27 Notable alumni of Morningside College
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Morningside College is ranked #3,988 in the world and #1,039 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 27 notable alumni from Morningside 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 Morningside College won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Lester Menke
1918-2016 (aged 98)
politician
Lester D. Menke was a state Representative from the Iowa's 5th and 7th Districts. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1973 to 1985, serving as Speaker pro Tempore from 1981 to 1985. After he served in the Iowa House, Menke served as a liaison between Governor Terry Branstad and the legislature for two years. Menke has a...
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2. Axel John Beck
1894-1981 (aged 87)
lawyer
judge
Axel John Beck was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota.
3. James I. Dolliver
1894-1978 (aged 84)
lawyer
politician
James Isaac Dolliver served six terms as a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 6th congressional district, beginning in 1944. He was the nephew of U.S. Senator Jonathan Prentiss Dolliver of Iowa.
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4. Christopher Rants
1967-. (aged 59)
politician
Christopher C. Rants is a former Iowa State Representative. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1992 to 2010. He received his BA from Morningside College. His work experience includes managing environmental compliance projects for Metz Baking Company, and Pierce & Associates, a Sioux City consulting firm. After leaving the legislature, Rants started inSight Communication as government affairs...
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5. Utu Abe Malae
politician
Utu Abe Malae was an American Samoan politician, banker and businessman. A long-time leader of the American Samoa Power Authority, he served in the American Samoa Senate, and was a candidate for Governor of American Samoa in the 2008 gubernatorial elections, finishing second in the runoff to incumbent Governor Togiola Tulafono.
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6. Roger Neumann
1941-2018 (aged 77)
composer
bandleader
saxophonist
jazz musician
Roger Neumann was an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, arranger, and music educator.
7. Ralph F. Beermann
1912-1977 (aged 65)
politician
Ralph Frederick Beermann was an American Republican politician and US Representative for Nebraska.
8. Alexander Grant Ruthven
1882-1971 (aged 89)
curator
university teacher
herpetologist
zoologist
scientific collector
Alexander Grant Ruthven was a herpetologist, zoologist and the President of the University of Michigan from 1929 to 1951.
9. Stanley L. Greigg
1931-2002 (aged 71)
politician
Stanley Lloyd Greigg was an American politician who served one term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from northwestern Iowa. A Democrat, he was elected to succeed longtime Republican representative Charles B. Hoeven in 1964 upon Hoeven's retirement, but lost to Republican Wiley Mayne two years later in 1966. Greigg later became a key player in the...
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10. Matthew Harrison
1962-. (aged 64)
Christian theologian
pastor
Matthew Carl Harrison is the 13th and current president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). As president, he is the chief ecclesiastical supervisor of the Synod and is responsible for the national program ministries of the LCMS, including the Office of International Mission, which calls and employs some 150 missionaries globally. He was first elected to the presidency on July...
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11. Craig Doty
1985-. (aged 41)
basketball coach
Craig Arthur Doty is an American college men's basketball coach currently coaching at Houston Christian University. Prior to his current position, Doty was the head coach for Emporia State University from 2018 to 2024. Doty was also the head coach for at Graceland University from 2016 to 2018, where he led the school to its first NAIA national championship, as...
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12. Era Bell Thompson
1905-1986 (aged 81)
journalist
autobiographer
Era Bell Thompson was an American writer and editor.
13. Emory Parnell
1892-1979 (aged 87)
actor
television actor
stage actor
Emory Parnell was an American vaudeville performer and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36-year career.
14. Paul Splittorff
1946-2011 (aged 65)
baseball player
Paul William Splittorff Jr. was an American professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher for the Kansas City Royals from 1970 to 1984. After his playing career, Splittorff became a television color commentator for the Royals. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1987.
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15. Pauline Phillips
1918-2013 (aged 95)
journalist
radio personality
Pauline Esther Phillips, also known as Abigail Van Buren, was an American advice columnist and radio show host who began the well-known Dear Abby newspaper column in 1956. It became the most widely syndicated newspaper column in the world, syndicated in 1,400 newspapers with 110 million readers.
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16. Eppie Lederer
1918-2002 (aged 84)
columnist
writer
journalist
Esther Pauline "Eppie" Lederer, better known by the pen name Ann Landers, was an American advice columnist and eventually a nationwide media celebrity. She began writing the "Ask Ann Landers" column in 1955 and continued for 47 years, by which time its readership was 90 million people. A 1978 World Almanac survey named her the most influential woman in the...
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17. Lawrence E. Roberts
1922-2004 (aged 82)
aircraft pilot
military officer
Lawrence Edward Roberts was a pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen and a colonel in the United States Air Force, with 32 years of total military service. He is the father of newscaster Robin René Roberts and Sally-Ann Roberts.
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18. Phyllis Somerville
1943-2020 (aged 77)
film actor
television actor
stage actor
Phyllis Jeanne Somerville was an American stage, film, and television actress. She is best known for her roles in Little Children (2006), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Surviving Family (2012), The Big C (2010–2013), and Outsiders (2016–2017).
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19. Michael T. Franken
1957-. (aged 69)
politician
military officer
Michael Thane Franken is an American retired United States Navy vice admiral. His final posting was as deputy director of military operations for the United States Africa Command. Franken was a Democratic candidate in the 2020 United States Senate election in Iowa, but lost the June 2 primary to Theresa Greenfield. Franken was the Democratic nominee for the 2022 United...
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20. J.D. Scholten
1980-. (aged 46)
baseball player
paralegal
politician
James Dennis Scholten is an American paralegal, politician and professional baseball pitcher for the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He is from the state of Iowa, and is a member of the Iowa House of Representatives for District 1. Scholten was the Democratic nominee for Iowa's 4th congressional district in the 2018 and 2020 elections.
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21. Sharon S. Steckman
1947-. (aged 79)
politician
Sharon Sue Steckman is an American politician who was a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 2008 to 2025. She has a B.S. degree in education from Iowa State University and a M.S. degree, also in education, from Morningside College.
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22. Matt Campbell
1970-. (aged 56)
lawyer
Matthew Allen Campbell is an American college football coach who is the current head football coach at Pennsylvania State University. Campbell was head football coach at the University of Toledo from 2011 to 2015, and at Iowa State University from 2016 to 2025. Prior to that, Campbell had been an assistant at Toledo, Bowling Green, and Mount Union. Campbell grew...
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23. Ron Jorgensen
1957-. (aged 69)
politician
Ron Jorgensen is the Iowa State Representative from the 6th District. A Republican, he has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2011. Smith was born in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. He has a B.S. in business administration from Morningside College and an M.B.A. from the University of South Dakota. Jorgensen works as Vice President for Business and...
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24. Dave Mulder
1939-. (aged 87)
politician
Dave W. Mulder is an American politician and educator who served as a member of the Iowa Senate for the 2nd District from 2005 to 2009.
25. Ellis Yarnal Berry
1902-1999 (aged 97)
editor
politician
lawyer
judge
journalist
Ellis Yarnal Berry was an American attorney, newspaper publisher and politician, who served in the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota. He served ten consecutive terms in office from 1951 to 1971.
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26. William L. Harding
1877-1934 (aged 57)
lawyer
politician
William Lloyd Harding was an American politician who served as the 22nd Governor of Iowa, from 1917 to 1921.
27. Bud Day
1925-2013 (aged 88)
military officer
lawyer
aircraft pilot
George Everette "Bud" Day was a United States Air Force officer, aviator, and veteran of World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. He was also a prisoner of war, and recipient of the Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross. As of 2025, he is the only person to be awarded both the Medal of Honor and Air Force...
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