Mike Richardson

Portland State University, Class of 1977

Founder of Dark Horse Comics, the third largest comic-book publisher in the U.S., and founder of Dark Horse Entertainment, which has produced over two dozen films and television projects.

Signe Toly Anderson

Portland State University, 1960-1963

Lead female vocalist for the band Jefferson Airplane, jazz and folk singer, and member of the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.

Katie Harman

Portland State University, Class of 2002

Crowned Miss America the same year she graduated from PSU.

Carolyn Davidson

Portland State University, Class of 1971

Creator of the Nike Swoosh. 

Jordan Senn

Portland State University, Class of 2007

Two time Academic All-American for the PSU football team, who signed on as a free agent with the Indianapolis Colts, and also played for the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears.

Barry Hansen

Reed College, Class of 1963

Nationally renowned radio show host Dr. Demento, with weekly show of "mad music and crazy comedy." 

Barbara Ehrenreich

Reed College, Class of 1963

Award winning essayist, political activist and author of New York Times Best Seller, "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America." 

Earl Blumenauer

Lewis and Clark College, Class of 1970 and 1976

U.S. Representative for Oregon’s 3rd district since 1996 and a leading proponent of livable communities.

Matt Wuerker

Lewis and Clark College, Class of 1979

Winner of a Pulitzer Prize in 2012 for editorial cartooning, as well as a finalist for the award in 2009 and 2010, and one of the founding staff members of Politico.

Heidi Hitkamp

Lewis and Clark College, Class of 1980

Hitkamp was the first woman ever elected to represent North Dakota in either the U.S. Senate or House. She has been a Senator since 2013.

Matt Biondi

Lewis and Clark College, Class of 2000

Winner of 11 Olympic medals in swimming and one of the most decorated American Olympians of all time.

Greg Behrendt

University of Oregon, Class of 1991

After starting out to study business, Behrendt went on to become a script consultant for Sex and the City, as well as a standup comedian and author.

Photo Credit: Facebook: Greg Behrendt 

Walter Brattain

University of Oregon, Class of 1926

Inventor of the transistor, “the most important invention of the 20th Century,” and co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1956.

Neil Everett

University of Oregon, Class of 1984

ESPN Sports Center anchor

James Ivory

University of Oregon, Class of 1951

Director of several films, including Academy Award winners A Room with a View and Howard’s End, and founder of Merchant Ivory Productions.

Photo via IMDB.com

Renee James

University of Oregon, Class of 1986

President of Intel, after a promotion to the two-person executive team in 2013 and ranked 37th on Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

Linus Pauling

Oregon State University, Class of 1922

The only person ever to win two unshared Nobel Prizes, Pauling was the leader of his time in chemistry. One of his Nobel Prizes was for peace, after his efforts to end atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons.  

Mercedes Bates

AKA Betty Crocker

Oregon State University, Class of 1936

Head of Betty Crocker Kitchens at General Mills, and the first female corporate officer for the company, Bates also developed the Betty Crocker character, turning it into a national icon.

Julie Bentz

Oregon State University, Class of 1986

The first female officer in the Oregon Army National Guard to reach the rank of general. Bentz is now a member of President Obama’s National Security Staff.  

George Bruns

Oregon State University, Class of 1936

Music Director for Walt Disney Productions for over 25 years, wrote the “Ballad of Davy Crockett,” and music for “Tony the Tiger” and “Pillsbury Doughboy” ad campaigns. Burns directed the music for “Sleeping Beauty,” “Robin Hood,” and the Mickey Mouse Club TV show.

Vance DeBar 'Pinto' Colvig

Oregon State University, Class of 1911

Mostly known as the voice for Disney’s cartoon “Goofy” for over 20 years, Colvig also voiced "Sleepy" and "Grumpy" in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Colvig also wrote the song "Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf," performed all the sound effects for Jack Benny’s 1930s radio show, and was Capital Record’s first Bozo the Clown in the 1940s.

Timothy Leatherman

Oregon State University, Class of 1970

Inventor of the Leatherman multi-tool.

Dick Fosbury

Oregon State University, Class of 1972

Revolutionized the high-jumping sport by jumping over the bar backward--coined the “Fosbury Flop.” He won a gold medal in the event at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968.

Alan Hart

OHSU, Class of 1917

Born as Alberta Lucille Hart, Hart became one of the first female-to-male transexuals in the United States, after graduating from the School of Medicine. He also was a pioneer for using radiology to detect tuberculosis.  

R. Bradley Sack

OHSU, Class of 1960

Internationally recognized for his work with oral rehydration therapy (ORT) which became the worldwide standard for treatment of dehydration and diarrhea.

Oscar Frederick “Doc” Willing

OHSU

After receiving a degree in dentistry from OHSU, Willing went on to become one of the top American amateur golfers of the 20th Century, and is one of 15 indvudals undefeated in U.S. Foursomes and Singles Matches in the Walker cup.

Harry Glickman

University of Oregon, Class of 1948

Founder and president emeritus of the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Norma Paulus

Willamette University, Class of 1962

Former Oregon Secretary of State, Paulus was the first woman to hold a statewide elected office in Oregon.

Patrick Carman

Willamette University, Class of 1988

New York Times best-selling author for his children's fantasy series The Land of Elyon, Atherton, and Elliot's Park. 

Shelley Beattie

Southern Oregon University, 1988

Professional bodybuilder who won third place in Ms. International and Ms. Olympia, a member of the first all-female America’s Cup Team, and an actress on the TV show “American Gladiator.”