33 Notable alumni of
College of Saint Benedict
Updated:
The College of Saint Benedict is 1518th in the world, 524th in North America, and 492nd in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 33 notable alumni from the College of Saint Benedict sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Jack Webb
- Occupations
- film producertelevision actorscreenwriterfilm actortelevision producer
- Biography
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John Randolph Webb was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, most famous for his role as Joe Friday in the Dragnet franchise, which he created. He was also the founder of his own production company, Mark VII Limited.
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Eugene McCarthy
- Occupations
- teacherMilitary Intelligence Divisionpolitician
- Biography
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Eugene Joseph McCarthy was an American politician, writer, and academic who represented Minnesota in both houses of the United States Congress for over 22 years, first in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959, then in the U.S. Senate from 1959 until his resignation in 1971. A member of the Democratic Party, McCarthy sought the party's presidential nomination in the 1968 presidential election, challenging incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson on an anti–Vietnam War platform, and ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for president four more times.
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Denis McDonough
- Occupations
- civil servant
- Biography
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Denis Richard McDonough is an American government official who served as the 11th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden.
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Connor Franta
- Occupations
- television producerYouTuberentrepreneurmemoirist
- Biography
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Connor Joel Franta is an American YouTuber, author, artist, and entrepreneur.
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Matthew Logelin
- Years
- 1977-.. (age 49)
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Matthew Logelin is an American author, blogger, public speaker, and charity founder. In 2011, he published Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love, which was a New York Times Best Seller. His blog, Matt, Liz and Madeline: Life and Death, All in a 27-Hour Period, received over 40,000 hits per day at its height in 2008. Both the blog and the memoir document his grief and sudden single parenthood following the unexpected death of his wife, Liz Logelin, 27 hours after the birth of the couple's first child. A screen adaptation of the memoir starring Kevin Hart and presented by the Obamas premiered on Netflix in 2021. In 2009, Logelin established The Liz Logelin Foundation, a non-profit organization providing financial grants to families with children who have lost a parent. In 2018, he was featured on an episode of the podcast Reply All, where the hosts attempted to help him take down viral ads featuring misrepresentations about his and his wife's story.
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Mark T. Vande Hei
- Occupations
- astronautphysicist
- Biography
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Mark Thomas Vande Hei is a retired United States Army officer and current NASA astronaut who has served as a flight engineer for Expedition 53, 54, 64, 65, and 66 on the International Space Station.
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Rick Nolan
- Enrolled in the College of Saint Benedict
- Studied in 1962
- Occupations
- business executiveeducatorbusinesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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Richard Michael Nolan was an American politician and businessman who served as the U.S. representative from Minnesota's 8th congressional district from 2013 to 2019. He previously served as the U.S. representative from Minnesota's 6th congressional district between 1975 and 1981 and was also a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1969 until 1973.
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Paul M. Nakasone
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Paul Miki Nakasone is a retired four-star general in the United States Army who served as the commander of United States Cyber Command. He concurrently served as the director of the National Security Agency and as chief of the Central Security Service. Nakasone took command of the United States Second Army and Army Cyber Command in October 2016, until the Second Army's inactivation in March 2017. In May 2018, he became head of the National Security Agency, the Central Security Service, and the United States Cyber Command.
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David Durenberger
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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David Ferdinand Durenberger was an American politician and attorney from Minnesota who served as a Republican member of the United States Senate from 1978 to 1995. He left the Republican Party in 2005 and became a critic of it, endorsing Democratic presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in 2016 and 2020, respectively.
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Mark Kennedy
- Enrolled in the College of Saint Benedict
- Studied in 1979
- Occupations
- academic administratorpolitician
- Biography
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Mark Raymond Kennedy is an American businessman, politician, and university administrator. Following a career as a business executive, he served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota from 2001 to 2007. Kennedy did not seek reelection in 2006, instead running in the 2006 election for U.S. Senate, which he lost to Democratic–Farmer–Labor nominee Amy Klobuchar.
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John McCutcheon
- Occupations
- singerfiddlercomposersinger-songwritermulti-instrumentalist
- Biography
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John McCutcheon is an American folk music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has produced 45 albums since the 1970s. He is regarded as a master of the hammered dulcimer, and is also proficient on many other instruments including guitar, banjo, autoharp, mountain dulcimer, fiddle, and jaw harp. He has received six Grammy Award nominations.
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January Makamba
- Occupations
- politicianminister
- Biography
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January Yusuf Makamba is a Tanzanian CCM politician and Member of Parliament for Bumbuli constituency since 2010.
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George Sinner
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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George Albert Sinner was an American politician who served as the 29th governor of North Dakota from 1985 to 1992. He served two four-year terms and was the most recent governor of North Dakota from his party, the North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party.
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Lino Rulli
- Occupations
- radio personality
- Biography
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Angelo Gino Armando "Lino" Rulli is an American radio host, author, producer, and former television host. He is currently the host of The Catholic Guy Show, which is aired on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM Radio Channel 129. He was also the executive producer and host of the Emmy Award-winning television series, Generation Cross. In addition to his radio and television work, Rulli has released two books, both of which discuss Catholicism in a comedic tone through personal anecdotes. He is the personal media adviser to Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan.
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Bill Cody
- Occupations
- actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Páll Valtýr Pálsson, better known as Bill Cody Sr., was a Hollywood B-Western actor of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, and father to Bill Cody Jr.
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Richard F. Kneip
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Richard Francis Kneip was an American diplomat and politician who served as the 25th governor of South Dakota from 1971 until 1978 and the 6th United States Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore. He was a member of the Democratic Party and the first Catholic Governor of South Dakota, he is the most recent Governor of South Dakota elected from the party, and the only Governor of his party to be elected more than twice.
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Mathew H. Ahmann
- Occupations
- civil rights advocateeditor
- Biography
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Mathew H. Ahmann was an American Catholic layman and civil rights activist. He was a leader of the Catholic Church's involvement in the civil rights movement, and in 1960 founded and became the executive director of the National Catholic Council for Interracial Justice.
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Mark J. Seitz
- Occupations
- Catholic deaconCatholic bishopCatholic priest
- Biography
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Mark Joseph Seitz is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of El Paso since 2013. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Dallas from 2010 to 2013.
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Magnus Wenninger
- Enrolled in the College of Saint Benedict
- 1937-1945 studied philosophy and theology
- Occupations
- mathematicianteacherCatholic priest
- Biography
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Father Magnus J. Wenninger OSB was an American mathematician who worked on constructing polyhedron models, and wrote the first book on their construction.
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Dan Wolgamott
- Years
- 1990-.. (age 36)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Daniel Kirk Wolgamott is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Wolgamott represents District 14B in central Minnesota, which includes the city of St. Cloud and parts of Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns Counties.
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Columba Stewart
- Years
- 1957-.. (age 69)
- Occupations
- theologian
- Biography
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Columba Andrew Stewart is a scholar, teacher, and the executive director of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML) in Collegeville, Minnesota. His principal scholarly contributions have been in the field of monastic studies—both Benedictine and Eastern Christian.
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Edward James Devitt
- Enrolled in the College of Saint Benedict
- Studied in 1930-1932
- Occupations
- politicianteacherlawyerjudgemilitary officer
- Biography
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Edward James Devitt was a U.S. representative from Minnesota and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
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John Shanley
- Occupations
- Catholic priestCatholic bishop
- Biography
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John Shanley was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Jamestown in North Dakota, starting in 1889. When the Vatican renamed it as the Diocese of Fargo in 1897, he continued to serve as bishop until his death in 1909.
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Matt Schmit
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Matt Schmit is an American state politician and former member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented District 21 in southeastern Minnesota.
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James Keane
- Occupations
- Catholic priestCatholic bishop
- Biography
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James John Keane was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne in Wyoming from 1902 to 1911, and then as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque in Iowa from 1911 until his death in 1929.
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Curt Brasket
- Occupations
- chess player
- Biography
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Curt Justin Brasket was an American chess player and US National Junior Chess Champion. He was also a sixteen-time state champion for his home state of Minnesota, and a FIDE Master. In 2013 he was granted the Outstanding Career Achievement Award by the US Chess Federation.
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Jerome J. Workman, Jr
- Occupations
- writerchemist
- Biography
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Jerome J. Workman Jr. is an American analytical spectroscopist, author, editor, and inventor born on August 6, 1952, in Northfield, Minnesota. Jerry Workman, Jerry Workman, Jr., and J.J. Workman are also names he uses for publishing.
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Jamie T. Phelps
- Enrolled in the College of Saint Benedict
- Graduated with Master of Theology
- Occupations
- theologian
- Biography
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Jamie Theresa Phelps OP was an African-American Catholic theologian known for her contributions to womanist theology. She was the first Black member of the Adrian Dominican Sisters.
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Adrian P. Winkel
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Adrian Paul Winkel was an American politician and High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
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Damu Smith
- Occupations
- peace activist
- Biography
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Damu Amiri Imara Smith was an American peace activist.
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Larry Hosch
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Larry Hosch is a Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represented District 14B, which includes portions of Stearns County in the central part of the state. A Democrat, he was first elected in 2004, and was re-elected in 2006, 2008 and 2010. He previously served as the mayor of Saint Joseph from 2001 to 2005. He retired from the House after the 2012 elections.
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Lawrence M. Hall
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Lawrence M. Hall, Sr. was a Minnesota Democratic politician and is the longest-serving Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. He was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1934, and was affiliated with the Democrats, although the legislature was at the time a nonpartisan body. In 1939, he joined with the Conservative Caucus, and was elected to serve as speaker, a position he held for ten years.
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Joe Hoppe
- Years
- 1964-.. (age 62)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Joseph R. Hoppe is an American politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represented District 47B, which included portions of Carver County in the southwestern part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Before becoming a politician, Hoppe worked as a local businessman and in communications.
