Purdue University's Notable Alumni: A Legacy of Excellence
Purdue University, often hailed as the "Cradle of Quarterbacks," has cultivated a rich tradition of producing influential figures across diverse fields. From groundbreaking astronauts and celebrated athletes to innovative entrepreneurs and dedicated public servants, Purdue alumni have left an indelible mark on the world. This article explores the remarkable achievements and contributions of some of Purdue's most distinguished graduates.
Pioneers in Space Exploration
Neil Armstrong: Perhaps the most iconic Purdue alumnus, Neil Armstrong, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in aeronautics in 1955. This American astronaut and aeronautical engineer etched his name in history as the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. Before his lunar adventure, Armstrong served as a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor.
Gus Grissom: Another member of the Mercury Seven, Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom, was an American engineer and pilot in the United States Air Force. Grissom holds the distinction of being the second American to fly in space in 1961 and the second to fly in space twice. He was also a Project Gemini and Apollo program astronaut for NASA.
Roger Bruce Chaffee: An American naval officer, aviator, and aeronautical engineer, Roger Bruce Chaffee was a NASA astronaut in the Apollo program.
Eugene Andrew Cernan: An American astronaut, naval aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. During the Apollo 17 mission, Cernan became the 11th human being to walk on the Moon. As he re-entered the Apollo Lunar Module after Harrison Schmitt on their third and final lunar excursion, he remains the most recent person to walk on the Moon.
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NFL Legends
Purdue's impact on the National Football League is undeniable, with numerous alumni achieving remarkable success on the gridiron.
Drew Brees: Drew Christopher Brees is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is second all-time in career passing yards, career touchdown passes, career pass completions, and career completion percentage. Brees also holds the record of consecutive games with a touchdown pass, with 54 games, breaking the record held by Johnny Unitas for 52 years. He is regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Brees played five seasons for the Chargers (2001-05) before joining the New Orleans Saints in 2006. He is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and was the game MVP in the Saints' victory in Super Bowl XLIV.
Len Dawson: Leonard Ray Dawson was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. After playing college football at Purdue, Dawson began his NFL career in 1957, spending three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and two with the Cleveland Browns. He left the NFL in 1962 to sign with the AFL's Chiefs (then known as the Dallas Texans), where he spent the last 14 seasons of his career, and rejoined the NFL after the AFL-NFL merger. Dawson played three seasons for the Steelers (1957-59), two seasons for the Cleveland Browns (1960-61) and 14 seasons for the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs (1962-1975). He won an AFL championship with the Texans in 1962, and then played in two Super Bowls with the Chiefs (including an appearance in the first Super Bowl and victory in Super Bowl IV, in which Dawson was named game MVP). Dawson was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and a 1987 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Rod Woodson: Woodson played 10 seasons for the Steelers (1987-1996), one season for the San Francisco 49ers (1997), four seasons for the Baltimore Ravens (1998-2001) and two seasons for the Oakland Raiders (2002-03). He played in Super Bowl XXX as a member of the Steelers, Super Bowl XXXV as a member of the Ravens (which Baltimore won) and Super Bowl XXXVII as a member of the Raiders. Woodson is an 11-time Pro Bowl selection and a 2009 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Mike Alstott: Michael Joseph Alstott is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nicknamed "A-Train", he played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft. Alstott received six Pro Bowl and three first-team All-Pro honors during his career, in addition to being part of the Buccaneers team that won the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII. For his accomplishments in Tampa Bay, he was inducted to the Buccaneers Ring of Honor in 2015. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fullbacks of all time. Alstott played 11 seasons for the Buccaneers (1996-2006). He was a member of the team when it won Super Bowl XXXVII, and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection.
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Matt Light: Light played 11 seasons for the Patriots (2001-2011).
Emerson Gray: Gray opted to play in the USFL, playing for the Los Angeles Express for one year (1984) and the Oklahoma/Arizona Outlaws for two seasons (1984-85). He then played three seasons for the Saints (1986-88), six seasons for the Detroit Lions (1989-1994), three seasons for the Houston/Tennessee Oilers (1995-97) and one season with the Philadelphia Eagles (1997). He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
Matt Mitrione: Prior to embarking on an MMA career, Mitrione played college football at Purdue University, and he turned pro and played in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings.
Joe Butz: Butz played two seasons for the Cardinals (1973-74) and then 14 seasons for the Washington Redskins (1975-1988). Butz was a member of three Redskins teams that advanced to the Super Bowl, including two that won (Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XXII). He was also a one-time Pro Bowl selection.
Derrick Dishman: Dishman played nine seasons for the Oilers (1988-1996), two seasons for the Washington Redskins (1997-98), one season for the Kansas City Chiefs (1999) and one season for the Minnesota Vikings (2000). He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
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Cecil Isbell: Isbell played five seasons for the Packers (1938-1942). Isbell was a part of a Packers team that played in the NFL Championship Game in consecutive seasons (1938-39) and won the 1939 NFL title. Isbell was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a 1972 inductee into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
Raheem Mostert: Dominique Raheem Mostert is an American professional football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers.
Kevin Sumlin: Kevin Warren Sumlin is an American football coach who is the associate head coach, co-offensive coordinator, and tight ends coach for the University of Maryland. Sumlin served as the head football coach at the University of Houston from 2008 to 2011, Texas A&M University from 2012 to 2017, and at the University of Arizona from 2018 to 2020.
Basketball Stars
Purdue's basketball program has also produced notable alumni who have excelled in the sport.
Glenn Robinson: Glenn Alan Robinson Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Dog" and "the Chosen One", he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1994 to 2005 for the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, and San Antonio Spurs. Robinson attended Purdue University and was the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft.
Caleb Swanigan: Caleb Sylvester Swanigan was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers.
Zach Edey: Zachry Cheyne Edey is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers, leading the team to the NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game in his final year. Edey is listed at 7 feet 4 inches (2.24 m), making him the tallest player in Big Ten history. At the close of the 2023 season, Edey was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus National Player of the Year, repeating both in 2024. He was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft. Edey is currently the tallest active NBA player.
John Wooden: John Robert Wooden was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Westwood", he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships in a 12-year period as head coach for the UCLA Bruins, including a record seven in a row. No other team has won more than four in a row in Division I college men's or women's basketball. Within this period, his teams won an NCAA men's basketball record 88 consecutive games. Wooden won the prestigious Henry Iba Award as national coach of the year a record seven times and won the Associated Press award five times.
Sun Li-jen: Sun Li-jen was a Chinese Nationalist (KMT) general, a graduate of Virginia Military Institute in the United States, best known for his leadership in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. His military achievements earned him the laudatory nickname "Rommel of the East". His New First Army was known as the "Best Army under heaven" and credited with effectively confronting Japanese troops in the 1937 Battle of Shanghai and in the Burma Campaign, 1943-1944.
Leaders in Business and Politics
Purdue alumni have also made significant contributions in the realms of business and politics.
Herman Cain: Herman Cain was an American businessman and Tea Party movement activist in the Republican Party. Cain graduated from Morehouse College with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. Department of the Navy. In 1977, he joined the Pillsbury Company where he later became vice president. During the 1980s, Cain's success as a business executive at Burger King prompted Pillsbury to appoint him as chairman and CEO of Godfather's Pizza, in which capacity he worked from 1986 to 1996.
Deno Yiankes: Deno Yiankes (BS’88) has been dedicated to transformational service and leadership in hospitality and tourism management for over three decades.
Thomas McDermott, Jr.: Thomas McDermott Jr. is the 20th mayor of the city of Hammond. He earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Finance from PNW in 1996. He then earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2000.
Jeff Strack: Jeff Strack is the president and CEO of Indiana Grocery Group, which does business as and operates Strack & Van Til stores. He received his Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Purdue Northwest in 2000.
David A. Roberts: Chairman, President and CEO Carlisle Companies Incorporated Purdue University Northwest has selected David A. Roberts as the first honoree to the university’s new PNW Alumni Hall of Fame.
Innovators and Entrepreneurs
Purdue's emphasis on technology and innovation has fostered a spirit of entrepreneurship among its alumni.
John Halkyard: John Halkyard (Purdue 1965) earned a PH.D. in Ocean Engineering then founded Deep Oil Technology, which developed a new form of floating platform for deep-water oil drilling.
Orville Redenbacher: Orville Redenbacher was a Businessperson, Entrepreneur.
Notable Figures in Arts and Entertainment
Purdue alumni have also found success in the world of arts and entertainment.
Dulquer Salmaan: Dulquer Salmaan is an Indian actor, playback singer and film producer who predominantly works in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management from Purdue University and worked as a business manager in Dubai before pursuing a career in acting.
George Peppard: George Peppard was an American actor. He secured a major role as struggling writer Paul Varjak when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), and later portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers (1964). On television, he played the title role of millionaire insurance investigator and sleuth Thomas Banacek in the early-1970s mystery series Banacek. He played Col. John "Hannibal" Smith, the cigar-smoking leader of a renegade commando squad in the 1980s action television series The A-Team.
Jim Gaffigan: James Christopher Gaffigan is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. His material often addresses fatherhood, laziness, food, religion, and general observations. He is regarded as a "clean" comic, using little profanity in his routines, although he does use it from time to time.
Ted Allen: Edward Reese Allen is an American author and television personality. He was the food and wine connoisseur on the Bravo network's television program Queer Eye, and has been the host of the TV cooking competition series Chopped since its launch in 2009, as well as Chopped Junior, which began in mid-2015.
Stephen McKinley Henderson: Stephen McKinley Henderson is an American actor. Henderson trained at Juilliard School for acting and later became a resident member of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis from 1976 to 1981. He came to prominence as a character actor often performing the plays of August Wilson. He has received nominations for two Tony Awards, a Drama Desk Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Public Servants and Community Leaders
Purdue alumni have also dedicated themselves to public service and community leadership.
Chesley Sullenberger: Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III is an American retired aviator, diplomat and aviation safety expert. He is best known for his actions as captain of US Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009, when he ditched the plane, landing on the Hudson River after both engines were disabled by a bird strike.
Ryan Elinkowski: Ryan Elinkowski has led many organizations, including St. Jude House as its executive director. At St. Jude House, Ryan transformed the organization into a model of trauma-informed care and community partnership, expanding outreach and ensuring that survivors of domestic violence and their families received comprehensive, life-changing support.
Judge Schneider: The Honorable Diane Kavadias Schneider is a Northwest Indiana native and earned her bachelor’s degree in English from PNW in 1971. She earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the Valparaiso University School of Law in 1982.
Purdue University Northwest Honorees
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) also recognizes distinguished alumni through its Hall of Fame and other awards.
Nicole Kupchik: Nicole Kupchik (AAS, ‘93), who resides in Washington state, has built a career as a critical care registered nurse (RN) and clinical nurse specialist for over 25 years. She is the CEO of Nicole Kupchik Consulting and Education, which specializes in providing critical-care education and consulting services for nursing professionals.
Rick Calinski: Rick Calinski in his position at NIPSCO supports external affairs with different community, governmental, business and media leaders in NIPSCO’s service territory. He serves as Director of Public Affairs and Economic Development for NIPSCO and also serves on PNW’s College of Business Advisory Board.
Ayana Clark: Ayana Clark leads Chicago-based A&J Branding, helping politicians, businesses and nonprofits connect with communities in impactful ways.
Debbie Bachmann: Debbie Bachmann has served PNW students for 21 years and in her current role supports PNW Honors College students in their extracurricular and philanthropic engagements, as well as connecting students with internship and employment opportunities.
Spencer Summers: Spencer Summers is an Economic and Business Development Manager at Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO).
Erin Okamoto Protsman: A member of the PNW faculty since 2013, Erin Okamoto Protsman serves on several committees within PNW’s College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, including Curriculum Assessment; One Book, One University; Communication and Creative Arts Advisory Board coordination; and various hiring committees.
Alfredo "Al" Sori: Sori retired after a distinguished career from Kiewit Corporation, one of North America’s largest construction and engineering organizations.
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