List of University of Detroit Mercy people

The following is a list of notable people associated with the University of Detroit Mercy , located in Detroit, Michigan.

Notable alumni

Academics

• Andreas Blass, mathematician and professor at University of Michigan ^[1]
• Kevin Boyle, winner of 2004 National Book Award for Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age; Professor of History at Ohio State University ^[1]
• Thomas Budzynski, psychologist and a pioneer in the field of biofeedback
• John A. DiBiaggio, former president of University of Connecticut, Michigan State University and Tufts University
• David J. Jackson, political scientist at Bowling Green State University
• Dudley Randall, poet, librarian, poet-in-residence

Acting, theater, film and television

• Anita Barone, actress
• Phil Cousineau, author, lecturer, independent scholar, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker ^[2]
• Pamela Anne Eldred, Miss America 1970 ^[3]
• David Patrick Kelly, actor ^[4]
• Keegan-Michael Key, actor ^[5]
• Connie Kreski (Kornacki), actress, 1969 Playboy Playmate of the Year ^[6]
• Allison Payne, news anchor
• Ted Raimi, actor, best known for his roles on seaQuest DSV and Xena: Warrior Princess ^[7]
• Amy Yasbeck, actress

Business

• Marilyn Fisher Lundy, President and CEO of the League of Catholic Women ^[8]
• A. C. Muthiah, Chairman-Emeritus of Southern Petrochemical Industries Limited (SPIC); Chairman of Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering (SVCE)
• Thomas Thewes, co-founder of Compuware Corporation ^[9]

Engineering and architecture

• J. Thomas McCarthy, internationally recognized authority in the field of trademarks
• Otmar Szafnauer, Former Team Principal Alpine F1 Team; former COO of Sahara Force India Formula 1 Team; ^[10] former programs manager at Ford ^[11]

Journalism and writing

• Bill Bonds, former longtime anchor of WXYZ-TV news ^[12]
• Ron Fournier, Associated Press, chief of Washington bureau ^[13]
• Elmore Leonard, author, several of whose books have been made into movies, such as Get Shorty , Be Cool, and The Big Bounce ^{[14] [15]}
• J. P. McCarthy, former radio host on Detroit station WJR ^[16]
• George Noory, syndicated radio talk show host (Coast to Coast AM) ^[17]
• Allison Payne, former anchorwoman with WGN-TV, Chicago ^[18]

Government and politics

• Richard Arrington, Jr., first African American mayor of Birmingham, Alabama
• Donald W. Banner, former United States Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks
• Kyra Harris Bolden, Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court
• Thomas E. Brennan, Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (1967–1973); served as Chief Justice 1969–1970; founded the Thomas M. Cooley Law School
• Vincent M. Brennan, Michigan politician
• James H. Brickley, 54th and 56th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan and a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court 1982–1999
• Vern Buchanan, Republican Congressman representing Florida's 16th congressional district
• Tim Burns, Michigan politician
• Pamela Carter, 38th Indiana Attorney General (1993–1997)
• Jerome Cavanagh, Mayor of Detroit, 1962–1970
• Michael F. Cavanagh, Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, 1982–2014 (served as Chief Justice 1991–1995)
• Bob Constan, Michigan State House of Representatives
• Maura D. Corrigan, director, Michigan Department of Human Services; ^[19] former Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, 1998–2011 (served as Chief Justice 2001–2004)
• George Cushingberry, Jr., Michigan House of Representatives
• James Dinkins, Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations 2010–2014
• Robert A. Ficano, county executive of Wayne County, Michigan, 2013–2015
• Roman S. Gribbs, mayor of Detroit, 1970–1974, Judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals
• Frank J. Kelley, longest-serving Attorney General in Michigan history (1961–1998)
• Theodore Levin, U.S. District Court Judge (1946–1970); father of Charles and Joseph Levin; uncle of Senator Carl Levin and Representative Sander Levin
• Greg Mathis, retired Michigan 36th District Court judge and syndicated television show judge
• E. Michael McCann, former Milwaukee County District Attorney
• Thaddeus McCotter, former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 11th congressional district (2003–2012)
• Zenaida Moya, Mayor of Belize City, Belize, 2006–2012
• L. Brooks Patterson, lawyer and politician, formerly the County Executive of Oakland County, Michigan
• Gary Peters, United States Senator from Michigan, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 9th congressional district
• Haider Abbas Rizvi, former member of the National Assembly of Pakistan; a senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party
• James L. Ryan, retired Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, 1975–1985; Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 1985–present
• Thomas Patrick Thornton, United States Federal Judge

Military and space

• Richard F. Abel, former United States Air Force brig. general
• Paul Bikle, former director of the NASA Flight Research Center
• Robert J. Elder, Jr, former United States Air Force lt. general
• Glynn Lunney, NASA flight director

Religion

• Joseph M. Breitenbeck, eighth Bishop of Grand Rapids, 1969–1989
• Joseph Cassidy, Anglican priest
• Gary Habermas, PhD, philosophical theologian and apologist; defender of Christ's historical Resurrection
• Dario Hunter, first Muslim-born person to be ordained a rabbi ^[20]
• Dale Joseph Melczek, third Bishop of Gary, since 1996
• Robert A. Mitchell, 1st Chancellor of University of Detroit Mercy (1990–1992)
• Steven J. Raica, fifth Bishop of Gaylord, since 2014
• Francis R. Reiss, auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, since 2003
• Jane Dewar Schaberg (1977–2012), Professor of Religious Studies and Women's Studies

Sports

• Grady Alderman, offensive lineman for 1969 NFL champion Minnesota Vikings and General Manager of Denver Broncos
• John Barrett (1899–1966), professional football player
• Dan Boisture (1925–2007), coach of Eastern Michigan (1967–73) and Detroit Wheels (1974) football teams
• Lloyd Brazil (1906–1965), U of D coach and athletic director
• Frank Bucher (1900–1970), professional football player
• Wes Carlson, professional football player
• Walt Cassidy (1899–1944), professional football player
• Gus Cifelli (1926–2009), football player for Notre Dame and 1952 NFL champion Detroit Lions
• Earl Cureton, NBA player for Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, 2-time NBA champion
• Dave DeBusschere (1940–2003), NBA Hall of Fame, played basketball for Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks, coach of Pistons; also played baseball for Chicago White Sox
• Terry Duerod, former NBA player, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics
• Bill Ebben, former NBA player
• Andrew "Anvil Andy" Farkas (1916–2001), player for 1942 NFL champion Washington Redskins
• Tom Finnin, former NFL player for Baltimore Colts
• Willie Green, basketball player for NBA's Orlando Magic, assistant coach Golden State Warriors, head coach New Orleans Pelicans.
• Jody Handley, soccer player for England women's national football team
• Spencer Haywood, U of D basketball player, Olympic gold medalist, 4-time NBA All-Star, Basketball Hall of Fame ^[21]
• Dave Hill (1937–2011), PGA Tour golfer with 13 tour wins
• Lee Knorek (1921–2003), NBA player for New York Knicks
• Joe Kopicki, professional basketball player
• Dutch Lauer (1898–1978), professional football player
• John Long, professional basketball player, member of 1989 NBA champion Detroit Pistons
• Bruce Maher, former NFL player for Detroit Lions
• Ted Marchibroda (1931–2016), twice head coach of NFL's Baltimore Colts/Indianapolis Colts, offensive co-ordinator for Buffalo Bills Super Bowl teams
• Ray McCallum, Jr., NBA player for San Antonio Spurs
• Bob Miller (1926–2020), former MLB player (1949–58) and U-D baseball coach (1965–2000); career Titans coaching record of 896-780-2; named to Titans Hall of Fame 1979
• Guy Murray, Detroit Titans cross country/track and field head coach
• Dorie Murrey, NBA player for Detroit Pistons, Seattle SuperSonics
• A. C. Muthiah, president of Board of Control for Cricket in India 1999–2001
• Tip O'Neill (1898–1984), professional football player
• Andrew Ornoch, Mississauga Eagles FC
• Chase Simon (born 1989), basketball player for Maccabi Ashdod of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Jimmy Simpson (1897–1979), professional football player
• Gino Sovran (1924–2016), professional basketball player
• Guy Sparrow, former NBA player for New York Knicks
• Art Stolkey (1920–2013), professional basketball player
• Terry Thomas (1953–1998), former NBA player
• Terry Tyler, NBA player for Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings
• Owen Wells (1950–1993), professional basketball player

Notable faculty

• Richard Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller, visiting professor in the School of Architecture at University of Detroit, 1970 ^[22]
• Robert S. Johnston (1901–1902), classics, English, and mathematics teacher; ^[23] later president of Saint Louis University ^[24]
• Isaiah McKinnon
• John P. McNichols, S.J., Jesuit priest and 11th president of University of Detroit 1921–1932; established the McNichols Campus, and is the namesake for McNichols Road in Detroit
• Frank Murphy, law instructor; Michigan jurist; Mayor of Detroit; Governor of Michigan; the last Governor-General of the Philippines; and the first High Commissioner of the Philippines, United States Attorney General, and United States Supreme Court Associate Justice
• Joyce Carol Oates, taught at the University of Detroit; published her first novel, With Shuddering Fall , when she was 26 years old; her novel them received the National Book Award in 1970; has taught at Princeton University since 1978
• Dick Vitale, basketball coach and broadcaster, head coach of Detroit Titans men's basketball 1973–1977

References

1. "100 Notable alumni of University of Detroit Mercy". EduRank. March 2, 2025. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
2. Rhaesa, John (January 25, 2020). "The Wayne Dispatch » Small town boy to international traveler". The Wayne Dispatch. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
3. Montemurri, Patricia (December 11, 2022). "Free Press Flashback: The late Pam Eldred sparkled as Miss America in a tempestuous era". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
4. Cohen, Finn (October 5, 2017). "David Patrick Kelly, a Character Actor Vibrating on His Own Plane". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
5. "Keegan-Michael Key getting back to his acting roots". FOX 2 Detroit. July 18, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
6. "Mercy! How Far You've Traveled, Connie Kreski". Detroit Free Press. April 27, 1969. p. 143.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
7. Jackman, Michael (September 20, 2016). "A hometowner from Hamtramck fights the undead". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
8. Wong Barnstead, Elizabeth (July 10, 2014). "Marilyn Fisher Lundy, a 'contemplative in action,' dies at 89". Detroit Catholic. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
9. "Canes co-owner Thewes dies". WRALSportsFan.com. September 29, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
10. "Q&A with Otmar Szafnauer". forceindiaf1.com. Force India Formula One Team. Archived from the original on August 29, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
11. Spurgeon, Brad (November 16, 2012). "An engineer's passion for his racing work". The New York Times. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
12. "Colleagues, Friends Reminisce About Years With Bill Bonds - CBS Detroit". CBSNews.com. December 13, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
13. Stramm, Alan (October 19, 2014). "Detroit's 'Climb Out Will Take Years, Maybe Generations' -- Ron Fournier". www.deadlinedetroit.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
14. Adams, Noah (August 20, 2013). "Elmore Leonard, The 'Dickens Of Detroit,' Dies At 87". NPR. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
15. Gibson, Dan (August 20, 2013). "RIP, Elmore Leonard". Tucson Weekly. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
16. "McCarthy, J.P. | Detroit Historical Society". www.detroithistorical.org. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
17. "Extra Close-Up: George Noory". Insideradio.com. December 4, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
18. Feighan, Maureen (September 13, 2021). "Detroit native who was longtime Chicago TV anchor dies after health issues". The Detroit News. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
19. "DHS – Maura D. Corrigan, Director". michigan.gov. State of Michigan. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
20. "NYC: Ex-Muslim to be ordained as rabbi". YNetNews.com. July 7, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
21. (see ISBN   1-56743-042-2)
22. Sieden, Lloyd Steven (2000). Buckminster Fuller's Universe. Basic Books. pp. 434–435. ISBN   9780738203799.
23. Watrous, Jerome Anthony (1909). Memoirs of Milwaukee County. Vol. 2. Madison, Wisconsin: Western Historical Association. p. 131. Then for a period of four years [Johnston] was professor of classics, English and mathematics at Detroit College and served in a like capacity at St. Xavier's College of Cincinnati for another year.
24. "Rev. R. S. Johnston Dies in Milwaukee; Ex-Head of St. Louis University, Professor at Marquette" (fee required). The New York Times. February 20, 1944. Retrieved December 17, 2009. He was a teacher in ... St. Xavier High School, Cincinnati, 1901–02, ...

External links

• University of Detroit Mercy Alumni Association