16 Notable alumni of Henderson State University
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Henderson State University is ranked #4,705 in the world and #1,236 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 16 notable alumni from Henderson 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 Henderson State University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Phil L. Johnson
1958-. (aged 68)
basketball player
basketball coach
Phillip Lane Johnson is an American college basketball coach. He was the interim men's head basketball coach at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).
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2. John P. McConnell
1908-1986 (aged 78)
military officer
General John Paul McConnell was the sixth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff, McConnell served in a dual capacity. He was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff which, as a body, acts as the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, and the Secretary...
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3. Jimmie O. Keenan
1963-. (aged 63)
nurse
Jimmie O. Keenan is a retired major general of the United States Army. She served as the Deputy Commanding General of the Medical Command and also the Chief of the United States Army Nurse Corps before retiring on January 1, 2016. She now works at WellMed Medical Management in San Antonio, Texas.
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4. Sean McGrath
1987-. (aged 39)
American football player
screenwriter
Sean McGrath is an American football tight ends coach at Missouri Southern State University and a former tight end. He played college football at Eastern Illinois and Henderson State, and signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2012. McGrath also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers.
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5. Lloyd L. Burke
1924-1999 (aged 75)
soldier
Lloyd Leslie Burke was a soldier in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 28, 1951 during the Korean War.
6. Ken Duke
1969-. (aged 57)
golfer
Kenneth Wootson Duke is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He formerly played on the PGA Tour, with his sole victory coming at the 2013 Travelers Championship.
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7. Sid McMath
1912-2003 (aged 91)
military officer
lawyer
politician
Sidney Sanders McMath was a U.S. marine, attorney and the 34th governor of Arkansas from 1949 to 1953. In defiance of his state's political establishment, he championed rapid rural electrification, massive highway and school construction, the building of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, strict bank and utility regulation, repeal of the poll tax, open and honest elections, and...
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8. David Pryor
1934-2024 (aged 90)
politician
dean
lawyer
founder
publisher
David Hampton Pryor was an American politician who served as a representative for Arkansas's 4th congressional district from 1966 until 1973 and as a senator from Arkansas from 1979 until 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Pryor also served as the 39th governor of Arkansas from 1975 to 1979 and was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives...
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9. John R. Steelman
1900-1999 (aged 99)
university teacher
economist
politician
John Roy Steelman was the first person to serve as "The Assistant to the President of the United States", in the administration of President Harry S. Truman from 1946 to 1953. The office later became the White House Chief of Staff.
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10. Bobby Bones
1980-. (aged 46)
singer
radio personality
songwriter
Bobby Estell, known professionally as Bobby Bones, is an American radio and television personality, best known for hosting the nationally syndicated The Bobby Bones Show, originating from the iHeart Studios in Nashville, TN, and for his role as a full-time mentor on American Idol on ABC. He was the winner of season 27 of Dancing with the Stars with partner...
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11. Gus Malzahn
1965-. (aged 61)
American football player
Arthur Gustavo Malzahn III is an American former college football coach who most recently was the offensive coordinator at Florida State. He was the head coach at the University of Central Florida (UCF) from 2021 to 2024, Auburn University from 2013 to 2020, and Arkansas State in 2012. He also served as offensive coordinator at Auburn from 2009 to 2011;...
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12. Billy Bob Thornton
1955-. (aged 71)
director
film actor
film producer
songwriter
voice actor
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, filmmaker, and singer-songwriter. He received international attention after writing, directing and starring in the independent drama film Sling Blade (1996), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. For his role in A Simple Plan (1998), he was nominated for...
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13. Jimmy D. Ross
1936-2012 (aged 76)
military personnel
General Jimmy Douglas Ross was a United States Army four-star general and member of the board of two corporations.
14. Robert Fisher
1948-. (aged 78)
Robert Fisher is an American academic administrator. He served as the president of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. from 2000 to 2021. He was one of the highest paid university presidents in the United States.
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15. Oren Harris
1903-1997 (aged 94)
lawyer
politician
Oren Harris was a United States representative from Arkansas and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas and the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas.
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16. Aaron Owens
1974-. (aged 52)
basketball player
Aaron Owens, better known by his nickname "AO", is an American streetball player from North Philadelphia.