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An Incomplete List of Famous Penn Staters
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Famous Living Penn Staters | Famous Penn Staters Now Deceased

Famous Penn Staters Now Deceased

Michael Baker Jr. ’36 — World renowned civil engineer and founder of the Michael Baker Corp, an international giant in engineering services and design

Dr. Gertrude A. Barber ’40, ’45g — Founder of the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber National Institute for children and adults with disabilities

Harold Barron ’22 — Silver medal winner in 1920 Olympics (Antwerp); Track and field 120m high hurdles

Alfred Bates ’28 — Bronze medal winner in 1928 Olympics (Amsterdam); Track and field long jump

Harold H. Benjamin ’47 — Founder of the Los Angeles based Wellness Community, providing support and education to people with cancer

John T. Biggers ’48 — African American artist depicting black culture and history (muralist, painter, sculptor, printmaker, and teacher) inspired many young African American artists

Ed Binns ’37 — Noted character actor has appeared in close to 150 films, made-for-TV movies, and television series’ including It Takes a Thief, Dr. Kildare, The Fugitive, and The Defeners

David Bright ’80, ’82g — An expert on the Andrea Doria shipwreck, he has dived the Titanic several times and was featured on several PBS programs

Arthur Cooper ’59 — Former editor-in-chief of GQ magazine

William Cox ’29 — Bronze medal winner in 1924 Olympics (Paris); Track and field 3000m team

George P. Cressman ’41 — Internationally acclaimed weather scientist who pioneered methods of weather forecasting

Charles E. Denney ’00 — President of the Erie Railroad and later the Northern Pacific Railroad, among the earliest Penn State alums to achieve top executive rank

Schuyler Enck ’24 — Bronze medal winner in 1924 Olympics (Paris); Track and field 800m

Julius J. Epstein ’31 — Prize-winning screenwriter best known for co-writing Casablanca

Barney Ewell ’47 — Gold and silver medal winner in 1948 Olympics (London); Track and field 4 x 100 relay (gold), 100m (silver), and 200m (silver)

Herman G. Fisher ’21 — Co-founder of Fisher-Price Toys

Samuel G. Gallu ’40 — Writer, director, and producer of television and motion pictures; author of acclaimed one-man play Give 'em Hell, Harry!

William Goode ’46g — Internationally renowned sociologist whose research focused on family life, marriage, and divorce

George Groff ’07 — Became the first agricultural missionary to China; helped organize the Lingnan Agricultural College in China, serving as the dean of the college until 1935

George W. Hamilton ’83, ’90g, ’01g — Inventor of widely-used seed establishment treatment, PennMulch

Allen Boone Helffrich ’25 — Gold medal winner in 1924 Olympics (Paris); Track and field 4 x 400 relay

Samuel F. Hinkle ’22 — Retired chairman and CEO of Hershey Foods Corporation (1956-1965)

Mary L. Ilgen ’48 — Aeronautical engineer who was a member of the team that developed Douglas Aircraft's DC-8, DC-9, and DC-10

Richard James ’39 — Inventor of the Slinky

Gene Kelly ’33 — Famous actor and dancer, who also sang, produced, directed, and choreographed; his notable performances included: Singin’ in the Rain, Anchors Aweigh, and An American in Paris

Charles L. Krumreich ’37 — Inventor of the world standard telephone jack, RJ-11, as a scientist for Bell Labs; more than 1 billion RJ-11 telephone jacks have been manufactured worldwide

Thomas D. Larson ’52 — Former director of the Federal Highway Administration and eight-year Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDot) secretary

Katsutoshi Naito ’24 — Bronze medal winner 1924 Olympics (Paris); Wrestling featherweight

Amos E. Neyhart ’21, ’34g — Taught the nation’s first course in high school driver’s education

Eugene O’Kelly ’72 — Former CEO of KPMG and co-author of Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life

Russell S. Ohl ’18 — Father of the modern semiconductor industry; discoveries led to the invention of such devices as radar, transistors, solar batteries, and semiconductor diodes

Vance Packard ’36 — Journalist, social critic, and author of the national bestseller The Hidden Persuaders about media manipulation

Florence Powdermaker ’15 — An early advocate of group therapy; also pioneered psychiatric methods for treating war-shocked soldiers before they return to civilian life

Jef Raskin ’67g — Credited with being the father of the Macintosh computer

Matthew T. Robinson ’58 — Producer for the Children’s Television Network; shows include Sesame Street

Williard F. Rockwell ’35, ’55 — Industrialist, president, chairman and CEO of aeriospace conglomerate Rockwell International

Hugh Rodham ’35 – Father of Hillary Rodham Clinton

M. Lawrence Shields ’22 — Gold and bronze medal winner 1920 Olympics (Antwerp); Track and field 3,000m (gold) 1500m (bronze)

Arthur Addison Studenroth ’20 — Silver medal winner in 1924 Olympics (Paris); Track and field 10000m cross country team

Fred M. Waring ’22 — Nationally known as director and founder of The Pennsylvanians orchestra and chorus; pioneer in radio, stage shows, television, and recording; fostered choral singing in America by organizing the Fred Waring Music Workshop; co-inventor of the Waring Blender

Henry Yeagley ’25 — Introduced the concepts of automobile seat bealts and crumple zones. Known worldwide for developing the first coherent theory of bird navigation.

(If you think of others, feel free to let us know.)

For an up-to-date list of former Nittany Lions on current 2005 NFL rosters, visit: http://www.gopsusports.com/pressreleases/pressrelease.cfm?anncid=9314.

For an extensive list of outstanding Penn State intercollegiate and professional athletes, please visit the online home of the Penn State All-Sports Museum at:  http://www.gopsusports.com/Museum/museum.cfm.

The All-Sports Museum Web site lists remarkable student athletes in baseball, basketball, fencing, field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and crosscountry, volleyball, and wrestling.