20 Notable alumni of Brigham Young University – Idaho
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Brigham Young University – Idaho is ranked #2,889 in the world and #747 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 20 notable alumni from Brigham Young University – Idaho sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Brigham Young University – Idaho won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Thomas Forese
politician
Thomas "Tom" Forese is an American politician, a Republican, and former chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission. He was also in the Arizona House of Representatives representing District 17. Forese also previously served consecutively from January 10, 2011, until January 14, 2013, in the District 21 seat.
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2. Dean Willard
Dean Willard was a candidate for the Seattle Port Commission, fifth position, in 2011.
3. Fred S. Martin
1950-. (aged 76)
politician
Fred S. Martin is an American politician and a Republican former member of the Idaho State Senate, representing District 15 from 2012 until 2022.
4. Daryn Tufts
1973-. (aged 53)
actor
screenwriter
film director
Daryn Tufts is a writer, director, producer, and actor. Tufts’s writing, producing, and directing credits include feature films, documentaries, and television commercials and he has acted in several successful independent films. Tufts has also performed and taught sketch comedy and improvisational comedy with several professional comedy troupes and is the commercial spokesperson for the Questar Corporation (gas company). He currently...
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5. Aimee Winder Newton
1974-. (aged 52)
politician
Aimee Winder Newton is an American politician and member of the Salt Lake County Council representing the 3rd District. On October 23, 2019, Winder Newton announced her candidacy for Governor of Utah in 2020. She was the third female in history to file for Governor in the State of Utah.
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6. Tommy Ahlquist
1968-. (aged 58)
physician
John Thomas Ahlquist III is an American businessman, commercial real-estate developer, and retired physician from Idaho. He is the CEO of the development firm, Ahlquist (formerly known as Ball Ventures Ahlquist ) and founder and medical director of MN Solutions. Prior to that, he was the COO of the Gardner Company where he helped develop projects like the Eighth &...
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7. George V. Hansen
1930-2014 (aged 84)
politician
George Vernon Hansen was a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Idaho. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 14 years, representing Idaho's 2nd district from 1965 to 1969 and again from 1975 to 1985.
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8. Michelle Willis
1986-. (aged 40)
singer
keyboardist
composer
Michelle Willis is a British-born, Canadian-raised singer/songwriter and keyboard player. She performs regularly as a solo artist and as a side musician with David Crosby and Becca Stevens. She has also worked with Iggy & The Stooges, Laura Mvula, Snarky Puppy, The Parachute Club, and the Zac Brown Band.
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9. Marion G. Romney
1897-1988 (aged 91)
priest
lawyer
politician
Marion George Romney was an apostle and a member of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
10. Frank L. VanderSloot
1948-. (aged 78)
husbandry worker
Frank Leonard VanderSloot is an American entrepreneur, radio network owner, rancher, and political campaign financier. He is the founder and former chief executive officer of Melaleuca, Inc. His other business interests include the Riverbend Ranch and Riverbend Communications. VanderSloot also serves on the board of directors and executive board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In 2011, The Land Report...
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11. Grant Wilson
1974-. (aged 52)
television presenter
novelist
television producer
Grant Steven Wilson is an art director and developer for Rather Dashing Games (now a division of Kalmbach Publishing), a game company he founded with Michael Richie, and is the co-founder of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), which is based in Warwick, Rhode Island. He is also the star and co-producer of the cable television reality series Ghost Hunters. He...
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12. Dave Wolverton
1957-2022 (aged 65)
writer
science fiction writer
novelist
editor
John David Wolverton, better known by his pen names Dave Wolverton and David Farland, was an American author, editor, and instructor of online writing workshops and groups. He wrote in several genres but was known best for his science fiction and fantasy works. He wrote 24 stories for the Star Wars franchise and 3 for the Mummy franchise. Books in...
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13. Benson Boone
2002-. (aged 24)
singer
Benson James Boone is an American singer–songwriter. He began his music career by briefly competing on American Idol in early 2021 before withdrawing voluntarily. He continued to gain popularity on TikTok and subsequently signed a contract with Dan Reynolds's Night Street Records label and released the singles, "Ghost Town" and "In the Stars" in 2021 and 2022 respectively, which garnered...
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14. Rulon Gardner
1971-. (aged 55)
mixed martial arts fighter
amateur wrestler
Rulon Ellis Gardner is an American retired Greco-Roman wrestler. He won the gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games, defeating Russia's three-time reigning Olympic gold medalist Aleksandr Karelin in the final; Karelin was previously unbeaten for 13 years in international competition. Gardner won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games. In 2010, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall...
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15. Matt Schultz
1979-. (aged 47)
lawyer
Matt Schultz is an American politician who has served as Dallas County Attorney since 2025. He previously served as Iowa Secretary of State from 2011 to 2015, and as Madison County Attorney from 2015 to 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party.
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16. Kelly Graves
1963-. (aged 63)
basketball coach
basketball player
Kelly Lee Graves is the current head women's basketball coach at the University of Oregon. Previously, Graves was the head women's basketball coach at St. Mary's from 1997 to 2000, as well as Gonzaga University from 2000 to 2014. He was formerly an assistant coach for the Portland Pilots (1994–1997) and St. Mary Gaels, where he later got his first...
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17. Michael W. Mosman
1956-. (aged 70)
lawyer
judge
Michael Wise Mosman is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. He served as Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon from February 1, 2016, to December 23, 2019. He also served a 7-year term on the FISA Court from May 4, 2013, to May...
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18. Bruce Jessen
1949-. (aged 77)
priest
military personnel
psychologist
John Bruce Jessen is an American psychologist who, with James Elmer Mitchell, created the so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" that were used in the interrogation and torture of CIA detainees and outlined in the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's report on CIA torture. In that report, he was mentioned under the pseudonym "Hammond Dunbar." His company, Mitchell Jessen and...
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19. Gary Lee Price
1955-. (aged 71)
sculptor
Gary Lee Price is an American sculptor.
20. Stew Morrill
1952-. (aged 74)
basketball player
basketball coach
Stewart Morrill is an American college basketball coach and the former head coach of the Utah State University men's basketball team.