javascript is disabled, enable it otherwise the site will not work properly!

javascript est désactivé, activez-le sinon le site ne fonctionnera pas correctement !

List of Wake Forest University people

This list of Wake Forest University people includes notable alumni, faculty and staff of Wake Forest University, a private research university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Wake Forest University presidents

Notable faculty

Current and former faculty

John A. Allison IV, School of Business
Maya Angelou, American studies
Anthony Atala, Urology (Chair)
Adrian Bardon, professor of philosophy
Ruth Benca, Behavioral Medicine
Margaret Bender, Anthropology
Deborah L. Best, Psychology
Rhoda Billings, Law (Emerita)
Pasco Bowman II, Law
Alfred Brauer, Mathematics
Jim Caldwell, coach of Wake Forest Football (1993–2000), current NFL head coach
Coy Cornelius Carpenter, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine of Wake Forest University from 1936 to 1967 and vice president for health affairs 1963–67
David Carroll, Physics, Director of the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials
Justin Catanoso, Journalism
John Wesley Chandler, Philosophy
Dave Clawson, coach of Wake Forest Football (2014–present)
Zheng Cui, Pathology
David Faber, Art and printmaking
Steve Forbes, coach of Wake Forest basketball (2020–present)
Megan Gebbia, current head coach of Wake Forest Women's basketball
Jim Grobe, Coach of Wake Forest football (2001–2013), won ACC Coach of the Year
Melissa Harris-Perry, Presidential Chair Professor of Politics and International Affairs
Jennifer Hoover, former coach of Wake Forest Women's basketball
Dan Locklair, Music and Composer-in-Residence
Allen Mandelbaum, English and Humanities
Danny Manning, Wake Forest basketball coach (2014–2020)
Jack McCloskey, coach of Wake Forest basketball (1966–1972)
Dave Odom, coach of Wake Forest basketball (1989–2001), three-time ACC Coach of the Year
Suzanne Reynolds (J.D. 1977), Law
Earl Smith, professor
Tom Walter, current coach of Wake Forest baseball (2010–present)
Jonathan L. Walton, dean of Wake Forest School of Divinity
Sarah Watts, History
Chris Webber, former NBA all-star, professor in practice for Masters of Arts in Sports program
Tanya Zanish-Belcher, professor, Director of Special Collections and Archives

Notable alumni

Academia

Founders and leaders of academic institutions

James Archibald Campbell (B.A. 1911), first president of Campbell College
Leslie H. Campbell (magna cum laude, A.B.1911, A.M. 1916), second president of Campbell College
John Wesley Chandler (B.A. 1945), 12th president of Williams College, 15th president of Hamilton College and president of the AACU in 1985
Spright Dowell (1896), former president of Auburn University and Mercer University
Michael Maxey (B.A., M.A.), 11th president of Roanoke College
George M. Modlin (B.A. 1924), former president of the University of Richmond
William Louis Poteat (B.A. 1877), educator; seventh president of Wake Forest University (1905–1927)
Norman Adrian Wiggins (1952), third president of Campbell University
Washington Manly Wingate (1849), 4th president of Wake Forest University

Arts and letters

Literature and poetry

Joseph Quincy Adams Jr. (B.A. 1900, M.A. 1901)
A.R. Ammons (B.A. 1949), poet and scholar
Stephen Amidon (B.A.), author
Justin Catanoso (M.A. 1993), author
Gary Chapman (M.A.), author and radio talk show host
Dhonielle Clayton (B.A. 2005), author and CEO of We Need Diverse Books
Frances O'Roark Dowell (1979), author
L.M. Elliott (B.A.), author, Under a War-Torn Sky
Elizabeth Marquardt (B.A.), author

Journalism and media

Music

Christopher Magiera (B.A.), international operatic baritone, professor of voice
Lamar Stringfield, classical composer, flutist, symphony conductor and anthologist of American folk music

Film and television

Visual art

Justin Brice Guariglia (B.A. 1997), artist and former documentary photographer for the National Geographic Society
Zach Klein (B.A.), co-founder and designer of Vimeo

Other

Tyler Cameron (B.A. 2018), television personality, model
Cheslie Kryst (J.D., M.B.A. 2017), Miss USA 2019
Eddie Timanus (1990), USA Today sportswriter; Jeopardy! champion
Ricky Van Veen (2003), co-creator of the website CollegeHumor; entrepreneur

Politics, law, and government

U.S. governors

J. Melville Broughton (1910), Governor of North Carolina (D) (1941–45) and U.S. Senator
Charlie Crist, Governor of Florida (R) (2006–2010)
Robert L. Ehrlich (J.D. 1982), Governor of Maryland (R) and former Congressman
William W. Kitchin (1884), Governor of North Carolina (D) (1909–13)

U.S. senators and congressmen

Diplomats

James P. Cain (B.A.), former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark
Robert S. Gilchrist (B.A.), United States Ambassador to Lithuania
Dennis Walter Hearne (B.A.), United States Ambassador to Mozambique
Jeanette W. Hyde, former Ambassador to Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, St. Vincent, and St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
Graham Martin (B.A. 1932), former U.S. ambassador to Italy, Thailand, and South Vietnam

Federal officials

Laura Daniel-Davis (B.A. 1990), current deputy secretary of the interior
Jennifer M. Harris (B.A.), Senior Director for International Economics & Labor on the U.S. National Security Council
Robert L. Wilkie (B.A. 1985), former Assistant Secretary of Defense; Current Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Judges and attorneys

Mayors

James Pratt Carter (B.A. 1961), former mayor of Madison, North Carolina
Tom Fetzer (B.A.), former mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina
Patrick Smathers (J.D.), former mayor of Canton, North Carolina

Other

Science

William Bachovchin (B.S. 1970), chemist/chemical biologist, professor of Molecular and Chemical Biology at Tufts University School of Medicine
Wendy Boss (Class of 1968), botanist at North Carolina State University
Phillip Griffiths (B.S. 1959), mathematician; professor at the Institute for Advanced Study
Mona Jhaveri, cancer researcher and entrepreneur focused on biotech funding
Douglas D. Taylor (Ph.D.), entrepreneur and former academic researcher in the field of extracellular vesicles

Religion

John Wesley Chandler (B.A. 1945), Cluett Professor of Religion and department chair at Williams College
Michael Curry (attended), 27th presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church; addressed the Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Amzi Clarence Dixon, Baptist minister and author, older brother of Thomas Dixon, Jr.
Thomas Dixon, Jr. (M.A. 1883), minister and novelist
J. Cheryl Exum (B.A.), biblical scholar and Emeritus Professor at University of Sheffield
Tripp Fuller (M.Div.), theologist and minister
Harry Y. Gamble (B.A.), former professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia
Samuel Johnson Howard (J.D. 1976), 8th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida
Kimberly Lucas, bishop of The Episcopal Church in Colorado
Ted G. Stone, Southern Baptist evangelist and recovered amphetamine addict
Tish Harrison Warren (B.A. 2001), New York Times columnist and Anglican priest

Business

Medicine

Sports

Athletic administrators

Sandy Barbour (B.S. 1980), former athletic director for Penn State University, University of California, Berkeley, and Tulane University
John Currie, Wake Forest athletics director (2019–present)

American football

Major League Baseball

Gair Allie, former MLB player
Ryan Braun, former MLB pitcher
Mike Buddie, former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Yankees and Brewers
Dave Bush, former MLB pitcher, currently a pitching coach
Tommy Byrne, MLB player, 1949 and 1956 World Series champion with the New York Yankees
Rip Coleman, MLB player, 1956 World Series champion with the New York Yankees
Will Craig, first round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, currently a free agent
Bill Dillman, MLB player
Parker Dunshee, MLB player for the Oakland Athletics
Allan Dykstra, MLB player
Stuart Fairchild, current MLB player for the Cincinnati Reds organization
Lee Gooch, former MLB player
Tommy Gregg, former MLB player
Erik Hanson, former MLB player
Bill Herring, minor league baseball pitcher, player-manager, and general manager
Kevin Jarvis, former MLB pitcher, currently a scout for the San Diego Padres
Tom Lanning, former MLB player
Buddy Lewis, former MLB player, 2x MLB All-Star
Mike MacDougal, former MLB relief pitcher, MLB All-Star
Willard Marshall, former MLB player, three-time MLB All-Star
Jack Meyer, former MLB player, Philadelphia Phillies
Griffin Roberts, MLB player; free agent
Craig Robinson, former MLB player
Ray Scarborough, retired MLB player, 10 MLB seasons, MLB All-Star, 1952 World Series champion with the New York Yankees
Gavin Sheets, 49th pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, current MLB player for the Chicago White Sox organization
Jared Shuster, MLB pitcher, first round 2020 MLB draft pick of the Atlanta Braves
Kyle Sleeth, No.3 overall pick in MLB draft, former MLB player
Brick Smith, former MLB player
Cory Sullivan, former MLB player
Mac Williamson, former MLB player

Basketball

Golf

Olympians

Andy Bloom (M.A. 1998), Olympic shot putter
Houry Gebeshian (2014), competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Michelle Kasold, field hockey, London 2012
Hunter Kemper, triathlon, 2000 Summer Olympics, 2004 Summer Olympics, 2008 Summer Olympics, 2012 Summer Olympics
Brent LaRue, Olympic athlete (hurdler)