Famous Alum

[golfitup]

Was just watching a bit of the Horizon League Championship game between Butler and Cleveland State. ESPN had two "School Profile" graphics on the screen to give a little background on the schools and one the categories was "famous alum." For Cleveland State, it was Tim Russert. For Butler, it was THAD MATTA! That gave me a good 10 second laugh.

But then it got me thinking. Who is our famous alum? I have no clue. Basketball wise i would imagine it's David West. But what about outside of basketball? I'm just curious.

[GoMuskies]

Jim Bunning....and Chris Sabo

[BlueGuy]

Mike Damone from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I'm not sure what his real name is, and I'm too lazy to look it up.

[ATL Muskie]

Mike Damone from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I'm not sure what his real name is, and I'm too lazy to look it up.

Robert Romanus.

BTW, I think it's pretty sad that our most "famous" alums are Jim Bunning, Chris Sabo and Robert Romanus. Just saying....

[BlueGuy]

Isn't the CEO of Hershey an X alum. I think the president of the US Olympics or something like that is also a Xavier guy.

[XtremeXfan]

Xavier has a ton of grads that are CEO, Presidents, or Vice Presidents at major corporations such as Jelly Belly, Disney, and Hershey. Also has a ton of politicians like Blackwell and Boehner. XU also has some good basketball alum that some schools would die to say they had.

[golfitup]

I guess you'd think there would be at least ONE dude or gal that would be really famous that graced Xavier's campus for four years.

[XUBT]

Joe Viviano, XU Athletic Hall of Fame

[kyxu]

I'd say currently our most famous non-basketball alum would be House Minority Leader John Boehner.

It should also be noted that another famous Butler alum is cult-leader Jim Jones.

[GoMuskies]

I think Bunning is more famous than Boehner.

[vee4xu]

Chris Sabo went to Meechiigan with Barry Larkin.

[XU05and07]

Cut and Paste from wikipedia...I know that it has been changed recently because the order of these have changed

Xavier is the alma mater to several notable politicians, public servants and corporate executives.


* Melanie Bates, Vice-President Cincinnati Board of Education, Community activist
* J. Kenneth Blackwell, former Ohio Secretary of State, 2006 GOP Ohio Gubernatorial Candidate
* John Boehner, U.S. House Of Representatives Minority Leader
* Clement L. Buenger, former CEO, Fifth Third Bancorp.
* Jim Bunning, junior U.S. Senator from Kentucky, member of Baseball Hall of Fame
* John A. Cade, former Maryland State Senator
* Paul Cashen, Co-Founder and former President of PC on Call
* John Dreyer, Vice President, Walt Disney Co.
* Janet Smith Dickerson, Vice President Princeton University
* Charles Geschke, President, and Co-Founder of Adobe Systems
* Richard Hague, American poet
* Patricia Herbold, United States Ambassador to Singapore
* Bill Kelley, Vice Chairman, Jelly Belly Candy Company
* Ken Lucas, former U.S. Congressman from Kentucky
* J. Barton Luedeke, Former President Rider University
* Michael Lundy, Executive Director for the Huntsville, Alabama Housing Authority
* Dave Milam, co-founder of iMark, Inc.
* Robert Romanus, actor best known for playing Mike Damone in Fast Times at Ridgemont High
* Kay Napier, Vice President, Procter and Gamble
* Rich Owen, Co-Founder of Redox Brands
* George A. Shaefer Jr., CEO and President, Fifth Third Bancorp
* Joseph Viviano, Vice Chairman, Hershey Foods Corporation
* Lloyd Ward, CEO, US Olympic Committee
* David West (basketball), forward for the New Orleans Hornets
* James Posey, forward for the Boston Celtics
* Todd Wichmann, Co-Founder of Redox Brands
* Duane Wolff, adventurer, social critic

[vee4xu]

Richard Romanus, Bo's older brother is an actor and he preceded Bo in Hollywood. His big role was in Mean Streets with DeNiro and Kittel.

[vee4xu]

All due respect, but that isn't really an impressive Who's Who from Wikepedia.

[xavierj]

I'd say currently our most famous non-basketball alum would be House Minority Leader John Boehner.

It should also be noted that another famous Butler alum is cult-leader Jim Jones.

Jim Jones grandson, Rob Jones, plays basketball and starts as a freshman for San Diego.

[kyxu]

I think Bunning is more famous than Boehner.

You're probably right, considering Bunning is also in the baseball HOF.

[BlueGuy]

Chris Sabo went to Meechiigan with Barry Larkin.

Sabo was drafted after his Junior year, and left school. My roomate had a class w/ him in 97/98. He told a story in that class that in order to be able to leave school a year early, he had to promise his mother he would earn his degree after his baseball career was over. He finished the last year at X.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Sabo was drafted after his Junior year, and left school. My roomate had a class w/ him in 97/98. He told a story in that class that in order to be able to leave school a year early, he had to promise his mother he would earn his degree after his baseball career was over. He finished the last year at X.

He's my neighbor. Although I have probably seen him twice in the 4 years I have lived by him. But I see his wife a lot.

[GoMuskies]

Sabo graduated the same year as me ('98), and it was pretty amusing seeing him around campus. Definitely looked out of place. Unfortunately, he did not wear his Rec-Specs.

[vee4xu]

Sabo was drafted after his Junior year, and left school. My roomate had a class w/ him in 97/98. He told a story in that class that in order to be able to leave school a year early, he had to promise his mother he would earn his degree after his baseball career was over. He finished the last year at X.

Learn something new everyday. Thanks blue.

[Fred Garvin]

I like Duane Wolf, adventurer.

I'm gonna start describing myself as an adventurer. Sometimes I drive thru Snipe's neighborhood when I'm in the mood for an urban adventure.

[pimpinthebox]

"This is really good iced tea." -Mike Damone

There's an art to quoting movies. Quoting the most popular lines gets really old. This one is a gem. Nice work.

[xudash]

Xavier has a ton of grads that are CEO, Presidents, or Vice Presidents at major corporations such as Jelly Belly, Disney, and Hershey. Also has a ton of politicians like Blackwell and Boehner. XU also has some good basketball alum that some schools would die to say they had.

Exactly. A lot of high level corporate folks that don't pursue fame anyway. Here's the list from Wikipedia, for what it's worth:


Notable alumni
Xavier is the alma mater to several notable politicians, public servants and corporate executives.

Melanie Bates, Vice-President Cincinnati Board of Education, Community activist
J. Kenneth Blackwell, former Ohio Secretary of State, 2006 GOP Ohio Gubernatorial Candidate
John Boehner, U.S. House Of Representatives Minority Leader
Clement L. Buenger, former CEO, Fifth Third Bancorp.
Jim Bunning, junior U.S. Senator from Kentucky, member of Baseball Hall of Fame
John A. Cade, former Maryland State Senator
Paul Cashen, Co-Founder and former President of PC on Call
John Dreyer, Vice President, Walt Disney Co.
Janet Smith Dickerson, Vice President Princeton University
Charles Geschke, President, and Co-Founder of Adobe Systems
Richard Hague, American poet
Patricia Herbold, United States Ambassador to Singapore
Bill Kelley, Vice Chairman, Jelly Belly Candy Company
Ken Lucas, former U.S. Congressman from Kentucky
J. Barton Luedeke, Former President Rider University
Michael Lundy, Executive Director for the Huntsville, Alabama Housing Authority
Dave Milam, co-founder of iMark, Inc.
Robert Romanus, actor best known for playing Mike Damone in Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Kay Napier, Vice President, Procter and Gamble
Rich Owen, Co-Founder of Redox Brands
George A. Shaefer Jr., CEO and President, Fifth Third Bancorp
Joseph Viviano, Vice Chairman, Hershey Foods Corporation
Lloyd Ward, CEO, US Olympic Committee
David West (basketball), forward for the New Orleans Hornets
James Posey, forward for the Boston Celtics
Todd Wichmann, Co-Founder of Redox Brands
Duane Wolff, adventurer, social critic
Chuck Mercurio, The best teacher at NRMS

[Fred Garvin]

Huh, I guess I am on that list (Jelly Belly).

[xudash]

Sorry 05/07. Didn't notice you already put the Wiki list in here on P. 2.

[wkrq59]

Isn't the CEO of Hershey an X alum. I think the president of the US Olympics or something like that is also a Xavier guy.

If it hasn't already been posted Joe Viviano I believe is the retired CEO of Hershey Foods..He was also a member of the Xavier BOT and helped spearhead the funding drive and planning of the Cintas Center. Oh, BTW, he was also a member of the Xavier NIT Championship team, a very important member.

[wkrq59]

Oh, and as long as we're at it, why not include Aaron Williams. NBA, LA Clippers? Or Byron Larkin, Cincinnati financial advisor and radio commentator for Xavier basketball games Or Joe Sunderman,

[Fred Garvin]

Dwayne Wilson, Cincinnati police officer. That's a helluva lot more important to me than the "social critic."

[xavierdude]

I'm shocked no one mentioned FRANK ROBINSON! Quite popular to me. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=robinfr02

[Lamont Sanford]

You guys left out my favorite famous XU alum...Willie "Hussein" Cunningham.

[blueballs]

You guys left out my favorite famous XU alum...Willie "Hussein" Cunningham.

did that a hole really go to xu?

[kyxu]

Ken Blackwell, too. Was a WR on Xavier's football team

[kyxu]

I'm shocked no one mentioned FRANK ROBINSON! Quite popular to me. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=robinfr02

Wow...I did not know that

[MD Muskie]

All due respect, but that isn't really an impressive Who's Who from Wikepedia.

Yeah it's really a shame that we have all these alums go on to be VPs, CEO, and important politicans. They must have really not paid attention to their education while at Xavier. Come on that is a damn impressive list for a school of our size.

[XUBT]

May not be that famous but don't forget Danny Abramowicz, former NFL player/assistant coach for the Saints, 49er's and Bears.

[Lamont Sanford]

did that a hole really go to xu?

Sure did. He played baseball at X and was in ROTC. Talks about it on his daily show all the time.

Pimp, Xeus and Willie and great Americans!

[LA Muskie]

Yeah it's really a shame that we have all these alums go on to be VPs, CEO, and important politicans. They must have really not paid attention to their education while at Xavier. Come on that is a damn impressive list for a school of our size.
It is relatively impressive, but to be clear many of the high-ranking executives took over their families' businesses.

[boozehound]

How does a Vice President for P&G make the 'famous alums' list? That's a great job and all, but I don't know that it is really that incredible, particularly when the rest of the list is a bunch of CEO's and Senators and what not.

[Giddyup37]

Wow...I did not know that

Why didn't frank robinson play baseball at X? maybe he was already playing professionally at that time...

Chuck Norris wishes he went to Xavier...

[GoMuskies]

How does a Vice President for P&G make the 'famous alums' list? That's a great job and all, but I don't know that it is really that incredible, particularly when the rest of the list is a bunch of CEO's and Senators and what not.

It's wikipedia. He probably added his name in himself.

[Kahns Krazy]

I'm shocked no one mentioned FRANK ROBINSON! Quite popular to me. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=robinfr02


I'm guessing Frank didn't graduate. Although 'alum' can be used to define former attendees that did not graduate, the more common definition is of a graduate.

[boozehound]

It's wikipedia. He probably added his name in himself.

I should go in and add my name, just for kicks.