List of alumni of Jesuit educational institutions

Over the last 400 years, the Roman Catholic Jesuit order has established a world-wide network of schools and universities. This is an incomplete list of notable alumni of these institutions.

A

Alan Alda, movie actor and TV star of M*A*S*H*, Fordham University US;

Robert Altman, film director, Rockhurst High School

Ivo Andric, author and winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1961, Jesuit gymnasium in Travnik, Bosnia

Guillermo Arriaga, Mexican screenwriter (Amores Perros), Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Philippines, Georgetown University, Ateneo de Manila University

Tony Abbott, Australian Minister for Health, St Ignatius' College, Riverview

B

Claude Bachet, French Mathametician;

Kevin Barry, martyr of the Irish War of Independence, Belvedere College

Elgin Baylor, member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team -- Seattle University;

Steve Bellan, Cuban Baseball Player, Fordham University, New York;

Saint Robert Bellarmine, Gregorian University, Rome;

Sabeer Bhatia, Founder of Hotmail, St Josephs college Bangalore, India;

Pope Benedict XIV, Pope, Collegium Clementianum;

William Bennett, former U.S. Secretary of Education and author - Gonzaga College High School US;

William Peter Blatty, author - Georgetown University;

Robert Bourassa, Former Quebec Premier, College Jean-de-Brebeuf, Montreal;

Bright Eyes -- see Conor Oberst;

Jerry Brown, former governor of California and current mayor of Oakland, California;

Christopher Brennan, Australian author, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney;

Pat Buchanan, Conservative journalist and television commentator - Gonzaga College High School and Georgetown University;

Senator Jim Bunning from Kentucky, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher -- Xavier University

Luis Buñuel, Spanish Surrealist Filmaker, Jesuit College, Aragon, Spain.

C

Ryan Cabrera, Musician - Jesuit College Preparatory School

Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Spanish dramatist, Jesuit College Madrid

Tony Canadeo, member of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame -- Gonzaga University

William Casey, Former director of the CIA, Fordham University

Fidel Castro, President of Cuba - Colegio de Belen, Havana, Cuba

Miguel de Cervantes, Father of modern Spanish literature

Sandra Cisneros, author, Loyola University Chicago

Tom Clancy, Jr., author - Loyola College, Maryland; Loyola High School

Will Clark, Baseball player - Jesuit High School, New Orleans, LA

Bill Clinton, President of the United States - Georgetown University;

Johnnie Cochran, Jr., Defense counsel for O.J. Simpson - Loyola Law School, Los Angeles

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Author and Creator of Sherlock Holmes, Stonyhurst College, UK

Harry Connick, Jr., singer, entertainer, movie actor - Jesuit High School, New Orleans;

Pat Conroy, writer, Gonzaga High School, Washington, DC (one year)

Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the Modern Olympics

Bob Cousy, member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team -- College of the Holy Cross

Bing Crosby Entertainer, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA

D

Christian de Duve, Belgian scientist, Nobel prize for medicine in 1974, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwecollege, Antwerp, Belgium

Jean-Luc Dehaene, former Belgian prime minister, Sint-Jozefscollege, Aalst, Belgium

Jacques Delors, Former President of the EU

Rene Descartes, French Philosopher, La Flèche in Anjou, France.

Dr. John, U.S. Musician, Jesuit High School, New Orleans.

Chris Dodd, U.S. Senator, Georgetown Preparatory School

Chris Donahue 1998 Academy Award winning producer of Visas and Virtues - Dallas Jesuit College

Tom Dooley, American-Catholic humanitarian - St. Louis University High , St. Louis University

Will Durant, philosopher and author, Saint Peter's College, Jersey City, NJ

Senator Richard J. Durbin , United States Senator from Illinois (Democrat), Georgetown University

E

Patrick Ewing, member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, Georgetown University;

Nick Enright, Australian playwright, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney;

F

Tony Fauci, a scientist leading the fight against AIDS;

Kevin Fagan, Australian Doctor and World War II hero, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney;

Chris Farley, American comedian and actor, Marquette University, Wisconsin;

Diego Fernández de Ceballos, Mexican senator, Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico;

Geraldine Ferraro, Vice Presidential Candidate, Fordham University;

Anthony Fisher OP, Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney;

Garret FitzGerald, Economist, former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, Belvedere College

Justin Fleming, Australian playwright, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney;

Thomas Foley, former Speaker of the House of Representatives - Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA;

Fontenellem French Author, Jesuit College, Rouen;

Michel Foucault, French Philosopher, Saint-Stanislaus, Poiters;

Vicente Fox, President of Mexico, Campion Jesuit High School (2 years) Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico;

G

Delia Gallagher CNN Faith and Values Correspondent, University of San Francisco;

Charles de Gaulle Former President of France;

John Paul Getty, American-British philanthropist, Jesuit College, San Francisco;

Bob Gibson, Hall-Of-Fame pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals -- Creighton University;

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Gregorian University, Rome;

Alejandro González Iñárritu, Mexican filmmaker, Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City;

Nick Greiner, former Premier of New South Wales, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney;

H

William Habington, English Poet, St.Omer College, Belgium

Michael Harrington, Harvard professor, political activist and author, St. Louis University High School and College of the Holy Cross

Richard Harris, Actor, Crescent College, Limerick, Ireland

Brian Helsper, Loyola High School of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, US

Mary Higgins Clark, Writer, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, US

Alfred Hitchcock, Film Director, St.Ignatius College, Enfield, London UK

Dan Hynes, Illinois State Comptroller, St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago, Illinois

I

Innocent XI, Pope, Como, Italy;

J

Barnaby Joyce, Australian senator, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney;

James Joyce, Irish novelist, Belvedere College Dublin;

John Paul I, Pope, Gregorian University, Rome;

Pierre-Marc Johnson, Former Quebec Premier, College Jean-de-Brebeuf, Montreal;

Raúl Juliá, actor, studied at Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola

K

John Kerry, US Senator, 2004 Democratic Presidential Candidate, JD, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA;

Bob Keeshan, actor best known for playing the title character of the children's show Captain Kangaroo, Fordham University

Curt Kirkwood, founding member of the seminal 1980s-era punk/runk musical group, the Meat Puppets, Brophy College Preparatory

Saint Maximillian Kolbe, Gregorian University, Rome;

Peter Hans Kolvenbach, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Canisius College, Nijmegen, The Netherlands;

L

Timothy Leary, American psychologist and writer, expelled from College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts after his freshman year,

Georges Lemaître, Belgian priest and astronomer, proposed the Big Bang theory, Collège du Sacré Coeur, Charleroi, Belgium.

Elmore Leonard, mystery writer - University of Detroit Jesuit High School and University of Detroit

G. Gordon Liddy, plumber -- Fordham University

Vince Lombardi, Hall-Of-Fame coach for the Green Bay Packers -- Fordham University

Federico García Lorca, Spanish poet and playwright, attended Jesuit school as a boy in Grenada

Ruud Lubbers , former Prime Minister of the Netherlands and former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Canisius college, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Peter Lynch, American financial leader, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts,

Senator Patrick J. Leahy, United States Senator from Vermont (Democrat), Georgetown University

Nathan Lane, American actor, St. Peter's Preparatory High School, New Jersey

M

Gabriel García Márquez, author and recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature 1982, Jesuit Colegio San Jose in Barranquilla and Jesuit College in Bogota, Columbia

Lisa Madigan, Illinois Attorney General, Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Michael Madigan, Illinois Democratic Party leader, St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago, Illinois

Louis Malle, French film director

Subcomandante Marcos, Leader of Zapatista Army, Jesuit school in Tampico, Mexico

Wellington Mara, co-owner and CEO of New York Giants, Loyola School and Fordham University

Drea de Matteo, actress on HBO series The Sopranos, Loyola School

Gregan McMahon Australian actor and playwright, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney;

Robert Menendez, nominee to the United States Senate, Saint Peter's College, Jersey City, NJ

Molière, Father of modern French literature, Collège de Clermont, Paris

Alonzo Mourning, seven-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA Defensive Player Of The Year -- Georgetown University

Robert Mugabe , President of Zimbabwe

Bill Murray, TV and movie star - Loyola Academy, Wilmette and Regis University;

John Courtney Murray, Jesuit Theologian, Xavier High, New York and Boston College

Dikembe Mutombo, seven-time NBA All-Star, four-time NBA Defensive Player Of The Year -- Georgetown University

Jason Miller, Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright and actor, University of Scranton

Senator Barbara Mikulski, United States senator of Maryland, Loyola College in Maryland

N

Steve Nash, winner of the 2004-05 NBA MVP award -- Santa Clara University

Bob Newhart, Actor and comedian, St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago and Loyola University Chicago

O

Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), American musician -- Creighton Preparatory School, Omaha, Nebraska

Pat O'Brien, American actor -- Marquette University High School and Marquette University, Milwaukee

Chris O'Donnell, Actor, Loyola Academy, Wilmette, IL. Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA

Peter O'Toole, actor

Thomas P. 'Tip' O'Neill, American Politician, former Speaker of the House of Representatiives, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA

Charles Osgood, media commentator, Fordham University

P

Alexander Payne, Academy Award-winning writer-director -- Creighton Preparatory School, Omaha, Nebraska

Pius XII, Pope, Gregorian University, Rome

Paul VI, Pope, Gregorian University, Rome

Joe Paterno, American football coach, attended Brooklyn Prep

R

Mark Raper SJ, Oceania Provincial superior of the Society of Jesus, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney

Hubert Reeves, Astrophysicist, College Jean-de-Brebeuf, Montreal

Cardinal Richelieu, French Statesman, Collège de Navarre, Collège de Calvi

Thomas J. Riley, Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Jose Rizal, Filippino patriot, writer, surgeon, linguist, hero

Pete Rozelle, NFL Commissioner -- University of San Francisco

Peter Paul Rubens, Flemish painter of the 17th cent., Antwerp

Bill Russell (basketball), member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team -- University of San Francisco

Mark Russell, political comedian, Canisius High School, Buffalo, New York

Tim Russert, Senior Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief, NBC News and moderator of Meet the Press -- Canisius High School and John Carroll University

Leo Ryan, Member of the U.S. House Of Representatives (D-California) who was assassinated at the outset of the Jonestown Massacre -- Creighton University and Campion High School

S

Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, Church Doctor, Clermont, Paris,

Justice Antonin Scalia, US Supreme Court Justice, Xavier High School (NYC) and Georgetown University

Antonio Serrano, Mexican film director/screenwriter (Sexo, Pudor y Lágrimas), Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico

Don Shula, winningest NFL head coach, Miami Dolphins - John Carroll University

Paul Silas, NBA All-Star and head coach -- Creighton University

Tom Snyder, American TV/radio talk show host -- Marquette University High School

John Stockton, member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team -- Gonzaga University

Sting, aka Gordon Sumner, British Musician

T

Torquato Tasso, Italian Rennaisance Poet, Jesuit College Sorrento, Italy;

Alejandro Toledo, President of Peru, University of San Francisco;

Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court Justice, College of the Holy Cross;

Mark Thompson, Director General of the BBC, Stonhyurst College, UK;

Robin Tunney, Actress, St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago, Illinois;

Daniel J. Travanti, TV and movie star, Hill Street Blues -Loyola Marymount University;

Athanasius Treweek, Australian academic, linguist and code-breaker, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney;

Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Former Prime Minister of Canada, College Jean-de-Brebeuf, Montreal;

Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR, Wah Yan College, Hong Kong;

V

François Marie Arouet Voltaire, French author and skeptical master of the Enlightenment, lycée Louis-le-Grand, Paris, France

W

Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabethan Spy Master, University of Padua;

Denzel Washington, movie star - Fordham University;

Edward Douglass White, chief justice, United States Supreme Court- Jesuit High School, New Orleans;

Gerard Windsor, Australian author, St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney;

George Wendt, actor - Campion Jesuit High School;

Terry Wogan, Irish Broadcaster, Crescent College, Limerick;