List of Western Kentucky University people

This is a list of notable alumni and faculty of Western Kentucky University.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

Alumni

Academia

• Herman Lee Donovan, former president of Eastern Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky
• James R. Ramsey, former president of the University of Louisville
• Michael G. Scales, president of Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary
• Billy Wilson, president of Oral Roberts University

Business

• Julian Goodman, former president of NBC
• Brad Kelley, businessman and (as of 2012) fourth-largest private landowner in the U.S. (attended; never graduated)

Film and television

• Matthew Alan, actor and producer
• K.C. Armstrong, former assistant producer of The Howard Stern Show
• John Carpenter, film director
• Clint Ford, voice actor
• Charmaine Hunt, one of 18 contestants on the fifth season of NBC's The Apprentice
• Matt Long, actor (Jack McCallister on WB's Jack & Bobby)
• Charles Napier, actor
• Michael Rosenbaum, actor (Lex Luthor on WB's Smallville)
• David Schramm, actor (Roy Biggins on NBC's Wings)
• Jonah Scott, actor

History

• Lowell H. Harrison, author, WKU university historian

Music

• Michael Card, contemporary Christian music artist
• Chris Carmichael, arranger, studio multi-instrumentalist
• Tyler Childers, 2019 Grammy nominee, folk country singer
• Stephen Cochran, country music singer/songwriter; United States Marine; former face of the US Veterans Affairs (VA) R&D Department (2009–14)
• Steve Gorman, rock drummer, The Black Crowes
• Larnelle Harris, gospel singer
• The Hilltoppers, 1950s popular singing group composed of WKU students including Billy Vaughn
• Chris Knight, country music singer/songwriter
• Bill Lloyd, country/pop/rock musician and composer, half of Foster & Lloyd with Radney Foster
• Mark Melloan, singer-songwriter, "High on a Hilltop" writer, and co-writer with Stephen Cochran
• Nappy Roots, rap group best known for "Good Day"
• Matthew Shultz, lead singer, guitarist for Cage the Elephant

Politics

• Chad Aull, politician
• Dwight D. Butler, member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
• Beverly Chester-Burton (born 1963), politician
• Mark Cole, member of Virginia House of Delegates
• James Comer, U.S. representative from Kentucky's 1st District
• Cordell Hull, secretary of state under FDR, Nobel Peace Prize winner
• Derek Lewis, member of Kentucky House of Representatives
• Brad Montell, member of Kentucky House of Representatives
• William Natcher, U.S. representative
• Amy Neighbors, member of Kentucky House of Representatives
• Edwin L. Norris, fifth governor of Montana
• Rebecca Raymer, politician
• Hal Rogers, U.S. representative from Kentucky

Science

• Harry Barkus Gray, chemist
• Farley Norman, psychological scientist
• Terrence W. Wilcutt, astronaut

Sports

• Darel Carrier, three-time ABA All-Star with the Kentucky Colonels
• Romeo Crennel, Houston Texans assistant head coach & defense
• Claire Donahue, swimmer, gold medalist, 2012 Summer Olympics
• Brandon Doughty, former NFL player
• Don Durham, former MLB player
• Ken Edenfield, former MLB player
• Jeremy Evans, NBA player with the Utah Jazz and 2012 slam dunk champion
• Tellis Frank, former NBA player with the Miami Heat
• Dee Gibson, former BAA and NPBL player
• Clem Haskins, former NBA player with Phoenix Suns, former NCAA basketball coach at WKU and the University of Minnesota
• Heath Haynes, former MLB player
• Tyler Higbee, current NFL player with the Los Angeles Rams
• Yolanda Hughes-Heying, IFBB professional bodybuilder
• Jeremi Johnson, former NFL Player, Cincinnati Bengals
• Crystal Kelly, former WNBA player, now women's basketball assistant coach at Bellarmine University
• Duane Kuiper, MLB player, now San Francisco Giants broadcaster
• Forrest Lamp, NFL player, Los Angeles Chargers
• Courtney Lee, NBA player, New York Knicks guard
• Virgil Livers, former NFL player, Chicago Bears
• Jim McDaniels, former ABA and NBA player
• Kenny Perry, professional golfer, PGA Tour and Champions Tour
• Jeff Peterek, former MLB player
• Doug Piatt, former MLB player
• Hugh Poland, former MLB player
• Bobby Rascoe, former ABA and NBA player
• Don Ray, former NBA player
• Rod Smart, XFL player known as "He Hate Me"
• Gavin Smellie, two-time Olympic sprinter for Canada
• Greg Smith, former NBA player
• Art Spoelstra, former NBA player
• Steve Stemle, former MLB player
• Libby Stout, former NWSL and professional soccer player, now women's soccer assistant coach at Southern Illinois University
• Taywan Taylor, NFL player, Cleveland Browns
• Chris Turner, former MLB player/catcher for the New York Yankees
• Ken Waller, bodybuilder
• Jim Weaver, former MLB pitcher
• Mike White, NFL player, New York Jets
• Bailey Zappe, American football quarterback in the NFL

Military

• Damon W. Cooper, U.S. Navy vice admiral and the first chief of U.S. Naval Reserve
• Jack Keane, general, United States Army
• Larry G. Smith, retired U.S. Army major general, former commanding general of the United States Army Security Assistance Command

Others

• Larry Elmore, fantasy artist
• Duncan Hines, journalist, namesake of the bakery products company
• Saeed Jones, poet, editor at BuzzFeed
• Jagdish Khubchandani, author and public health scholar
• Mitch McDeere, fictional protagonist in The Firm by John Grisham
• Kyla Scanlon, economics content creator, author of In This Economy?: How Money and Markets Really Work
• Barry A. Vann, author, lecturer

Faculty

• David Bell, New York Times bestselling author
• Robert Duvall, politician
• Sylvia Kersenbaum, classical pianist
• William L. Lane, New Testament theologian and professor of biblical studies
• Garnie W. McGinty, Louisiana historian
• Thomas Nicholson, drug policy expert