Notable Alumni of Springfield College

Boris Pash 1900–1995

US Army colonel who commanded the Alsos Mission

Also attended: University of Southern California

Donald Milford Payne 1934–2012

U.S. representative from New Jersey

Also attended: Seton Hall University

Child: Donald Payne Jr. (Kean University)

Grace Diaz 1957–

Rhode Island state representative, first Dominican-American woman elected

Rick Blangiardi 1946–

Mayor of Honolulu

Also attended: University of Hawaii at Manoa

Sharpe James 1936–2025

37th mayor of Newark, New Jersey

Master of Arts · Physical education

Also attended: Montclair State University

Hiroaki Aoki 1938–2008

Founder of Benihana restaurant chain

Also attended: CUNY New York City College of Technology, Long Island University

Child: Steve Aoki (University of California-Santa Barbara)

Harold Amos 1918–2003

Microbiologist, first African American department chair at Harvard Medical School

Attended until 1941

Also attended: Harvard University

Don Ho 1930–2007

Singer best known for "Tiny Bubbles"

Child: Hoku (Point Loma Nazarene University)

John Cena 1977–

Actor and professional wrestler

Bachelor of Science

James Naismith 1861–1939

Inventor of basketball

William G. Morgan 1870–1942

Inventor of volleyball

William Yorzyk 1933–2020

Olympic champion swimmer, former world record-holder

Bachelor's degree

Jeff Blatnick 1957–2012

1984 Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling gold medalist

Erin Pac 1980–

Former bobsledder

Tom Waddell 1937–1987

Founder of the Gay Games and Olympic decathlete

Also attended: Stanford University

Renato William Jones 1906–1981

Basketball executive who popularized the sport in Europe and Asia

John Quinlan 1974–

Professional wrestler, bodybuilder and actor

Bachelor of Science

Also attended: Saint Leo University

Garry St. Jean 1950–

Former professional basketball coach and executive

Nancy Darsch 1951–2020

Women's college and professional basketball coach

Also attended: The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Iván Olivares 1961–

Venezuelan basketball player, 1992 Olympian

Vaughn Blanchard 1889–1969

Hurdler at the 1912 Summer Olympics

Also attended: Bates College

Roscoe Brown 1922–2016

Tuskegee airman and academic

Bachelor's degree

Also attended: New York University

Sue Thomas 1950–2022

Author and first deaf undercover FBI specialist

Hyozo Omori 1876–1913

Japanese physical education specialist

Also attended: Stanford University