Thislist of University of Iowa alumni includes notable current and former students of theUniversity of Iowa.

• Michael J. Budds – musicologist and professor at theUniversity of MissouriSchool of Music, inducted into the Missouri Music Hall of Fame
• Edwin Adams Davis – M.A. from Iowa; historian of Louisiana; father of Louisiana state archives;Louisiana State University professor^[1]
• Shardé M. Davis –assistant professor in the Department of Communication at theUniversity of Connecticut
• James R. Dow – emeritus professor of German atIowa State University
• R. William Field – associate professor, College of Public Health,University of Iowa
• Elnora M. Gilfoyle – occupational therapist; dean of the College of Applied Human Sciences and provost/academic vice president atColorado State University
• Pankaj Jain - Professor of philosophy, religious studies, film studies, and sustainability
• Michael P. Johnson – emeritus professor of sociology,Pennsylvania State University
• James Kennedy – professor of thehistory of the Netherlands at theUniversity of Amsterdam
• Otto Kraushaar – former president ofGoucher College, long-time professor in philosophy atSmith College
• Minnette Gersh Lenier – teacher who used stage magic to improve students' learning skills
• Cindy Lovell – educator and writer; executive director of theMark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum andMark Twain House
• Robert Moyers – founder of Center of Growth and Development at University of Michigan
• Tina Passman – classical scholar
• Jewel Prestage – dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs atSouthern University, first African-American woman to earn Ph.D. in Political Science
• W. Ann Reynolds – chancellor of theCalifornia State University andCity University of New York
• Noliwe Rooks – associate director of the African-American program atPrinceton University, W.E.B. Du Bois Professor of Literature atCornell University, chair of and professor in the Africana Studies Department atBrown University, founding director of the Segrenomics Lab at Brown University
• Jim Rossi – law professor atVanderbilt University
• Clifford V. Smith, Jr. – 4th chancellor ofUniversity of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
• William A. Staples – president of theUniversity of Houston–Clear Lake
• Lee Edward Travis – psychologist considered one of the founding fathers of speech pathology
• John E. Visser – president ofEmporia State University, 1967–1984
• Pramod P. Wangikar – chemical engineer and professor at Department ofChemical Engineering,Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

• Helen Brockman – fashion designer
• John Bucksbaum – former chairman and chief executive officer ofGGP Inc.
• Jim Foster – founder of theArena Football League
• Paul P. Harris – lawyer and founder of the firstRotary Club
• Scott Heiferman – founder and CEO,Meetup.com; founder,Fotolog.com
• Howard R. Hughes, Sr. – father of aviation pioneer and film producerHoward Robard Hughes, Jr. and builder of his fortune that started his empire
• Kerry Killinger – chairman and CEO ofWashington Mutual
• Kelly Ortberg – president and CEO ofBoeing from August 2024
• Bill Perkins – hedge fund manager, film producer
• Richard J. Schnieders – former chairman, president, and CEO ofSysco
• C. Maxwell Stanley – engineer, entrepreneur, philanthropist; founder ofStanley Consultants andStanley Foundation; co-founder ofHON Industries
• Brian Thompson (1974–2024) – CEO ofUnitedHealthcare^[2]
• Ted Waitt – co-founder ofGateway, Inc.
• Frank R. Wallace (pen name of Wallace Ward), 1957, entrepreneur, publisher, writer, and developer of the Neo-Tech philosophy

• Cindy Axne – former United States congresswoman^[3]
• Austin Baeth – member of theIowa House of Representatives
• Theodore J. Bauer – former head of theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention^[4]
• Fred H. Blume – justice of theWyoming Supreme Court for 42 years^[5]
• David E. Bonior – formerly representedMichigan in theUnited States House of Representatives; former member of PresidentBarack Obama's Economic Advisory Board^[6]
• John Boyd – military strategist,United States Air Forcefighter pilot andPentagon consultant; inspired theLightweight Fighter program, co-created theEnergy-Maneuverability theory ofaerial combat, and developed theOODA loop decision cycle^[7]
• Terry Branstad – two-timegovernor of Iowa, and longest-tenured governor in the nation^[8]
• John Burke – tenthGovernor of North Dakota^[9]
• James Cartwright – retired U.S. Marine Corps general and the 8thvice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff^[10]
• Norm Coleman – former juniorRepublicanU.S. senator ofMinnesota^[11]
• James Dooge – Irish senator and academic in the area of hydrology; served as theMinister of Foreign Affairs in the Irish Government, and instrumental in forming the framework of the modernEuropean Union and beginning the debate onclimate change^[12]
• Martha Angle Dorsett – first woman admitted to theBar of Minnesota (in 1878)^{[citation needed]}
• James B. French – member of the Wisconsin State Assembly^[13]
• Greg Ganske – politician fromIowa
• Paul C. Gartzke – presiding judge of theWisconsin Court of Appeals^[14]
• Mads Gilbert – Norwegian doctor inGaza providing humanitarian care atAl-Shifa Hospital during the2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict^[15]
• Lea Giménez – master's degree in economics,Minister of Finance (Paraguay)
• Bill Gustoff – member of theIowa House of Representatives
• Silas B. Hays –Surgeon General of the United States Army^[16]
• Leo Hoegh – formergovernor of Iowa andNational Security Council member^[17]
• Brian Hook – former U.S. Special Representative for Iran and senior policy advisor to theSecretary of State 2018–2020; formerAssistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs^[18][19]
• David W. Hopkins – former member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMissouri^[20]
• Chuck Horner –United States Air Forcegeneral; commanded Coalition Air Forces during theGulf War^[21]
• Edward F. Howrey – chair of theFederal Trade Commission^[22]
• Robert L. Hunter – presiding judge of the Divorce Division of theCook County Circuit Court,1951 Republican nominee formayor of Chicago, andNFL player^[23]
• Cheryl L. Johnson – lawyer and 36thclerk of the United States House of Representatives
• Patty Judge – former lieutenant governor of Iowa and 2016 candidate for the US Senate
• George Koval – Soviet intelligence officer andHero of the Russian Federation^[24]
• Alan Larson (born 1949) – diplomat and ambassador
• Robert L. Larson – former member of theIowa Supreme Court^[25]
• Donald P. Lay – judge of theEighth Circuit^[26]
• Ronald H. Lingren – member of the Wisconsin State Assembly^[27]
• John Walter Grant MacEwan – MS 1928; Western Canadianlieutenant governor of Alberta; Canadianlegislator;mayor of Calgary^[28]
• Mary Mascher – member of theIowa House of Representatives
• Andy McKean – Iowa politician
• Mo Mowlam – member of Parliament (United Kingdom); member of Prime Minister Tony Blair'sCabinet 1997–2001;Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 1997–1999^[29][30]
• Jayaprakash Narayan – Indian freedom fighter, social reformer, politician^{[citation needed]}
• Kay A. Orr – first female governor of Nebraska; Republican^[31]
• John E. Osborn – former commissioner,U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy; former executive vice president and general counsel, Cephalon, Inc.^{[citation needed]}
• Charles Pelton (born 1940) – member of theIowa House of Representatives
• Gregory A. Peterson – judge of theWisconsin Court of Appeals^[32]
• John Pickler – member of theUnited States House of Representatives^[33]
• Coleen Rowley – shared 2002Time "Person of the Year" award; the FBI whistleblower who helped bring in terrorist suspectZacarias Moussaoui^[34]
• Lawrence F. Scalise –attorney general of Iowa (1965–1966)
• Juanita Kidd Stout – first woman appointed as a federal judge;Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice^[35]
• Jim Summerville – Tennessee senator^[36]
• Wang Huning – member of thePolitburo Standing Committee of theChinese Communist Party, Chinese political theorist, former dean of the School of Law and chair of the Department of International Politics,Fudan University^[37]
• Perry Warjiyo (Ph.D., 1991) – Central Bank governor, Republic of Indonesia
• Hugh E. Wild – U.S. Air Force brigadier general^[38]
• Ann Williams – member of Illinois House of Representatives^[39]
• Elizabeth Wilson – member of theIowa House of Representatives
• Wu Jin –Minister of Education ofTaiwan, 1996–1998^[40]

• Mildred Beltre – multi-disciplinary artist; co-founder of Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine
• Shirley Briggs – artist and writer; studied underGrant Wood; provided artwork for projects within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and worked on dioramas for the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History
• David Cantine – Canadian artist
• Elizabeth Catlett – painter; studied underGrant Wood; first African American woman to earn an MFA from the University of Iowa
• Robert D. Cocke – painter
• Eve Drewelowe – painter
• Mary Hecht – American-born Canadian sculptor
• Joey Kirkpatrick (born 1952) –glass artist, sculptor, wire artist, and educator^[41]
• Baulu Kuan – artist and curator
• Barbara Lekberg – metal sculptor
• Evan Lindquist – Artist Laureate of the State of Arkansas^[42]
• Ana Mendieta – Cuban-American mixed-media artist
• Kenneth Roderick O'Neal (1908–1989) – architect^[43]
• Charles Ray – contemporary artist
• Joe Sharpnack – editorial cartoonist
• Rudi Stern – multimedia artist
• Kirsten Ulve – graphic artist

• Melissa Albert – author of young adult fiction
• Goodwin Tutum Anim – Ghanaian journalist
• Mildred Benson – writer under pen nameCarolyn Keene ofNancy Drew books
• T. C. Boyle – PEN/Faulkner award-winning writer (World's End,Drop City)
• Tom Brokaw – broadcast journalist, former anchor (NBC Nightly News), author (The Greatest Generation); dropped out after one year
• Elizabeth C. Bunce – author (A Curse Dark as Gold,Premeditated Myrtle,Cold-Blooded Myrtle)
• Chelsea Cain – writer (Heartsick,Mockingbird)
• Sandra Cisneros – author (The House on Mango Street)
• William R. Clabby – journalist and editor forThe Wall Street Journal, winner of aGerald Loeb Award, and executive at various Dow Jones news subsidiaries
• Max Allan Collins – writer of comic stripDick Tracy (took over in 1977 when strip creator Chester Gould retired); also writes mystery novels
• Justin Cronin – author (The Passage,The Twelve)
• Rita Dove – 1993 Poet Laureate of the United States
• David Drake – science-fiction writer (Hammer's Slammers series)
• Andre Dubus – short story writer (Killings – adapted into 2001 filmIn the Bedroom)
• Jeannette Eyerly – writer of young adult fiction
• Joshua Ferris – novelist
• Charles Gaines – author (Pumping Iron) and inventor ofpaintball
• George Gallup – founder of theGallup Poll
• Ezzat Goushegir – playwright
• Garth Greenwell – author (What Belongs to You)
• Oscar Hahn – author
• Joe Haldeman –science-fiction writer (The Forever War)
• Kathryn Harrison – author (Thicker than Water)
• A.M. Homes – author (The Safety of Objects)
• L. D. Hotchkiss – editor-in-chief,Los Angeles Times
• John Irving – writer (A Widow for One Year,The World According to Garp)
• Amy Jacobson – Chicago broadcast journalist
• Leslie Jamison – author (The Empathy Exams)
• Denis Johnson – author (Jesus' Son)
• W.P. Kinsella – author (Shoeless Joe, the book on whichField of Dreams was based)
• Kari Lake – television news anchor forKSAZ-TV
• William Lashner – author ofPast Due
• Robie Macauley – novelist and editor ofPlayboy
• Anthony Marra – author (A Constellation of Vital Phenomena)
• Bharati Mukherjee – Bengali-American writer
• Flannery O'Connor – novelist and author of numerous short stories
• Chris Offutt – short story writer and essayist
• Ann Patchett – author (Bel Canto,State of Wonder)
• Torrey Peters – author (Detransition, Baby)
• Tappy Phillips – consumer affairs reporter forWABC-TV in New York City; correspondent forABC News
• La Ferne Price – philosopher and author
• Jim Simmerman – poet; founded creative writing program atNorthern Arizona University
• Stewart Stern – screenwriter (Rebel Without a Cause,Sybil)^[44]
• Douglas Unger – novelist and founder ofUNLV's creative writing MFA program
• Bertha M. Wilson – dramatist, critic, actress
• Yu Guangzhong – Taiwanese poet and author

• Stephen Berry – 1993Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for story he co-wrote for theOrlando Sentinel; associate professor in School of Journalism and Mass Communication
• Robert Olen Butler Jr. – won the 1993Pulitzer Prize for fiction
• Marquis Childs – commentator; 1969 winner for distinguished commentary
• Paul Conrad – editorial cartoonist for theLos Angeles Times; won in 1964, 1971, and 1984
• Michael Cunningham – writer/novelist (The Hours)
• Jorie Graham – poet (1996 winner forThe Dream of the Unified Field: Selected Poems 1974–1994) and MacArthur Fellow on faculty ofIowa Writers' Workshop
• Paul Harding – author (Tinkers)
• Robert Hass – poet (2008 winner forTime and Materials: Poems 1997–2005) and formerPoet Laureate of the United States
• Benny Johnson – columnist and hostThe Benny Report onNewsMax TV
• Josephine Johnson – novelist (1935 winner for her first novel,Now in November), writing instructor
• Donald Justice – poet (1980 winner forSelected Poems)
• Tracy Kidder – 1982 winner forThe Soul of a New Machine
• James Alan McPherson – author (1978 winner forElbow Room, becoming the first African-American to win the Pulitzer for fiction) and MacArthur Fellow on faculty ofIowa Writers' Workshop
• Marilynne Robinson – 2005 winner forGilead: A Novel; faculty in Iowa Writers' Workshop
• Jane Smiley – novelist; 1992 winner forA Thousand Acres
• William De Witt Snodgrass –confessional poet; 1960Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
• Wallace Stegner – novelist; 1972 winner forAngle of Repose
• Mark Strand – poet; 1999 winner forA Blizzard of One
• Tennessee Williams – playwright; won forA Streetcar Named Desire in 1948 andCat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1955

• Tom Arnold – actor (Roseanne,True Lies) and host ofFox Sports Net's talk showBest Damn Sports Show Period
• Lemuel Ayers –Tony Award-winning designer and producer^[45]
• Scott Beck – filmmaker (A Quiet Place)
• Rita Bell – singer, entertainer
• Macdonald Carey – actor (Days of Our Lives)
• David Daniels – conductor and author
• Don DeFore – actor (The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,Hazel)
• Ellen Dolan – soap opera actress (Guiding Light,As the World Turns)
• Duck's Breath Mystery Theater (Dan Coffey, Bill Allard,Merle Kessler, Leon Martrell, andJim Turner) – touring comedy troupe featured onNational Public Radio'sAll Things Considered
• David Eigenberg – actor (Steve Brady onSex and the City)
• Simon Estes – bass baritone opera singer, formerly of theNew York Metropolitan Opera
• Tanna Frederick – stage and independent film actress
• Bruce French – actor (Mr. Mom,Legal Eagles,Fletch)^[44]
• Jeff Goode – playwright and creator ofDisney Channel'sAmerican Dragon: Jake Long
• Robin Green – executive producer of theHBO seriesThe Sopranos
• Don Hall – director of theDisney animated movieBig Hero 6, which won the Oscar for best animated feature in 2015, andMoana
• Joy Harjo – poet, songwriter
• Candace Hilligoss – actress (1960 filmCarnival of Souls)
• Mary Beth Hurt – actress (The World According to Garp,Interiors)
• Toby Huss – actor, creator ofArtie, the Strongest Man in the World fromThe Adventures of Pete and Pete, which he created atNo Shame Theatre at the university
• Aabria Iyengar – web series actress (Dimension 20)
• Jake Johnson – actor (New Girl,Paper Heart,Get Him to the Greek,Safety Not Guaranteed,21 Jump Street,Drinking Buddies,Jurassic World andTag)
• Barry Kemp – producer (Coach,Newhart) (Hayden Fox, the title character ofCoach, was named after Iowa football coachHayden Fry)
• Alex Ko – actor (Billy Elliot the Musical), author, film director
• Ashton Kutcher – actor (That '70s Show,Two and a Half Men), producer (createdPunk'd), entrepreneur
• Adam LeFevre – film and television actor, playwright
• Nicholas Meyer – director (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
• Greg Morris – actor (Barney Collier in originalMission: Impossible TV series)
• Terry O'Quinn – actor (Lost)
• Lara Parker – actress (Angelique in the serialDark Shadows)
• James Romig – composer
• Eugene Rousseau – saxophonist
• Brandon Routh – actor (Superman Returns)
• Joe Russo – director-writer (Captain America: The Winter Soldier,Captain America: Civil War,Avengers: Infinity War,Avengers: Endgame,Arrested Development, andCommunity)
• Paul Rust – actor (I Love You, Beth Cooper andLove)
• John Shifflett –jazzdouble bass player and teacher atSan Jose State University
• Jean Seberg – actress (Breathless,Paint Your Wagon,Airport)
• William Oscar Smith – jazz double bassist
• David Strackany – musician
• Technoblade –YouTuber
• Susan Werner – singer-songwriter
• Brooks Wheelan – comedian (Saturday Night Live)
• Gene Wilder – actor (Silver Streak,Young Frankenstein,Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)
• Chris Witaske – actor (Love,The Bear,Chicago Party Aunt)
• Bryan Woods – filmmaker (A Quiet Place)
• David Bryan Woodside – actor (24)

• Diablo Cody – screenwriter, winning anAcademy Award for Best Original Screenplay
• Charles Guggenheim – documentary filmmaker, winning four Academy Awards from twelve nominations
• John Irving – author, winning anAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

• Al Jarreau – seven-timeGrammy Award-winning vocalist
• David Sanborn – six-time Grammy-winning saxophonist^[46]

• Hind Al-Abadleh – chemist and environmental scientist
• Archie Alexander – first African-American graduate (in engineering); governor of theVirgin Islands
• M. M. Ayoub – pioneer in the field ofergonomics
• Alfred Marshall Bailey – ornithologist and long-term director of theDenver Museum of Natural History
• Antoine Bechara – professor of psychology and neuroscience
• Sidney W. Bijou (1908–2009) –developmental psychologist^[47]
• Mark Frederick Boyd – malariologist
• Shirley Briggs – conducted work in pesticide and synthetic chemical research
• Lawrence Einhorn – pioneering oncologist whose research increased testicular cancer survival rates from 10% to 95%
• Mildred Adams Fenton – geologist, paleontologist, writer on paleontology
• Leon Festinger –social psychologist who was responsible for the theory ofcognitive dissonance
• James E. Hansen – heads NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies; recognized inTime's "100 Most Influential People of 2006" for his efforts to bring understanding and fighting the effects of global climate change
• Bruce C. Heezen – led a team fromColumbia University that mapped theMid-Atlantic Ridge
• Darrell Huff – writer known for best-selling bookHow to Lie with Statistics
• Herbert Jasper – pioneer of surgical epileptology at the Montreal Neurological Institute
• Marshall Kay – geologist andPenrose Medal winner
• Tom Krimigis – space scientist, physicist
• E.F. Lindquist – co-founder of theACT examination
• Gregor Luthe – chemist, toxicologist, nanotechnologist, inventor and entrepreneur
• Charles F. Lynch – epidemiologist
• Mark Mattson – neuroscientist at theNational Institutes of Health andJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Deane Montgomery – mathematician
• Mary Lawson Neff – neurologist
• Kent Norman – cognitive psychologist and expert oncomputer rage
• George Ojemann – neurosurgeon and cognitive neuroscientist
• Clair Cameron Patterson – geochemist who developed theuranium–lead dating method intolead–lead dating, worked on theManhattan Project, and led early campaigns against lead poisoning
• Wang Shizhen – Chinese academician, father of Chinese nuclear medicine
• James Van Allen – space scientist
• Charles Van Riper – speech pathologist
• Oswald Veblen – mathematician
• Mildred Mott Wedel – social scientist, archaeologist, ethnohistorian

• Tim Costo – MLB first baseman 1992–1993
• Matt Dermody – MLB pitcher since 2016, notably forToronto Blue Jays
• Jack Dittmer – MLB second baseman 1952–1957
• Jack Dreyer – MLB pitcher since 2025 for theLos Angeles Dodgers
• Cal Eldred –Major League Baseball pitcher who played for 14 years^[48]
• Milo Hamilton –sportscaster for theIowa Hawkeyes and seven different Major League Baseball teams; recipient of theFord C. Frick Award^[49]
• Chris Hatcher – MLB outfielder in 1998
• Hal Manders –relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played in 1941, 1942, and 1946^[50]
• Wes Obermueller – Major League Baseball pitcher^[51]
• Art Reinhart – Major League Baseball pitcher, 1919–1928
• Jim Sundberg – catcher for theTexas Rangers and other teams^[52]

• B. J. Armstrong –NBA point guard for theChicago Bulls^[53]
• Jordan Bohannon – Hawkeyes men's player 2016–2022;most career games played in NCAA Division I men's history
• "Downtown" Freddie Brown – guard for theSeattle SuperSonics where he was captain of the 1978–79 World Championship team^[54]
• Jennie Baranczyk - played from 2000-2004; current head coach for theUniversity of Oklahoma women’s basketball team.
• Carl Cain – Olympic gold medalist in 1956
• Caitlin Clark – former Hawkeyes women's player and 1st pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft
• Monika Czinano – Hawkeyes women's player 2018–2023
• Chuck Darling – member of the1956 Summer Olympics gold medal basketball team
• Keno Davis – men's basketball coach atProvidence College^[55]
• Ricky Davis –Los Angeles Clippers player^[56]
• Kathleen Doyle - Drafted byIndiana Fever 2020; current assistant coach forDePaul University
• Acie Earl – NBA basketball player^[57]
• Michelle Edwards – WNBA guard 1997–2001
• Luka Garza – National College Player of the Year 2020–2021; currentMinnesota Timberwolves player
• Megan Gustafson – National College Player of the Year 2019; No. 10 retired 2020; Eurocup champion 2024; current player for theLas Vegas Aces; member of 2024 Spanish Olympic team
• Bob Hansen – player for theUtah Jazz andChicago Bulls; basketball analyst for the Hawkeye Radio Network^[58]
• Pops Harrison – Iowa head coach 1942–1950
• Dick Ives – played one season in the BAA
• John Johnson – player on 1978–79Seattle SuperSonics championship team^[59]
• Noble Jorgensen – player for theSheboygan Red Skins,Tri-Cities Blackhawks andSyracuse Nationals^[60]
• Ronnie Lester – NBA point guard 1980–1986
• Bill Logan – NBA center in 1956
• Brad Lohaus – NBA player^[61]
• Devyn Marble (born 1992) – player forMaccabi Haifa of theIsraeli Basketball Premier League
• Gabbie Marshall – women's player 2019–2024
• Kate Martin – women's basketball team captain 2020–2024; drafted by theLas Vegas Aces; current player for theGolden State Valkyries for their inaugural year
• Keegan Murray – player for theSacramento Kings
• Don Nelson – player for theBoston Celtics and coach for theGolden State Warriors^[62]
• Lucy Olsen – played for Iowa one year, transfer fromVillanova to replaceCaitlin Clark, drafted by theWashington Mystics
• Erv Prasse – NBL player 1940–1946
• Tangela Smith – center for theWNBAPhoenix Mercury^[63]
• Murray Wier – BAA guard 1948–1951
• Herb Wilkinson – drafted to the BAA
• Andre Woolridge (born 1973) – point guard

• Beth Beglin – field hockey Olympic bronze medalist in 1984, head coach at Iowa 1988–1999
• Kris Fillat – field hockey player on US National Team
• Marcia Pankratz – field hockey player on US national team 1985–1996, college field hockey coach

• C. J. Beathard – current player for theJacksonville Jaguars
• Bret Bielema – NFL assistant coach, head coach of theUniversity of Illinois football team
• Paul Burmeister –NFL quarterback,NFL Network anchor^[64]
• Jim Caldwell – offensive coordinator for theBaltimore Ravens^[65]
• Jack Campbell – linebacker for theDetroit Lions
• Dallas Clark – tight end for the Colts, Buccaneers, and Ravens^[66]
• Sean Considine – former NFL defensive safety and special teams, member of the Ravens'Super Bowl XLVII championship team^[67]
• Kerry Cooks – NFL defensive back^[68]
• Dick Crayne – NFL fullback 1936–1937
• Cooper DeJean – cornerback and punt return for thePhiladelphia Eagles
• John Derby – NFL linebacker^[69]
• Aubrey Devine – College Football Hall of Fame quarterback
• Jeff Drost – NFL defensive tackle^[70]
• Wayne Duke – commissioner of theBig Ten Conference 1971–1989^[71]
• Tim Dwight – NFL player^[72]
• Harold Ely – NFL player^[73]
• A. J. Epenesa -–NFL defensive end for theBuffalo Bills
• Dick Evans – NFL player^[74]
• Noah Fant - Tight end for theCincinnati Bengals
• Wesley Fry – general manager for theOakland Raiders^[75]
• Robert Gallery – NFL offensive tackle, second overall pick in 2004 draft^[76]
• Willis Glassgow – NFL halfback 1930–1931
• Dennis Green – head coach with theMinnesota Vikings andArizona Cardinals^[77]
• Merton Hanks – NFL defensive back (four-time Pro Bowl selection)^[78]
• Homer Harris – player in 1937; first African American captain of aBig Ten Conference team^[79]
• Jay Hilgenberg – center forChicago Bears (seven-time Pro Bowl selection)^[80]
• Jay Higgins - Linebacker for theBaltimore Ravens
• Jerry Hilgenberg – Iowa assistant coach 1956–1963
• Wally Hilgenberg – NFL linebacker 1964–1979
• Walt Housman –football player^[81]
• Robert L. Hunter – NFL guard and tackle, presiding judge of the Divorce Division of theCook County Circuit Court, and1951 Republican nominee formayor of Chicago^[23]
• Carlos James – Arena Football League player^[82]
• Cal Jones – one of two Iowa football players to have his jersey retired; won theOutland Trophy in 1955^[83]
• Nate Kaeding – NFL placekicker^[84]
• Harry Kalas – voice of thePhiladelphia Phillies (MLB),NFL on Westwood One andNFL Films^[85]
• Aaron Kampman – NFL defensive end^[86]
• Alex Karras – professional football player and actor^[87]
• Nile Kinnick – Iowa's 1939Heisman Trophy winner with Iowa'sKinnick Stadium named for him in 1972^[88]
• George Kittle – 2x Pro Bowler and 2x All-Pro tight end for theSan Francisco 49ers; part of the 49ersSuper Bowl LIV team^[89]
• Dick Klein – professional football player^[90]
• Paul Krause – NFL safety 1964–1979
• Sam LaPorta – NFL tight end for theDetroit Lions
• Joe Laws – professional football player for theGreen Bay Packers^[91]
• Tyler Linderbaum - Center for theBaltimore Ravens
• Gordon Locke – College Football Hall of Fame fullback
• Chuck Long – closest-everHeisman Trophy runner-up in 1985; later a college head coach; analyst for theBig Ten Network^[92]
• Jim Miller – NFL offensive guard^[93]
• Tom Moore – longtimeNFL coach and offensive coordinator for theIndianapolis Colts^[94]
• Bruce Nelson –guard andcenter^[95]
• Ben Niemann – NFL linebacker for several teams, drafted byKansas City Chiefs, currently with theDetroit Lions
• Ken Ploen – CFL Hall of Fame quarterback 1957–1967
• Ed Podolak – player with theKansas City Chiefs; football analyst for Hawkeye Radio Network^[96]
• Fred Roberts – player for thePortsmouth Spartans^[97]
• Eddie Robinson – winningest coach in NCAA Division I football history atGrambling State University 1942–1997^[98]
• Reggie Roby – punter (three-time Pro Bowl Selection) for theMiami Dolphins^[99]
• Bob Sanders – free agent safety, member of theIndianapolis Colts'Super Bowl XLI championship team^[100]
• Tyler Sash – safety for theNew York Giants'Super Bowl XLVI championship team^[101]
• Zud Schammel – NFL guard^[102]
• Duke Slater – NFL linebacker 1922–1931
• Scott Slutzker – NFL player^[103]
• Larry Station – two-timeAll-American player^[104]
• Bob Stoops – player and coach; former head coach at theUniversity of Oklahoma^[105]
• Mark Stoops – player; head coach of theUniversity of Kentucky^[106]
• Mike Stoops – player, coach; defensive coordinator at Oklahoma^[107]
• Geno Stone - Safety for theCincinnati Bengals
• Tory Taylor – Australian-born punter 2020–2023; unanimous All American 2023; current player for theChicago Bears
• Sherwyn Thorson – CFL player 1962–1968
• Andre Tippett – Hall of Fame linebacker for theNew England Patriots^[108]
• Emlen Tunnell – player; first African American to play for theNew York Giants; later played for theGreen Bay Packers^[109]
• Lukas Van Ness – NFL defensive end for theGreen Bay Packers
• Clyde Williams – coach and athletic director at Iowa State 1907–1919
• Marshal Yanda – Pro Bowl offensive lineman for the Ravens; member of Super Bowl XLVII championship team^[110]

• Jordan Johnson – professionalmixed martial artist, currently with theUFC^[111]
• Julie Kedzie – two-time Hook n' Shoot Tournament Champion, National Karate Champion; fought in first women's MMA match on cable television^[112]

• Paul Brechler – athletic director at Iowa and commissioner of theWestern Athletic Conference
• Lincoln Hurring – swam in 1952 and 1956 Olympics for New Zealand
• Wally Ris – 1948 Olympic swimmer, winner of two gold medals
• Bowen Stassforth – 1952 Olympic silver medalist swimmer 200 m breaststroke, former world record holder in 200 and 100 breaststroke
• Rafał Szukała – 1992 Olympic silver medalist in 100 butterfly for Poland
• Artur Wojdat – 1988 Olympic bronze medalist in 400 free, former world record holder in 400 freestyle

• Kareem Al Allaf (born 1998) – American tennis player who has played for Syria and the US; holds the all-time wins record for singles and doubles combined in college tennis at the university
• Steve Wilkinson – tennis player and coach, member of the United States Professional Tennis Association's Hall of Fame and the ITA Men's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame

• Kineke Alexander – 400m runner competed in 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics
• George Baird – ran 4x400 at 1928 Olympics
• Charles Brookins – 400m hurdles at 1924 Olympics
• Chan Coulter – 400m hurdles at 1924 Olympics
• Francis X. Cretzmeyer – track and field coach, 1948–78; coached Ted Wheeler andDeacon Jones (1956 and 1960 Olympics)^[113]
• Frank Cuhel – 1928 Olympic silver medalist in 400 hurdles
• Nan Doak – marathoner
• Troy Doris – triple jumper in 2016 Olympics
• Rich Ferguson – ran 5000m at 1952 Olympics
• Ed Gordon – long jumped at the 1928 Olympics
• Deacon Jones – 1956 and 1960Olympics, track and field
• Anthuan Maybank – 1996 Olympic Games gold medalist in the men's 4x400 meter relay for the US
• Ira Murchison – former world record holder in 100 yard dash and Olympic gold medalist in 4x100
• Diane Nukuri – competed in 2000, 2012, 2016, and 2020 Olympics in various distance events
• Harold Phelps – ran 5000m at 1924 Olympics
• Mel Rosen – track coach^[114]
• George Saling – Olympic hurdler who won the 110-meter hurdles in the1932 Summer Olympics^[46]
• Jenny Spangler – ran marathon in 1996 Olympics
• Laulauga Tausaga – thrower
• Ted Wheeler – 1500 meters at 1956 Olympics
• Eric Wilson – 400m runner at 1924 Olympics
• Bashir Yamini – long jumper and football player

• Royce Alger – 2x NCAA Champion (87' & 88') and retiredmixed martial artist^[115]
• Ed Banach – light heavyweight gold medalist at 1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles^[116]
• Lou Banach – heavyweight gold medalist at 1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles^[117]
• Stub Barron
• Paul Bradley – two-time NCAA All-American;^[118] professionalmixed martial artist, formerly with theUFC^[119] and currently withBellator^[120]
• Terry Brands – NCAA Champion in 1990 and 1992, 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, and two-time World freestyle Champion in 1993 & 1995
• Tom Brands – Outstanding Wrestler Award at the 1992 NCAA Tournament; World Champion in 1993; Olympic Champion in 1996
• Rico Chiapparelli – NCAA Champ in 1987; mixed martial arts trainer^[115]
• Barry Davis – bantamweight silver medalist 1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles^[121]
• Ettore Ewen – professional wrestler forWWE under the name "Big E"^[122]
• Randall Lewis – featherweight gold medalist at 1984 Olympic Games
• Terrence McCann – Olympic gold medalist in 1960 freestyle bantamweight class
• Lincoln McIlravy – Olympic bronze medalist in 2000 freestyle welterweight class
• Brent Metcalf – 2008 and 2010 NCAA Champion; 2008Dan Hodge Trophy winner
• Steve Mocco – 2003 NCAA Division I Champion at Heavyweight; 2008 Olympic team member; current professionalMMA fighter^[123]
• Tony Ramos – 2014 NCAA Champion
• E. G. Schroeder – first wrestling and tennis coach at Iowa, athletic director
• Joe Williams – three-time NCAA Champion; 2001 and 2005 wrestling world bronze medalist
• Bill Zadick – 1996 NCAA Wrestling Champion, 2006 World Champion
• Mike Zadick – 2006 wrestling world silver medalist
• Jim Zalesky – three-time NCAA Champion; current coach forOregon State University

• Paul Brechler – athletic director at Iowa and commissioner of theWestern Athletic Conference
• Erica Coulibaly – rugby union player for theUSA women's national team^{[citation needed]}
• Houry Gebeshian – Armenian Olympic gymnast at the2016 Summer Olympics
• Laurie Mabry – professor atIllinois State University and former president of theAssociation for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women

• Notable University of Iowa alumni

• University of Iowa alumni

• CS1 maint: location missing publisher
• CS1: long volume value
• CS1 errors: periodical ignored
• CS1: unfit URL
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from November 2015
• Pages using infobox mapframe with missing coordinates
• Articles using infobox university
• Pages using infobox university with the nickname alias
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from January 2014
• Articles with unsourced statements from September 2025