54 Notable alumni of La Salle University
Updated: June 13, 2026 EliteDegrees
La Salle University is ranked #2,115 in the world and #530 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 54 notable alumni from La Salle 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 La Salle University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Peter Terpeluk, Jr
1948-2011 (aged 63)
diplomat
businessperson
politician
J. Peter Terpeluk Jr. was an American diplomat and Republican politician from Pennsylvania who was the United States Ambassador to Luxembourg for part of the tenure of President George W. Bush.
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2. James Washington Logue
1863-1925 (aged 62)
lawyer
politician
James Washington Logue was an American lawyer and Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania for one term from 1913 to 1915.
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3. Joseph C. Strasser
1940-2019 (aged 79)
military officer
Joseph Charles Strasser was a rear admiral of the United States Navy. His career included service in destroyers during the Cold War, two tours as executive assistant to senior military leaders, and a tour as President of the Naval War College.
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4. William F. Keller
1951-. (aged 75)
politician
William F. "Bill" Keller is an American politician who was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
5. Francis L. Bodine
1936-2023 (aged 87)
politician
Francis L. "Fran" Bodine was an American Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1994 to 2008, where he represented the 8th Legislative District. He switched to the Democratic Party in 2007 after local Republicans dropped support for his reelection campaign to the Assembly and unsuccessfully ran for the New Jersey Senate.
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6. John Uelses
1937-2022 (aged 85)
pole vaulter
association football player
John Hans Uelses was an American pole vaulter. He made history by becoming the first man to vault over 16 feet – on February 2, 1962, at the Millrose Games in New York's Madison Square Garden, before a sold-out crowd, Uelses soared over the bar at 16' 1/4", making headlines around the world.
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7. Tom Filer
1956-. (aged 70)
baseball player
Thomas Carson Filer is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher between 1982 and 1992 for the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and the New York Mets.
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8. Carol A. DiBattiste
1951-. (aged 75)
military officer
Carol Ann DiBattiste is an American lawyer who served as United States Under Secretary of the Air Force from 1999 to 2001.
9. Joe Verdeur
1926-1991 (aged 65)
swimmer
Joseph Thomas Verdeur was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.
10. Kate M. Harper
1956-. (aged 70)
politician
Catherine M. "Kate" Harper is an American politician of the Republican Party who formerly represented the 61st Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Harper was the Chair of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Local Government Committee and sat on the Transportation Committee.
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11. Tom Houghton
politician
Thomas D. Houghton is a Democratic politician and former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He represented the 13th district from 2009 through 2010.
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12. William F. Harrity
1850-1912 (aged 62)
politician
William Francis Harrity was an American politician and lawyer. Harrity is best known as chairperson of the Democratic National Committee from 1892 to 1896. He also served as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania between 1891 through 1895.
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13. Roland Taylor
1946-2017 (aged 71)
basketball player
Roland Morris "Fatty" Taylor was an American professional basketball player. A 6’0" guard born in Washington, D.C., and an alum of La Salle University, Taylor joined the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1969. After one year playing for the Washington Capitals, he moved on to the Virginia Squires, with whom he spent the prime of his career, tallying 3,495 points,...
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14. Michael Driscoll
1960-. (aged 66)
politician
Michael Joseph Driscoll is an American politician who serves as a Democratic member of the Philadelphia City Council, representing the 6th district since 2022. Prior to that, he served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives representing the 173rd district.
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15. Kurt Kanaskie
1958-. (aged 68)
basketball coach
basketball player
Kurt Michael Kanaskie is an American college basketball coach who is currently the associate head coach for men's basketball at UNC Wilmington. Previously, Kanaskie was head coach positions at Lock Haven, IUP, and Drake.
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16. Ryan Richter
1989-. (aged 37)
association football player
Ryan Richter is an American former professional soccer player and current head coach of Philadelphia Union II in MLS Next Pro.
17. Al Cantello
1931-2024 (aged 93)
javelin thrower
coach
Albert Anthony Cantello was an American javelin thrower as a member of the United States Marine Corps. He was the coach of the men's distance running program at the United States Naval Academy from 1963 to 2018.
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18. Tom Murt
1960-. (aged 66)
politician
Thomas P. Murt is a Republican former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 152nd legislative district. He was first elected in 2006.
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19. Dennis M. O'Brien
1952-. (aged 74)
politician
Dennis Michael O'Brien is an American Republican Party politician who served as the 137th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2007 to 2008. First elected in 1976, he represented the 169th Legislative District in the state House for the most part of four decades. He served as a member of the Philadelphia City Council for one term, from...
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20. Derrick Pitts
1955-. (aged 71)
astronomer
Derrick Pitts is an American astronomer and science communicator. Pitts studied at St. Lawrence University and has been employed at the Franklin Institute since 1978 where he is chief astronomer and director of the institute's Fels Planetarium. Pitts is a frequent guest on radio and television to explain the science of astronomy and share his enthusiasm for science in general.
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21. Tom Curley
1949-. (aged 77)
media proprietor
publisher
journalist
Thomas Curley is an American businessman and journalist who served as president of Associated Press, the world's largest news organization. He retired in 2012.
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22. Michael William Brescia
1972-. (aged 54)
Michael William Brescia is an American convicted bank robber who has also been alleged to have been involved in the Oklahoma City bombing.
23. Mark Squilla
politician
Mark F. Squilla is a Democratic politician and member of the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
24. Joe Mihalich
1956-. (aged 70)
basketball coach
basketball player
Joseph Anthony Mihalich is an American former college basketball coach and current Special Assistant to the Head Coach at La Salle University.
25. Gary Smith
businessperson
Gary Smith is an American sportswriter. He is best known for his lengthy human interest stories in Sports Illustrated, where he worked from 1983 to 2013.
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26. Sarah Wescot-Williams
1956-. (aged 70)
politician
Sarah A. Wescot-Williams is the leader of the Democratic Party of Sint Maarten and was the first Prime Minister of Sint Maarten. Wescot-Williams is the current President of Parliament, the parliament's presiding officer, a role she has occupied on five separate occasions.
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27. Larry Cannon
1947-2024 (aged 77)
basketball player
basketball coach
Lawrence T. Cannon was an American basketball player. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Cannon was selected in the first round of the 1969 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls with the fifth overall pick, but he instead elected to go with the American Basketball Association (ABA) where he was selected in the first round of the ABA draft by the...
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28. Joanna McClinton
1982-. (aged 44)
politician
Joanna E. McClinton is an American politician from Pennsylvania currently serving as the 141st Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since February 28, 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first woman to serve as Speaker.
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29. Jim Phelan
1929-2021 (aged 92)
basketball coach
basketball player
James Joseph Phelan was an American college basketball coach. He is best known for his 49-year coaching career at Mount Saint Mary's University. Phelan was a 1951 graduate of La Salle University and played one season for the Philadelphia Warriors of the NBA. He was famous for wearing a bow tie on the sidelines.
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30. Steven Smith
1983-. (aged 43)
basketball player
Steven Alexander Smith is an American former professional basketball player. Standing at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), he played both forward positions. He played college basketball for the La Salle Explorers.
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31. B.J. Johnson
1995-. (aged 31)
basketball player
Robert "B. J." Johnson Jr. is an American professional basketball for Lokomotiv Kuban of the VTB United League. He played college basketball for La Salle and Syracuse.
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32. Bob Brinker
1941-2024 (aged 83)
radio personality
Robert John Brinker was an American financial advisor and radio host. From 1986 to 2018, Brinker hosted the syndicated financial radio show Moneytalk. He previously had a show on local New York radio on WMCA. Prior to that Brinker hosted talk radio programs on WCAU (now WPHT) and WWDB in Philadelphia.
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33. Kevin J. Boyle
1980-. (aged 46)
politician
Kevin J. Boyle is an American politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 172nd district from 2011 to 2024.
34. Larry Foust
1928-1984 (aged 56)
basketball player
Laurence Michael Foust was an American basketball player who spent 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), most notably with the Fort Wayne Pistons and Minneapolis Lakers. In a twelve-year career, he was a two-time All-NBA Team member and an eight-time All-Star while reaching the NBA Finals five times. His eight All-Star selections (which occurred in his first nine...
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35. Tom Gola
1933-2014 (aged 81)
basketball player
basketball coach
politician
Thomas Joseph Gola was an American basketball player and politician. He is widely considered one of the greatest NCAA basketball players of all time. Gola was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976. He led his high school team to the Philadelphia Catholic League championship, his college team to the National Invitation Tournament championship and the...
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36. Michael J. Stack III
1963-. (aged 63)
politician
Michael Joseph Stack III is an American attorney and former politician who served as the 33rd lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 5th district from 2001 to 2015. Stack is the first lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania to be denied...
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37. John McCarthy
1927-2011 (aged 84)
university teacher
artificial intelligence researcher
computer scientist
mathematician
engineer
John Joseph McCarthy III is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls.
38. Larry Miller
1953-. (aged 73)
television actor
character actor
screenwriter
film actor
podcaster
Larry G. Miller is an American business executive for Nike, Inc. He spent five years as the team president of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association. In his memoir, Jump: My Secret Journey From the Streets to the Boardroom, Miller writes that he was involved in a gang when he was 16, committing the murder of another...
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39. Meredith Marakovits
1983-. (aged 43)
journalist
Meredith Marakovits is an Emmy Award-winning American sports reporter. As of April 2025, she is the YES Network's clubhouse reporter for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, where she covers the network's Yankees game broadcasts, pre-game and post-game shows, and contributes to the Yankees Batting Practice Today and Yankees Hot Stove programs.
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40. Gary Neal
1984-. (aged 42)
basketball player
Gary Neal is an American former basketball professional player and coach. He played college basketball for the La Salle Explorers and Towson Tigers. Neal began his professional career abroad with teams in Turkey, Spain and Italy before signing with the San Antonio Spurs in 2010. He mostly played the shooting guard position.
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41. Fran Dunphy
1948-. (aged 78)
basketball coach
basketball player
Francis Joseph Dunphy is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania for 17 seasons, Temple University for 13 seasons, and La Salle University for three seasons. Originally starting at Penn in 1989, Dunphy led the school to ten Ivy League championships. He was hired at Temple to succeed John Chaney...
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42. Dwight E. Evans
1954-. (aged 72)
teacher
politician
employment counsellor
Dwight E. Evans is an American politician and former educator serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district since 2016. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 203rd district from 1981 to 2016.
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43. Jim Kenney
1958-. (aged 68)
politician
James Francis Kenney is an American politician who served as the 99th mayor of Philadelphia from 2016 to 2024. Kenney was first elected on November 3, 2015, defeating his Republican rival Melissa Murray Bailey after winning the crowded Democratic primary contest by a landslide on May 19.
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44. Ralph Garman
1964-. (aged 62)
radio personality
film actor
podcaster
journalist
television actor
Ralph Garman is an American actor and journalist best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work on the Fox animated series Family Guy, former entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station KROQ-FM, and his podcast with co-host Kevin Smith, Hollywood Babble-On. Garman can currently be...
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45. Madeleine Dean
1959-. (aged 67)
columnist
lawyer
politician
Madeleine Dean Cunnane is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district since 2019. The district includes almost all of Montgomery County, a suburban county north of Philadelphia, as well as a northeastern portion of Berks County. Before being elected to Congress, Dean was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, representing...
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46. Bill Raftery
1943-. (aged 83)
head coach
sports commentator
basketball player
basketball coach
William Joseph Raftery is an American basketball analyst and former college basketball coach.
47. William J. Burns
1956-. (aged 70)
diplomat
ambassador
politician
William Joseph Burns is an American diplomat who served as the 8th director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Biden administration from March 19, 2021 to January 20, 2025. He previously served as U.S. deputy secretary of state from 2011 to 2014; in 2009 he served as acting secretary of state for a day, prior to the confirmation...
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48. Jessica Barth
1980-. (aged 46)
actor
television actor
film actor
voice actor
stage actor
Jessica Barth is an American actress, known for portraying Tami-Lynn McCafferty in the film Ted and its sequel.
49. Rasual Butler
1979-2018 (aged 39)
basketball player
Rasual Butler was an American professional basketball player. In his 14-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career, he played for the Miami Heat, New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs. Butler was born in Philadelphia, and raised in the Point Breeze area of South Philadelphia. After playing college basketball with...
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50. Brian Fitzpatrick
1973-. (aged 53)
accountant
lawyer
politician
Brian Kevin Fitzpatrick is an American politician, attorney, and former FBI agent who has served as a U.S. representative from Pennsylvania since 2017. His district, which was numbered the 8th district during his first term and the 1st district since 2019, includes all of Bucks County, a mostly suburban county north of Philadelphia, as well as a sliver of Montgomery...
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51. Peter Boyle
1935-2006 (aged 71)
television actor
film editor
film actor
military officer
voice actor
Peter Richard Boyle was an American actor. He is known for his work as a character actor on film and television and received several awards including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
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52. Joe Bryant
1954-2024 (aged 70)
basketball player
basketball coach
Joseph Washington "Jellybean" Bryant was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers, and Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played for several teams in Italy and one in France. Bryant was the head coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks from 2005 to 2007 and returned to...
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53. Matthew Quick
1973-. (aged 53)
writer
novelist
Matthew Quick is an American writer of adult and young adult fiction. His 2008 debut novel, The Silver Linings Playbook, became a New York Times bestseller and was adapted as a 2012 movie of the same name starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.
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54. Michael Brooks
1983-2020 (aged 37)
political pundit
talk show host
writer
podcaster
television producer
Michael Jamal Brooks was an American talk show host, writer, left-wing political commentator, and comedian. While co-hosting The Majority Report with Sam Seder, he launched The Michael Brooks Show in August 2017 and provided commentary for media outlets, making regular appearances on shows such as The Young Turks. Brooks contributed to various publications, including HuffPost, The Washington Post, Al Jazeera,...
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