27 Notable alumni of
Morningside College
Updated:
Morningside College is 2122nd in the world, 740th in North America, and 696th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 27 notable alumni from Morningside College sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Phyllis Somerville
- Occupations
- film actorstage actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Phyllis Jeanne Somerville was an American stage, film, and television actress. She is best known for her roles in Little Children (2006), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Surviving Family (2012), The Big C (2010–2013), and Outsiders (2016–2017).
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Pauline Phillips
- Occupations
- radio personalityjournalist
- Biography
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Pauline Esther Phillips, also known as Abigail Van Buren, was an American advice columnist and radio show host who began the well-known "Dear Abby" newspaper column in 1956. It became the most widely syndicated newspaper column in the world, syndicated in 1,400 newspapers with 110 million readers.
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Eppie Lederer
- Occupations
- journalistwritercolumnist
- Biography
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Esther Pauline "Eppie" Lederer, better known by the pen name Ann Landers, was an American advice columnist and eventually a nationwide media celebrity. She began writing the "Ask Ann Landers" column in 1955 and continued for 47 years, by which time its readership was 90 million people. A 1978 World Almanac survey named her the most influential woman in the United States. She was the identical twin sister of Pauline Phillips, who wrote the similarly popular "Dear Abby" advice column as Abigail Van Buren.
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Bud Day
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotlawyermilitary officer
- Biography
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George Everette "Bud" Day was a United States Air Force officer, aviator, and veteran of World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. He was also a prisoner of war, and recipient of the Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross. As of 2016, he is the only person to be awarded both the Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross. He was posthumously advanced to the rank of brigadier general effective March 27, 2018, as directed by the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.
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Lawrence E. Roberts
- Occupations
- military officeraircraft pilot
- Biography
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Lawrence Edward Roberts Sr. was a pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen and a colonel in the United States Air Force, with 32 years of total military service. He is the father of newscaster Robin René Roberts and Sally-Ann Roberts.
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Emory Parnell
- Occupations
- actorstage actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Emory Parnell was an American vaudeville performer and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36-year career.
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Michael T. Franken
- Enrolled in Morningside College
- 1976-1978 studied biochemistry
- Occupations
- military officerpolitician
- Biography
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Michael Thane Franken is an American retired United States Navy vice admiral. His final posting was as deputy director of military operations for the United States Africa Command. Franken was a Democratic candidate in the 2020 United States Senate election in Iowa, but lost the June 2 primary to Theresa Greenfield. Franken was the Democratic nominee for the 2022 United States Senate election in Iowa, which he lost to Republican incumbent Chuck Grassley.
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J.D. Scholten
- Occupations
- politicianparalegalbaseball player
- Biography
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James Dennis Scholten is an American paralegal, politician and retired professional baseball player from the state of Iowa. He is a member of the Iowa House of Representatives for District 1. Scholten was the Democratic nominee for Iowa's 4th congressional district in the 2018 and 2020 elections.
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Paul Splittorff
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Paul William Splittorff Jr. was an American professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher for the Kansas City Royals from 1970 to 1984. After his playing career, Splittorff became a television color commentator for the Royals. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1987.
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William L. Harding
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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William Lloyd Harding was an American Republican politician. He was the 22nd Governor of Iowa, from 1917 to 1921.
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Matthew Harrison
- Occupations
- theologianChristian theologianpastor
- Biography
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Matthew Carl Harrison is the 13th and current president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). He was first elected to the presidency on July 13, 2010, at the synod's 64th regular convention in Houston, Texas. Harrison officially took office on September 1, 2010, and was formally installed in a service on September 11, 2010, at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He was elected by a 54–45% margin on the first ballot. He was elected to a second three-year term following a first ballot victory in the church body's first online presidential election in July 2013. He was elected to a third three-year term in June 2016, having received 56.96 percent of the vote on the first ballot. In June 2019, Harrison was elected to a fourth three-year term with 51.76 percent of the vote on the first ballot. In June 2023, he was elected to a fifth term with 52.32% of the first ballot vote. He is the first LCMS president elected to a fifth term since 1947.
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Era Bell Thompson
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Era Bell Thompson was an American writer and editor.
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Stanley L. Greigg
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Stanley Lloyd Greigg was an American politician who served one term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from northwestern Iowa. A Democrat, he was elected to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of longtime Republican representative Charles B. Hoeven in 1964, but lost to Republican Wiley Mayne two years later in 1966. Greigg later became a key player in the early stages of the notorious Watergate break-in in 1972.
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Alexander Grant Ruthven
- Occupations
- curatoruniversity teacherherpetologistzoologist
- Biography
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Alexander Grant Ruthven was a herpetologist, zoologist and the President of the University of Michigan from 1929 to 1951.
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Utu Abe Malae
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Utu Abe Malae was an American Samoan politician, banker and businessman. A long-time leader of the American Samoa Power Authority, he served in the American Samoa Senate, and was a candidate for Governor of American Samoa in the 2008 gubernatorial elections, finishing second in the runoff to incumbent Governor Togiola Tulafono.
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Roger Neumann
- Occupations
- saxophonistbandleadercomposerjazz musician
- Biography
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Roger Neumann was an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, arranger, and music educator.
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James I. Dolliver
- Enrolled in Morningside College
- Studied in 1915
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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James Isaac Dolliver served six terms as a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 6th congressional district, beginning in 1944. He was the nephew of U.S. Senator Jonathan Prentiss Dolliver of Iowa.
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Craig Doty
- Occupations
- basketball coach
- Biography
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Craig Arthur Doty is an American college men's basketball coach currently coaching at Emporia State University. Prior to his current position, Doty was the head coach for at Graceland University from 2016 to 2018, where he led the school to its first NAIA national championship, as well as a Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament championship. Doty was the men's basketball head coach at Rock Valley College from 2012 to 2016, where he won two NJCAA Division III championship.
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Ralph F. Beermann
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ralph Frederick Beermann was an American Republican politician and US Representative for Nebraska.
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Dave Mulder
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Dave W. Mulder is an American politician and educator who served as a member of the Iowa Senate for the 2nd District from 2005 to 2009.
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Matt Campbell
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Matthew Sean Campbell was the 2010 Democratic nominee for the United States Congress in Iowa's 5th congressional district, challenging incumbent Republican Representative Steve King.
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Christopher Rants
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Christopher C. Rants is a former Iowa State Representative. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1992 to 2010. He received his BA from Morningside College. His work experience includes managing environmental compliance projects for Metz Baking Company, and Pierce & Associates, a Sioux City consulting firm. After leaving the legislature, Rants started inSight Communication as government affairs and public relations firm. In 2015 Rants partnered his firm with PolicyWorks LLC, another Iowa government affairs firm.
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Sharon S. Steckman
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Sharon S. Steckman is a member of the Iowa House of Representatives, representing the 59th District since 2008. She has a B.S. degree in education from Iowa State University and a M.S. degree, also in education, from Morningside College.
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Ron Jorgensen
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ron Jorgensen is the Iowa State Representative from the 6th District. A Republican, he has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2011. Smith was born in Sioux City, Iowa, United States. He has a B.S. in business administration from Morningside College and an M.B.A. from the University of South Dakota. Jorgensen works as Vice President for Business and Finance at Morningside College.
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Ellis Yarnal Berry
- Occupations
- judgelawyerpoliticianeditorjournalist
- Biography
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Ellis Yarnal Berry was an American attorney, newspaper publisher and politician, elected to the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota. He served ten consecutive terms in office from 1951 to 1971.
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Lester Menke
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Lester D. Menke was a state Representative from the Iowa's 5th and 7th Districts. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1973 to 1985, serving as Speaker pro Tempore from 1981 to 1985. After he served in the Iowa House, Menke served as a liaison between Governor Terry Branstad and the legislature for two years. Menke has a B.A. from Morningside College, where he later served as a member of the board of directors, and attended The University of Iowa College of Law for one year. He worked as a farm owner and for an insurance agency. He served on various school boards and served as president of the Iowa Association of School Boards and State Board of Public Instruction and as director of the National Association of State Boards of Education, as well as serving on the Iowa Educational Radio and Television Facilities Board. Menke received Morningside College's Distinguished Alumni award in 1975.
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Axel John Beck
- Occupations
- judgelawyer
- Biography
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Axel John Beck was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota.
