Top 15 Cornell University Notable Alumni

Cornell University has a proud tradition of shaping leaders, innovators, and changemakers who go on to make a lasting impact across the globe. With an acceptance rate of just 8.4%, earning a spot at Cornell is no easy feat, but this selectivity is what attracts exceptional talent. In this blog, we’ll explore the stories of 15 Cornell University notable alumni whose achievements span politics, business, science, and the arts.

• Political Figures Who Went to Cornell
• Tech Giants Who Went to Cornell
• Business and Academic Leaders Who Went to Cornell
• Artists Who Went to Cornell
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

Political Figures Who Went to Cornell

Cornell has a knack for producing leaders who shape nations and influence global policy. These Cornellians prove that the Hill in Ithaca can be a launchpad to the world’s most powerful offices.

1. Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Degree: Bachelor’s in Government Studies (Class of 1954)

In the early 1950s at Cornell, Ruth Bader was a standout government major who graduated Phi Beta Kappa and met her future husband, Marty Ginsburg ’53.

After earning her bachelor’s at Cornell, Ginsburg became a legal pioneer. She tied for first in her class at Columbia Law, but faced gender discrimination in the job market. Undeterred, she went on a career fighting for women’s rights.

In the 1970s, she argued (and won) five out of six landmark gender equality cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Her sharp legal mind and tenacity eventually led to her own appointment to the Supreme Court in 1993, only the second woman ever to serve as a Justice, making her standout among Cornell University’s notable alumni.

Ginsburg’s tenure on the Supreme Court made her an icon. She became affectionately known as “Notorious RBG,” admired for her blistering dissents and her advocacy for fairness. Among her proudest opinions was United States v. Virginia (1996), which opened the Virginia Military Institute to women.

In 2020, Justice Ginsburg passed away at age 87, but her legacy lives on vividly. Cornell honored her by naming a new North Campus residence hall after her and establishing a lecture series in her and her husband’s name.

2. Tsai Ing-wen

Degree: Master of Laws, Cornell Law School (Class of 1980)

Tsai Ing-wen stands out as another Cornell University notable alumni who reached the peak of political leadership. After Cornell, Tsai completed a Ph.D. in law and entered public service in Taiwan.

Known for her policy expertise and steady demeanor, Tsai rose through the ranks, eventually winning the Taiwan presidency in 2016. In doing so, she became the second Cornellian to hold that office—the first was Lee Teng-hui, who was president in the 1990s.

President Tsai has made global headlines. In January 2020, she was re-elected in a landslide, securing a record 8.2 million votes, the most ever for a Taiwanese candidate. Her victory was seen as a strong stand for Taiwan’s democratic values amid pressure from Beijing. Tsai has emphasized human rights, the rule of law, and Taiwan’s engagement with the world.

3. Janet Reno

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (Class of 1960)

When it comes to trailblazers, Janet Reno is a name that inevitably pops up: she was a Cornellian who became the first woman U.S. Attorney General. At Cornell, Reno studied chemistry and was notably the president of the Women’s Student Government Association.

After Cornell, Reno earned her law degree at Harvard (one of only 16 women in her class there) and eventually returned to her home state of Florida. In 1993, President Bill Clinton tapped her to serve as U.S. Attorney General, making Reno the first woman ever to hold America’s top law enforcement job.

Reno served nearly eight years as Attorney General, the longest tenure in that role since before the U.S. Civil War. It was a tumultuous era: she oversaw high-profile cases and controversies, from the Oklahoma City bombing prosecution to the “Miami Elián González” saga. Throughout, Reno was known for her honesty, toughness, and commitment to justice.

4. Edmund Muskie

Degree: Bachelor of Laws, Cornell Law (Class of 1939)

Edmund Muskie was a Governor of Maine, a long-serving U.S. Senator, and even U.S. Secretary of State. Muskie came to Cornell from a humble background as the son of a Polish tailor in rural Maine.

He served in the Navy during WWII, then entered Maine politics. He became Maine’s governor in 1955 (practically resurrecting the moribund Democratic Party there) and then won election to the U.S. Senate in 1958.

In the Senate, Muskie earned a reputation for integrity, practicality, and environmental leadership. He championed pioneering environmental protection laws as chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Pollution, earning him the nickname “Mr. Clean.” He also was the first chair of the new Budget Committee in the 1970s, shaping responsible federal budgeting.

In 1980, amid the Iran hostage crisis, President Carter appointed Muskie U.S. Secretary of State. Though his State Department tenure was brief (1980–81), it capped a lifetime of public service. Muskie later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions.

Tech Giants Who Went to Cornell

Think the next big idea in tech can only come from Silicon Valley? Think again. Cornell has sent some of the brightest minds in engineering and innovation into the world, and they’ve gone on to build companies, invent technologies, and change how we live and connect.

5. David Duffield

Degree: Bachelor’s in Engineering (Class of 1962), MBA (Class of 1964)

One of Cornell University’s notable alumni in tech entrepreneurship is David Duffield. Duffield earned both his bachelor’s in engineering and an MBA at Cornell, and he credits Cornell for sparking his passion for technology.

Duffield co-founded PeopleSoft in 1987. PeopleSoft’s software revolutionized how companies manage their finances and HR, and it grew into a global powerhouse before Oracle acquired it for $10 billion in 2005.

Not one to retire quietly, Duffield that same year co-founded Workday, a cloud software firm that has become another enterprise tech giant. In fact, he’s founded six different software companies over his career. By his early 80s, Duffield still hadn’t run out of ideas—his latest venture, Ridgeline, is aiming to modernize fintech platforms.

Around Cornell, Dave Duffield is something of a legend. Duffield Hall, the state-of-the-art nanotech research facility at Cornell, bears his name, thanks to his generous support of his alma mater. In March 2025, he made headlines with a $100 million gift to expand that very hall, ensuring Cornell engineers have cutting-edge labs for generations to come.

6. Robert F. Smith

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (Class of 1985)

In the world of finance and technology, Robert F. Smith is a name that resonates. He’s the billionaire founder of Vista Equity Partners and one of the most prominent Black business leaders in America.

After graduating in 1985 (and later getting an MBA), Smith worked in tech M&A at Goldman Sachs. In 2000, he struck out on his own, founding Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm focused on software companies.

Today, Vista manages over $90 billion in assets, owning dozens of software firms. Smith’s approach of applying engineering rigor to investment has made him enormously successful. In 2017, Forbes named him one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds.

Yet Robert Smith might be even better known for his philanthropy and public gestures. He has been a major donor to Cornell: he gave $50 million in 2016 to support diversity in Cornell Engineering—leading Cornell to name the Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in his honor. In 2022, he followed up with another $15 million gift to fund scholarships for underrepresented students in STEM.

7. Irwin M. Jacobs

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (Class of 1956)

If you’re reading this on a smartphone, you should probably thank Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs—the co-founder of Qualcomm, whose innovations helped make mobile phones possible. Jacobs first came to Cornell in the early 1950s, earning his undergraduate degree there.

After Cornell, Jacobs got his Ph.D. at MIT and became a professor. But he had an entrepreneurial itch. In 1985, three months after “retiring” from academics, he and a few colleagues launched Qualcomm in a den converted into an office.

Jacobs and his team developed CDMA wireless technology, a breakthrough method for transmitting mobile signals that vastly increased how many calls/data could run through a network.

By the late 1990s, CDMA had become a global standard for cellphones. Under Jacobs’ leadership as CEO and later chairman, Qualcomm grew from a little startup into a telecom giant with over 35,000 employees and thousands of patents fueling the mobile revolution.

8. John Zimmer

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration (Class of 2006)

John Zimmer may be one of the younger names on this list, but as co-founder of Lyft— the ride-sharing company known for its pink mustache logo—he has more than earned a spot among Cornell’s notable alumni.

Zimmer’s Cornell journey is a bit unique: he studied at the School of Hotel Administration, graduating first in his class. So how did he end up disrupting the transportation industry? During his senior year, Zimmer took a City Planning course called “Green Cities” in which he learned about the inefficiencies of cars, how most sit unused or carry single occupants. That class lit a fire.

By 2008, he teamed up with co-founder Logan Green to launch Zimride (yes, named partly after Zimmer), focusing on carpooling for college campuses. They later sold Zimride and, in 2012, launched Lyft, offering peer-to-peer rides via a smartphone app. Lyft’s concept of everyday people becoming drivers was radical then, but it caught on fast.

In recent years, Zimmer has picked up some nice honors: Fortune’s 40 Under 40 and Forbes’ 30 Under 30 lists included him as an influential young leader in tech. And Cornell hasn’t forgotten him: In 2017, at just 33, Zimmer received the Cornell Hospitality Innovator Award for applying hospitality principles to a tech business.

Business and Academic Leaders Who Went to Cornell

Cornell’s impact is in classrooms, research labs, and global markets. The following Cornell University notable alumni have led multinational corporations, shaped academic thought, and proved that a Cornell education can open doors to success in any field.

9. Ratan Tata

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Architecture (Class of 1962)

Ratan Tata initially started in engineering at Cornell before switching to architecture. He once said the creative problem-solving he learned in the studio helped shape his business acumen later.

After graduation, Ratan Tata returned to India to join the Tata family business, a sprawling conglomerate dating back to the 19th century. He took the helm as Chairman of Tata Sons in 1991 and led the group for two decades. Under his leadership, Tata Motors launched the affordable Nano car, Tata Steel acquired European giant Corus, and Tata’s IT arm TCS became a world-leading tech services firm.

Tata became Cornell’s largest international donor over his lifetime. In 2008, he gave $50 million to establish the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition, fueling research to improve crop yields and fight hunger.

In 2017, Tata Consultancy Services donated another $50 million to build the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech in NYC. Tata remained closely involved with Cornell as a trustee and advisor for years, often making quiet visits to campus to engage with students.

10. Irene Rosenfeld

Degree: B.A. in Psychology (Class of 1975), M.S. in Business (Class of 1977), PhD in Marketing (Class of 1980)

If you’ve ever snacked on an Oreo or a Cadbury chocolate bar, you’ve indirectly enjoyed the work of Irene Rosenfeld, one of the food industry’s most powerful leaders and a triple Cornell alumna. She was also a standout athlete during her undergrad years, captaining Cornell’s basketball, volleyball, and tennis teams, which she later said was “key” to developing her leadership skills.

By 2006, she became CEO of Kraft Foods, one of the largest food companies in the world. She didn’t shy from bold moves: Rosenfeld orchestrated the split of Kraft into two companies in 2012, creating Mondelēz International for the global snack brands and keeping Kraft Foods for North American grocery staples.

Cornell certainly hasn’t forgotten her. She received the L. Joseph Thomas Leadership Award at Johnson (Cornell’s business school) in 2014, recognizing her exceptional vision and leadership.

11. Claudia Goldin

Degree: Bachelor’s in Economics (Class of 1967)

Dr. Claudia Goldin is a Cornell alumna who has reached the apex of academic achievement: she won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, making her stand out among Cornell University’s notable alumni.

Goldin’s story is a great example of a Cornell student finding her passion almost by accident. When she came to Cornell in the 1960s, she actually dreamed of being an archaeologist or microbiologist. It wasn’t until she took an introductory economics course with the legendary Professor Alfred Kahn that she fell in love with economics.

In October 2023, Goldin was surprised with a phone call informing her she’d won the Nobel for her “groundbreaking research” explaining why, despite progress, women’s earning potential still lags behind men’s. Notably, she is only the third woman (and first solo female winner) of the economics Nobel.

Artists Who Went to Cornell

From Hollywood screens to bestselling bookshelves, Cornellians have made their mark in entertainment and the arts. These famous faces once walked the same campus paths you might, turning their Big Red experience into careers that capture the spotlight.

12. Bill Maher

Degree: Bachelor of Arts in English and History (double major) (Class of 1978)

As one of the Cornell University notable alumni in entertainment, Bill Maher has carved out a unique niche as a political satirist and talk show host. After graduation, Maher started doing stand-up, slowly building a career through the ’80s. His big break came with his first TV show “Politically Incorrect” in the 1990s, where his brash and unapologetic humor routinely stirred the pot.

Over the years, he’s earned more than 40 Emmy nominations, authored several best-selling books riffing on politics and society, and was even named one of Comedy Central’s top 100 stand-up comedians of all time.

One recent milestone: in 2022, he marked the 20th anniversary of Real Time, which is pretty incredible longevity for a late-night talk format. And he’s branched out with a popular podcast (“Club Random”), where he chats free-form with celebs over drinks and smokes—very off-the-cuff Bill Maher style.

13. Bill Nye

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Class of 1977)

It’s hard to think of a more universally beloved Cornell celebrity than Bill Nye, known to millions as Bill Nye the Science Guy. With his signature bow tie and boundless enthusiasm, Nye has made science fun for several generations of kids (and adults!). While at Cornell, he took astronomy with the one-and-only Carl Sagan, who became a mentor and inspiration.

Bill Nye eventually created the zany persona “Bill Nye the Science Guy” on a local TV show in the early ’90s. That led to his educational TV program, Bill Nye the Science Guy, which ran nationally from 1993-98, snagging 19 Emmy Awards along the way, making him one of Cornell University’s notable alumni.

Strolling around campus, you might even spot the Bill Nye Solar Noon Clock on Rhodes Hall, a creative timepiece he designed that indicates when the sun is at its highest point each day (he was inspired by his father’s fascination with sundials).

Bill Nye also received one of the nation’s highest civilian honors: the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2022) for his contributions to science education. Beyond TV, he’s been busy: he heads the Planetary Society (a space advocacy nonprofit co-founded by Sagan), has a Netflix show (Bill Nye Saves the World), and is a vocal advocate for climate action and science literacy.

14. Jane Lynch

Degree: Master of Fine Arts (Class of 1984)

From the lecture halls of Cornell to the bright lights of Hollywood, Jane Lynch has had quite the journey. Today, you probably know Jane from her scene-stealing role as Coach Sue Sylvester on Glee (where she rocked a track suit and scathing one-liners), a performance that earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 2010.

After Cornell, Lynch paid her dues in Chicago’s theater and improv scene (including with Second City). Her big Hollywood break came much later, in her 40s, with roles in Christopher Guest’s improv-comedies like Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. But it was Glee (which premiered in 2009) that shot her into superstardom.

In 2013, Lynch received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and her career post-Glee has continued to thrive. She’s hosted game shows (Hollywood Game Night), returned to Broadway (she played Miss Hannigan in Annie), and popped up in everything from comedy series to voice acting gigs.

15. Toni Morrison

Degree: Master of Arts in English (Class of 1955)

Long before she became a Nobel Prize-winning novelist, Toni Morrison was known by her given name, Chloe Wofford, and was a young scholar with a passion for words. After finishing her B.A. at Howard University, she came to Cornell for graduate studies, writing a master’s thesis on the theme of suicide in the works of William Faulkner and Virginia Woolf.

Post-Cornell, Toni Morrison went on to a stellar career. She authored 13 novels, including classics like The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved, which have become staples of American literature. In 1993, she won the Nobel Prize in Literature, the first Black woman to do so. She also won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel, Beloved.

Throughout her life, Morrison remained connected to academia: she taught at Princeton and Cornell for many years. In one lovely full-circle moment, Cornell named one of its new residence halls Toni Morrison Hall in 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is the richest notable Cornell alumni?

The richest Cornell alumnus would be Robert F. Smith, founder of Vista Equity Partners. As of August 2025, his net worth was estimated at $10.8 billion.

2. Which celebrities went to Cornell?

The X-Files and The Crown star Gillian Anderson briefly attended in 1987, while Superman icon Christopher Reeve ’74 graduated before launching his acting career. Comedian and talk show host Bill Maher ’78 earned a double major in English and History, and Emmy-winning Glee star Jane Lynch M.F.A. ’84 honed her craft in Cornell’s theatre program.

3. Did any U.S. presidents attend Cornell?

No U.S. presidents have attended Cornell, but alumni like Tsai Ing-wen and Lee Teng-hui became presidents of Taiwan.

Takeaways

• From groundbreaking leaders and brilliant innovators to cultural icons who’ve entertained and inspired millions, Cornell University’s notable alumni prove that a Big Red education can take you anywhere.
• Some notable Cornell alumni include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Robert F. Smith, John Zimmer, Bill Nye, and Toni Morrison.
• Dreaming of entering Cornell? Working with a college admissions consultant can help sharpen your application strategy and increase your chances of being accepted.