Top 25 Notable Purdue University Alumni

On July 20, 1969, Armstrong became the first human being to set foot on the moon during NASA's Apollo 11 mission. His words — 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' — are among the most quoted in history. Before Apollo 11, he flew 78 combat missions in the Korean War and served as a test pilot for the X-15 rocket plane. Purdue's Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering honors his legacy.

Virgil 'Gus' Grissom was one of the original NASA Mercury Seven astronauts and the second American in space aboard Liberty Bell 7. He commanded the first crewed Gemini mission (Gemini 3). Grissom tragically died in the Apollo 1 launch pad fire on January 27, 1967, alongside astronauts Ed White and Roger Chaffee. His bravery and sacrifice paved the way for the moon landings that followed.

Eugene Cernan holds the distinction of being the last human to walk on the moon during Apollo 17 in December 1972. He flew three missions for NASA — Gemini 9A, Apollo 10 (which came within 8.4 nautical miles of the lunar surface), and Apollo 17. Cernan traced his daughter's initials in the lunar dust before leaving, where they remain to this day. Purdue has produced more astronauts than any other university — 25 in total.

John Wooden won 10 NCAA basketball championships as head coach at UCLA — including seven in a row from 1967 to 1973 — a record that will likely never be broken. Before coaching, he was a three-time All-American at Purdue and named College Basketball Player of the Year in 1932. His 'Pyramid of Success' philosophy has influenced leaders far beyond sports. He is widely regarded as the greatest coach in the history of American athletics.

Drew Brees led the New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XLIV (2010) and held the NFL record for career passing yards (80,358) and career touchdown passes (571) at retirement. At Purdue, he set two NCAA records and won the Maxwell Award. After Hurricane Katrina, Brees became the heart of New Orleans' rebuilding effort, making him one of the most beloved figures in the city's history.

Bob Griese quarterbacked the 1972 Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history (17-0), winning Super Bowl VII. He won two Super Bowls total and was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At Purdue, he was a two-time All-American and led the Boilermakers to the 1967 Rose Bowl. He later became a beloved college football broadcaster for ABC/ESPN.

Orville Redenbacher spent over 40 years crossbreeding popcorn hybrids to create the perfect kernel — one that popped up fluffier with fewer unpopped kernels. His eponymous brand became the best-selling popcorn in America. He launched his brand in 1970 at age 63, proving it is never too late to build something iconic. His bow tie and glasses became one of the most recognizable brand images in American food history.

Brian Lamb founded C-SPAN in 1979, creating the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network that brought unfiltered, unedited coverage of the U.S. Congress and government proceedings directly to American living rooms. He hosted C-SPAN's flagship interview programs for over three decades. Lamb believed Americans deserved to see their government without commentary or spin — a vision that transformed civic engagement and media transparency in the United States.

Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana authored two constitutional amendments — the 25th (presidential succession) and the 26th (voting age lowered to 18) — making him the last non-Founding Father to author multiple amendments. He also wrote Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which transformed women's athletics and educational opportunities forever. He served three terms in the U.S. Senate (1963–1981).

Dan Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States under George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1993. Before that, he represented Indiana in both the U.S. House (1977–1981) and U.S. Senate (1981–1989). Though often lampooned by media, Quayle was a serious policy advocate for space exploration, defense, and competitiveness. He attended Purdue's DePauw University and earned his law degree at Indiana University.

Ward Cunningham invented the wiki in 1995 when he created WikiWikiWeb, the first-ever user-editable website. This concept directly inspired Wikipedia and fundamentally changed how the world collaborates and shares knowledge online. He is also one of the 17 original signatories of the Agile Manifesto, which transformed software development. The word 'wiki' comes from the Hawaiian word for 'quick' — Cunningham chose it after riding the Wiki Wiki Shuttle at Honolulu Airport.

Hank Stram coached the Kansas City Chiefs to victory in Super Bowl IV, one of the most dominant performances in Super Bowl history. He was the longest-tenured coach in the American Football League (AFL), coaching the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs from 1960 to 1974. Stram was an innovative tactician who introduced the moving pocket, the two-tight-end offense, and the stack defense. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

Glenn 'Big Dog' Robinson was selected first overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks after winning the John R. Wooden Award as the nation's best college basketball player at Purdue. He averaged 30.3 points per game in his final season — the highest in Purdue history. Robinson played 11 NBA seasons and won an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005. He scored over 14,000 career NBA points.

Gene Keady coached Purdue men's basketball for 25 seasons, amassing 512 victories (including six Big Ten titles) and earning six Big Ten Coach of the Year awards. He was named the National Coach of the Year in 2000. Keady transformed Purdue into a perennial basketball powerhouse, mentoring future NBA players and coaches. His intensity, work ethic, and signature flat-top haircut made him one of the most recognizable figures in Big Ten history.

Pete Dye designed some of the most famous and challenging golf courses in the world, including TPC Sawgrass (home of The Players Championship), Whistling Straits, Harbour Town Golf Links, and Crooked Stick Golf Club. His signature island green at TPC Sawgrass's 17th hole is the most photographed hole in golf. Dye designed or renovated over 100 courses worldwide and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2008.

Dennis Muilenburg rose from intern to Chairman, President, and CEO of The Boeing Company, one of the world's largest aerospace manufacturers. During his tenure, Boeing achieved record commercial airplane deliveries and a backlog exceeding 5,800 aircraft. He started at Boeing immediately after graduating from Purdue and spent his entire 33-year career at the company before departing in 2019.

Mike Epps is one of the most successful comedians in America, known for playing Day-Day Jones in the Friday franchise alongside Ice Cube. He has starred in films including The Hangover, Next Friday, and Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Epps has sold out arenas nationwide with his stand-up tours and played Richard Pryor in the 2021 biopic. He is a proud Indiana native and one of Purdue's most famous entertainment alumni.

Roy 'Doc' Halladay was one of the most dominant pitchers of his generation, winning two Cy Young Awards (2003 AL, 2010 NL). He threw a perfect game during the 2010 regular season and a no-hitter in his first career postseason start — only the second postseason no-hitter in MLB history. Halladay was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 2019. He was tragically killed in a plane crash in 2017 at age 40.

Leroy Keyes was a two-time All-American running back/defensive back at Purdue (1967–1968) and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1968. He is widely considered the greatest football player in Purdue history. Keyes scored 38 touchdowns over two seasons and was selected third overall in the 1969 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He later returned to Purdue as a coach and mentor, dedicating his life to the university.

Morgan Burke served as Purdue's athletic director for 24 years (1993–2017), the longest tenure in Big Ten history at the time. Under his leadership, Purdue won 48 Big Ten titles and built or renovated virtually every athletic facility on campus. He oversaw the hiring of legendary coaches, managed the growth of women's athletics, and kept Purdue competitive while maintaining academic integrity. Burke earned three degrees from Purdue.

Mark Herrmann set 16 NCAA passing records during his career at Purdue from 1977 to 1980. He threw for 9,946 career passing yards — a record that stood for years. Herrmann was a consensus All-American in 1980 and led Purdue to back-to-back bowl appearances. He played in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, and other teams. He laid the foundation for Purdue's rich tradition of producing elite quarterbacks, a legacy carried on by Drew Brees, Kyle Orton, and others.

Jeff Brohm revitalized Purdue football, coaching the Boilermakers to signature upsets over ranked opponents including #2 Iowa (2021) and #2 Ohio State (2018). He recruited and developed some of Purdue's best offensive players in the modern era and brought national attention back to West Lafayette. Brohm's high-octane offensive schemes and recruiting energy gave Purdue fans a reason to believe again before he left for his alma mater Louisville in 2023.

Brad Miller went undrafted out of Purdue in 1998 but became a two-time NBA All-Star. He played 14 NBA seasons for the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, and other teams, averaging 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Miller was one of the best passing big men of his era. His journey from undrafted free agent to All-Star embodies the Purdue work ethic and persistence that define Boilermaker athletics.

Mitch Daniels served two terms as Governor of Indiana (2005–2013), turning a budget deficit into a surplus and leading major infrastructure and economic development initiatives. He then became the 12th president of Purdue University, where he froze tuition for a decade, launched Purdue Global (an online university), and kept Purdue affordable while peer institutions raised prices dramatically. The Wall Street Journal named him the most innovative university president in America.

Glen Bradford earned his MBA from Purdue's Krannert School of Management and has spent his career at the intersection of finance, technology, and publishing. He is a Salesforce developer and founder of Cloud Nimbus LLC, author of nine books including the Fanniegate series, and has published hundreds of articles on Seeking Alpha covering housing finance, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. He ranks himself #25 because someone has to — and because Purdue taught him to think big, work hard, and never stop building.