Notable Alumni of Mills College at Northeastern University

Mills College at Northeastern University, located in Oakland, California, boasts a rich history and a legacy of producing accomplished graduates across various fields. With more than 26,000 alums residing in all 50 states and over 60 countries, the college has made a significant impact on the world. The Office of Alumnae Relations remains dedicated to nurturing and strengthening the bonds between Mills alums and their alma mater, fostering camaraderie and connection. This article will explore some of the notable alumni who have emerged from this esteemed institution.

A Legacy of Academic Excellence

Founded in 1852, Mills College initially operated as the Young Ladies' Seminary before being renamed Mills Seminary in 1865. In 1865, Susan Tolman Mills, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, and her husband, Cyrus Mills, bought the Young Ladies Seminary renaming it Mills Seminary. In 1871, the school was moved to its current location in Oakland, California. It transitioned to Mills College in 1885 and, in 2022, became Mills College at Northeastern University, part of Northeastern University's global university system. Throughout its independent existence, Mills maintained selective admission standards. In preparation for the Northeastern merger, Mills stopped accepting admission applications in 2021.

The college's commitment to academic excellence is reflected in its diverse student body and low student-to-faculty ratio. For the 2018-19 academic year, the Mills student body included 1,255 students, with 766 undergraduate women and 489 graduate students of all genders. Forty-one states are represented in the student body, and international students from 15 countries attend the college. The average class size at Mills is 16 students, with a student:faculty ratio of 11:1. The F.W. Olin Library, centrally located on the campus, houses a vast collection of over 240,000 volumes and other media, with special emphasis on literature, history, women's studies, art and music. It also offers access to more than 60 online databases including: Academic Search, LexisNexis, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, MEDLINE, ERIC, MLA Bibliography, Contemporary Women's Issues, Britannica Online, Biography Resource Center, and Science Direct, and many more.

Notable Alumnae

Mills College at Northeastern University has produced a remarkable array of alumnae who have made significant contributions to various fields. Here are some notable examples:

Olivia de Havilland

Olivia de Havilland was a British and American actress. Born in Japan, Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020) studied at Mills College in 1934. She was one of the leading actresses of her time, appearing in 49 feature films between 1935 and 1988. At the time of her death in 2020 at age 104, she was the oldest living and earliest surviving Academy Award winner and was widely considered as being the last surviving major star from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.

Read also: Seat Belt Safety

Sofia Coppola

Sofia Carmina Coppola is an American filmmaker and former actress. Sofia Coppola is an acclaimed American filmmaker and former actress. She has won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Golden Lion, and a Cannes Film Festival Award. She was also nominated for three BAFTA Awards, as well as a Primetime Emmy Award.

Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Joanna Newsom is an American singer-songwriter and actress known for her unique musical style and harp playing.

Daniella Pineda

Daniella Pineda is an American actress. Daniella Pineda is an American actress who has had major roles in several films and TV series, including The Originals, Netflix's live-action Cowboy Bebop, and two films in the Jurassic Park franchise.

Dave Brubeck

David Warren Brubeck was an American jazz pianist and composer. Dave Brubeck (1920-2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasting rhythms, meters, tonalities, and combining different styles and genres, like classic, jazz, and blues.

Laurie Anderson

Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American avant-garde artist, musician and filmmaker whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Laurie Anderson is an American avant-garde artist, musician, and filmmaker whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects.

Steve Reich

Stephen Michael Reich is an American composer best known as a pioneer of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Steve Reich, a pioneer of minimal music, studied at Mills College from 1961 to 1963.

Barbara Lee

Barbara Lee launched campaign for Oakland mayorJanuary 8, 2025. Barbara Lee is a prominent politician who has represented California in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1998. With her 13th congressional term having ended this month, Lee seeks to replace Sheng Thao, who was recalled as mayor in November.

Kathryn Harrold

Kathryn Harrold is an American former actress, best known for her leading roles in films The Hunter (1980), Modern Romance (1981), The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper (1981), Yes, Giorgio (1982), and Raw Deal (1986). Kathryn Harrold is an American actress known for her roles in films such as "The Hunter" and "Modern Romance."

Snatam Kaur

Snatam Kaur Khalsa is an American singer, songwriter and author. Snatam Kaur is an American singer, songwriter, and author known for her new age Indian devotional music.

April Glaspie

April Catherine Glaspie is an American former diplomat and senior member of the Foreign Service, best known for her role in the events leading up to the Gulf War. April Glaspie is an American former diplomat best known for her role in the events leading up to the Gulf War.

Read also: Your Career at General Mills

Charmian London

Charmian London was an American writer and the second wife of Jack London. Charmian London was an American writer and the second wife of Jack London.

Beate Sirota Gordon

Beate Sirota Gordon was an Austrian and American performing arts presenter and women's rights advocate. Beate Sirota Gordon was an Austrian-American performing arts presenter and women's rights advocate.

Holly Herndon

Holly Herndon is an American artist and composer based in Berlin, Germany. Holly Herndon is an American artist and composer known for her innovative use of technology in music.

Dixy Lee Ray

Dixy Lee Ray was an American academic, scientist, and politician who served as the 17th governor of Washington from 1977 to 1981. Dixy Lee Ray was an American academic, scientist, and politician who served as the 17th governor of Washington.

William Bolcom

William Elden Bolcom is an American composer and pianist. William Bolcom is an American composer and pianist who has received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize.

Elizabeth Murray

Elizabeth Murray was an American painter, printmaker and draughtsman. Elizabeth Murray was an American painter known for her use of shaped canvases.

Diana L. Paxson

Diana Lucile Paxson is an American author, primarily in the fields of paganism and heathenism. Diana L. Paxson is an American author known for her works in paganism and heathenism.

March Fong Eu

March Fong Eu was an American diplomat and politician who served as the 24th secretary of state of California for five terms from 1975 to 1994. March Fong Eu was an American diplomat and politician who served as the 24th Secretary of State of California.

Phillipe Cunningham

Phillipe M. Cunningham is a former city council member for Minneapolis Ward 4 and was the first transgender man of color to be elected to public office in the United States. Phillipe Cunningham is a former city council member for Minneapolis and the first transgender man of color elected to public office in the United States.

Dina Kawar

Dina Kawar is a Jordanian diplomat who since June 2016 has served as Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United States. Dina Kawar is a Jordanian diplomat and the current Ambassador of Jordan to the United States.

Renel Brooks-Moon

Renel Brooks-Moon, known on-air simply as Renel, is an American former radio personality who hosted shows on radio stations KCBS, KFRC, KMEL, and KISQ before serving as the public address announcer for the San Francisco Giants from 2000 to 2024. Renel Brooks-Moon is an American radio personality and the public address announcer for the San Francisco Giants.

Hormoz Farhat

Hormoz Farhat was a Persian-American composer and ethnomusicologist who spent much of his career in Dublin, Ireland. Hormoz Farhat was a Persian-American composer and ethnomusicologist.

Ananya Roy

Ananya Roy is a scholar of international development and global urbanism. Ananya Roy is a scholar of international development and global urbanism.

Claire Giannini Hoffman

Claire Giannini Hoffman was the first woman to serve on the boards of Bank of America and Sears, Roebuck & Company. Claire Giannini Hoffman was the first woman to serve on the boards of Bank of America and Sears, Roebuck & Company.

Nathan Oliveira

Nathan Oliveira was an American painter, printmaker, and sculptor, born in Oakland, California to immigrant Portuguese parents. Nathan Oliveira was an American painter, printmaker, and sculptor.

Denise McCluggage

Denise McCluggage was an American auto racing driver, journalist, author and photographer. Denise McCluggage was an American auto racing driver, journalist, author, and photographer.

Jade Snow Wong

Jade Snow Wong was a Chinese American ceramic artist and author of two memoirs. Jade Snow Wong was a Chinese-American ceramic artist and author.

Mills College at Northeastern University Today

Mills College at Northeastern University continues to uphold its commitment to academic excellence and social justice. The institution offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, fostering a diverse and inclusive learning environment. Students have the opportunity to engage in various extracurricular activities, including student organizations, publications, and athletics. The college's facilities, such as the Trefethen Aquatic Center, Meyer Tennis Center, and Hellman Soccer Field, provide ample opportunities for recreation and competition.

The Center for Contemporary Music (CCM), housed within the Mills Music Building, remains at the forefront of experimental music study and composition. The Mills College Art Museum, with its collection of more than 8,000 works of art, offers students the chance to engage in archival research, editing, photography, design, and installations. The Children's School, founded in 1926, continues to provide education for both children and adults, serving as a laboratory for progressive educational practices.

tags: #mills #college #at #northeastern #university #notable