Notable Alumni of St Olaf College

Al Quie 1923–2023

35th Governor of Minnesota

Political science · Attended until 1950

Andrew Volstead 1859–1947

Congressman behind the Volstead Act

Erik Paulsen 1965–

Former U.S. representative from Minnesota

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1987

Karl Rolvaag 1913–1990

31st governor of Minnesota and diplomat

Harold Lovre 1904–1972

Republican congressman from South Dakota

Also attended: University of South Dakota

August H. Andresen 1890–1958

Republican U.S. congressman from Minnesota

Attended until 1912

Also attended: Mitchell Hamline School of Law

James Reeb 1927–1965

Unitarian Universalist minister and civil rights activist

Also attended: Princeton Theological Seminary

Arlen Erdahl 1931–2023

Former Minnesota secretary of state and U.S. representative

Also attended: Harvard University

Bruce Laingen 1922–2019

Diplomat, senior US hostage in Iran hostage crisis

Also attended: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Ernest Lawrence 1901–1958

Physicist, cyclotron inventor, Nobel laureate

Also attended: Yale University, University of Chicago, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Sibling: John H. Lawrence (Harvard University, University of South Dakota)

Einar Haugen 1906–1994

Norwegian-American linguist and professor

Also attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Morningside University

Magnus Hestenes 1906–1991

Mathematician who devised the conjugate gradient method

Bachelor of Science · Class of 1927

Also attended: University of Chicago, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Child: David Hestenes (University of California-Los Angeles, Princeton University)

George L. Kelling 1935–2019

Criminologist and Rutgers–Newark professor

Also attended: Luther Seminary, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee

Siri Hustvedt 1955–

Novelist and essayist

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Paul Auster (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Father: Lloyd Hustvedt (University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Olaf College)

Robert Bly 1926–2021

Poet and essayist, author of Iron John

Also attended: Harvard University

Child: Eloisa James (Yale University, Harvard University)

Brianna Brown 1979–

Actress and producer

Anthony Dexter 1913–2001

Actor known for resembling Rudolph Valentino

Also attended: University of Iowa

Rick May 1940–2020

Voice actor, the Soldier in Team Fortress 2

Barry Morrow 1948–

Screenwriter and producer of Rain Man

Mark Rein·Hagen 1964–

Game designer, creator of Vampire: The Masquerade

Judith Nelson 1939–2012

Soprano noted for baroque music

Lisa K. Wyatt 1901–

Actress and comedian

Brett Hull 1964–

Former NHL ice hockey player

Also attended: University of Minnesota-Duluth

Sibling: Bart Hull (Boise State University)

Jake Brown 1992–

Biathlete at the 2022 Winter Olympics