List of College of the Holy Cross alumni

Artists, poets and authors

• Vito Acconci 1962, artist and architect
• Philip Berrigan 1950, author and activist
• Billy Collins 1963, former Poet Laureate of the United States
• Leo Cullum 1963, cartoonist best known for his work in The New Yorker
• Michael Earls 1895, Jesuit priest, writer, poet, teacher, and Holy Cross administrator
• Michael Harrington 1947, socialist historian and author of The Other America, which is believed to have inspired Lyndon Johnson's Great Society social programs
• Michael Harvey 1980, author of The Chicago Way and The Fifth Floor; co-creator of the TV program Cold Case Files
• Jack Higgins 1976, Pulitzer Prize–winning editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Sun Times
• Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling romance author
• Edward P. Jones 1972, MacArthur Award winner and 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel The Known World
• Paul LeClerc 1963, President Emeritus of the New York Public Library
• Jack O'Connell 1981, author of noir crime fiction and speculative fiction
• Karen M. McManus 1991, international bestselling author of "One of Us Is Lying", "Two Can Keep a Secret", "One of Us Is Next", and "The Cousins".
• Joe McGinniss 1964, bestselling author of The Selling of the President, Fatal Vision, and other books
• Jay O'Callahan 1960, storyteller
• Josh Pahigian 1996, author of The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip and more than a dozen other books
• Barry Reed 1949, Boston trial lawyer and author of The Verdict, which was made into the Oscar-nominated 1982 film starring Paul Newman

Business

• William J. Abbott 1984, CEO of GAC Media
• Douglas M. Baker Jr. 1981, CEO of Ecolab Inc.
• James E. Burke 1947, former CEO of Johnson & Johnson; named one of the ten greatest CEOs of all time by Fortune Magazine
• Randall Caudill 1969, president and founder of Dunsford Hill Capital Partners
• Arthur Ciocca 1959, chairman and owner, The Wine Group
• Richard A. Davey 1995, president, New York City Transit Authority
• Joanna Geraghty 1990, chief executive officer of JetBlue
• Pedro Heilbron 1979, CEO of Copa Airlines
• Abraham Elias Issa 1926, Jamaican businessman, entrepreneur and hotelier acclaimed as "The Father of Jamaican Tourism".
• Joseph John Issa 1989, founder and chairman of SuperClubs Resorts
• Brian P. Kelley 1983, chairman of MPearlRock, former CEO of Keurig Green Mountain and former president of the Coca-Cola Company’s North American operations
• James W. Keyes 1977, former chairman and CEO of Blockbuster, Inc.
• John Koelmel 1974, President of HARBORcenter, former CEO of First Niagara Financial Group
• Edward J. Ludwig 1973, former chairman, president, and CEO of Becton Dickinson
• Victor Luis 1988, chairman of Moose Knuckles and former President of Coach Inc.
• William J. McDonough 1956, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and current vice chairman of Merrill Lynch
• William E. McKenna 1947, former president of Hunts Foods, former chairman Norton Simon Inc. Former chairman and President Technicolor Inc. Former chairman Sambos Rest.
• Charles E.F. Millard 1954, former chairman of the board, CEO Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York
• William F. O'Neil 1907, founder of the General Tire and Rubber Company
• John Peterman 1963, catalog and retail entrepreneur
• James David Power III 1953, founder of J.D. Power and Associates
• Roberto Quarta 1971, partner of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Chairman of Italtel, and former chairman of BBA Group
• Loren Ferré Rangel 1992, vice president for new products at El Día, Inc. and a trustee of the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico
• Carolyn Risoli 1986, former president of Marc by Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs, Inc.
• Frank Shakespeare 1946, former president of CBS Television; former director of the U.S. Information Agency; Ambassador to Portugal and Ambassador to the Vatican
• Joe Shoen 1971, president, chairman of the board, and chief executive officer of U-Haul
• Mark Shoen 1967, largest shareholder and former chairman of U-Haul
• John T. Sinnott 1961, retired vice chairman of Marsh & McLennan Companies
• Kieran Suckling 1986, co-founder of the Center for Biological Diversity
• William J. Teuber Jr. 1973, Senior Operating Principal of Bridge Growth Partners and former vice chairman of EMC Corporation
• Maggie Wilderotter 1977, former president and CEO, Frontier Communications and DocuSign; as of 2012 had been named one of the "Fifty Most Powerful Women in Business" by Fortune for four years in a row

Arts and entertainment

• Dick Cusack 1950, actor, director and producer
• Ann Dowd 1978, Broadway, movie, and television actress; received the National Board of Review award and an Emmy award.
• Brian Gallivan 1991, improvisational actor and executive producer of CBS TV show The McCarthys
• Thomas Ian Griffith 1982, actor, screenwriter, producer, musician, and martial artist
• Brian Gunn 1992, screenwriter
• Mark Gunn 1993, screenwriter
• Dave Holmes 1994, MTV host
• Neil Hopkins 1999, television and film actor and writer
• Peter Jankowski 1986, executive producer, Law & Order
• Douglas Netter 1942, founder, Netter Digital Entertainment and executive producer of Babylon 5
• Kevin O'Connor 1990, host of PBS's This Old House
• Thomas F. O'Neil 1937, former chairman of RKO General Studios, who brought movies to television and experimented with an early coin-operated pay TV system
• Bartlett Sher 1981, director of Tony Award-winning Broadway musicals South Pacific and The Light in the Piazza
• Tony Wolf 1993, actor
• Bob Wright 1965, Chairman of the Board and former CEO of NBC Universal; Vice Chairman of General Electric; co-founder of Autism Speaks

Law, politics, and public service

Executive branch and United States Cabinet members

• Joseph A. Califano Jr. 1952, former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and Chairman of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
• Broderick D. Johnson 1978, White House Cabinet Secretary for President Obama
• John William Middendorf II 1945, former U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands and Secretary of the Navy

United States governors

• Bob Casey Sr. 1953, Governor of Pennsylvania 1987–1995
• Edward D. DiPrete 1955, Governor of Rhode Island 1985–1991
• David I. Walsh 1893, first Irish Catholic governor and U.S. senator for Massachusetts

Ambassadors and other diplomats from the United States

• Christopher P. Henzel, 1984 U.S. Ambassador to Yemen
• Kevin J. McGuire, 1964 U.S. Ambassador to Namibia
• John William Middendorf II 1945, former U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands and secretary of the Navy
• Harry K. Thomas Jr. 1978, U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Zimbabwe

Foreign government officials

• Henri Bourassa 1890, French Canadian political leader and publisher; ideological father of French-Canadian nationalism
• Louis-Rodrigue Masson 1853, Canadian member of Parliament, senator, and Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec
• Jarosław Wałęsa 2001, member of the Sejm, the lower chamber of Poland's Parliament; son of Lech Wałęsa
• Guillermo F. Pérez-Argüello, 1973, Peruvian/Nicaraguan dual national, UN official and Nicaraguan ambassador to Brazil, nephew on his father's side of Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, fifth secretary-general of the United Nations

Other United States political and legal figures

• John B. Anderson 1957, former mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts
• Jose Cojuangco Jr. 1955, former Philippine congressman
• Michael Delaney 1991, New Hampshire attorney general 2009–present
• Mark DeSaulnier 1973, representing California's 7th State Senate district
• Christopher Doherty, 1980, Mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania, since 2002
• Daniel M. Donahue 2009, Massachusetts state representative in the 16th Worcester district
• John Droney 1968, participated in Connecticut state politics; senior partner of Levy & Droney
• Jon Favreau 2003, chief speechwriter for Barack Obama
• Joseph H. Gainer 1899, 26th mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
• William Glendon 1941, attorney who specialized in issues relating to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and represented The Washington Post in the Pentagon Papers case
• Kirby Hendee, Wisconsin state senator
• Joseph T. Higgins 1916, member of the New York State Assembly
• Robert Maheu 1939, lawyer, who worked for the FBI and CIA, and as the chief executive of Nevada operations for the industrialist Howard Hughes.
• Ed Martin 1992, chairman of the Missouri Republican Party
• Joseph A. McNamara, U.S. attorney for Vermont
• Howard C. Nolan Jr. 1954, former member of the New York State Senate
• John P. O'Brien 1894, former mayor of New York City
• Mark Kennedy Shriver 1986, former member of Maryland legislature, vice president and managing director of US Programs for Save the Children
• Thomas J. Spellacy 1889, political leader and lawyer
• Kathy Sullivan 1976, attorney and former chairwoman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party
• Jane Sullivan Roberts 1976, leads the in-house practice group at Major, Lindsey & Africa; wife of Chief Justice John Roberts
• Austin J. Tobin 1925, former director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey 1942–1972; oversaw the construction of the World Trade Center
• Ted Wells 1972, lawyer, rated by The National Law Journal as one of America's best white-collar defense attorneys
• Edward Bennett Williams 1941, trial attorney; former owner of Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Redskins
• James Assion Wright 1923, lawyer from Pennsylvania who served in the U.S. Congress from 1941 to 1945
• Liz Beretta-Perik, chairwoman of the Rhode Island Democratic Party

Media and communication

• Dave Anderson 1951, New York Times sports columnist, 1981 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for commentary
• George-Édouard Desbarats 1850, Canadian printer and inventor
• Chris Matthews 1967, host of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews and NBC's The Chris Matthews Show
• Gordon Peterson 1960, broadcast journalist and television news anchor; co-anchor for ABC affiliate WJLA-TV and moderator and producer of Inside Washington
• Dan Shaughnessy 1975, sports columnist for the Boston Globe
• Bill Simmons 1992, HBO Sports personality, founder of The Ringer, founder of Grantland and formerly ESPN sports columnist and podcaster, founder and co-creator of ESPN hit documentary series 30 for 30
• Ed Walsh 1969, WBZ NewsRadio 1030-AM, morning news anchor

Science, technology, and medicine

• Arthur L. Beaudet, M.D. 1963, Henry and Emma Meyer Professor; Chair of Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine; known for his pioneering work in gene therapy, particularly the muscular dystrophy gene
• Edward Bove, M.D. 1968, Professor of Surgery at the University of Michigan School of Medicine, recognized for his contributions to the repair of congenital heart defects
• James William Colbert Jr., M.D. 1942, first Provost of Medical University of South Carolina and dean emeritus of St. Louis University School of Medicine
• James J. Collins, Ph.D. 1987, Rhodes Scholar, 2003 MacArthur Fellow and Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering & Science at MIT
• Bill Diamond, 1978, president and CEO of SETI Institute Research Organization
• John P. Donohue, M.D. 1954, pioneered the development of chemotherapy and nerve sparing surgical techniques for testicular cancer
• Anthony Fauci, M.D. 1962, former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
• Thomas W. Hungerford, 1959, mathematician and author of many textbooks including Abstract algebra
• Joseph P. Kerwin, M.D. 1953, astronaut who spent 28 days in space for the Skylab 2 mission
• David McDowell, B.A., M.A., M.D. 1985, psychiatrist, author, expert on substance abuse treatment
• Joseph E. Murray, M.D. 1940, Nobel Prize in Medicine for the first successful kidney transplant
• William Nolen, M.D. 1950, surgeon and author
• James Augustine Shannon, M.D. 1925, former director of the National Institutes of Health
• Chester L. Sutula Ph.D. 1954, chemist served on several APS committees
• Gordon Zubrod, M.D. 1936, received the Lasker Award in 1972 for his work in cancer research

Sports

Baseball

• Brian Abraham 2007, World Series Champion with the Boston Red Sox
• John Joseph "Jack" Barry 1905, shortstop, second baseman, and manager in Major League Baseball, and later a renowned college baseball coach
• Dick Berardino 1957, player development consultant for the Boston Red Sox
• Matt Blake 2007, New York Yankees pitching coach
• Pat Bourque 1969, first baseman in Major League Baseball; played on the 1973 Oakland Athletic World Series Championship team
• Ownie Carroll 1925, Major League Baseball pitcher for eleven seasons; baseball coach at Seton Hall 1948–1972
• Declan Cronin 2019, Major League Baseball pitcher for Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins
• Gene Desautels 1930, catcher in Major League Baseball who played with four different teams between 1930 and 1946
• Joseph "Jumping Joe" Dugan 1920, late Major League Baseball player
• John Freeman 1927, played for the Boston Red Sox
• Jack Hoey 1903, MLB outfielder for the Boston Red Sox
• Dick Joyce 1965, major league pitcher; member of the Cheverus and Holy Cross Hall of Fame; member of Maine Baseball Hall of Fame
• Art Kenney 1938, LHP in MLB Boston Bees 1938 Holy Cross Hall of Fame
• Brendan King 2017, RHP drafted by the Chicago Cubs
• Bill Lefebvre 1938, homered in first at bat as a professional baseball player
• Danny Macchiarola 2025, drafted by the Seattle Mariners
• Jack McKeon 1952, manager for the World Series Champion Florida Marlins
• Doc McMahon 1908, pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox in their inaugural season
• Bill Mills 1944, catcher for the 1944 Philadelphia Athletics
• Joe Mulligan 1934, MLB pitcher for the Boston Red Sox
• Pete Naton, 1953, catcher for the 1953 Pittsburgh Pirates
• Al Niemiec 1933, second baseman for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Athletics
• James O'Neill 1952, pitcher; won 1952 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award
• Mike Pazik 1972, drafted by the New York Yankees
• Louis Sockalexis Prep-1897, first Native American player in major league baseball

Basketball

• Rod Baker 1974, head coach for the ABA Champion Rochester Razorsharks
• George Blaney 1961, college basketball coach and former player for the New York Knicks
• Bob Cousy 1950, Basketball Hall of Fame member; former Boston Celtics player and coach
• Jehyve Floyd, basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Jack Foley 1962, consensus All-American who played for the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks.
• Kevin Hamilton 2006, professional basketball player and member of the Puerto Rican National Team.
• Tom Heinsohn 1956, Basketball Hall of Fame member and former Boston Celtics player and coach
• George Kaftan 1948, retired NBA player and a member of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame and the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame
• Malcolm Miller 2015, first player to sign a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors and won NBA championship
• Joe Mullaney 1949, drafted by the Boston Celtics and former head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers
• Dermie O'Connell 1948, former NBA guard
• Togo Palazzi 1954, played six seasons in the NBA; captain of the Crusaders team that won the 1954 NIT Championship
• Keith Simmons 2007, professional basketball player
• Torey Thomas 2006, member of the New York Knicks
• Michael Vicens 1978, drafted by the New Jersey Nets and played for Puerto Rico in the Olympics
• Garry Witts 1981, former NBA player

Football

• Bill Adams 1972, former offensive guard in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills
• Daniel Adams 2006, linebacker for 2007 champion United States national American football team
• Clyde Christensen, football coach at Holy Cross, later coached in the NFL
• Jalen Coker 2024, wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers
• Kevin Coyle, football coach at Holy Cross, later coached in the NFL
• Bob Dee 1955, three-sport letterman at the College of the Holy Cross; one of the first players signed by the Boston Patriots
• Mark Duffner, football head coach at Holy Cross, later coached in the NFL
• Fred Farrier 1994, wide receiver at Holy Cross
• Gill Fenerty 1986, award-winning all-star running back with the CFL Toronto Argonauts and later with the NFL New Orleans Saints
• Chandler Fenner 2012, Super Bowl champion as well as CFL Grey Cup Winner
• Dave Fipp, football coach at Holy Cross, later coached in the NFL
• C. J. Hanson 2024, drafted as a Guard by the Kansas City Chiefs
• Lee Hull 1988, NFL wide receiver coach for the Indianapolis Colts
• Ed Jenkins 1972, wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Giants
• Bruce Kozerski 1984, played center for the Cincinnati Bengals for twelve seasons
• Gordon Lockbaum 1988, College Football Hall of Fame member
• Anthony Manfreda 1929, played in the NFL; holds the Holy Cross record for most yards gained in a kickoff return
• Mike McCabe 2012, offensive lineman signed by the Green Bay Packers; his father played for the Washington Redskins
• Jim Moran 1934, guard in the National Football League for the Boston Redskins; father of James P. Moran Jr.
• Jon Morris 1964, All-American center; named to the second team, All-Time All-AFL for his years playing for the Boston Patriots
• Jimmy Murray 2018, offensive lineman signed by the Kansas City Chiefs 2019, 2020, 2021 Offensive Lineman New York Jets
• Andy Natowich 1940, former running back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins
• Luke Newman 2024, guard drafted by the Chicago Bears
• Bill Osmanski 1939, Chicago Bears fullback, member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team, the College Football Hall of Fame, and a licensed dentist
• Vince Promuto 1960, Washington Redskins guard from 1960 to 1970
• George Pyne II 1931, played for the Providence Steamrollers. The Pynes were the first family to have three generations play professional football
• David Quehl 1976, drafted by New England Patriots and played in the CFL
• Dominic Randolph 2010, Walter Payton Award candidate and QB for the New York Giants
• Kalif Raymond 2016, wide receiver and punt returner for the Detroit Lions
• Mike Sherman, football coach at Holy Cross, later coached in the NFL
• Benton Whitley 2022, outside linebacker Los Angeles Rams
• Jim Zyntell 1933, offensive lineman in the National Football League

Ice hockey

• Liam McLinskey 2025, Hobey Baker top ten finalist and drafted in the AHL
• Patrick Rissmiller 2002, New Jersey Devils coach and has played in the NHL for the San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers, and Atlanta Thrashers
• Jim Stewart 1979, goaltender Boston Bruins

Other sports

• Frank Carroll 1960, Olympic figure skating coach, former competitive skater
• Bob Daughters 1936, MLB player and former president of the Holy Cross Varsity Club
• Neil Fingleton 2004, the United Kingdom's tallest British-born man, professional basketball player, actor, and clothing retailer
• Keitani Graham 2003, competed in London 2012 Olympic Games as a wrestler for Micronesia
• Paul Harney 1952, professional golfer and golf course owner; won 11 professional events including six on the PGA Tour; in 2005, enshrined into the PGA of America Hall of Fame
• Leo Larrivee 1925, winner of bronze medal in 3000 m team at the 1924 Summer Olympics
• Patrick McCann, 2013, professional soccer player for Finn Harps FC
• Alejandro Melean 2010, professional soccer player for the Bolivian club Oriente Petrolero
• Paul Pearl 1989, men's ice hockey head coach at Holy Cross
• James F. "Jimmy" Quinn 1928, winner of gold medal in 4 × 100 m relay at the 1928 Summer Olympics
• Richard Regan 1976, Athletic Director at Holy Cross; former operations director of NFL International
• Kevin Swords 1982, most "capped" player on the Eagles, the U.S. national rugby team; played in the 1987 World Cup Rugby and captained the US team in the 1991 World Cup
• Willie Turnesa 1938, known as "Willie the Wedge", one of 13 men who have won both the British Amateur and U.S. Amateur Championships
• Ralph Willard 1967, former NBA coach; head coach of the Holy Cross basketball team

Notable Holy Cross faculty

• Patricia Bizzell, Ph.D., prolific author and former chairperson of the English Department
• John Esposito, Ph.D., widely published professor of Islamic Studies; former Holy Cross Middle East Studies and Religious Studies Chair
• Osvaldo Golijov, Ph.D., Grammy Award-winning composer; assistant professor of music
• André K Isaacs, Ph. D., organic chemistry professor; social media celebrity
• Claudia Koonz, Ph.D., feminist historian of Nazi Germany
• Shirish Korde, Ph.D., composer; chair of the Music Department; founder of Neuma Records
• Joseph T. O'Callahan, first chaplain Medal of Honor recipient; former director of Holy Cross Mathematics Department
• Thomas Worcester, historian on the Catholic Church and the Papacy, current president of Regis College, Toronto

Presidents of the college