Rollins College: A Legacy of Notable Alumni
Rollins College, a liberal arts institution in Winter Park, Florida, boasts a diverse and accomplished alumni network. From entertainment and politics to science and philanthropy, Rollins graduates have left their mark on the world. This article will explore some of the most notable alumni and their contributions.
Arts and Entertainment
Rollins College has cultivated a thriving environment for aspiring artists and performers. Several alumni have achieved prominence in the entertainment industry, leaving a lasting impact on film, television, and theater.
Amanda Bearse is an American actress, comedian, and director. She is best known for her role as Marcy Rhoades D'Arcy in the Fox sitcom Married… with Children. Bearse later began working as a television director, directing over 90 episodes of comedy series. She attended Rollins College in 1977 before transferring.
Anthony Perkins, class of 1954, gained fame as the star of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, launching his career while studying at the college. Born in Manhattan, Perkins began his career as a teenager in summer stock programs, although he acted in films before his time on Broadway. His first film, The Actress, co-starring Spencer Tracy and Jean Simmons and directed by George Cukor, was an overall disappointment, prompting Perkins to return to theatre. He made his Broadway debut in the Elia Kazan-directed Tea and Sympathy (1953), in which he played Tom Lee, a "sissy" who is "cured" by the right woman. He was praised for the role, and after it closed, he turned to Hollywood once more, starring in Friendly Persuasion (1956) with Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire, which earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best New Actor of the Year and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The film led to Perkins's seven-year, semi-exclusive contract with Paramount Pictures, where he was their last matinee idol.
Buddy Ebsen, who attended in the late 1920s, became a celebrated actor and dancer known for roles in The Beverly Hillbillies and as the original Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. One of his most famous roles was as Jed Clampett in the CBS television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971); afterwards he starred as the title character in the television detective drama Barnaby Jones (1973-1980).
Read also: Alumni Traditions
Chris Kirkpatrick is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, music producer, podcaster, and actor. He founded the pop group NSYNC, in which he sang countertenor. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. Kirkpatrick was the lead singer in various songs including "Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)", "Together Again", "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", "I Thought She Knew", "Just Got Paid", and many songs from their Christmas album, Home for Christmas.
Christopher Fitzgerald is an American actor and singer. He is known for his role as Boq in the musical Wicked, Igor in the musical Young Frankenstein, and Ogie Anhorn in the musical Waitress. He earned Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award nominations for his performances in Waitress and Young Frankenstein and won the Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance in Waitress.
Dana Ivey is an American actress. She is a five-time Tony Award nominee for her work on Broadway, and won the 1997 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her work in both Sex and Longing and The Last Night of Ballyhoo. She originated the title role in Driving Miss Daisy and was nominated for a Drama Desk award for Best Actress in a Play. Her film appearances include The Color Purple (1985), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), The Addams Family (1991), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Addams Family Values (1993), Two Weeks Notice (2002), Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003), Rush Hour 3 (2007), and The Help (2011).
Deanna Lund was an American film and television actress best known for her role in the Irwin Allen television series Land of the Giants, in which she played Valerie Ames Scott.
Eddie Huang is an American author, chef, restaurateur, food personality, producer, and former attorney. He was a co-owner of BaoHaus, a gua bao restaurant in the East Village of Lower Manhattan. Huang previously hosted Huang's World for Viceland. His autobiography, Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir, was adapted into the ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat, of which he narrated the first season.
Read also: Rollins Scholarship Guide
Jo Ann Pflug is a retired American film and television actress.
Karen Steele was an American actress and model with more than 60 roles in film and television. Her most famous roles include starring as Virginia in Marty, as Mrs. Lane in Ride Lonesome, and as Eve McHuron in the Star Trek episode "Mudd's Women".
Lew Temple is an American actor known for his roles as Locus Fender in the action film Domino; Cal, the diner manager in the comedy-drama Waitress; and Axel in the third season of The Walking Dead.
Michael Nouri is an American screen and stage actor. He is best known for his television roles, including Dr. Neil Roberts on The O.C., Phil Grey on Damages, Caleb Cortlandt on All My Children, Eli David in NCIS, and Bob Schwartz on Yellowstone. He is also known for his starring roles in the films Flashdance (1983) and The Hidden (1987), and has appeared in several Broadway and Off-Broadway plays, including the original production of Victor/Victoria. He is a Saturn Award and Daytime Emmy Award nominee.
Fred Rogers, class of 1951, was the influential children's television host and creator of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, whose time at Rollins shaped his commitment to music and education. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music. Fred McFeely Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers, was an American television host, author, producer, and Presbyterian minister. He was the creator, showrunner, and host of the preschool television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001.
Read also: Explore Rollins College Jobs
Politics and Public Service
Rollins College has a strong tradition of producing leaders who serve in elected political offices at various levels. These alumni have contributed to policy-making in areas such as elections, urban development, justice, and education.
Glenda Hood, BA 1973, served as Mayor of Orlando, Florida, from 1993 to 2003, where she focused on community development and economic growth initiatives. She was later appointed Florida Secretary of State from 2003 to 2005, during which she oversaw key election reforms, including the adoption and implementation of provisional ballots to address voter eligibility challenges following the 2000 presidential election disputes.
Joel Greenberg attended from 2005-2012 and was elected Seminole County Tax Collector in Florida in 2016, serving until his resignation in 2020 amid federal investigations. His tenure was marred by political scandals, culminating in a 2021 guilty plea to six federal charges, including sex trafficking of a minor, wire fraud, and identity theft; he was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2022 after cooperating with authorities in related probes.
Libby Schaaf, BA 1987, was elected Mayor of Oakland, California, serving from 2015 to 2023, after previously holding seats on the Oakland City Council from 2011 to 2015. Her administration prioritized urban policy initiatives, including the "Keep Oakland Housed" program, a public-private partnership that prevented approximately 1,800 evictions in fiscal year 2019-20, and the "17K/17K Plan" to protect 17,000 low-income households from displacement while developing 17,000 new affordable housing units by 2024.
Mauricio Claver-Carone is an American lawyer, investor, and lobbyist. He was an official in the Treasury Department and National Security Council in the Donald Trump Administration. He was nominated and elected as the first American President of the Inter-American Development Bank, a position he held from October 2020 until September 26, 2022.
Michael K. Randolph, BS 1972, was elected to the Mississippi Supreme Court for District 2, Position 3, in 2004 following an initial gubernatorial appointment, and has served continuously through subsequent elections, becoming Chief Justice in 2019, with his Supreme Court term ending in 2028. In this role, he has overseen judicial appointments, including naming members to the Mississippi Bar Complaint Tribunal in 2022 and authorizing temporary circuit judges for Hinds County under House Bill 1020 in 2023 to address judicial backlogs and caseload pressures.
Matthew H. Smith, BA 1995, served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 54th District from 2007 to 2012 and then in the State Senate for the 37th District from 2013 to 2015 as a Democrat.
Rahul Gandhi, BA 1994, has been elected five times to the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament, representing constituencies such as Amethi (2004-2019) and Wayanad (since 2019) as a member of the Indian National Congress, and serving as Leader of the Opposition since June 2024.
Richard V. Spencer is an American politician and businessman who served as the 76th United States Secretary of the Navy from August 3, 2017, to November 24, 2019. While serving as Secretary of the Navy, he also briefly served as Acting United States Secretary of Defense (July 15 to July 23, 2019) and Acting United States Deputy Secretary of Defense (July 24 to July 31, 2019).
Terrie Wood, BA 1975, was elected as a Republican to the Connecticut House of Representatives for the 141st District, serving from 2009 to 2023 and holding leadership roles such as Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore. She championed education policy reforms, advocating for expanded school choice through charter and magnet schools, increased access to early childhood and preschool programs, and enhanced funding for special education to support students with disabilities.
Science and Academia
Rollins College has fostered an environment of intellectual curiosity and academic excellence, producing alumni who have made significant contributions to science, education, and other scholarly fields.
Donald J. Cram, BS 1941, was an American organic chemist who graduated from Rollins College with a degree in chemistry, having attended on a National Honorary Scholarship and served as an assistant in the chemistry department. His early interest in chemistry at Rollins led him to build his own laboratory equipment and pursue advanced studies, eventually earning an M.S. from the University of Nebraska in 1942 and a Ph.D. In 1987, Cram shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Jean-Marie Lehn and Charles J.
Robert Lado, BA 1939, was a prominent linguist and educational administrator whose work significantly influenced second language teaching methodologies.
Wendy Schaetzel Lesko, BA 1972, is an expert in youth education and activism, advocating for student involvement in civic and policy processes. She later earned a graduate degree in restorative practices from IIRP Graduate School in 2018. As co-founder and executive director of the Youth Activism Project since 1991, she has supported hundreds of youth-led initiatives to influence school policies and community ordinances on issues like environmental protection and public health. During her undergraduate years at Rollins, Lesko developed a recreational program for children of migrant farmworkers, fostering early educational outreach.
Athletics
Rollins College has a rich athletic tradition, with alumni achieving success in various sports, including tennis, golf, and baseball.
Clay Bellinger is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees and the Anaheim Angels, winning the World Series twice as a member of the Yankees. He was also on the 2002 Angels team, which won the 2002 World Series, but did not receive a championship ring as he only appeared in 2 regular season games.
Gigi Fernández is a Puerto Rican-American former professional tennis player. Fernández won 17 major doubles titles and two Olympic gold medals representing the United States, and reached the world No. 1 ranking in doubles. She reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 17 in 1991. Since retiring from the professional tour in 1997 at the age of 33, Fernández has been a tennis coach and entrepreneur. She now shares her knowledge of doubles with tennis enthusiasts throughout the US by conducting Master Doubles with Gigi Clinics and Doubles Boot Camps. Fernández is the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Mike Nicolette, class of 1978, transitioned from college stardom to professional success on the PGA Tour, where he won the 1983 Bay Hill Citrus Classic in a playoff against Greg Norman, marking his sole PGA victory. A three-time NCAA Division II All-American at Rollins, he claimed the 1976 NCAA Division II individual championship and turned professional in 1978, competing on the PGA Tour through the 1980s with additional top finishes like a T2 at the 1984 Kemper Open. Later, Nicolette contributed to golf equipment innovation as a club designer for brands like PXG.
Ryan Hanigan is an American baseball manager and former catcher who is the manager of the Williamsport Crosscutters in the MLB Draft League. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, and Colorado Rockies.
Shirley Fry Irvin was an American tennis player. During her career, which lasted from the early 1940s until the mid-1950s, she won the singles title at all four Grand Slam events, as well as 13 doubles titles, and was ranked No. 1 in the world in 1956. Championships (1942, 1943, 1944, 1946) and one Wimbledon (1946). She was ranked the world No. 1 in April 1947 and inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1968.
Business and Philanthropy
Rollins College alumni have also excelled in the world of business and philanthropy, making significant contributions to their communities and beyond.
Eric Bolling, RC '84, is a financial news television personality who earned a B.A.
Eleanor Morse, BM 1937, died 2010, a philanthropist, co-founded the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1982 with her husband A. Reynolds Morse, donating their extensive collection of over 2,000 Dalí works amassed since the 1940s to establish it as a major cultural institution.
George E. Merrick was a real estate developer who is best known as the planner and builder of the city of Coral Gables, Florida in the 1920s, one of the first major planned communities in the United States.
Jerry Zipkin, RC 1938, died 1995, a New York socialite and philanthropist, supported arts initiatives through his collections of Meissen porcelain, shells, and contemporary art, funding exhibitions and cultural events while maintaining close ties to influential figures like Nancy Reagan, whom he accompanied at social functions for decades.
Other Notable Alumni
In addition to the categories above, Rollins College has produced notable alumni in various other fields:
Chris Russo, RC '82, graduated from Rollins College with a B.A. in 1982 and is a pioneering sports radio personality known for his energetic style. He co-hosted the influential Mike and the Mad Dog on WFAN from 1989 to 2008, earning the Marconi Award in 2000, and frequently appears as a guest on ESPN's First Take, debating sports topics with hosts like Stephen A.
Elin Nordegren is a Swedish former model and nanny. She was married to professional golfer Tiger Woods from 2004 until their divorce in 2010.
Grady Judd is an American law enforcement officer and serves as the sheriff of Polk County, Florida since 2005.
Greg Hahn is an American stand-up comedian. He is a frequent guest on the nationally syndicated The Bob & Tom Show, and has several television appearances including Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He also performs at numerous corporate functions and comedy clubs. He is known for his highly energetic style of humor, often speaking in loud, rapid bursts.
Jack Kramer was an American tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, and a pioneer promoter who helped drive the sport towards professionalism at the elite level. Championships in 1946 and 1947, Wimbledon in 1947). Davis Cup tennis team to victory in the 1946 and 1947 Davis Cup finals.
Jeff Boss is an American conspiracy theorist and perennial candidate. He was an independent candidate for President of the United States in the 2008 and 2012 elections, a Democratic candidate in the 2016 election, and the 2020 election.
Joanne Rogers was an American musician who was the wife of television host and minister Fred Rogers.
Leanza Cornett was an American television personality and beauty pageant titleholder. She was crowned Miss Florida 1992 and Miss America 1993 the same year.
Mark Hertling is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General. From March 2011 to November 2012, he served as the Commanding General of United States Army Europe and the Seventh Army. Hertling served in Armor, Cavalry, planning, operations and training positions, and commanded every organization from Platoon to Field Army. He commanded the 1st Armored Division and Task Force Iron/Multinational Division-North in Iraq during the troop surge of 2007 to 2008.
Rex Beach was an American novelist, playwright, and Olympic water polo player.
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