41 Notable alumni of Truman State University
Updated: June 13, 2026 EliteDegrees
Truman State University is ranked #2,135 in the world and #539 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 41 notable alumni from Truman 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 Truman State University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. James E. Rieger
1870-1951 (aged 81)
military officer
James Edward Rieger was an American lawyer and United States Army officer from the state of Missouri. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, America's second-highest award for valor, and the Croix de Guerre from the government of France for his actions during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive during World War I.
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2. Frank Gaines Harris
1871-1944 (aged 73)
lawyer
judge
politician
Frank Gaines Harris was an American Democratic politician from the state of Missouri. He was the state's 33rd Lieutenant Governor and held that office longer than anyone else until Peter Kinder surpassed that record, serving three terms from 2005 until 2017.
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3. Arthur L. Willard
1870-1935 (aged 65)
military officer
Arthur Lee Willard was a U.S. Navy Admiral who served his nation in two wars and was awarded the Navy Cross. He was also awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government and the Order of Leopold by the King of Belgium.
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4. J. Mark Scearce
1960-. (aged 66)
musicologist
conductor
composer
J. Mark Scearce is an American composer known for his musical settings of more than 200 texts by forty poets—from art songs to operas to works for chorus and orchestra.
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5. Wally Horn
1933-. (aged 93)
politician
Wally E. Horn is a former Iowa State Senator who served the 27th, 25, and 17th Districts.
6. Clare Magee
1899-1969 (aged 70)
farmer
lawyer
politician
Clare Magee was an American lawyer and politician from Missouri who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1953.
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7. Samuel W. Arnold
1879-1961 (aged 82)
school superintendent
entrepreneur
bureaucrat
teacher
retail worker
Samuel Washington Arnold (September 21, 1879 – December 18, 1961) was a U.S. Representative from Missouri.
8. Milton Andrew Romjue
1874-1968 (aged 94)
lawyer
judge
politician
Milton Andrew Romjue was a U.S. representative from Missouri.
9. John Robert Murdock
1885-1972 (aged 87)
writer
dean
teacher
politician
John Robert Murdock was a U.S. representative from Arizona.
10. Glenn Frank
1887-1940 (aged 53)
journalist
Glenn Frank was a president of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and The Century Magazine's editor-in-chief. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1912 and became Edward Filene's personal assistant, where he wrote two books on the side. He joined The Century Magazine as an associate editor and became its editor-in-chief in three years, which gave his views on education a wide...
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11. Kristopher Battles
war artist
Kristopher J. Battles is an American artist, known as one of a few remaining USMC combat artist in 2010.
12. Beryl F. Carroll
1860-1939 (aged 79)
politician
Beryl Franklin Carroll was the 20th governor of Iowa from 1909 to 1913. He was the first native-born governor of Iowa.
13. Lee Rogers
1978-. (aged 48)
podiatrist
Lee Christopher Rogers is an American podiatrist from San Antonio, Texas. He is most known for his work preventing amputations in diabetes and treating Charcot foot and he has helped define the qualifications of doctors of podiatric medicine and the privileging process for hospitals and surgery. He is the vice president of the International Federation of Podiatrists and he served...
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14. Mike Ritze
1948-. (aged 78)
politician
James Michael Ritze is an American politician from the state of Oklahoma United States. A Republican, Ritze served as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, representing the 80th district, which includes parts of Tulsa and Wagoner counties.
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15. Gale Schisler
1933-2020 (aged 87)
politician
Darwin Gale Schisler was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois's 19th congressional district and a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 46th district and later the 48th district.
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16. John V. Cox
1930-. (aged 96)
United States Naval Aviator
John V. Cox is a retired American military officer. A native of Missouri, he served nearly 33 years as a United States Marine Corps naval aviator before retiring with the rank of Major General. Cox served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War, flying 292 combat missions, and earned several important medals and awards during his career.
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17. Lori Nix
1969-. (aged 57)
photographer
Lori Nix is an American photographer known for her photographs of handmade dioramas.
18. Fred Schwengel
1906-1993 (aged 87)
politician
Frederick Delbert Schwengel was a Republican U.S. Representative from southeastern Iowa.
19. Mary Rhodes Russell
1958-. (aged 68)
lawyer
judge
politician
Mary Rhodes Russell is a judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri. She previously served a two-year term as chief justice from July 2013 through June 2015 and again from 2023 to 2025. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004 by Governor Bob Holden.
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20. Pat Danner
1934-. (aged 92)
politician
Patsy Ann Danner is an American politician. She formerly represented the Missouri's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat.
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21. Brian Dzingai
1981-. (aged 45)
sprinter
Brian Dzingai is a former Zimbabwean Olympic sprinter who specializes in the 200 metres He ran to his personal best time of 20.12 seconds in June 2004 in Austin, Texas. This was the national record for almost two decades.
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22. Scott Sifton
1974-. (aged 52)
lawyer
politician
Richard Prescott Sifton Jr. is an American politician and lawyer who was a member of the Missouri Senate for the 1st district from 2013 to 2021. Sifton took office in 2013 after defeating incumbent Republican Senator Jim Lembke in a close election. Sifton was a candidate in the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Missouri but later withdrew.
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23. James Knowles III
1980-. (aged 46)
politician
James Wallace Knowles III is an American politician who served as the 11th Mayor of the city of Ferguson, Missouri, from April 2011 to June 2020.
24. Prajwal Parajuly
1984-. (aged 42)
writer
Prajwal Parajuly is an Indian writer whose works focus on Nepali-speaking people and their culture. Parajuly's works include the short-story collection The Gurkha's Daughter and novel Land Where I Flee.
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25. Brodric Thomas
1997-. (aged 29)
basketball player
Brodric Thomas is an American professional basketball player who last played for Manisa Basket of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He played college basketball for the Truman State Bulldogs.
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26. Murry Bartow
1961-. (aged 65)
basketball coach
basketball player
Murry Linn Bartow is an American former college basketball coach. As the head coach of the East Tennessee State Buccaneers, he was twice named the conference coach of the year, first in the Southern Conference in 2004 and later in the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2007. He was later an interim head coach with the South Florida Bulls and UCLA...
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27. Harsha de Silva
1964-. (aged 62)
politician
economist
Harsha de Silva is a Sri Lankan economist and politician. He is a Member of Parliament for the Colombo District and former Non-Cabinet Minister of Economic Reforms and Public Distribution; State Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs; and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is a member of Samagi Jana Balawegaya.
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28. Cara Spencer
1978-. (aged 48)
politician
Cara Spencer is an American politician serving as the 48th and current mayor of St. Louis, Missouri. She served on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen as alderwoman of Ward 8 from 2023 to 2025; she represented Ward 20 from 2015 to 2023.
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29. Gene Bartow
1930-2012 (aged 82)
basketball coach
basketball player
Bobby Gene Bartow was an American men's college basketball coach. The Browning, Missouri, native coached 36 years at six universities after coaching two high schools in Missouri for six years. In 1972 Bartow coached the Puerto Rico national basketball team in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
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30. Alphonso Jackson
1945-. (aged 81)
politician
Alphonso R. Jackson is an American politician who served as the 13th United States secretary of housing and urban development (HUD) from 2004 to 2008. He was nominated by President George W. Bush on August 28, 2004, and confirmed by the Senate on August 31, 2004. Jackson announced his resignation on March 31, 2008.
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31. Susana Mendoza
1972-. (aged 54)
politician
association football player
Susana A. Mendoza is an American politician. She is the 10th and current Comptroller of Illinois, taking office on December 5, 2016. She previously served as the City Clerk of Chicago from 2011 to 2016. Mendoza is a member of the Democratic Party, was the first Latina to be elected to the position of Illinois Comptroller, and is the highest...
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32. Lyda Krewson
1953-. (aged 73)
accountant
politician
Lyda Krewson is an American retired politician who was the 46th mayor of St. Louis, Missouri. She is a member of the Democratic Party and St. Louis's first female mayor, serving from 2017 to 2021. On November 18, 2020, Krewson announced that she would not seek a second term.
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33. Gregg Williams
1958-. (aged 68)
American football coach
coach
Gregg Williams is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for Tennessee State University. His most recent National Football League (NFL) experience was as the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets, from 2019 to 2020. Previously, he was head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2001 to 2003, and defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints (with...
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34. Rhonda Vincent
1962-. (aged 64)
singer
songwriter
mandolinist
Rhonda Lea Vincent is an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
35. Eric Schmitt
1975-. (aged 51)
lawyer
politician
Eric Stephen Schmitt is an American attorney and Republican Party politician serving since 2023 as the junior United States senator from Missouri. Schmitt served as the 46th state treasurer of Missouri from 2017 to 2019 and as the 43rd Missouri attorney general from 2019 to 2023.
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36. Jenna Fischer
1974-. (aged 52)
screenwriter
film director
television actor
actor
film actor
Regina Marie Kirk, known professionally as Jenna Fischer, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Pam Beesly on the NBC sitcom The Office (2005–2013), for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2007; she was also a producer for the series' ninth and final...
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37. Kane
1967-. (aged 59)
politician
insurance broker
basketball player
actor
professional wrestler
Glenn Thomas Jacobs, also known by his ring name Kane, is an American politician, actor and professional wrestler. He rose to fame in WWE, where he holds the record for most matches (including dark matches and house shows) in WWE history. Jacobs is considered by many to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. In 2018, he...
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38. Ken Norton
1943-2013 (aged 70)
boxer
television actor
actor
film actor
Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. was an American boxer who competed professionally from 1967 to 1981. He was awarded the WBC world heavyweight championship in 1978, after winning a close split decision over Jimmy Young in a title eliminator bout.
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39. Aven Nelson
1859-1952 (aged 93)
mycologist
explorer
botanical collector
botanist
Aven Nelson was an American botanist who specialized in plants of the Rocky Mountains. He was one of the founding professors of the University of Wyoming, where he taught for 55 years as professor and served as president (1918-1922). He served as president of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists and Botanical Society of America.
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40. John J. Pershing
1860-1948 (aged 88)
lawyer
military officer
General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing, nicknamed "Black Jack", was an American army general, educator, and founder of the Pershing Rifles. He served as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World War I from 1917 to 1920. In addition to leading the AEF to victory in World War I, Pershing served as a mentor to many...
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41. Hung Hsiu-chu
1948-. (aged 78)
school teacher
politician
Hung Hsiu-chu is a Taiwanese politician. As a member of the Kuomintang (KMT), she has served the party as a Deputy Chairperson and Deputy Secretary-General. Hung was first elected to the legislature in 1990, and was the Vice President of the Legislative Yuan from 2012 to 2016, her eighth term. She became the first female deputy speaker of the Legislative...
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