List of Duke University people
This is a list of past and present chief executives, as well as notable faculty and alumni of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
Famous and distinguished alumni
Government, Politics, and Activism
- Bill Campbell (J.D. 1977) Mayor of Atlanta 1994-2002
- Benjamin Chavis, Jr. (MDiv 1980) civil rights activist, executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
- Elizabeth Dole (B.A. 1958), United States Senator of North Carolina; former Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission; former United States Secretary of Transportation, former United States Secretary of Labor, former President of the American Red Cross
- Christine M. Durham (J.D. 1971), chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court
- J.B. Fuqua (G.Hon 1973), Chairman of the Georgia Democratic Party
- Henry Hyde (X. 1947), current U.S. Representative of Illinois
- Robert D. Inglis (1981) current U.S. Representative of South Carolina
- John Koskinen (B.A. 1961), former Deputy Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget
- Juanita M. Kreps (M.A. 1944, Ph.D. 1948), United States Secretary of Commerce, 1977-79
- Philip Lader (B.A. 1966), former Ambassador to the Court of St. James, London
- Ricardo Lagos (Ph.D. 1966), current President of the Republic of Chile
- Denise Majette (J.D. 1979), former Georgia state judge, former United States Representative of Georgia
- Kevin J. Martin (M.P.P. 1993), Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
- Evelyn Murphy (B.A. 1965, Ph.D 1981), former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
- Richard Nixon (J.D. 1937), 37th President of the United States
- Eric Shinseki (M.A.), former United States Army Chief of Staff
- Doug Sosnik (B.A. 1979), senior advisor and political director to Former President Bill Clinton
- Eleanor Smeal (B.A. 1961, LL.D 1991), political activist, current president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, former president of the National Organization for Women
- Kenneth Starr (J.D. 1973), former United States Solicitor General, Independent Counsel during the Whitewater Affair
- Bob Wise (B.A. 1970), Governor of West Virginia
Business
- Rex Adams (B.A. 1962), chairman of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), former VP of Mobil Corporation
- John A. Allison IV (M.B.A. 1974), Chairman and CEO, BB&T Corporation
- Andrew Busey (B.S. 1993), creator of iChat
- Clay Felker (B.A. 1951), Founding Editor of New York Magazine
- J.B. Fuqua (G.Hon 1973), Chairman of the Board of The Fuqua Companies, founder of the J.B. Fuqua Foundation, endowed the Fuqua School of Business.
- Melinda Gates (B.A. 1986, M.B.A. 1987), co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, wife of Bill Gates
- William H. Gross (1966), Founder and Chief Investment Officer, PIMCO
- Edwin L. Jones, Jr. (B.S. 1948), Engineer, president, J. A. Jones Construction Company
- Rik Kirkland (M.A. 1976), S/B Managing Editor, Fortune Magazine
- John J. Mack (B.A. 1968), CEO of Morgan Stanley, former CEO of Credit Suisse First Boston
- Peter Nicholas (B.A. 1964), Founder and Chairman of Boston Scientific Corporation
- Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. (B.S. 1947) former CEO of Pfizer, philanthropist, namesake of the Edmund T. Pratt School of Engineering at Duke
- David M. Rubenstein (1970), cofounder of The Carlyle Group
- W. David Stedman (1942), Business executive, philanthropist
- James L. Vincent (B.S. 1961), Chairman & CEO, Biogen, Inc.
- Jeffrey Vinik (B.S. 1981), Chairman, President, and CEO of Vinik Asset Management
- G. Richard Wagoner, Jr. (B.A. 1975), President & CEO, General Motors Corporation
Academia, Research, and Literature
- Lenox D. Baker (M.D. 1973), physician, public servant
- Ian Barbour (M.S. 1946), physicist, theologian, and recipient of the Templeton Prize in 1999
- Charles E. Brady, Jr. (M.D. 1975), astronaut
- Fred Brooks (A.B. 1953), engineer, developer of OS/360, Turing Award winner
- Jerome Bruner (A.B. 1937), renowned psychologist and professor
- Fred Chappell (B.A. 1961), M.A. 1964, North Carolina Poet Laureate, novelist
- Hans Dehmelt (Post-Doc. 1952-55) Nobel Laureate in physics, 1989
- Sylvia Earle (Ph.D, 1966), marine biologist, Chief Scientist of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
- Lorenz Eitner (A.B. 1940), renowned art historian
- Jim Ellis co-creator of Usenet with Tom Truscott
- Dr. Paul Farmer (B.S. 1982), infectious disease doctor, subject of Pulitzer-prize winning Tracy Kidder's biography Mountains Beyond Mountains
- Pamela Gann (J.D 1973), president of Claremont McKenna College
- Jerry F. Hough, political scientist, author, and professor
- Josephine Humphreys (B.A. 1967), award-winning novelist
- William DeVries (GME 1971-1979), pioneer of artificial organs
- Juanita M. Kreps(M.A. 1944, Ph.D. 1948), professor, economist, Secretary of Commerce
- Peter Maas (B.A. 1949), author of novels The Valachi Papers and Serpico, later made in movies
- Robert Morris (Ph.D 1969), notable psychologist, Koestler professor at the University of Edinburgh
- Robert C. Richardson (Ph.D 1966), Nobel Laureate in physics, 1996
- Reynolds Price (A.B 1955), renowned author and professor of literature
- Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans (A.B. 1939), philanthropist
- Dorothy Simpson (B.S. 1947), scientist, mathematician
- Margaret Taylor Smith, author, social activist, Chair, Kresge Foundation
- William C. Styron, (B.A. 1941) author, Pulitzer Prize winner
- Tom Truscott co-creator of Usenet with Jim Ellis
- Anne Tyler, (B.A. 1961) Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and writer of short stories
Art and Entertainment
- Michael Best (B.A. 1962), Former Principal Artist of the Metropolitan Opera
- Les Brown (B.A. 1936), Musician, Les Brown & The Band of Renown, Jazz Hall of Fame Inductee 1999
- Lee McGeorge Durrell (Ph.D 1979), author, television presenter, zookeeper
- René Echevarria (B.A. 1984), producer, The 4400, Dark Angel, Now and Again; screenwriter, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- Annabeth Gish (B.A. 1992), actress, X-Files
- Kelly Goldsmith (B.A. 2001), actress, Survivor
- Kevin Gray (B.A. 1980), Broadway actor, "Phantom" on Broadway after Michael Crawford
- Martin Kratt (B.S. 1989), Creator and star of PBS's ZOBOOMAFOO
- Tucker Max (J.D. 2001), Underground internet celebrity
- Laura Paresky (B.A. 1990), television designer/animator
- Charles Randolph-Wright, Director, writer, and producer
- Monty Sarhan (J.D. 1999), Publisher and CEO of national humor mag Cracked
- Randall Wallace (B.A. 1971), Author of the screenplays for Braveheart, The Man in the Iron Mask, Pearl Harbor, and We Were Soldiers
Journalism and Media
- Dan Abrams (B.A. 1988), the Abrams Report on MSNBC
- John Feinstein (B.A. 1977), sports journalist
- Clay Felker (B.A. 1951), Founding Editor of New York Magazine
- David Hartman (B.A. 1956), first host of Good Morning America on NBC
- Sean McManus (B.A. 1977), President of CBS Sports
- Charlie Rose (A.B. 1964, J.D. 1968), journalist, former CBS News Anchor, 60 Minutes contributor
- Judy Woodruff (B.A. 1968), NBC's White House correspondent and Washington correspondent for the MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, anchor at CNN
Athletics
- Stewart "Skip" Alexander professional golfer
- Tommy Amaker, University of Michigan head basketball coach
- Shane Battier, professional basketball player (jersey retired)
- Beth Bauer, professional golfer
- Alana Beard, professional basketball player (jersey retired)
- Jay Bilas (B.A. 1986, J.D. 1992), ESPN sports commentator
- Carlos Boozer, professional basketball player
- Elton Brand, professional basketball player
- Jeff Capel, Virginia Commonwealth University head basketball coach
- Jenny Chuasiriporn, professional golfer
- Johnny Dawkins, assistant basketball coach and former professional basketball player (jersey retired)
- Luol Deng, professional basketball player
- Lefty Driesell, college basketball coach
- Chris Duhon, professional basketball player
- Mike Dunleavy, Jr., professional basketball player
- Danny Ferry, Cleveland Cavaliers general manager, former professional basketball player, member of 2003 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs (jersey retired)
- Mike Gminski, ESPN sports commentator (jersey retired)
- Grant Hill, professional basketball player (jersey retired)
- Nancy Hogshead, Olympic gold medal winner in swimming
- Bobby Hurley, professional basketball player
- Sonny Jurgensen, Hall of Fame quarterback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins
- Christian Laettner, professional basketball player (jersey retired)
- Kevin Lewis, NFL linebacker
- Corey Maggette, professional basketball player
- Quinton McCracken, professional baseball player, member of 2001 World Series Champion Arizona Diamondbacks
- Jeff Mullins, professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors and head basketball coach at UNC Charlotte (jersey retired)
- Scott Schoeneweis, professional baseball pitcher, member of the 2002 World Series Champion Anaheim Angels. Currently with the Toronto Blue Jays.
- Quin Snyder, University of Missouri basketball coach
- Jim Spanarkel, basketball first round draft pick, commentator
- Drew Strojny, NFL football offensive tackle
- Mike Trombley, MLB pitcher
- Jason Williams, professional basketball player (jersey retired)
Notable Faculty and Staff
- Peter Agre, winner of 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, vice chancellor of Duke Medical School
- Adrian Bejan, mechanical engineering professor, inventor of constructal theory and namesake of the Bejan number
- Al Buehler, chairman of the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation department; United States Olympic Track coach at the 1972, 1984, and 1988 Summer Olympics. Member of North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
- Walter E. Dellinger III, law professor, former United States Solicitor General under President Bill Clinton
- Ariel Dorfman, novelist, playwright, human rights activist, 1992 winner of the Laurence Olivier Award
- Peter Feaver political scientist, former director of the National Security Council under Clinton
- John Hope Franklin, civil rights activist, historian, awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton
- David Gergen, former Duke professor and current Duke Trustee. Adviser to Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.
- Michael Hardt literature professor and Marxist, author of Age of Empire
- Stanley Hauerwas, theologian and author
- Jerry F. Hough, political scientist, author, and professor
- Bruce Jentleson, director of Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Vice President Al Gore
- Reynolds Price, renowned author and professor of literature
- William Raspberry, Knight Professor of the Practice of Communications and Journalism, syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, Pulitzer Prize winner
- Joseph B. Rhine, psychologist and parapsychologist, recognized as founder of modern studies of psychical phenomena
Duke Men's Basketball Head Coaches
- 1981 to Present: Mike Krzyzewski, three-time national champion mens basketball coach, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
- 1975 to 1981: Bill Foster
- 1974: Neill McGeachy
- 1970 to 1973: Bucky Waters
- 1960 to 1969: Vic Bubas, member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
- 1951 to 1959: Harold Bradley
- 1943 to 1950: Gerry Gerard
- 1929 to 1942: Eddie Cameron, namesake of Cameron Indoor Stadium and member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
- 1925 to 1928: George Buchheit
Duke Football Head Coaches
- 2003 to Present: Ted Roof
- 1999 to 2003: Carl Franks
- 1994 to 1998: Fred Goldsmith
- 1990 to 1993: Barry Wilson
- 1987 to 1989: Steve Spurrier, ACC Coach of the Year in 1988 and 1989. Later won national championship as head coach at Florida, and in 2001 signed the largest coaching contract in NFL history to coach the Washington Redskins.
- 1983 to 1986: Steve Sloan
- 1979 to 1982: Shirley "Red" Wilson
- 1971 to 1978: Mike McGee
- 1966 to 1970: Tom Harp
- 1951 to 1965: William D. "Bill" Murray
- 1946 to 1950: Wallace W. Wade (see below)
- 1942 to 1945: Eddie Cameron, namesake of Cameron Indoor Stadium and member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
- 1931 to 1941: Wallace W. Wade, namesake of Wallace Wade Stadium and member of the College Football Hall of Fame
- 1926 to 1930: James "Jimmy" DeHart
- 1925: James P. "Pat" Herron
- 1924: Howard H. Jones
- 1923: S. M. Alexander
- 1922: Herman Steiner
- 1921: James A. Baldwin
- 1920: Floyd J. Egan
- 1888 to 1889: Dr. John F. Crowell
Chief Executives
Union Institute
- 1838-1842: Brantley York, President
- 1842-1851: Braxton Craven, President
Normal College
- 1851-1859: Braxton Craven, President
Trinity College
- 1859-1863: Braxton Craven, President
- 1863-1865: William Trigg Gannaway, President Pro Tempore
- 1866-1882: Braxton Craven, President
- 1883-1884: Marquis Lafayette Wood, President
- 1887-1894: John Franklin Crowell, President
- 1894-1910: John Carlisle Kilgo, President
- 1910-1924: William Preston Few, President
Duke University
- 1924-1940: William Preston Few, President
- 1941-1948: Robert Lee Flowers, President
- 1949-1960: Arthur Hollis Edens, President
- 1960-1963: Julian Deryl Hart, President
- 1963-1969: Douglas Maitland Knight, President
- 1969-1985: Terry Sanford, President
- 1985-1993: H. Keith H. Brodie, President
- 1993-2004: Nannerl O. Keohane, President
- 2004-Present: Richard H. Brodhead, President