21 Notable alumni of Pacific University
Updated: June 13, 2026 EliteDegrees
Pacific University is ranked #2,149 in the world and #542 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 21 notable alumni from Pacific 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 Pacific University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Edward B. Watson
1844-1915 (aged 71)
lawyer
judge
Edward Byers Watson was an American jurist in the state of Oregon. He was the 12th chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. Watson served for four years on the state's highest court, and his brother served for two years on the court.
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2. Shirley Abbott
1924-2013 (aged 89)
diplomat
politician
optometrist
Shirley Levoy "S.L." Abbott was an American businessman, rancher, politician, and ambassador.
3. George H. Merryman
1878-1948 (aged 70)
politician
George Harris Merryman was a country doctor, businessman, and politician from the U.S. state of Oregon. A Republican, he served two non-consecutive terms in the Oregon House of Representatives. In between those terms, he was elected to the Oregon State Senate for one term. In both the house and senate, the districts he represented were large and rural. Merryman was...
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4. William G. Hare
1882-1971 (aged 89)
politician
William G. Hare was an American lawyer and politician in the state of Oregon. A native Oregonian, he grew up in the Hillsboro area where he later practiced law. A Republican, he served in both houses of the Oregon Legislature, as had his father William D. Hare. His brother Joseph was once the mayor of Hillsboro.
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5. William N. Barrett
1855-1916 (aged 61)
lawyer
politician
William Nathan Barrett was an American politician and lawyer in Oregon. A native of Washington County, he served in both chambers of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, including three different times in the Oregon House. A Republican, he was also a three time mayor of Hillsboro, Oregon.
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6. Tacy Atkinson
1870-1937 (aged 67)
missionary
Tacy Atkinson was an American Christian missionary who served in the Ottoman Empire during World War I and the Armenian genocide. As a witness to the Armenian genocide, her accounts of the Armenian genocide provide an important insight to the event. She is also known for helping many Armenians escape the massacres.
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7. Judy Glenney
1949-. (aged 77)
teacher
Judy Glenney is an American National Weightlifting Champion and former IWF referee and coach. She is noted for her influence as a pioneer in women's weightlifting. Glenney has been recognized as the strongest woman in history based on her accomplishments throughout her career in professional competitive powerlifting.
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8. Jason Boe
1929-1990 (aged 61)
politician
Jason Douglas Boe was an American optometrist from Oregon. A native of California, he served as the 47th president of the Oregon State Senate. Prior to serving in the Senate he was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives.
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9. Thomas H. Tongue
1844-1903 (aged 59)
lawyer
politician
Thomas H. Tongue was an American politician and attorney in the state of Oregon. Born in England, his family immigrated to Washington County, Oregon, in 1859. In Oregon, he would serve in the State Senate from 1889 to 1893 and was the seventh mayor of Hillsboro. A Republican, he was chairman of the state party, and national convention delegate in...
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10. Leslie What
1955-. (aged 71)
science fiction writer
novelist
Leslie What is a Nebula Award-winning writer of speculative, literary fiction and nonfiction with three books and nearly 100 short stories and essays to her credit. An attendee of Clarion Workshop, she lives in Oregon. She won the Nebula in 1999 for the short story, The Cost of Doing Business, and in 2005, she was a finalist for the Nebula,...
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11. Emily Williams
1869-1942 (aged 73)
architect
Emily Eolian Williams was a pioneering woman in architecture who was active in Pacific Grove, San Jose, and San Francisco in the early 20th century, at a time, when very few women were able to enter the profession. She mainly designed houses, with conveniently planned interiors, and a few institutional buildings and an exhibition stand at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition...
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12. Jeannine Hall Gailey
1973-. (aged 53)
university teacher
poet
writer
Jeannine Hall Gailey is an American poet. She has published six books of poetry and two books of non-fiction. Her work focuses on pop culture, science and science fiction, fairy tales, and mythology.
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13. Harvey Whitefield Scott
1838-1910 (aged 72)
mill worker
editorial columnist
librarian
editor-in-chief
journalist
Harvey Whitefield Scott was an American pioneer who traveled to Oregon in 1852. Scott was a long-time editorialist, and eventual part owner of The Oregonian newspaper. Scott was regarded by his contemporaries as instrumental in bringing the state of Oregon firmly into the political camp of the Republican Party.
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14. Mike Kreidler
1943-. (aged 83)
politician
Myron Bradford Kreidler is an American physician and politician who previously served as the eighth Washington Insurance Commissioner. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served one term in the Congress, representing Washington's 9th congressional district.
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15. Olaus Murie
1889-1963 (aged 74)
naturalist
biologist
ecologist
zoologist
Olaus Johan Murie, called the "father of modern elk management", was a naturalist, author, and wildlife biologist who did groundbreaking field research on a variety of large northern mammals. Rather than conducting empirical experiments, Murie practiced a more observational-based science.
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16. Sam Willard
1988-. (aged 38)
basketball player
Samuel Steven Willard is an American former professional basketball player who last played for Toyama Grouses in Japan. He played college basketball for Pacific.
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17. Les AuCoin
1942-. (aged 84)
journalist
politician
Walter Leslie AuCoin is an American politician. In 1974 he became the first person from the Democratic Party to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 1st congressional district since it was formed in 1892. The seat has been held by Democrats ever since.
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18. Mitch Seavey
1959-. (aged 67)
dogsled musher
Mitch Seavey is an American dog musher, who won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska in 2004, 2013 and 2017. At age 57, Seavey is the oldest person to win the Iditarod in 2017 (surpassing his record in 2013 at age 53). His son, Dallas Seavey, won the 2012, 2014, 2015 2016, 2021 and...
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19. Gordon Haller
1950-. (aged 76)
triathlete
Gordon Haller is the winner of the first Ironman Triathlon.
20. Nancy Wilson
1954-. (aged 72)
singer
guitarist
singer-songwriter
composer
record producer
Nancy Lamoureux Wilson is an American musician. She rose to fame alongside her older sister Ann Wilson as guitarist and second vocalist in the rock band Heart.
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21. Alfred Carlton Gilbert
1884-1961 (aged 77)
magician
athletics competitor
pole vaulter
entrepreneur
inventor
Alfred Carlton Gilbert was an American inventor, athlete, magician, toy maker and businessman. As the founder of A. C. Gilbert Company, Gilbert was known for inventing the Erector Set and American Flyer Trains.
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