Sarah Lawrence College: A Legacy of Notable Alumni

Sarah Lawrence College, founded in 1926 by William Van Duzer Lawrence in memory of his wife, Sarah Bates Lawrence, has established itself as a unique liberal arts institution. Initially a women's junior college, it expanded into a four-year baccalaureate program and became coeducational in 1968. The college is known for its non-traditional curriculum, centered on small seminars, independent conferences with faculty, and open-ended exploration across disciplines. This approach has fostered achievements in various fields, including the performing arts, literature, dance, journalism, design, film, politics, and sciences. This article explores the remarkable achievements and diverse contributions of some of Sarah Lawrence College's most famous alumni.

Arts and Entertainment

Sarah Lawrence College has a rich tradition of producing influential figures in the arts and entertainment industry.

Acting and Film:

Carrie Fisher: Best known for her iconic role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, Fisher attended Sarah Lawrence College. Beyond Star Wars, she had roles in films like Shampoo, The Blues Brothers, and When Harry Met Sally…. Fisher was also a writer, nominated twice for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
Sigourney Weaver: An acclaimed actress known for her portrayals of action heroines, Weaver has received numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award. She has also been nominated for three Academy Awards, four Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award.
Julianna Margulies: Margulies gained wide recognition for her role as Carol Hathaway in the NBC medical drama series ER, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award and six Screen Actors Guild Awards. She also starred as Alicia Florrick in the CBS legal drama series The Good Wife, winning two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Television Critics Association Award.
Téa Leoni: Leoni starred in television sitcoms Flying Blind and The Naked Truth. She had lead roles in films such as Deep Impact, The Family Man, and Jurassic Park III. From 2014 to 2019, she starred as Elizabeth McCord in the CBS political drama series Madam Secretary.
Kyra Sedgwick: Sedgwick is known for her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the crime drama The Closer, for which she won a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award. Her film credits include Born on the Fourth of July and Singles.
Cary Elwes: Elwes starred as Westley in The Princess Bride. He also had lead roles in films such as Robin Hood: Men in Tights and the Saw series.
Lauren Holly: Holly has played roles in television series such as Picket Fences and NCIS, and in films such as Dumb and Dumber and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.
Larisa Oleynik: Oleynik is known for her role as the titular character in the Nickelodeon series The Secret World of Alex Mack and as Dawn Schafer in the film adaptation The Baby-Sitters Club. She also starred in the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You. In the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You, a quasi-adaptation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, high school senior Kat Stratford desperately wants to attend Sarah Lawrence College. Twist: Actress Larisa Oleynik, who plays Kat's younger sister Bianca in the film, went on to attend Sarah Lawrence in real life and graduated in 2004.
Emma Roberts: Known for her performances in film and television, Roberts' work in the horror and thriller genres have established her as a scream queen.
Melora Hardin: Hardin is best known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's The Office, Trudy Monk on USA Network's Monk, and Tammy Cashman on Amazon Prime Video's Transparent.
Maggie Wheeler: Wheeler is best known for her role as Janice on the television sitcom Friends.
Elisabeth Röhm: Röhm is an American television and film actress and director.

Directing, Writing, and Producing:

J.J. Abrams: Abrams is a filmmaker and composer known for his works in action, drama, and science fiction. He wrote and produced films such as Regarding Henry, Armageddon, Cloverfield, Star Trek, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Jordan Peele: Peele is an actor, comedian, and filmmaker known for his work in the comedy and horror genres. He has received an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Brian De Palma: De Palma is a film director and screenwriter known for his work in the suspense, crime, and psychological thriller genres. He helped write the opening crawl of the first Star Wars film.
Pamela Adlon: Adlon is an actress, writer, producer, and director known for voicing Bobby Hill in the animated comedy series King of the Hill.
Adam Goldberg: Goldberg is an actor known for his supporting roles in films such as Dazed and Confused, Saving Private Ryan, and A Beautiful Mind.
Nev Schulman: Schulman is a TV host and producer known for the documentary film Catfish and the TV series Catfish: The TV Show on MTV.

Music:

Carly Simon: Simon is a musician, singer, songwriter, and author known for hits such as "You're So Vain" and "Nobody Does It Better."
Yoko Ono: Ono is a conceptual and performance artist, musician, and activist.
Lesley Gore: Gore was a singer and songwriter known for her hit song "It's My Party."
David Krakauer: Krakauer is a clarinetist, composer, and exponent of Eastern European Jewish music.

Journalism and Media

Sarah Lawrence College has also produced prominent figures in journalism and media.

Barbara Walters: Walters was a broadcast journalist and television personality known for her interviewing ability. She appeared as a host of numerous television programs, including Today, ABC Evening News, 20/20, and The View. The Barbara Walters Campus Center is the newest building on campus. Finished in the fall of 2019, the building is named for alumna Barbara Walters. The building is a multipurpose space which is used for dances, speeches, class gatherings, etc. On the second floor is the Barbara Walters Reading Room. It includes a rotating exhibition, but currently holds artifacts from Barbara Walters' life.

Literature and Writing

The college has a strong reputation for fostering literary talent.

Alice Walker: Walker is a novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel The Color Purple.
Esmeralda Santiago: Santiago is a memoirist and playwright whose debut When I Was Puerto Rican chronicles her childhood in Puerto Rico and immigration to New York.
Deborah Feldman: Feldman is a writer known for her autobiography, Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, which was the basis of the Netflix miniseries Unorthodox.

Recent Alumni Achievements in Writing:

Recent graduates have continued to make their mark in the literary world:

Read also: Baylor's Notable Alumni

Izzy Beach MFA '24: Her short story "When Henry Bit Shelby" was a finalist in the 2025 Saints and Sinners fiction writing contest and published in the 2025 Saints and Sinners anthology.
Melissa Febos MFA '08: She discussed her latest book, The Dry Season, on the Memoir Nation podcast, exploring solitude as a creatively regenerative space.
Eric Tyler Benick MFA ’19: His fourth collection of poetry, Terracotta Fragments, will be published by Antiphony in January 2026 and is currently available for preorder.
Adam Chandler MFA '10: He published his second book of nonfiction, 99% Perspiration, with Penguin Random House.
Abigail Oswald MFA '18: She is now the editor of Split/Lip Press' Lost/Found imprint, which gives out-of-print books a new home.
Kyla Marshell MFA '12: Her poem "Somewhere Swimming" was featured in the Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day series on July 16, 2025.
Jessica Lynne MFA '24: She was a winner of the 2025 Rabkin Prize, which celebrates art critics and journalists.
KT Herr MFA '20: She was awarded a PM Lilac Foundation Environmental and Social Justice Fellowship to attend a residency at the Vermont Studio Center in May 2025. Their poem "Leitmotif with norovirus and Mr."

Politics and Public Service

Sarah Lawrence College has also produced notable figures in politics and public service.

Rahm Emanuel: Emanuel is a politician and diplomat who served as United States Ambassador to Japan. He also served as a U.S. Representative from Illinois, White House Chief of Staff, and Mayor of Chicago.
Lee Radziwill: Radziwill was a socialite and public relations executive.

Other Notable Alumni

Vera Wang: Wang is a fashion designer who initially pursued a career in figure skating.

Sarah Lawrence College in Pop Culture

Sarah Lawrence College has made several appearances in popular culture, reflecting its reputation and unique identity.

Gossip Girl: In the CW television series Gossip Girl, main character Blair Waldorf tries unsuccessfully to gain admission to Sarah Lawrence.
Jeopardy!: Sarah Lawrence College has been a question (or answer) on the hit game show Jeopardy! 15 times so far.
The Princess Diaries: In the 2001 movie version of The Princess Diaries, Mia is portrayed by actress Anne Hathaway.
Franny & Zooey: The novel Franny & Zooey by J.D. Salinger mentions Sarah Lawrence College.

Campus and Facilities

The Sarah Lawrence campus, originally part of William Van Duzer Lawrence's estate, spans 42 acres. The terrain features exposed bedrock shaded by oak and elm trees. Many older buildings are in the Tudor Revival style. Notable buildings include:

The Barbara Walters Campus Center: The newest building on campus, named for alumna Barbara Walters.
Bates Center for Student Life: One of the original campus buildings, designed in the English Tudor style.
The Alice Stone Ilchman Science and Mathematics Center: Completed in 1994, housing science laboratories, classrooms, and faculty offices.
The Marshall Field Music Building: Originally part of Lawrence Park West, purchased by the college in 1960 to house the music department.
The Monica A. and Charles A. Heimbold Visual Arts Center: Completed in 2004, using the landscape and existing campus circulation patterns.
The Charles DeCarlo Performing Arts Center: Remodeled and expanded in 1974, comprising the Bessie Schönberg Dance Theatre, the Suzanne Werner Wright Theatre, the Reisinger Auditorium, and the Cannon Workshop Theatre.
The Ruth Leff Siegel Center: Originally a gardener's cottage on the Lawrence estate, now used as an informal dining hall and student activity space.
The Tea House: Originally a gazebo, now a café.
The President's House: Built in 1921, designed in the Tudor-Elizabethan style.
Westlands: Primarily an administrative building, completed in 1917, the oldest building on campus.
Andrews House: A former manor house purchased in 1935, designed in the Germantown Colonial Style.
Lynd House: Another former mansion, designed in 1931.
Hill House: A seven-story apartment building bought in the late 1990s.
Kober: Home to dorm rooms and part of the Early Childhood Education complex.
Slonim Woods: A group of 10 purpose-built living facilities constructed in 1977.

Academics and Curriculum

Sarah Lawrence College is known for its unique academic approach, emphasizing small seminars, individual conferences with faculty, and interdisciplinary exploration. The college does not require submission of standardized test scores, being a test-optional school.

Political Activism

Political activism has been a part of the Sarah Lawrence community since the early years of the college. In 1938, students volunteered in Yonkers to help bring equality and educational opportunities to poor and minority citizens. During the McCarthy Years, some faculty members were accused of being sympathetic to the Communist Party. Students have also been involved in movements for civil rights, against the Vietnam War, and for student and faculty diversity.

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Athletics

Sarah Lawrence College is a member of the Skyline Conference of NCAA Division III. The college sponsors intercollegiate teams in various sports, and its official mascot is a Gryphon named Godric.

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