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24 notable alumni

Notable Alumni of Pittsburg State University

Notable alumni of Pittsburg State University include Gary Busey (Actor Oscar-nominated for The Buddy Holly Story), Harry Reems (Pornographic actor, star of Deep Throat) and James Tate (Poet, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner).

College data and admissions

Alumni list

Politics and law

  • Jake LaTurner 1988–

    Former U.S. Representative from Kansas

    Bachelor of Arts · Political science

  • Carla Stovall 1957–

    Former Kansas attorney general

    Also attended: University of Kansas

  • Sally Murphy 1949–

    First female U.S. Army helicopter pilot to graduate flight school

  • Jim Barone 1941–

    Former Democratic member of the Kansas Senate

  • Jack D. Walker 1922–2005

    42nd Lieutenant Governor of Kansas and physician

    Also attended: University of Kansas

  • Fernando J. Gaitan Jr. 1948–

    Senior US district judge in Western Missouri

    Also attended: University of Missouri--Kansas City

Business

  • Lee Scott 1949–

    Third CEO of Wal-Mart Stores

  • Eka Tjipta Widjaja 1922–2019

    Founder of Indonesia's Sinar Mas Group

Arts and media

  • Gary Busey 1944–

    Actor Oscar-nominated for The Buddy Holly Story

    Also attended: Coffeyville Community College

  • Harry Reems 1947–2013

    Pornographic actor, star of Deep Throat

  • James Tate 1943–2015

    Poet, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner

    Also attended: University of Iowa

  • Jennifer Knapp 1974–

    Christian singer-songwriter and author

  • Fira Basuki 1972–

    Indonesian novelist

  • Robert Dean Smith 1956–

    American operatic tenor

    Also attended: The Juilliard School

  • Gavin Lin 1980–

    Taiwanese film director

  • Debra Dene Barnes 1947–

    Miss America 1968 and music educator

Sports

  • Brian Agler 1958–

    Basketball coach and Wittenberg University athletic director

    Also attended: Wittenberg University

  • Sherm Lollar 1924–1977

    Professional baseball player and coach

  • Dinsdale Morgan 1972–

    Jamaican 400 m hurdler

  • Brian Moorman 1976–

    Former NFL punter

  • Ernest Schmidt 1911–1986

    College basketball player

  • Bill Russell 1948–

    Dodgers shortstop, later coach and manager

  • Edward Morris 1984–

    Basketball player for Kyoto Hannaryz in Japan

  • Ronald Moore 1970–

    Former NFL running back

From Wikidata “educated at” records (including people who attended without graduating), ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions. Degrees and years follow Wikidata and are left out where it has none.

Alumni network

Colleges that share the most alumni with Pittsburg State University (people who attended both).