Distinguished Graduates of Private Schools

Graduates of private schools end up doing all sorts of things. Many of them become distinguished leaders in their chosen fields. Almost all of the alumnae and alumni selected below have also chosen to return time, talent and treasure to the schools which gave such a solid start to their careers. They serve on boards of trustees, raise money for their schools and act as stalwart supporters of these institutions.

That's really the point of this little piece: dream of being something when you are a young person. Attend a school which will help you realize those dreams by giving you the skills, the confidence and the belief that you can accomplish whatever you set out to do. That is the essence of a private school education.

But aren't all the people on this list fabulously rich? Indeed some are. But many were not quite so well off when they were just starting out. All of these graduates share one thing in common. They had families which valued the sound, balanced approach to education which the schools they attended afforded them.

Andrew Litton, Conductor. New York City Ballet, Fieldston School, New York NY

Audrey McNiff, Goldman Sachs (retired), Lawrence Academy, Groton, MA

Arthur Bunn, Bunn-O-Matic Corp., The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, NJ

Betsy Licht Turner, Northern Trust Investments, The Madeira School, McLean, VA

Betty White, Actress, Horace Mann School, New York, NY

Bill Gates, Microsoft, Lakeside School, Seattle, WA

Britt Hume, Journalist, St. Albans School, Washington, DC

Chelsea Clinton, The Clinton Foundation, Sidwell Friends School, Washington, DC

Dan Barber, Restaurateur, The Dalton School, New York, NY

Dan Brown, Writer, Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH

Daniel Pinkham, Composer, Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH

Danielle Steele, Author, Lycée Français de New York, NY

David Cameron, Politician, Eton College, Windsor, England

David Karp, Tumblr, Calhoun School, New York, NY

Denzel Washington, Actor, Oakland Military School, New Windsor, NY

Donald Trump, The Trump Organization, New York Military Academy, Cornwall on Hudson, NY

Douglas Druick, Chicago Art Institute, Lower Canada College, Montreal, Quebec

Elizabeth May, Green Party of Canada, Miss Porter's School, Farmington, CT

Eric Trump, The Trump Organization, The Hill School, Pottstown, PA

Ethan Hawke, Actor, The Hun School, Princeton, NJ

Gwyneth Paltrow, Actress, The Spence School, New York, NY

Harry Connick, Jr., Musician, Jesuit High School New Orleans, LA

Henry Dupont IV, Investments, Trinity Pawling School, Pawling, NY

Hugh Laurie, Actor & Comedian, Eton College, Eton, England

Ivanka Trump, The Trump Organization, Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, CT

Jake Gyllenhaal, Actor, Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, CA

James E. Bass, Ojai Goliad, LLC, St. Mark's School of Texas, Dallas, TX

Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan Chase, The Browning School, New York, NY

James J. Wong, Paulson & Co., The Peddie School, Hightstown, NJ

Jason Wu, Fashion Designer, Loomis Chafee School, Windsor, CT

Jennifer Anniston, Actress, Rudolf Steiner School, New York, NY

John Clease, Comedian, Clifton School, Bristol, England

John Kerry, Secretary of State, St. Paul's School, Concord, NH

John P. Reardon, Jr., Harvard Alumni Association, Milton Academy, Milton, MA

Kim Kardashian, Personality, Marymount High School, Los Angeles, CA

Langdon Van Norden, Jr., Attorney, St. George's School, Newport, RI

Laura E. Ellison, Google, The Governor's Academy, Byefield, MA

Lilly Pulitzer, Lilly Pulitzer, Inc., Miss Porter's School, Farmington, CT

Malcolm C Moran, Artist, Cardigan Mountain School, Canaan, NH

Marion Freeman, Kepware Technologies, Concord Academy, Concord, MA

Mark Culliton, College Bound Dorchester, The Cambridge School of Weston, Weston, MA

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA

Michael Eisner, Businessperson, The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, NJ

Mia Farrow, Actress, Marymount High School, Los Angeles, CA

Mitt Romney, Politician, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Mo Rocca, Humorist and Journalist, Georgetown Preparatory School, North Bethesda, MD

Owen Wilson, Actor & Film Producer, St. Mark's School of Texas, Dallas, TX

Paul Fireman, Reebok, Tabor Academy, Marion, MA

Rachel Blanchard, Actress, Havergal College, Toronto, Canada

Randall Thompson, Composer, The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, NJ

Richard Griswold Woolworth, Jr., The Woodstream Corporation, Groton School, Groton, MA

Robert Minicucci, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, CT

Seth Priebatsch, SCVNGR, Noble and Greenough School, Dedham, MA

Sigourney Weaver, Actress, Ethel Walker School, Simsbury, CT

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft, Detroit Country Day School, Beverly Hills, MI

Steve Forbes, Forbes Magazine, Brooks School, North Andover, MA

Stockard Channing, Actress, The Madeira School, McLean, VA

Ted Rogers, Rogers Communications, Upper Canada College, Toronto, Ontario

Ted Turner, Businessperson, McCallie School, Chattanooga, TN

Tucker Carlson, The Daily Commentator and Fox News, St. George's School, Newport, RI

Uma Thurman, Actress, Northfield Mount Hermon School, Gill, MA

William Clay Ford, Jr., Ford Motor Company, The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT

William Hurt, Actor, Middlesex School, Concord, MA

William F. Weld, Attorney and former Governor of Massachusetts, Middlesex School, Concord, MA

Questions? Have a famous graduate which you would like me to add? Contact us on Facebook. @privateschoolreview