19 Notable alumni of Fort Hays State University
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Fort Hays State University is ranked #2,179 in the world and #555 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 19 notable alumni from Fort Hays State 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 Fort Hays State University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Tory Marie Arnberger
1993-. (aged 33)
politician
Tory Marie Blew is an American politician from the state of Kansas. She served as a Republican member of the Kansas House of Representatives from 2017 to 2025, representing the 112th district in Barton County, Kansas.
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2. Michael J Hannafin
1950-. (aged 76)
university teacher
Michael J. Hannafin was an American professor and academic known for his work in educational technology. He was a professor at the University of Georgia in the educational psychology department and director of the Learning and Performance Support Lab. He was once editor-in-chief of the journal Educational Technology Research and Development.
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3. Curtis Hammeke
basketball coach
Curtis J. Hammeke is an American university sports administrator and former college baseball player and coach. Hammeke served as the director of athletics at Fort Hays State University from 2004 to 2025. Prior to his position at Fort Hays State, Hammeke served as an athletic director at a high school and two colleges, as well as the baseball coach for...
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4. Lynn Lashbrook
1948-. (aged 78)
Lynn Lashbrook is an American sports agent and educator. He is currently an NFL certified contract advisor who has represented over 150 NFL football players throughout his career. A former college athletic director and sports agent, Lashbrook is founder and president of Sports Management Worldwide, a sports agency and an international, online sports career training school with over 20,000 graduates...
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5. Jonathan Blake
1987-. (aged 39)
basketball player
Jonathan Blake is an American professional basketball player. Blake played high school basketball at Cypress Springs High School, where he was named to the First-Team in District 17-5A and earned a McDonald's All-American Honorable Mention. Rated amongst the top-50 guards in the country, he led his team to third place in the district with records of 23–9 overall and 10–5...
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6. Kathryn O'Loughlin McCarthy
1894-1952 (aged 58)
lawyer
politician
Kathryn Ellen O'Loughlin was a U.S. representative from Kansas. After her election, she was married to Daniel M. McCarthy, who served in the Kansas State Senate, and thereupon served under the name of Kathryn O'Loughlin McCarthy. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Kansas.
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7. Jim Smallwood
1971-. (aged 55)
politician
James Smallwood Jr. is an American business consultant and politician first elected to the Colorado Senate in 2016. From 2023 to 2025, he represented State Senate District 2, which includes the communities of Castle Rock, Parker, The Pinery, Stonegate, and Grand View Estates in Douglas County. Prior to the 2020 reapportionment process that was implemented in 2023, Smallwood represented the...
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8. Keith Sebelius
1916-1982 (aged 66)
lawyer
politician
Keith George Sebelius was an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican.
9. Michelle De La Isla
1975-. (aged 51)
politician
Michelle De La Isla is an American politician who served as the mayor of Topeka, Kansas from 2018 to 2022. She previously served on the Topeka City Council from 2013 to 2018. De La Isla was the city's first Latina and single mother to serve as mayor. She was the Democratic nominee for Kansas's 2nd congressional district in the 2020...
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10. M. T. Liggett
1930-2017 (aged 87)
sculptor
Myron Thomas Liggett was an American folk sculptor.
11. Sheila Frahm
1945-. (aged 81)
politician
Sheila Frahm is an American politician who served in the United States Senate as a Republican from Kansas for a brief period in 1996.
12. Brent Barrett
1957-. (aged 69)
singer
television actor
stage actor
Brent Barrett is an American actor and tenor who is mostly known for his work within American theatre. Barrett has performed in musicals and in concerts with theatres, symphony orchestras, opera houses, and concert halls internationally. He starred in the original production of Maltby and Shire's hit Off-Broadway musical Closer Than Ever in 1989 and the 2001 West End revival...
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13. John L. Allen Jr
1965-2026 (aged 61)
editor
writer
journalist
John Lewis Allen Jr. was an American journalist and author who served as editor of the Catholic news website Crux, formerly hosted by The Boston Globe and now independently funded.
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14. Mickey Spillane
1918-2006 (aged 88)
novelist
prose writer
television actor
writer
children's writer
Frank Morrison Spillane, better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, called the "king of pulp fiction". He was best-known for stories featuring his signature detective character, Mike Hammer.
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15. Jerry Moran
1954-. (aged 72)
bank officer
university teacher
lawyer
celebrity
politician
Gerald Wesley Moran is an American lawyer and politician who is the senior United States senator from Kansas, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 113th U.S. Congress, during which he led successful Republican efforts in the 2014 election, producing the first Republican...
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16. Scott Schwab
1972-. (aged 54)
politician
Scott Joseph Schwab is an American politician serving as the 32nd Secretary of State of Kansas. He served as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing the 49th district, from 2009 to 2019. He also served as Speaker pro tempore of the Kansas House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019. In November 2018, he was elected Kansas Secretary...
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17. James Dean Pruner
1951-1987 (aged 36)
poet
painter
James Dean Pruner was an American painter, printmaker, draftsman, zinemaker, sculptor, and poet. Born in Lyons, Kansas, he also lived in Hays, Ellinwood, St. John, and in rural Stafford County, Kansas, where he farmed and maintained a studio. His works include a diverse range of subjects and styles, but with several consistent themes, including human relationships, animals and the land,...
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18. Mike McCarthy
1963-. (aged 63)
American football coach
American football player
Michael John McCarthy is an American professional football coach who is the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he served as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. In 2011, McCarthy led the Packers to a win in Super Bowl XLV over his hometown Steelers. McCarthy was also the...
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19. Nathan Shepherd
1993-. (aged 33)
American football player
Nathan Daniel Shepherd is a Canadian professional football defensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Simon Fraser Clan and Fort Hays State Tigers.
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