Notable alumni
Academe
- Judith A. Bense, academic; president of University of West Florida
- Howard Bowen, 1929 B.A. economics, 1933 M.A. economics, former president of Claremont University Center, University of Iowa, Grinnell College 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, Lawrence Livermore National Labs, and Mobility Systems Inc.
- Gordon G. Gallup, psychologist at University at Albany's Psychology Department in biopsychology program
- Weldon Gibson, 1938 B.A. business administration, executive vice president of Stanford Research Institute; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1979
- Henry Heald, 1923 B.S. civil engineering, president of Ford Foundation, New York University, Illinois Institute of Technology, and American Society for Engineering 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; architecture professor at University of Washington; chair of UW Department of Architecture 2007–15
- George B. Thomas, former professor of mathematics at MIT; best known for being author of widely used calculus textbook
- Jon Wefald, former president of Kansas State University
Animal husbandry
- Helen Elaine Freeman, conservationist and endangered species advocate; specialized in saving snow leopards
- 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 and helped sponsor her chimpanzee research; died in 1967
The arts, literature and media
- Sherman Alexie, 1994 B.A. American studies, author and filmmaker; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2003
- Rudy Autio, 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, artist
- Deborah Gardner, Peace Corps volunteer murdered in Tonga in 1976; subject of American Taboo by Philip Weiss
- Art Gilmore, 1931, voice actor and announcer
- Keith Jackson, 1954 B.A. sports communications, ABC-TV sports commentator; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1978
- Edward Kienholz, pop art installation artist
- Grace Kim, cofounder of Schemata Workshop architecture firm in Seattle; cohousing expert; author of The Survival Guide to Architectural Internship and Career Development; commissioner of the Seattle Planning Commission.
- Gary Larson, 1972 B.A. communications, Far Side cartoonist; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1990
- Blake Lewis, American Idol Season 6 runner-up
- Dolph Lundgren, 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, 1930 B.A. speech, journalist for CBS; "father of television news broadcasting"; WWII radio correspondent; Hear It Now radio program host; See It Now television program host; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1963
- Krist Novoselic, 2016 B.S. social sciences, founding member and bassist for grunge band Nirvana
- Barry Serafin, 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, 1935 MFA, abstract expressionist painter,
- Frances Yeend, lyric soprano opera singer
Business
- Paul Allen, 1977 (1973–75), co-founder of Microsoft; owner of Vulcan Enterprises, Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers; 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, 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 to Belgium 1957–59; member of board of governors of New York Stock Exchange; 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 for ten terms
- Mike Lowry, 1962 B.A. general studies, former Governor of Washington
- Jim Moeller, politician from Washington, serves in Washington State House of Representatives representing 49th Legislative District
- Sid Morrison, 1954 B.S. horticulture, US Congressman, 1981–93, Washington's 4th District
- Patty Murray, 1972 B.A. physical education, US Senator representing Washington
- Marshall Neill, 1936 B.A. political science, Federal district court judge; Washington State Supreme Court judge; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1979
- George Nethercutt, 1967 B.A. English, US Congressman, 1995–2005
- Sam Reed, 2000–2013 Washington Secretary of State
- Robert A. Roe, Democrat representing New Jersey in US House of Representatives for over 23 years
Humanities
- Gary J. Coleman, general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Anthony Curcio, 2004 social sciences, author and youth speaker; athlete; became notorious criminal known as D.B. Tuber after masterminding armored car robbery; [1] has since devoted life to educating youth on drug addiction [2]
- Timothy Leary, 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, 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; 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 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 who gained worldwide attention when he became conscientious objector to protest Vietnam War
- Sigmund R. Petersen, 1961 B.S. in civil engineering, rear admiral in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (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 for actions in the Battle of Shok Valley, 2008 in Afghanistan
Science, space and technology
- John Abelson, 1960 B.S. physics, co-founder and president of Agouron Pharmaceuticals; through rational drug design developed Viracept, leading drug used for controlling HIV infections, which cut death rate in half among AIDS patients in the mid-1990s; nephew of Philip Abelson and Neva Abelson; received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2004
- Neva Abelson, 1934 B.S. chemistry, developed blood test for Rh disease; wife of Philip Abelson; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1989
- Philip Abelson, 1933 B.S. chemistry, 1935 M.S. physics, "father of the nuclear-fueled submarine"; Manhattan Project participant; editor of Science ; 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, 1941 M.S. chemistry, founder of modern school of isotope chemistry; Manhattan Project participant; researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory; 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; 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 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
- Charles Glen King, 1918 B.S. chemistry, leading authority on Vitamin C; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1964
- Simon S. Lam, 1969 B.S. electrical engineering, 2004 ACM SIGCOMM Award winner; member of National Academy of Engineering
- Krist Novoselic, 2016 B.S social science; former bassist from punk rock band Nirvana & Sweet 75; FAA licensed Pilot [3]
- Wajih Owais, Jordanian professor and researcher; chairman of board of directors of King Abdullah University Hospital;t President of Jordan University of Science and Technology
- Martin Pall, professor emeritus of biochemistry and basic medical sciences, specializing in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and multiple chemical sensitivity
- Irwin Rose, 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
- 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"; 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, Cleveland Browns, and Arizona Cardinals
- Husain Abdullah, former National Football League (NFL) strong safety for Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs
- Frank Akins, former NFL running back for Washington Redskins
- Mike Akiu, football player
- Josh Akognon, member of the Nigeria national basketball team
- Calvin Armstrong, CFL offensive tackle for Edmonton Eskimos
- Dominique Arnold, 1996, track & field NCAA champion; American record holder in 110m high hurdles (12.90)
- Rick Austin, former Major League Baseball pitcher for Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers
- Byron Bailey, former NFL running back for Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers
- LaVar Ball, former basketball and football player
- Ed Barker, former NFL wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins
- Norton Barnhill, former National Basketball Association (NBA) guard for Seattle SuperSonics
- Kyle Basler, NFL punter for Cleveland Browns
- Aron Baynes, NBA center for San Antonio Spurs; 2014 NBA champion
- Pat Beach, former NFL tight end
- Todd Belitz, 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, 1993 B.A. educ., NFL quarterback with Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills; top pick of 1993 NFL Draft
- Dorian Boose, former NFL defensive end for New York Jets and Washington Redskins
- Ed Bouchee, former MLB first baseman for Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets
- Adam Braidwood, first overall by Edmonton Eskimos in 2006 Canadian College Draft
- Bob Bratkowski, current offensive coordinator for NFL's Cincinnati Bengals
- Bobo Brayton, 1950 B.A. physical education, 1959 M.S. physical education, former WSU baseball coach
- Ed Brett, former NFL defensive end
- Alex Brink, NFL quarterback for Houston Texans
- Steve Broussard, NFL running back and WSU assistant football coach
- Mkristo Bruce, NFL defensive end for Jacksonville Jaguars
- 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, former linebacker for San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs
- Hugh Campbell, former head coach of Houston Oilers
- Ron Cey, MLB third baseman, six-time All-Star; graduate of Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma
- Cliff Chambers, former MLB pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals
- John Chaplin, 1963 B.A. geography, WSU track & field coach, 2000 US Olympic coach
- Gail Cogdill, NFL wide receiver, 3X Pro Bowl participant and 1960 NFL Rookie of the Year
- Erik Coleman, defensive back for Atlanta Falcons
- Don Collins, NBA player for Atlanta Hawks
- Jed Collins, NFL fullback; signed with Philadelphia Eagles in 2008
- Gene Conley, MLB All-Star and NBA player; first person to win championship in both sports
- Joe Danelo, former NFL placekicker
- Devard Darling, NFL wide receiver for Baltimore Ravens
- James Darling, NFL middle linebacker for Arizona Cardinals
- Jason David, NFL cornerback for New Orleans Saints
- Steve Dildine, linebacker for San Francisco 49ers
- James Donaldson, former NBA center
- Dan Doornink, former running back for New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks; practicing MD of internal medicine
- Chad Eaton, former NFL defensive tackle and recipient of Morris Trophy
- Dave Edler, former MLB third baseman for Seattle Mariners
- Turk Edwards, former offensive tackle for Washington Redskins, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Craig Ehlo, former NBA player for Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks
- Garner Ekstran, former CFL defensive end for Saskatchewan Roughriders, winner of 1966 Grey Cup
- Jack Elway, football head coach at Stanford and San Jose State, father of Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway
- Dick Farman, former offensive lineman and Pro Bowl selection for Washington Redskins
- Mark Fields, former linebacker and Pro Bowl selection for New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers
- Danielle Fisher, at 20, youngest person to summit tallest mountain on each continent (2005)
- Isaac Fontaine, former NBA guard for Memphis Grizzlies
- Eric Frampton, NFL safety for Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings
- Rodrigo de la Fuente, Spanish basketball player, formerly with FC Barcelona
- Aaron Garcia, quarterback for New York Dragons of the Arena Football League
- Jason Gesser, quarterback for Utah Blaze of Arena Football League
- Steve Gleason, 1998 Pac-10 defensive MVP and special teams captain of New Orleans Saints; Congressional Gold Medal recipient
- Phil Glover, linebacker for Tampa Bay Storm
- 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, 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
- Tony Harris (1970–2007), pro basketball player
- Jerome Harrison, former NCAA All-American and running back for Cleveland Browns
- James Hasty, former Pro Bowl cornerback for Kansas City Chiefs
- Scott Hatteberg, former MLB first baseman for Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds
- Chris Hayes, former defensive back and Super Bowl XXXI champion for Green Bay Packers
- Mel Hein, 1931 B.S. physical education, All-American in 1930; eight-time All-Pro with New York Giants; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983; member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Mark Hendrickson, former NBA player and MLB pitcher for Los Angeles Dodgers
- Jason Hill, NFL wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers
- Alex Hoffman-Ellis, football linebacker
- Jerry Houghton, former NFL offensive tackle
- Don Hover, former linebacker for Washington Redskins
- Erik Howard, former defensive tackle and member of two Super Bowl championship teams
- George Hurley, former offensive guard for Washington Redskins
- Ike Iroegbu (born 1995), American-born Nigerian basketball player for Hapoel Galil Elyon of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Bernard Jackson, former NFL defensive back
- Chris Jackson, wide receiver for AFL's Philadelphia Soul
- Tim Jankovich, men's basketball head coach at Illinois State University
- Eldon Jenne, former Olympic track and field athlete; head football and basketball coach at Pacific University
- Brian Kelly, former wide receiver and member of Canadian Football Hall of Fame
- Allan Kennedy, former NFL offensive tackle
- Samson Kimobwa, retired distance runner from Kenya
- Mike Kinkade, 2000 Olympic baseball gold medalist; played in Chicago Cubs organization
- Peter Koech, 1988 Olympic silver medalist, 3,000m steeplechase
- Julius Korir, 1984 Olympic steeplechase champion
- Bernard Lagat, 2000, two-time Olympic track & field medalist in 1500m
- Ryan Leaf, 1999 (1995–98), former NFL quarterback with San Diego Chargers; taken second in 1998 NFL Draft
- Ron Lewis, former offensive guard for Washington Redskins
- Keith Lincoln, former NFL running back; record 206 yards rushing in 1964 American Football League Championship Game for San Diego Chargers, two-time Pro Bowl MVP
- Rian Lindell, kicker for the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks
- Gerry Lindgren, won 11 NCAA track & field distance running championships
- Chad Little, former NASCAR driver
- Don Long, MLB hitting coach for Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds
- Rien Long, 2003, only WSU player to win Outland Trophy, NFL defensive tackle for Tennessee Titans
- Dan Lynch, former first-team AP All-American football lineman, 1984
- John Marshall, defensive coordinator for Seattle Seahawks
- Rueben Mayes, former NFL running back with New Orleans Saints
- Rob Meier, former NFL defensive end for Jacksonville Jaguars
- Keith Millard, former NFL defensive lineman
- Gardner Minshew, NFL quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, and Indianapolis Colts
- Singor Mobley, former NFL safety for Dallas Cowboys
- Tom Niedenfuer, former MLB relief pitcher for Los Angeles Dodgers
- Laurie Niemi, former Pro Bowl offensive lineman for Washington Redskins
- Paul Noce, former MLB shortstop for Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds
- John Olerud, former MLB first baseman for Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners
- Karl Paymah, NFL cornerback for Denver Broncos
- Scott Pelluer, former NFL linebacker for New Orleans Saints
- Brian Quinnett, former NBA player for New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks
- Pete Rademacher, Olympic gold medalist for boxing in 1956
- George Raveling, one of winningest coaches in WSU history, member of College Basketball Hall of Fame
- Taylor Rochestie (born 1985) American-Montenegrin player for Hapoel Haifa of the Israel Basketball Premier League
- Lisa Roman, Canadian Olympic gold medalist for rowing in summer 2020, member of the WSU Hall of Fame
- Henry Rono, former track & field world record holder in 10,000m, 5,000m, 3,000m, and 3,000m steeplechase
- Timm Rosenbach, former NFL player with Phoenix Cardinals; quarterbacks coach for WSU 2003–07
- Rob Ryan, former MLB outfielder for Arizona Diamondbacks and Oakland Athletics
- Mark Rypien, former NFL quarterback, Super Bowl XXVI MVP with Washington Redskins
- Herb Schmalenberger, former college football coach at UC Davis
- Aaron Sele, former Major League Baseball pitcher
- Doug Sisk, former MLB relief pitcher
- Howie Slater, former NFL fullback
- Jonathan McKenzi Smith, NFL running back for Kansas City Chiefs
- Raonall Smith, former NFL outside linebacker for St. Louis Rams
- Jack Spring, former MLB relief pitcher
- Wes Stock, former MLB pitcher for Baltimore Orioles
- Wayne Sutton, former head football coach at Louisiana State University
- Harland Svare, 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, 1984 Bus. Adm., former NFL quarterback known as "Throwin' Samoan"
- Klay Thompson, four-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors shooting guard
- Lamont Thompson, former All-American and NFL safety for Tennessee Titans
- Robbie Tobeck, former Pro Bowl center for Seattle Seahawks
- Marcus Trufant, 2003, first-round pick in 2003 NFL Draft; All-Pro cornerback for Seattle Seahawks
- Mike Utley, former offensive lineman for Detroit Lions; became paralyzed during a game against Los Angeles Rams in 1991
- Jeff Varem, pro basketball player
- Ed Viesturs, 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 Philadelphia Eagles
- Kyle Weaver, pro basketball player
- Mike Wilson, former NFL wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers
- Cory Withrow, NFL center for San Diego Chargers and Minnesota Vikings
- Paul Wulff, former NCAA All-American and WSU football head coach
