Notable Alumni of Reed College

Suzan DelBene 1962–

U.S. representative for Washington's 1st district

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1983

Also attended: University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Richard L. Hanna 1951–2020

US Representative from New York, 2011–2017

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1976

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez 1988–

U.S. representative for Washington's 3rd district

Bachelor of Arts · Economics · Class of 2012

Richard Danzig 1944–

71st US Secretary of the Navy

Bachelor of Arts

Also attended: Yale University

Howard Wolpe 1939–2011

Former U.S. representative from Michigan and presidential envoy

Steve Jobs 1955–2011

Co-founder of Apple Inc

Attended until 1974

Also attended: De Anza College

Spouse: Laurene Powell Jobs (University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University)

Child: Eve Jobs (Stanford University)

Larry Sanger 1968–

Co-founder of Wikipedia

Also attended: Ohio State University-Main Campus

Peter Norton 1943–

Programmer and software publisher

Daniel Kottke 1954–

Early Apple employee and college friend of Steve Jobs

Robert Friedland 1950–

Billionaire financier in the mining industry

Raymond Smullyan 1919–2017

Mathematician, logician, magician and pianist

Also attended: University of the Pacific, University of Chicago, Princeton University

Harry Harlow 1905–1981

Psychologist known for monkey isolation experiments

Also attended: Stanford University

Spouse: Margaret Kuenne Harlow (University of Iowa, University of Washington-Seattle Campus)

Rose Friedman 1910–2009

Free-market economist, co-founder of Friedman Foundation

Also attended: University of Chicago

Spouse: Milton Friedman (University of Chicago, Rutgers University-New Brunswick)

Child: David D. Friedman (University of Chicago, Harvard University)

Dell Hymes 1927–2009

Linguist and anthropologist

Attended until 1950

Sally Haslanger 1955–

Philosopher and Ford Professor at MIT

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Spouse: Stephen Yablo (University of California-Berkeley)

Dale W. Jorgenson 1933–2022

Harvard economist

Bachelor of Arts · Economics · Class of 1955

Also attended: Harvard University

Eleanor Rosch 1938–

Psychologist known for prototype theory

Also attended: Harvard University

Steven Shapin 1943–

Historian of science, Harvard professor emeritus

Keith Packard 1963–

Software developer known for X Window System

James Russell 1931–

Physicist and inventor of compact disc technology

Richard Crandall 1947–2012

Physicist and computer scientist

Robert Brenner 1943–

Economic historian and UCLA professor emeritus

Allen W. Wood 1942–

Philosopher and leading Kant scholar

Also attended: Yale University

Mark Ptashne 1940–

Molecular biologist

Also attended: Harvard University

Gary Snyder 1930–

Poet, essayist and environmental activist

Ry Cooder 1947–

American guitarist, singer and composer

Hope Lange 1933–2003

Actress, Oscar nominee for Peyton Place

Spouse: Alan J. Pakula (Yale University)

Spouse: Don Murray (American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York)

Barbara Ehrenreich 1941–2022

Author and political activist

Also attended: The Rockefeller University

Spouse: John Ehrenreich (Harvard University, The New School)

Child: Rosa Brooks (Yale University, Harvard University)

David Eddings 1931–2009

Fantasy writer, author of The Belgariad

Also attended: University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Robert Morris 1931–2018

Minimalist sculptor and conceptual artist

Also attended: San Francisco Art Institute, University of Kansas, Kansas City Art Institute

Spouse: Simone Forti (Reed College)

Dr. Demento 1941–

Radio broadcaster and record collector

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

Morgan Spector 1980–

Film, television and stage actor

Emilio Pucci 1914–1992

Italian fashion designer and politician

Also attended: University of Georgia

Mike Davis 1946–2022

Urban theorist and historian, author of City of Quartz

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

Howard Rheingold 1947–

Writer and critic on virtual communities

James Beard 1903–1985

Chef, cookbook author, TV cooking pioneer

John Taylor Gatto 1935–2018

Teacher and author on American schooling

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

Robert Cornthwaite 1917–2006

Film and television character actor

Also attended: Long Beach City College, University of Southern California

Nancy Farmer 1941–

Children's and young adult author, National Book Award winner

Philip Whalen 1923–2002

Poet and key figure in the San Francisco Renaissance

Janet Fitch 1955–

Author of the novel White Oleander

Simone Forti 1935–2026

Postmodern dancer, choreographer and artist

Spouse: Robert Morris (San Francisco Art Institute, University of Kansas)

Lew Welch 1926–1971

Poet and university teacher

Ernest Haycox 1899–1950

American writer of Western fiction

Also attended: University of Oregon

Mary Rosenblum 1952–2018

Science fiction and mystery author

Katherine Dunn 1945–2016

Novelist, author of Geek Love

Paul Willson 1945–

Actor in Cheers and Office Space

Norman Solomon 1951–

Journalist, media critic and antiwar activist

Jacob Avshalomov 1919–2013

Composer and conductor

Also attended: University of Rochester

Child: David Avshalomov (Harvard University)

Bill Morrison 1965–

Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and artist

Also attended: The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Victor Jorgensen 1913–1994

Navy photographer who shot the V-J Day kiss

Also attended: University of Oregon

Elana Dykewomon 1949–2022

Lesbian activist, author and editor

Also attended: California Institute of the Arts, San Francisco State University

Donald Miller 1971–

Author and CEO of StoryBrand

Kris Holmes 1950–

Type designer, co-creator of Lucida fonts

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles, Harvard University

Lamar Crowson 1926–1998

Concert pianist and chamber musician

Kate Christensen 1962–

Novelist, won 2008 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

Eric Overmyer 1951–2026

Television writer and producer

Gordon Dahlquist 1961–

Playwright and novelist

Mei-mei Berssenbrugge 1947–

Chinese American poet, two-time American Book Award winner

Attended until 1969

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

Spouse: Richard Tuttle (Trinity College)

Christopher Langan 1952–

Horse rancher claiming extremely high IQ

Also attended: Montana State University

Margaret Elizabeth Murie 1902–2003

Naturalist, writer and conservationist

Also attended: University of Alaska Fairbanks

Spouse: Olaus Murie (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Pacific University)