Notable Alumni of The University of Montana

Jeannette Rankin 1880–1973

First woman to hold US federal office

Bachelor of Science · Biology · Class of 1902

Also attended: University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Sibling: Wellington D. Rankin (Harvard University)

Duncan L. Hunter 1948–

Former Republican US Representative from California

Also attended: Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Western State College of Law at Argosy University

Child: Duncan D. Hunter (San Diego State University)

Mike Mansfield 1903–2001

Montana senator and Senate Democratic leader

Master's degree · Class of 1934

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles, Montana State University

John Patrick Williams 1937–2025

Montana's longest-serving U.S. congressman

Attended until 1957

Also attended: University of Denver

Spouse: Carol Williams (The University of Montana-Western)

Marc Racicot 1948–

21st governor of Montana

Also attended: Carroll College

Lee Metcalf 1911–1978

U.S. senator and representative from Montana

Also attended: Montana State University, Stanford University

Ron Marlenee 1935–2020

Republican U.S. representative from Montana

Also attended: Montana State University

Forrest H. Anderson 1913–1989

17th Governor of Montana

Ted Schwinden 1925–2023

19th Governor of Montana

Zooey Zephyr 1988–

Montana state representative, first openly transgender legislator elected there

Also attended: University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Donald Grant Nutter 1915–1962

15th governor of Montana

Also attended: University of North Dakota, North Dakota State College of Science

John W. Bonner 1902–1970

13th Governor of Montana

Also attended: Montana State University

Paul G. Hatfield 1928–2000

Montana US senator and federal district judge

Also attended: University of Providence

Mike Cooney 1954–

36th lieutenant governor of Montana

Washington J. McCormick 1884–1949

U.S. representative from Montana

Also attended: University of Notre Dame, Harvard University, Montana State University

B. Chance Saltzman 1969–

2nd U.S. Space Force chief of space operations

Master in Public Administration

Also attended: George Washington University, Boston University

Richard G. Shoup 1923–1995

U.S. representative from Montana

Angela McLean 1970–

35th Lieutenant Governor of Montana

Also attended: The University of Montana-Western

Arnold Olsen 1916–1990

Former Montana attorney general and US congressman

Also attended: Montana Technological University

Sidney Runyan Thomas 1953–

Senior judge of the Ninth Circuit

Also attended: Montana State University

Harold Urey 1893–1981

Physical chemist, 1934 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, Earlham College, Columbia University in the City of New York

Jack Horner 1946–

Paleontologist known for dinosaur research

Grace Eldering 1900–1988

Public health scientist who helped create whooping cough vaccine

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University

Will Roscoe 1955–

Scholar, author and activist

John P. Grotzinger 1957–

Geology professor at California Institute of Technology

Also attended: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

J. K. Simmons 1955–

Actor with over 200 screen and stage credits

Also attended: Ohio State University-Main Campus

Lily Gladstone 1986–

Indigenous American actress

Bachelor of Fine Arts · Acting · Class of 2008

Carroll O'Connor 1924–2001

Actor who played Archie Bunker

Also attended: United States Merchant Marine Academy, Wake Forest University

Eric Braeden 1941–

German-American actor in The Young and the Restless

Also attended: Santa Monica College

Jeff Ament 1963–

Bassist and co-founder of Pearl Jam

Hank Green 1980–

YouTuber and science communicator

Also attended: Eckerd College

Sibling: John Green (Kenyon College)

Andrew Sean Greer 1970–

Novelist, 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner for Less

Also attended: Brown University

George Montgomery 1916–2000

Actor known for Western films

Spouse: Dinah Shore (Vanderbilt University)

John Dahl 1956–

Film and television director of Red Rock West

Also attended: American Film Institute Conservatory, Montana State University

A. B. Guthrie Jr. 1901–1991

Novelist, screenwriter and historian known for westerns

Journalism · Attended until 1923

Also attended: Harvard University, University of Washington-Seattle Campus

James Grady 1949–

Thriller novelist and investigative journalist

Troy Evans 1948–

Actor known for ER

James Welch 1940–2003

Native American novelist and poet

Thomas Savage 1915–2003

Novelist known for Western novels

Study of history

Also attended: Colby College

Spouse: Elizabeth Savage (Colby College)

Dax 1994–

Canadian rapper and singer

Also attended: Newman University

Russell Thorson 1906–1982

American actor

Lee Powell 1908–1944

Actor, first to portray The Lone Ranger on film

Shannon Hale 1974–

Author of young adult fantasy and adult fiction

Also attended: University of Utah

Dorothy M. Johnson 1905–1984

Writer known for Western fiction

William Finnegan 1952–

New Yorker staff writer known for writing on surfing

Also attended: University of California-Santa Cruz

Reagan Wilson 1947–2026

Model, actress and Playboy Playmate

Also attended: Montana State University

Emily Graslie 1989–

Science communicator and YouTube educator

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University

Carson Ellis 1975–

Children's book illustrator, Caldecott Honor recipient

Spouse: Colin Meloy (University of Oregon)

Emily M. Danforth 1980–

Novelist and university professor

Also attended: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Hofstra University

Arthur Amiotte 1942–

Oglala Lakota painter, educator and author

Also attended: Northern State University

Micheal Ray Richardson 1955–2025

Basketball player and head coach nicknamed Sugar

David Bell 1981–

Professional basketball player

Brian Qvale 1988–

Professional basketball player

Will Cherry 1991–

Professional basketball player, Montana alumnus

Jess Roskelley 1982–2019

Mountaineer, youngest American to summit Everest

Father: John Roskelley (Washington State University)

Jacob Wiley 1994–

Professional basketball player

Lee Johnson 1957–

Former professional basketball player

Larry Krystkowiak 1964–

Former player and Utah Utes head coach

Kareem Jamar 1992–

Basketball player, 2013 Big Sky Player of the Year

Jaimie Thibeault 1989–

Canadian women's national volleyball player