This page lists notable alumni and former students, faculty, and administrators of Wabash College.
Alumni Academia George J. Graham, Jr., political theorist John S. Hougham, natural scientist and president, Purdue University, 1876 William Parker McKee, president, Shimer College Stephen G. Miller, archaeologist Tom Ostrom, social psychologist Stephen H. Webb, theologian and philosopher of religion Robert Wedgeworth, founding president of ProLiteracy Worldwide
Business Robert Allen, former AT&T CEO David Broecker (born 1961), CEO of Alkermes and Indiana Biosciences Research Institute James Bert Garner, head of the Chemistry Department, 1901–14; inventor of the gas mask used in World War I Brad Gerstner, founder of Altimeter Capital Doug Petno, JP Morgan Chase Co-President and CEO of the Commercial & Investment Bankhttps://www.jpmorganchase.com/newsroom/press-releases/2026/jpmc-names-doug-petno-and-troy-rohrbaugh-co-presidents-of-the-company W. Paul Tippett Jr., former president of American Motors, Springs Industries, and STP
Law Edward Daniels, co-founder of Baker & Daniels (now Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath) David E. Kendall, President Bill Clinton's attorney, known for a number of anti-death penalty cases
Media and the arts Richard Elwell (R.E.) Banta, writer, rare book dealer, publisher and humorist Eric Daman, Emmy-winning costumer and fashion designer Silky Nutmeg Ganache, drag queen and competitor on RuPaul's Drag Race season 11 and All Stars Dean Jagger, Oscar-winning motion picture actor Kenyon Nicholson, Broadway playwright, screenwriter Byron Price, winner of a Pulitzer Prize in Journalism (1944), director of the Office of Censorship Frank Reynolds, ABC World News Tonight anchor Lawrence Sanders, novelist Allen Saunders, cartoonist Dan Simmons, science fiction author, dedicated his novel Ilium to the college Lee Orean Smith (1874–1942), composer, arranger, music editor, publisher, music teacher, multi-instrumentalist, and conductor Sheldon Vanauken, author, confidante of C. S. Lewis
Medicine Robert G. Roeder, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Professor, head of the Laboratory of Biochemical and Molecular Biology at the Rockefeller University Emery Andrew Rovenstine, co-founder of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Frank Sellke, cardiothoracic surgeon, academic, and researcher
Military Major General Edward Canby, only United States general killed during the Indian Wars Major General Oscar R. Cauldwell, Marine Corps officer during World War II Brigadier General John Coburn, Civil War officer; accepted the surrender of Atlanta General Charles Cruft, Civil War officer Brigadier General Speed S. Fry, Civil War officer Lt. Gen. Charles D. Herron, United States Army Major General Lew Wallace, Civil War officer, statesman, and author of Ben-Hur
Politics
Jeremy Bird, national field organizer for Barack Obama's 2012 Campaign John C. Black, US representative and Medal of Honor recipient Mike Braun, governor of Indiana; United States senator; former Indiana state representative, District 63 Kevin P. Chavous, Council of the District of Columbia representative John Coburn, United States representative from Indiana, Civil War brigadier general Hiram Orlando Fairchild, speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly Cleon H. Foust, Indiana attorney general Stephen Goldsmith, mayor of Indianapolis, deputy mayor of New York City Dwight Green, governor of Illinois and Capone prosecutor Andrew Hamilton, United States representative Bayless W. Hanna, Indiana attorney general, United States Ambassador to Iran and United States Ambassador to Argentina Will Hays, postmaster general and film censor czar Randall Head, Indiana state senator, District 18 William A. Ketcham, Indiana attorney general, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic Thomas Riley Marshall, twenty-eighth vice president of the United States (under Woodrow Wilson) Joseph E. McDonald, United States representative and senator Reginald Meeks, Kentucky State representative Luke Messer, United States representative Thomas MacDonald Patterson, United States representative and senator William Pittenger, United States representative John Pope, Chicago alderman (10th ward) Todd Rokita, United States representative, 44th attorney general of Indiana Richard J. Stephenson, financier of conservative causes Reginald H. Sullivan, mayor of Indianapolis Brent Waltz, Indiana state senator, District 36 Charles P. White, Indiana secretary of state Raymond E. Willis, United States senator Henry Lane Wilson, United States ambassador to Mexico James Wilson, United States representative from Indiana John L. Wilson, United States representative and senator William Allen Woods, federal judge and justice of the Indiana Supreme Court
Science Geoffrey W. Coates, polymer chemist Robert Dirks, computational chemist
Sports Knute Cauldwell, NFL player Bert Inks, coached the Wabash College Presbyterians in 1905 Ward Lambert, college basketball coach Don Leppert, Major League Baseball player, homered in first at-bat, first position player All-Star in Washington-Texas franchise history Ward Meese, National Football League player Pete Metzelaars, National Football League all-time leader in games played by a tight end and four-time AFC champion Century Milstead, college football Hall of Famer William H. Spaulding, football head coach, University of Minnesota and UCLA Ed Summers, Major League Baseball player, pitched in Games 1 and 4 of 1908 World Series
Faculty Andrea Chapdelaine, faculty 1993–1995; in 2024, became president of Connecticut College Garfield V. Cox, established the college's Department of Public Speaking in 1917 Jeremy Hartnett, Anne and Andrew T. Ford Professor of the Liberal Arts William Placher, postliberal theologian, LaFollette Distinguished Professor in the Humanities Ezra Pound (1885–1972), poet and critic; appointed chair of the Department of Romance Languages for the 1907–1908 academic year, but left in February after alleged sexual impropriety Benjamin Rogge, economist; taught at Wabash 1949–1980; dean of the college 1955–1964
References