Arts, film, theatre, and broadcasting •
Roxanne Beckford, actress •
Michael Brun, DJ •
Zachery Byrd, actor •
George Watts Carr, architect •
Rod Daniel, director •
Donald Davis, storyteller •
Craig Detweiler, screenwriter, cultural commentator •
Bertis Downs IV, manager of
R.E.M. •
Ervin Duggan, president of
PBS •
Kenan Ece, Turkish actor •
McNair Evans, photographer •
William R. Ferris, chairman of the
National Endowment for the Humanities, 1997–2001; founding director,
Center for the Study of Southern Culture •
John T. Fesperman, conductor and organist •
Frank Gohlke, photographer (attended, but later transferred to The
University of Texas at Austin) •
Elijah Gowin, photographer and
Guggenheim Fellow •
James Harding, British journalist •
Sarah Frances Hardy, author and artist •
Jack Harris, local broadcaster from
Tampa, Florida •
Herb Jackson, contemporary artist •
Laeta Kalogridis, screenwriter and film producer •
Todd Kimsey, actor •
Stephen Andrew Lynch, film pioneer •
Jana Mashonee Sampson,
Nammy Award-winning singer and Grammy nominee •
John Howell Morrison, composer •
Harry Pickens, pianist •
Sudeep Sen, poet •
Clint Smith, writer for
The Atlantic •
John Starling,
bluegrass musician •
Lester Strong, Emmy Award-winning journalist •
Nelson Sullivan, videographer and gay rights activist •
William R. Trotter, author and historian •
Kesler Woodward, artist, art historian, and curator •
William Workman, opera singer
Athletics •
Ryan Adeleye,
Israeli-American professional soccer player (transferred) •
Peyton Aldridge, basketball player •
Fred Anderson, MLB player (transferred) •
Mik Aoki, baseball head coach of the
University of Notre Dame (2011–present) •
Scotty Barr, MLB player •
Everett Booe, baseball player •
Brett Boretti, baseball head coach of the
Columbia Lions (2006–present) •
John A. Brewin, college administrator •
De'Mon Brooks, basketball player •
Dougal M. Buie, college baseball coach •
Carl Cashion, baseball player •
Alex Caskey, MLS player with
Seattle Sounders FC (2012–2013) •
Lloyd Christenbury, baseball player •
Rufe Clarke, baseball player •
Nik Cochran, professional basketball player •
Jake Cohen, American/Israeli professional basketball player for
Maccabi Tel Aviv •
Pat Crawford, MLB player and member of the
1934 World Series St. Louis Cardinals •
Pete Crayton, college football coach •
Bart Creasman, professional soccer player •
Perry Crosswhite, Australian basketball player •
Stephen Curry, four-time
NBA champion and two-time
Most Valuable Player with the
Golden State Warriors •
Chris Czerapowicz, basketball player •
Kevin Donnalley, former
NFL player •
Tom Dore, college basketball player •
Norman B. Edgerton, college football coach •
Robert Eenhoorn, MLB player •
Bruce Elder, basketball player •
Bill Fetzer, college baseball, basketball, and football coach •
Buck Flowers, football player •
Robyn Fralick, basketball coach •
Alex Gibbs, assistant head coach of the
Houston Texans (2008–10) •
Conor Grace, basketball player •
Kellan Grady, basketball player •
H. M. Grey, college football coach and player •
Jón Axel Guðmundsson, basketball player •
Steve Heckard, former NFL player •
Fred Hetzel,
NBA basketball player (1965–71) •
Terry Holland, basketball coach at Davidson (1969–74),
University of Virginia (1974–90) •
Pete Hughes, baseball head coach of the
Oklahoma Sooners (2012–present) •
Oliver Huie, college football coach •
Lee Hyun-jung, college basketball player •
Fred Johnston, MLB player •
Tyler Kalinoski, basketball player •
Dean Keener, college basketball player, coach, and commentator •
George M. King, college football player •
Rod Knowles, professional basketball player •
Flake Laird, college football, baseball, and basketball coach and player •
Sam Lanford, professional baseball player •
Mike Maloy,
ABA and overseas basketball player •
Dick Marlowe, baseball player •
Buck Marrow, baseball player •
Bill Masse, baseball player •
Matt Matheny, Elon basketball coach •
Bob McKillop, former head coach Davidson College, inductee NYC Basketball HOF, inductee NC Sports HOF, inductee Davidson Athletics HOF, inductee Southern Conference HOF, 2026 nominee Naismith Basketball HOF •
Eric Minkin (born 1950), American-Israeli basketball player •
Paul Nichols, football coach •
Matt Pacifici, soccer player •
Chris Pollard, baseball head coach of
Duke University (2012–present) •
Caroline Queen, 2012 USA Olympic
whitewater slalom K-1 kayaker •
Charlie Reiter (born 1988), professional soccer player •
Jason Richards, basketball player and college basketball assistant •
Jennifer Roos, women's college basketball coach •
Derek Rucker, Australian basketball player •
Dan Simonds, MLB player •
Dick Snyder, NBA basketball player (1966–79) •
Matt Spear, Davidson soccer coach •
Robert Ukrop, professional soccer player •
Bob Vail, baseball player •
Brandon Williams, basketball player and NBA minor league coach •
Shirley Wilson, football coach •
Brendan Winters, professional basketball player •
William L. Younger, college football coach
Business •
William Appleton, technologist •
James Batten, CEO of
Knight-Ridder (1989–95) •
Irwin Belk,
Belk businessman (transferred) •
John Belk, head of Belk •
John Chidsey, CEO of
Subway (2019–present) •
Clayton Daley, former CFO of
The Procter & Gamble Company •
Martin Daniel Eakes, CEO of
Center for Responsible Lending (2000–present) •
Francis Henry Fries, textile magnet •
Nelson Z. Graves, developer •
Earl J. Hesterberg,
Houston businessman •
Justin Jenk, investor •
Stephen P. MacMillan, former CEO, president, and chairman of the board of
Stryker Corp •
Jean Mauzé, Manhattan banker •
Jacqueline Musiitwa,
Ugandan businesswoman •
Lunsford Richardson, inventor of
Vicks VapoRub and founder of
Vicks •
Jack Wayman, creator of the
Consumer Electronics Show Education •
William Wright Abbot, archivist and historian •
Graham T. Allison, professor at Harvard and author of
Essence of Decision (did not graduate) •
Issac Bailey, professor •
Elizabeth Barnes, philosophy professor at the
University of Virginia •
Philip Beidler, American literature professor •
Eugene C. Brooks, president of the
University of North Carolina •
Roger H. Brown, president of
Berklee College of Music (2004–present) •
Jennings Bryant, professor of communication at the
University of Alabama •
James H. Daughdrill, Jr., president of
Rhodes College •
Charles Till Davis, medieval historian •
Walter Edgar, historian •
Carl Elliott, philosopher •
James M. Farr, president of the
University of Florida (1927–28); English language and literature scholar •
Douglas A. Hicks, provost at
Colgate University •
Daniel Harvey Hill, Jr., chancellor at
North Carolina State University •
Calvin Howell, physicist and professor at
Duke University •
Elizabeth Kiss, warden of the
Rhodes Trust, former president of
Agnes Scott College •
William Link, historian, academic and author •
Paul Marion, president of
Tiffin University,
Franklin College, and PA Association of Colleges and Universities; chancellor of State College System of West Virginia; director of Higher Education,
State of Arkansas •
D. G. Martin, university administrator •
Evander Bradley McGilvary, philosopher •
Richard McIlwaine, president of
Hampden-Sydney College •
Patrick D. Miller,
Old Testament scholar •
William Andrew Moffett, historian and librarian •
John Wilson Moore, biophysicist •
Michael Munger, professor at
Duke University •
Guy L. Nesom, writer and botanist •
Harold Douglas Pratt, Jr., ornithologist and bird illustrator •
Julius W. Pratt, historian specializing in foreign relations and imperialism •
James M. Robinson, religion scholar •
Thomas W. Ross, president of the
University of North Carolina system •
C. Alphonso Smith, professor •
Glenn Terrell, president of
Washington State University •
Sharon Thompson-Schill, psychology professor at the
University of Pennsylvania Law •
R. Stan Baker, federal judge •
Wade Barber, Superior Court judge in North Carolina (1998–2006) •
Kenneth B. Bell, justice of the
Florida Supreme Court (2003–2008) •
James Edmund Boyd,
United States federal judge •
Elizabeth L. Branch, federal judge •
Henry Gaston Bunn, Arkansas Supreme Court chief justice •
Armistead Burwell, associate justice of the
North Carolina Supreme Court (1892–1894) •
Robert Allan Edgar,
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee judge •
Conner Eldridge, US attorney for the
United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas •
Robert C. Ervin, North Carolina judge •
Sam J. Ervin IV, associate justice of the
North Carolina Supreme Court (2015–present) •
Samuel James Ervin III, son of U.S. Senator
Sam Ervin, judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (1980–99) •
William Eskridge, legal theorist and professor at
Yale Law School •
Vic Fleming, judge and teacher in
Little Rock, Arkansas •
Vincent Foster, deputy White House counsel in the
Bill Clinton administration (1993) •
James Hamilton, assistant chief counsel for the
United States Senate Watergate Committee •
William J. Haynes, II, general counsel,
U.S. Department of Defense •
Karen S. Marston, assistant US attorney •
Boyce Ficklen Martin, Jr., chief judge emeritus of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit •
Harry Martin,
North Carolina Supreme Court justice •
John L. Napier, United States congressman; judge, U.S. Court of Federal Claims •
Frank I. Osborne, North Carolina attorney general •
James Dickson Phillips, Jr., judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (1978–94) •
Sanford L. Steelman, Jr.,
North Carolina Court of Appeals judge •
Taylor Hudnall Stukes,
South Carolina Supreme Court chief justice •
Alan Z. Thornburg,
North Carolina Court of Appeals judge •
William Byrd Traxler, Jr., chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (1998–present) •
Richard Lesley Voorhees,
United States federal judge •
William Walter Wilkins, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (1986–2007)
Medicine •
Burkey Belser, graphic designer and creator of the
nutrition facts label •
Ketan Ramanlal Bulsara, surgeon •
James E. Crowe, immunologist and pediatrician •
Glenn A. Fry,
optometrist •
Mark S. George, medical professor •
Richard L. Guerrant, physician •
D. Neil Hayes,
oncologist •
Wayne Jonas, director, NIH Office of Alternative Medicine •
Benjamin Lahey, epidemiologist •
Beaufort Longest, medical professional •
Sallie Permar, pediatrician •
David Resnik, bioethicist •
William Cumming Rose, determined
essential amino acids for human nutrition •
Mary T. Martin Sloop, healthcare advocate •
David Talmage, immunologist •
Porter Paisley Vinson, surgeon at the
Mayo Clinic Military •
Fred Borch, Army attorney •
William D. Halyburton, Jr., World War II
Medal of Honor recipient •
Rufus G. Herring, World War II Medal of Honor recipient •
Samuel Reeves Keesler, World War I pilot •
William Lee J. Lowrance, Confederate Army colonel, businessman and pastor •
Tom Marshburn, NASA astronaut •
Prescott Prince, Navy captain, rule of law officer who defended
Khalid Sheik Mohammed •
Stephen Dodson Ramseur,
major general, Confederate Army •
Jack C. Stultz,
lieutenant general; commanding general, United States Army Reserve
Politics (elected office) •
James McNair Baker, Confederate senator •
Bruce W. Bannister,
South Carolina legislator •
John Belk,
mayor of Charlotte (1969–77) •
John Dillard Bellamy, United States congressman from North Carolina (1899–1903) •
Risden Tyler Bennett, United States congressman from North Carolina •
Kurt Biedenkopf,
minister-president of
Saxony (1990–2002) and
president of the German Bundesrat (1999–2000); studied at Davidson 1949–50 •
David Blount, member of the
Mississippi Senate (2008–present) •
Josiah Abigail Patterson Campbell,
Confederate politician •
Jay Chaudhuri, member of the
North Carolina General Assembly •
J. Bayard Clark, United States congressman from North Carolina •
Dan Clodfelter, mayor of Charlotte (2014–2015), member of the
North Carolina Senate (1999–2014) •
George Cretekos, mayor of Clearwater, Florida •
E. McA. Currie, mayor of
Charlotte, North Carolina •
Howard Dyer,
Mississippi state senator •
John M. Faison, United States congressman from North Carolina (1911–15) •
Bill Ferguson, member of the
Maryland Senate •
Virgil Fludd, member of the
Georgia House of Representatives •
Wyche Fowler, U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia (1977–1986), United States senator from Georgia (1986–1992), and United States ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1996–2000) •
Stanley H. Fox, North Carolina Assembly member •
Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina (2009–13) and
United States Secretary of Transportation (2013–17) •
David H. Gambrell, United States senator from Georgia (1971–72) (appointed) •
Robert Broadnax Glenn, governor of North Carolina •
George W. Gregory, Jr., member of the
South Carolina House of Representatives •
Fletcher L. Hartsell, Jr., member of the
North Carolina General Assembly •
David N. Henderson, United States congressman from North Carolina (1961–77) •
Jim Hodges, governor of South Carolina (1999–2003) •
James Holshouser, governor of North Carolina (1973–77) •
Max Hyde Jr., member of the
South Carolina House of Representatives •
Hinton James, United States congressman from North Carolina (1930–31) •
Craig Leonard, Canadian politician •
Ed Lindsey, member of the
Georgia House of Representatives •
Grier Martin, member of the
North Carolina House of Representatives (2005–present) •
James G. Martin, governor of North Carolina (1985–93) •
Julie Mayfield, North Carolina state senator •
Larry McDonald, United States congressman from Georgia (1975–83); died 1983 when the Soviet Union shot down
Korean Air Flight 007 •
James Dalrymple McIver, member of the North Carolina General Assembly •
E. Blackburn Moore, speaker of the
Virginia House of Delegates (1950–67) •
Greg Murphy, United States congressman from North Carolina (2019–present) •
Maston E. O'Neal, Jr., United States congressman from Georgia (1965–71) •
George Osborne, member of Parliament (2001–17) and
chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom (2010–16); studied at Davidson as a Dean Rusk Scholar •
Carl C. Perkins, United States congressman from Kentucky (1984–93) •
DuBose Porter, chair of the Georgia Democratic Party; former member of the Georgia House of Representatives •
William R. Purcell, member of the North Carolina Assembly •
James Graham Ramsay, Confederate politician •
Paul Renner, member of Florida House of Representatives •
Charlie Rose, United States congressman from North Carolina (1973–97) •
John Shott, member of the West Virginia House of Delegates •
Jasper K. Smith, member of the
Louisiana House of Representatives (1944–48; 1952–64) •
John Spratt, United States congressman from South Carolina (1982–2011), former ranking Democrat on the
House Budget Committee •
William Francis Stevenson, United States congressman from South Carolina (1917–33) •
T. Clarence Stone, North Carolina politician •
Mary Verner, mayor of
Spokane, Washington (2007–2012) •
Page Walley, Tennessee state senator •
Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States and president of
Princeton University (transferred)
Public and private service •
Yaroslav Brisiuck, Ukrainian diplomat •
Kenneth L. Brown, US ambassador to Ghana (1992–95) •
Giorgio Rosso Cicogna, Italian diplomat •
James F. Entwistle, US ambassador to Nigeria •
John Finklea,
EPA administrator •
Vincent W. Foster, Jr., deputy White House counsel (1993) •
Wyche Fowler, Jr., United States senator and representative from Georgia (1977–93); US ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1996–2001) •
Margaret Hoover, political commentator •
Parameswaran Iyer, Indian civil servant •
Lorie K. Logan, president and CEO of the
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas •
Lenny McAllister, conservative activist •
John L. McLucas,
United States Secretary of the Air Force (1973–75); CEO of
MITRE Corporation •
Leonidas L. Polk, agrarian leader •
Eric Rosenbach,
United States Department of Defense official •
Dean Rusk,
United States Secretary of State (1961–69) •
Stephen Salyer, president and CEO of Salzburg Global Seminar; former CEO of
Public Radio International •
Mark Sandy, former director of the
Office of Management and Budget •
Buie Seawell, chief of staff to
Gary Hart •
Tony Snow,
White House Press Secretary (2006–07), syndicated
talk radio host and
Fox News Channel pundit •
Michael R. Taylor,
FDA administrator •
Koji Tomita, Japanese ambassador to Israel, South Korea, and the United States •
Ann Tutwiler, agricultural administrator •
William Winkenwerder, Jr., Defense Department official
Religion •
G. Thompson Brown (1921–2014), professor; founder of Honam Theological University and Seminary; missionary •
Charles Cousar, New Testament scholar, author, Professor Emeritus at
Columbia Theological Seminary •
Donald A. Crosby, philosopher •
Frances Taylor Gench,
Presbyterian minister,
New Testament scholar •
Douglas Oldenburg, president Eeeritus at
Columbia Theological Seminary; moderator of the 210th General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church •
Francis Wilson Price, missionary •
Edward V. Ramage, Presbyterian minister from Alabama •
Holmes Rolston III, professor, theologian, philosopher; 2003
Templeton Prize recipient •
Herbert Spaugh, bishop of the
Moravian Church •
J. Rodman Williams, theologian and father of modern Renewal Theology
Writers, journalists, and publishers •
Vereen Bell, journalist and author •
Nicholas Carlson, global editor-in-chief of
Insider •
Martin Clark, author •
Patricia Cornwell, author •
William Emerson, civil rights journalist for
Newsweek; editor in chief of
The Saturday Evening Post; left Davidson early to serve in World War II •
R. S. Gwynn, poet •
Sarah Frances Hardy, artist and author/illustrator, best known for her picture books •
John Hart,
Edgar Award-winning author •
Alamgir Hashmi, poet, scholar •
Rebecca Hazelton, poet •
McKendree Long, artist, poet, known as "picture painter of the apocalypse" •
Charlie Lovett, best-selling author •
Hilary Masters, novelist •
Jason McManus, editor-in-chief of Time Inc. (1988–94) •
Robert Olmstead, novelist and educator •
Steph Post, author •
Sheri Reynolds, author, playwright •
Sudeep Sen, author •
Clint Smith, author •
Frank Soos, author,
Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction, Alaska State Writer Laureate •
W. Dabney Stuart, poet •
William Styron, author; attended in 1942, left to join the Marines •
Chuck Sudetic, journalist •
Josh Voorhees, reporter for
Slate •
Charles Wright,
Pulitzer Prize;
Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry recipient; chancellor of the
Academy of American Poets;
United States Poet Laureate ==Current and former faculty==