This list of Wake Forest University people includes notable alumni, faculty and presidents of Wake Forest University, a private research university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States.
Heads of Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute, Wake Forest College, and Wake Forest University
PresidentTenure Samuel Wait1834–1845William Hooper1845–1848 John B. White1848–1853 Washington Manly Wingate acting 1854–1856, president 1856–1862, 1866–1879 Thomas H. Pritchard1879–1882Charles Taylor1884–1905 William L. Poteat1905–1927 Francis Pendleton Gaines1927–1930 Thurman D. Kitchin1930–1950 Harold W. Tribble1950–1967 James R. Scales1967–1983 Thomas K. Hearn1983–2005 Nathan O. Hatch2005–2021 Susan Wente2021–2026
Alumni
Academia
Founders and leaders of academic institutions Bonita Brown (B.A. 1995, J.D. 1997), fourteenth chancellor of Winston Salem State University James Archibald Campbell (B.A. 1911), first president of Campbell College Leslie H. Campbell (magna cum laude, A.B.1911, A.M. 1916), second president of Campbell College John Wesley Chandler (B.A. 1945), 12th president of Williams College, 15th president of Hamilton College and president of the AACU in 1985 Spright Dowell (B.A.1896), former president of Auburn University and Mercer University Michael Maxey (B.A., M.A.), 11th president of Roanoke College George M. Modlin (B.A. 1924), former president of the University of Richmond William Louis Poteat (B.A. 1877), educator; seventh president of Wake Forest University (1905–1927) Norman Adrian Wiggins (1952), third president of Campbell University Washington Manly Wingate (B.A. 1849), 4th president of Wake Forest University
Arts and letters
Literature and poetry Joseph Quincy Adams Jr. (B.A. 1900, M.A. 1901) Stephen Amidon (B.A.), author A.R. Ammons (B.A. 1949), poet and scholar Mark D. Brenner (B.A.), author, journalist T. Davis Bunn (B.A. 1974), author Justin Catanoso (M.A. 1993), author Gary Chapman (M.A.), author and radio talk show host Dhonielle Clayton (B.A. 2005), author and CEO of We Need Diverse Books Frances O'Roark Dowell (B.A. 1979), author L.M. Elliott (B.A.), author, Under a War-Torn Sky Margaret Feinberg (B.A.), author and public speaker Daveed Gartenstein-Ross (B.A.), author, founder of Valens Global Emily Giffin (B.A.), author of Something Borrowed Elizabeth Marquardt (B.A.), author Clint McCown (B.A., M.A.), poet, author Toni Newman (B.A. 1985), author
Journalism and media
Jason Benetti (J.D. 2011), play-by-play announcer for the Detroit Tigers Linda Carter Brinson (B.A. 1969), writer, editor, and journalist Bethany Brookshire (PhD 2010), science journalist W. J. Cash (A.B. 1922), author and journalist Janice Marie Collins (B.A. 1986), journalist Becky Garrison (B.A.), religious satirist and columnist for The Wittenburg Door Laci Green (M.A. 2024), YouTuber James Hamblin (B.S. 2005), board-certified physician, staff writer at The Atlantic, lecturer in public health policy at Yale University Shane Harris (B.A. 1998), journalist and author, senior national security writer at The Washington Post Melissa Harris-Perry (B.A. 1994), political scientist and journalist Harold Hayes (B.A.), writer, former editor of Esquire magazine Maria Henson (B.A. 1982), journalist, editor, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing award Al Hunt (B.A. 1965), journalist and columnist for Bloomberg News Martha Mason (B.A. 1960), writer Carlos Maza (B.A. 2010), journalist for Vox Dagen McDowell (B.A. 1991), anchor for Fox Business Channel and business correspondent for Fox News Hoke Norris, journalist Kasha Patel (B.A. 2012), science writer Scott Rasmussen (M.B.A.), political analyst LaChina Robinson (B.A. 2002), women's college basketball analyst for Fox Sports 1 Eddie Timanus (B.A. 1990), USA Today sportswriter; Jeopardy! champion
Music Christopher Magiera (B.A.), international operatic baritone, professor of voice Clare Shore (B.A. 1976), music composer
Film and television
Carol Barbee (B.A.), television producer, writer Stephanie Birkitt (B.A. 1997), assistant to David Letterman on Late Show with David Letterman Marc Blucas (B.A. 1994), actor David Burris (M.A.), filmmaker and television producer Tyler Cameron (B.A. 2018), television personality, model Andi Dorfman (J.D. 2012), television personality, The Bachelorette Drew Droege (B.A. 1999), actor, comedian, writer and director James DuBose (B.A. 1990), film and television producer, entertainment industry executive; Rising Star Award recipient Ward Horton, actor Matt James (B.A. 2015), television personality, first black bachelor lead for The Bachelor Cheslie Kryst (J.D., M.B.A. 2017), television correspondent, winner of Miss USA 2019 Joe Lawson (B.A.), co-creator of GEICO Cavemen commercials and ABC's Cavemen TV series Carter MacIntyre (B.A.), television actor (American Heiress, Undercovers) Lee Norris (B.A. 2004), film and television actor (Boy Meets World, The Torkelsons, One Tree Hill) Sarah Schneider (B.A. 2005), former writer for Saturday Night Live Arvind Swamy (M.A.), Indian Tamil film actor and businessman Dave Willis (B.A.), co-creator of the animated TV shows Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Squidbillies; writer and voice actor for animated TV show Space Ghost: Coast to Coast
Visual art Justin Brice Guariglia (B.A. 1997), artist and former documentary photographer for the National Geographic Society Mercedes Teixido (B.A.), visual artist
Politics, law, and government U.S. governors John S. Battle (B.A.), former 56th governor of Virginia Thomas Walter Bickett (B.A.), 54th governor of North Carolina J. Melville Broughton (B.A.1910), governor of North Carolina (D) (1941–45) and U.S. senator Charlie Crist (attended two years; transferred to Florida State University), 44th governor of Florida Robert L. Ehrlich (J.D. 1982), governor of Maryland (R) and former congressman William W. Kitchin (1884), governor of North Carolina (D) (1909–13) Charles Aurelius Smith (B.A. 1882), 91st governor of South Carolina
U.S. senators and representatives
Josiah W. Bailey (B.A. 1893), U.S. senator (D-NC) (1931–46) Ted Budd (M.B.A. 2007), U.S. senator (R-NC); former congressman (NC-13) Richard Burr (B.A. 1978), former U.S. senator (R-NC) Charlie Crist (attended two years; transferred to Florida State University), former U.S. representative for Florida's 13th congressional district Joseph J. Davis, former U.S. representative (NC) Charles B. Deane (L.L.B. 1923), former U.S. representative (NC), North Carolina's 8th congressional district Oliver H. Dockery, former U.S. representative (NC) Donna Edwards (B.A. 1980), Democratic representative of Maryland's 4th Congressional District David Funderburk (B.A., M.A. 1967), former congressman (R-NC) (1995–97); U.S. ambassador to Romania (1981–85) Kay Hagan (J.D. 1978), former U.S. senator of North Carolina (D-NC) George Holding (B.A., J.D.), former United States representative for North Carolina's 2nd congressional district John H. Kerr (B.A., J.D.), former member of the United States House of Representatives, represented North Carolina's 2nd congressional district Larry Kissell (B.A. 1973), U.S. congressman (D-NC) Claude Kitchin (B.A. 1888), former House minority leader and House majority leader of U.S. House of Representatives Brad Knott (J.D.), U.S. congressman (R-NC) Horace R. Kornegay (B.A. 1947, LL.B. 1949), former U.S. congressman, member of North Carolina's 6th congressional district Alton A. Lennon (B.A. 1929), former U.S. senator; congressman (D-NC) Robert Burren Morgan (J.D. 1950), former U.S. senator (D-NC) (1977–81) Monroe M. Redden, former member of U.S. House of Representatives (NC) Furnifold M. Simmons (LL.B. 1923), former U.S. senator (D-NC) (1901–31) Charles H. Taylor (B.A. 1963, J.D. 1966), former congressman (R-NC) Frank Thompson (B.A., L.L.B.), former U.S. representative (NJ)
Diplomats James P. Cain (B.A.), former U.S. ambassador to Denmark Robert S. Gilchrist (B.A.), United States ambassador to Lithuania Dennis Walter Hearne (B.A.), United States ambassador to Mozambique Jeanette W. Hyde (transferred to Delta State), former ambassador to Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, St. Vincent, and St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla Graham Martin (B.A. 1932), former U.S. ambassador to Italy, Thailand, and South Vietnam William V. Roebuck (B.A., M.A.), former U.S. ambassador to Bahrain
Federal officials Laura Daniel-Davis (B.A. 1990), current deputy secretary of the interior Janice B. Gardner (B.A.), former assistant secretary of the Treasury for Intelligence and Analysis under the George W. Bush Administration John Graham (B.A. 1978), former senior official in the George W. Bush Administration Jennifer M. Harris (B.A.), senior director for International Economics & Labor on the U.S. National Security Council Bo Hines (J.D. 2022), former federal official in the Second Trump Administration Robert L. Wilkie (B.A. 1985), former assistant secretary of defense and secretary of veterans affairs
Judges and attorneys
Amy M. Baggio (B.A., summa cum laude 1995), judge of the Multnomah County Circuit Court Kenneth D. Bell (B.A., J.D.), judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina Phil Berger Jr. (J.D.), associate judge of the North Carolina Supreme Court Rhoda Billings (J.D. 1966), professor; former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Joe Freeman Britt (B.A.), former district attorney of Robeson County, North Carolina William Earl Britt (B.S. 1956, LL.B 1958), former senior judge of United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina Mark Christie (B.A., magna cum laude), attorney and member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Sam Currin, United States attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, judge on the North Carolina Supreme Court William A. Devin (B.A.), former jurist and associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Richard Dietz (J.D. 2002), associate justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court Elizabeth K. Dillon (J.D. 1986), chief U.S. district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia Andrew Dimlich (J.D.), judge of 10th Circuit Court of West Virginia John E. Dowdell (B.A. 1978), chief judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma Rusty Duke (B.A. 1970, J.D. 1974), judge Louise W. Flanagan (B.A. 1984), district judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina Jerome B. Friedman (J.D. 1969), former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia Britt Grant (B.A.), U.S. circuit court judge, United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit; former justice of Supreme Court of Georgia Major B. Harding (B.A., J.D.), attorney and former chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court Johnson Jay Hayes (LL.B. 1909), former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina Robert Higdon Jr. (B.A., J.D.), former United States attorney for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina Jerome Holmes (B.A. 1983), judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit Malcolm Jones Howard (J.D. 1970), former U.S. district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina Tiffany R. Johnson (J.D. 2012), U.S. district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Woodrow W. Jones (LL.B. 1937), former senior judge of United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina I. Beverly Lake (B.S., J.D.), former chief justice of North Carolina John Davis Larkins Jr. (B.A. 1929), former chief and senior judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina C. Hardaway Marks (B.A.), attorney