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151 notable alumni U.S. News #3

Notable Alumni of United States Naval Academy

Notable alumni of United States Naval Academy include Jimmy Carter (39th President of the United States), John McCain (U.S. senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee) and Albert Abraham Michelson (Physicist, 1907 Nobel Prize in Physics winner).

College data and admissions

Alumni list

Politics and law

Business

Science and academia

Arts and media

  • Robert A. Heinlein 1907–1988

    Science fiction author, called dean of science fiction writers

    Bachelor of Arts · Engineering · Class of 1929

    Spouse: Virginia Heinlein (New York University)

  • Merian C. Cooper 1893–1973

    Filmmaker and aviator; known for 1933 King Kong

    Also attended: Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

  • George Bancroft 1882–1956

    Film actor, Oscar nominee for Thunderbolt

  • Gerry Goffin 1939–2014

    Lyricist who co-wrote pop hits with Carole King

    Also attended: CUNY Queens College

    Spouse: Carole King (CUNY Queens College)

  • Hervey Allen 1889–1949

    Novelist, biographer and poet

    Also attended: University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

  • Christy Cabanne 1888–1950

    Film director, screenwriter and silent film actor

  • Warren Stevens 1919–2012

    Stage, screen and television actor

  • Frank Wead 1895–1947

    Navy aviator and screenwriter

  • Melville Bell Grosvenor 1901–1982

    Former National Geographic Society president and magazine editor

    Father: Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor (Amherst College)

    Child: Alexander G. B. Grosvenor (United States Naval Academy)

  • Art Lund 1915–1990

    Baritone singer and actor

    Also attended: Eastern Kentucky University

  • Charles Frederick Holder 1851–1915

    Naturalist, writer and big-game fishing pioneer

  • Oran "Juice" Jones 1957–

    American R&B singer

  • Winston Churchill 1871–1947

    American best-selling novelist, not the British statesman

    Also attended: Washington University in St Louis

  • Montel Williams 1956–

    Television host and actor

Sports

  • David Robinson 1965–

    San Antonio Spurs NBA player nicknamed the Admiral

    Bachelor of Science · Class of 1987

    Also attended: University of the Incarnate Word

  • Edward Stevens 1932–2013

    Rower, 1952 Olympic gold medalist in men's eight

  • Richard Murphy 1931–2023

    American rower and Olympic champion

  • Frank Shakespeare 1930–

    Olympic champion rower and naval officer

  • Robert Detweiler 1930–2003

    1952 Olympic champion rower and physicist

  • William Jordan 1898–1968

    Rower, 1920 Olympic men's eight gold medalist

  • Edwin Graves 1897–1986

    Rower at the 1920 Olympics

  • Vince Gallagher 1899–1983

    Rower at the 1920 Olympics

  • Donald Johnston 1899–1984

    Rower at the 1920 Olympics

  • James Dunbar 1930–2018

    Olympic champion rower

  • Henry Proctor 1929–2005

    Olympic champion rower and retired colonel

  • William Fields 1929–1992

    Olympic champion rower and later naval officer

  • Virgil Jacomini 1899–1984

    Rower, 1920 Olympic men's eight gold medalist

  • Sherm Clark 1899–1980

    1920 Olympic gold medal rowing coxswain

  • Joe Hunt 1919–1945

    Tennis player, won the US singles championship

  • Charles Manring 1929–1991

    1952 Olympic gold medalist in coxed eights

  • Peter Blair 1932–1994

    1956 Olympic bronze medalist in wrestling

  • Darren Morningstar 1969–

    Former NBA center, 1992 second-round pick

    Also attended: University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

  • Sitapha Savané 1978–

    Retired Senegalese professional basketball player

  • Oliver Drake 1987–

    Former MLB pitcher

  • Eddie Lucas 1975–

    Former basketball player, last pick of 1999 NBA draft

  • J. J. Avila 1991–

    Mexican professional basketball player

  • Carl Osburn 1884–1966

    Olympic sport shooter and Navy officer

  • George Calnan 1900–1933

    Navy officer and three-time Olympic bronze medal fencer

Other fields

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 United States Naval Academy (people who attended both).