It’s no secret that some pretty big-name individuals have graduated from the University. We all know Tina Fey, Chris Long, Katie Couric and Alexis Ohanian — and of course, no one can forget the short tenure of Edgar Allen Poe. From politicians to poets and playmakers to playwrights, University graduates run the gambit of the professional world. To elevate your University trivia knowledge, here are a few names to advance your alumni knowledge.
1. Georgia O’Keefe — visionary painter
Every summer from 1912 to 1916, American modernist painter Georgia O’Keefe participated in a University summer program for female art teachers — first as a student, and later as an instructor. During her time in Charlottesville, O’Keefe was actually considering giving up art, lacking inspiration as she reeled from her mother’s recent death. Fortunately, ritualistic camping trips to Elliott Knob and Humpback Rocks broke her disinterest and got her back into art. In fact, she began creating watercolor paintings connected to her experiences on these trips. O’Keefe, known for her paintings of flowers, animal skulls, the Southwest and cityscapes, kept her sketchbook from Charlottesville with her until her death.
2. Walter Reed — deciphering yellow fever
The youngest graduate in the history of the University's medical school, 17-year-old Walter Reed graduated from the University's School of Medicine in 1869. And before I continue, yes — I’m talking about that Walter Reed, the one for whom the National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. is named. In 1875, Reed joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps as an Assistant Surgeon, and in 1900, he led the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Commission to investigate yellow fever after numerous outbreaks in the United States. Reed’s work confirmed Carlos Finlay’s theory that yellow fever was spread by mosquitoes rather than by fomites.
3. David Baldacci — from lawyer to novelist
A modern-day wordsmith, David Baldacci is known today for his crime and legal thriller novels, all of which have been national and international bestsellers. In fact, his first novel, Absolute Power, was notably adapted to the screen by Clint Eastwood. Baldacci started writing at a young age, having filled the lined notebook his mother gave him with stories since childhood. Baldacci received his law degree from the University in 1986 and practiced law in Washington, D.C. for about a decade. During his undergraduate career at Virginia Commonwealth University, Baldacci submitted short stories he had written — their style inspired by his literary heroes, like Raymond Carver and Eudora Welty -– to prestigious magazines. Although they were not accepted, this marked the beginning of Baldacci’s writing career.
4. Stanley Winston — bringing stories to life
Stanley Winston, a Class of 1968 graduate who studied fine arts in the College of Arts and Sciences, was a four-time Academy Award winning visual effects supervisor and makeup artist. You’ve definitely seen his work — he created the cyborg puppet-animatronic for The Terminator trilogy and was the live-action dinosaur technician for the first three Jurassic Park films. Additionally, he worked on Aliens, Edward Scissorhands, Iron Man and Avatar. Just four years after graduating from the University, he founded Stan Winston Studio — now known as Legacy Effects — and the rest was history.
5. Mark Johnson — legendary producer
Sticking with the silver screen, Mark Johnson, drama student from the Class of 1971, is the producer behind some of the world’s favorite watches. Within the world of television, Johnson worked as a producer on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and his film credits include Good Morning, Vietnam, the Chronicles of Narnia series, Rain Main, The Notebook, Downsizing and, in 2023, The Holdovers. After struggling with grades early on in his University career and being encouraged by his father to take some time off, Johnson worked as a United Airlines airport staffer. Upon his return to Grounds, he got involved with the Charlottesville arts community, which helped him to redirect and lead a successful undergraduate experience.
6. Emily Swallow — a recognizable voice
So, we now know that University graduates have found fortuitous careers behind the camera, but that doesn’t mean that we’re lacking in on-screen talent. Emily Swallow is known for her roles in The Mentalist and Supernatural but is most recognized for her role as The Armorer in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Swallow spent much of her time at the University with the University Singers and drama department. She graduated in 2001 with a degree in Middle Eastern studies before interning with the State Department. Though Swallow had planned to go into the U.S. Foreign Service, it was clear to her adviser and drama department teachers that performing excited her more than pursuing foreign affairs.
7. Eppa Rixey — play ball, chemist
For all you sports fans, this alum made his mark with his fastball. Eppa Rixey, a Culpeper native, graduated from the University with a degree in chemistry in 1912. During his time at school, Rixey played on both the baseball and basketball teams. Without having spent any of his career in the minor leagues, the left-handed pitcher was brought up to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1912, where he stayed until being traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 1920. During the offseason, Rixey returned to the University and earned a master’s in chemistry in 1914. Rixey was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in January of 1963, just one month before he passed away.
8. Jesse W. Beams — spinning heads with ultracentrifuges
Clearly, science runs deep with University alumni. American physicist Jesse Beams not only earned a Ph.D. in experimental physics at the University in 1925, but returned here as an associate professor of physics in 1928. Later, he even became a full professor and chairman of the Department of Physics. At our very own Rouss Hall, Beams became the first to isolate the U-235 isotope, used to create explosions in nuclear weapons, through his development of the ultracentrifuge. This work was Beams’ contribution to the Manhattan Project, and though his funding was cut in 1944 when alternative methods were producing better results, his method later became the most efficient way to separate uranium isotopes. Beams is buried in the University cemetery.
9. Leland Melvin — from NFL Draft to NASA
Moving from the elements of the Earth to the components of the cosmos, Leland Melvin began as a skilled wide receiver on the University of Richmond football team. He was so good, in fact, that he was drafted to the Detroit Lions in 1986 and, the following season, to the Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately, during both teams’ pre-season training camps, Melvin pulled his hamstring, which led to the end of his football career. In 1989, Melvin earned an M.S. in Materials Science Engineering from the University, which served him well in his work with the Nondestructive Evaluation Sciences Branch at NASA's Langley Research Center. Melvin was selected as an astronaut in 1998 and flew two missions to the International Space Station. You may recognize Melvin from his heartwarming NASA portrait that features his two dogs, Jake and Scout.
10. Jennifer McClellan — from one Rotunda to another
We end our journey by looking at a current local leader, Jennifer McClellan. While working towards earning her Juris Doctor from the School of Law, McClellan served as the president of the Virginia Young Democrats and an editor of the Virginia Law Review, while also being involved with the Black Law Students Association. After graduating in 1997, McClellan first entered the public sphere when she was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates — at the time, she was the youngest female delegate in the state’s history. Here, McClellan worked on a variety of issues, including combating climate change and crafting criminal justice reform legislation with University law students. McClellan then became a state senator in 2017 and now serves in the United States House of Representatives, becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia in 2023.
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