This is a list of famous individuals associated with the Pennsylvania State University, including graduates, former students, and professors.

Alumni

Art/Literature

• Louis Astorino, architect, PNC Park, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
• John Balaban, author/poet, Words for My Daughter and Locusts at the Edge of Summer
• Dale Brown, bestselling author, Act of War, Battle Born, and Plan of Attack
• Alan Furst, novelist
• Jenny Gardiner, author
• Jean Craighead George, Newbery Medal-winning children's author
• Chip Kidd, renowned book-jacket designer
• Steve McCurry, world-renowned photojournalist; most famous for the photograph of the “Afghan Girl” in National Geographic Magazine
• David Morrell, novelist, First Blood
• James Morrow, author
• Oliver Smith, ten-time Tony Award-winning scenic designer
• Tess Thompson, author, first Penn State Rhodes Scholar

Business

• Edward R. Book, former chairman and CEO of Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company
• Jim Broadhurst, founder of Eat'n Park restaurants; now chairman/CEO of Eat ‘N Park Hospitality Group
• Fletcher Byrom, former CEO of Koppers Co.; director of leading intellectual organizations including the Institute for Advanced Study, the Hudson Institute, and The Conference Board
• Bruce Claflin, former president and CEO of 3Com Corp.
• Tom Clarke, former president and CEO of Nike, Inc.
• Herman Fisher, co-founder of Fisher-Price toy company
• Lloyd Huck, chairman emeritus of Merck & Co., Inc. and former CEO of Nova Pharmaceutical Corp.
• Edward P. Junker III, former vice chairman of PNC Bank Corp.
• Melvin Jacobs, chairman emeritus and former CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue
• Jim Jimirro, creator and first president of the Disney Channel
• Mike Keebaugh, president of Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems
• Albert Lord, Chairman and former CEO of SLM Corporation
• Steven Markowitz, CEO of Allen Organ
• Glen E. Moyer, president and CEO of National Penn Bank
• Eugene O'Kelly, chairman emeritus and former CEO of KPMG
• Mark Parker, CEO of Nike, Inc.
• William Schreyer, chairman emeritus and former CEO of Merrill Lynch. The Schreyer Honors College was renamed in his honor after he and his wife made a large donation.
• Frank Smeal, a partner of the Goldman Sachs Group of New York City on Wall Street; an expert in the municipal bond market. The Smeal College of Business is named after his generosity.
• William L. Weiss, chairman emeritus and former CEO of Ameritech
• Patricia A. Woertz, CEO of Archer Daniel Midland. Named to Fortune magazine's "Most Powerful Women in Business" list.[1]
• George Zoffinger, president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority

Entertainment/Media

• Ursula Abbott, co-host of the Nickelodeon TV series, Girls v. Boys
• Tareq Al-Suwaidan, renowned Muslim scholar, reformer, TV personality and management guru.
• John Aniston, actor, Days of our Lives; father of actress Jennifer Aniston
• Brian Baker, former Sprint spokesman
• Donald Bellisario, television producer
• Charles Bierbauer, television journalist
• Benjy Bronk, comedian and writer, Howard Stern Show
• Stephen Bowers, senior writer for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
• Ryan Buell, producer/star of A&E Network's Paranormal U, novelist
• Ty Burrell, actor, star of CBS sitcom Out of Practice
• Margaret Carlson, journalist, pundit. First female columnist for TIME
• Leon Carr, songwriter and composer
• Jill Cordes, host of My First Place on HGTV and The Best Of on the Food Network
• Steven E. de Souza, screenwriter; Judge Dredd, Lethal Weapon, 48 Hrs., Die Hard
• Julius J. Epstein, screenwriter of Casablanca
• Carmen Finestra, Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer; The Cosby Show, Home Improvement
• Jonathan Frakes, actor and director (Star Trek: The Next Generation series)
• Dave Jones, former national editor for The New York Times
• Keegan-Michael Key, actor, comedian; MADtv, host of Animal Planet’s The Planet's Funniest Animals
• Stan Lathan, television producer and director, co-creator of Def Comedy Jam
• Rick Lyon, actor/creator of Broadway show "Avenue Q"
• Ira Miller, former columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle
• Amy Wynn Pastor, TV personality, TLC's Trading Spaces
• Mike Reid, Grammy Award-winning songwriter
• Ian Rosenberger, 3rd place in Survivor: Palau on CBS and one time President of Penn State's USG
• Leah Rozen film critic
• Lisa Salters, ESPN reporter and former Nittany Lady Lion Basketball Star
• Lara Spencer, TV host of The Insider
• Tom Verducci, senior writer for Sports Illustrated
• Andrew Kevin Walker, screenwriter of Seven
• Fred Waring, Bandleader
• Gina Cancelliere, chief meterologist of KLAS-TV in Las Vegas
• Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist of WFTS-TV in Tampa Bay.
• Adam Sotirokos, human being

Politics, Government and Military

• Charlie Dent, United States Congressman (R-PA 15)
• Michael F. Doyle, United States Congressman (D-PA. 14)
• Tom Feeney, United States Congressman (R-FL 24)
• Barbara Hackman Franklin, former United States Secretary of Commerce
• Harold Gehman, former commander-in-chief of the U.S. Joint Forces Command and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic
• Robert Jubelirer, President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate, former Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania.
• William Perry, former United States Secretary of Defense
• Valerie Plame, former CIA officer
• Hugh Rodham, Sr., father of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Hugh Rodham, Jr., politician and brother of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Rick Santorum, former United States Senator. (R-PA)
• Richard Schweiker, United States Senator and Secretary of Health and Human Services.
• George J. Trautman, III, Major General, United States Marine Corps
• David C. Hodge, President of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio

Science

• Paul Berg, recipient of 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Kate Bilo, AccuWeather on air meteorologist
• Guion Bluford, astronaut, first African-American in space
• James E. Carnes, inventor, HDTV pioneer, former president and CEO of Sarnoff Corporation
• Robert Cenker, Space Shuttle astronaut, STS-61-C
• Joseph EZ Chein, mathematician
• Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (took a correspondence course)
• Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (took a correspondence course)
• Joel N. Myers, founder and CEO of AccuWeather
• Aaron Bloom, engineer
• Nick Nowakowski, physicist
• Kevin C. O'Kane, computer scientist
• James Pawelczyk, Space Shuttle astronaut, STS-90
• Jef Raskin, author and human-computer interface expert best-known for starting the Macintosh project for Apple Computer
• Heather Rarick, NASA space flight director, Kennedy Space Center
• Gustavo Restrepo, computer scientist and video game programmer
• Paul J. Weitz, astronaut, Skylab 2, STS-6
• William W. Weinaug, engineer, owner & executive vice president of GRG INC.

Sports

• John Amaechi, former professional basketball player; BBC, ITV, and SKY television personality
• Richie Anderson, former NFL running back
• LaVar Arrington, All-Pro NFL linebacker
• Horace Ashenfelter, 1952 Olympic gold medalist, track and field
• Mark Baldwin (baseball), former Major League baseball player
• Todd Blackledge, retired NFL quarterback and television sports analyst
• Calvin Booth, professional basketball player
• Kyle Brady, NFL tight end
• Courtney Brown, NFL defensive end and #1 overall NFL draft pick
• Nate Bump, professional baseball player
• Jack Greening, minor league baseball player
• John Cappelletti, Heisman Trophy winner and subject of book "Something for Joey"
• Ki-Jana Carter, NFL Halfback and #1 overall NFL draft pick
• Ken Chertow, US Wrestling Team and Olympian, 1986-1993
• Mary Ellen Clark, 1992 and 1996 Olympic bronze medalist, diving
• Kerry Collins, Pro Bowl NFL Quarterback and 4,000 yard passer (2002)
• Shane Conlan, former NFL linebacker
• Bob Coulson, former Major League Baseball player
• Birdie Cree, former Major League Baseball player
• Joe Crispin, professional basketball player
• John Gilmore, NFL tight end
• Robbie Gould, Professional Kicker for Chicago Bears
• Rosey Grier, former professional football player
• Tamba Hali, Professional football player
• Franco Harris, former professional football player
• Jeff Hartings, All-Pro NFL Offensive Lineman
• Jack Ham, former professional football player
• Michael Haynes, NFL defensive end
• Cliff Heathcote, former Major League Baseball player
• Dan Heisman, chess master
• Larry Johnson, Pro Bowl NFL running back, 1,000 yard rusher (2005)
• Bhawoh Jue, NFL safety
• Joe Jurevicius, NFL wide receiver
• Lewis Katz, part-owner, NBA’s New Jersey Nets and NHL’s New Jersey Devils
• Jimmy Kennedy, NFL defensive tackle
• Ed Klepfer, former Major League Baseball player
• David Macklin, NFL cornerback
• Kelly Mazzante, professional basketball player
• Suzie McConnell Serio, former professional basketball player, current coach
• O. J. McDuffie, former NFL wide receiver
• Kareem McKenzie, NFL Offensive Lineman
• Patrick McVerry, President/General Manager of the Somerset Patriots, minor league baseball team.
• Matt Millen, former professional football player and current president of the Detroit Lions
• Jim O'Hora former football player, football coach
• Bob Osborne, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup crew chief, Roush Racing #99 Office Depot car
• Mike Scioscia, former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager
• Bud Sharpe, former Major League Baseball player
• Jack Sherry, captain of the 1954 Final Four Team
• Alan Strange, former Major League Baseball player
• Myles Thomas, former Major League Baseball player
• Wallace Triplett, former NFL Running Back (first African-American draftee to play in the NFL)
• Russ Van Atta, former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Monte Ward, former Major League Baseball player, manager, and executive
• Dr. Richard Weiss, Two-time slalom Olympic kayaker; finished sixth in the slalom event at the 1996 Summer Games and honored as Kayak Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee
• Lenny Moore, former NFL Running Back

For a list of Penn State Olympians: http://www.psu.edu/sports/olympics/index.html

Notable professors and coaches

• Roger Penrose
• John Barth, American novelist and short-story author
• Christian M. M. Brady, targumist and Dean of Schreyer Honors College
• Velvet Brown, tuba soloist and recording artist; is associate professor of music
• O. Richard Bundy, Director of Athletic Bands, including the Penn State Blue Band
• Donald Byrne, coach of America's first varsity chess team
• Paul DeMaine, one of the founders of the Computer Science Department.
• Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22
• Ivan Illich, polymath: author, philosopher, and polemicist
• Webb Miller, Co-creator of BLAST, a research tool used by geneticists worldwide.
• Erwin Müller, inventor of the field emission microscope, the field ion microscope, the atom probe, and the first person to view atoms
• Joe Paterno, head football coach since 1966
• Rene Portland, head women's basketball coach since 1980
• C. R. Rao, 2002 National Medal of Science winning statistician
• Theodore Roethke, 1954 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry recipient
• William Tenn (pen name of Philip Klass), famous science fiction writer
• Aleksander Wolszczan, discoverer of first extrasolar planets and pulsar planets