Notable Kenyon Alumni
Oscar-Winning Actress
Allison Janney '82, DramaTelevision viewers relished her intensity as presidential press secretary C.J. Cregg on the NBC hit "The West Wing," her comedic turn as the family matriarch in the CBS sitcom "Mom," and her award-winning guest appearance on Showtime's "Masters of Sex." Filmgoers have enjoyed her virtuosity in roles ranging from a dying southern belle in "The Help" to the stepmother in "Juno" to her Oscar-winning role in "I, Tonya." And they have heard the seven-time Emmy winner as the voice of Peach in the animated film "Finding Nemo."
Bestselling Young Adult Author
John Green '00Adored by millions of young readers, John Green is The New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, and The Fault in Our Stars, which rose to number one in 2012. Though his genre is young adult, his writing has won acclaim among critics who recommend his books for readers of all ages.
Television Star and Film Director
Josh Radnor '96, DramaPopular actor, screenwriter and director Josh Radnor is best known as the "I" in How I Met Your Mother, the long-running CBS sitcom in which he plays the lead character Ted Mosby. His directorial debut came in 2010 with happythankyoumoreplease, which won the Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival. His recent work includes Liberal Arts, a movie filmed on Kenyon's campus as a tribute to his alma mater, and Mercy Street, a PBS series starring Radnor as a Civil War doctor.
Father of the Pill
Carl Djerassi '43, ChemistryThe eminent chemist Carl Djerassi '43 is best known for synthesizing the first oral contraceptive. A recipient of the National Medal of Science, Djerassi was also an internationally recognized poet, science-fiction novelist, and prolific playwright. He was an emeritus professor of chemistry at Stanford University.
Critically Acclaimed Writer
Laura Hillenbrand '89, EnglishA writer and philanthropist, Laura Hillenbrand '89 is the critically acclaimed author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend and Unbroken. Both books landed at number one on the New York Times bestsellers list, with Seabiscuit inspiring an Academy Award-nominated film and Unbroken earning praise from Time as the best non-fiction book of 2012. Hillenbrand is known for her unique approach of blending historical narrative with literary technique to bring new life to stories of the American past.
Global News Leader
Matthew Winkler '77, HistoryMatthew Winkler '77 served as editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News, the global news service he co-founded with Michael Bloomberg in 1990. Under his leadership, Bloomberg received top awards, including: the Pulitzer Prize, the National Magazine Award and several ``Emmys.'' A recipient of lifetime achievement awards from the City University of New York, Gerald Loeb Foundation at UCLA, New York Financial Writers and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Winkler expanded Bloomberg News to more than 2,700 journalists and analysts in 150 countries.
Creator of Calvin and Hobbes
Bill Watterson '80, Political ScienceBill Watterson '80 honed his wit at Kenyon where, as a political science major, he encountered philosophers John Calvin and Thomas Hobbes, inspiring the characters of his legendary cartoon strip. At the height of its popularity, Calvin and Hobbes was featured in more than 2,400 newspapers worldwide.
Lead Singer and Songwriter
Nick Petricca '09In 2008, music major, singer and keyboardist Nick Petricca '09 founded the band Walk the Moon. The indie rock group, noted for its use of face paint in live shows, shot to fame in 2011 with the infectious single "Anna Sun," named for a Kenyon professor. Walk the Moon has appeared on late-night TV, played for festival crowds and toured worldwide. Walk the Moon's second album, Talking is Hard, was released in December 2014.
Head Coach
Shaka Smart '99Basketball coach Shaka Smart '99 rocketed to national fame in 2011 after leading the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams to an improbable Final Four finish in the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. Before he exploded onto the national scene, the energetic coach held court as a history major at Kenyon and as a Lords hoops star.
Jump to
- Arts and Literature
- Business and Leadership
- Entertainment and the Media
- Public Service
- Science and Technology
Arts and Literature
Business and Leadership
Entertainment and the Media
Public Service
Science and Technology
| Name | Class | About |
|---|---|---|
| James Cox | 1960 | Head of radiation oncology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| Edwin Hamilton Davis | 1833 | Archaeologist, medical educator, and physician* |
| Carl Djerassi | 1943 | Birth-control-pill developer and writer ("Cantor's Dilemma," "Menachem's Seed")* |
| Donald Fischman | 1957 | Physician, researcher, and former dean of Cornell University Medical College |
| Laura King | 1986 | Leading researcher in positive psychology, professor at the University of Missouri |
| Harvey Lodish | 1962 | Biomedical scientist and educator, Whitehead Institute at MIT |
| Pierce Scranton | 1968 | Orthopedic surgeon and former NFL team physician, Seattle Seahawks |
| Byers Shaw |
1972 | Physician, educator, and liver-transplant pioneer |
| Alan Spievack | 1955 | Pioneer in cellular regeneration and professor, Harvard University* |
| Wendy Sue Swanson | 1996 | Pediatrician, blogger, executive director of digital health at Seattle Children's Hospital |
*Deceased