Yale University has long been recognized as the cradle of U.S. political leadership. This private, Ivy League, higher education establishment in New Haven, Connecticut has academic traditions dating back to 1701.
The controversial Skull and Bones Order is the oldest senior-class organization at the university. In the list below we are going to take a look at ten of Yale University’s most famous alumni.
List of Distinguished Yale Graduates
1. George H. W. Bush
- Degree: B.A. in Economics (1945-1948)
George H. W. Bush, 41st President of the United States, came to power in 1989, succeeding Cold War hardliner Ronald Reagan. He and his beloved wife, Barbara Bush, had the longest presidential marriage in American history – over seven decades.
Also, at the time of his death in 2018, George H. W. Bush was the longest-lived U.S. President. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economics which might have helped him to resuscitate the country from the deadly spiral of his predecessor’s Reaganomics. Today, he is forever remembered as one of the most successful Republican presidents America has ever had.
2. Dick Cheney
- Degree: enrolled but did not earn a degree (1963)
Dick Cheney, 46th Vice President of the US, was one of the Yale students who attended several courses but was unable to obtain a degree.
Yet, the period he spent at Yale must have helped shape him as one of the most successful and influential figures on the U.S. public stage. In 2007, he miraculously survived an assassination attempt while on a visit to Iraq.
3. Oliver Stone
- Degree: Dropped out (1965)
Our next candidate, U.S. film director Oliver Stone, also spent some time at Yale in 1965, two years after Cheney, without earning a degree. Yet, they both are popular enough to firmly secure their spots on our rankings.
During his long and prolific career, Oliver Stone has won four Oscars in eleven nominations. The first one was in 1979, for Best Adapted Screenplay for his film Midnight Express. His masterpiece film Platoon has won two Oscars: Best Director and Best Motion Picture.
4. Meryl Streep, American actress
The next famous alumni at Yale is famous U.S. actress Meryl Streep, who successfully graduated with an MFA in 1972. She won an Oscar for Best Actress for her appearance as former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady (2012). Back in 1982, Streep won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in The French Lieutenant’s Woman.
5. Bill Clinton
- Degree: Juris Doctor (1969-1973)
America’s 42nd President, Bill Clinton, is next on our list. His term was a period of economic boom, and most Americans were happy with his decisions. Also, Clinton’s Era was the last “golden period” to emigrate to America.
Interestingly, while doing his doctoral degree at Yale, Clinton met his future wife, Hillary. It was the love of the American people that helped Bill Clinton survive an impeachment procedure against him for his alleged affair with Monica Lewinski.
6. Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Degree: Juris Doctor (1969-1973)
Had Hillary Diane Rodham not attended Yale, she would never have become the First Lady of the United States. In 1971, while doing his Doctorate in Law Studies, she started dating the future leader of the nation, William Jefferson Clinton. This famous alumni at Yale even postponed her graduation by one year to spend more time with her beloved Bill at Yale University.
She was the Democrat’s Presidential candidate in the 2016 election.
7. Jodie Foster
- Degree: B.A. in Literature (1981-1985)
With a B.A. in Literature from Yale that she earned in the mid-1980s, Jodie Foster could have easily become a renowned writer or a literary critic. However, she showed a great passion for acting from an early age. She is probably best known for her appearance in The Silence of the Lambs (1992) as FBI trainee Clarice Starling. That role brought her an Academy Award for Best Actress.
8. Sarah Hughes
- Degree: B.A. in American Studies (2003-2009)
To earn a degree from Yale and an Olympic gold medal within a few years seems a monstrously challenging task. Yet, American figure skater and 2002 Olympic Champion Sarah Hughes proved it perfectly possible. Sarah Hughes began figure skating at the age of three, shortly after she’d made her first feeble steps. She is one of the most famous alumni at Yale for sports.
9. Edward Norton
- Degree: B.A. in History (1988-1991)
Edward Norton’s performances on the big screen have also been very convincing and plausible, prompting the viewers to instinctively empathize and identify with his characters. This is in part due to the B.A. degree in History that he obtained from Yale between 1988 to 1991.
10. Samuel F. B. Morse
- Degree: Unknown (Unknown-1810)
We could not establish when exactly our last candidate, Samuel F. B. Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, commenced his studies at Yale. However, it is known for a fact that while at Yale, Morse attended lectures on electricity delivered by Benjamin Silliman and Jeremiah Day. He graduated sometime in 1810.
Looking at the list above, one may conclude, and rightly so that the field of famous Yale University alumni is dominated by U.S. presidents, vice presidents, and secretaries of state. There are, however, a few film directors and Olympic champions. At the bottom of our list sits the great Samuel F. B. Morse, whose invention has saved millions of human lives throughout the centuries.
We hope that this article on famous alumni at Yale was helpful. Check out the Available Programs for International Students and Study in the USA pages for more study options!
