64 Notable alumni of Butler University
Updated: June 16, 2026 EliteDegrees
Butler University is ranked #1,631 in the world and #401 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 64 notable alumni from Butler University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Butler University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Addison Clay Harris
1840-1916 (aged 76)
writer
lawyer
diplomat
politician
Addison Clay Harris was a lawyer and civic leader in Indianapolis, Indiana, who served as a Republican member of the Indiana Senate (1876 to 1880) and a U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (ambassador) to Austria-Hungary (1899 to 1901). The Wayne County, Indiana, native graduated from Northwestern Christian University (present-day Butler University) in 1862 and was admitted to the bar...
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2. Katharine Merrill Graydon
1858-1934 (aged 76)
writer
university teacher
Katharine Merrill Graydon was an American classical scholar who specialised in teaching Greek and Latin literature, as well as a professor of English Literature.
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3. S. U. Hastings
1916-1991 (aged 75)
Selvin Uriah Hastings CD was the first Jamaican national consecrated as a bishop of the Moravian Church and the first Jamaican to be elected head of the Moravian Church Unity Board.
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4. J. Gordon Edwards
1919-2004 (aged 85)
park ranger
entomologist
J. Gordon Edwards was an American entomologist and proponent of the use and safety of the pesticide DDT. He was professor of entomology at San Jose State University for 40 years, and namesake to the university's entomology museum. He was an outspoken critic of Rachel Carson and efforts to ban DDT, famously eating the substance to demonstrate its safety to...
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5. Alberto Díaz, Jr
1943-. (aged 83)
military officer
Rear Admiral Alberto Díaz Jr. is the first Hispanic to become the Director of the San Diego Naval District and Balboa Naval Hospital.
6. Ryan Ward
1980-. (aged 46)
lacrosse player
Ryan Ward is a former lacrosse player in the National Lacrosse League. Ward played 11 seasons in the NLL with the Philadelphia Wings, Minnesota Swarm, and Edmonton Rush. He retired after the 2014 season.
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7. Jerry Steiner
1918-2012 (aged 94)
basketball player
basketball coach
Jerome C. Steiner was an American professional basketball player. He played two seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL), one of the two leagues that merged to form the National Basketball Association.
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8. Grace Julian Clarke
1865-1938 (aged 73)
writer
suffragette
Grace Julian Clarke was a clubwoman, women's suffrage activist, newspaper journalist, and author from Indiana. As the daughter of George Washington Julian and the granddaughter of Joshua Reed Giddings, both of whom were abolitionists and members of the U.S. Congress, Clarke's family exposed her to social reform issues at an early age. She is credited with reviving the women's suffrage...
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9. Jack Hendricks
1875-1943 (aged 68)
baseball player
John Charles Hendricks was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball as an outfielder, but is best known as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds from 1924 to 1929.
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10. Edward H. Kruse
1918-2000 (aged 82)
lawyer
judge
politician
Edward Herman Kruse was an American lawyer, World War II veteran, and politician who served one term as a U.S. representative from Indiana from 1949 to 1951.
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11. Oral Hildebrand
1907-1977 (aged 70)
baseball player
Oral Clyde Hildebrand was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1940. He played for the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, and New York Yankees.
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12. Michael A. Martone
1955-. (aged 71)
university teacher
novelist
photographer
Michael Martone is an American author. Since 1977, he has written nearly 30 books and chapbooks. He was a professor at the Program in Creative Writing at the University of Alabama, where he taught from 1996 until his retirement in 2020.
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13. Elaine C. Wagner
dentist
Elaine C. Wagner is a retired United States Navy rear admiral. She was the first female pediatric dentist to achieve flag rank in the United States Navy, and served as the 36th Chief of the United States Navy Dental Corps. Her retirement ceremony was held on January 9, 2017, and she was transferred to the retired list the following April,...
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14. Becky Lyne
1982-. (aged 44)
athletics competitor
Becky Lyne is a former international middle-distance runner from Great Britain, who won a bronze medal in the 800 metres at the 2006 European Athletics Championships.
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15. Justin Moed
politician
Justin Moed is a Democratic member of the Indiana House of Representatives, representing the 97th district since 2013.
16. William E. English
1850-1926 (aged 76)
lawyer
writer
politician
William Eastin English was an American attorney and politician, a U.S. Representative from Indiana. He was the son of vice-presidential candidate and businessman William Hayden English, and his wife Emma Mardulia Jackson.
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17. Harry Stewart New
1858-1937 (aged 79)
politician
writer
journalist
Harry Stewart New was a U.S. politician, journalist, and Spanish–American War veteran. He served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, a United States senator from Indiana, and United States Postmaster General.
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18. David W. Evans
1946-. (aged 80)
politician
David Walter Evans is an American educator who served four terms as a U.S. representative from Indiana from 1975 to 1983.
19. Leroy Edgar Burney
1906-1998 (aged 92)
writer
physician
Leroy Edgar Burney was an American physician and public health official. He was appointed the eighth Surgeon General of the United States from 1956 to 1961.
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20. Roosevelt Jones
1993-. (aged 33)
basketball player
Roosevelt Jones is an American basketball coach and former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Butler. At O'Fallon Township High School, he led the team to the semifinals of Illinois' 2010 Class 4A state tournament. He was a three-star recruit ranked in the 2011 Rivals.com 150 and committed to playing for Butler. As a sophomore at Butler, Jones...
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21. Luke Flynn
1988-. (aged 38)
composer
Luke Flynn is an American composer of film, television, and concert music. He is most widely known for his choral, orchestral, and concert band works.
22. Richard L. Roudebush
1918-1995 (aged 77)
politician
Richard Lowell Roudebush was an American World War II veteran who served five terms as a U.S. representative from Indiana from 1961 to 1971.
23. Johann Sebastian Paetsch
1964-. (aged 62)
musician
cellist
Johann Sebastian Paetsch is an American cellist and musician.
24. A. J. Graves
1985-. (aged 41)
basketball player
Adam James Graves is an American basketball player who played college basketball with the Butler University Bulldogs. He played one year professionally with PBG Basket Poznań in the Polish Basketball League.
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25. Jane Magnus-Stinson
1958-. (aged 68)
lawyer
judge
Jane Elizabeth Magnus-Stinson is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
26. Shawn Vanzant
1988-. (aged 38)
basketball player
Shawn Vincent Vanzant is an American college basketball coach and former professional basketball player who last played for the Moncton Miracles of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL). He played college basketball for Butler University before playing professionally in Finland, Canada, Ireland, and the NBA Development League.
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27. Kellen Dunham
1993-. (aged 33)
basketball player
Kellen Dunham is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana All-Americans of The Basketball League (TBL). He played college basketball for the Butler Bulldogs. At Pendleton Heights High School in Pendleton, Indiana, Dunham led the state of Indiana in scoring as a senior with 29.5 points per game and was named Herald Bulletin Player of the Year. Dunham committed...
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28. Eric Dick
1994-. (aged 32)
association football player
Eric Dick is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for USL Championship club Indy Eleven.
29. Scott Overall
1983-. (aged 43)
marathon runner
athletics competitor
Scott Ashley Overall is a British athlete who runs for the Blackheath & Bromley. Scott was officially named part of the 2012 GB Olympic team on 5 December 2011 after achieving "A-Standard" at the Berlin marathon. He finished 61st in the London Olympic Marathon of 2012 in a time of 2:22:37
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30. Marguerite Vivian Young
1909-1995 (aged 86)
novelist
poet
writer
Marguerite Vivian Young was an American novelist and academic. She is best known for her novel Miss MacIntosh, My Darling. In her later years, she was known for teaching creative writing and as a mentor to young authors. "She was a respected literary figure as well as a cherished Greenwich Village eccentric." During her lifetime, Young wrote two books of...
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31. Patrick McCaffery
2000-. (aged 26)
basketball player
Patrick D. McCaffery is an American professional basketball player for CS Vâlcea 1924 of the Liga Națională in Romania. He previously played college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Butler Bulldogs.
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32. Matthew Shiltz
1992-. (aged 34)
Canadian football player
American football player
Matthew Shiltz is an American former professional football quarterback who played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Montreal Alouettes, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Calgary Stampeders, and Ottawa Redblacks. He played college football for the Butler Bulldogs.
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33. Ronald Nored
1990-. (aged 36)
basketball player
basketball coach
Ronald Nored is an American basketball coach, currently an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Previously he served as the head coach of the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League, and an assistant coach for the Maine Red Claws of the Boston Celtics organization. He is a former point guard for Butler...
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34. Brandon Fricke
1992-. (aged 34)
association football player
Brandon Fricke is an American soccer player who plays for Greenville Triumph SC in USL League One. He is the 2020 USL League One defender of the year.
35. Michael Leckrone
1936-. (aged 90)
musicologist
conductor
composer
Michael “Mike” Leckrone was a John Bascom Professor of Music in the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Music and director of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band from 1969 to 2019. Leckrone also served as Director of Bands in the UW–Madison School of Music from 1972 to 2019. He is noted for his extraordinary ability to remember the names of...
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36. Madge Oberholtzer
1896-1925 (aged 29)
teacher
Madge Augustine Oberholtzer was an American woman whose rape and murder played a critical role in the demise of the second incarnation of the Ku Klux Klan. In March 1925, while working for the state of Indiana on an adult literacy campaign, Oberholtzer was abducted by D. C. Stephenson, Grand Dragon of the Indiana Klan. Holding her captive in his...
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37. Andrew Smith
1990-2016 (aged 26)
basketball player
Andrew Smith was an American basketball player. He played in two NCAA Final Fours during his career at Butler, as well as professionally for Neptūnas.
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38. Bill Lynch
1954-. (aged 72)
basketball player
American football player
Bill Lynch is an American former football coach. He was most recently the head football coach at DePauw University, a position he held in 2004 and re-assumed in December 2012 until his retirement after the 2019 season. Lynch also served as the head football coach at Butler University (1985–1989), Ball State University (1995–2002), and Indiana University Bloomington (2007–2010). He was...
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39. Todd Duncan
1903-1998 (aged 95)
opera singer
actor
Robert Todd Duncan was an American baritone opera singer and actor. One of the first African-Americans to sing with a major opera company, Duncan is also noted for appearing as Porgy in the premier production of Porgy and Bess (1935).
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40. Kamar Baldwin
1997-. (aged 29)
basketball player
Kamar Malik Baldwin is an American-born naturalized Georgian professional basketball player for Bayern Munich of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Butler Bulldogs.
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41. Kelan Martin
1995-. (aged 31)
basketball player
Kelan Dewayne Martin is an American professional basketball player for UCAM Murcia of the Liga ACB and Europe Cup. He attended Ballard High School in Louisville, Kentucky, and played college basketball for the Butler Bulldogs, where he scored 2,047 points during his career, the second highest in the school's history. Martin was selected for the All-Big East second team on...
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42. Mark Kurlansky
1948-. (aged 78)
historian
children's writer
journalist
Mark Kurlansky is an American journalist and author who has written a number of books of fiction and nonfiction. His 1997 book, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World (1997), was an international bestseller and was translated into more than fifteen languages. His book Nonviolence: Twenty-five Lessons From the History of a Dangerous Idea (2006) was the...
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43. Matt Howard
1989-. (aged 37)
basketball player
Matt Howard is an American former professional basketball player who last played for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League. Previously, he played college basketball with the Butler Bulldogs. He helped lead the 2009–10 and 2010–11 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball teams to the championship game of the NCAA tournament.
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44. Janet Langhart
1941-. (aged 85)
journalist
model
Janet Leola Langhart Cohen is an American television journalist and anchor, and author. Beginning her career as a model, she started in television reporting the weather.
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45. LaVall Jordan
1979-. (aged 47)
basketball coach
basketball player
LaVall Jurrant Jordan is an American college basketball coach who is currently an assistant coach at DePaul University. He previously served as the head coach at Butler University and Milwaukee, as well as assistant coach at Michigan, Iowa, and Butler. In six seasons as an assistant coach under Michigan head coach John Beilein, Michigan advanced to the NCAA tournament each...
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46. Brandon Gaudin
1984-. (aged 42)
sports commentator
Brandon Michael Gaudin is an American television broadcaster for FanDuel Sports Network South and FanDuel Sports Network Southeast's coverage of the Atlanta Braves baseball. He also does play-by-play for college football and college basketball for Fox Sports and the Big Ten Network.
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47. Pat Neshek
1980-. (aged 46)
baseball player
Patrick John Neshek is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies. The Twins selected him in the sixth round of the 2002 MLB draft, out of Butler University. Neshek made his MLB debut for the...
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48. Ed Carpenter
1981-. (aged 45)
racing automobile driver
Everette Edward Carpenter Jr. is an American auto racing driver, currently competing in the IndyCar Series for his team, Ed Carpenter Racing. He is the stepson of Indy Racing League founder Tony George. He holds the joint-record for most Indy 500 starts without a win along with George Snider.
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49. Garo Yepremian
1944-2015 (aged 71)
association football player
American football player
Garabed Sarkis "Garo" Yepremian was an Armenian-Cypriot American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Miami Dolphins. During his nine seasons with the Dolphins, Yepremian led the league in scoring in 1971, received two Pro Bowl and two first-team All-Pro honors, and helped the Dolphins win back-to-back Super Bowl titles. Yepremian's...
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50. David Starr Jordan
1851-1931 (aged 80)
writer
autobiographer
zoologist
ichthyologist
eugenicist
David Starr Jordan was the founding president of Stanford University, serving from 1891 to 1913. He was an ichthyologist during his research career. Prior to serving as president of Stanford University, he served as president of Indiana University from 1885 to 1891.
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51. Shelvin Mack
1990-. (aged 36)
basketball player
Shelvin Bernard Mack Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who is an analyst for CBS Sports. He played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for seven different teams. Mack played college basketball for the Butler Bulldogs, where he was a starter on consecutive Final Four teams in 2010 and 2011.
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52. Bobby Plump
1936-. (aged 90)
basketball player
baseball player
Bobby Gene Plump is an American former member of the Milan High School basketball team, who won the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) state tournament in 1954. Plump was selected Indiana's coveted "Mr. Basketball" in 1954, the award bestowed upon Indiana's most outstanding senior basketball player as voted on by the press. Plump was also named one of the...
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53. Freddie Hubbard
1938-2008 (aged 70)
composer
recording artist
jazz musician
trumpeter
Frederick Dewayne Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives for modern jazz and bebop.
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54. Scott Drew
1970-. (aged 56)
basketball coach
Scott Homer Drew is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach at Baylor University, a position he has held since 2003.
55. Thad Matta
1967-. (aged 59)
basketball player
basketball coach
Thad Michael Matta is an American college basketball coach who is currently in his second stint as head coach of the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team, having been head coach of the Bulldogs for the 2000–01 season. From 2004 to 2017, Matta led the Ohio State Buckeyes to five Big Ten Conference regular season championships (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011 and...
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56. Gordon Hayward
1990-. (aged 36)
basketball player
professional athlete
Gordon Daniel Hayward is an American former professional basketball player. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, and Oklahoma City Thunder.
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57. Karen Pence
1957-. (aged 69)
painter
primary school teacher
politician
Karen Sue Pence is an American schoolteacher who was the second lady of the United States from 2017 to 2021. She is married to the 48th vice president of the United States, Mike Pence. Pence was also the first lady of Indiana from 2013 to 2017 during her husband's tenure as the 50th governor of that state. In 2023, she...
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58. Peter Lupus
1932-. (aged 94)
bodybuilder
television actor
actor
American football player
Peter Nash Lupus Jr. is an American bodybuilder and actor. He is best known for his role as Willy Armitage on the television series Mission: Impossible (1966–1973).
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59. Raymond Smiley Springer
1882-1947 (aged 65)
lawyer
politician
Raymond Smiley Springer was an American attorney and jurist who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana from 1939 to 1947.
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60. George Ryan
1934-2025 (aged 91)
pharmacist
politician
George Homer Ryan was an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Illinois from 1999 to 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Secretary of State of Illinois from 1991 to 1999 and as lieutenant governor from 1983 to 1991. He was later convicted of federal racketeering, bribery, extortion, money laundering, and tax fraud...
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61. Frank Felice
1961-. (aged 65)
composer
Frank Felice is an American composer of contemporary classical music and associate professor of composition, theory, and electronic music in the Jordan College of Arts at Butler University.
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62. Dan Johnson
1979-. (aged 47)
baseball player
Daniel Ryan Johnson is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, and St. Louis Cardinals from 2005 to 2015. He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yokohama BayStars in 2009.
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63. Sarah Fisher
1980-. (aged 46)
racing automobile driver
Sarah Marie Fisher is an American retired professional race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League (IRL, now IndyCar Series) and the Indianapolis 500 intermittently from 1999 to 2010. She also raced in the NASCAR West Series in 2004 and 2005. Fisher took part in 81 IndyCar Series events, achieving a career-best finish of second at the 2001...
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64. James Brainard
1954-. (aged 72)
politician
James Brainard is a retired American politician of the Republican Party who served as the fifth mayor of Carmel, Indiana, a principal city in the Indianapolis metropolitan area, from 1996 to 2024. At the time he left office on January 1, 2024, he was one of Indiana's longest serving mayors. During his tenure as mayor, Carmel's population grew from 25,000...
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