. Born and raised in Spokane, Washing ...

, former NFL placekicker * Devard Darling, NFL wide receiver for

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...

* James Darling, NFL

middle linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

for Arizona Cardinals * Jason David, NFL cornerback for

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

* Steve Dildine, linebacker for

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

* James Donaldson, former NBA center * Dan Doornink, former running back for New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks; practicing MD of internal medicine *

Chad Eaton Chad Everett Eaton (born April 6, 1972) is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Washington St ...

, former NFL defensive tackle and recipient of

Morris Trophy Coaches of the Pac-12 Conference bestow the following awards at the end of each football season. The conference was founded in its current form as the Athletic Association of Western Universities in 1959, but traces its roots to the Pacific Coast Co ...

* Dave Edler, former MLB third baseman for

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

Turk Edwards Albert Glen "Turk" Edwards (September 28, 1907 – January 12, 1973) was an American professional football player who was a tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire career for the Washington Redskins, starting with th ...

, former offensive tackle for

, member of

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

Craig Ehlo Joel Craig Ehlo (; born August 11, 1961) is a retired American basketball player. He played fifteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with four teams, amassing career totals of 7,492 points, 2,456 assists and 3,139 rebounds. ...

, former NBA player for Cleveland Cavaliers and

* Garner Ekstran, former CFL defensive end for

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in ...

, winner of 1966 Grey Cup *

Jack Elway Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

, football head coach at Stanford and

San Jose State San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sy ...

, father of Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway * Dick Farman, former offensive lineman and Pro Bowl selection for

* Mark Fields, former linebacker and Pro Bowl selection for

and

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...

* Danielle Fisher, at 20, youngest person to summit tallest mountain on each continent (2005) *

Isaac Fontaine Isaac Henry Sedric Fontaine IV
(born April 16, 1975) is an American former professional

, former NBA guard for

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

Eric Frampton Eric Ulyssee Frampton (born February 6, 1984) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, and New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in th ...

, NFL

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly dif ...

for Oakland Raiders,

Rodrigo de la Fuente Rodrigo de la Fuente Morgado (born 26 November 1976) is a retired Spanish professional basketball player and the current general manager of the basketball section of FC Barcelona. Professional career A 6 ft in (2.00 m) 220 l ...

, Spanish basketball player, formerly with

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Found ...

* Aaron Garcia,

for

New York Dragons The New York Dragons were a professional arena football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Dragons participated in the Arena Football League's (AFL) National Conference as a member of the Eastern Division. The team was founded i ...

of the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

* Jason Gesser, quarterback for

Utah Blaze The Utah Blaze was a professional arena football team based in Salt Lake City, Utah and competed in the West Division of the Arena Football League. Home games were played at the EnergySolutions Arena. In 2013, the team did not submit proper ...

of Arena Football League * Steve Gleason, 1998 Pac-10 defensive MVP and special teams captain of

;

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...

recipient * Phil Glover, linebacker for

Tampa Bay Storm The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional arena football team based in Tampa, Florida, US. It played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Originally the team was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and operated as the Pittsburgh Gladiators. The f ...

* Ed Goddard, former All-American quarterback and NFL player * Kenny Graham, former AFL All-Star safety for San Diego Chargers * Dan Grayson, American gridiron football player * Brad Greenberg, current head men's basketball coach at Radford University * Ken Greene, former NFL safety for St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Chargers *

Jason Hanson Jason Hanson (born June 17, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a kicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Wash ...

, 1993 B.S., Zoo., longtime NFL placekicker for Detroit Lions * Glenn Harper, former CFL punter and winner of Grey Cup * Charles Harris, offensive lineman for

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...

* Tony Harris (1970–2007), pro basketball player *

Jerome Harrison Jerome Harrison (born February 26, 1983) is a former American football running back who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Washington State University, and was recognized as a consensus All ...

, former NCAA All-American and running back for

James Hasty James Edward Hasty (born May 23, 1965) is a former professional American football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders from 1988 to 2001. Career Footb ...

, former Pro Bowl cornerback for

Scott Hatteberg Scott Allen Hatteberg (born December 14, 1969) is an American former professional first baseman and catcher. During his MLB career, spanning from 1995 through 2008, he played for the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, and Cincinnati Reds. Befo ...

, former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

first baseman for Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds *

Chris Hayes Christopher Loffredo Hayes (; born February 28, 1979) is an American political commentator, television news anchor, activist, and author. Hayes hosts '' All In with Chris Hayes'', a weekday news and opinion television show on MSNBC. Hayes also ...

, former defensive back and Super Bowl XXXI champion for Green Bay Packers *

Mel Hein Melvin Jack Hein (August 22, 1909 – January 31, 1992), sometimes known as "Old Indestructible", was an American football player and coach. In the era of one-platoon football, he played as a center (then a position on both offense and defense) ...

, 1931 B.S. physical education, All-American in 1930; eight-time

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...

with New York Giants; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983; member of

Mark Hendrickson Mark Allan Hendrickson (born June 23, 1974) is an American former baseball and basketball player. Hendrickson was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) and played power forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Continental Bas ...

, former NBA player and MLB pitcher for

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

* Jason Hill, NFL wide receiver for

Alex Hoffman-Ellis Alex Hoffman-Ellis (born August 14, 1989) is a former American professional Canadian football linebacker. After playing college football for the Washington State Cougars, he was signed in 2012 by the St. Louis Rams of the National Football Leag ...

, football linebacker * Jerry Houghton, former NFL offensive tackle *

Don Hover Donald R. "Bud" Hover (born December 13, 1954) is an American farmer, politician, and former football linebacker in the National Football League. He played college football at Washington State University, was selected in the eighth round of the ...

, former linebacker for

Erik Howard Erik Matthew Howard (born November 12, 1964 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts) is a former professional American football defensive tackle who played eleven seasons in the National Football League. He played nine seasons with the Giants, and was a me ...

, former defensive tackle and member of two Super Bowl championship teams * George Hurley, former offensive guard for

Ike Iroegbu Ikenna Ugochukwu Iroegbu (born March 14, 1995) is an American-born Nigerian basketball player for Treviso Basket of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). Iroegbu played college basketball for Washington State University, and is a member of the Nigerian ...

(born 1995), American-born Nigerian basketball player for

Hapoel Galil Elyon Hapoel Galil Elyon ( he, הפועל גליל עליון), also known as Hapoel Nofar Energy Galil Elion for sponsorship reasons, is an Israeli basketball club. The team competes in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, the top tier of Israeli b ...

of the Israeli Basketball Premier League * Bernard Jackson, former NFL defensive back * Chris Jackson, wide receiver for AFL's

Philadelphia Soul Philadelphia soul, sometimes called Philly soul, the Philadelphia sound, Phillysound, or The Sound of Philadelphia TSOP, is a genre of late 1960s–1970s soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featu ...

* Tim Jankovich, men's basketball head coach at

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...

* Eldon Jenne, former Olympic track and field athlete; head football and basketball coach at

Pacific University Pacific University is a private university in Forest Grove, Oregon. Founded in 1849 as the Tualatin Academy, the original Forest Grove campus is west of Portland. The university maintains three other campuses in Eugene, Hillsboro, and Wo ...

* Brian Kelly, former wide receiver and member of Canadian Football Hall of Fame *

Allan Kennedy Allan Stephen Kennedy (born January 8, 1958) is a former American football player. He played offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers. He grew up in Woodland Hills, California, where he attended El Camino Real High School. He then attended ...

, former NFL offensive tackle * Samson Kimobwa, retired distance runner from Kenya *

Mike Kinkade Michael Arthur Kinkade (born May 6, 1973) is an American college baseball coach and former Major League Baseball player. He played for the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Dodgers between 1998 and 2003, and is currently an assista ...

, 2000 Olympic baseball gold medalist; played in Chicago Cubs organization *

Peter Koech Peter Koech (born February 18, 1958) is a former long-distance runner from Kenya who won a silver medal in the 3,000 meters steeplechase event at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He held the world record in this event for over three years, running ...

, 1988 Olympic silver medalist, 3,000m steeplechase *

Julius Korir Julius Korir (born April 21, 1960) is a former Kenyan athlete, who won the 3.000 m steeplechase at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Born in Nandi, Kenya, Julius Korir rose into the international athletics scene in 1982, when he surprisingly won the g ...

, 1984 Olympic steeplechase champion * Bernard Lagat, 2000, two-time Olympic track & field medalist in 1500m *

Ryan Leaf Ryan David Leaf (born May 15, 1976) is a former American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He played for the San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys between 1998 and 2001, and also pl ...

, 1999 (1995–98), former NFL quarterback with San Diego Chargers; taken second in

1998 NFL Draft The 1998 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18–19, 1998, at the Theater at M ...

Ron Lewis Ronald Edward Lewis (born September 14, 1946) is an American retired politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1994 to 2009, having represented the 2nd congressional district of Kentucky. Lewis a ...

, former offensive guard for

Keith Lincoln Keith Payson Lincoln (May 8, 1939 – July 27, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a running back for eight seasons in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Washington State Cougars befor ...

, former NFL running back; record 206 yards rushing in 1964 American Football League Championship Game for San Diego Chargers, two-time

MVP *

Rian Lindell Rian David Lindell (born January 20, 1977) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Washington State. Early years ...

, kicker for the Buffalo Bills,

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...

, Seattle Seahawks *

Gerry Lindgren Gerald "Gerry" Paul Lindgren (born March 9, 1946) is an American track and field runner who set many long-standing high school and national records in the United States. In 1965, Lindgren and Billy Mills both broke the world record for the six-mi ...

, won 11

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

distance running championships * Chad Little, former NASCAR driver *

Don Long Donald Thomas Long (born March 17, 1962) is an American professional baseball coach. Long has spent 11 seasons as a Major League Baseball (MLB) hitting coach, serving in the role for the Pittsburgh Pirates (2008–2010), Cincinnati Reds (2014– ...

, MLB hitting coach for Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds *

Rien Long Rien Michael Long (born August 7, 1981) is a former American college and professional American football, football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons during the early 2000s. He played college ...

, 2003, only WSU player to win

Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...

, NFL defensive tackle for

Dan Lynch Daniel Lynch (born June 21, 1962) is a former college and professional American football offensive guard; he attended Washington State University; he was inducted to their athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. Lynch went on to a career in the venture ca ...

, former first-team AP All-American football lineman, 1984 * John Marshall, defensive coordinator for Seattle Seahawks *

Rueben Mayes Rueben A. Mayes (born June 6, 1963) is a Canadian former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) from 1986 to 1993. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame for his contributions w ...

, former NFL running back with

Rob Meier Robert Jack Daniel Meier (born August 29, 1977) is a former American football defensive tackle from Canada. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington State. Ea ...

, former NFL defensive end for

* Keith Millard, former NFL defensive lineman *

Gardner Minshew Gardner Flint Minshew II (born May 16, 1996) is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He began his college football career at Northwest Mississippi, winning the NJCAA National Footba ...

, NFL quarterback for the

, and Indianapolis Colts *

Singor Mobley Singor A. Mobley (born October 12, 1972) is a former American football safety and linebacker in the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, for the Dallas Cowboys and Edmonton Eskimos. He played college football at Washington St ...

, former NFL safety for

* Tom Niedenfuer, former MLB relief pitcher for

Laurie Niemi Laurie Jack Niemi (March 19, 1925 – February 19, 1968) was an American and Canadian football offensive and defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for th ...

, former Pro Bowl offensive lineman for

Paul Noce Paul David Noce (born December 16, 1959) is an American former professional baseball player who played for the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds of the Major League Baseball (MLB). He debuted on June 1, 1987, against the Houston Astros. He ...

, former MLB

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

for Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds * John Olerud, former MLB first baseman for

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

and

Karl Paymah Karl Paymah (born November 29, 1982) is a former American football cornerback. Paymah was last signed to the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2005 NFL D ...

, NFL cornerback for

* Scott Pelluer, former NFL

for

* Brian Quinnett, former NBA player for New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks *

Pete Rademacher Thomas Peter Rademacher (November 20, 1928 – June 4, 2020) was an American heavyweight boxer. A gold medalist at the 1956 Olympics, he became the only person to challenge for the world heavyweight championship in his first professional bo ...

, Olympic gold medalist for boxing in 1956 *

George Raveling George Henry Raveling (born June 27, 1937) is an American former college basketball player and coach. He played at Villanova University, and was the head coach at Washington State University the University of Iowa and the University of Southern ...

, one of winningest coaches in WSU history, member of

College Basketball Hall of Fame The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a hall of fame and museum dedicated to men's college basketball. The museum is an integral portion of the College Basketball Experience created by the National ...

* Taylor Rochestie (born 1985) American-Montenegrin player for

Hapoel Haifa Hapoel Haifa Football Club ( he, מועדון הכדורגל הפועל חיפה, ''Moadon HaKaduregel Hapoel Haifa'') is an Israeli football club located in the city of Haifa. The club won one championship (1998–99) and 4 Israeli cups (1 ...

of the

Israel Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional competition in Israeli club basketball, making it Israel's primary basketball c ...

* Lisa Roman, Canadian Olympic gold medalist for rowing in summer 2020, member of th
WSU Hall of Fame
*

Henry Rono Henry Rono (born 12 February 1952, in Kapsabet) is a Kenyan retired track and field athlete who specialised in various long-distance running events. Although he never competed at the Olympics, Rono is remembered as one of the most prolific colle ...

, former track & field world record holder in 10,000m, 5,000m, 3,000m, and 3,000m steeplechase *

Timm Rosenbach Timm Lane Rosenbach (born October 27, 1966) is an American college football coach and former professional gridiron football player. Rosenbach was the head football coach at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado, taking the position at t ...

, former NFL player with

Phoenix Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

; quarterbacks coach for WSU 2003–07 *

Rob Ryan Robert Allen Ryan (born December 13, 1962) is an American football coach who is currently the senior defensive assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Ryan has served as a defensive coordinator or assistant co ...

, former MLB

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...

for

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...

and Oakland Athletics *

Mark Rypien Mark Robert Rypien (born October 2, 1962) is a Canadian-born former American football quarterback who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Washington State and was drafted by the Washington Redsk ...

, former NFL quarterback, Super Bowl XXVI MVP with

* Herb Schmalenberger, former college football coach at

UC Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...

Aaron Sele Aaron Helmer Sele (born June 25, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is currently a special assignment scout for the Chicago Cubs. Early years His family moved to Poulsbo, Washington, a town on the Kitsap ...

, former

pitcher *

Doug Sisk Douglas Randall Sisk (born September 26, 1957), is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. His primary pitch was a sinker that was difficult for batters to drive in the air. Early years Sisk earned all-league honors both seasons he spen ...

, former MLB relief pitcher * Howie Slater, former NFL fullback * Jonathan McKenzi Smith, NFL running back for

Raonall Smith Raonall Carrig Smith (; born October 22, 1978) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft and also played for the ...

, former NFL outside linebacker for

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...

Jack Spring Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

, former MLB relief pitcher * Wes Stock, former MLB pitcher for

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

* Wayne Sutton, former head football coach at

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

Harland Svare Harland James Svare (November 25, 1930 – April 4, 2020) was an American professional football player, coach and general manager. Svare was a linebacker who played eight seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants of the National Foot ...

, former NFL player for the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants; former head coach of the Rams and San Diego Chargers; former general manager of the Chargers *

Jack Thompson Jack Thompson may refer to: Sports * Jack Thompson (footballer, born 1892) (1892–1969), English footballer who played for Sheffield United and Bristol City * Jack Thompson (1920s footballer), English footballer who played for Aston Villa and Brig ...

, 1984 Bus. Adm., former NFL

known as "Throwin' Samoan" *

Klay Thompson Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A four-time NBA champion with the Warriors, he is a five-time NBA All-St ...

, four-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors shooting guard * Lamont Thompson, former All-American and NFL safety for

Robbie Tobeck Robert Lee Tobeck (; born March 6, 1970) is a former American football center who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Tobeck played seven seasons for the Seattle Seahawks after being acquired as a free agent from the A ...

, former Pro Bowl

for Seattle Seahawks * Marcus Trufant, 2003, first-round pick in

2003 NFL Draft The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. T ...

; All-Pro cornerback for Seattle Seahawks *

Mike Utley Michael Gerard Utley (born December 20, 1965) is a former American football player. He played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1989 through 1991, when he was paralyzed during a game. Early life and college career A gr ...

, former offensive lineman for Detroit Lions; became paralyzed during a game against Los Angeles Rams in 1991 *

Jeff Varem Jeff Varem (born 16 July 1983) is a Nigerian professional basketball player. He formerly played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League. He also played as an import for the Coca-Cola Tigers and the Barako Bull Energy Boosters i ...

, pro basketball player *

Ed Viesturs Edmund Viesturs (born June 22, 1959) is a high-altitude mountaineer, corporate speaker, and well known author in the mountain climbing community. He is the only American to have climbed all 14 of the world's eight-thousander mountain peaks, and o ...

, 1987 D.V.M., one of 12 people in world and only American to climb 14 tallest mountains; unaided by supplemental oxygen * Ian Waltz, eight-time NCAA All-American for discus and shot put, 2004 US Olympian for discus * Ashley Walyuchow, 1994, athletic director University of Houston-Victoria; Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year * Duke Washington, former running back for

Kyle Weaver Kyle Donovan Weaver (born February 18, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Washington State University, and was drafted 38th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2008 NBA draft. Weaver, ...

, pro basketball player * Mike Wilson, former NFL wide receiver for

* Cory Withrow, NFL center for San Diego Chargers and

Paul Wulff Paul Louis Wulff (born February 25, 1967) is an American football coach and former player. In December 2022, he was appointed head coach at California Polytechnic State University. Wulff previously served as the head coach at Eastern Washington ...

, former NCAA All-American and WSU football head coach

Notable faculty

* Olusola Adesope, Boeing Distinguished Professor of STEM Education * James Asay, Institute of Shock Physics researcher; member of the 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 ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' Radio; former managing editor at

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential econo ...

, RealNetworks and '' Billboard'' magazine *

Buck Bailey Arthur Buckner Bailey (June 2, 1896 – October 28, 1964) was a college baseball head coach; he led the Washington State Cougars for 32 seasons, from 1927 through 1961, except for three seasons during World War II, and had an overall record of ...

, WSU baseball coach *

Josephine Thorndike Berry Josephine Thorndike Berry (February 25, 1871 – July 21, 1945) was an American educator and home economist. She held several roles as an educator including that of Superintendent of schools at Waterville, Kansas and Professor of Domestic Scien ...

, head of the Department of Home Economics, State College of Washington * V. N. Bhatia, former WSU Honors Program director;

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

, Dannebrog Order * Anjan Bose, electrical engineering professor and former dean; developed training simulators and computational tools for reliable power-system operation; member of the National Academy of Engineering *

Susmita Bose Susmita Bose is an Indian-American scientist and engineer, best known for her research on biomaterials, 3D printing or additive manufacturing of bone implants and natural medicine. She is the Herman and Brita Lindholm Endowed Chair Professor in ...

, Indian-American scientist and Herman and Brita Lindholm Endowed Chair Professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University * Asif J. Chaudhry, Vice President of International Programs,

United States Ambassador to Moldova The United States ambassador to Moldova is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Moldova. History Until 1991, the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic had been a constituent SSR of the Soviet ...

2008–2011, also WSU Ag Econ PhD graduate 1988 * Walter Clore, horticulture researcher; "father of the Washington wine industry" *Clint Cole, co-founder of Heartstream, creator of the first automatic external defibrillator (AED) for commercial use; co-founder of Digilent, a local Pullman electronics manufacturer * R. James Cook, plant pathologist, cropping systems and biotechnology researcher; led first field test of a genetically modified organism in the Pacific Northwest; member of the National Academy of Sciences * Alfred W. Crosby, professor of history 1966–1977; coined the term " Columbian exchange" in his 1972 book of the same name; considered a founder of the field of

environmental history Environmental history is the study of human interaction with the natural world over time, emphasising the active role nature plays in influencing human affairs and vice versa. Environmental history first emerged in the United States out of th ...

* Rodney Croteau, leader in biosynthesis of cancer-fighting Taxol; expert on terpenoids; member of the National Academy of Sciences * J. Thomas Dickinson, physicist, known for work in fracture, tribology and laser interactions with materials; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science *

William Henry Dietz William Henry "Lone Star" Dietz (August 17, 1884 – July 20, 1964) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Washington State University (1915–1917), Purdue University (1921), Louisiana Tech University ( ...

("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 contributor to modern survey methods; past president of the American Association of Public Opinion Research; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science * Elson S. Floyd, professor of Higher Education Administration; president of

Roald H. Fryxell Roald Hilding Fryxell (February 18, 1934 – May 18, 1974) was an American educator, geologist and archaeologist. He was a Professor of Anthropology at Washington State University (WSU) and pioneer in the interdisciplinary field of geoarchaeolo ...

, WSU professor of geoarchaeology in the Department of Anthropology; namesake of the Fryxell crater on the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

* Norman S. Golding, food scientist, inventor of Cougar Gold cheese * Jeffrey Gramlich, professor of accounting * Yogendra Gupta, physicist, director of WSU Institute for Shock Physics; Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science * John Hirth, mechanical and materials engineer; characterized and modeled the behavior of materials at atomic and microstructural levels, including thin film formation useful to the semiconductor industry; member of the National Academy of Engineering * Alexander Kuo, humanities and creative writing professor; author;

writer-in-residence Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

* Mark G. Kuzyk, physicist, discoverer of the Kuzyk limit and the Kuzyk quantum gap * Kelvin Lynn, materials scientist, renowned for "positron annihilation" research; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science * John M. Madsen, former

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

and general authority of

* Armand Mauss, former professor of sociology and religious studies; frequently published works relating to

Mormonism Mormonism is the religious tradition and theology of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to various aspects of ...

Amy Mazur Amy Gale Mazur (born May 5, 1962) is an American political scientist and professor at Washington State University, as well as an associate researcher at the Centre d’Études Européennes at Sciences Po, Sciences Po, Paris. Education Mazur at ...

, Claudius O. and Mary W. Johnson Distinguished Professor in Political Science * Frances K. McSweeney, psychologist known for work on behavior and reinforcement, with findings on short-term changes in reinforcer effectiveness; WSU Meyer Distinguished Professor of Psychology; Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis * Sue Peabody, Meyer Distinguished Professor of history * Charles Pezeshki (Dr. Chuck), WSU professor of mechanical and materials engineering, 1998–present; past chair of the University Faculty Senate; founder and director of the Industrial Design Clinic * Bhakta B. Rath, assistant professor of metallurgy and material Science; material physicist; head of the Materials Science and Component Technology of the

United States Naval Research Laboratory The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. It was founded in 1923 and conducts basic scientific research, applied research, technological ...

V. Lane Rawlins V. Lane Rawlins (born November 30, 1937) is an American academic who served as the President of the University of North Texas from May 2010 to February 2014. He is also the former President of Washington State University (WSU) and of the Universit ...

, professor of economics and WSU president emeritus * Cecilia Richards, mechanical engineer, known for her work on small-scale

heat engines In thermodynamics and engineering, a heat engine is a system that converts heat to mechanical energy, which can then be used to do mechanical work. It does this by bringing a working substance from a higher state temperature to a lower state ...

and on microelectromechanical systems * 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 of the National Academy of Sciences * Michael Skinner, molecular and reproduction biologist; made discoveries in epigenetics including reduction in male fertility for four generations; his findings appeared in ''Discover'' magazine's "100 top science stories of 2005" * Samuel H. Smith, WSU President Emeritus; former

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

post-doctoral fellow *

William Jasper Spillman William Jasper Spillman (October 18, 1863 – July 11, 1931) is considered to be the founding father of agricultural economics. In addition, he is notable for being the only American to independently rediscover Mendel's laws of genetics. Earl ...

, WSU professor of agriculture; wheat breeder; independently rediscovered Mendel's Law of Heredity; "father of agricultural economics *

, abstract expressionist painter, Clyfford Still Museum, Denver * Matthew Avery Sutton, WSU Professor of History; scholar of American evangelism *

, recipient of 2010 Nobel Prize in literature, Visiting Faculty, 1968-69 * Orville Vogel, WSU and USDA wheat breeder; developer of semi-dwarf wheat varieties that fueled the

; recipient of the

* Diter von Wettstein, plant geneticist; internationally recognized for genetically modifying barley for brewing processes and disease resistance; National Academy of Sciences foreign associate; member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences * Allen I. White, WSU professor of pharmacy faculty 1940–1960; dean of the WSU College of Pharmacy 1960–1979; pioneered off-campus training for the college

Notable regents

* Frances Penrose Owen, first woman on the WSU Board of Regents, serving 1957–1975

References

{{Washington State University Washington State University people *