Amherst College Notable Alumni

Dan Brown is an American author best known for writing a series of Robert Langdon novels; three such novels, namely The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and Inferno, have been made into films, with Tom Hanks portraying Robert Langdon in all three movies. Also known for his charity work, Dan Brown donates money to several charitable causes.

The 30th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge started his career as a lawyer before becoming an influential American politician. A man of few words with a dry sense of humor, Calvin Coolidge represented the middle class, which worked in his favor. Despite being a reclusive politician, Coolidge gave 520 press conferences, making himself available to reporters quite often.

Jeffrey Wright is a popular American actor. A self-made man, Jeffrey Wright overcame many childhood problems, including the demise of his father, to become an award-winning actor. Jeffrey Wright serves as an inspiration to many black Americans. In 2011, he established a gold exploration company called Taia Lion Resources, which provided employment to several Americans.

American magician and illusionist Teller is most noted for his performance with Penn Jillette as half of the famous comedy magic duo Penn & Teller. Works of Teller also includes featuring in the series Penn & Teller: Bullshit! with Jillette; co-directing and incorporating stage magic techniques in the plays Macbeth and The Tempest; and directing the documentary film Tim's Vermeer. 

Hamish Linklater is an American actor known for playing important roles in popular TV series, such as The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Crazy Ones, and Legion. The son of Kristin Linklater, Hamish Linklater followed in the footsteps of his mother to establish himself in the entertainment industry.

The incumbent Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta is the leader of the Jubilee Party of Kenya. Son of Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta, he was dragged into a controversy after sweeping the 2017 re-elections by winning 98% of the total votes. However, a Supreme Court ruling dismissed all charges against him.

David Foster Wallace was an American author who is regarded as one of the most innovative and influential writers of the past 20 years. His best-known work, Infinite Jest, was named one of the best English-language novels between 1923 and 2005 by Time magazine. Wallace continues to serve as an inspiration to writers like Darin Strauss and George Saunders.

Author, academic, and public policy fellow David Eisenhower teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. Best known for his Pulitzer Prize-shortlisted book Eisenhower at War: 1943-1945, he is the grandson of former U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower and the son of John Eisenhower. He is also the son-in-law of Richard Nixon.

Nobel laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz is best known for his work on the theory of markets with asymmetric information. The MIT alumnus has taught at prestigious institutes such as Harvard and Stanford and currently teaches at Columbia University, He has been an economic advisor to the U.S. government, too.

Former Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras was born into an affluent family and had even won the Greek Teen Tennis Championship at 17. He boasts of a Harvard MBA and, as a New Democracy party member, has held several ministerial positions. He had founded the short-lived political party Political Spring.

Harold E. Varmus is an American scientist who shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with J. Michael Bishop for their discovery of the retroviral oncogenes' cellular origin. From 1993 to 1999, he served as the director of the National Institutes of Health. From 2010 to 2015, he served as the director of the National Cancer Institute.

John M. Deutch is an American civil servant and physical chemist. He is best known for his service as the Director of Central Intelligence from 10 May 1995 to 15 December 1996. John M. Deutch also served as the Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1994 to 1995.

George Papandreou is a Greek politician who is currently serving as the President of the Socialist International (SI). From 2009 to 2011, he served as the Prime Minister of Greece. He has also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs on two occasions.