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151 notable alumni U.S. News #148

Notable Alumni of University of Kentucky

Notable alumni of University of Kentucky include Thomas Hunt Morgan (Geneticist, 1933 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), Mitch McConnell (Republican U.S. senator from Kentucky) and Ashley Judd (Film and television actress).

College data and admissions

Alumni list

Politics and law

Business

  • Sadettin Saran 1964–

    Businessman and Fenerbahçe president

Science and academia

Arts and media

  • Ashley Judd 1968–

    Film and television actress

    Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, Harvard University

    Mother: Naomi Judd (College of Marin)

  • Harry Dean Stanton 1926–2017

    Actor and musician with a six-decade career

  • Don Rosa 1951–

    Comic writer known for Scrooge McDuck comics

  • Leslie Jordan 1955–2022

    Actor and comedian, known for Will & Grace

  • Walter Tevis 1928–1984

    Novelist and screenwriter

  • Wendell Berry 1934–2026

    Novelist, poet and environmental activist

    Master of Arts · English studies · Class of 1957

  • Kristine Sutherland 1955–

    Actress known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer

    Spouse: John Pankow (Northeastern Illinois University)

  • Adunni Ade 1976–

    Nigerian American actress and model

  • Stephen Gaghan 1965–

    Screenwriter and director, Oscar winner for Traffic

    Also attended: Babson College

  • Art LaFleur 1943–2021

    Character actor and acting coach

  • Jean Ritchie 1922–2015

    Folk singer called the "Mother of Folk"

    Also attended: California State University--Fresno, University of the Cumberlands

  • Elizabeth Hardwick 1916–2007

    Literary critic and novelist

    Also attended: Barnard College, Columbia University in the City of New York

    Spouse: Robert Lowell (Harvard University, Kenyon College)

  • Elizabeth Ann Hulette 1960–2003

    Professional wrestling manager and announcer

    Spouse: Randy Savage (Southern Illinois University-Carbondale)

  • Reshma Shetty 1977–

    Actress known for Royal Pains

    Also attended: James Madison University

    Spouse: Deep Katdare (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Don Galloway 1937–2009

    Actor known for the series Ironside

  • Elizabeth Gould Davis 1910–1974

    Librarian who wrote The First Sex

  • Marjorie Weaver 1913–1994

    Film actress of the 1930s to early 1950s

  • Joseph David-Jones 1993–

    Actor known for Nashville and Arrow

  • Teresa Medeiros 1962–

    Romance novelist

  • Walter Hooper 1931–2020

    Writer and editor of C. S. Lewis's posthumous books

  • Glenn Kotche 1970–

    Drummer and composer, known for the band Wilco

  • Bob Custer 1898–1974

    Film actor known for Westerns

  • Bub Asman 1949–

    Sound editor and Academy Award winner

  • Robert Schneider 1971–

    Musician, lead singer of the Apples in Stereo

  • Read Morgan 1931–2022

    Film and television actor

  • Tom Kennedy 1927–2020

    Television game show host

    Also attended: University of Missouri-Columbia

  • Tucky Williams 1953–

    Actress, director and screenwriter

  • Terry Adkins 1953–2014

    Visual artist and University of Pennsylvania professor

    Also attended: Illinois State University, Fisk University

  • Leticia Cline 1978–

    Model and wrestling announcer

  • Jiaoying Summers 1990–

    Chinese-American stand-up comedian and actress

Sports

  • Anthony Davis 1993–

    NBA player nicknamed AD

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 1998–

    Canadian basketball player, two-time NBA MVP

    Mother: Charmaine Gilgeous (The University of Alabama)

  • Devin Booker 1996–

    NBA player for the Phoenix Suns

    Father: Melvin Booker (University of Missouri-Columbia)

  • Rajon Rondo 1986–

    Former professional basketball player

  • Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 1999–

    American hurdler, Olympic gold medalist

  • Enes Kanter Freedom 1992–

    Turkish-American former NBA player

    Sibling: Kerem Kanter (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay)

  • Karl-Anthony Towns 1995–

    NBA player for the New York Knicks

    Attended until 2015

  • Pat Riley 1945–

    Miami Heat president and former NBA coach

  • Tayshaun Prince 1980–

    Former NBA player

  • Jasmine Camacho-Quinn 1996–

    Puerto Rican hurdler, 2020 Olympic gold medalist

    Sibling: Robert Quinn (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

  • Bam Adebayo 1997–

    Miami Heat NBA player

  • Kendra Harrison 1992–

    Hurdler and former 100m hurdles world record holder

    Also attended: Clemson University

  • DeMarcus Cousins 1990–

    Basketball player, Kentucky Wildcats alumnus

  • Jamal Murray 1997–

    Canadian NBA player for the Denver Nuggets

  • John Wall 1990–

    Former NBA player, mainly with the Washington Wizards

  • Dwight Phillips 1977–

    Long jumper and 2004 Olympic champion

    Also attended: Arizona State University-Tempe

  • Masai Russell 2000–

    2024 Olympic 100m hurdles gold medalist

  • Shawn Kemp 1969–

    Former NBA player for the Seattle SuperSonics

    Also attended: Trinity Valley Community College

  • Julius Randle 1994–

    NBA player, 2021 Most Improved Player

  • De'Aaron Fox 1997–

    San Antonio Spurs NBA player

  • Tyrese Maxey 2000–

    NBA player for the Philadelphia 76ers

  • Trey Lyles 1995–

    NBA player for the Minnesota Timberwolves

  • Keldon Johnson 1999–

    San Antonio Spurs basketball player

  • Tyler Herro 2000–

    NBA player for the Milwaukee Bucks

  • Nerlens Noel 1994–

    Former professional basketball player

  • Ralph Beard 1927–2007

    College and professional basketball player

  • Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 1993–

    Former professional basketball player

  • Eric Bledsoe 1989–

    Basketball point guard, formerly of Shanghai Sharks

  • Alex Groza 1926–1995

    Basketball player banned from the NBA for life

  • Cliff Barker 1921–1998

    1948 Olympic basketball gold medalist

  • Nazr Mohammed 1977–

    Former NBA player, general manager of Oklahoma City Blue

    Sibling: Alhaji Mohammed (University of Louisville)

  • Sam Bowie 1961–

    Former professional basketball player

  • Adrian Smith 1936–2026

    Basketball player, 1958 NCAA champion

    Also attended: Northeast Mississippi Community College

  • Terrence Jones 1992–

    Former pro basketball player, Kentucky Wildcats alumnus

  • Malik Monk 1998–

    NBA player for the Sacramento Kings

  • Brandon Knight 1991–

    Professional basketball player, 2011 NBA draftee

  • Antoine Walker 1976–

    Former NBA player, sixth pick in 1996 draft

  • Daniel Roberts 1997–

    Hurdler, 2024 Olympic 110m hurdles silver medalist

  • P. J. Washington 1998–

    NBA player for the Dallas Mavericks

  • Jodie Meeks 1987–

    Former player, assistant coach for the Pelicans

  • Jamaal Magloire 1978–

    Canadian former NBA basketball player

  • James Young 1995–

    Basketball player, 17th pick in the 2014 NBA draft

  • Wenyen Gabriel 1997–

    South Sudanese-American basketball player

  • Kenny Rollins 1923–2012

    Basketball player, 1948 Olympian

    Sibling: Phil Rollins (University of Louisville)

  • Dan Issel 1948–

    Former professional basketball player and coach

  • Patrick Patterson 1989–

    Former NBA basketball player

  • Frank Vogel 1973–

    NBA coach, formerly of Pacers, Lakers and Suns

  • Cliff Hagan 1931–2026

    NBA small forward and coach

  • Willie Cauley-Stein 1993–

    Former pro basketball player, Kentucky Wildcats alumnus

  • Jamal Mashburn 1972–

    Former professional basketball player and entrepreneur

  • William Shaner 2001–

    Sport shooter, 2020 Olympic 10m air rifle gold medalist

  • Immanuel Quickley 1999–

    NBA player for the Toronto Raptors

Other fields

  • John T. Scopes 1900–1970

    Teacher at the center of the Scopes trial

    Also attended: University of Chicago

  • Joe Nickell 1944–2025

    Skeptic and investigator of the paranormal

    Attended until 1987

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 University of Kentucky (people who attended both).