The following is a list of notable alumni of Louisiana State University.
Academia
Jonathan Alexander (PhD 1993), rhetorician and professor of English at University of California, Irvine Ray Authement (MA 1952, PhD 1956), fifth president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 1974–2008; longest serving president of a public university in the United States; received two graduate degrees from LSU; "father of Louisiana state archives" Margaret H. Christ (BS,1999), director of J. M. Tull School of Accounting, University of Georgia Sally Clausen (three LSU degrees in 1967, 1971, and 1980), former Louisiana commissioner of higher education; former president of Southeastern Louisiana University Fred C. Cole (PhD, history 1941), librarian, editor, and historian John R. Conniff (MA 1923 English), New Orleans and Baton Rouge educator; president of Louisiana Tech University 1926–1928Henry E. Chambers, A History of Louisiana, Vol. 2 (Chicago and New York City: American Historical Society, 1925), pp. 53–54 John B. Conway (PhD 1965), professor emeritus of mathematics at George Washington University Edwin Adams Davis (PhD in history from LSU), former professor of History at LSU; author of two textbooks Colleen Denney (BA 1981, MA 1983), professor of Art History and Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Wyoming Ronald G. Douglas (PhD 1962), Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at Texas A&M University Kathleen Fitzpatrick, former professor of English at Pomona College; director of Digital Humanities and professor of English at Michigan State University Michelle K. Johnston (PhD 1999), Clifton A. Morvant Distinguished Professor in Business at Loyola University New Orleans Michael I. Jordan (BS Psychology 1974), leading researcher in machine learning at University of California, Berkeley Joomyeong Kim (PhD 1995), Russell Thompson, Jr. Family Professor of Biology at LSU Jeffrey A. Lockwood (PhD entomology), award-winning author and University of Wyoming professor of Natural Sciences and Humanities Ray Marshall, professor emeritus of the Audre and Bernard Rapoport Centennial Chair in Economics and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin Sandra Murchinson (MFA), director of the School of Art and Design at Eastern Michigan University Leon C. Megginson (PhD 1952), later became an LSU faculty member in the business school, notable in part for his clarifying statements about Darwinism Fredrick Muyia Nafukho, vice provost for Academic Personnel, professor of Management and Organization at Foster School of Business J. Tinsley Oden (BS 1959), pioneer in the field of computational mechanics; professor at University of Texas at Austin Virgil Orr (BS, MS 1948, PhD 1950, chemical engineering), Louisiana Tech University vice president; former state representative from Lincoln and Union parishes Arthur T. Prescott (BA 1883), later M.A., first president of Louisiana Tech University (1895–1899)Henry E. Chambers, A History of Louisiana, Vol. 2 (Chicago and New York City: American Historical Society, 1925), pp. 313–314 Bin Ramke, professor at University of Denver, poet, winner of the 1978 Yale Younger Poets Prize Charles P. Roland (PhD), historian at Tulane University and the University of Kentucky and specialist in the American Civil War and the American South Ralph L. Ropp (MA 1925), professor at Northwestern State University 1923–1949; president of Louisiana Tech University 1949–1962Minden Press, November 5, 1954, p. 1 Martha Serpas (BA), poet, professor of creative writing in University of Houston Creative Writing Program Annette Shelby (PhD), first female tenured professor at the McDonough School of Business David S. Stern (BA 1977), provost and professor of Philosophy at The University of Tampa Robert B. Stobaugh (PhD), retired professor of Harvard Business School and currently at Rice University Virgil Suárez (MFA 1987), professor of English at Florida State University, award-winning writer Joe Gray Taylor (PhD 1951), professor of history at McNeese State University Ivory A. Toldson (BS 1995), educational scholar, counseling psychology professor at Howard University, and award-winning author Olympia Vernon (MFA 2002), author, Hallie Ford Chair in Writing at Willamette University Richard M. Weaver (PhD English), professor of English at the University of Chicago, known for the book, Ideas Have Consequences Allen Wier (MA), professor at University of Tennessee Dara Wier, director of MFA Program for Poets & Writers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, award-winning poet John D. Winters (BA, MA, PhD), historian, Louisiana Tech University
Business, economics, entrepreneurs Clarence P. Cazalot, Jr., president and chief executive of Marathon Oil Corporation Pollyanna Chu, Hong Kong businesswoman Lod Cook, co-chairman of the board of Global Crossing Ruth Fertel, founder of Ruth's Chris Steak House Éric Guimbeau, CEO of St Aubin Ltd and member of parliament in Mauritius Starr Long, game producer at the companies Origin Systems (1992–2000), Destination Games (2000–2008), and Portalarium (2013–present) William S. Patout, III, Iberia Parish sugar grower L. J. Sevin, founder of Mostek and of Sevin Rosen Funds, 1930–2015 (D) Patrick F. Taylor, founder and CEO of Taylor Energy Company; educational philanthropist, founder of the TOPS college tuition program
Entertainment, actors, models Elizabeth Ashley, actress Kirk Bovill, actor, writer, songwriter Kenneth Brown, interior designer, host of HGTV show reDesign Lenora Champagne (BA 1972), playwright, theatre performer, and director Christina Cuenca, Miss Louisiana USA 2006 Greg Tarzan Davis, actor Jennifer Dupont, Triple Crown winner, Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1998, Miss Louisiana USA 2000, Miss Louisiana (America) 2004 Katherine Haik, Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2015 and Miss Teen USA 2015 Eddie Jemison, actor Ali Landry, actress, model, Miss USA 1996 Amanda Joseph, Miss Louisiana (America) 2007 Rod Masterson (Class of 1967), actor Elizabeth McNulty, Miss Louisiana USA 2007 Lindsey Pelas, glamour model Shelley Regner, actress Alex Stein, comedian Joanne Woodward, actress
Fine arts, design Pap Dean, political cartoonist, author and illustrator Malaika Favorite, visual artist and writer J. G. Jones, comic book artist Fonville Winans, photographer Will Wright, game designer, The Sims creator Robert Yarber (MFA 1973), painter, professor of Art at Pennsylvania State University
Music Mose Allison, jazz pianist, vocalist and songwriter Les Beasley, Southern Gospel musician Better Than Ezra, alternative rock band, formed at Louisiana State Tom Drummond, bassist for Better Than Ezra Kevin Griffin, lead singer of Better Than Ezra, songwriter Bill Conti, Academy Award and Emmy-winning composer Jordan Davis, country pop artist Lauren Daigle, contemporary Christian music artist Dee-1, rapper/lyricist Carl Fontana, jazz trombonist Julie Giroux, composer Grits Gresham, outdoorsman, author, sportsman, co-host of ABC's The American Sportsman (1966–1979) John Thomas Griffith, guitarist in rock band Cowboy Mouth Fatma Ceren Necipoğlu, Turkish harpist Lisette Oropesa, operatic soprano H. Owen Reed, composer Claibe Richardson, composer Chad Shelton, operatic tenor
Journalists Brett Blackledge, reporter for The Associated Press in Washington D.C.; while working for The Birmingham News, won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting Chris Branch, reporter for The Athletichttps://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/chris-branch/ Donna Britt, television news anchorwoman Don Lemon, news anchor and journalist Edwin Newman, NBC-TV newsman and anchor Rex Reed, film critic
Poets, novelists, writers Julie Cantrell (B.A. 1995, M.A. 1997), novelist and editor A. Wilson Greene (M.A. 1977), Civil War historian, museum director, and authorLange, Chris, "A. Wilson Greene stepping down a quarter century after starting Pamplin Park" , Progress-Index, Petersburg, Virginia, April 9, 2017. Camille Martin, poet and collage artist Casey McQuiston (B.A., journalism), author of Red, White, & Royal Blue Dinty W. Moore (MFA 1990), novelist and essayist Nic Pizzolatto, novelist, writer, and creator of HBO series True Detective Lisa Rhoades, poet Rebecca Wells, author of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Dede Wilson, poet and writer
Government, politics, and activism
A Eduardo Aguirre, former United States ambassador to Spain and Andorra A. Leonard Allen, late U.S. representative from Alexandria-based district (D)
B Tony Bacala, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Ascension Parish; law-enforcement officer Reggie Bagala, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for the 54th district for four months Larry S. Bankston (bachelor's degree, 1973), lawyer and former state senator from Baton Rouge (D) Guy Bannister, FBI agent; assistant superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, and private investigator; subject of Orleans Parish District Attorney Jim Garrison's JFK assassination investigation Edwards Barham, planter; former state senator from Morehouse Parish (R) Taylor Barras (Class of 1979), accountant and banker; current state representative from Iberia Parish (R) Greg Barro, member of the Louisiana State Senate Carl W. Bauer (Class of 1954), lawyer; former member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature from St. Mary Parish (D) Lottie Beebe, Republican member since 2012 of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from Breaux Bridge; school superintendent in St. Martin Parish since 2013, received master's degree from LSU (R) Clyde F. Bel, Jr., businessman and state representative for Orleans Parish, 1964–1972 and 1975–1980 Ashley Bell, national director of African American Engagement Office; director of the Small Business Administration's Southeast Region Stuart Bishop, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Lafayette (R) Morton Blackwell, Republican National Committeeman from Virginia, formerly a political activist in Louisiana (R) James E. Bolin, late former state representative (1940–1944); 26th Judicial District Court judge, 1952–1960; state appeal court judge, 1960–1978 (D) Charles Boustany, physician, former U.S. representative from Louisiana's 7th congressional district (R)
Mike Branch, commercial pilot from Las Vegas, Nevada, who served in the Louisiana State Senate 1996–2000 (R) Donna Brazile, political strategist for Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign (D) John Breaux, former chairman of the Special Committee on Aging 2001-2003, former United States Senate from Louisiana 1987-2005, former member of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana's 7th district 1972-1987. Overton Brooks, late U.S. congressman from Shreveport (D) Edwin S. Broussard (Class of 1896), former United States senator, 1921–1933 (D) Chad M. Brown, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Iberville and Assumption parishes, effective 2016 Henry Newton Brown, Jr., former Bossier/Webster Parish district attorney and current chief judge of Second Circuit Court of Appeal (D) Roy Brun, former state legislator and current district judge in Shreveport (R) Billy Burris, associate judge of the Louisiana Supreme Court
C–E Burl Cain, departing warden of the Louisiana State Penitentiary (also known as Angola)Annual Report (PDF) 2006. () Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. p. 3. Retrieved March 23, 2013. Bill Callegari (Class of 1963; Agricultural Engineering), member of the Texas House of Representatives from Harris County, 2001–2015; the William A. Callegari Environmental Center at LSU is named in his honor (R) William Derwood Cann, Jr. (1919–2010), World War II lieutenant colonel; mayor of Monroe 1978–1979 (D) Thomas G. Carmody (Class of 1983), state representative from Shreveport (R)