Notable Alumni of Bennington College

Betty Ford 1918–2011

First Lady of the United States, 1974 to 1977

Spouse: Gerald Ford (Yale University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary)

Child: Steven Ford (California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, Utah State University)

Marcia Freedman 1938–2021

American-Israeli politician and peace activist

Also attended: New York University

Gale Brewer 1951–

New York City Council member, former Manhattan Borough President

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

Ujwal Thapa 1976–2021

Nepalese activist, president of Bibeksheel Nepali party

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 2000

Bruce Berman 1952–

Film producer, former chairman of Village Roadshow Pictures

Also attended: Georgetown University

Judith Butler 1956–

Feminist philosopher and gender studies scholar

Also attended: Yale University

Hildegard Peplau 1909–1999

Nursing theorist of interpersonal relations

Also attended: Teachers College at Columbia University

Joan Hinton 1921–2010

Nuclear physicist, Manhattan Project, later lived in China

Also attended: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Spouse: Erwin Engst (Cornell University)

Sibling: William H. Hinton (Harvard University, Cornell University)

Jo Ellis-Monaghan

Mathematician and professor at University of Amsterdam

Also attended: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Vermont

Peter Dinklage 1969–

Actor who played Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones

Alan Arkin 1934–2023

Academy Award-winning actor and filmmaker

Attended until 1955

Also attended: Los Angeles City College

Kiran Desai 1971–

Indian novelist, 2006 Booker Prize winner

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Donna Tartt 1963–

Novelist, author of The Goldfinch

Andrea Dworkin 1946–2005

Radical feminist writer and activist

Spouse: John Stoltenberg (Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York)

Bret Easton Ellis 1964–

Novelist and screenwriter

Attended until 1986

Carol Channing 1921–2019

Actress and singer starring in Broadway musicals

Also attended: Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater

Justin Theroux 1971–

Actor known for Mulholland Drive

Bachelor of Arts · Drama fiction, Visual arts · Class of 1993

Spouse: Jennifer Aniston (CUNY LaGuardia Community College)

Holland Taylor 1943–

Actress and Emmy Award winner

Helen Frankenthaler 1928–2011

Abstract expressionist painter

Spouse: Robert Motherwell (Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Anne Ramsey 1929–1988

Actress known for The Goonies

Jonathan Lethem 1964–

Novelist, essayist and short story writer

Spouse: Shelley Jackson (Brown University, Stanford University)

Diane Varsi 1938–1992

Actress, Oscar-nominated for Peyton Place

John Billingsley 1960–

Actor, Doctor Phlox in Star Trek: Enterprise

Tim Daly 1956–

Actor known for Wings and Private Practice

Spouse: Téa Leoni (Sarah Lawrence College)

Spouse: Amy Van Nostrand (Brown University)

Melissa Rosenberg 1962–

Screenwriter and producer, Peabody Award winner

Also attended: University of Southern California

Spouse: Lev L. Spiro (The University of Texas at Austin, University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Sally Mann 1951–

Photographer known for large-format black and white work

Michael Pollan 1955–

Food writer, journalist and professor

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

John Boyd 1981–

Actor in 24, Argo and Bones

Alley Mills 1951–

Actress known as Norma in The Wonder Years

Michael O'Keefe 1955–

Actor known for Caddyshack and The Great Santini

Also attended: American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York, New York University

Anne Waldman 1945–

Poet and experimental poetry community member

Betsy Jolas 1926–

French-American composer

Richard Deacon 1921–1984

Actor in The Dick Van Dyke Show

Nathalie Handal 1969–

Poet, writer and New York University professor

Also attended: Simmons University

Betty Aberlin 1942–

Actress who played Lady Aberlin on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Marian Zazeela 1940–2024

Light artist, painter and musician

Spouse: La Monte Young (University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles City College)

Virlana Tkacz 1952–

Theatre director, founder of Yara Arts Group

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Barry Primus 1938–

Film and television actor, director and writer

Mitchell Lichtenstein 1956–

Actor, writer, producer and director

Also attended: Yale University

Father: Roy Lichtenstein (Ohio State University-Main Campus, Ohio University-Main Campus)

Jonathan Elias 1956–

Composer known for film soundtracks

Carolyn Cassady 1923–2013

Writer associated with the Beat Generation

Also attended: University of Denver

James Tenney 1934–2006

Composer, music theorist and pianist

Also attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Spouse: Carolee Schneemann (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bard College)

Linda Porter 1933–2019

Actress in Superstore, Twins and Dude, Where's My Car?

Patti Deutsch 1943–2017

Actress and Match Game panelist

Also attended: University of Southern California, Carnegie Mellon University, The University of Texas at Austin

Tom Sachs 1966–

Sculptor and installation artist based in New York

Barbara Deming 1917–1984

Writer and advocate of nonviolent social change

Odili Donald Odita 1966–

Nigerian-American abstract painter

Also attended: Ohio State University-Main Campus

Lucy Simon 1940–2022

Composer of The Secret Garden musical

Sibling: Carly Simon (Sarah Lawrence College)

Sibling: Joanna Simon (Sarah Lawrence College)

Marc Spitz 1969–2017

Music journalist, writer and playwright

Meri Nana-Ama Danquah 1967–

Ghanaian-American writer, editor and journalist

Mary Ruefle 1952–

Poet, essayist and professor

David Moss 1949–

Composer, percussionist and vocalist

Also attended: University of Hartford

Elizabeth Swados 1951–2016

Composer, writer and theatre director

Zuleikha Chaudhuri

Indian theatre director and lighting designer

Ivy Pochoda 1977–

Novelist and former professional squash player

Also attended: Harvard University

Michael Brooks 1983–2020

Left-wing political commentator and talk show host

Also attended: Bates College

Maren Hassinger 1947–

Sculptor, performance artist and educator

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

Farahnaz Pahlavi 1963–

Daughter of Iran's last Shah, psychologist

Attended until 1982

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Sibling: Leila Pahlavi (Brown University)

Sibling: Reza Pahlavi (University of Southern California, Williams College)

Yasmin Aga Khan 1949–

Philanthropist raising awareness of Alzheimer's disease

Sibling: Aga Khan IV (Harvard University)

Paula Jean Welden 1928–

College student who disappeared hiking in Vermont in 1946