Use the table below to browse notable alumni from private schools around the United States.
Private School Alumni Directory:
Famous Private School Alumni (Tennessee):
School Name
Notable School Alumni (Sample)
- Keith Mitchell '10 - One of four Baylor alumni on the PGA Tour, winner of the 2019 Honda Classic
- Natalie Bracket '09 - Coordinator, Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE)
- Tiffany Williams '07 - Founder, TILA Studios, a visual arts incubator for black women
- Michelle Songy '04 - Tech entrepreneur, Director of Global Dining with Amex
- Laurie Speed-Dalton '92 - Trial attorney and founder of The Speed Firm, PC
- Tene Hamilton Franklin '91 - Facilitator with the Human Genome Project
- Geoff Gaberino '84 - U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist in swimming
- Jamey Wheless '82 - Designer and Animator for George Lucas Entertainment
- Bill Dedman '78 - Pulitzer Prize winning journalist; NYT bestselling author of Hidden Mansions
- Arthur Golden '74 - Author of the New York Times bestselling novel, Memoirs of a Geisha
- Melissa Burgess Taylor '91 - Melissa Burgess Taylor, DA Class of ’91, was named Chairman and CEO of Fruit of the Loom, Inc., in December of 2016. In this role, she has overall responsibility for the company’s global operations, financial performance, and strategic vision. Melissa has been with Fruit of the Loom for more than 17 years and has held various leadership roles within the organization. She most recently served as Senior Vice President of Brand Management & Sales for the Fruit of the Loom and Vanity Fair Brands, leading Marketing, Merchandising, Sales, Brand Communications and Creative Services for Fruit of the Loom, Vanity Fair, Lily of France, Vassarette and Curvation brands. Prior to joining Fruit of the Loom, Melissa held roles with Hanesbrands and Mercantile Department Stores. Melissa is a graduate of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY.
- Rachel Smith '03 - Rachel Smith graduated from Davidson Academy in 2003. After being named Miss Tennessee Teen USA in 2002, she claimed Miss Tennessee USA in 2007. This led to her winning Miss USA 2007. Rachel is now a 5X Emmy Winner and a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight.
- James Austin Johnson '07 - James Austin Johnson graduated from Davidson Academy in 2007. He is currently a cast member on Saturday Night Live. OF COURSE he performed a stand up act for the DA talent show and was voted ‘Wittiest’ by his classmates!
- Amy Grant '74 - Amy Grant is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter known for her contributions to contemporary Christian music and for crossing over to mainstream pop success in the 1980s and 1990s.
- Cary Fowler (GSL '50s) - American agriculturalist and the former executive director of the Crop Trust, currently serving as a senior advisor to the trust. In May 2022, Dr. Fowler joined the U.S. Department of State as U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security
- Mike McCarley '89 - Founder/CEO of TMRW Sports and former president of golf for the NBC Sports Group after leading marketing for NBC's Olympics and Sunday Night Football franchises
- Shiva Rea '81 - One of the best-known yoga teachers in America and around the world, Shiva is a teacher of Vinyasa flow yoga and yoga trance dance and founder of Prana Vinyasa Yoga.
- Reese Witherspoon '90 - Actress and producer. Winner of an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and 2 Golden Globe Awards.
- Jenny Boucek '88 - Former WNBA player, former Indiana Pacers assistant coach, and former Seattle Storm head coach.
- Brandt Snedeker '95 - Professional golfer on the PGA Tour.
- Anne Dallas Dudley - National and state leader in the fight for women's suffrage who worked to secure the ratification of the 19th Amendment in Tennessee
- Sarah Colley Cannon '32 - Comedian, best known as Minnie Pearl, who performed at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the highest award given to artists by the United States Government
- Cornelia Fort '36 - WASP Aviator who was the first United States pilot to encounter the Japanese air fleet during the Attack on Pear Harbor and the first female pilot in American history to die on active duty
- Dr. Mildred Stahlman '40 - Life-saving neonatal caregiver who worked as a professor of pediatrics and pathology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN and was awarded the American Pediatric Society's highest honor, the John Howland Award
- Amy Grant '78 - Six-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter
- Tracy Caulkins Stockwell '81 - Former competition swimmer and three-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time world champion, and former world record-holder in three events
- Reese Witherspoon '94 - Actress, producer, and entrepreneur-founder of Hello Sunshine-as well as a two-time Golden Globe winner, Academy Award winner, BAFTA Award winner, and Primetime Emmy Award winner
- Victoria "V.E." Schwab '05 - #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 books, including the acclaimed "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue," "Shades of Magic" series, the "Villains" series, "This Savage Song," and "Our Dark Duet"
- Cormac McCarthy - Class of 1950
- Harrison Smith - Class of 2006 | NFL Minnesota Vikings All-Pro Safety
- Amari Rodgers - Class of 2017 | NFL Green Bay Packers wide receiver
- Cade Mays - Class of 2018 | NFL Carolina Panthers lineman
- Mitchell Tenpenny - Mitchell Tenpenny is an American country pop singer and songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. He has released one studio album and two extended plays through Riser House Records, with the album Telling All My Secrets released in December 2018.
- LaDonna Boyd - As president/CEO, Dr. Boyd is shaping and leading R.H. Boyd’s efforts to broaden its scope and offerings for modern needs. With a targeted focus on product development, technology, commercial (non-religious) printing opportunities, and author resources, Dr. Boyd has been preparing for a number of years to take the reins as a CEO—cultivating a wide range of skills necessary to lead the R. H. Boyd through a new generation.
- Ernie Smith - Ernest Henry "Ernie" Smith, was a Major League Baseball shortstop who played in 1930 with the Chicago White Sox. He batted and threw right-handed. Smith had a .241 batting average in 24 games, 19 hits in 79 at-bats, in his one-year career. He was born in Totowa, New Jersey and died in Brooklyn, New York.
- Jonathan Shaub - Jonathan Shaub received his B.A. from Vanderbilt University, where he earned double majors in philosophy and religious studies and had minor concentrations in both English and Astronomy. Shaub also played safety for the Vanderbilt Commodores football team. Although he ultimately went 1-2 against Kentucky as a player, he did register an interception in his final game in Lexington. He’s ecstatic to be at University of Kentucky, which is also the alma mater of his grandfather, Joseph C. Ross.
- Pat Boone - Patrick Boone is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in more than 12 Hollywood films.
- Jon Meacham ‘87 - Editor of Newsweek and best-selling author
- Zach Wamp ‘76 - Current member of the House of Representatives
- Carroll Campbell ‘58 - Former Governor of South Carolina
- Ted Turner ‘56 - Cable News Network (CNN) Founder
- Billy Dunavant ‘50 - Chairman of the Board of Dunavant Enterprises, Inc.
- Bill Brock ‘49 - Former Senator and Secretary of Labor
- Pat Robertson ‘46: - Founder and Chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and host of The 700 Club
- Olan Mills, II ‘48 - Chairman of the Board of Olan Mills, Inc.
- Howard Baker ‘43 - Former Senate Majority Leader, White House Chief of Staff, and Ambassador to Japan
- John M. Belk ‘39 - President of Belk Department Stores, Inc.
- James Agee - Pulitzer-prize winning writer
- Kix Brooks '73 - Grammy-award winning singer, host of American Country Countdown
- Elisabeth Rohm '91 - Television and movie actress
- Rachel Bonds '01 - Playwright
- Dr. George P. Garrett, Jr. '46 - Poet Laureate of Virginia
- Stephen Alvarez '83 - National Geographic Photographer
- Sean Bridgers '86 - Television and movie actor
- Eban Goodstein '78 - Economist, author, and environmental educator
- Mike deGruy '69 - Documentary Film Maker
- Brian Jordan Alvarez '05 - Actor, Writer, Filmmaker
- Jon Meacham '81 - Jon Ellis Meacham is an American writer, reviewer, historian and presidential biographer who is serving as the current Canon Historian of the Washington National Cathedral since November 7, 2021.
- Ben Curtis '93 - Benjamin Bowmar Curtis is an American actor who became known as the Dell Dude in a series of commercials for Dell Computers between 2000 and 2003. Since then, he has acted on stage and on screen.
- Marcie Ulin '92 - Producer | Writer | Additional Crew. Marcie Ulin is known for The Flight Attendant (2020), Nashville (2012) and Charlie's Angels (2011).
- Maithilee Kunda '96 - Maithilee Kunda is assistant professor of computer science and computer engineering at Vanderbilt University. Her work in artificial intelligence, in the area of cognitive systems, looks at how visual thinking contributes to learning and intelligent behavior, with a focus on applications for individuals on the autism spectrum.
- Vermont Royster - Editor of The Wall Street Journal, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Charles Alexander - International Editor for TIME Magazine
- Fielding Lewis Wright - Governor of Mississippi
- Lewis Branscomb - President of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government
- Ingram Macklin Stainback - First Governor of Hawaii
- Prentice Cooper - Governor of Tennessee
- Frank Constatine - Chief of Opthamalic surgery at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital
- Edwin Davis - Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission
- Edward W. Carmack - U.S. Senator
- Wayne Rogers - Movie and Television actor, portrayed Trapper John on M*A*S*H TV series; investment analyst for FOX News network
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