Illinois’ public universities are known for providing a quality, affordable education for students and inspiring the next generation of leaders in business, science and technology, medicine, broadcasting, civic affairs, education and much more.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the most notable alums of Illinois’ public universities.
 |
Illinois State University – Normal, IL
- Jim Durkin, Illinois House Republican Leader
- Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times columnist/film critic and WLS-AM 890 radio personality
- Dan Roan, WGN-TV sports anchor
- John Malkovich, Actor, producer, director and fashion designer
|
 |
|
- J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives 1999-2007
- Ned Colletti, General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers 2005-present
- Terry Boers, Chicago sports radio icon and co-host of Boers and Bernstein on WSCR 670AM The Score
|
 |
|
- Jim Edgar, Former Illinois Governor
- Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys quarterback
- Capt. Charles Hall, pilot, Tuskegee Airmen
- Burl Ives, Actor and folk singer
- Jerry Van Dyke, Actor
- Al Bowman, President of Illinois State University
- Jimmy Liautaud, Founder of Jimmy John's restaurants
|
 |
|
- Thomas C. Carper, current Chairman of the Board for Amtrak
- C.T. Vivian, prominent civil rights leader and aide to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Lee Calhoun, U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Winner in 110m hurdles (Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960)
- Bill Wheelhouse, General Manager at WUIS-WIPA Public Radio, Springfield, IL
|
 |
|
- Curt Jones, Founder of Dippin’ Dots
- Jim Belushi, Actor and Comedian
- Roland Burris, First African-American elected to statewide office in Illinois; State Comptroller 1979-1991, Illinois Attorney General 1991-1995, U.S. Senator from Illinois 2008-2010
|
 |
|
- Fernando Aguirre, Former Chiquita CEO, America’s leading producer/distributor of bananas
- Robert Seguso and Ken Flach, U.S. Olympic gold medalists in tennis, men’s doubles (Seoul 1988)
- William Enyart (IL-12) and John Shimkus (IL-19), Current U.S. Congressmen
|
 |
|
- Carl Hoecker, Inspector General of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- Jerry “Iceman” Butler, American soul singer/songwriter, 1991 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; current Cook County Commissioner, 3rd District
- Debbie Halvorson, first female Majority Leader in Illinois Senate and former U.S. Congresswoman
|
 |
|
- Dennis DeYoung, John Panozzo, Chuck Panozzo and John Curulewski, founding members of the rock band Styx.
- Bob Janecyk, former NHL goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings
- Zelda Martin Whittler, first African-American female Undersheriff of Cook County
|
 |
|
- Robert Jordan, journalist and WGN-TV news anchor
- Luis V. Gutierrez, first Latino elected to Congress from the Midwest
- Candy Dawson Boyd, writer, educator, and civil rights activist
|
 |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Lynn Morley Martin, former U.S. Secretary of Labor and U.S. Congresswoman
- Lou Boudreau, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and longtime Chicago Cubs radio broadcaster
- Irna Phillips, creator of the soap opera
- Sam Skinner, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and White House Chief of Staff
|
 |
|
- Dana Perino, White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush
- Cheri Bustos, U.S. Congresswoman (IL-17); former Quad Cities journalist
|
 |
|
- James R. Thompson, longest-serving Governor in Illinois history (1977-1991)
- Carol Moseley-Braun, first African-American female elected to the U.S. Senate; former U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand
- Curtis Granderson, 3-time MLB All-Star, outfielder for the New York Yankees
|
