University Of Pennsylvania Notable Alumni

Discover the notable alumni of University Of Pennsylvania. The list includes people like Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, Elizabeth Banks & Tiffany Trump. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as scientists, writers, leaders, media personalities and business people etc.
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 1 
Elon Musk
(CEO of Tesla)
Elon Musk
1006
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: June 28, 1971
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Pretoria, South Africa

Entrepreneur, engineer and industrial designer, Elon Musk, is famous as founder of the electronic payment firm PayPal, and the SpaceX spacecraft company. He is also the CEO of Tesla Motors. Elon Musk has plans to revolutionize transportation on earth as well as to space through futuristic technology.

 2 
Warren Buffett
(Chairman & CEO of Berkshire Hathaway)
Warren Buffett
85
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 30, 1930
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, United States

American investor, business tycoon and philanthropist Warren Buffett is considered one of the most successful investors in the world by the media. The chairman and largest shareholder of the firm, Berkshire Hathaway, he is often called as the ‘Oracle’ or ‘Sage’ of Omaha. Notably, he has pledged to give away a sizable portion of his wealth to philanthropic causes.

 3 
Sundar Pichai
(CEO of Google Inc)
Sundar Pichai
170
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: June 10, 1972
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc. An alumnus of IIT, Stanford and Wharton, Pichai has come a long way, from innovating Google’s products such as Chrome, Google Drive and Google Apps to leading the software giant and being one of the most sought-after names in the tech industry.

 4 
John Legend
(Best Known for His Debut Album 'Get Lifted' and 'Once Again')
John Legend
91
Birthdate: December 28, 1978
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Springfield, Ohio, United States

John Legend is a singer, songwriter, actor, film producer and theatre director and his song All of Me from his fourth studio album was a Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit. He has released a host of successful albums. He has also won many awards, including an Oscar and a handful of Grammys. He is also an actor and a TV personality.

 5 
Noam Chomsky
(A Major Figure in Analytic Philosophy Who is Also Known as 'The Father of Modern Linguistics')
Noam Chomsky
72
Birthdate: December 7, 1928
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Regarded by many as the father of modern linguistics, Noam Chomsky has authored over 100 books on varied topics, such as politics, linguistics, and war. A multi-talented personality, Noam Chomsky is considered a popular figure in analytic philosophy. Apart from influencing a wide array of academic fields, he has also contributed to the development of cognitivism.

 6 
Kwame Nkrumah
(First President of Ghana)
Kwame Nkrumah
28
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: September 21, 1909
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Nkroful
Died: April 27, 1972

Kwame Nkrumah was a Ghanaian revolutionary and politician. He played an important role in the independence of the Gold Coast in 1957, after which he served as the first prime minister of Ghana from 1957 to 1960 and then as the first president of Ghana from 1960 to 1966. He also played an influential role as an advocate of Pan-Africanism.

 7 
Elizabeth Banks
(Actress Known for Her Role in 'The Hunger Games' and 'Pitch Perfect' Movie Series)
Elizabeth Banks
49
Birthdate: February 10, 1974
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Pittsfield, Massachusetts, United States

Elizabeth Banks is famous for The Hunger Games film series and Pitch Perfect film series. The 2019 action comedy film Charlie's Angels was directed, written and produced by her, in which she acted too. The Spider-Man trilogy, Seabiscuit, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Next Three Days and Power Rangers are some of her other notable films. 

 8 
Tiffany Trump
(Daughter of Donald Trump)
Tiffany Trump
117
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: October 13, 1993
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: West Palm Beach, Florida, United States

The only child of US President, Donald Trump, and his second wife, Marla Maples, Tiffany Trump has worked as a model in the past. As a teenager, she aspired to become a musician and released her debut single in 2011. She later took up a few modeling assignments. She graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2020.

 9 
Ezra Pound
(American Poet and Critic Known for His Works: ‘Ripostes’, ‘Hugh Selwyn Mauberley’ and the Epic Poem, ‘The Cantos’)
Ezra Pound
24
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 30, 1885
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Idaho, United States
Died: November 1, 1972
American poet Ezra Pound was a significant figure in the modernist poetry movement who developed imagism and gained fame with works such as Ripostes and The Cantos. He later promoted social credit theory. During World War II, he supported fascism, participating in radio broadcasts against the U.S. and Jews. 
 10 
Ivanka Trump
(Daughter of Former US President Donald Trump)
Ivanka Trump
125
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: October 30, 1981
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States

Ivanka Trump is the daughter of the U.S. President Donald Trump and since 2017, she has been serving as Advisor to the President.  Before venturing into politics, she dabbled a bit in modelling, became a television personality, worked as executive vice-president of the Trump Organization and also launched her own eponymous fashion line. A published author, Ivanka also supports numerous charitable causes.

 11 
William Henry Harrison
(The First U.S President to Die in the Office and Had the Shortest Presidency in the U.S. History)
William Henry Harrison
20
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: February 9, 1773
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Virginia, United States
Died: April 4, 1841

The ninth president of the US, William Henry Harrison died 31 days into his presidential term, becoming the shortest-serving US president ever. His demise caused a brief constitutional crisis pertaining to the succession to the presidency. Subsequently, Vice President John Tyler became the new president, setting an important precedent in terms of transfer of the presidency in such situations.

 12 
I. M. Pei
(Architect)
I. M. Pei
20
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: April 26, 1917
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Guangzhou, China
Died: May 16, 2019

I. M. Pei was a Chinese-American architect who drew inspiration from the garden villas at Suzhou when he was young. He is credited with founding I. M. Pei & Associates, an independent design firm, in 1955. Today, the award-winning firm is known by the name, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. Pei is known for designing structures like the Mesa Laboratory.

 13 
Bruce Dern
(Actor)
Bruce Dern
7
Birthdate: June 4, 1936
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 14 
Candice Bergen
(Actress)
Candice Bergen
20
Birthdate: May 9, 1946
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Beverly Hills, California, United States
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 15 
Alice Paul
(American Quaker, Feminist, Suffragist, and Women's Rights Activist)
Alice Paul
11
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: January 11, 1885
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey, United States
Died: July 9, 1977

Alice Paul was an American Quaker, feminist, suffragist, and women's rights activist. She is best remembered for strategizing events like the Silent Sentinels and the Woman Suffrage Procession, which resulted in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920. Alice Paul often displayed courage while confronting police brutality for her activism.

 16 
Laurene Powell Jobs
(Widow of Steve Jobs)
Laurene Powell Jobs
15
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: November 6, 1963
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: West Milford, New Jersey, United States

The widow of Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs is a businesswoman. Over the years, she has been playing a major role as a philanthropist; in 2019, Inside Philanthropy named her the Least Transparent Mega-Giver. She is the founder of Emerson Collective, an organization focused on health, education, media and journalism, immigration reform, and the environment.

 17 
Whitney Cummings
(Comedian)
Whitney Cummings
13
Birthdate: September 4, 1982
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Georgetown, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 18 
Vanessa Bayer
(Actress)
Vanessa Bayer
11
Birthdate: November 14, 1981
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 19 
Dick Wolf
(Creator and Executive Producer of the American TV Series ‘Law & Order’)
Dick Wolf
6
Birthdate: December 20, 1946
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Dick Wolf soared to fame as the executive producer and creator of the Law & Order TV franchise. He also created the Chicago franchise. The Emmy-winning producer has also authored four books, including a non-fiction and three thrillers. He has also written and co-produced films such as No Man's Land.
 20 
Ashley Biden
(Social Worker, Fashion Designer and Daughter of U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden)
Ashley Biden
81
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: June 8, 1981
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Wilmington, Delaware, United States

Ashley Biden, youngest daughter of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, has been the executive director of the Delaware Center for Justice. Ashley owns a clothing company, Livelihood, which donates its sales proceeds to various charities, partnering with online retailer Gilt Groupe. She has fought against animal testing and for dolphin conservation.

 21 
Gloria Allred
(American Feminist Lawyer Known for Taking Controversial and High Profile Cases for Women's Rights)
Gloria Allred
11
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: July 3, 1941
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

A pioneering female lawyer, Gloria Allred is known for fighting cases involving violation of women’s rights and has turned into an icon for women and people from minority communities. A civil rights advocate, too, she has also been a TV and radio commentator and host.

 22 
Maury Povich
(Television personality, best known for hosting the tabloid talk show Maury)
Maury Povich
10
Birthdate: January 17, 1939
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 23 
Steve Eisman
(Investor)
Steve Eisman
3
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: July 8, 1962
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York City
Steven Eisman is best known for betting against collateralized debt obligations at the Morgan Stanley unit FrontPoint Partners LLC. He thus gained from the collapse of the 2007–2008 American housing bubble. He has worked with Neuberger Berman, had founded the now-defunct Emrys Partners, and has campaigned against for-profit colleges.
 24 
Lynn Toler
(Judge)
Lynn Toler
4
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: October 25, 1959
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio, United States
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)
 25 
Louis Kahn
(Architect)
Louis Kahn
0
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: February 20, 1901
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kuressaare, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire
Died: March 17, 1974

Louis Kahn was an American architect who is credited with creating a style that was monolithic and monumental. Regarded as one of the 20th century's most influential architects, Kahn served as a professor at Yale School of Architecture and at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design. His life and career inspired a documentary titled My Architect: A Son's Journey.

 26 
Abby Huntsman
(Journalist, TV Presenter)
Abby Huntsman
3
Birthdate: May 1, 1986
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pennsylvania

Daughter of Jon Huntsman Jr., former governor of Utah, Abby Huntsman is an Emmy-winning broadcast journalist who rose to fame with her shows on MSNBC and NBC News. She has also co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend and The View. She was listed on Forbes 30 under 30, too.

 27 
Becki Newton
(Actress)
Becki Newton
3
Birthdate: July 4, 1978
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 28 
Steve Wynn
(Casino Resort Developer)
Steve Wynn
6
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: January 27, 1942
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New Haven

The son of a bingo parlor chain, Steve Wynn sold ice-creams as a teenager but grew up to own some of Las Vegas’s most popular casinos, such as The Mirage. A sexual misconduct scandal forced him to step down from the post of the chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts.

 29 
Cenk Uygur
(Political Commentator & Creator and Host of 'The Young Turks')
Cenk Uygur
11
Birthdate: March 21, 1970
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: İstanbul, Turkey

Cenk Uygur is a Turkish-American journalist, attorney, media host, and political commentator. He is credited with creating a commentary and sociopolitical news program titled The Young Turks (TYT). He is also credited with co-founding Justice Democrats, a progressive political action committee in the United States.

 30 
Gary Ross
(Director)
Gary Ross
0
Birthdate: November 3, 1956
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
 31 
Andrea Mitchell
(News anchor)
Andrea Mitchell
12
Birthdate: October 30, 1946
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
 32 
Amanda Anisimova
(American Professional Tennis Player)
Amanda Anisimova
5
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 31, 2001
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Freehold Township, New Jersey, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 33 
Martin Seligman
(Psychologist)
Martin Seligman
0
Birthdate: August 12, 1942
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Albany, New York, United States
 34 
Tyler Ritter
4
Birthdate: January 31, 1985
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 35 
Ahmed Zewail
(Chemist)
Ahmed Zewail
4
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: February 26, 1946
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Damanhour, Egypt
Died: August 2, 2016
 36 
Charles Addams
(Former Cartoonist known for his darkly humorous and macabre characters)
Charles Addams
3
Birthdate: January 7, 1912
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Westfield, New Jersey, United States
Died: September 29, 1988

Mostly known as a cartoonist for The New Yorker, Charles Addams was known for including dark humor in his works. Also known by his pseudonym, Chas Addams, he gained fame for his cartoons about a family of ghosts, which later inspired The Addams Family series of the 1960s.

 37 
Melissa Rivers
(Actress)
Melissa Rivers
4
Birthdate: January 20, 1968
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 38 
Tory Burch
(Fashion Designer)
Tory Burch
5
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: June 17, 1966
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, United States
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 39 
Evan McMullin
(Politician)
Evan McMullin
5
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 2, 1976
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Provo, Utah, U.S.
 40 
John Doman
(Actor)
John Doman
4
Birthdate: January 9, 1945
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 41 
Chuck Bednarik
(Football player)
Chuck Bednarik
4
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 1, 1925
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: March 21, 2015
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 42 
Nelson Peltz
(Businessman & Investor)
Nelson Peltz
4
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: June 24, 1942
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, New York

A successful activist investor, Nelson Peltz is the co-founder of Trian Fund Management, an alternative investment company. He also serves as the non-executive chairman of Wendy's Company, and director of Legg Mason, P&G, Sysco and The Madison Square Garden Company. A college dropout, he initially ran his family business. Later, he acquired many companies and became a successful businessman.

 43 
Rebecca Rittenhouse
(Actress)
Rebecca Rittenhouse
1
Birthdate: November 30, 1988
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 44 
Bobby Troup
(Singer-songwriter, Pianist, Actor, Songwriter, Jazz musician, Officer)
Bobby Troup
3
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: October 18, 1918
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Harrisburg
Died: February 7, 1999
 45 
Ken Olin
(Actor)
Ken Olin
0
Birthdate: July 30, 1954
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 46 
W. Kamau Bell
(Comedian)
W. Kamau Bell
3
Birthdate: January 26, 1973
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Palo Alto, California, United States U.S.
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 47 
Hilary Putnam
(Mathematician, Philosopher)
Hilary Putnam
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: July 31, 1926
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: March 13, 2016
 48 
Lawrence Lessig
(Jurist, Activist, Lawyer, Non-fiction writer, Computer scientist, Politician, Professor)
Lawrence Lessig
1
Birthdate: June 3, 1961
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Rapid City

Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig established Creative Commons, a non-profit geared at reducing copyright restrictions, thus helping artists and creative professional share their works legally. A Democrat, he also co-founded Rootstrikers, aimed at combating corruption in Congress. He is also a TED speaker and has penned books such as Lesterland.

 49 
Max Handelman
(Sportswriter)
Max Handelman
3
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: May 3, 1973
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Portland, Oregon, United States
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 50 
Dan Fogelman
(Producer)
Dan Fogelman
2
Birthdate: March 19, 1976
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: River Vale, New Jersey, United States
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
Founded by Benjamin Franklin, University of Pennsylvania or UPenn as it is popularly called is a private Ivy League research institute located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Being the first university to include undergraduate and post graduate studies in the United States of America, UPenn enjoys a rich history and heritage that has given rise to various prominent personalities in the country. The university has created two U.S. Presidents, 25 billionaires and over 33 U.S. Senators. The American Medical Association was founded in UPenn, which is home to the oldest functioning psychology department in North America. The 279 acre campus specializes in programs in the fields of Science, Communication, Law, Education, Medicine, Design, Nursing and so many other remarkable courses. With more than 4,000 active faculty members, UPenn boasts a diverse panel of faculty who are well-qualified in their areas of expertise. University of Pennsylvania is ranked 8th among national universities in the United States, as per the 2017 rankings of U.S. News & World Report. With great racial diversity of students from over one hundred countries and with more than 53% of students who are female, the university enjoys great popularity in the U.S for producing highly capable individuals who possess intellectual rigor and innovative knowledge. Various well-known personalities have had their humble beginnings in University of Pennsylvania such as Donald Trump, Warren Buffett, John Legend and Noam Chomsky. You will be surprised by the list of high-profile celebrities who went to University Of Pennsylvania, keep reading to know more.