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The following is a list of Western Michigan University alumni. Note some of the individuals listed may have only attended the university at one point and not graduated.

• Bonnie Jo Campbell, author^[1]
• Xavier Davis, pianist
• Gwen Frostic, artist, naturalist, poet laureate of Michigan, namesake of WMU's Frostic School of Art, 1929 Bachelor of Arts
• Peter Geye, author
• James D. Griffioen, writer and photographer
• Kyoko Matsuoka, author and translator
• Richelle Mead, author
• Hideaki Miyamura, potter
• Melinda Moustakis, author ^[2]
• Howard Norman, novelist
• Arleta Richardson, author
• Carey Salerno, poet
• Diane Seuss, poet
• Terry Wooten, poet

• Robert Bobb, Emergency Financial Manager for the Detroit Public Schools
• Jeanne Dietsch, co-founder of MobileRobots Inc
• Alec Gores, billionaire president of the Gores Group with an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion
• Gerrard Wendell Haworth, businessman, founder of Haworth, Inc.
• Richard Haworth, businessman, chairman of Haworth, Inc., WMU trustee
• Timothy E. Hoeksema (1972), founder of Midwest Airlines
• Homer Hartman Stryker,^[3] founder of Stryker Corporation, 1916 Certificate of Teaching

• Terry Bergeson, State of Washington Superintendent of Public Schools
• Robert H. Bruininks, President of University of Minnesota
• Dr. James Bultman, President of Hope College
• John A. Fallon, President, Eastern Michigan University; President, SUNY Potsdam; President, William Penn University
• Frank Douglas Garrett, All-America basketball, academic dean, Oakland University
• M. Peter McPherson, President of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, member of the Dow Jones board of directors, President-Emeritus of Michigan State University
• John J. Pruis, President of Ball State University
• Merze Tate, first African American graduate of WMU; first African American woman to attend Oxford; Harvard PhD

• Tim Allen, actor and comedian^[4]
• Bruce Campbell, actor^[4]
• Terry Crews, actor^[4]
• Brooke Elliott, star of Lifetime Television Network show Drop Dead Diva^[4]
• Nicole Forester, actress^[4]
• Mary Jackson, actress
• Darren Edward Johnston, Tony Award winning producer
• Page Kennedy, actor^[4]
• Don Lane, American-born Australian entertainer
• Loretta Mae Moore Long, Susan Robinson on Sesame Street, 1960 Bachelor of Arts^[5]
• Stephen Lynch, Tony Award-nominated actor, musician, stand-up comedian^[4]
• Marin Mazzie, Tony Award winning actress^[4]
• Jeff Osterhage, film and television actor
• John Saunders, ABC Sports television personality^[4]
• Beby Tsabina, Indonesian actress, model, and singer
• Paigion, born Kimberly Walker, actress, radio and television personality
• David Wayne, film, television and Tony Award-winning stage actor^[4]
• Lauren Zakrin, Broadway actress

• Roz Abrams, New York City TV news presenter, CNN reporter
• Ed Gordon, television talk show host on BET and MSNBC, correspondent for NBC News and CBS News, and radio host on NPR
• LZ Granderson, columnist for ESPN and CNN
• Emily Rouleau-McElhaney, sports producer, Bally Sports Detroit

• Dennis W. Archer, Mayor of Detroit, Michigan Supreme Court Justice, President of the American Bar Association, WMU trustee, 1965 Bachelor of Science^[6]
• John J. Bursch, former Michigan Solicitor General
• Gershwin A. Drain, Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
• Michael Cohen, Former lawyer of Donald Trump
• Karla Gray, Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court
• Richard Allen Griffin, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• Wallace Kent, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• John E. Turner, former Washington State Court of Appeals Judge, Division 2^[7]

• Frankie Ballard, country music artist^[4]
• Scott Boerma, Director of Bands at WMU^[8] and former Director of the Michigan Marching Band
• Matt Giraud, American Idol top 5 finalist^[4]
• Josh Gracin, country music artist and American Idol finalist^[4]
• Michael Gungor, lead singer of the musical collective Gungor
• Sango, DJ and electronic musician, 2015 Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design
• Wayne Static, lead singer and guitarist of industrial metal band Static-X^[4]
• Luther Vandross, rhythm and blues/urban contemporary singer, songwriter, and record producer^[4]

• Gardner Ackley, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under Lyndon Johnson, Economics Department Chair at the University of Michigan^[9]
• Jase Bolger, State Representative, Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives^[10]
• Scott Boman, Michigan politician^[11]
• Jeanne Dietsch, New Hampshire state senator
• Gerald Jernigan, mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Robert B. Jones, Mayor of Kalamazoo and Michigan State Representative^[12]
• Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, U.S. Representative^[13]
• Charles S. May, 16th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
• Jack B. Olson, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin^[14]
• Kristy Pagan, Democratic politician from Michigan who represents the 21st District in the Michigan House of Representatives
• Kitty Piercy, Mayor of Eugene, Oregon^[15]
• Mark Schauer, U.S. Representative, State Senator, Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate^[16]
• Dylan Schmorrow, Commander, U.S. Navy and aerospace experimental psychologist^[17]
• Mark D. Siljander, U.S. Representative^[18]
• Rashida Tlaib, U.S. Representative and former Michigan state representative;

• Keegan Akin, MLB pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles^[19]
• Richard Ash, NFL player for Dallas Cowboys^[20]
• Jason Babin, NFL player for Arizona Cardinals^[21]
• Freddie Bishop III, CFL player for Calgary Stampeders^[22]
• Jim Bouton, MLB baseball player, World Series pitcher for New York Yankees, actor, author of Ball Four^[23]
• Don Boven, NBA player^[24]
• Daniel Braverman (born 1993), NFL football player^[25][26]
• Judi Brown, Olympic silver medalist^[27]
• Matt Cappotelli, professional wrestler^{[citation needed]}
• Orlando Colon, aka Epico, WWE wrestler, played baseball for Western Michigan
• Scott Colton, aka Colt Cabana, professional wrestler and podcaster^{[citation needed]}
• Kevin Connauton, NHL player for Dallas Stars^[28]
• Terry Crews, NFL all-conference MAC player and actor
• Corey Davis, NFL wide receiver for the New York Jets, highest drafted NFL player in WMU history (5th overall)
• Danny DeKeyser, defenseman for Detroit Red Wings^[29]
• Louis Delmas, All-American free safety NFL player^[30]
• Bill Doba, head football coach at Washington State University (2003–2007)^[31]
• Dave Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations of Boston Red Sox, former GM of Detroit Tigers^{[citation needed]}
• Shawn Faulkner, football player^[32]
• Brad Fischer, bullpen coach for Oakland Athletics^[33]
• Paul Griffin, NBA player^[34]
• Ben Handlogten, NBA player^[35]
• John Harbaugh, NFL head coach for Baltimore Ravens (Master's degree from WMU)^[36]
• Glenn Healy, NHL goalie^[37]
• Greg Jennings, former NFL wide receiver^[38]
• Keith Jones, hockey analyst on NBC Sports and NHL player^[39]
• Ernie Koob, MLB pitcher, threw no-hitter for 1917 St. Louis Browns
• John Kusku, Team USA goalball player, Paralympic silver medalist^[40]
• Bill Lajoie, general manager of Detroit Tigers, 1984–90; special advisor for three other teams^[41]
• Rich Maloney, head coach for University of Michigan baseball team^[42]
• Charlie Maxwell, Major League Baseball player^[43]
• Jamal Mayers, NHL player for Chicago Blackhawks^[44]
• Jeff Mayweather, trainer and former professional boxer^{[citation needed]}
• Jay McDonagh, football player^[45]
• Ira James Murchison, Olympic gold medalist, NCAA national champion^[46]
• Lenda Murray, bodybuilder, 8-time Ms. Olympia
• Tom Nütten, retired NFL player for St. Louis Rams^[47]
• John Offerdahl, 5-time Pro Bowl NFL player^[48]
• Walter Owens, Negro league baseball pitcher, basketball and track and field player for Michigan, baseball and basketball coach at Detroit's Northwestern High School^[49]
• William Perigo, Western Michigan basketball player and head coach
• William Porter, Olympic gold medalist^[50]
• John Potter, professional football kicker^[51]
• Mike Prindle, NFL placekicker^[52]
• Frank Quilici, infielder (1965, 1967–70) and manager (1972–75) for the Minnesota Twins^[53]
• Joe Reitz, NFL offensive lineman, WMU basketball player^[54]
• Mark Ricks, football player
• Sean Riley (born 1974), football player^[55]
• Adam Rosales, MLB third baseman for Oakland Athletics^[56]
• Walker Russell, NBA player^[57]
• Tony Scheffler, NFL tight end for Detroit Lions^[58]
• Neil Smith, owner of Greenville Road Warriors of ECHL, general manager of NHL's New York Rangers and New York Islanders^[59]
• Paul Szczechura, NHL player for Tampa Bay Lightning
• Wayne Terwilliger, Chicago Cubs second baseman, MLB coach, author^[60]
• Roger Theder, head football coach, University of California, Berkeley (1978–1981)^{[citation needed]}
• Ray Thomas, MLB player^[61]
• Elliot Uzelac, head football coach, Western Michigan University (1975–1981) and U.S. Naval Academy (1987–1989)^[62]
• John Vander Wal, professional baseball player^[63]
• Jordan White, professional football player^[64]

• Tim Taylor, Home Improvement
• Jill Taylor, Home Improvement

• Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients