Discover the notable alumni of Columbia University. The list includes people like Alexander Hamilton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Warren Buffett, B. R. Ambedkar & James Franco. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as writers, intellectuals & academics, media personalities, film & theater personalities and miscellaneous etc.
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1
Barack Obama(44th President of the United States (2009-2017))
Birthdate: August 4, 1961
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Former President of the United States, Barack Obama, has the distinction of being the first African-American president of the nation. A civil rights attorney and an academic, he has been credited with bringing about a significant improvement in America’s reputation abroad. His efforts to strengthen international diplomacy was recognized with the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
Birthdate: January 11, 1755
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Charlestown, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Died: July 12, 1804
Known as America’s one of the most influential Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and served as the first secretary of the treasury. He also fought in the American Revolutionary War and was considered as a leading votary of the strong central government.
Birthdate: December 19, 1980
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Beginning his career as a child star, actor Jake Gyllenhaal has been active in the entertainment industry for almost three decades. The son of a director and screenwriter, he inherited his parents’ love for Hollywood. His career progressed in the 2000s as he proved his mettle by taking up versatile roles. He is considered a male sex symbol.
Recommended Lists: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.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: January 25, 1981
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Hell's Kitchen, New York, United States
Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys has been active in the music industry since the mid-1990s. Her debut album was a super hit and earned her five Grammy Awards. She is one of the best-selling artists in the United States and has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. She is also known for her humanitarian work, philanthropy, and activism.
6
Amelia Earhart(The First Female Aviator to Fly Solo Across the Atlantic Ocean)
Birthdate: July 24, 1897
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Atchison, Kansas, United States
Died: January 5, 1939
Amelia Earhart became the first female pilot to complete a solo trans-Atlantic flight, in 1932. A champion for equal rights, Amelia later wrote best-selling memoirs and contributed to the women pilot’s group The Ninety-Nines. In 1937, Amelia disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean and was later declared dead.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: October 5, 1958
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Public Welfare Medal-winning astrophysicist and academic Neil deGrasse Tyson hosted shows such as NOVA ScienceNow, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, and Star Talk. He is the director of Hayden Planetarium and contributed to the dismissal of Pluto’s status as the ninth planet. He has also written a monthly column as "Merlin.”
Birthdate: May 26, 1975
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Famous rapper and singer, Lauryn Hill, is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time and a pioneer in the Neo soul genre. The artist whose album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won five Grammy Awards, is an inspiration for numerous singers and rappers. Earlier, she gained recognition as member of Fugees, an award-winning hip hop group.
Recommended Lists:9
Anna Paquin(Canadian-born New Zealand Actress and the Second Youngest Winner in Oscar History)
Birthdate: July 24, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Winnipeg, Canada
Anna Paquin is a New Zealand-Canadian actress. She started her career as a child actress and became the second-youngest winner in the history of the Academy Awards when she won an Oscar at the age of 11 under the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance as Flora McGrath in Jane Campion's 1993 period drama film The Piano.
10
Isaac Asimov(Writer Best Known for His Hard Science Fiction Novels and Professor of Biochemistry)
Birthdate: January 2, 1920
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Petrovichi, Russia
Died: April 6, 1992
Isaac Asimov was an American writer. Best known for his science fiction works, Asimov was regarded as one of the Big Three writers along with Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein. Asimov is credited with influencing most sci-fi writers since the 1950s. Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman stated that one of Asimov's works inspired him to take up Economics.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: April 14, 1891
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Madhya Pradesh, India
Died: December 6, 1956
India's first Minister of Law and Justice, B. R. Ambedkar inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement. He also fought against social discrimination prevalent in India at that time. Widely regarded as the chief architect of the Constitution of India, Ambedkar was posthumously honored with India's highest civilian award - The Bharat Ratna.
12
Raymond Burr(Actor)
Birthdate: May 21, 1917
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New Westminster, Canada
Died: September 12, 1993
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: June 30, 1930
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Gastonia, North Carolina
One of the few personalities known for his disdain of self-promotion, Thomas Sowell is an important American social theorist and economist. Over the years, he has played a prominent role working as a faculty member of many prestigious universities, such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Cornell University.
14
Langston Hughes(One of the Earliest Innovators of the Literary Art Form Called Jazz Poetry)
Birthdate: February 1, 1901
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Joplin, Missouri, United States
Died: May 22, 1967
Langston Hughes is best remembered as a prominent leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He was one of the first to write jazz poetry. He also wrote plays and short stories. He was a columnist for The Chicago Defender and wrote the iconic poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers.
Recommended Lists:15
J. D. Salinger(American Author Best Known for His Novel 'The Catcher in the Rye')
Birthdate: January 1, 1919
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: January 27, 2010
J. D. Salinger is best remembered for his controversial novel The Catcher in the Rye, which was banned in many school libraries due to its sexual content. His other notable works include the anthology Nine Stories and the novella Hapworth. He spent much of his life in seclusion.
16
Jack Kerouac(Novelist and Poet Best Known for His Novels: ‘On the Road', ‘The Dharma Bums’ and ‘Big Sur’)
Birthdate: March 12, 1922
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lowell, Massachusetts, United States
Died: October 21, 1969
Jack Kerouac is remembered as a prominent figure of the Beat Generation. His works, consisting of several novels and poems, with their focus on spirituality, drugs, travel, sex, and jazz, paved the way for the hippie movement. He is best known for his pathbreaking novel On the Road
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: May 15, 1937
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Smíchov, Prague, Czechia
Died: March 23, 2022
Madeleine Albright served as the U.S. Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001, under Bill Clinton, and was the first woman to hold the post. The Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee also chaired the Albright Stonebridge Group and taught at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.
18
Milton Friedman(American Economist & Nobel Prize Winner in Economic Sciences Who Extolled the Virtues of a Free Market Economic System)
Birthdate: July 31, 1912
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: November 16, 2006
Milton Friedman was an American economist. Widely regarded as one of the most influential economists of the 20th century, Friedman was honored with the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1976. One of the most influential personalities of the Chicago school of economics, Friedman mentored people like Gary Becker and Thomas Sowell who went on to become leading economists.
Recommended Lists:19
Yo-Yo Ma(American Grammy-Award Winning Cellist )
Birthdate: October 7, 1955
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
French-born Chinese cellist Yo-Yo Ma was a child prodigy and later won 18 Grammys for his works. The Juilliard and Harvard alumnus has experimented with various types of music, including Brazilian and Chinese music. Named to Time 100 in 2020, he is also a U.N. Messenger of Peace.
20
Timothée Chalamet(American Actor Known for His Films: 'Call Me by Your Name' and 'Beautiful Boy')
Birthdate: December 27, 1995
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
From being a child artist for various commercials to becoming one of the youngest actors to be nominated for the prestigious Academy Award for Best Actor, Timothée Chalamet has achieved much during his short career till now. He shot to fame with the movies Call Me by Your Name and Lady Bird; however, before these he also appeared in the TV series, Homeland, and the movie, Interstellar.
Recommended Lists:21
Ruth Bader Ginsburg(Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1993 - 2020))
Birthdate: March 15, 1933
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: September 18, 2020
The first Jewish woman to serve on the US Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. An advocate for gender equality and women's rights, she spent the majority of her legal career championing these causes. She remained professionally active until her death in 2020.
22
James Franco(One of the Most Versatile Actors of His Generation, Known for His Films: '127' and 'James Dean')
Birthdate: April 19, 1978
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Palo Alto, California, United States
Actor, director, and comedian, James Franco, has been active in the entertainment industry for over two decades. He was studious as a child and wanted to become a marine biologist. However, fate had other plans and he became an actor instead. In addition to acting, he teaches film classes at many universities, including New York University.
Recommended Lists:23
Allen Ginsberg(Best Known for His Poem ‘Howl’, Which is One of the Most Significant Products of the 'Beat Movement')
Birthdate: June 3, 1926
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Died: April 5, 1997
Allen Ginsberg, a Beat Generation poet, is best remembered for his 1956 poem Howl, which criticized U.S. capitalism and described homosexual acts, and was thus banned. He earned the National Book Award for The Fall of America and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Cosmopolitan Greetings: Poems 1986–1992.
Birthdate: February 17, 1981
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
A multitalented personality, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a versatile actor, a recognised director and the founder of HitRecord, a collaborative platform for creative artist. Debuting as a child actor, he won fame and awards with the television series 3rd Rock from the Sun. Later, as an adult, he acted in films like The Dark Knight Rises, Inception and Don Jon.
Recommended Lists:25
Kathryn Bigelow(Film director)
Birthdate: November 27, 1951
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: San Carlos, California, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Birthdate: January 6, 1984
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Sea Cliff, New York, United States
Kate McKinnon is a popular American actress and comedian known for her work in sketch comedy series, such as Saturday Night Live and The Big Gay Sketch Show. She is also famous for co-creating a web-series called Notary Publix and an audio series titled Heads Will Roll. An openly gay actress, McKinnon serves as an inspiration to the LGBT community.
Recommended Lists:27
Brian De Palma(Film director, Screenwriter)
Birthdate: September 11, 1940
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
Birthdate: September 12, 1986
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Sunset Park, New York, United States
Actress and singer-songwriter, Emmy Rossum, is best known for her portrayal of Fiona Gallagher in the TV series Shameless. Beginning her career as a child actress in the 1990s, she began taking up more mature roles in her teens. As a singer, she has released two albums and an EP and has also provided vocals to many collaborative singles.
Recommended Lists:29
Julia Stiles(Best Known for Her Role as 'Nicky Parsons' in the 'Bourne' Film Franchise)
Birthdate: March 28, 1981
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Julia Stiles attained fame in the late 1990s when she portrayed a feminist teenager in 10 Things I Hate About You. As an adult, The Business of Strangers, Save the Last Dance and Hustlers are some of her acclaimed films. She has also starred in the Bourne film series. She has had a good run doing television series like Dexter and Riviera.
Birthdate: December 18, 1978
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Toledo, Ohio, United States
Regarded as one of the most beautiful actresses, Katie Holmes has been included in FHM magazine's sexiest women in the world list on multiple occasions. In 2003, she was named in People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People list. An actress with a great sense of fashion, she launched a clothing line named Holmes & Yang with stylist Jeanne Yang.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: January 7, 1891
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Notasulga
Died: January 28, 1960
Zora Neale Hurston was an author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. As an African American woman, she often depicted racial issues in the films she made. Her works also reflected her struggles as a black woman. In her early career, she conducted anthropological and ethnographic research and focused more on writing and film-making in her later years.
32
John Jay(1st Chief Justice of the United States (1789 - 1795))
Birthdate: December 12, 1745
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: May 17, 1829
One of the Founding Fathers of the United States who signed the famous Paris Treaty, John Jay was best known as the first Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, although he occupied various other important public positions. He was a diplomat, who shaped his country’s foreign policy. He passed legislation to gradually abolish slavery, but he himself owned five enslaved people.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: January 2, 1969
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Walnut Creek, California, United States
Model Christy Turlington is best known for being part of Calvin Klein's Eternity campaign. Named to Time 100, she has worked with Maybelline and Versace, too. Her cover of British Vogue inspired George Michael's video Freedom. She owns the non-profit Every Mother Counts, which works for safe pregnancy and childbirth.
34
Sidney Lumet(Prolific Filmaker of the Modern Era Known for Eliciting Strong Performances From His Cast Members)
Birthdate: June 25, 1924
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: April 9, 2011
Academy Honorary Award-winning director/producer Sidney Lumet is best known for directing iconic films such as 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon. He began his career with Off-Broadway productions. He later worked in multiple films with Sean Connery and came to be known as an "actor's director."
Recommended Lists:35
Casey Affleck(Actor and Filmmaker Best Known for His Academy-Award Winning Film 'Manchester by the Sea')
Birthdate: August 12, 1975
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Falmouth, Massachusetts, United States
Actor and director, Casey Affleck has been active in the entertainment industry for over three decades. He developed a love for acting while in school and appeared in many school plays. Encouraged by his drama teacher, he decided to become an actor. After struggling for a few years, he established himself successfully in Hollywood.
36
Maggie Gyllenhaal(Actress, Filmmaker and Daughter of Filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs)
Birthdate: November 16, 1977
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lower East Side, New York, United States
Daughter of filmmaker Stephen Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal is known for her Golden Globe-winning performance in the miniseries The Honorable Woman. Fans also loved her in Secretary and The Dark Knight. She has liberal political views and supports non-profits associated with human rights, eco-friendly fashion, and people with hearing loss.
Recommended Lists:37
James Gunn(Director Known for His Films: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, ‘Scooby-Doo’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’)
Birthdate: August 5, 1966
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
At the age of 12, James Gunn started making 8 mm zombie films in the woods near his home along with his brothers. What started as a fun activity, eventually helped Gunn establish a career in filmmaking. Apart from filmmaking and acting, he is also interested in music and writing; he founded a band in 1989 and wrote a novel in 2000.
38
Famke Janssen(Dutch Actress Known for Her Role in the Netflix Original Series 'Hemlock Grove')
Birthdate: November 5, 1964
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Amstelveen, Netherlands
Famke Janssen is a Dutch actress best known for playing important roles in popular Hollywood films like the X-Men film series and the Taken film trilogy. A former fashion model, Janssen achieved international recognition when she played Bond girl Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye. Over the course of her acting career, Famke Janssen has recieved several awards, including the Saturn Award.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: January 8, 1902
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Oak Park
Died: February 4, 1987
Psychologist Carl Rogers was the first to introduce a client-centric approach to psychotherapy and addressed the patient as the client. Besides working on troubled children, he also taught at various institutes, such as the University of Chicago. On Becoming a Person remains one of his best-known books.
40
Ed Harris(Film actor)
Birthdate: November 28, 1950
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Englewood, New Jersey, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: February 1, 1994
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Riverdale, New York, United States
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
Birthdate: July 9, 1938
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States
Died: April 15, 2020
Brian Dennehy was a prolific stage actor with two Tony Awards under his belt. He is credited with exploring playwright Eugene O'Neill’s works and bringing his popular characters to life at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. Also an acclaimed television and film actor, Brian Dennehy appeared in more than 180 films and several TV series.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: June 5, 1898
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Fuente Vaqueros, Spain
Died: August 19, 1936
Federico García Lorca was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theater director. He was a prominent member of the Generation of '27, a group of poets who essentially worked with avant-garde forms of art and poetry. He was homosexual and had a love affair with sculptor Emilio Aladrén. He mysteriously disappeared at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War.
Birthdate: March 6, 1926
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Washington Heights, New York, United States
Economist Alan Greenspan chaired the U.S. Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006. It is believed that his easy money policies had caused the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. He now works as a consultant through his organization Greenspan Associates LLC. He was also trained in clarinet at the Juilliard School.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: December 16, 1901
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Died: November 15, 1978
One of the most celebrated anthropologists to have ever existed, Margaret Mead is remembered for his research on a broad range of topics, such as sexual conventions in Western society. Of her 23 books, the most talked-about was the bestseller Coming of Age in Samoa.
46
Robert Kraft(Businessman, Chairman and CEO of the 'Kraft Group')
Birthdate: June 5, 1941
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brookline, Massachusetts, United States
Robert Kraft is an American businessman and the chief executive officer and chairman of the popular diversified holding company, The Kraft Group. A sports enthusiast, Kraft owns the Gillette Stadium, NFL's New England Patriots, and MLS' New England Revolution. Also a well-known philanthropist, Robert Kraft has donated millions of dollars to various causes, such as healthcare, education, and youth sports.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: March 25, 1982
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Milton, Massachusetts, United States
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
48
Richard Thomas(Best Known for His Role as ‘John-Boy Walton’ in the TV Series ‘The Waltons’)
Birthdate: June 13, 1951
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Richard Thomas is best known for his Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of John-Boy Walton in The Waltons. He also played significant roles in the 1990s’ miniseries It and the spy thriller series The Americans. A talented stage actor, he played Ebenezer Scrooge in A Musical Christmas Carol.
Recommended Lists:49
Neil Gorsuch(Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)
Birthdate: August 29, 1967
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States
The Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch earlier served as the Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and was also in private practice. He is an adherent of originalism in constitutional interpretation and textualism in statutory interpretation. His landmark judgements include upholding the LGBTQ rights and favouring the Yakama Nation.
50
Auli'i Cravalho(Actress and Singer Known for Her Voice of the Titular Character in the Disney Animated Film ‘Moana’)
Birthdate: November 22, 2000
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Kohala, Hawaii, United States
Actress and singer Auli'i Cravalho catapulted to fame for playing the titular character in the Disney computer-animated musical feature film Moana. She was still a teenager in high school when she started acting. A young woman now, she has appeared in many TV shows and films since her debut. She is openly bisexual.
Recommended Lists: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.
