List of Vanderbilt University people

Academia

• Bob Agee, 13th president, Oklahoma Baptist University
• Michelle Alexander, faculty of Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
• Mubarak Alhammad (Ph.D 1995), Saudi scholar in human resource development, professor of educational administration at King Saud University in Riyadh
• Robert Arrington (B.A. 1960), American philosopher, Woodrow Wilson Fellow
• John Arthur (Ph.D), philosopher, professor at Binghamton University, Harvard University, fellow at the University of Oxford
• Faisal Basri (M.A. 1988), Indonesian economist specializing in political economics
• Richard A. Batey, New Testament scholar
• Dan Blazer (B.A. 1965), J.P. Gibbons Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus at Duke University School of Medicine
• William Leroy Broun, fourth President of Auburn University
• Cleanth Brooks (B.A. 1928), renowned literary critic and Professor of English at Yale University.^[1]
• L. Carl Brown (B.A. 1950), emeritus professor of history at Princeton University^[2]
• Markus Brunnermeier (M.A. 1994), economist, Edwards S. Sanford professorship at Princeton University, Guggenheim Fellow
• Sheryll Cashin (B.E. 1984), law scholar, political adviser, professor at Georgetown University Law Center
• Ellen Cohn (M.S. 1975), associate dean and associate professor at University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, member of the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine.^[3][4]
• Jesse Lee Cuninggim, Methodist clergyman; moved the Scarritt College from Kansas City to Nashville as its President
• Merrimon Cuninggim, desegregated the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University; later President of Salem College
• Herman Daly (Ph.D), ecological and Georgist economist^[5]
• John Emmeus Davis (B.A. 1971), scholar, community organizer who has advanced the understanding and development of community land trusts^[6]
• Morris Frank, founder of the first guide-dog school in the United States
• George T. Flom (M.A. 1894), American professor of linguistics and author of numerous reference books.^[7], knighted by 1 Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (1939)
• Hoffman Franklin Fuller, professor-emeritus at Tulane University Law School, authority on tax law
• Kenneth Galloway, American engineer, currently a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Vanderbilt University^[8]
• John Gaventa, OBE (B.A. 1971), sociologist, Rhodes Scholar, MacArthur Fellow (1981), Officer of the Order of the British Empire
• Antonio Gotto, Dean of Cornell University Weill Medical College, Rhodes Scholar
• Roger Groot (B.A. 1963), Class of 1975 Alumni Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law, expert in criminal law and procedure, and the death penalty
• Herbert Gursky (M.S. 1953), Superintendent of the Naval Research Laboratory's Space Science Division, Chief Scientist of the E.O. Hulburt Center for Space Research, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Harvard University, Princeton University, and Columbia University
• Sheldon Hackney, President, University of Pennsylvania; President, Tulane University; Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities
• Louis R. Harlan (M.S. 1948), academic historian, winner of the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography^[9][10]
• David Edwin Harrell, historian at Auburn University
• Paul Hudak (B.S. 1973), professor and chair of the computer science department of Yale University, best known for his involvement in the design of the Haskell programming language
• Richard Hurd (Ph.D), professor of labor relations and Director of Labor Studies at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations
• Mainul Islam (Ph.D 1981), Bangladeshi economist and academician, awarded Ekushey Padak by the Government of Bangladesh in 2018^[11]
• Richard M. Weaver (M.A. 1934), scholar and authority on modern rhetoric; professor, University of Chicago.
• D.M. Smith (B.A. 1908, M.A. 1910), mathematician and professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, charter member of the American Mathematical Society
• Alfred Hume, Chancellor of the University of Mississippi, 1924–1930 and 1932–1935
• George Pullen Jackson (1874–1953), 1902 graduate; Assistant Professor of German at the University of South Dakota and later Professor of German at Vanderbilt University^[12]
• Edwin A. Keeble (B.E. 1924), American architect who was trained in the Beaux-Arts architecture tradition, known for tall slender church steeples, nicknamed "Keeble's needles," taught at the University of Pennsylvania
• David Kirk (B.A. 1996), sociologist and associate professor of sociology at the University of Oxford, where he is also director of research for the department of sociology^[13]
• J. Davy Kirkpatrick (B.S. 1986), American astronomer at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at the California Institute of Technology, whose research was named one of the Top 100 Stories of 2011 by Discover Magazine.^[14]
• Umphrey Lee, Dean of the School of Religion at Vanderbilt; President of Southern Methodist University
• Walter M. Lowrey, historian at Centenary College of Louisiana
• J. Bernard Machen, President, University of Utah (1997–2003); eleventh President, University of Florida (2003–2014)
• The Rev. Edward Malloy, 16th President, University of Notre Dame
• Henry Manne (B.A. 1950), American writer and academic, considered a founder of the law and economics discipline^[15][16]
• Glenn McGee (Ph.D), bioethicist; founding editor of the American Journal of Bioethics; Associate Director of UPenn Bioethics, 1995–2005
• Garnie W. McGinty, historian at Louisiana Tech University
• H. Houston Merritt, Dean of the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, discovered the anticonvulsant properties of phenytoin (Dilantin), which ushered in the modern era of drug therapy for epilepsy
• Edwin Mims, alumnus; Chair of the English Department, 1912–1942
• David Morton (B.A. 1909), American poet, Golden Rose Award winner, faculty at Amherst College
• Pieter Mosterman (Ph.D 1997), Chief Research Scientist and Director of the MathWorks Advanced Research & Technology Office (MARTO), adjunct professor at the School of Computer Science at McGill University^[17]
• Philip Nel (M.A. 1993, Ph.D 1997), American scholar of children's literature
• Herman Clarence Nixon, professor, member of the Southern Agrarians
• Mark Noll, historian, Research Professor of History at Regent College,^[18], previously Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame
• Kit Parker (Ph.D 1998), Tarr Family Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics at Harvard University^[19], research includes cardiac cell biology and tissue engineering, traumatic brain injury, and biological applications of micro- and nanotechnologies
• Donald Rawson (Ph.D., 1964), history professor and graduate school dean at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, 1960–1984
• Stuart C. Ray, Vice Chair of Medicine for Data Integrity and Analytics,^[20] Associate Director of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Training Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Edwin Richardson, President of Louisiana Tech University, 1936–1941
• Charles P. Roland (1938), historian of the American Civil War and American South
• Kevin M. Ross, President of Lynn University; received a PhD from Peabody College in 2006
• Leland Sage (B.A. 1922), American historian, professor emeritus of history at the University of Northern Iowa
• Elyn Saks (B.A. 1977), Associate Dean and Professor of Law at the University of Southern California; scholar of mental health law; MacArthur Fellowship winner
• Edward Schumacher-Matos (B.A.), American-Colombian journalist, lecturer and columnist, ombudsman at NPR, faculty of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism as the James Madison Visiting Professorship^[21]
• James K. Sebenius, American economist, Gordon Donaldson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.^[22][23]
• Lee Sigelman (Ph.D 1973), American political scientist, former editor-in-chief of the American Political Science Review
• Artyom Shneyerov, microeconomist working at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Robert C. Snyder, English professor at Louisiana Tech University, 1947–1989; did graduate work at Vanderbilt
• Mildred T. Stahlman (B.A. 1943, M.D. 1946), professor of pediatrics and pathology at Vanderbilt, started the first newborn intensive care unit in the world^[24], winner of the John Howland Award
• Edward Kellog Strong, Jr. (1884–1963), Professor of Psychology at Peabody College, 1914-1917
• David Stuart (Ph.D), American archaeologist and epigrapher, earned MacArthur Fellowship at age 18
• John J. Stuhr (M.A., Ph.D), American philosopher and professor at Emory University, coined genealogical pragmatism, the newest version of pragmatism included in American Philosophy: An Encyclopedia^[25]
• Mriganka Sur (M.S. 1975, Ph.D 1978), Newton Professor of Neuroscience at the Brain & Cognitive Science, Director at Simons Center for the Social Brain, Investigator at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT.^{[26][27][28][29]}
• James R. Thompson, American statistician known for his mathematical modeling of HIV/AIDS and cancer
• John J. Tigert, Rhodes Scholar; President of Kentucky Wesleyan College (1909–1911); U.S. Commissioner of Education (1921–1928); third President of University of Florida (1928–1947); member of Vanderbilt football, baseball, basketball, and track teams; halfback (1901–1903), All-Southern (1903); College Football Hall of Fame (1970)
• John Long Wilson (B.A. 1935), medical professor and administrator at American University of Beirut, Lebanon, and Stanford University, author of manuscript on the history of the Stanford Medical School
• Minky Worden, human rights advocate and author, Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch^[30], professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Social Affairs^[31]
• Thomas Daniel Young (Ph.D), first Gertrude C. Vanderbilt professor of English at Vanderbilt

Art and humanities

• Alev Alatlı (M.A.), Turkish economist, philosopher, columnist and bestselling novelist
• Alfred Bartles, composer of "Music for Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble"
• Cleanth Brooks, literary critic
• Marshall Chapman, singer-songwriter, author
• Brainard Cheney, novelist, playwright and essayist, member of the Southern Agrarians
• Tiana Clark, American poet
• Alfred Leland Crabb (B.A. Peabody), American author of historical fiction
• Francis Craig, American songwriter, including Vanderbilt fight song "Dynamite" (1922)
• David Dark (Ph.D), American writer
• Donald Davidson, poet
• Ky Dickens (B.A. 2000), filmmaker and writer, best known for her 2009 documentary Fish out of Water.^[32]
• James Dickey (B.A. 1949), author and poet, winner of the National Book Award for Poetry, author of the novel Deliverance
• Marjorie K. Eastman (M.B.A.), author of The Frontline Generation, 2017 Independent Publishers National Book Award winner^[33]
• Jesse Hill Ford, writer of Southern Literature
• Frances Fowler, American painter
• Ellen Gilchrist, National Book Award-winning author
• Laura Vernon Hamner, writer
• Kelsie B. Harder, onomastician
• Eric L. Harry, (BA 1980, MBA 1983, JD 1984), American author best known for his novels Arc Light and Invasion
• Daniel Bernard Roumain, composer, performer, violinist, and band-leader
• William Eggleston, American photographer
• Ross Hassig (M.A. 1974), anthropologist, author, Mesoamerica scholar
• Costen Jordan Harrell (M.A. 1910), writer and bishop of The Methodist Church
• Randall Jarrell (M.A. 1938), United States Poet Laureate
• Madison Jones (B.A. 1949), novelist, member of the Southern Agrarians
• Mark Thomas Ketterson performing arts journalist and critic Opera News
• Andrew Nelson Lytle, novelist and professor
• Perry Lentz (M.A. 1966, Ph.D 1970), author, Woodrow Wilson Fellow and Rockefeller Foundation grant holder
• Alan LeQuire, American sculptor
• Lunic, songwriter, singer, electronic musician, & multi-instrumentalist Kaitee Page
• Evan Mack, composer, librettist and pianist
• Delbert Mann, Academy Award-winning director
• Lydia Meredith, author of The Gay Preachers Wife. Vanderbilt's first African American cheerleader.
• Greg Miller, poet
• Merrill Moore, poet
• R. Stevie Moore, multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter who pioneered lo-fi/DIY music (dropped out)
• W. R. Moses (Ph.D), American poet
• Zack Norman, actor and producer
• Adrienne Outlaw, sculptor
• James Patterson (M.A. 1970), bestselling contemporary writer of thrillers
• Jon Parrish Peede (B.A.), chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities
• John Crowe Ransom, poet, essayist, and social commentator
• Graham Robb (PhD), British author and critic speciaized in French literature.^[34]
• David P. Sartor, composer and conductor
• Steven D. Schroeder, American poet
• Tom Schulman (B.A. 1972), Academy Award-winning screenwriter of the film Dead Poets Society
• Elizabeth Spencer, writer of the novella The Light in the Piazza
• Georgia Stitt, American composer and lyricist, arranger, conductor, and musical director
• H.R. Stoneback (Ph.D 1970), American academic, poet, and folk singer, Hemingway, Durrell, and Faulkner scholar of international distinction^[35]
• Jesse Stuart, American writer, Guggenheim Fellow
• Amy H. Sturgis (Ph.D), author, speaker and scholar of science fiction/fantasy studies and Native American studies
• Allen Tate (B.A. 1922), United States Poet Laureate
• Peter Taylor, novelist, short story writer, and playwright^[36]
• Eleanor Ross Taylor, poet
• Pat Toomay, NFL defensive end, author of Any Given Sunday, basis for Oliver Stone's eponymous film (1999)
• Robert Penn Warren (B.A. 1925), Pulitzer Prize winner; United States Poet Laureate
• James Whitehead, poet, 1972 Guggenheim Fellow
• Greg Williamson, poet, known for the invention of the "Double Exposure" form in which one poem can be read three different ways
• Terri Witek, poet, Slope Editions Prize, Center for Book Arts Prize Winner^[37]

Athletics

• Pedro Alvarez, corner infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates; drafted second overall in the 2008 MLB Draft
• Chantelle Anderson, women's basketball player (1999–2003); three-time All-American (2001–03); WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars (2005–present); Sacramento Monarchs (2003–04)
• Bob Asher, NFL offensive tackle, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears
• Wade Baldwin, NBA basketball player, Memphis Grizzlies
• Earl Bennett, wide receiver, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns
• Lynn Bomar, end (1921–24); New York Giants (1925–26); College Football Hall of Fame (1956); later became warden of Tennessee State Prison and executed several men
• Mack Brown, head football coach at University of Texas; transferred to Florida State University
• Watson Brown, quarterback (1969–72); head football coach at Austin Peay (1979–1980), Cincinnati (1983), Rice (1984–1985), Vanderbilt (1986–1990), UAB (1995–2006), Tennessee Tech (2007– )
• Derrick Byars, men's basketball player (attended 2004–07, played 2005–07); SEC Player of the Year (2007), professional with several European teams
• Corey Chavous, safety (1994–98); St. Louis Rams (2006–present), Minnesota Vikings (2002–05), Arizona Cardinals (1998–2001)
• Josh Cody, tackle (1914–1916, 1919), College Football Hall of Fame (1970)
• Joey Cora, second baseman, Cleveland Indians (1998), Seattle Mariners (1995–1998/ All-Star in 1997), Chicago White Sox (1991–1994), first-round draft pick (1985, 23rd overall) by the San Diego Padres (1987, 1989–1990), third base coach for the White Sox (2004–present)
• Jay Cutler, quarterback (2002–2005); first-round draft pick (11th overall) by the Denver Broncos (2006–2009); Chicago Bears (2009–2016); Miami Dolphins (2017–present)
• Art Demmas, football official and football player, football captain (1956)
• George Doherty*, football player and then coach
• Jamie Duncan, linebacker (1995–97), All-American (1997); Atlanta Falcons (2004), St. Louis Rams (2002–03), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1998–2001)
• Slim Embry, baseball player (1921–23); baseball captain (1923); Chicago White Sox (1923)
• Festus Ezeli, men's basketball player (2008–12); NBA player for the Golden State Warriors
• Ryan Flaherty, baseball player (2005–08), Major League Baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles (2011–present)
• Johnny "Red" Floyd, football and basketball player (1915–16, 1919–20), coached at Middle Tennessee State, namesake of Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium
• Jeff Fosnes, men's basketball player (1972–1976); first Academic All-American; only two-time Academic All-American in Vanderbilt basketball history; fourth-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors (1976)
• Shan Foster, men's basketball player (2005–08); all-time leading scorer; second team Associated Press All-American; 2008 SEC Player of the Year; second round pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks
• Ewing Y. Freeland, TCU Horned Frogs, Millsaps Majors, SMU Mustangs, and Texas Tech Red Raiders head football coach; TCU Horned Frogs men's basketball head coach; Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball head coach; Texas Tech Red Raiders athletic director
• Matt Freije, men's basketball player (2000–04), Wooden Award finalist (2003–04); Atlanta Hawks (2006), New Orleans Hornets (2004–05), originally a second-round draft pick of the Miami Heat (2004)
• Clarence "Pete" Gracey, All-American center (1932)
• Sonny Gray, Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Oakland Athletics
• Arthur Guepe, quarterback, football coach at the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt; first commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference
• Lewie Hardage, football player; head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners football team
• Corey Harris, safety/kick returner (1988–91); Detroit Lions (2002–03), Baltimore Ravens (1998–2001), Miami Dolphins (1997), Seattle Seahawks (1995–96), Green Bay Packers (1992–94)
• Harvey "Gink" Hendrick, football and baseball player (1919–21). New York Yankees (1923–24), Cleveland Indians (1925), Brooklyn Robins (1927–31), Cincinnati Reds (1931–32), St. Louis Cardinals (1932), Chicago Cubs (1933), Philadelphia Phillies (1934).
• Hunter Hillenmeyer, linebacker (1999–2002); Chicago Bears (2003–2010)
• Carl Hinkle, center (1935–1937), Southeastern Conference MVP (1937), College Football Hall of Fame (1959)
• John Jenkins, men's basketball player (2009–12), first-team All-SEC (2011, 2012), member of the USA national team at the 2011 Summer Universiade, NBA player with the Atlanta Hawks
• Elliott Jones, first football coach and captain (1890–1892)
• Matt Kata, Major League Baseball player
• W. J. "Cap" Keller, second football captain and coach (1893–1894)
• Everett "Tuck" Kelly, All-Southern guard (1923), football captain (1924)
• Roy Kramer, athletics director (1978–1990); Southeastern Conference commissioner (1990–2002), credited with being instrumental in creating the BCS (Division I-A's national championship game); as SEC commissioner, presided over expansion which brought in Arkansas and South Carolina, creating the first collegiate mega-conference
• Oliver "Doc" Kuhn, quarterback, shortstop, and men's basketball player (1920–1923), 3 straight conference titles in football, Honorable Mention on Walter Camp's list of All-Americans in 1922.
• Frank Kyle, quarterback (1902–1905)
• Dan Langhi, men's basketball player (1996–2000); Houston Rockets (2000–02), Phoenix Suns (2002–03), Golden State Warriors (2003), Milwaukee Bucks (2003)
• Clyde Lee, men's basketball player (1963–66); SEC Player of the Year (1965–66), All-American (1966); third overall pick of the San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1966–74); also played for the Atlanta Hawks (1975) and Philadelphia 76ers (1975–76)
• David Lee, starting quarterback and team's most valuable player (1974).
• Allama Matthews, wide receiver (1979–1982), Atlanta Falcons (1983–1985)
• Billy McCaffrey, 1991–1993 basketball player; two-time All-American; led Vanderbilt to highest national ranking of number 5; holds record for most assists in a game at 14; SEC player of the year in 1993
• Dan McGugin, winningest football coach in Vanderbilt history (1904–17, 1919–34); College Football Hall of Fame (1951)
• D. J. Moore, cornerback (2006–08); Chicago Bears (2009–present)
• Garland "Gus" Morrow, men's basketball coach (1929–1931; 1944–1946); played football and basketball for Vandy in the early 1920s
• Jess Neely, halfback (1920–22), football captain (1922), athletic director (1967–71, 1973).
• Charles Martin "C. M." Newton, men's basketball coach (1982–89); chairman of the NCAA Rules Committee (1979–1985) during which time the 45-second shot clock, three-point shot and coaches box were implemented; Basketball Hall of Fame (2000), President of USA Basketball (1992–1996) credited with putting together the first Olympic "Dream Team"; chair of first National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Selection Committee (2006)
• Josh Paul, catcher; Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2006–present) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2004–05), Chicago White Sox (1999–2003)
• Will Perdue, four-time NBA champion; Portland Trail Blazers (2000–01), San Antonio Spurs (1995–99), first-round draft pick (1988, 11th overall) of the Chicago Bulls (1988–95)
• Dick Plasman, end and captain (1936), Chicago Bears (1937–41, 1944), Chicago Cardinals (1946–47). Last NFL player to go without a helmet.
• David Price, first overall draft pick in 2007 Major League Baseball draft by Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• Mark Prior, pitcher (1999; transferred to USC after freshman year); Chicago Cubs (2002–06)
• Shelton Quarles, middle linebacker (1990–93); Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1997–present)
• Tom Redmond, defensive lineman; played for six seasons in the NFL
• Gil Reese, first three-sport captain (1922–25), halfback on the football team, forward on the basketball team, and outfielder on the baseball team
• Bobby Reynolds, tennis player; ranked No. 1 in NCAA and led Vanderbilt to NCAA team finals (2003), won 2006 RCA Championships (doubles) with Andy Roddick
• Herb Rich (1928-2008), 2x All-Pro NFL football player
• Bob Rives, All-Southern tackle (1924–1925), Newark Bears (1926).
• Bo Rowland, end (1923–24). Football coach at Henderson State and elsewhere. for many years.
• Sheri Sam, women's basketball player (1992–96); WNBA Charlotte Sting (2005–06), Seattle Storm (2004), Minnesota Lynx (2003), Miami Sol (2000–02), Orlando Miracle (1999)
• Henry Russell Sanders, football and baseball player; football coach at Vanderbilt and UCLA, where he won a national championship
• Rupert Smith, football player, leading scorer on the 1921 team
• Brandt Snedeker, PGA golfer, 2007 PGA Rookie of the Year
• Jeremy Sowers, pitcher (2002–04), college All-American (2004); first-round pick (sixth overall) in 2004 draft of the Cleveland Indians (2006–present)
• Bill Spears, quarterback (1925–27), College Football Hall of Fame (1962)
• Matt Stewart, linebacker (1997–2000); Cleveland Browns (2005–present), Atlanta Falcons (2001–04)
• Jeffery Taylor, men's basketball player (2008–12); former NBA player for the Charlotte Hornets and current ACB player for Real Madrid
• Whit Taylor, quarterback (1979–1982), ArenaBowl I Champion (1987), SEC Football Legend (2003)
• Sir Henry Worth Thornton, highest-ranking American born officer in the British Army during World War I; President of the Canadian National Railways; Vanderbilt's football coach during the 1894 season (7–1); the only American football coach to receive a knighthood
• Bradley Vierling, football center (2008–2009); Pittsburgh Steelers (2010); Jacksonville Jaguars (2010); Pittsburgh Steelers (2012–present)
• Bill Wade, quarterback (1949–51); Southeastern Conference MVP (1951); first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams (1954–60), Chicago Bears (1961–66)
• Wallace Wade, assistant football (1921–22) and basketball (1921–23) coach; won 3 national championships at Alabama; namesake of Wallace Wade Stadium
• Henry Wakefield, end (1921–1924), consensus All-American in 1924, All-Southern in both 1923 and 1924
• Perry Wallace, first African American basketball player in the Southeastern Conference; law professor at American University at his death in 2017
• E. M. "Nig" Waller, quarterback (1924–1926), football and basketball coach at Middle Tennessee State (1933–1934)
• Chris Williams, offensive tackle (2005–2007); Chicago Bears (2008–present)
• Jimmy Williams, defensive back (1997–2000); Seattle Seahawks (2005–present), San Francisco 49ers (2001–2004)
• Mike Willis, left-handed pitcher with Toronto Blue Jays, 1977–1981
• Jamie Winborn, linebacker (1998–2000); Denver Broncos (2007–present), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2006–2007), Jacksonville Jaguars (2005–2006), San Francisco 49ers (2001–2005)
• DeMond Winston, linebacker, captain in 1989; New Orleans Saints (1990–1994)
• Rhett Wiseman (born 1994), baseball player
• Will Wolford, offensive lineman; (1983–1985); Pittsburgh Steelers (1996–1998), Indianapolis Colts (1993–1996), Buffalo Bills (1986–1993); voted to three Pro Bowls
• Todd Yoder, tight end (1996–99); Washington Redskins (2006–2009), Jacksonville Jaguars (2004–2005), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2000–2003)
• Josh Zeid, pitcher with the Houston Astros (2013-2014)

Business and economics

• Bilikiss Adebiyi Abiola, Nigerian CEO of recycling company, Wecyclers, in Lagos
• Jasbina Ahluwalia, founder and CEO, Intersections Match
• John D. Arnold (B.A. 1995), founder of Centaurus Energy, youngest self-made billionaire in Texas
• Paul S. Atkins, CEO of Patomak Global Partners LLC^[38]
• Bill Bain (B.A. 1959), founder of Bain & Company
• Thomas W. Beasley (J.D. 1973), co-founder of the CoreCivic, formerly the Corrections Corporation of America (CAA)
• Michael Bickford, co-founder of Round Hill Capital, a real estate assets management firm; polo player
• Dennis C. Bottorff, co-founder and general partner of Council Capital; Chairman of CapStar Bank; member of the Board of Trust since 1990^[39]
• James Cowdon Bradford Sr., chairman of Piggly Wiggly (1924-1926), founder of J.C. Bradford & Co.
• Michael Burry (M.D. 1997), founder of the Scion Capital LLC hedge fund, portrayed by Christian Bale in the 2015 film The Big Short
• Monroe J. Carell, Jr., former Chairman and CEO of Central Parking Corporation
• Mark Dalton, attorney, CEO of the Tudor Investment Corporation; Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Vanderbilt
• Joe C. Davis, Jr., CEO of Davis Coals, Inc.; played tennis for Vanderbilt
• Krista Donaldson (B.E.), design engineer at KickStart in Nairobi, Kenya, CEO of D-Rev
• John Edgerton (A.B. 1902, M.A.1903), industrialist, president of the National Association of Manufacturers (1921-1931)^[40]
• John A. Elkington (B.A.), American real estate developer best known for the redevelopment of Beale Street
• David Farr (M.B.A. 1981), Chairman and CEO of Emerson Electric
• Zula Inez Ferguson (B.A.), advertising manager at Blackstone's, Los Angeles
• Sam M. Fleming, President and Chairman of the Third National Bank of Nashville; Chairman of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust, 1975–1981
• Adena Friedman (M.B.A.), CEO of Nasdaq
• Thomas F. Frist Jr. (B.A. 1960), billionaire entrepreneur, co-founder of the Hospital Corporation of America
• Francis Guess (M.B.A.), businessman and civil rights advocate, appointed by President Reagan to the United States Commission on Civil Rights
• John Hall (B.E. 1955), chairman and CEO of Ashland Oil from 1981 to 1997.^[41]
• Arthur B. Hancock III, American owner of Thoroughbred racehorses, owner of Stone Farm
• Matthew J. Hart (B.A. 1974), former Chairman and CEO of Hilton Hotels Corporation
• Bruce Henderson, founder of the Boston Consulting Group
• Robert Selph Henry (LL.B 1910, B.A. 1911), Vice President of the Association of American Railroads (1934-1958)
• Chris Hollod, venture capitalist and an angel investor^[42]
• Frank K. Houston (1881–1973), president and chairman of the Chemical Corn Exchange Bank in the 1940s
• Allan Hubbard, Director of the National Economic Council
• David B. Ingram, Chair and President of Ingram Entertainment
• John R. Ingram, billionaire chairman and CEO of the Ingram Content Group
• Orrin H. Ingram II, CEO of Ingram Industries, Vanderbilt trustee
• J. Hicks Lanier, Chairman and CEO of Oxford Industries, Vanderbilt trustee
• Sartain Lanier (1909–1994), Chairman and CEO of Oxford Industries, Vanderbilt trustee
• Chong Moon Lee, founder of Diamond Multimedia
• Oliver Luckett (B.A. 1996), American entrepreneur, founded Revver
• Mark P. Mays, President and CEO of Clear Channel Communications
• Mike McWherter, Chairman of the Board of First State Bank
• Derek Minno, partner at private equity firm Exigen Capital
• Ann S. Moore (B.A. 1971), former Chairman and CEO of Time Inc.
• Jackson W. Moore, former Executive Chairman of Union Planters Bank and Regions Financial Corporation
• Ralph Owen (B.A. 1928), Chairman of American Express
• Sunil Paul (B.E.), entrepreneur, founder of Brightmail and Freeloader, Inc., co-founder and CEO of Sidecar
• Doug Parker (M.B.A. 1986), Chairman, President, and CEO of American Airlines Group
• H. Ross Perot, Jr. (B.A. 1981), Chairman of Perot Systems, billionaire real estate investor
• Charles Plosser, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
• Edgar E. Rand (c. 1905–1955), President of the International Shoe Company, 1950-1955; served on the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust
• Frank C. Rand (1876–1949), President of the International Shoe Company, 1916-1930 and Chairman 1930-1949; served on the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust 1912-1949 and as its President 1935-1949; Rand Hall is named for him.
• Henry Hale Rand (1909–1962), President of the International Shoe Company, 1955-1962; served on the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust
• Alexis Readinger (B.A. 1996), founder of Preen, Inc.^[43], featured in Architectural Digest,^[44] Interior Design,^[45] Elle Decor^[46] and the New York Times^[47]

• Mark Reuss (B.A. 1986), President of General Motors North America
• Russ Robinson, CEO of Global Steel Dust; board member of Academi
• Jeffrey J. Rothschild (B.A. 1977, M.S. 1979), billionaire entrepreneur; business executive; Vice President of Infrastructure Software for Facebook, founding engineer of Facebook
• Jane Silber (MSc), board member and former CEO of Canonical Ltd.
• Charlie Soong, missionary, businessman, father of the Soong sisters
• Betty Thayer (MBA), businesswoman who advocates for women in business and lectures on the role of the non-executive director, corporate governance and transition post-retirement
• Hall W. Thompson, businessman, golf course developer, Vanderbilt trustee
• Cal Turner, Jr., billionaire CEO of Dollar General ^[48]
• William S. Vaughn, former President and Chairman of Eastman Kodak; former Chairman of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust
• Thomas B. Walker, Jr., Goldman Sachs senior director, member of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust^[49]
• Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman, President, and CEO of American Bureau of Shipping,^[50]
• David K. Wilson, co-founder and President of the Cherokee Equity Corporation; Chairman of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust, 1981–1991
• Emily White (B.A. 2000), former COO of Snapchat, current board member of Hyperloop One.^[51]
• Muhammad Yunus (Ph.D 1971), founder of Grameen Bank; pioneer of microcredit; 2006 winner of Nobel Prize in peace; winner of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom

Entertainment and fashion

• Dierks Bentley, country musician
• Joe Bob Briggs (B.A. 1974), B-movie critic, writer, and comedian
• Paula Cale, actress, transferred to DePaul University
• Rosanne Cash (B.A. 1979), singer and songwriter
• Rod Daniel (B.A. 1964), American television and film director best known for the 1985 Michael J. Fox comedy film Teen Wolf
• Kim Dickens, actress
• George Ducas, country music artist
• William Gray Espy, actor, The Young and the Restless
• Amy Grant (B.A. 1982), contemporary Christian music artist (dropped out to pursue music career)
• Jill King, country music artist
• Lance Kinsey, actor
• Hildy Kuryk, director of communications at Vogue and senior New York finance consultant for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.^[52][53][54]
• Richard Kyanka, creator of humor website Something Awful
• Steven Machat, entertainment mogul and producer
• Chris Mann, singer; fourth place in season 2 of The Voice
• Delbert Mann (B.A. 1941), Academy Award-winning director for the 1955 film Marty
• Todd Miller (B.A. 1988), media executive and the Chief Executive Officer of Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE)
• Bettie Page*, model
• Zhubin Parang (B.A. 2003), head writer of The Daily Show.^[55]
• Amy Ray, singer, songwriter, member of the Indigo Girls (transferred to Emory University)
• Dinah Shore (B.A. 1938), singer, actress, and television host
• Scott Siman (B.A. 1976), music executive, artist manager, former chairman of the Academy of Country Music
• Molly Sims, model, actress (dropped out to pursue modeling)
• Brooklyn Sudano, model, actress, and singer
• Mikey Wax, singer/songwriter
• Tim Weiland, fashion designer and DJ
• Paul Worley, American record producer, discovered Lady Antebellum and the Dixie Chicks

Government, politics, and activism

• Greg Abbott (J.D. 1984), Governor of Texas
• Bill Alexander, United States Representative from Arkansas (1969–1993)
• Lamar Alexander, Governor of Tennessee (1979–1987), United States Secretary of Education (1991–1993), United States Senator from Tennessee (2003- )
• William Vollie Alexander Jr., former U.S. Representative from the 1st district of Arkansas
• Abdiweli Mohamed Ali (M.A. 1988), President of Puntland; former Prime Minister of Somalia (2011–2012), AFGRAD Fellow of Economics
• Lawrence Ang, Director for Asia, SSG Advisors
• Jim Bacchus, former U.S. Representative from the 11th and 15th districts of Florida, former Chairman of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization
• Megan Barry, former mayor of Nashville
• Robin Beard, former U.S. Representative from the 6th district of Tennessee
• Bruce Bennett, Arkansas attorney general (1957–1960)
• Theodore Bilbo, U.S. Senator and Governor, Mississippi; attended Peabody College and Law School but did not graduate from either
• Eugene Lindsay Bishop (M.D. 1914), Commissioner for the Tennessee State Health Department (1924-1935), Director of the Health and Safety Department of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (1935-1951)
• Elizabeth Lee Bloomstein (B.A. 1877 Peabody), American history professor, clubwoman, and suffragist
• David Boaz (B.A. 1975), Executive Vice-President, Cato Institute, leading libertarian thinker
• Richard Walker Bolling, U.S. Representative from Missouri, attended graduate school 1939–1940
• Bill Boner, former Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee
• Dick Brewbaker, member of the Alabama Senate; former member of the Alabama House of Representatives
• Beverly Briley, former Mayor of Nashville
• John Barrett, U.S. diplomat, Pan American Union
• Jo Byrns, 41st Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
• William J. Cabaniss (B.A. 1960), 5th United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic
• Bill Campbell, former Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia
• Lance Cargill, lawyer and former Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
• Brian Carlson, Ambassador to Latvia (2001–2004)
• Yun Chi-ho, political activist and thinker during the late 1800s and early 1900s in Joseon Korea
• Frank G. Clement, former Governor of Tennessee
• Tom Cochran, former Obama White House director of new media technologies
• Robert W. Cobb, Inspector General of NASA (2002–present)
• Steve Cohen (B.A. 1971), U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 9th congressional district
• William Prentice Cooper, Jr., former Governor of Tennessee and Ambassador to Peru
• William Prentice Cooper, Sr. (1870–1961), Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives
• Bill Corr, Chief of Staff for the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services
• Brad Courtney, Chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin
• Alexander G. Crockett, Democratic politician who served as a member of the Virginia Senate, representing the state's 5th district (1912-1916)
• Lee Cruce, lawyer, banker and the second governor of Oklahoma
• Yeda Crusius, Governor of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul (2007–present)
• Riley Darnell, Tennessee Secretary of State
• Jeff Davis, Democratic United States Senator from Arkansas; 20th Governor of Arkansas^[56]
• Karl Dean, former Mayor of Nashville
• J. Kane Ditto (J.D.), former mayor of Jackson, Mississippi
• Paul Rand Dixon, chairman and commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission of the United States (1961-1969, 1976)^[57][58]
• K. Terry Dornbush, former Ambassador to the Netherlands
• Guilford Dudley, United States Ambassador to Denmark under the Nixon Administration
• James Eastland, politician who served in the United States Senate (attended 1925-1926)
• William Yandell Elliott (B.A. 1918), member of the Fugitives, Rhodes Scholar, political advisor to six U.S. presidents
• William Haselden Ellerbe, 86th Governor of South Carolina
• Joe L. Evins, former U.S. Representative from the 4th and 5th districts of Tennessee
• Hiram Wesley Evans, Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan^[59]
• Thomas C. Ferguson ((B.A., 1955, J.D. 1959), former United States Ambassador to Brunei
• Greg Fischer, Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky (2011–present); entrepreneur; co-inventor of the SerVend automated ice/beverage dispenser
• Duncan U. Fletcher (LL.B 1880), longest serving U.S. Senator from Florida in the state's history
• Joseph W. Folk (LL.B 1890), 31st Governor of Missouri
• Vince Foster, former Deputy White House Chief of Staff
• Bill Frist, cardiothoracic surgeon and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader
• John Nance Garner, 32nd Vice President of the United States and 39th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (did not graduate)
• Bill Gibbons, Memphis District Attorney
• J. Christopher Giancarlo, chairman of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
• Al Gore, 45th Vice President of the United States; former U.S. Senator; former U.S. Representative; environmental activist; Nobel laureate (did not graduate)
• Tipper Gore*, activist, former Second Lady of the United States
• William Hagerty (B.A. 1981, J.D. 1984), 30th United States Ambassador to Japan
• Beth Harwell (M.A., Ph.D.), 81st Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives
• Bennett Haselton (M.A.), founder of Circumventor.com and Peacefire.org, listed in Google Vulnerability Program Hall Of Fame for finding and fixing security holes in Google products.^[60]
• William Wirt Hastings (J.D. 1889), former U.S. Representative from the 2nd district of Oklahoma
• Douglas Henry, member of the Tennessee Senate representing the 21st district
• Roy Herron, former Chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party
• Bruce Heyman, current United States Ambassador to Canada
• French Hill (B.S. 1978), Congressman, Arkansas's 2nd congressional district
• John Jay Hooker, political figure
• Allan B. Hubbard (B.A. 1969), former assistant to President George W. Bush for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council
• Gus Hunt, Chief Technology Officer at the CIA
• Kwon Hyouk-se (M.A. 1998), current governor of the Financial Supervisory Service of South Korea.^[61][62]
• Joseph T. Johnson (LL.B 1883), former U.S. Representative from the 4th district of South Carolina, federal judge
• Mickey Kantor (B.A. 1951), United States Trade Representative and Secretary of Commerce in the Clinton Administration
• Ric Keller, former U.S. Representative
• John Neely Kennedy (B.A. 1973), U.S. Senator from Louisiana
• Abdallah Kigoda (M.A.), Minister of Industry and Trade of Tanzania
• Redley A. Killion, former Vice President of Micronesia (1999-2007)
• Robert L. King, former Monroe County, New York executive, former chancellor of the State University of New York
• Charles Landon Knight (B.A. 1889), American lawyer and newspaper publisher who represented Ohio in the United States House of Representatives (1921-1923)
• Bill Lacy, political operative, business executive, and Director of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics
• Leonard Lance (J.D. 1977), U.S. Representative from New Jersey
• Fritz G. Lanham, U.S. Representative from Texas
• James Lawson (M.Div 1960), civil rights pioneer
• William James Livsey, four-star general and military commander
• Harlan Mathews, former U.S. Senator
• John E. Fryer, psychiatrist and gay rights activist
• Hill McAlister, 34th Governor of Tennessee, 1933–1937^[63]
• Marshall Fletcher McCallie, former United States Ambassador to Namibia
• James Clark McReynolds (B.S. 1882), former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1914–1941)
• Luke Messer (J.D. 1994), congressman, Indiana's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives
• J. Washington Moore (c. 1868–1965), Eminent Supreme Archon of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, 1891-1894; Tennessee state representative; Nashville city attorney^[64]
• Sara Alderman Murphy (B.A. 1945), civil rights activist
• Roy Neel, campaign manager for Howard Dean; Deputy Chief of Staff for former President Bill Clinton; Chief of Staff for Al Gore
• Seth Walker Norman, Judge of Division IV of the Criminal Court for Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee; former Tennessee Legislator
• Jerry Parr, United States Secret Service agent, widely credited with helping to save President Reagan's life on the day of his assassination attempt.^[65][66]
• W. Robert Pearson, former Ambassador to Turkey; President of IREX
• Bill Purcell, former Mayor of Nashville
• Ben Quayle, former U.S. Representative for Arizona's 3rd congressional district
• Marie Ragghianti (B.S. 1975), American parole board administrator, whistleblower who exposed Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton's "clemency for cash" scandal in 1977-79
• Arthur F. Raper, sociologist
• Roger Ream, President of The Fund for American Studies (TFAS)
• Floyd M. Riddick, Parliamentarian of the United States Senate (1964 to 1974), most famous for developing Riddick's Senate procedure
• Woodall Rodgers, Mayor of Dallas, Texas
• Pedro Pinto Rubianes, former Vice President of Ecuador
• Baso Sangqu (M.A.), former President of the United Nations Security Council, permanent representative of South Africa to the United Nations.^[67]
• Jim Sasser (B.A. 1958, J.D. 1961), United States Ambassador to China under the Clinton administration
• Süreyya Serdengeçti (M.A.), Turkish economist and former Governor of the Central Bank of Turkey
• Hans von Spakovsky, Federal Election Commission commissioner, appointed by recess, withdrew own nomination after controversy
• Nancy Soderberg, foreign policy adviser
• John R. Steelman (M.A. 1924), White House Chief of Staff under President Harry Truman
• Joe Straus, Speaker of Texas State House
• Jim Summerville, Tennessee Senator
• Fred Dalton Thompson, former U.S. Senator, actor
• John J. Tigert (B.A. 1904), 7th United States Commissioner of Education
• Park Trammell, former U.S. Senator from Florida and Governor of Florida
• Jody Wagner, 12th Virginia Secretary of Finance
• Volney F. Warner, Commander-in-Chief, United States Readiness Command
• Jack Watson (B.A. 1960), Chief of Staff under President Carter
• Gus W. Weiss, White House policy adviser on technology, intelligence and economic affairs, worked on the Farewell Dossier.^[68][69]
• Ben West, attorney, politician, mayor of Nashville, Tennessee (1951-1963), and a state senator (1949-1951)
• Don West, civil rights activist, labor organizer, poet, educator
• Justin P. Wilson, lawyer, Tennessee State Comptroller of the Treasury
• Chung Won-shik (M.A., Ph.D), former Prime Minister of South Korea

Journalism and media

• Skip Bayless (B.A. 1974), Fox Sports personality and nationally syndicated columnist
• Roy Blount Jr., humorist, sportswriter, and author
• Mel Bradford, paleoconservative political commentator
• David Brinkley, broadcast journalist
• Alonso Duralde, film critic
• Linda Ellerbee, American journalist for NBC News, host of Nick News with Linda Ellerbee (dropped out)
• Eric Etheridge, first managing editor of George magazine
• Willie Geist (B.A. 1997), humorist and host on NBC's Today and MSNBC
• Fred Graham, chief anchor and managing editor of the former Court TV, legal correspondent for the New York Times , and CBS News
• Clint Grant, photojournalist featured in Paris Match, Newsweek, Time, and Life, covered the assassination of John F. Kennedy
• Alex Heard, editorial director of Outside magazine; author
• Molly Henneberg, correspondent, Fox News
• Henry Blue Kline, member of the Southern Agrarians
• Jincey Lumpkin (B.A. 2002), producer and columnist for the Huffington Post^[70],named one of the 100 most influential gay people by Out Magazine^[71]
• Katie McCall (B.A. 1997), American television journalist
• Patrick McCauley (Master of Arts, 1957), journalist; edited The Huntsville Times, 1966–1994
• Ralph McGill (B.A. 1916), anti-segregationist Atlanta Constitution editor and publisher, 1959 Pulitzer Prize winner for editorial writing
• Buster Olney, ESPN baseball writer, former sportswriter for The New York Times
• Richard Quest, reporter for CNN International
• Wendell Rawls, Jr., journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner
• Grantland Rice (B.A. 1901), sportswriter
• Fred Russell (B.A. 1927), sportswriter
• Christine Sadler, Peabody graduate and pioneer female newspaper journalist
• Jeffrey D. Sadow, political scientist, columnist
• Bill Steltemeier, founding President of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)^[72]
• Clay Travis, sportswriter, radio host, and analyst on Fox Sports (attended law school at Vanderbilt)
• William Ridley Wills, novelist, poet and journalist, member of the Fugitive group, Sunday Editor for the New York World
• E. Thomas Wood, author and journalist
• Robert W. Wynne, contributor to Forbes magazine

Law

• Tamara W. Ashford, Article I Judge of the United States Tax Court
• Jeffrey S. Bivins, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Tennessee
• Claria Horn Boom, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for Eastern and Western Kentucky
• Lucius E. Burch Jr. (B.A. 1930, J.D. 1936), American attorney, best known for his contributions to conservation and civil rights, described as "the most liberal conscience in Memphis."^[73]
• John K. Bush, U.S. Circuit Court Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit (2017-present)
• Cornelia Clark, Justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court (2005–present)
• Bobby Lee Cook, defense attorney, inspiration for the television series Matlock main character Ben Matlock, which starred Andy Griffith as a Georgia attorney.^[74][75]
• Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr., Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Martha Craig Daughtrey, Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• Frank Drowota (B.A. 1960, J.D. 1965), former chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court
• Hickman Ewing, United States attorney, special prosecutor who oversaw the Whitewater investigation^[76]
• Alice S. Fisher, Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C. office of Latham & Watkins LLP.^[77], former Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the US Department of Justice
• Sylvan Gotshal (B.A. 1917), American lawyer, known for his advocacy of industrial design rights,^[78][79], founding partner of Weil, Gotshal & Manges
• Marci Hamilton, lawyer, won Boerne v. Flores (1997), Constitutional law scholar, professor at Cardozo School of Law
• William Joseph Haynes Jr., former United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Thomas Aquinas Higgins, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Marcia Morales Howard (B.S. 1987), United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• Edwin Hunt, appellate advocate, Assistant Attorney General^[80], U.S. checkers champion (1934)^[81]
• Alan Bond Johnson, judge of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming (1985-present)
• Jack Kershaw, attorney and sculptor who represented James Earl Ray^[82]
• James C. Mahan, Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
• Gilbert S. Merritt Jr., lawyer and jurist, senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• Jon Phipps McCalla, Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
• Travis Randall McDonough, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• James Clark McReynolds, Supreme Court Justice (1914–1941); Assistant Attorney General (1903–1907)
• John Musmanno, senior judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court
• James F. Neal, Vanderbilt Law School, trial lawyer, Watergate prosecutor
• John Randolph Neal Jr. (LL.B 1896), American attorney, best known for his role as chief counsel during the 1925 Scopes trial
• John Trice Nixon, Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Neil Papiano (LL.B 1961), American lawyer, and managing partner of Iverson, Yoakum, Papiano & Hatch
• Tom Parker, Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court (2004-present)
• Thomas W. Phillips, Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• Sam C. Pointer Jr. (A.B. 1955), attorney in Birmingham, Alabama and a United States District Judge for Northern Alabama, noted figure in complex multidistrict class-action litigation
• Jay Richardson, U.S. Circuit Court Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit (2018-present)
• Ronald J. Rychlak (J.D. 1983), American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator
• Kevin H. Sharp, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (2011-2017)
• Eugene Siler, U.S. Circuit Court Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
• Hans von Spakovsky, attorney, former member of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), manager of the Heritage Foundation's Election Law Reform Initiative
• Mike Spivey, law school admissions expert and former Assistant Dean at Vanderbilt, Washington University, and Colorado law schools
• Jane Branstetter Stranch, United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• Fred Thompson, Vanderbilt Law School, former U.S. Senator; actor on NBC's Law & Order (2002–2007)
• Jack Thompson, Vanderbilt Law School, disbarred attorney and activist against obscenity and violence in media and entertainment
• Aleta Arthur Trauger, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Emory Marvin Underwood (B.A. 1900), United States federal judge
• Thomas A. Varlan, Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• Roger Vinson (J.D. 1971), Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, former member of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.^[83]
• Horace Henry White (B.A. 1886, LL.B 1887), American lawyer, authored legal volumes White's Notarial Guide and White's Analytical Index.^[84]
• Samuel Cole Williams (LL.B 1884), noted 19th and 20th century Tennessee jurist, historian, educator, and businessman
• Thomas A. Wiseman Jr., American jurist
• Staci Michelle Yandle, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
• Harry W. Wellford, Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Ministry and religion

• T. C. Chao (M.A., B.D.), one of the leading Christian theological thinkers in China in the early twentieth century^[85]
• William J. Hadden, Episcopal university chaplain, U.S. Army chaplain, U.S. Navy chaplain; desegregationist; Master of Divinity in 1946 as part of the special World War II's V-12 Navy College Training Program at Vanderbilt
• William S. Hatcher, mathematician, philosopher, educator; served on several National Spiritual Assemblies; wrote several books on the Bahá'í Faith after his 1957 conversion while at Vanderbilt
• Yung Suk Kim (Ph.D 2006), Korean-American biblical scholar and author, editor of peer-reviewed journal, Journal of Bible and Human Transformation^[86] and the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Religion since Nov. 2014.^[87]
• Walter Russell Lambuth, M.D., recipient of theology and medical degrees from Vanderbilt; Methodist missionary to China, Japan and Africa; later Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
• James Lawson, civil rights pioneer and student at the Divinity School; kicked out of Vanderbilt for his involvement in organizing civil rights protests in Nashville; later returned to Vanderbilt and is currently a faculty member
• W. Winfred Moore, Baptist preacher from Texas
• Mark A. Noll, progressive evangelical scholar, historian at the University of Notre Dame
• Thomas B. Warren, Restorationist philosopher and theologian

Science and medicine

• Erik K. Alexander, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Co-Chairman, International Guidelines on Thyroid Disease & Pregnancy
• Jean R. Anderson (M.D.), internationally recognized obstetrician and gynaecologist, founder and first director of the Johns Hopkins Hospital HIV Women's Health Program (1991)^[88]
• Edward Emerson Barnard (B.A. 1887), astronomer who discovered Barnard's star, Jupiter's fifth moon, nearly a dozen comets, and nebulous emissions in supernovae
• James L Barnard (Ph.D 1971), South African engineer, pioneer of biological nutrient remover, a non-chemical means of water treatment to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from used water
• Kimberly Bryant, biotechnologist for Genentech, Novartis Vaccines, Diagnostics, and Merck, founder of Black Girls Code
• Thomas C. Butler (M.D. 1967), American scientist specializing in infectious diseases including cholera and bubonic plague, credited with making oral hydration the standard treatment for diarrhea.^[89]
• David Charles, neurologist, Chief Medical Officer of the Vanderbilt Neuroscience Institute,^[90], Director of Telemedicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.^[91]
• Yvonne Clark (M.S.1972), pioneer for African-American and women engineers, worked for NASA, Westinghouse, and Ford
• Baratunde A. Cola (B.E 2002, M.S. 2004), scientist and engineer specializing in carbon nanotube technology, Alan T. Waterman Award winner
• Robert D. Collins, American physician and pathologist who established the Lukes–Collins scheme for pathologic classification of lymphoma
• Shirley Corriher, biochemist and author
• Ali Abdullah Al-Daffa (Ph.D 1972), noted Saudi mathematician, scientist, author, and professor
• William A. Davis Jr., engineer and distinguished leader in Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) for the United States Army
• John H. DeWitt Jr., pioneer in radio broadcasting, radar astronomy and photometry, observed the first successful reception of radio echoes off the moon on January 10, 1946 as part of Project Diana.^[92][93]
• William H. Dobelle, biomedical researcher and artificial vision pioneer
• Allan L. Drash, pediatric endocrinologist, former president of the American Diabetes Association, one of the original describers of the Denys-Drash syndrome.^[94]
• Wilton R. Earle (Ph.D 1928), American cell biologist known for his research in cell culture techniques and carcinogenesis
• Arnold Eskin, leader in the discovery of mechanisms underlying entrainment of circadian clocks, developed the heuristic Eskinogram
• Francis M. Fesmire, emergency physician and nationally recognized expert in myocardial infarction^[95]
• Jordan French, engineer and 3D food printing pioneer
• Kenneth Galloway, American engineer researching solid-state devices, semiconductor technology, and radiation effects in electronics
• Michael L. Gernhardt, NASA astronaut
• James Tayloe Gwathmey, physician and pioneer of early anesthetic devices for medical use^[96], hailed as the "Father of Modern Anesthesia"^[97]
• Steven E. Jones, physicist, known for his long research on muon-catalyzed fusion and geo-fusion^{[98][99][100]}
• Karen Kohanowich (B.S.), Undersea Technology Officer for the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, aquanaut on the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations^[101][102]
• Duncan Leitch, neurobiologist who gained recognition for his work on the integumentary sensory organs in crocodilians
• Zenas Sanford Loftis, physician, medical missionary to Tibet
• Louis Lowenstein, medical researcher who made significant contributions in hematology and immunology
• William R. Lucas (M.S., Ph.D), 4th Director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center^[103]
• Dennis Mammana (M.S.), astronomy writer and sky photographer
• Tom Maniatis (Ph.D), professor of molecular and cellular biology known for the development and application of gene cloning methods to the study of molecular biology
• James Cullen Martin, chemist, responsible for the hexafluorocumyl alcohol derived "Martin" bidentate ligand and a tridentate analog, co-invented the Dess–Martin periodinane, creator of the Martin sulfurane
• G. Patrick Maxwell (M.D.), plastic surgeon, first successful report of microsurgical transfer of the latissimus muscle flap at Johns Hopkins University^[104], advanced the design of tissue expanders used for breast reconstruction^[105][106]
• Stanford Moore (B.A. 1935), protein chemist, inventor of a method for sequencing proteins, winner of the 1972 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Hugh Jackson Morgan (B.A. 1914), world-renowned internist and medical professor
• Harold L. Moses (M.D. 1962), Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, Professor of Cancer Biology, Medicine and Pathology, and Director Emeritus at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, president of the American Association for Cancer Research (1991)
• George C. Nichopoulos, American physician best known as Elvis Presley's personal physician
• Jodi Nunnari (Ph.D), cell biologist and pioneer in the field of mitochondrial biology, editor-in-chief The Journal of Cell Biology, president-elect of The American Society for Cell Biology
• Lacy Overby (B.A. 1941, M.S. 1945, Ph.D 1951), virologist known for his contributions to Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C research.^[107][108]
• Mendel L. Peterson (M.A. 1940), pioneer of underwater archeology and former curator at the Smithsonian Institution, becoming known as "the father of underwater archeology",^[109][110]; Peterson Island in Antarctica is named after him.^[111]
• Philip Thomas Porter (B.A. 1952, M.A. 1953, Ph.D), electrical engineer and one of the guiding pioneers of the invention and development of early cellular telephone networks
• William A. Pusey (B.A. 1885), American physician and past president of the American Medical Association, advocated for the use of radiation in the treatment of skin diseases, expert in the study of syphilis, authored the first history of dermatology in English
• George G. Robertson, senior researcher, Visualization and Interaction Research Group, Microsoft Research
• Hrayr Shahinian, American skull base surgeon and founder of the Skull Base Institute (SBI)
• J. Robert Sims (BSc 1963), American chemical, mechanical engineer, former research engineer at ExxonMobil, inventor, former president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers^[112]
• Norman Shumway, performed with his associates the first heart transplant done in the United States
• John Abner Snell, missionary surgeon and hospital administrator in Suzhou (Soochow), China
• Mildred Stahlman, Vanderbilt professor and neonatologist
• John Ridley Stroop (B.A. 1924, M.S. 1925), psychologist known for discovering the Stroop effect, a psychological process related to word recognition, color and interference
• Ghanshyam Swarup, Indian molecular biologist known for his studies on glaucoma and the discovery of protein tyrosine phosphatase^[113]
• E. M. Toler (M.D., Class of 1900), physician, coroner, and member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1944 until his death in 1955^[114]
• Bruce J. Tromberg (B.A. 1979), American photochemist and a leading researcher in the field of biophotonics
• James C. Tsai (M.B.A. 1998), President, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai,^[115][116], System Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Mount Sinai Health System
• Levi Watkins, heart surgeon and civil rights activist; first to successfully implant an automatic defibrillator in a human patient with surgical technologist Vivien Thomas^[117][118]
• Logan Wright (Ph.D 1964), American pediatric psychologist, former president of the American Psychological Association, coined the term pediatric psychology