Prominent alumni

SMU has 126,695 alumni worldwide, with 57,049 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Notable alumni include:

Public Service

  • Laura Bush, former First Lady of Texas and the United States
  • The late William P. Clements, Jr., former Texas governor and Deputy Secretary of Defense
  • Antonio O. Garza, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
  • Current and former U.S. House of Representatives members John Culberson, Ralph Hall, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Sam Johnson and Lamar Smith
  • Robert Haley, medical researcher who defined Gulf War Syndrome
  • The late Roy M. Huffington, former U.S. Ambassador to Austria
  • Karen Hughes, former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
  • Air Force General Craig R. McKinley, member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • Harriet Miers, former Counsel to President George W. Bush
  • Jeanne L. Phillips, former U.S. Representative to the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
  • The late R. Richard Rubottom, former Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs and Ambassador to Argentina
  • Rick Scott, governor of Florida
  • The late John G. Tower, former U.S. senator

Science and Education

  • Michael Bunnell, winner of 2010 Scientific and Engineering Academy Award
  • The late Nobel Prize-winning physicist James Cronin
  • Computer memory pioneer Robert Dennard
  • Former University of Texas-Austin President Larry R. Faulkner
  • University of North Texas Chancellor Lee Jackson
  • Donde Plowman, Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Communication

  • Jane Chu, chair, National Endowment for the Arts
  • Academy Award-winners Kathy Bates, actor; William Joyce and James V. Hart, filmmakers; and Ron Judkins, sound
  • Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Beth Henley
  • Golden Globe-winning actor and playwright Regina Taylor
  • Actors Amy Acker ("Person of Interest," "Cabin in the Woods"); Brian Baumgartner ("The Office"); Katie Featherston ("Paranormal Activity"); Clarence Gilyard ("Die Hard," "Walker Texas Ranger"); Lauren Graham ("Parenthood," "Gilmore Girls"); Belita Moreno ("George Lopez," "Family Ties"); Patricia Richardson ("Home Improvement," "West Wing"); and Stephen Tobolowsky ("Glee,” "Groundhog Day")
  • Tony Award-winning actors Michael Aronov, Debra Monk and Scott Waara; and choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler
  • Emmy Award-winning television producer Aaron Spelling (deceased)
  • Country music singer Jack Ingram
  • Artist John Alexander (MOMA, Smithsonian and more)
  • Parisa Khobdeh, George Smallwood and Michael Trusnovec, dancers, Paul Taylor Dance Company
  • David Bennett, director, San Diego Opera
  • Julie Rieger, president, chief data strategist and head of media, 20th Century Fox
  • Marc Patrick, senior global brand director - specialty categories, Nike

Law

The master’s degree program in comparative and international law of Dedman School of Law has graduated more than 1,400 lawyers from more than 75 countries. Many have since occupied prominent leadership positions around the world, including:

  • Nathan Hecht, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Texas
  • Two Supreme Court Justices in Japan and one in the Philippines
  • President of the Thailand Senate
  • Minister of Justice in Argentina
  • Member of the Brazilian Supreme Court of Accounts

Business

  • Nadja Swarovski Adams, chairwoman of Swarovski Entertainment
  • Gerald Alley, founder, president and CEO, Con-Real
  • Thaddeus Arroyo, CEO, AT&T Business Solutions and International
  • Amber Venz Box and Baxter Box, founders, rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it
  • Alex Cruz, chair and CEO, British Airways
  • David Cush, former president and CEO, Virgin America
  • Robert H. Dedman, Jr., president and CEO, DFI Management, Ltd.
  • Martin Flanagan, president and CEO, Invesco Ltd.
  • Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder and CEO, Bumble; co-founder, Tinder
  • Ray L. Hunt, executive chair, Hunt Consolidated, Inc.
  • Kevin Lavelle, founder and CEO, Mizzen+Main
  • Bobby B. Lyle, Chairman, President & CEO, Lyco Holdings Incorporated
  • Kenneth R. Morris, co-founder, PeopleSoft
  • Blake Mycoskie, founder and chief shoe giver, TOMS
  • Melissa Reiff, CEO, The Container Store
  • Edward B. Rust, Jr., chair, State Farm Insurance Companies
  • John Santa Maria, CEO, Coca-Cola Femsa
  • Carl Sewell, chair, Sewell Automotive Companies
  • John Tyson, chair, Tyson Foods
  • Brittany Underwood, founder and president, Akola Project
  • Richard Weekley, co-founder, David Weekley Homes

Athletics

  • Olympic gold medal swimmers Ryan Berube, Lars Frolander and Steve Lundquist; and gold medal track and field athlete Kevin Robinzine
  • Rodney Harmon, U.S. Olympic tennis coach
  • Clark Hunt, chair of the board, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL
  • The late Lamar Hunt, founder of the American Football League
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame members Raymond Berry, Eric Dickerson, Forrest Gregg (deceased), the late Lamar Hunt and the late Doak Walker
  • Jerry LeVias, National College Football Hall of Fame and NFL Rookie of the Year
  • James Irsay, owner and CEO, Indianapolis Colts, NFL
  • The late Payne Stewart, championship golfer
  • The late Doak Walker, recipient of football’s Heisman Trophy