Politics and government •
Jim Barnett – physician and former Kansas senator; Republican nominee for governor in 2006 •
Roscoe Cartwright – first black field artilleryman promoted to brigadier general •
Stephanie Clayton – member of the
Kansas House of Representatives •
William J. Durham – African-American attorney and leader in the
civil rights movement •
Thompson Benton Ferguson – politician, teacher, newspaper editor and appointed as governor of Oklahoma Territory (1901–1906); thereafter resided in
Watonga, Oklahoma •
Stan Frownfelter – member of the Kansas House of Representatives •
L. M. Gensman – former U.S. representative from Oklahoma •
Lea Giménez –
Minister of Finance (Paraguay) •
Jim Kelly – member of the Kansas House of Representatives •
Jeff Longbine – member of the
Kansas Senate •
John Conover Nichols – former U.S. rep. from Oklahoma; vice president of Transcontinental and Western Airlines •
Roy Wilford Riegle – probate judge, teacher, Kansas Senate member,
Knights Templar Grand Master •
Dale Emerson Saffels – member of the Kansas House of Representatives; nominated by President
Jimmy Carter in 1979 to the
United States District Court for the District of Kansas •
Mark Schreiber – member of the Kansas House of Representatives •
Harold See – associate justice of the
Alabama Supreme Court •
Jack Sinagra – mayor, state senator, chair of
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey •
Sam V. Stewart – Montana Supreme Court justice •
Vern Swanson –
Kansas House of Representatives House District 64 •
Annie Tietze – Kansas House of Representatives House District 53 •
Grant F. Timmerman – awarded
Medal of Honor posthumously for heroism during
Battle of Saipan •
Mark Treaster – former member of Kansas House of Representatives •
Ed Trimmer – Kansas House of Representatives House District 79 •
Bob Whittaker – United States House of Representatives
Media and arts •
Kay Alden – five-time Emmy award-winning television writer •
Louis F. Burns – Osage Nation/Osage Indian historian and author •
James Pringle Cook – Western landscape painter •
Curt Dawson (1960) – stage and television actor •
Barry Johnson – artist •
Katie A. Keane – theatrical/television actress •
Evan Lindquist – artist given Lifetime Achievement Award by the
Society of American Graphic Artists (SAGA) in 2010 •
Hattie Horner Louthan – author of five books and contributor to newspapers and magazines •
Deborah Raney – women's fiction writer •
Randall J. Stephens – author and historian
Science and technology •
Panos Zavos – reproduction specialist
Business •
Dan Busby – president of the
Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability •
William Coffin Coleman – founder of Coleman Company; taught at
Ottawa University for a year before serving as principal of Blue Rapids schools for a year; mayor of Wichita in 1923 and 1924 •
Ken Hush – held multiple executive positions at
Koch Minerals and Carbon; Emporia State's 18th president
Education •
H. Edward Flentje – professor at
Wichita State University; interim president of ESU in 2011 •
Harry Levinson – chairman emeritus and founder of the Levinson Institute; clinical professor of psychology (emeritus) at Harvard Medical School •
Barbara Kiefer Lewalski – Guggenheim Fellow in 1967; William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of History and Literature and of English, emeritus at Harvard •
W. Ann Reynolds – chancellor of the
California State University and
City University of New York •
Jackie Vietti – president of
Butler Community College for 17 years; interim president of ESU in 2015
Athletes and coaches •
Frank Anderson – former head baseball coach for the
Oklahoma State Cowboys, now an assistant for the
University of Tennessee •
Ross Bjork – two-year starter at fullback on ESU Hornet football team, former athletic director at
University of Mississippi; former athletic director at
Texas A&M University; current athletic director at
Ohio State University •
Dale Burnett – former NFL player; played for the
New York Giants and was on 1932 World Championship team •
Glenn Campbell – NFL player for
New York Giants,
Philadelphia Eagles and
Pittsburgh Pirates •
Jory Collins – 6th head
women's basketball coach at Emporia State 2010–2018 •
Eldon Danenhauer – NFL player for
Denver Broncos •
John Davis – NFL player for
Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
Minnesota Vikings and
Chicago Bears •
Don Dennis – pitched for St. Louis Cardinals in 1965 and 1966 •
Al Feuerbach – former Olympian and world record holder in the shot put •
Bob Fornelli – head
baseball coach at Emporia State (2004–2018) •
Kelly Goodburn – NFL player for
Kansas City Chiefs and
Washington Redskins; played in XXIV Super Bowl when Washington won World Championship •
Homer Woodson Hargiss – head football coach for 12 years and compiled a 62-23-11 record; his 1926 squad produced a 7-0-0 record, the only perfect season in ESU history •
Steve Henry – drafted by the NFL
St. Louis Cardinals in 1979; played one year each for the Cardinals, the
New York Giants, and the
Baltimore Colts •
Garin Higgins – current head
football coach at Emporia State •
Brad Hill – head baseball coach at
Kansas State University (2004–2018) •
Gene Johnson – head basketball coach at
Wichita State University and
Kansas Wesleyan University, won two AAU national titles and was assistant coach for the 1936 gold medal Olympic basketball team; credited with inventing the full-court zone press •
Fred Kipp – played baseball for the
New York Yankees,
Brooklyn Dodgers, and
Los Angeles Dodgers •
Ryan Kohlmeier – played on various
Major League Baseball teams, as well as
Minor League Baseball teams; current dentist in Emporia, KS •
John Kuck – gold medal winner in the shot put at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam •
Bob Leahy – played in the NFL for the
Pittsburgh Steelers and also coached in the NFL •
Leon Lett – helped Hornets to the NAIA National Championship game in 1989; played for Dallas Cowboys in 3 Super Bowls •
John Lohmeyer – defensive end for Emporia State and former
Kansas City Chiefs player; currently Director of Development for the Emporia State University foundation •
George Munday – NFL player for
Cleveland Indians,
New York Giants,
Cincinnati Reds and
St. Louis Gunners •
Archie San Romani – won the national collegiate mile in 1935 and the 1,500-meter run in 1936; anchored distance medley relay that set world record in 1936; was fourth in the 1,500-meter run at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin; set a world record in the 2,000-meter run in 1937 that stood for 25 years •
Brian Shay – running back for ESU; won the 1998
Harlon Hill Trophy; broke 17 NCAA Division II records; played for the
Berlin Thunder and
Orlando Rage; was a member of the 1999
Kansas City Chiefs practice squad •
Steve Shifflett – major league baseball player for
Kansas City Royals •
Harry Short – baseball player and manager •
Bill Tidwell – four-time NAIA national cross country champion; Emporia State athletics director 1971–1979, cross country and track & field coach 1979–1984 •
Fran Welch – quarterbacked ESU football team to a 24-1-2 record; in 24 years as a football coach, compiled a 116-81-15 mark; his track and cross country teams claimed 18 league crowns, four NAIA cross country championships, one NAIA track title, and one NCAA small college cross country title •
Austin Willis – football player ==Presidents==