List of Princeton University Notable Alumni

With a base of 100,000+ alumni base, Princeton University boasts of its popularity across decades. Getting admission at Princeton and passing out from Princeton are of great pride. Some of the most popular world leaders have passed out from Princeton. To know more, check out the Princeton University alumni and also check out some of the most famous ones.

Founded in 1746 and located in New Jersey, USA, Princeton University is a private institution with its campuses in Plainsboro and South Brunswick. Spread across 500 acres of land the campuses are some of the most beautiful places in New Jersey and are located close to restaurants, gyms, medical stores, and shops that provide all the basic necessities to students. While admissions at Princeton are tough yet, various pass-outs have made a mark in history. 

Princeton University is an Ivy League school and is very popular across generations. Princeton University offers courses to its students across a wide range so that they have a huge scope to choose from according to their field of interest. A few of the subjects are Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Doctoral, History, Psychology, and Business. The faculty provides undergraduate as well as post-graduate programs. 

Who are Famous Princeton University Alumni?

Some of the most popular and famous Princeton University alumni are as follows:

Popular Princeton University Alumni
Michelle Obama (Former First Lady of the United States)	David Mathews (Civilian Leader)	Oliver Ellsworth (Former Chief Justice of United States)
Jeff Bezos (Founder and CEO of Amazon)	Pete Conrad (Astronaut and Commander of Apollo 12)	John F. Kennedy (35th US President)
John Forbes Nash Jr. (1994 Nobel Prize Winner)	Richard Feynman (Nobel Prize Winner)	F. Scott Fitzgerald (Renowned American author)
Woodrow Wilson (28th President of the United States)	Alan Turing (Father of Theoretical Computer Science and AI)	Brooke Shields (Renowned American Actress)

A brief about some of the top Princeton University alumni includes the names below and how they make it to the list of famous Princeton alumni base. 

List of 10 Famous Princeton University Alumni

Here is a list of notable Princeton Alumni who have excelled in their respective fields. 

1. John F. Kennedy

The 35th US President, John F. Kennedy served in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate before becoming the 35th president in 1961. Born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts, President Kennedy faced several foreign challenges exclusively in Cuba and Berlin but managed to secure accomplishments such as the Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the Alliance for Progress. On November 22, 1963, Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas at the young age of 46.

2. John Forbes Nash Jr.

Immortalized by the critically acclaimed movie, 'A Beautiful Mind', Professor John Nash was an American mathematician who was awarded the 1994 Nobel Prize for Economics for his landmark work on the mathematics of game theory which he first began in the 1950s. Having graduated from Princeton University he is famous for his works on Game Theory, partial differential equations, and algebraic geometry. 

3. Michelle Obama

A lawyer and writer who was also the First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, Michelle Obama is the wife of the 44th United States President, Barack Obama. She is renowned for her extensive work as First Lady of the United States on social issues such as poverty, healthy living, and education. As a writer she has penned her memoir, Becoming in 2018 which talks about the experiences that shaped her, from her childhood in Chicago to her years living in the White House. Before entering the White House as First Lady, Michelle Obama was a lawyer, Chicago city administrator, and community outreach worker.

4. Richard Feynman

An American physicist, Richard Feynman, specialises in quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, and particle physics. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctoral degree from Princeton University, Feynman went on to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics for research on quantum electrodynamics.

5. F. Scott Fitzgerald

A renowned American short story writer and novelist Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald or more commonly known as F. Scott Fitzgerald was considered one of the pre-eminent authors in the history of American literature due almost entirely to the enormous posthumous success of his book, The Great Gatsby. Also made into a movie with the same name, The Great Gatsby has become required reading for virtually every American high school student. Towards the abrupt end of his career, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood and became a scriptwriter. His final novel is only half complete, as he died of a heart attack in 1940 at the young age of 44.

6. Woodrow Wilson

The 28th President of the United States of America (USA), Woodrow Wilson led America during World War I and played a major role in the conclusion of the Treaty of Versailles. Wilson who served two terms in office was instrumental in the formation of the League of Nations and was awarded the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize for the same. A supporter of women's rights, he is ranked amongst the top ten US Presidents of all time.

7. Jeff Bezos

Founder and CEO of the world's biggest online retailer – Amazon, Jeff Bezos is also the owner of The Washington Post and founder of the space exploration company Blue Origin. Born in New Mexico in 1964, Bezos had an early love for computers and studied computer science and electrical engineering at Princeton University. His successful business ventures have made him a regular on the Forbes list of the richest people in the world. After a short stint on Wall Street, Bezos started Amazon.com in 1994 which went on to become the Internet's biggest success story. In 2013, Bezos purchased The Washington Post, and in 2017 Amazon acquired Whole Foods.

8. Alan Turing

Father of Theoretical Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Turing's works and life were popularized by the Academy Award-winning movie, ‘The Imitation Game,’ released in 2014. A famous British mathematician, Computers would probably have been non-existent if it wasn't for him. 

9. Brooke Shields

Born on May 31, 1965, in New York City, Brooke Shields began as a child artist at the tender age of 12. Apart from being a very successful model, she has acted in movies including The Blue Lagoon, Pretty Baby, Endless Love, Sahara, and I Can Make You Love Me among many others. She is also a proud graduate of Princeton University.  Over the years, she has also penned her book titled, "Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression", which takes a hard, honest look at what she and many other women experience after childbirth.

10. Oliver Ellsworth

Oliver Ellsworth (1745-1807) was a Founding Father of the United States, an attorney, jurist, politician, and diplomat. He was a key figure in early American history, serving as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and playing a pivotal role in shaping the U.S. Constitution. He later became the third Chief Justice of the United States, known for his judicial pragmatism and contributions to early American jurisprudence. Ellsworth's efforts in establishing the federal judiciary system were instrumental in shaping the legal framework of the new nation during its formative years.

Planning to be a part of Princeton's alumni? Check out: How to get into Princeton University from India?

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