List of Duquesne University people

• Tom Atkins – actor, Lethal Weapon, The Rockford Files, Harry O, Oz^[1]
• Carl Betz – actor, The Donna Reed Show, Judd for the Defense
• Peter Brunette – film critic (The Hollywood Reporter) and film historian
• John Clayton (1976)^[2] – NFL writer and reporter for ESPN
• Werner Herzog^[3] – filmmaker (did not officially graduate)
• Bill Hillgrove (1962)^[4] – sports journalist, radio personality, broadcaster
• Jesse Joyce – stand-up comedian and writer
• Mark Madden^[5] – former World Championship Wrestling commentator, writer, ESPN Radio personality
• Terry McGovern^[6] – film actor, television broadcaster, radio personality, voice-over specialist, and acting instructor
• Nick Perry^[7] – radio-TV personality, infamous after being indicted in scandal involving rigging of Pennsylvania Lottery
• Joe Starkey – writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; ESPN Radio personality
• Tim J. Sullivan (1994)^[8] – deputy sports editor for the New York Post

• Alan N. Braverman – Senior Executive Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel of The Walt Disney Company, 2003–present
• Pat Dudley (MA) – President and marketing director of Bethel Heights Vineyard
• Ed Grier^[9] – President of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California
• Stanley R. Gumberg - real estate developer^[10]
• Tom Tribone – founder and CEO of Guggenheim Global Infrastructure Company

• Most Rev. Richard Henry Ackerman – Bishop of Covington (Kentucky), 1960-1978; attended the Second Vatican Council
• Most Rev. Daniel DiNardo (1969)^[11] – Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston (2006–present)
• Most Rev. Ralph Leo Hayes – Bishop of Helena (1933–1935), Rector of the Pontifical North American College (1935–1944), and Bishop of Davenport (1944–1966)
• Most Rev. Vincent Leonard – Bishop of Pittsburgh (1969–1983)
• Zola Levitt – Messianic Jewish teacher, author, and television host
• Adam Joseph Cardinal Maida (1964)^[2] – Cardinal, Archbishop of Detroit (1990–present)
• Thomas L. Thompson (1962) – Biblical theologian, closely associated with the Biblical minimalism movement
• Sister Anne Nasimiyu Wasike (died 2018) – theologian, religious sister, and author
• Most Rev. David Zubik (1971)^[12] – Bishop of Green Bay (2003–2007), Bishop of Pittsburgh (2007–present)

• Mike Basrak^[13] – played center and linebacker for NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers
• Joe Beimel^[14] – relief pitcher for Pittsburgh Pirates
• Leigh Bodden – NFL defensive back, New England Patriots
• Boyd Brumbaugh – former NFL player and first-round draft pick
• Donn Clendenon (1978)^[15] – MLB player for Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets; 1969 World Series MVP
• Chuck Cooper^[16] – first African American player to be drafted into the NBA
• Mickey Davis – former NBA player for Milwaukee Bucks
• Aldo Donelli^[17] – player and head coach in NFL; member of United States National Soccer Hall of Fame
• Al Federoff, Major League Baseball player
• Candace Futrell^[18] – WNBA player
• Chip Ganassi^[19] – former professional racecar driver; current professional race team owner
• Sihugo Green^[20] – NBA player (1957; 1959–1966)
• Korie Hlede^[21] – WNBA player
• Mike James^[22] – professional basketball player, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards; has won one NBA Championship
• Shawn James – professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv^[23]
• Ray Kemp - professional football player, first African-American to play for Pittsburgh Steelers
• Stefan Lundberg^[2] – professional soccer player for Pittsburgh Riverhounds
• Barry Nelson – former NBA player
• Norm Nixon^[24] – professional basketball player for Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, 2-time NBA champion and 4-time All-Star
• Cumberland Posey^[25] – Negro league baseball player, manager, and team owner; Baseball Hall of Famer
• Dave Ricketts – former MLB player
• Dick Ricketts^[26] – NBA's first overall pick in annual player draft (1955); also played Major League Baseball
• Art Rooney^[2] – Pittsburgh Steelers founder and former owner, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Dan Rooney^[2] – Pittsburgh Steelers president and chairman, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Jimmy Smith^[27] – former MLB player; won one World Series
• Dwayne Woodruff^[28] – defensive back for NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers (1979–1990), won one Super Bowl; founding partner of Woodruff, Flaherty & Fardo law firm (now Flaherty Fardo, LLC); currently Judge of Court of Common Pleas in Pittsburgh

• Donald A. Bailey – politician and lawyer^[29]
• Derrick Bell^[30] – legal theorist
• Mark Ciavarella – Disbarred former Luzerne County judge following the Kids for cash scandal.
• Anthony Colaizzo – Democratic member of Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1989-1999
• Father James Cox^[31] – Roman Catholic priest, labor activist, and presidential candidate
• Bob Cranmer^[32][33] – County Commissioner of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 1995-1999; former Chairman of Republican Party of Allegheny County
• Henry Ellenbogen – Pennsylvania Congressman (1933-1938)^[34]
• Gerald Feierstein (M.A. c:a 1975) – diplomat^[35]
• Joseph M. Gaydos (1947)^[36] – Pennsylvania delegate to U.S. House of Representatives; first Slovak-American elected to Congress
• General Michael V. Hayden (1967) (1969)^[2] – retired United States Air Force General; former Director of CIA^[37]
• Ernest Kline – Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, 1971–1979; dropped out because of inability to pay^[38]
• Catherine Baker Knoll – Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania^[39]
• Thomas Patrick Melady (1970)^[2] – diplomat and professor at the Institute of World Politics
• Charles Owen Rice – Roman Catholic priest; labor activist
• Karen Garver Santorum – wife of U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania
• Thomas E. Scanlon – Congressman (1941-1945)
• Bud Shuster – Congressman (1972-2001)
• William S. Stickman IV - Judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• Terry Van Horne (1968) – member of Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1981–2000^[40]
• Samuel A. Weiss – judge and Congressman (1941 to 1946)

• Joseph Carl Breil – first person to compose a score specifically for a motion picture
• Jared DePasquale – composer
• Gene Forrell – composer and conductor
• Henry Mazer - conductor and recording artist for Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra^[41]
• Sammy Nestico – composer and arranger of big band music
• William Schultz (1950)^[2] – President and CEO of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
• Bobby Vinton (graduated 1956; honorary Doctorate in Music in 1978)^[2] – "The Polish Prince," recording artist, called most successful love singer of rock era

• Ray DiPalma (1966) – poet and visual artist
• Keith Donohue – novelist; Director of Communications for National Historical Publications and Records Commission
• Linda O. Johnston – author of mystery and romance novels
• Jerome Loving (MA) - professor of American Literature and Culture at the University of Texas at Austin^[42]
• Sean Parnell – author of Outlaw Platoon^[43]
• Michael Mann - professor of German literature at the University of California, Berkeley and son of Thomas Mann

• George Delahunty – physiologist, endocrinologist, and Lilian Welsh Professor of Biology at Goucher College
• Dennis Fitch – member of flight crew of United Airlines Flight 232 that crash-landed in Sioux City, Iowa in 1989, credited with saving 185 of 296 aboard, cited as example of benefits of Cockpit Resource Management
• Constance Flanagan – professor of civil society and community studies^[44]
• Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow - nurse and professor
• Jenna Morasca - model
• Monique Samuels - television personality, The Real Housewives of Potomac
• Laurie Trok - graphic artist
• Miftah Ismail -Pakistan Finance Minster

• Francesco Cesareo – Renaissance historian, President of Assumption College (former Dean of the McAnulty College of Liberal Arts)
• Jerry Clack - Professor of Classical Languages^[45]
• Antony Davies – economist and speaker
• Radhika Gajjala – communications and a cultural studies professor
• Samuel John Hazo – author of poetry, fiction, essays and plays (Emeritus McAnulty Distinguished Professor of English)
• James Houlik – tenor saxophonist (Professor of Saxophone and Chair of Woodwinds)
• Patrick Juola – expert in field of computer linguistics and security, credited with co-creating original biometric word list (Professor of Computer Science)
• Maureen Lally-Green – Judge on Superior Court of Pennsylvania (Adjunct Professor at School of Law)
• Aaron L. Mackler – conservative rabbi (Professor of Theology)
• Cardinal Adam Maida – Archbishop of Detroit 1990-2009 (former adjunct Professor of Theology at School of Law)
• Magali Cornier Michael – feminist literary theorist (Associate Professor of English and co-director of Women's and Gender Studies program)
• John E. Murray – author of Murray on Contracts; former dean of University of Pittsburgh School of Law and the Villanova University School of Law (University Chancellor and Professor of Law)
• James Purdy – scholar of digital rhetoric
• John Walker – concert organist, choirmaster, recording artist (Adjunct Professor of Organ and Sacred Music (1997–2006))
• Cyril Wecht – forensic pathologist
• Michael Welner – forensic psychiatrist

Duquesne University was founded in 1878 as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost by a group of Spiritan priests under the leadership of Father Joseph Strub.

Heads of Duquesne University v t e