Notable Alumni of Stetson University

Stetson University, a private institution in DeLand, Florida, boasts a rich history and a diverse array of accomplished alumni. Established in 1883 as DeLand Academy, the university was later renamed to honor John B. Stetson, a prominent hat manufacturer and philanthropist, after his generous financial contributions. Stetson stands as the oldest private college in Florida, with its main campus in DeLand spanning 175 acres (71 ha) and additional campuses in Gulfport and Tampa. According to aggregated alumni prominence, EduRank places Stetson University at 962nd in the world, 353rd in North America, and 331st in the United States.

A Legacy of Academic Excellence

From its humble beginnings as DeLand Academy, founded by Henry Addison DeLand, the institution has evolved into a respected university with a strong academic foundation. Originally incorporated as DeLand University in 1887, it adopted the name John B. Stetson University in 1889. The university's commitment to academic excellence is reflected in its various colleges and schools, including the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration, and the College of Law (originally founded in DeLand in 1900 and later moved to Gulfport).

Prominent Alumni in Politics and Law

Stetson University has produced numerous notable alumni who have made significant contributions to the fields of politics and law. These individuals have shaped policies, served in public office, and contributed to the legal landscape of the United States.

Pam Bondi

Pamela Jo Bondi is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician. A member of the Republican Party, she served as Florida attorney general from 2011 to 2019, the first woman elected to the office. She has served as the 87th United States attorney general since 2025.

Ashley Moody

Ashley Brooke Moody is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the junior United States senator from Florida since 2025. She previously worked as a federal prosecutor in the Attorney's Office in the Middle District of Florida. In 2010, she graduated from Stetson University with a Master of Laws degree.

Read also: Explore Stetson Law

E. Clay Shaw, Jr.

Eugene Clay Shaw Jr. was an American jurist and Republican politician. In 1961, he graduated with Bachelor of Science and in 1966 graduated with Juris Doctor from Stetson University. He served as mayor of Fort Lauderdale and represented South Florida in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until 2007.

Other Notable Figures in Politics and Law

David Sholtz: The 26th Governor of Florida, also served as a state attorney and member of the Florida House of Representatives.
Doyle E. Carlton: Served as the 25th Governor of the state of Florida from 1929 to 1933.
John Edwin Thrasher: Former state legislator, businessman, lawyer, and lobbyist who served as the 15th president of Florida State University.
Kathleen Passidomo: American lawyer and politician who served as President of the Florida Senate.
Joe Negron: Republican politician from Florida who served as a member of the Florida Senate and House of Representatives.
Chris Sprowls: American attorney and Republican politician from Florida. He served as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives for the 2020-22 legislative term.
Jack Latvala: Republican politician from Florida. He represented the Pinellas County area in the Florida Senate from 1994 to 2002, and again from 2010 to 2018.
Bob Gualtieri: American law enforcement officer, lawyer, and politician who is serving as the 15th sheriff of Pinellas County, Florida.
James Byrne: American lawyer who served as the United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs from August 2018 to February 2020.
Andy Gardiner: Republican politician from Florida.
Richard David Kriseman: An American politician who served as the 53rd Mayor of St. Petersburg from 2014 to 2022.
Dean J. Trantalis: An American politician and mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Alumni in Arts, Entertainment, and Media

Stetson University's influence extends to the realms of arts, entertainment, and media, with alumni making their mark as actors, musicians, journalists, and commentators.

Ted Cassidy

Theodore Crawford Cassidy was an American actor known for playing unusual characters in offbeat or science-fiction works. He is best remembered for his role as Lurch on The Addams Family TV series of the mid-1960s. He also narrated the intro sequence for the 1977 live-action The Incredible Hulk TV series and provided the growls & roars for the Hulk for the series's first 2 seasons.

George Winston

George Otis Winston III was an American pianist performing contemporary instrumental music. Best known for his solo piano recordings, Winston released his first album in 1972, and came to prominence with his 1980 album Autumn.

Britt McHenry

Brittany May "Britt" McHenry is a television personality. She is the host of a show on WTTG Fox 5 in Washington, D.C. McHenry was formerly an ESPN correspondent and a commentator on Fox Nation.

Other Notable Figures in Arts, Entertainment, and Media

Louis Phillips: An American poet, playwright, editor, and author of children's stories.
Craig Crawford: An American writer and television political commentator based in Washington, D.C.

Notable Alumni in Sports

Stetson University has a long and interesting baseball history. The Stetson University Hatters have had a team that has come and gone. Twelve former Stetson University ballplayers who made it to the majors. The Stetson University baseball program started in 1895. The university's athletic programs have produced talented athletes who have excelled in various sports, including baseball, basketball, and football.

Corey Kluber

Corey Scott Kluber is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox. He made his MLB debut in 2011 as a member of the Indians. A power pitcher, Kluber achieved high strikeout rates through a two-seam sinker and a breaking ball that variously resembled a slider and a curveball.

Lenny DiNardo

Lenny DiNardo is an alumnus who made his major league debut. He said, "It was, honestly, one of the best feelings of my life… I can't even describe the emotions that are going through my head right now. It's unbelievable. It's fantasy camp for me being with these guys. It's a dream come true." - DiNardo, Lenny. The Boston Globe.

Corey Walden

Torrian Corey Walden is an American professional basketball player for Força Lleida of the Spanish Liga ACB. He played college basketball for Stetson and Eastern Kentucky before playing professionally in the NBA G League, Belgium and Israel. Standing at 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), he plays at the point guard position. Playing for Hapoel Holon, he was named the 2019 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP. In addition to being a citizen of the United States, Walden also has Serbian citizenship.

Chris Johnson

Christopher Dalton Johnson is an American professional baseball coach and former third baseman who is the assistant hitting coach for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Miami Marlins.

Read also: Applying to Stetson University

Other Notable Figures in Sports

Jacob deGrom: A professional baseball pitcher.

Other Notable Alumni

Max Cleland: An American politician from Georgia, a Vietnam War veteran, and a United States Senator (1997-2003).
Jaclyn Stapp: An American fashion model, author, and philanthropist.
Julia Nesheiwat: An American academic and former government official who served as the 10th homeland security advisor in the Trump administration from 2020 to 2021.
Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse: A Thai-American attorney and former member of the Thai Royal Family.
Adrian Rogers: An American Baptist pastor and conservative author.
John Pilley: An American behavioral psychologist known for his research into canine cognition and language learning.
Louis DeJoy: Postmaster general.

Stetson University Baseball Draft History

Stetson University has a rich history of producing talented baseball players who have been drafted into Major League Baseball (MLB). The following is a list of Stetson University players who have been drafted, along with the year they were drafted, their position, the round in which they were drafted, and the team that drafted them:

1957: Walt Jasinski (RHP), FA, Los Angeles (NL)
1958: Bob Vostry (1B/OF), FA, Chicago (AL)
1970: Pete Dunn (C), 36, Kansas City
1970: Ashby Frayser (INF), FA, Montreal
1972: Roy Tanner (OF), FA, Kansas City
1974: Stephen Kotenda (INF), 3, Boston
1974: Ted Loehr (RHP), 20, Chicago (AL)
1974: Dave Braden (LHP), 28, Texas
1975: Jim Howard (OF), 25, New York (NL)
1976: Jesse Wright (LHP), FA, Oakland
1977: Jeff Brueggemann (RHP), 36, Minnesota
1978: Ronnie Pearce (RHP), 12, Montreal
1979: Bill Swaggerty (RHP), 26, Baltimore
1979: Dan Williams (1B), 27, Chicago (AL)
1981: Wade Rowdon (INF), 8, Chicago (AL)
1981: David Miller (OF), FA, Baltimore
1982: Bob Klusacek (LHP), 14, San Diego
1982: Mike Burgermeister (RHP), FA, San Francisco
1983: Mike Ullian (LHP), 15, St. Louis
1983: Jeff Pequignot (OF), 32, Milwaukee
1984: Mike Ullian (LHP), 10, Houston
1985: Jay Nieporte (C), 11, San Diego
1985: Jeff Henderson (LHP), 16, Detroit
1985: Scott Gray (INF), 17, Houston
1985: Rick Malizia (OF), FA, Baltimore
1986: Chris Byrnes (LHP), 11, New York (AL)
1986: Kevin Wasilewski (RHP), 15, Houston
1986: Fred DeLamata (OF), FA, Baltimore
1987: Chris Dunham (1B), 19, Cleveland
1987: Steve Woide (LHP), FA, Toronto
1988: George Tsamis (LHP), 33, Toronto
1989: George Tsamis (LHP), 15, Minnesota
1989: Darin Bruehl (INF), FA, Houston
1990: Mike Pinckes (INF), FA, Cleveland
1991: Jim Waring (RHP), 21, Houston
1991: Tom Hickox (RHP), FA, Milwaukee
1991: Craig Risdon (RHP), FA, Atlanta
1992: Larry Hingle (LHP), 7, Los Angeles (AL)
1992: Wes Weger (INF), 9, Milwaukee
1992: Ernie Yaroshuk (OF), 18, New York (AL)
1992: Tibor Brown (LHP), 41, New York (AL)
1992: Christopher Thomas (C), 44, Milwaukee
1993: Willard Brown (RHP), 10, Los Angeles (AL)
1993: Aaron Iatarola (OF), 21, Los Angeles (AL)
1995: Jeff Smith (C), 20, Minnesota
1996: Mike Lyons (RHP), 20, New York (NL)
1996: Chuck Beale (RHP), 20, Boston
1996: Eric Knott (RHP), 24, Arizona
1996: George Kauffman (RHP), 44, Kansas City
1996: Javier Gomez (RHP), FA, Detroit
1997: Kevin Nicholson (INF), 1, San Diego
1997: Clint Chrysler (LHP), 17, Seattle
1998: Sammy Serrano (C), 2, San Francisco
1998: Brooks Stephens (1B), 47, Tampa Bay
1999: Jeff House (RHP), 40, Milwaukee
2001: Lenny DiNardo (LHP), 3, New York (NL)
2001: Jeff Christy (OF), 12, Oakland
2001: Frank Corr (OF), 17, New York (NL)
2003: Brian Snyder (INF), 1, Oakland
2003: Mike Wiley (LHP), 16, Colorado
2003: Roger Lincoln (LHP), 34, Cleveland
2003: Chris Westervelt (C), 40, Oakland
2003: Rusty Beale (INF), 45, Cincinnati
2003: Andy Wilson (INF), FA, New York (NL)
2004: Chris Westervelt (C), 11, Los Angeles (NL)
2005: Ryan Dixon (RHP), FA, St. Louis
2006: Chris Johnson (INF), 4, Houston
2006: Brian Bocock (INF), 9, San Francisco
2006: Nathan Nery (LHP), 18, Baltimore
2007: Corey Kluber (RHP), 4, San Diego
2007: Braedyn Pruitt (INF), 14, New York (AL)
2007: Chris Ingoglia (LHP), 18, Miami
2007: Shane Jordan (OF), 43, San Francisco
2008: Justin Bass (OF), 19, Miami
2008: Brian Pruitt (OF), 34, Washington
2008: Nick Pugliese (RHP), FA, Los Angeles (AL)
2009: Jeremy Cruz (OF), 13, Los Angeles (AL)
2009: Casey Frawley (OF), 17, Cleveland
2009: Robby Donovan (RHP), 23, Houston
2010: Jacob deGrom (RHP), 9, New York (NL)
2011: Nick Rickles (C), 14, Oakland
2011: Lindsey Caughel (RHP), 35, Baltimore
2011: Tucker Donahue (RHP), 38, Texas
2012: Tucker Donahue (RHP), 4, Toronto
2012: Sam Kimmel (C), 18, Baltimore
2012: Lindsey Caughel (RHP), 23, Los Angeles (NL)
2012: Robbie Powell (RHP), 32, Los Angeles (AL)
2012: Ben Carhart (INF), 35, Chicago (NL)
2012: Jake Boyd (RHP), 38, Los Angeles (AL)
2012: Kirk Schluter (RHP), 39, Boston
2013: Cameron Griffin (LHP), 23, Pittsburgh
2015: Patrick Mazeika (C/1B), 8, New York (NL)
2015: Garrett Russini (C/OF), FA, Pittsburgh
2016: Walker Sheller (RHP), 9, Kansas City
2016: Mitchell Jordan (RHP), 10, Oakland
2016: Vance Vizcaino (OF), 11, Kansas City
2017: Brooks Wilson (RHP), 24, Texas
2018: Logan Gilbert (RHP), 1, Seattle
2018: Brooks Wilson (RHP), 7, Atlanta
2018: Jack Perkins (RHP), 11, Philadelphia
2018: Ben Onyshko (LHP), 24, Seattle
2018: Austin Hale (C), 28, Minnesota
2018: Joey Gonzalez (RHP), 28, Houston
2018: Mike Spooner (OF), FA, Cincinnati
2019: Mitchell Senger (LHP), 26, New York (NL)
2019: Robbie Peto (RHP), 26, Tampa Bay
2019: Vlad Nunez (RHP), FA, Chicago (AL)
2020: Robbie Peto (RHP), FA, Los Angeles (NL)
2023: Christian Pregent (C), 10, New York (NL)
2023: Austin Amaral (RHP), 16, Washington
2024: Gio Cueto (C), FA, Los Angeles (NL)
2024: Aric McAtee (RHP), FA, Chicago (AL)
2025: Lorenzo Meola (SS), 4, San Francisco
2025: Isaiah Barkett (INF), 10, San Francisco
2025: Ty Van Dyke (RHP), 10, St. Louis

Stetson University Affiliations with MLB Teams

Stetson University alumni have been drafted by and played for numerous Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. Here's a breakdown of some of those affiliations:

Atlanta Braves: Craig Risdon (RHP, 1991), Brooks Wilson (RHP, 2018)
Arizona Diamondbacks: Eric Knott (RHP, 1996)
Cincinnati Reds: Rusty Beale (INF, 2003), Mike Spooner (OF, 2018)
Chicago Cubs: Ben Carhart (INF, 2012)
Colorado Rockies: Mike Wiley (LHP, 2003)
Los Angeles Dodgers: Walt Jasinski (RHP, 1957), Chris Westervelt (C, 2004), Lindsey Caughel (RHP, 2012), Robbie Peto (RHP, 2020), Gio Cueto (C, 2024)
Miami Marlins: Chris Ingoglia (LHP, 2007), Justin Bass (OF, 2008)
Milwaukee Brewers: Jeff Pequignot (OF, 1983), Tom Hickox (RHP, 1991), Wes Weger (INF, 1992), Christopher Thomas (C, 1992), Jeff House (RHP, 1999)
New York Mets: Jim Howard (OF, 1975), Mike Lyons (RHP, 1996), Lenny DiNardo (LHP, 2001), Frank Corr (OF, 2001), Andy Wilson (INF, 2003), Jacob deGrom (RHP, 2010), Patrick Mazeika (C/1B, 2015), Mitchell Senger (LHP, 2019), Christian Pregent (C, 2024)
Philadelphia Phillies: Jack Perkins (RHP, 2018), Jonathan Gonzalez (LHP, 2025)
Pittsburgh Pirates: Cameron Griffin (LHP, 2013), Garrett Russini (C/OF, 2015)
San Diego Padres: Bob Klusacek (LHP, 1982), Jay Nieporte (C, 1985), Kevin Nicholson (INF, 1997), Corey Kluber (RHP, 2007)
San Francisco Giants: Mike Burgermeister (RHP, 1982), Sammy Serrano (C, 1998), Brian Bocock (INF, 2006), Shane Jordan (OF, 2007), Lorenzo Meola (SS, 2025), Isaiah Barkett (INF, 2025)

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