17 Notable alumni of Tarleton State University
Updated: June 16, 2026 EliteDegrees
Tarleton State University is ranked #2,343 in the world and #603 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 17 notable alumni from Tarleton State 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 Tarleton State University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Sam M. Russell
1889-1971 (aged 82)
lawyer
judge
politician
Sam Morris Russell was a U.S. Representative from Texas.
2. Charles Stenholm
1938-2023 (aged 85)
business executive
teacher
farmer
politician
Charles Walter Stenholm was an American businessman and Democratic Party politician from a rural district of the state of Texas. After establishing himself as owner-operator of a large cotton farm, he entered politics and was elected to Congress in his first run for office. Stenholm was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives for 13 terms,...
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3. Mike Moncrief
politician
Michael J. Moncrief is an American retired judge and politician who served as the 43rd mayor of Fort Worth, Texas, from 2003 to 2011.
4. James Dearth
1976-. (aged 50)
American football player
James Dearth is an American former professional football player who was a long snapper in the National Football League (NFL). Dearth played college football for the Tarleton State Texans and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL draft.
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5. Chris Adams
1930-. (aged 96)
writer
military officer
Christopher S. Adams, Jr. is an American author and retired United States Air Force officer.
6. Jim Johnson
1941-2009 (aged 68)
American football player
James R. Johnson is an American university sports administrator and a former NCAA Division II conference commissioner. Johnson is currently the athletic director for Pittsburg State University, an NCAA Division II sports program in Pittsburg, Kansas. Previously, Johnson was the Commissioner of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
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7. Millie Hughes-Fulford
1945-2021 (aged 76)
astronaut
chemist
Millie Elizabeth Hughes-Fulford was an American medical investigator, molecular biologist, and payload specialist who flew aboard the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia in June 1991.
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8. E. J. Speed
1995-. (aged 31)
American football player
Elbert Martin "E. J." Speed is an American professional football linebacker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tarleton State Texans.
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9. Charles Steen
1919-2006 (aged 87)
geologist
politician
Charles Augustus Steen was a geologist who made and lost a fortune after discovering a rich uranium deposit in Utah during the uranium boom of the early 1950s.
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10. William Dyess
1916-1943 (aged 27)
aircraft pilot
William Edwin Dyess was an officer of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He was captured after the Allied loss at the Battle of Bataan and endured the subsequent Bataan Death March. After a year in captivity, Dyess escaped and spent three months on the run before being evacuated from the Philippines by a U.S. submarine....
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11. George Kennedy
1925-2016 (aged 91)
military officer
stage actor
television actor
actor
film actor
George Harris Kennedy Jr. was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 film and television productions. He played "Dragline" in Cool Hand Luke (1967), winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role and being nominated for the corresponding Golden Globe. He received a second Golden Globe nomination for portraying Joe Patroni in Airport (1970).
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12. James Earl Rudder
1910-1970 (aged 60)
military personnel
university president
politician
James Earl Rudder was a United States Army major general. As a lieutenant colonel, he commanded the Pointe du Hoc battle during the Invasion of Normandy. He also commanded the 2nd Ranger Battalion at the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, and led a series of delaying actions and ambushes during the Battle of the Bulge. General Rudder also at various...
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13. Marvin Zindler
1921-2007 (aged 86)
journalist
news presenter
Marvin Harold Zindler was a news reporter for television station KTRK-TV in Houston, Texas, United States. His investigative journalism, through which he mostly represented the city's elderly and working class, made him one of the city's most influential and well-known media personalities. He was a career conservative, accused of fabricating testimonies and unfounded accusations to eliminate spaces that threatened supposed...
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14. Sid Miller
1955-. (aged 71)
politician
Sidney Carroll Miller is an American politician from Stephenville, Texas. He is the Texas Agriculture Commissioner, serving since January 2015. He is a Republican.
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15. Chris Kyle
1974-2013 (aged 39)
autobiographer
sniper
businessperson
United States Navy SEALs
Christopher Scott Kyle was a United States Navy SEAL sniper. He served four tours in the Iraq War and was awarded several commendations for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat. He claimed to have had 160 confirmed kills and was awarded a Silver Star, four Bronze Star Medals with "V" devices for valor, two Navy and Marine Corps...
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16. Ben Barnes
1938-. (aged 88)
politician
Benjamin Thomas Barnes is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his roles as Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia film series (2008–2010), Logan Delos in the HBO science fiction series Westworld (2016–2020), Billy Russo/Jigsaw in the Marvel series The Punisher (2017–2019), The Darkling in the Netflix series Shadow and Bone (2021–2023), and Tim Jamieson in...
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17. Ryan Bingham
1981-. (aged 45)
singer
guitarist
composer
singer-songwriter
recording artist
George Ryan Bingham is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose music spans multiple genres. He is currently based in Los Angeles. As of 2019, Bingham has released six studio albums and one live album, the last four of which were released under his own label, Axster Bingham Records.
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