Columbia University Notable Alumni

Check out the list of notable Columbia University alumni. Some of the notable Columbia University students are Barack Obama, Alexander Hamilton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Warren Buffett and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The Columbia University, located in Manhattan, New York, is one of the most preferred study destinations for students from around the world. Unlike many famous universities, around 20 graduate schools are affiliated to this esteemed institution. The ‘Columbia University’ also has study centers in different cities across the world, such as Mumbai, Istanbul, Rio de Janeiro and Nairobi. A degree from this notable university adds a lot of value to an individual’s profile, especially in terms of job prospects. This famous university has been an alma mater to several noteworthy celebrities, known for their outstanding accomplishments. The list of notable alumni includes Former American president Barack Obama, acclaimed writer J.D Salinger, actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Joseph Gordon Levitt. Barack Obama is one of the finest examples of a great leader to many, immensely praised for his remarkable achievements during his tenure as the President. Several former students are also patrons who try doing their bit for the betterment of the university. If sources are to be believed, American business honcho and media baron John Kluge is one such alumnus who donated a whopping $ 600 Million to his alma mater, which speaks volumes about his love for this famous university. Not many know that the ‘Columbia University’ plays a pivotal role in conducting the prestigious ‘Pulitzer Prize’ ceremony every year. Here’s a list of notable Columbia University students who have reached great heights and have been a source of inspiration for many people across the world.
Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton
(Economist, Political Philosopher, Former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury)

11 January 1755

12 July 1804

Nevis, British West Indies

American

Capricorn

James FrancoJames Franco
(Actor, Writer, Producer, Director, Teacher)

19 April 1978

Palo Alto, California, U.S

American

Aries

B. R. AmbedkarB. R. Ambedkar

14 April 1891

06 December 1956

Mhow

Indian

Aries

Warren BuffettWarren Buffett
(Business Magnate, Investor, Philanthropist)

30 August 1930

Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

American

Virgo

Amelia EarhartAmelia Earhart
(Aviator, Pilot)

24 July 1897

05 January 1939

Atchison, Kansas

American

Leo

Jake GyllenhaalJake Gyllenhaal

19 December 1980

Los Angeles

American

Sagittarius

Katie HolmesKatie Holmes
(Actress)

18 December 1978

Toledo

American

Sagittarius

Robert KraftRobert Kraft
(Business Tycoon)

05 June 1941

Brookline

American

Gemini

Lauryn HillLauryn Hill

26 May 1975

South Orange, New Jersey, United States

American

Gemini

Julia StilesJulia Stiles
(Actress)

28 March 1981

New York City, New York, US

American

Aries

Neil deGrasse TysonNeil deGrasse Tyson
(Astrophysicist)

05 October 1958

Manhattan

American

Libra

Emmy RossumEmmy Rossum

12 September 1986

New York City

American

Virgo

Joseph Gordon-LevittJoseph Gordon-Levitt
(Actor, Director)

17 February 1981

Los Angeles

American

Aquarius

Anna PaquinAnna Paquin

24 July 1982

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Canadian,New Zealander

Leo

Lauren GrahamLauren Graham

16 March 1967

Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.

American

Pisces

Langston HughesLangston Hughes
(Poet, Novelist, Playwright, & Columnist)

01 February 1902

22 May 1967

Joplin, Missouri, United States

American

Aquarius

Hunter S. ThompsonHunter S. Thompson
(Journalist and Author)

18 July 1937

20 February 2005

Louisville

American

Cancer

Madeleine AlbrightMadeleine Albright
(Politician & Diplomat)

15 May 1937

Prague, Czechoslovakia

American

Taurus

Leonard CohenLeonard Cohen
(Singer-songwriter)

21 September 1934

07 November 2016

Westmount

Canadian

Virgo

J. D. SalingerJ. D. Salinger
(Writer)

01 January 1919

27 January 2010

New York City

American

Capricorn

Georgia O'KeeffeGeorgia O'Keeffe
(Artist)

15 November 1887

06 March 1986

Sun Prairie

American

Scorpio

Milton FriedmanMilton Friedman
(Economist, Statistician)

31 July 1912

16 November 2006

Brooklyn, New York, USA

American

Leo

Brian DennehyBrian Dennehy
(Actor)

09 July 1938

Bridgeport, Connecticut

American

Cancer

Allen GinsbergAllen Ginsberg
(Poet)

03 June 1926

05 April 1997

Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

American

Gemini

Telly SavalasTelly Savalas
(American singer)

21 January 1922

22 January 1994

Garden City, New York, USA

American

Aquarius

David RockefellerDavid Rockefeller
(Banker)

12 June 1915

20 March 2017

New York City

American

Gemini

Zora Neale HurstonZora Neale Hurston
(Folklorist, Anthropologist)

07 January 1891

28 January 1960

Notasulga

American

Capricorn

James CagneyJames Cagney
(Actor, Dancer)

17 July 1899

30 March 1986

New York City

American

Cancer

Abraham MaslowAbraham Maslow

01 April 1908

08 June 1970

Brooklyn

American

Aries

Philip HamiltonPhilip Hamilton
(Alexander Hamilton's Son)

22 January 1782

24 November 1801

Albany, New York, USA

American

Aquarius

Alan GreenspanAlan Greenspan
(American economist)

06 March 1926

New York City

American

Pisces

Gene RoddenberryGene Roddenberry

19 August 1921

24 October 1991

El Paso

American

Leo

Shirley ChisholmShirley Chisholm

30 November 1924

01 January 2005

Brooklyn

American

Sagittarius

Federico García LorcaFederico García Lorca
(Poet)

05 June 1898

19 August 1936

Fuente Vaqueros

Spanish

Gemini

Vanessa CarltonVanessa Carlton
(American singer-songwriter)

16 August 1980

Milford

American

Leo

Upton SinclairUpton Sinclair
(American writer)

20 September 1878

25 November 1968

Baltimore, Maryland

American

Virgo

John JayJohn Jay
(First Chief Justice of the United States)

12 December 1745

17 May 1829

New York City

American

Sagittarius

Frances BavierFrances Bavier
(Actress)

14 December 1902

06 December 1989

Manhattan, New York City, New York

American

Sagittarius

Mario PuzoMario Puzo
(Novelist, Screenwriter)

15 October 1920

02 July 1999

Manhattan

American

Libra

Carl RogersCarl Rogers
(Psychologist)

08 January 1902

04 February 1987

Oak Park

American

Capricorn

Spencer Treat ClarkSpencer Treat Clark
(Actor)

24 September 1987

New York City, New York

American

Libra

James R. Jim JarmuschJim Jarmusch
(American film director)

22 January 1953

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, United States

American

Aquarius

Charles R. DrewCharles R. Drew
(Physician & Surgeon)

03 June 1904

01 April 1950

Washington, D.C.

American

Gemini

Sidney LumetSidney Lumet
(Film Director)

25 June 1924

09 April 2011

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

American

Cancer

Margaret MeadMargaret Mead
(Cultural Anthropologist)

16 December 1901

15 November 1978

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

American

Sagittarius

Ben SteinBen Stein
(Writer, Actor, Lawyer)

25 November 1944

Washington, D.C., United States

American

Sagittarius

Richard RodgersRichard Rodgers
(Composer, songwriter, playwright)

28 June 1902

30 December 1979

New York City

American

Cancer

Laurie AndersonLaurie Anderson
(Musician)

05 June 1947

Glen Ellyn

American

Gemini

Ashraf GhaniAshraf Ghani
(13th President of Afghanistan)

12 February 1949

Logar, Afghanistan

Afghan

Aquarius

Thomas MertonThomas Merton
(Writer)

31 January 1915

10 December 1968

Prades

French,Thai,American

Aquarius

Stephen Jay GouldStephen Jay Gould

10 September 1941

20 May 2002

Bayside, New York, United States

American

Virgo

Lillian HellmanLillian Hellman
(Dramatist and Screenwriter)

20 June 1905

30 June 1984

New Orleans, Louisiana

American

Gemini

Klaus FuchsKlaus Fuchs
(Theoretical Physicist and Atomic Spy)

29 December 1911

28 January 1988

Rüsselsheim, German Empire

German

Capricorn

Murray RothbardMurray Rothbard
(Economist)

02 March 1926

07 January 1995

Bronx, New York, United States

American

Pisces

Ben MankiewiczBen Mankiewicz
(Journalist, Film Critic)

25 March 1967

Washington, D.C., United States

American

Aries

Michael PollanMichael Pollan
(Author, Journalist, Activist)

06 February 1955

Long Island

American

Aquarius

Lester B. PearsonLester B. Pearson
(14th Prime Minister of Canada)

23 April 1897

27 December 1972

Newtonbrook, Toronto, Ontario

Canadian

Taurus

Benjamin Spock Benjamin Spock
(Pediatrician and Political Activist)

02 May 1903

15 March 1998

New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.

American

Taurus

Jane JacobsJane Jacobs
(Journalist, Author, Activist)

04 May 1916

25 April 2006

Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Canadian

Taurus

Rostam BatmanglijRostam Batmanglij
(Musician)

28 November 1983

Washington, D.C., United States

American

Sagittarius

James Weldon JohnsonJames Weldon Johnson
(Educator, Lawyer, Diplomat, Songwriter, Writer, Anthropologist, Poet and Activist)

17 June 1871

26 June 1938

Jacksonville, Florida, United States

American

Gemini

Adi DaAdi Da
(Founder of Adidam)

03 November 1939

27 November 2008

Queens

American

Scorpio

Richard AvedonRichard Avedon

15 May 1923

01 October 2004

New York City

American

Taurus

Amiri BarakaAmiri Baraka
(Writer)

07 October 1934

09 January 2014

Newark

American

Libra

Jordana SpiroJordana Spiro
(Actress)

12 November 1977

Manhattan, New York City, United States

American

Scorpio

Carson McCullersCarson McCullers
(American novelist)

19 February 1917

29 September 1967

Columbus, Georgia, USA

American

Aquarius

Adam Clayton Powell Jr.Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
(Politician & Civil Rights Activist)

29 November 1908

04 April 1972

New Haven

American

Sagittarius

Konrad LorenzKonrad Lorenz
(Zoologist)

07 November 1903

27 February 1989

Vienna

Austrian

Scorpio

Joseph HellerJoseph Heller
(Novelist)

01 May 1923

12 December 1999

Brooklyn, New York

American

Taurus

Bhupen HazarikaBhupen Hazarika
(Musician, Singer, Poet, Filmmaker, Lyricist)

08 September 1926

05 November 2011

Sadiya

Indian

Virgo

Joseph L. MankiewiczJoseph L. Mankiewicz
(Writer, Director, Producer)

11 February 1909

05 February 1993

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States

American

Aquarius

Steven WeinbergSteven Weinberg

03 May 1933

New York City, USA

American

Taurus

Albert EllisAlbert Ellis
(Psychologist)

27 September 1913

24 July 2007

Pittsburgh

American

Libra

Joyce BrothersJoyce Brothers
(American psychologist)

20 October 1927

13 May 2013

New York City, New York, U.S.

American

Libra

Alan LomaxAlan Lomax
(Folklorist)

31 January 1915

19 July 2002

Austin

American

Aquarius

Julian SchwingerJulian Schwinger
(Physicist)

12 February 1918

16 July 1994

New York City

American

Aquarius

Robert Andrews MillikanRobert Andrews Millikan
(Physicist)

22 March 1868

19 December 1953

Morrison

American

Aries

Herman HollerithHerman Hollerith
(Father of modern automatic computation)

29 February 1860

17 November 1929

Buffalo

American

Pisces

Kenneth ArrowKenneth Arrow
(Economist & Political Theorist)

23 August 1921

New York City, USA

American

Leo

Simon KuznetsSimon Kuznets
(Economist)

30 April 1901

08 July 1985

Pinsk

American

Taurus

Lillian Moller GilbrethLillian Moller Gilbreth
(Mother of Modern Management)

24 May 1878

02 January 1972

Oakland

American

Gemini

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