39 Notable alumni of
Roosevelt University
Updated:
Roosevelt University is 1034th in the world, 379th in North America, and 356th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 39 notable alumni from Roosevelt University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Amy Madigan
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm actorfilm producertelevision producersinger
- Biography
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Amy Marie Madigan is an American actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1985 film Twice in a Lifetime. Her other film credits include Love Child (1982), Places in the Heart (1984), Field of Dreams (1989), Uncle Buck (1989), The Dark Half (1993), Pollock (2000), and Gone Baby Gone (2007).
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Merle Dandridge
- Occupations
- television actorstage actorsingerfilm actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Merle Dandridge is an American actress and singer. She is best known for performing in Broadway musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Spamalot, Rent, and Once on This Island, as well as her video game roles as Alyx Vance in Half-Life 2 and Marlene in The Last of Us franchise. She played the leading role of Grace Greenleaf in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series, Greenleaf (2016-2020). She’s had recurring roles on television series such as Sons of Anarchy and The Night Shift and starred as Kim Hammond in the first season of HBO Max comedy-drama series The Flight Attendant in 2020. In 2022, Dandridge began starring as Natasha Seo-Yeon Ross in the ABC action series Station 19. She reprised her role as Marlene in the 2023 television adaptation of The Last of Us.
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Robert Lamm
- Occupations
- guitaristcomposermusiciansinger-songwriterkeyboardist
- Biography
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Robert William Lamm is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for his songwriting, vocals, and keyboard melodies, most significantly on the band's debut studio album, Chicago Transit Authority (1969). Lamm wrote many of the band's biggest hits, including "Questions 67 & 68", "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", "Beginnings", "25 or 6 to 4", "Saturday in the Park", "Dialogue (Part I & II)" and "Harry Truman". Lamm is one of three founding members (alongside Lee Loughnane and James Pankow) still performing with the group.
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Bobby Rush
- Enrolled in Roosevelt University
- In 1974 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- priestpoliticianinsurance broker
- Biography
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Bobby Lee Rush is an American politician, activist and pastor who served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 1st congressional district for three decades. A civil rights activist during the 1960s, Rush co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party.
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Harold Washington
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Harold Lee Washington was an American lawyer and politician who was the 51st Mayor of Chicago. Washington became the first African American to be elected as the city's mayor in April 1983. He served as mayor from April 29, 1983, until his death on November 25, 1987. Born in Chicago and raised in the Bronzeville neighborhood, Washington became involved in local 3rd Ward politics under Chicago Alderman and future Congressman Ralph Metcalfe after graduating from Roosevelt University and Northwestern University School of Law. Washington was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1983, representing Illinois's first district. Washington had previously served in the Illinois State Senate and the Illinois House of Representatives from 1965 until 1976.
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Rick Yancey
- Occupations
- writernovelistscreenwriterchildren's writerscience fiction writer
- Biography
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Richard Yancey is an American author who writes works of suspense, fantasy, and science fiction aimed at young adults.
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Herschell Gordon Lewis
- Occupations
- directorcinematographerscreenwriteractorfilm producer
- Biography
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Herschell Gordon Lewis was an American filmmaker, best known for creating the "splatter" subgenre of horror films. He is often called the "Godfather of Gore" (a title also given to Lucio Fulci), though his film career included works in a range of exploitation film genres including juvenile delinquent films, nudie-cuties, two children's films and at least one rural comedy. On Lewis' career, AllMovie wrote, "With his better-known gore films, Herschell Gordon Lewis was a pioneer, going further than anyone else dared, probing the depths of disgust and discomfort onscreen with more bad taste and imagination than anyone of his era."
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Anthony Braxton
- Occupations
- pianistclarinetistuniversity teachercomposermusic teacher
- Biography
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Anthony Braxton is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and was a key early member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He received great acclaim for his 1969 double-LP record For Alto, the first full-length album of solo saxophone music.
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Carla Hayden
- Enrolled in Roosevelt University
- In 1973 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in political science
- Occupations
- librarianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Carla Diane Hayden is an American librarian who is serving as the 14th librarian of Congress. Since the creation of the office of the librarian of Congress in 1802, Hayden is both the first African American and the first woman to hold this post. Appointed in 2016, she is the first professional librarian to hold the post since 1974.
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Eddie Harris
- Occupations
- pianistjazz musicianrecording artistcomposersaxophonist
- Biography
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Eddie Harris was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-known compositions are "Freedom Jazz Dance", popularized by Miles Davis in 1966, and "Listen Here".
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James Forman
- Enrolled in Roosevelt University
- In 1957 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- university teachermilitantpolitical activistwriteressayist
- Biography
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James Forman was a prominent African-American leader in the civil rights movement. He was active in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Black Panther Party, and the League of Revolutionary Black Workers. As the executive secretary of SNCC from 1961 to 1966, Forman played a significant role in the Freedom Rides, the Albany movement, the Birmingham campaign, and the Selma to Montgomery marches.
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Jesse Brown
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jesse Brown was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps who served as United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997.
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Robert McFerrin
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Robert Keith McFerrin Sr. was an American operatic baritone and the first African-American man to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. His voice was described by critic Albert Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times as "a baritone of beautiful quality, even in all registers, and with a top that partakes of something of a tenor's ringing brilliance." He was the father of Grammy Award-winning vocalist Robert McFerrin Jr., better known as Bobby McFerrin.
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Melissa Bean
- Enrolled in Roosevelt University
- In 2002 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- politicianbusinesspersonconsultant
- Biography
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Melissa Bean is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 8th congressional district from 2005 to 2011. Bean is a member of the Democratic Party.
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Ron Williams
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Ronald Allen Williams is an American businessman and board director on corporate, public sector and non-profit boards. Williams is the author of Learning to Lead: The Journey to Leading Yourself, Leading Others, and Leading an Organization, which appeared on The Wall Street Journal's best seller list. He is founder, chairman and CEO of RW2 Enterprises, LLC. He is the former chairman, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Aetna Inc., a diversified benefits company. Aetna is now part of CVS Health.
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Gus Savage
- Occupations
- editorpolitician
- Biography
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Augustus Alexander "Gus" Savage was an American entrepreneur, publisher and a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois.
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Toni Harp
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Toni Nathaniel Harp is an American politician who served as the 50th Mayor of New Haven, Connecticut. Harp, a Democrat, was previously a state senator in Connecticut from 1993 to 2013. A resident of New Haven, Harp represented the western half of the city as well as part of West Haven while in the Connecticut Senate.
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Art Porter, Jr
- Occupations
- jazz musiciansaxophonist
- Biography
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Arthur Lee Porter Jr. was an American jazz saxophonist. He was the son of jazz musician Art Porter Sr. and the namesake of "The Art Porter Bill".
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Emil Jones
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Emil Jones Jr. is an American politician who was the President of the Illinois Senate from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Jones served in the Illinois Senate from 1983 to 2009, where he served as President of the Illinois Senate from 2003 to the end of his term. Previously, he was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1973 until 1983.
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Clarice Assad
- Occupations
- jazz musiciancomposer
- Biography
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Clarice Assad is a Brazilian-American composer, pianist, arranger, singer, and educator from Rio de Janeiro. She is influenced by popular Brazilian culture, Romanticism, world music, and jazz. She comes from a musical family, which includes her father, guitarist Sergio Assad, her uncle, guitarist Odair Assad, and her aunt, singer-songwriter Badi Assad.
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Timuel Black
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
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Timuel Dixon Black Jr. was an American educator, civil rights activist, historian and author. A native of Alabama, Black was raised in Chicago, Illinois, and studied the city's African-American history. He was active in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, most notably participating in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Chicago Freedom Movement during 1965 and 1966. Black was part of a coalition of Black Chicagoans that worked to elect Chicago's first African-American mayor, Harold Washington, in 1983, and he mentored a young Barack Obama, the future U.S. president, on building a political base on Chicago's South Side.
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Lee Stern
- Years
- 1926-.. (age 98)
- Occupations
- financiersports executive
- Biography
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Lee B. Stern is the longest tenured trader at the Chicago Board of Trade. He has been one of the most successful traders in the commodities market throughout his membership, and is well known for his involvement in the Chicago sports scene. He was the President of the North American Soccer League's Chicago Sting, and remains a director and minority owner of the Chicago White Sox.
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Irving Slosberg
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Irving Slosberg is a former Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 91st District, which stretches from Boynton Beach to Boca Raton in southeastern Palm Beach County, from 2012 to 2016. Slosberg ran for state Senate twice: In 2006, when he lost a bid to the state Senate in the Democratic primary, and in 2016, when he again lost a bid to the state Senate in the Democratic primary, only earning 32% of the vote. He represented the 89th District from 2000 to 2002 and the 90th District from 2002 to 2006 and from 2010 to 2012. Slosberg returned to run for the State senate again, this time for district 29 being vacated by Kevin Rader, Slosberg lost to incumbent representative Tina Polsky in the primary.
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Mike Quigley
- Enrolled in Roosevelt University
- In 1981 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- lawyerpoliticianlegislative assistantteacher
- Biography
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Michael Bruce Quigley is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 5th congressional district since the April 7, 2009 special election. The district includes most of Chicago's North Side and several of its western suburbs. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Quigley is a former member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, where he represented Chicago's northside neighborhoods of Lakeview, Uptown, and Rogers Park. He previously taught environmental policy and Chicago politics as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago.
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Patricia Van Pelt
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Patricia Van Pelt Watkins is an American politician who served in the Illinois Senate, representing the 5th district, from 2013 to 2023. The 5th district is located on the West Side of Chicago. Prior to her service as a member of the Illinois Senate she was a community activist and ran for Mayor of Chicago.
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Wang Tien-ging
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Wang Tien-ging is a Taiwanese politician who served in the Legislative Yuan from 1990 to 2002.
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Amy Leslie
- Occupations
- writerstage actoropera singeractorjournalist
- Biography
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Lillian West, better known by the pen name Amy Leslie, was an American actress, opera singer, and drama critic.
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Teri Clark Linden
- Years
- 1966-.. (age 58)
- Occupations
- actorfilm actorstage actor
- Biography
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Teri Clark Linden is an American actress, best known for her film roles in Super 8, Jack Reacher and Love & Other Drugs.
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Florence Cole Talbert
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Florence Cole Talbert-McCleave, also known as Madame Florence Cole-Talbert, was an American operatic soprano, music educator, and musician. Called "The First Lady in Grand Opera" by the National Negro Opera Guild, she was one of the first African American women and black opera artists performing abroad who received success and critical acclaim in classical and operatic music in the 20th century. Through her career as a singer, a music educator, and an active member of the National Association of Negro Musicians, she became a legendary figure within the African American music community, also earning the titles of "Queen of the Concert Stage" and "Our Divine Florence."
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Raymond F. Clevenger
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Raymond Francis Clevenger was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from the state of Michigan between 1965 and 1967.
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Hussein al-Araj
- Years
- 1951-.. (age 73)
- Enrolled in Roosevelt University
- In 1981 graduated with master's degree
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Hussein Abdallah al-Araj is a Palestinian former mayor and government minister. He was the acting mayor of Nablus, one of the largest cities in the West Bank. He was in office, heading a local government committee, from April 2004 to April 2005. He was succeeded by another local government committee led by Ghassan Hammouz. Al-Araj was also the Palestinian National Authority's Deputy Minister of Local Government in 2004-05.
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Rey Colón
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Rey Colón was an alderman of the 35th Ward of the City of Chicago. He was first elected in 2003. He served three terms and was defeated in a reelection bid on February 24, 2015.
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Moshe Kletenik
- Years
- 1954-.. (age 70)
- Occupations
- rabbi
- Biography
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Moshe Kletenik is an American rabbi who was President of the Rabbinical Council of America.
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Kenneth Slowik
- Years
- 1954-.. (age 70)
- Enrolled in Roosevelt University
- Graduated with Master of Music
- Occupations
- conductorcellisthistoriancurator
- Biography
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Kenneth Slowik is an American cellist, viol player, and conductor. Curator of Musical Instrument Collection at the National Museum of American History and Artistic Director of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society. He took an interest in music and organology from an early age. He studied at the University of Chicago, the Chicago Musical College, the Peabody Conservatory, the Salzburg Mozarteum and, as a Fulbright Scholar, the Vienna Hochschule für Musik, guided by (among others) Howard Mayer Brown, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Antonio Janigro, Edward Lowinsky, and Frederik Prausnitz.
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Sharon Patton
- Years
- 1944-.. (age 80)
- Occupations
- historianart historiancurator
- Biography
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Sharon F. Patton is an American historian who specializes in African art.
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Louis A. Lerner
- Occupations
- publisherdiplomat
- Biography
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Louis Abraham Lerner was an American businessman, publisher, political activist and ambassador. He received a B.A. in 1960 from Roosevelt University. In 1956–57, he studied Scandinavian affairs in Denmark. Lerner's father was publisher Leo Lerner.
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Jake Bernstein
- Occupations
- day trader
- Biography
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Jake Bernstein is President of Network Press, Inc. in Santa Cruz, California. Bernstein claims expertise in seasonal trading and has developed methods of trading in futures markets, and has been a featured speaker at many investment conferences and trading seminars. In 1999, Bernstein was fined by the National Futures Association $200,000 and permanently barred from NFA membership for not using proper disclaimers in his materials rendering the ruling "using misleading and deceptive Promotional Material".
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Don Hahnfeldt
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Don Hahnfeldt was an American politician.
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George L.P. Weaver
- Occupations
- trade unionistcivil rights advocate
- Biography
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George Leon-Paul Weaver was an American labor leader, active in promoting civil rights both in the US and internationally. After serving as Assistant Secretary of Labor for International Affairs in both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, he was elected chair of the governing body of the International Labour Organization, a United Nations body, in 1968. He was the first American to be named "Honorary Commander" in the Order of the Defender of the Realm, a Malaysian federal award for meritorious service to the country.
