41 Notable alumni of Illinois College
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Illinois College is ranked #2,020 in the world and #500 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 41 notable alumni from Illinois College sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Illinois College won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Lewis W. Ross
1812-1895 (aged 83)
lawyer
politician
Lewis Winans Ross was an American attorney, merchant, and politician. He served two non-consecutive terms on the Illinois House of Representatives from 1840 to 1842 and 1844 to 1846, and was U.S. Representative from Illinois's 9th congressional district between 1863 and 1869. He was widely known as an antiwar Peace Democrat or Copperhead during the American Civil War.
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2. James W. Robison
1831-1909 (aged 78)
politician
James W. Robison, born James W. Robertson, was a Scottish American farmer, horticulturist, politician, and horse breeder. After his family immigrated to the United States shortly after his birth, Robison attended public school and then studied at Illinois College. He became a wealthy farmer, particularly noted for his large orchards. He served two terms in the Illinois Senate in the...
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3. John Campbell Rice
1864-1937 (aged 73)
lawyer
judge
politician
John Campbell Rice was an American attorney and judge. He was a justice of the Idaho Supreme Court and served as chief justice from 1922 to 1923.
4. Joseph Trotter Mills
1812-1897 (aged 85)
judge
politician
Joseph Trotter Mills was an American attorney, jurist, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served four one-year terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, and was Wisconsin circuit court judge for the 5th circuit from 1865 through 1877.
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5. Leroy Buchiet
1892-1952 (aged 60)
head coach
Leroy Charles Buchiet was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach for the Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan for four seasons, from 1914 until 1917, compiling a record of 9–13–3. Buchiet was also the head basketball coach at Hillsdale from 1914 to 1918, tallying a mark of 18–28 He played football and basketball...
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6. John C. Martin
1951-2021 (aged 70)
chemist
chief executive officer
entrepreneur
John Cunningham Martin was an American politician who served as a member of the US House of Representatives from Illinois and as Illinois treasurer.
7. William C. Goudy
1824-1893 (aged 69)
politician
William Charles Goudy was an American politician and attorney from Indiana. Arriving in Illinois in 1833, he matriculated at Illinois College and then studied law with Stephen T. Logan. He opened a successful law practice in Lewistown, Illinois and was elected district attorney in 1853. He was elected to the Illinois Senate, serving from 1856 to 1860. Goudy moved to...
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8. Theodore N. Morrison
1850-1929 (aged 79)
presbyter
Theodore Nevin Morrison was a 20th-century bishop in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He was Bishop of Iowa from 1898 to 1929.
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9. Edward Capps
1866-1950 (aged 84)
art historian
diplomat
classical philologist
university teacher
Edward Capps Sr. was an American diplomat, professor of Philology, and colonel.
10. William Henry Barnes
1843-1904 (aged 61)
lawyer
judge
politician
William Henry Barnes was an American jurist who served as Assistant Justice on the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court from 1885 till 1889.
11. Edward E. Johnston
1918-2011 (aged 93)
announcer
businessperson
politician
Edward Elliott Johnston was an American businessman and politician.
12. Newton Bateman
1822-1897 (aged 75)
politician
Newton Bateman was an American academic, educational administrator, and editor from New Jersey. Raised in poverty, Bateman came with his family to Illinois at a young age then earned his way into Illinois College. After graduating, he again struggled to make ends meet before an anonymous donor sent him a large sum of money. He used it to establish a...
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13. Andrew Russel
1856-1934 (aged 78)
businessperson
Andrew Russel was a Republican politician and banker, who twice served as Illinois Treasurer (1909–1911 and 1915–1917) and later as Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts (1917–1925), before being convicted along with his partner of illegal banking practices in 1932 and dying in prison.
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14. Barbour Lewis
1818-1893 (aged 75)
lawyer
judge
politician
Barbour Lewis was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 9th congressional district.
15. John Wesley Ross
1841-1902 (aged 61)
lawyer
politician
John Wesley Ross was an American attorney who served as postmaster of Washington, D.C., as president of the D.C. Public Schools Board of Trustees, and as a member and president of the D.C. Board of Commissioners.
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16. William E. Williams
1857-1921 (aged 64)
lawyer
politician
William Elza Williams was a U.S. representative from Illinois.
17. James M. Barnes
1899-1958 (aged 59)
lawyer
judge
politician
James Martin Barnes was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois and administrative assistant to Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.
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18. William G. Greene
1812-1894 (aged 82)
tax collector
William G. "Slicky Bill" Greene Jr. was an American businessman who was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln. He did business in Menard County, Illinois. Greene founded Tallula, Illinois in 1857, and Greenview, Illinois is named after him.
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19. Nancy Farmer
1956-. (aged 70)
politician
Nancy Farmer was the 43rd State Treasurer of Missouri, serving from 2001 to 2005.
20. Leonard Fulton Ross
1823-1901 (aged 78)
military officer
lawyer
judge
Leonard Fulton Ross was an American lawyer, probate judge, and stock raiser who served as a first lieutenant in the Mexican-American War and as a brigadier general during the American Civil War.
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21. Stephen P. Hempstead
1812-1883 (aged 71)
lawyer
judge
politician
Stephen P. Hempstead was the second Governor of Iowa. A Democrat, he served from 1850 to 1854.
22. Richard Henry Mills
1929-2023 (aged 94)
lawyer
judge
Richard Henry Mills was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois.
23. William Jayne
1826-1916 (aged 90)
politician
William A. Jayne was an American politician and physician. He served as Governor of the Dakota Territory and as the territory's delegate to the United States House of Representatives during the American Civil War.
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24. Ralph Tyler Smith
1915-1972 (aged 57)
military officer
lawyer
politician
Ralph Tyler Smith was an American lawyer and politician from Illinois, who served as a United States Senator from Illinois from 1969 until 1970. A member of the Republican Party, Smith previously served in the Illinois state house from 1955 through 1969, including two years as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1967 to 1969, prior to his appointment...
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25. Margaret D. Foster
1895-1970 (aged 75)
chemist
Margaret Dorothy Foster was an American chemist. She worked for the United States Geological Survey, and was recruited to work on the Manhattan Project. She wrote dozens of research papers on the chemistry of the natural world and assaying methods.
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26. Marina Verenikina
1982-. (aged 44)
pianist
singer
songwriter
Marina Gennadievna Verenikina, known as Marina V, is a Russian-American singer and musician. She has released 12 albums and toured internationally, performing over 1,500 concerts.
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27. William McKendree Springer
1836-1903 (aged 67)
writer
lawyer
judge
politician
William McKendree Springer was an American attorney and politician who represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives and served on the United States Court for the Indian Territory.
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28. Charlotte Thompson Reid
1913-2007 (aged 94)
radio personality
politician
Charlotte Thompson Reid was an American politician who served as a U.S. representative for Illinois from 1963 to 1971 and as the commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission from 1971 to 1976. She was a member of the Republican Party.
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29. Julian N. Frisbie
1894-1963 (aged 69)
military personnel
prison warden
Julian Neil Frisbie was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general, who is most noted for his service as commanding officer of the 7th Marine Regiment during the Battle of Cape Gloucester and later as warden of Southern Michigan Prison during 1952 riots.
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30. Everett Dean Martin
1880-1941 (aged 61)
sociologist
Everett Dean Martin was an American minister, writer, journalist, instructor, lecturer, social psychologist, social philosopher, and an advocate of adult education. He was an instructor and lecturer at The New School for Social Research in New York City from 1921 to 1929, and served on the board of directors of The New School from 1925 to 1932. He was the...
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31. William Herndon
1818-1891 (aged 73)
writer
lawyer
biographer
politician
William Henry Herndon was an American lawyer and politician who was a law partner and biographer of President Abraham Lincoln. He was an early member of the new Republican Party and was elected mayor of Springfield, Illinois.
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32. Paul Findley
1921-2019 (aged 98)
politician
Paul Augustus Findley was an American writer and politician. He served as United States Representative from Illinois, representing its 20th District. A Republican, he was first elected in 1960. A moderate Republican for most of his long political career, Findley was a supporter of civil rights and an early opponent of the U.S. war in Vietnam. He co-authored the War...
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33. Charles W. Bryan
1867-1945 (aged 78)
diplomat
politician
Charles Wayland Bryan was an American businessman and politician who served as the 20th and 23rd Governor of Nebraska, and Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska, and was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1924. He was the younger brother of William Jennings Bryan.
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34. William Jennings Bryan
1860-1925 (aged 65)
lawyer
writer
publisher
editor
politician
William Jennings Bryan was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for President of the United States in the 1896, 1900, and 1908 elections. He served in the House of Representatives from 1891 to 1895 and as the Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson from...
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35. William Mather Lewis
1878-1945 (aged 67)
William Mather Lewis was an American teacher, university president, local politician, and a state and national government official. He was mayor of Lake Forest, Illinois from 1915 to 1917, President of George Washington University from 1923 to 1927 and the President of Lafayette College from 1927 to 1945.
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36. Asa C. Matthews
1833-1908 (aged 75)
judge
politician
Asa Carrington Matthews was an American lawyer, judge, and politician.
37. Richard Yates
1860-1936 (aged 76)
editor
politician
lawyer
judge
journalist
Richard Yates Jr. was the 22nd Governor of Illinois from 1901 to 1905—the first native-born governor of the state. From 1919 to 1933, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois.
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38. Cheri Bustos
1961-. (aged 65)
business executive
politician
journalist
lobbyist
businessperson
Cheryl Lea Bustos is an American lobbyist. Formerly a journalist, healthcare executive, and politician, she served as the U.S. representative from Illinois's 17th congressional district from 2013 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first woman elected to Congress from her district in the northwestern part of the state, anchored by the Illinois side of the...
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39. Edward Doane
1820-1890 (aged 70)
missionary
Edward Topping Doane was an American Protestant missionary who served in Micronesia.
40. John Wesley Powell
1834-1902 (aged 68)
writer
geographer
geologist
botanical collector
botanist
John Wesley Powell was an American geologist, U.S. Army soldier, explorer of the American West, professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions. He is famous for his 1869 geographic expedition, a three-month river trip down the Green and Colorado rivers, including the first official U.S. government-sponsored passage through the Grand Canyon.
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41. John Davis
1826-1901 (aged 75)
politician
literary editor
John F. Davis III was a billionaire entrepreneur, educator, and a member of the Texas Christian University Board of Trustees. He is a co-founder of 1-800-Flowers and a former CEO of Pegasus Solutions, Birch Street Systems and Room Key.
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