15 Notable alumni of Oglethorpe University
Updated: June 15, 2026 EliteDegrees
Oglethorpe University is ranked #4,049 in the world and #1,051 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 15 notable alumni from Oglethorpe 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 Oglethorpe University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. John G. Blowers Jr
1911-2006 (aged 95)
jazz musician
John G. Blowers Jr. was an American drummer of the swing era. Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States, Blowers ("Blau-ers") learned to play percussion during his schooldays and began performing with the Bob Pope Band in 1936. Blowers attended college at Oglethorpe College, now Oglethorpe University.
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2. Jill R. Harper
1972-. (aged 54)
policy advisor
molecular biologist
Jill Reiss Harper is an American molecular biologist and policy advisor serving as the deputy director for science management and executive officer at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
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3. Thomas Anthony Thacher
1815-1886 (aged 71)
classical philologist
Thomas Anthony Thacher was an American classicist and college administrator.
4. Daniel P. Martin
United States Naval Aviator
Daniel P. Martin is a United States Navy rear admiral and naval aviator who has served as the commander of Naval Safety Command since July 1, 2024. He most recently served as the director of maritime operations of the United States Pacific Fleet from 2022 to 2024. He served as the commander of Carrier Strike Group 1 from 2021 to...
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5. John Burke
1988-. (aged 38)
composer
pianist
John Burke is an American pianist, composer, and songwriter based in Atlanta, Georgia. Burke is best known for his solo piano albums. He has also composed scores for film, video games, and theatre.
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6. Peter Zack Geer
1928-1997 (aged 69)
lawyer
politician
Peter Zack Geer was an American lawyer and a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Georgia.
7. Charles L. Weltner
1927-1992 (aged 65)
jurist
lawyer
judge
politician
Charles Longstreet Weltner was an American jurist and politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. From 1963 to 1967, he served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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8. Dar'shun Kendrick
1982-. (aged 44)
lawyer
politician
Dar'shun Nicole Kendrick is an American attorney and a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, representing the 95th district; she previously represented the 94th and 93rd districts. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
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9. Joseph Mackey Brown
1851-1932 (aged 81)
politician
Joseph Mackey Brown was an American politician. He served two non-consecutive terms as the 59th governor of Georgia, the first from 1909 to 1911 and the second from 1912 to 1913. He has also been posthumously implicated as one of the ringleaders in the lynching of Leo Frank.
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10. Ruwa Romman
1993-. (aged 33)
consultant
volunteer
director of communications
politician
Ruwa Romman is an American politician serving as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives for the 97th district. A Democrat, she is the first Palestinian and Muslim woman elected to the body. She is running for Governor of Georgia in the 2026 gubernatorial election.
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11. Luke Appling
1907-1991 (aged 84)
baseball player
Lucius Benjamin Appling, nicknamed "Old Aches and Pains", was an American professional baseball shortstop who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox (1930–1950). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
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12. Vincent Sherman
1906-2006 (aged 100)
screenwriter
film director
actor
film actor
Vincent Sherman was an American director and actor who worked in Hollywood. His movies include Mr. Skeffington (1944), Nora Prentiss (1947), and The Young Philadelphians (1959).
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13. Diana Fleischman
1981-. (aged 45)
psychologist
researcher
Diana Santos Fleischman is an evolutionary psychologist and podcaster. Her field of research includes the study of disgust, human sexuality, eugenics, and hormones and behaviour. She also has interests in natalism, effective altruism, animal welfare, and feminism. She is one of the hosts of the Aporia podcast.
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14. Sidney Lanier
1842-1881 (aged 39)
poet
flautist
writer
prose writer
hymnwriter
Sidney Clopton Lanier was an American musician, poet and author. He served in the Confederate States Army as a private, worked on a blockade-running ship for which he was imprisoned (resulting in his catching tuberculosis), taught, worked at a hotel where he gave musical performances, was a church organist, and worked as a lawyer. As a poet he sometimes used...
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15. Benjamin M. Palmer
1818-1902 (aged 84)
writer
Benjamin Morgan Palmer was a Presbyterian minister and theologian in the United States. He served as first Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS) in 1861.
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