Thousands upon thousands have attended the University of Iowa since its founding in 1847. Some even became famous as poets, scientists, actors, directors and businessmen.
Here’s 17 UI alumni who made it big. How many do you know?
Mildred Wirt Benson (1905-2002), author
Known for being a ghost writer of the Nancy Drew mystery series, Mildred Wirt Benson graduated from UI with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1925. Two years later, she became the first person to receive a master’s degree in journalism from the university.
Under the name Carolyn Keene, Benson wrote 23 of the first 30 Nancy Drew books under publishing company The Stratemeyer Syndicate. After leaving Stratemeyer, she worked full time as a journalist at the Toledo Blade.
Her life was almost as dramatic as the female detective she wrote about. Benson earned a commercial pilot’s license in 1964, canoed down the Usumacinta River in Central America, explored Mayan temples and was briefly kidnapped on a trip to Guatemala.
Terry Branstad (1946-), politician
Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad graduated from UI in 1969 with a bachelor of arts degree in political science.
Branstad served as Iowa’s Republican governor from 1983-1999 and again from 2011-15. He is the longest-serving governor in U.S. history. Branstad also served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1972-1978.
After his political run, Branstad briefly served as the president of Des Moines University and as the U.S. ambassador to China from 2017 to 2020. At Drake University, he served as an ambassador-in-residence from November 2021 to April 2026.
In December of 2025, Iowa named a 36-mile stretch of Highway 9 after Branstad.
Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012), artist
Elizabeth Catlett was among the first three graduates with an master of fine arts degree at UI in 1940, and the first Black woman to receive an MFA in the world. According to professor Lena Hill, Catlett wasn’t allowed to live on campus during her educational stay at the university because she was Black.
Catlett is best known for her art using sculpture, lithography and painting. She called herself a Black Revolutionary Artist, using her inspiration of Black and Mexican people to create her art.
Her art is stored all over the country, with exhibits in The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago and at UI.
Sandra Cisneros (1954-), author
Sandra Cisneros, known for her book “The House on Mango Street,” graduated from UI with an master of fine arts in creative writing in 1978.
After graduating, she became a teacher for several years, working at the Latino Youth Alternative High School and a few universities around the country. She published her first book, “Bad Boys,” in 1980.
Through her work, she received several awards, including the National Medal of Arts from former President Barack Obama, the Fifth Star Award from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Tia Chucha’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ashton Kutcher (1978-), actor
Actor Ashton Kutcher enrolled at UI in 1996 toward a chemical engineering degree. Two years in, he was scouted by a modeling agency and pursued an acting career in Los Angeles.
Kutcher is most known for playing Michael Kelso in “That ‘70s Show,” Oliver Martin in “A Lot Like Love,” and Tom in “Just Married.” In 2026, he starred in the comic book-based TV series, “The Beauty,” as the creator of a super drug.
George Gallup (1901-1984), pollster
George Gallup, best known for the creation of the Gallup Poll, graduated from UI in 1923 with a bachelor’s degree, 1925 with a master’s degree and 1928 with a doctorate.
After graduation, Gallup taught journalism courses at Northwestern University and Columbia University. He was also the head of Drake University’s journalism program from 1929-31. Gallup founded the American Institute of Public Opinion, a survey corporation that evolved into the Gallup Poll, in 1935.
The Gallup Poll gained popularity when it correctly predicted the presidential victory of Franklin Roosevelt in 1942, contradicting The Literary Digest’s prediction, the standard at the time.
Don Hall (1969-), artist/director
Known for winning two Oscars for co-directing “Big Hero 6,” Don Hall graduated from UI with a bachelor of fine arts in drawing and painting and a master of fine arts in 1991.
From 1999 to 2023, Hall wrote and contributed to several animated Disney films, including “The Princess and the Frog,” “Meet the Robinsons,” “Encanto,” “Zootopia” and “Moana.”
He won the Ursa Major Award for his direction of “Raya and the Last Dragon.”
Jake Johnson (1978-), actor
Actor Jake Johnson attended UI for creative writing for two years in the 1990s.
He’s most known for appearing in “New Girl” as Nick and voicing Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”
Johnson also produced and wrote the 2023 movie “Self Reliance.” For his work in “New Girl,” Johnson won the Gold Derby TV Award for best comedy lead actor in 2013.
Richard W. Maibaum (1909-1991), screenwriter
Richard W. Maibaum, known for writing 13 of the original “James Bond” movie scripts, studied speech and drama and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1931 and a master’s degree from UI in 1932.
His writing credits include “Thunderball,” “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Goldfinger.”
While still at school, his anti-lynching play “The Tree” was performed on Broadway in 1932.
Kay A. Orr (1939-), politician
Kay A. Orr attended UI in 1956-1957 before moving to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1963 and volunteering for the Republican Party.
In 1987, Orr became Nebraska’s first female governor and the first female Republican governor in the U.S.
She served as governor until 1991. She remains Nebraska’s only female governor.
John Pappajohn (1928-2023), entrepreneur/philanthropist
Iowa entrepreneur and philanthropist John Pappajohn took turns with his brothers attending UI. After six years of off-and-on attendance, Pappajohn graduated with a business degree in 1952.
After graduating, Pappajohn started an insurance business that assisted more than 100 companies in their startups.
Pappajohn and his wife, Mary, were widely known philanthropists. They funded a $5 million scholarship fund for minority students in 1997 and donated $4 million to help build the Pappajohn Higher Education Center.
They also were known as art collectors, donating 28 sculptures to create Des Moines’ Pappajohn Sculpture Park in 2009.
Coleen Rowley (1954-), FBI whistleblower
Federal Bureau of Investigations whistleblower Coleen Rowley attended the UI College of Law and graduated with a law degree in 1980.
Ten years later, Rowley began her job at the FBI as Chief Division Counsel. In May of 2002, she testified with concerns of the FBI’s actions leading to the 9/11 terrorist attack.
She also wrote a memo criticizing the FBI for their mishandling of information regarding Zacarias Moussaoui, a member of al-Qaeda.
Rowley and two other whistleblowers appeared on the cover of Time Magazine’s Person of The Year issue in 2002.
Joe Russo (1971-), director
Joe Russo, most known for directing four Marvel Comics movies, graduated from UI in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in English.
Russo, with his brother Anthony, directed “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame.” The two are returning to Marvel for “Avengers: Doomsday,” releasing Dec. 18, 2026.
Russo also produced the Oscar-winning movie, “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”
Juanita Kidd Stout (1919-98), judge
Juanita Kidd Stout, the first Black woman to be elected judge in the U.S., graduated from UI with a bachelor of arts in music in 1939. After graduating, Stout taught music in Oklahoma for three years.
After becoming a secretary at a law firm, Stout decided to study law. She graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1948 and Indiana University in 1954, then moved to Philadelphia. After being elected judge in 1959, she soon became the first Black woman to serve on a state supreme court in 1988.
Stout retired at age 70, then worked in a common pleas court until her death in 1998.
Technoblade (1999-2022), YouTuber
Minecraft YouTuber Technoblade shortly attended UI in 2018-2019 for creative writing.
Technoblade began his YouTube channel in 2013. He quickly became known for his appearances in multiplayer servers and the SkyBlock “Potato War.”
In August 2021, he announced to his fans he had been diagnosed with metastatic stage 4 sarcoma and died 10 months later. Before and after death, his friends and fans continued to raise money for sarcoma research.
As of 2026, Technoblade had 22.4 million subscribers. Fans know him best by the slogan, “Technoblade never dies.”
D.B. Weiss (1971-), screenwriter/producer
“Game of Thrones” show co-creator D.B. Weiss graduated from UI in 1998 with a master of fine arts in creative writing.
Weiss co-created with David Benioff HBO’s “Game of Thrones” that ran from 2011-19. The two were hired by Lucasfilm to create a new Star Wars trilogy, but Lucasfilm scrapped their idea for the films.
Weiss is also known for writing the show “3 Body Problem” and the movie “Metal Lords.”
Gene Wilder (1933-2016), actor
Gene Wilder, known for his appearance in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” as Willy Wonka, graduated from UI with a bachelor’s degree in 1955. While there, he participated in the student productions.
He debuted on Broadway in 1961 in a comedy called “The Complaisant Lover,” winning the Clarence Derwent Award. He also appeared in movies “The Little Prince,” “Young Frankenstein” and “Bonnie and Clyde.”
In 1975, he wrote “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother.”
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet 17 of the University of Iowa’s most famous alumni
Reporting by Veronica Meiss, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Veronica Meiss, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
