List of University of Detroit Mercy people

Notable alumni

Academics

• Andreas Blass, mathematician and professor at University of Michigan
• Kevin Boyle, winner of 2004 National Book Award for Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age; Professor of History at Ohio State University
• Thomas Budzynski, psychologist and a pioneer in the field of biofeedback
• John A. DiBiaggio, former president of University of Connecticut, Michigan State University and Tufts University

  Acting, theater, film and television

• Anita Barone, actress
• Phil Cousineau, author, lecturer, independent scholar, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker
• Pamela Anne Eldred, Miss America 1970
• David Patrick Kelly, actor
• Keegan-Michael Key, actor
• Connie Kreski, actress, 1969 Playboy Playmate of the Year
• Allison Payne, news anchor
• Ted Raimi, actor, best known for his roles on seaQuest DSV and

  Business

• W. James Farrell, Chairman and CEO, Illinois Tool Works, 1995–2005
• A. C. Muthiah, Chairman-Emeritus of Southern Petrochemical Industries Limited ; Chairman of Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering
• Thomas Thewes, co-founder, Compuware Corporation

  Engineering

• J. Thomas McCarthy
• Otmar Szafnauer, COO Sahara Force India Formula 1 Team; former programs manager at Ford

  Journalism and writing

• Bill Bonds, former longtime anchor of WXYZ-TV news
• Ron Fournier, Associated Press, chief of Washington bureau
• Elmore Leonard, author, several of whose books have been made into movies, such as Get Shorty, Be Cool, and The Big Bounce
• J. P. McCarthy, former radio host on Detroit station WJR
• George Noory, syndicated radio talk show host
• Allison Payne, former anchorwoman with WGN-TV, Chicago

  Government and politics

• Richard Arrington, Jr., first African American mayor of Birmingham, Alabama
• Donald W. Banner, former United States Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks
• Thomas E. Brennan, Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court ; served as Chief Justice from 1969–1970; founded the Thomas M. Cooley Law School
• Vincent M. Brennan, Michigan politician
• James H. Brickley, 54th and 56th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan and a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court from 1982–1999
• Vern Buchanan, Republican Congressman representing Florida's 16th congressional district
• Tim Burns, Michigan politician
• Michael F. Cavanagh, Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, 1982–present
• Bob Constan, Michigan State House of Representatives
• Maura D. Corrigan, director, Michigan Department of Human Services; former Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, 1998–2011
• George Cushingberry, Jr., Michigan House of Representatives
• James Dinkins, Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations from 2010 to 2014
• Robert A. Ficano, county executive of Wayne County, Michigan, 2013–2015
• Roman S. Gribbs, mayor of Detroit, 1970–1974, Judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals
• Frank J. Kelley, longest-serving Attorney General in Michigan history
• Theodore Levin, U.S. District Court Judge ; father of Charles and Joseph Levin; uncle of Senator Carl Levin and Representative Sander Levin
• Greg Mathis, retired Michigan 36th District Court judge and syndicated television show judge
• E. Michael McCann, former Milwaukee County District Attorney
• Thaddeus McCotter, former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 11th congressional district
• Zenaida Moya, Mayor of Belize City, Belize, 2006–2012
• L. Brooks Patterson, lawyer and politician, formerly the County Executive of Oakland County, Michigan
• Gary Peters, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 9th congressional district
• Haider Abbas Rizvi, former member of the National Assembly of Pakistan; a senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement party
• James L. Ryan, retired Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, 1975–1985; Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 1985–present
• Thomas Patrick Thornton, United States Federal Judge

  Military and space

• Richard F. Abel, former United States Air Force Brig. General
• Paul Bikle, former Director of the NASA Flight Research Center
• Robert J. Elder, Jr, former United States Air Force Lt. General
• Glynn Lunney, NASA flight director

  Religion

• Joseph M. Breitenbeck, eighth Bishop of Grand Rapids, from 1969 to 1989
• Joseph Cassidy, Anglican priest
• Gary Habermas, PhD, philosophical theologian and apologist; defender of Christ's historical Resurrection
• Dario Hunter, first Muslim-born person to be ordained a rabbi
• Dale Joseph Melczek, third Bishop of Gary, since 1996
• Robert A. Mitchell, 1st Chancellor of University of Detroit Mercy
• Steven J. Raica, fifth Bishop of Gaylord, since 2014
• Francis R. Reiss, auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, since 2003
• Jane Dewar Schaberg Professor of Religious Studies and Women's Studies

  Sports

• Grady Alderman, offensive lineman for 1969 NFL champion Minnesota Vikings and General Manager of Denver Broncos
• John Barrett, professional football player
• Dan Boisture, coach of Eastern Michigan and Detroit Wheels football teams
• Lloyd Brazil, U of D coach and athletic director
• Frank Bucher, professional football player
• Wes Carlson, professional football player
• Walt Cassidy, professional football player
• Gus Cifelli, football player for Notre Dame and 1952 NFL champion Detroit Lions
• Earl Cureton, NBA player for Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, 2-time NBA champion
• Dave DeBusschere, NBA Hall of Fame, played basketball for Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks, coach of Pistons; also played baseball for Chicago White Sox
• Terry Duerod, former NBA player, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics
• Bill Ebben, former NBA player
• Andrew "Anvil Andy" Farkas, player for 1942 NFL champion Washington Redskins
• Tom Finnin, former NFL player for Baltimore Colts
• Willie Green, basketball player for NBA's Orlando Magic, assistant coach Golden State Warriors
• Jody Handley, soccer player for England women's national football team
• Spencer Haywood, U of D basketball player, Olympic gold medalist, 4-time NBA All-Star, Basketball Hall of Fame
• Dave Hill, PGA Tour golfer with 13 tour wins
• Lee Knorek, NBA player for New York Knicks
• Joe Kopicki, professional basketball player
• Dutch Lauer, professional football player
• John Long, professional basketball player, member of 1989 NBA champion Detroit Pistons
• Bruce Maher, former NFL player for Detroit Lions
• Ted Marchibroda, twice head coach of NFL's Baltimore Colts/Indianapolis Colts, offensive co-ordinator for Buffalo Bills Super Bowl teams
• Ray McCallum, Jr., NBA player for San Antonio Spurs
• Bob Miller, former MLB player and U-D baseball coach ; career Titans coaching record of 896-780-2; named to Titans Hall of Fame 1979
• Guy Murray, Detroit Titans cross country/track and field head coach
• Dorie Murrey, NBA player for Detroit Pistons, Seattle SuperSonics
• A. C. Muthiah, president of Board of Control for Cricket in India from 1999 to 2001
• Tip O'Neill, professional football player
• Andrew Ornoch, Mississauga Eagles FC
• Chase Simon, basketball player for Maccabi Ashdod of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Jimmy Simpson, professional football player
• Gino Sovran, professional basketball player
• Guy Sparrow, former NBA player for New York Knicks
• Art Stolkey, professional basketball player
• Terry Thomas, former NBA player
• Terry Tyler, NBA player for Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings
• Owen Wells, professional basketball player

  Notable faculty

• Richard Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller, visiting professor in the School of Architecture at University of Detroit, 1970
• Robert S. Johnston, classics, English, and mathematics teacher; later president of Saint Louis University
• John P. McNichols, S.J., Jesuit priest and 11th president of University of Detroit from 1921 to 1932; established the McNichols Campus, and is the namesake for McNichols Road in Detroit
• Frank Murphy, law instructor; Michigan jurist; Mayor of Detroit; Governor of Michigan; the last Governor-General of the Philippines; and the first High Commissioner of the Philippines, United States Attorney General, and United States Supreme Court Associate Justice
• Joyce Carol Oates, taught at the University of Detroit; published her first novel, With Shuddering Fall, when she was 26 years old; her novel them received the National Book Award in 1970; has taught at Princeton University since 1978
• Dick Vitale, basketball coach and broadcaster, was head coach of Detroit Titans men's basketball from 1973-77
• Isaiah McKinnon