Notable Alumni of the University of Richmond
The University of Richmond, positioned in Virginia’s capital city, distinguishes itself through its emphasis on hands-on experiences and a robust liberal arts education. Offering over 60 undergraduate majors, the university caters to a student body of nearly 3,900 students. Demonstrating its commitment to accessibility, over half of the students receive financial aid, with $86 million awarded in scholarships and institutional grants through its need-blind admissions process. With average undergraduate class sizes containing fewer than 20 students and an 8:1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, the University of Richmond provides a personalized learning environment. Students are encouraged to enhance their college experience by exploring the state’s capital city and engaging in outdoor activities on the James River. The UR’s Richmond Spiders athletics program boasts 17 Division I varsity sports teams and uniquely stands as the only university with a spider mascot. Special campus events, such as SpiderFest, offer students opportunities to connect with peers and organizations. The University of Richmond is ranked 750th in the world, 277th in North America, and 256th in the United States based on the aggregated prominence of its alumni. This article highlights a selection of the university's notable alumni, showcasing their diverse achievements and contributions across various fields.
Prominent Alumni Across Disciplines
The University of Richmond has produced a wide array of accomplished individuals who have made significant impacts in their respective fields. These alumni include celebrities, politicians, business leaders, athletes, and more. The following sections detail some of the most recognizable and influential graduates and former students of the University of Richmond.
Arts and Entertainment
Lil Dicky
David Andrew Burd, known professionally as Lil Dicky, is an American rapper, comedian, actor, and screenwriter. His career took off after the music video for his 2013 song "Ex-Boyfriend" went viral, amassing over one million views on YouTube within 24 hours. His 2014 single, "Save Dat Money" (featuring Fetty Wap and Rich Homie Quan), became his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and received double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This success paved the way for his debut studio album, Professional Rapper (2015).
Kelly Corrigan
Kelly Corrigan is a celebrated author and journalist, known for her four New York Times bestselling books about family life: The Middle Place, Glitter and Glue, Lift, and Tell Me More. She hosts the long-form interview show Tell Me More on PBS, currently in its 7th season, as well as the podcast and NPR radio show Kelly Corrigan Wonders, which boasts over 400 episodes as of February 2024. A sought-after speaker, she frequently delivers keynote speeches, graduation addresses, and book readings, and has made multiple appearances on The Today Show.
Politics and Law
Charles Stanley
Charles Frazier Stanley Jr. was an influential American Southern Baptist pastor and writer. He served as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta for an impressive 49 years, before assuming emeritus status in 2020. Stanley founded In Touch Ministries, a widely recognized organization that broadcasts his sermons through television and radio. He also served two one-year terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, from 1984 to 1986. He graduated from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
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Kash Patel
Kashyap "Kash" Pramod Vinod Patel is an American lawyer, former federal prosecutor and official, and conspiracy theorist. He held several high-ranking positions during the Trump administration, including chief of staff to the U.S. secretary of defense and senior advisor to the acting director of national intelligence. Patel graduated from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Jenna Ellis
Jenna Lynn Ellis is an American conservative lawyer and political pundit who served as a member of Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign's legal team. A former deputy district attorney in Weld County, Colorado, she presented herself as a "constitutional law attorney" during cable news appearances during the Trump presidency. Ellis graduated from the University of Richmond with a Juris Doctor in 2011.
Mark Herring
Mark Rankin Herring is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 47th Attorney General of Virginia from 2014 to 2022. As a Democrat, he previously served in the Senate of Virginia, representing the 33rd district, which comprises parts of Fairfax and Loudoun counties, since a 2006 special election.
Virgil Goode
Virgil Hamlin Goode Jr. is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Virginia's 5th congressional district from 1997 to 2009. Initially a Democrat, he became an independent in 2000 and switched to the Republican Party in 2002. Goode graduated from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969.
Thomas Garrett, Jr.
Thomas Alexander Garrett Jr. is an American politician and attorney. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives for Virginia's 5th congressional district. A Republican, Garrett formerly represented the 22nd district in the Virginia Senate. Garrett graduated from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1994 and a Juris Doctor in 2002.
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Michael Dunkley
Michael Henry Dunkley is a Bermudian politician and businessman who served as the 12th Premier of Bermuda from 2014 to 2017. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) and a member of the One Bermuda Alliance political party.
John Garland Pollard
John Garland Pollard was a Virginia lawyer and American Democratic politician. He served as the 21st Attorney General of Virginia (1914-1918) and as the 51st Governor of Virginia (1930 to 1934), as well as on the Federal Trade Commission (1919-1921) and as chairman of the Board of Veterans Appeals (1934-1937).
William J. Howell
William James Howell is an American attorney and former politician from Virginia. A member of the Republican Party, he represented the 28th district in the House of Delegates from 1992 until 2018, and served as Speaker of the House of Delegates from 2003 to 2018.
Richard Cullen
Richard Cullen is an American attorney currently serving as counselor to Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin. He is a former attorney general of Virginia, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and partner and chairman of McGuireWoods LLP.
M. Caldwell Butler
Manley Caldwell Butler was an American lawyer and politician widely admired for his integrity, bipartisanship and courage. A native of Roanoke, Butler served his hometown and wider community first as a member of the Republican Party in the Virginia General Assembly (1962-1972) and later the United States House of Representatives (1972-1983).
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Kelley B. Hodge
Kelley Brisbon Hodge is an American attorney and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She served as the 25th District Attorney of Philadelphia. After being elected on July 20, 2017, by the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Board of Judges, Hodge was sworn in on July 24, 2017, making her the first African American woman to serve as district attorney in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Qasim Rashid
Qasim Rashid is a Pakistani-born American author, activist, and attorney, and a member of the Democratic Party.
Business and Entrepreneurship
Michael Walrath
Michael Walrath is an American investor, advisor, and entrepreneur recognized for founding and leading startup and expansion-stage companies. He was the CEO and founder of Right Media, an online advertising exchange marketplace acquired by Yahoo for $850 million in 2007. Walrath is also a co-founder of the WGI Group, an early-stage venture capital firm.
Sports
Kenny Atkinson
Kenneth Neil Atkinson is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020. Atkinson played college basketball for the University of Richmond, leading the Spiders to a Sweet Sixteen berth in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1988.
Dave East
David Lawrence Brewster Jr., known professionally as Dave East, is an American rapper who also played basketball. East began his career in 2010, and gained attention in 2014 for his eighth mixtape, Black Rose. Its release caught the attention of fellow New York rapper Nas, who signed East to a recording contract with his label Mass Appeal Records in 2014, which entered a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings two years later.
Todd McShay
Todd Marshall McShay is an American football television analyst and commentator.
Leland D. Melvin
Leland Devon Melvin is an American engineer and a retired NASA astronaut. He served on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis as a mission specialist on STS-122 and STS-129. Prior to joining NASA, he was a professional football player.
Gregg Marshall
Michael Gregg Marshall is an American college basketball coach whose most recent position was head coach at Wichita State University. Marshall coached his teams to appearances in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 14 of 22 years as a head coach.
Johnny Newman
John Sylvester Newman Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. A 6' 7" shooting guard/small forward, Newman starred at the University of Richmond before playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In his 16 seasons (1986-2002) in the NBA, he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, and Dallas Mavericks.
Jacob Gilyard
Jacob Gilyard is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Richmond Spiders. Gilyard is the all-time NCAA career steals leader, finishing his career with 466 steals.
Justin Harper
Justin Harper is an American professional basketball player who last played for Fighting Eagles Nagoya of the Japanese B. League. He played college basketball for the University of Richmond.
Moon Tae-jong
Moon Tae-jong is a South Korean former professional basketball player at the small forward position. He played at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship games, representing South Korea.
Mark Budzinski
Mark Joseph Budzinski is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder who played with the Cincinnati Reds in 2003, and is currently the first base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tim Stauffer
Timothy James Stauffer is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins and New York Mets.
Dejon Brissett
Dejon Brissett is a Canadian football player and American football player.
Sciences and Academia
Leland D. Melvin
Leland Devon Melvin is an American engineer and a retired NASA astronaut. He served on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis as a mission specialist on STS-122, and as mission specialist 1 on STS-129. Melvin was named the NASA Associate Administrator for Education in October 2010.
Douglas Southall Freeman
Douglas Southall Freeman was an American historian, biographer, newspaper editor, radio commentator, and author. He is best known for his multi-volume biographies of Robert E. Lee and George Washington, for both of which he was awarded Pulitzer Prizes.
Activism
Megan Beyer
Megan Carroll Beyer is an American journalist, activist, and lifelong advocate of women’s rights and gender issues. Department of State, appointed by President Joe Biden in 2022. She has served as an advisor to many arts and civic organizations, including Civic Nation, the American Film Institute, and the Better Angels Society.
The Legacy of Richmond Spiders in Baseball
The University of Richmond's baseball program, established in 1894, has a rich history of producing talented players. Tom Miller holds the distinction of being the first former Spider to reach the Major League level. Bucky Jacobs, a three-year pitcher for the Washington Senators, was the first Richmond Spider to be inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. Jacobs, a two-sport athlete during the mid-1930s, was also an All-State forward on Richmond's 1936-37 basketball team but is primarily remembered for his achievements on the baseball field. He set numerous records, including a lifetime 19-1 record with an 18-game win streak and three no-hitters. Jacobs also held records for single-game strikeouts (20) and strikeouts in a season (98). In basketball, he played in 20 games in 1936, scoring 166 points for an average of 8.3 points per game. In total, sixteen former University of Richmond baseball players have made it to the major leagues.
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