This list of Princeton University people include notable alumni (graduates and attendees) or faculty members (professors of various ranks, researchers, and visiting lecturers or professors) affiliated with Princeton University. People who have given public lectures, talks or non-curricular seminars; studied as non-degree students; received honorary degrees; or served as administrative staff at the university are excluded from the list. Summer school attendees and visitors are generally excluded from the list, since summer terms are not part of formal academic years.
Individuals are sorted by category and alphabetized within each category. The "Affiliation" fields in the tables in this list indicate the person's affiliation with Princeton and use the following notation:
See main article: List of Princeton University people (government) and List of Princeton University people (United States Congress, Supreme Court, Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention).
This section includes lists of notable academics who graduated from Princeton and notable Princeton faculty members.
Name | Field | Affiliation | Notes | Refs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Computer Science | B 1969 | [3] | |||
Biology | B 1967 | Director of the Australian Museum, 1999–2003 | [4] | ||
Art History | PhD 1964 | Professor of Art History Emeritus at Pomona College, 1971–1989 | [5] | ||
Physics | PhD 1936 | Nobel Prize in Physics, 1956 and 1972 | [6] [7] | ||
Economics | B 1951 | Nobel Prize in Economics, 1992 | [8] | ||
Sociology | MA 1972, PhD 1975 | Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, 2007– | [9] [10] | ||
Psychology | B 1986 | [11] | |||
Mathematics | PhD 2001 | Fields Medal 2014 | [12] | ||
History | B 1950, F 1964–75 | Librarian of Congress, 1987– | [13] | ||
Economics | B 1967; F 1971– | Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, 1994–96 | [14] | ||
Philosophy | B 1961 | [15] | |||
History | B 1971 | Provost of Columbia University, 2003–09 | [16] | ||
Astronomy | B 1987 | Named to the Time 100, 2006 | [17] [18] | ||
Mathematics | PhD 1950 | [19] | |||
Economics | PhD 1983, F 1983–97 | John Bates Clark Medal, 1995 | [20] [21] | ||
Mathematics | B 1924, PhD 1927, F 1929–67 | Proved the undecidability of the Entscheidungsproblem | [22] [23] | ||
Political Science | MA 2005, PhD 2008 | Charles Howard Candler Professor of Political Science at Emory University | [24] | ||
Samuel Cochran | Medicine | B 1893, PhD 1927 | Dean of Shantung Medical College, 1922–26; President of Shantung University, 1923–24President of the Medical Association of China | [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] | |
Art History | B 1939, MFA 1942 | Professor of Art History at Columbia University, 1946–1986 | [30] | ||
Physics | B 1914, PhD 1916 | Nobel Prize in Physics, 1927 | [31] | ||
Physics | PhD 1912, F 1915–30 | President of MIT, 1930–48 | [32] | ||
Economics | PhD 1915 | President of Washington State University, 1945–51 | [33] [34] | ||
B 1784 | Third President of Queen's College (Rutgers University) and Queen's College Grammar School (Rutgers Preparatory School), 1795–1810; Presbyterian and Dutch Reformed clergyman | [35] | |||
B 1918, AM | President of Drexel University, 1945–63 | [36] [37] | |||
Medicine | B Class of 1947, conferred in 2000 | Dean of the McGill University Faculty of Medicine | [38] | ||
Law | B 1997 | Publisher of Patently-O | [39] | ||
Anthropology | PhD 1977 | [40] | |||
Physics | PhD 1911 | Nobel Prize in Physics, 1937 | [41] | ||
Art History | B 1928 | William Door Boardman Professor of Fine Arts at Harvard University | [42] | ||
Economics | PhD 1972 | Chancellor of Queen's University at Kingston, 2008–; Governor of the Bank of Canada, 2001–08 | [43] [44] | ||
Statistics | B 1923, AM 1927, PhD 1936, F 1936–42 | [45] | |||
B 1957 | President of Carleton College, 1977–86; president of Bowdoin College, 1990–2001 | [46] [47] [48] | |||
Literature | B 1963 | Headmaster of Elgin Academy, the Crane Country Day School, and Sacramento Country Day | [49] [50] | ||
Physics | B 1983 | President of Princeton University since 2013; Rhodes Scholar; JD cum laude from University of Chicago Law School | [51] | ||
Politics | MPA 1982; PhD 1995 | [52] | |||
Physics | PhD 1957 | [53] | |||
Medicine | B 1888 | President of Cornell University, 1921–37 | [54] | ||
History | B 1892 | [55] | |||
Mathematics | PhD 1969, F 1973– | Fields Medal, 1978 | [56] | ||
Chemical Engineering | PhD 1966 | [57] | |||
Physics | PhD 1942 | Nobel Prize in Physics, 1965 | [58] | ||
History | PhD 1988 | [59] | |||
Medicine | B 1977 | [60] | |||
English | PhD 1963, F 1965–2006 | [61] | |||
Medicine | B 1980; Trustee | [62] [63] | |||
Art History | B 1977; F 1997– | [64] | |||
Mathematics | PhD 1973 | Fields Medal, 1986 | [65] | ||
Classics | B 1940, AM 1947, PhD 1948, F 1948–72, Pres 1957–72 | [66] | |||
Physics | AM 1958 | ||||
Mathematics | PhD 1962, F 1967–72 | Wolf Prize in Mathematics, 2008 | [67] [68] | ||
Economics | AM 1926 | [69] | |||
Mathematics | PhD 1963 | [70] | |||
Economics | AM 1968; PhD 1971 | Nobel Prize in Economics, 2000 | [71] [72] | ||
Religion | B 1903 | [73] [74] | |||
Physics | PhD 1938, F 1945–60 | Nobel Prize in Physics, 1961 | [75] | ||
Music | PhD 1974 | Distinguished Professor of Music at the University of California, Davis | [76] | ||
English | PhD 1955 | Dean of Columbia College of Columbia University, 1968–72 | [77] | ||
Political science | B 1888, PhD 1891 | Founding headmaster of Mercersburg Academy, 1893–1928 | [78] | ||
Mathematics | PhD 1934 | [79] | |||
Law | B 1981 | Dean of Harvard Law School, 2003–09; Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, 2010– | [80] | ||
Computer Science | PhD 1964 | Turing Award, 2004; Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2005 | [81] [82] [83] | ||
Melissa S. Kearney | Economics | B 1996 | [84] | ||
Philosophy | PhD 1975 | Former philosophy professor; founder of The Atlas Society | [85] | ||
Computer Science | B 1947, PhD 1949 | Co-developer of BASIC; president of Dartmouth College, 1970–81 | [86] | ||
Computer Science | PhD 1969, F 2000– | co-author of the first book on the C programming language with Dennis Ritchie. | [87] | ||
Divinity | GS 1962–63 | [88] | |||
History | B 1948 | Principal of Phillips Exeter Academy, 1974–87 | [89] [90] | ||
Biology | B 1978 | Founding Director of the Broad Institute | [91] | ||
Mathematics | PhD 1951 | [92] | |||
Music | PhD 1973, F 1969– | [93] | |||
English | AM, PhD | Superintendent of the United States Military Academy | [94] [95] | ||
Physics | B 1970 | [96] | |||
Art History | B 1963 | Emmet Blakeney Gleason Professor of the History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University | [97] | ||
Mathematics | PhD 1971 | [98] | |||
Physics | PhD 1996 | [99] | |||
Economics | PhD 1964; F 1964–81, 1988– | Dean of Yale School of Management, 1981–87; author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street | [100] [101] | ||
Economics | B 1980 | Chair of the U.S. President's Council of Economic Advisers, 2003–05 | [102] | ||
Divinity | B 1762 | Founder and first President of Brown University, 1764–91 | [103] | ||
Medicine | B 1918, AM | [104] | |||
History | PhD 1949 | [105] | |||
Woodrow Wilson School | VS 1984–85 | Former warden of Rhodes House, University of Oxford | [106] | ||
Sociology | PhD 1972 | President of York University, 1997–2007 | [107] [108] | ||
Physics | PhD 1972 | [109] | |||
Mathematics | PhD 1959 | [110] | |||
Sociology | PhD 1977 | President of Suffolk University 2012–present | [111] | ||
Computer Science | PhD 1951 | Turing Prize, 1971 | [112] | ||
Chemistry | PhD 1933 | Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1951 | [113] [114] | ||
Mathematics | B 1951; PhD 1954 | Fields Medal, 1962; Wolf Prize in Mathematics, 1989; Abel Prize, 2011 | [115] | ||
Mathematics | PhD 1954 | Co-founder of MIT's AI lab | [116] | - | |
Public Policy | B 1955 | Consumer advocate and author of Unsafe at Any Speed | [117] | ||
Art | B 1974 | Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, 1991 | [118] | ||
Emi Nakamura | Economics | B 2001 | John Bates Clark Medal, 2019 | [119] | |
Mathematics | PhD 1950, F | Nobel Prize in Economics, 1994 | [120] [121] | ||
Sociology | B 1981, AM 1985, PhD 1986 | [122] | |||
Philosophy | PhD 1971, F 1990– | [123] | |||
Politics | B 1958 | Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, 1995–2004 | [124] [125] | ||
Mathematics | PhD 1966, F 1984–98 | [126] [127] | |||
Physics | B 1938 | Director of SLAC, 1961–84; National Medal of Science, 1969 | [128] | ||
Computer Science | PhD 1976 | [129] | |||
Law | B 1979 | [130] | |||
Pre-Law | B | Texas judge and leader of the Southern Baptist Convention Conservative resurgence | [131] | ||
Philosophy | B 1943; PhD 1950 | [132] | |||
Law | B 1965 | President of the College of William & Mary, 2008– | [133] | ||
Law | B 1979 | Dean of New York University School of Law, 2002– | [134] | ||
Economics | B 1980 | [135] | |||
Comparative Literature | PhD 1979 | [136] | |||
History | PhD 1958 | [137] | |||
Mathematics | B 1953 | [138] | |||
English | B 1956, F 1968–87, provost 1977–87, T 2002–06 | President of Harvard University, 1991–2001 | [139] [140] | ||
Divinity | B 1964 | President of Columbia University, 1998–2002 | [141] [142] | ||
English | B 1957 | [143] | |||
Law | B 1984 | [144] | |||
David Sanford | Music | PhD 1998 | Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Mount Holyoke College | ||
Law | B 1980 | President of the University of Oregon, dean of UCLA Law School and University of Chicago Law School | [145] | ||
Economics | PhD 1964, F 1988–, Pres 1988–2001 | [146] | |||
Chemistry | PhD 1973 | Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1996 | [147] | ||
Physics | B 1914, AM 1920, PhD 1922, F 1925–62 | [148] [149] | |||
Woodrow Wilson School | B 1980 | Former Dean of Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University; JD from Harvard Law School; MPhil and DPhil from University of Oxford | |||
Mathematics | PhD 1959 | [150] | |||
Geosciences | F 1905–34 | [151] | |||
Chemistry | B 1916, AM 1917, F 1920–63 | Medal of Freedom, 1947 | [152] | ||
Physics | B 1918, PhD 1921, F 1924–66 | Author of the Smyth Report | [153] | ||
History | B 1976 | Associate Justice United States Supreme Court 2009- | [154] | ||
Economics | B 1966 | John Bates Clark Medal, 1981; Nobel Prize in Economics, 2001 | [155] [156] | ||
Physics | PhD 1938, F 1947–1997 | Founding director of US magnetic confinement nuclear fusion program Project Matterhorn, inventor of the stellarator device, early proponent of what became the Hubble Space Telescope | |||
Medicine | B 1916 | Developed first practical ballistocardiograph; 1957 Albert Lasker Award; 1967 Kober Medal of the Association of American Physicians; 1977 Burger Medal of the Free University of Amsterdam; Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 1945 to 1948 | [157] | ||
Computer Science | PhD 1961 | [158] | |||
Mathematics | PhD 1936, F 1947–71 | [159] | |||
Near Eastern Studies | B 1984 | Professor at Emory University | [160] [161] | ||
Computer Science | B 1965 | [162] | |||
Religion | PhD 1976, F 1976– | ||||
Millicent Sullivan | Biomedical Engineering | B 1998 | Professor of Biomedical Engineering at University of Delaware | [163] | |
Economics | B 1987 | U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy, 2006–09 | [164] | ||
German | PhD 1966 | President of Keimyung University, 1988–2004 | [165] | ||
Physical chemistry | PhD 1952 | Developed the world's first silicon transistor, January 26, 1954 at Bell Labs. | [166] [167] | ||
Mathematics | PhD 1996 | MacArthur Fellowship, 2006; Fields Medal, 2006 | [168] [169] | ||
Mathematics | PhD 1950 | Wolf Prize in Mathematics, 2002–03; Abel Prize, 2010 | [170] [171] | ||
Mathematics | PhD 1988 | [172] | |||
Physics | PhD 1965 | Nobel Prize in Physics, 2017 | [173] [174] | ||
Physics | AM 1989, PhD 1991, F 1994–99 | President of Willamette University, 2011– | [175] | ||
History | GS | Principal of King's College London, 2004– | [176] | ||
Statistics | AM 1938, PhD 1939, F 1945–2000 | National Medal of Science, 1973. IEEE Medal of Honor, 1982 | [177] | ||
Computer Science | PhD 1938 | Produced the foundation of research in artificial intelligence; made advances in the field of cryptanalysis | [178] | ||
Physics | PhD 1985 | [179] | |||
B 1942 | Lifelong employee at Princeton University. Vivian retired in 1986 after a 37-year administrative career which ended with 16 years as the director of community and regional affairs. | [180] | |||
African American Studies | PhD 1980, F 2002– | [181] [182] | |||
Physics | PhD 1957 | Nobel Prize in Physics, 1979; National Medal of Science, 1991 | [183] | ||
Mathematics | PhD 1932 | [184] | |||
Computer Science | B 1986 | Director of the University of Utah School of Computing | [185] | ||
Electrical Engineering | B 1973 | [186] | |||
Computer Science | MSE 1981, AM 1982, PhD 1983 | [187] | |||
Physics | PhD 1949, F 1949– | [188] | |||
Physics | PhD 1974, F 1974–81 | Nobel Prize in Physics, 2004 | [189] | ||
Geology | PhD 1936 | [190] | |||
Economics | PhD 1960 | [191] | |||
Law | B 1976 | President of Hamilton College 2016–present | [192] | ||
Physics | AM 1974, PhD 1976, F 1980–87 | MacArthur Fellowship, 1982; Fields Medal, 1990; National Medal of Science, 2003 | [193] | ||
Chemistry | B 1956 | [194] | |||
Politics | AM 1968; PhD 1975 | [195] | |||
Aerospace Engineering | B 1963, PhD 1965 | [196] | |||
Mathematics | PhD 1974 | [197] | |||
Mathematics | PhD 1975 | [198] | |||
Albert Einstein was one of many scholars at the independent Institute for Advanced Study not formally associated with the university but nevertheless closely linked to it.
Here are listed alumni who made notable contributions to science and technology outside academia.
Name | Affiliation | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|
A.B. 1981 | Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, author of Harbor and The Room and the Chair | [217] | |
A.B. | Author of The Embers (2009) | [218] | |
A.B.1917 | Poet | ||
A.B. 1947 | Pulitzer Prize-nominated author | ||
1989 | New York Times bestselling author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts... and Bittersweet | [219] [220] [221] | |
A.B. 1998 | Co-authored the book The Rule of Four, set on the Princeton campus | ||
A.B. 1951 | Chilean author | ||
A.B. 1963 | Author of The Little Book and The Lost Prince | ||
A.B 2000 | Author of The 4-Hour Workweek and holder of the world record in tango | ||
A.B. 1983 | Author of Senseless on which the movie Senseless is based and Give and Take, founder of Concord Free Press | ||
Class of 1917 (did not graduate) | Author of The Great Gatsby and This Side of Paradise | ||
A.B. 1999 | Author of Everything Is Illuminated | ||
PhD 1981 | Literary translator from German to English | ||
A.B. 1998 | Author of Atmospheric Disturbances | ||
A.B. 1922 | Author, adventurer, and lecturer | ||
A.B. 1993 | Author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist | ||
Laura Hankin | 2010 | Author of A Special Place for Women | |
A.B. 1992 | Author of River Town and Oracle Bones | ||
A.B. 1993 | Poet and teacher | ||
A.B. (English) 1983 | Author of Up in the Air and other novels, literary critic, essayist | ||
A.B. 1983 | Short story writer, novelist, professor of English | [222] | |
A.B 1951 | Literary critic | ||
A.B. 1983 | Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer | ||
A.B. 1953 | Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Ferris Professor of Journalism since 1974 | ||
Poet | |||
PhD 1963 | Sci-fi author and philosopher | ||
A.B. 1987 | Bestselling novelist | ||
B.A. 1965, M.A., Ph.D. 1975 | Author, professor of English on the Emma B. Kennedy Foundation at Mount Holyoke College | ||
A.B. 1981 | Editor of The New Yorker | ||
Playwright and screenwriter, author of Personal Appearance, Return Engagement and Kin Hubbard | |||
A.B. Art and Archaeology, 1996 | Poet and playwright | [223] | |
A.B. 1982 | Journalist, Fast Food Nation | ||
Founder of Scribner's publishing house; his descendants include several Princeton alumni | |||
Canadian documentary playwright | |||
A.B. 1991 | Novelist, Good in Bed, In Her Shoes Little Earthquakes, and Goodnight Nobody | ||
(1937–2010) | Business journalist and author | [224] | |
A.B. 1916 | Literary critic | ||
Name | Affiliation | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|
A.B. 2008 | Singer-songwriter and actress | ||
A.B. 1929 | Writer, critic, documentary filmmaker, Columbia University professor | ||
A.B. 1954 | Produced or co-produced over 40 plays and musicals on Broadway (winning over 60 Tony Awards, including 12 for best production), as well as many off-Broadway and regional productions | ||
A.B. 1976 | Actor | ||
A.B. 1936 | Jazz composer and writer of the song "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" | ||
A.B. 1988 | Actor (Clark Kent/Superman in the TV series ) | ||
David Aaron Carpenter | A.B. 2008 | Violist & violinist – winner of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and Rolex Protege Prize, Warner Classics recording artist | |
A.B. 1979 | Academy Award-winning filmmaker (No Country for Old Men, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Fargo) | ||
A.B. 1993 | Billboard-charting singer, songwriter and actress | ||
A.B. 1982 | Actor, won Golden Globe Awards for The X-Files and Californication | ||
A.B. 2008 | Stage, film, and television actress | ||
A.B. 1933 | Academy Award and Tony Award-winning actor | ||
A.B. 1993 | Film and television actor (Royal Pains) | ||
A.B. 1992 | Singer, songwriter | ||
A.B. 1953 | Co-winner of the 1976 Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest); winner of the 1981 Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Melvin and Howard) | ||
A.B. 1999 | Actress | ||
Actor (The Sound of Music, The Amazing Spider-Man) | |||
Ph.D. | Writer (Robot Chicken) | ||
A.B. 1985 | Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker, Capturing the Friedmans | ||
A.B. 1991 | Documentary filmmaker, Why We Fight | ||
A.M. 1972 | Founded BET in 1980; member of the board for US Airways, General Mills, and Hilton Hotels | ||
A.B. 1981 | Jazz guitarist | ||
A.B. 2002 | Fifth-ranked all-time Jeopardy! winner, including co-Champion (with David Madden '03 and Brad Rutter) of the Jeopardy! All-Star Games tournament | ||
A.B. 2002 | Actress (Erin Hannon on The Office) | ||
Gilbert Levine | A.B. 1971 | Conductor | |
A.B. 1931 | Director (Camelot, South Pacific); winner (or co-winner) of seven Tony Awards, co-winner of a Pulitzer Prize, nominated three times for Academy Award | ||
A.B. 2003 | Fourth-ranked all-time Jeopardy! winner including co-Champion of the Jeopardy! All-Star Games Tournament (with Larissa Kelly '02 and Brad Rutter), founder and executive director of the National History Bee and Bowl, the International History Olympiad, and International Academic Competitions | ||
A.B. 1992 | Screenwriter (Scary Movie 3, Scary Movie 4) | ||
A.B. 2015 | Miss New Jersey 2013 | ||
A.B. 1933 | Actor; winner of a Tony Award in 1950 | ||
A.B. 1980 | Actor, director, and screenwriter (Bullets Over Broadway) | ||
A.B. 1995 | Film and TV actor (Michael Scofield on Prison Break) | ||
A.B. 1963 | Lyricist, composer, poet; co-creator of Sesame Street; former member of Princeton Triangle Club; winner of fifteen Emmy Awards | ||
A.B. 1986 | Television executive with Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox | ||
A.B. 2013 | Third place contestant on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 15; currently signed to modelling agency IMG Models | ||
A.B. 1955 | Actor (Trapper John McIntyre on M*A*S*H) | ||
A.B. 1993 | Film and theatrical producer; founder of the Globe Theatre | ||
A.B. 1998 | Film and television producer, known for his work on the Harry Potter film franchise and the TV series Threshold | ||
A.B. 1987 | Model/actress (The Blue Lagoon, TV series Suddenly Susan), former member of Princeton Triangle Club | ||
A.B. 1997 | Director (Assassination of a High School President) | ||
B.S. 1932 | Academy Award-winning actor (former member of Princeton Triangle Club), aviator, Brigadier General in the United States Air Force; Honorary degree in 1947 | ||
Actor | |||
A.B. 1929 | Film director, producer | ||
Listed in alphabetical order by title name.
Scarecrow Press
. September 30, 2013. 9780810862821. 2009-04-13.