famous people alma maters

famous people alma maters

As fall approaches and classes start, we’re taking a look at some high-profile people, from celebrities to politicians, sports players and more, and the colleges they graduated from.

Matthew McConaughey

While attending college in a Southern town, this laid-back Texan (see his pics) was cast in a hit high school film that set his career in motion.

John Boehner
The Ohio native has been making headlines for the drawn-out debt ceiling debate.

Holly Robinson Peete

She hung out on this show for several years before she found a home on CBS, co-hosting a popular daytime talk show

Kenny Chesney

One of the most recognized entertainers in country music, thisTennessee native studied marketing in college.

James Earl Jones

This two-time Tony Award winner may be best known for his voice work in “The Lion King” and “Star Wars. You may be surprised where this Mississippi-born actor went to college.

Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig , who was born in Chester, England , found American success with his critically acclaimed portrayal of a certain British spy. Perhaps his college studies helped hone his acting chops.

Brooke Shields

She  was discovered at an early age as a model and later starred in such films as “Pretty Baby” and “The Blue Lagoon,” before heading off to a prestigious university.

 Stanley A. McChrystal

The retired four-star general achieved celebrity status after a controversial interview with “60 Minutes”  in which he said he’d spoken to the president only once since taking command of the war in Afghanistan.

Tommy Lee Jones

This legendary actor  did pretty well in college, being selected for the All Ivy League team in a rough sport and ending up roommates with this future vice president.

Al Pacino

This veteran actor  developed his craft at a famous school under the teaching of the legendaryLee Strasberg. Pacino now serves as co-president of his alma mater.

Sarah Palin

Before running for vice president and governing thelargest state in the Union, this famous hockey momstudied at a public university.

Tony Dungy

Tony Dungy  was the first African-American coach to win this championship game. Before his coaching career, Dungy played for and received a degree from a Midwestern university.

Condoleezza Rice

This classically trained pianist toured the world as America’s second femalesecretary of state.

Joe Biden

At the age of 29, our nation’s second in command was elected to represent “The First State” as one of theyoungest senators in U.S. history

Anderson Cooper

In his college years this silver-haired reporter  interned with a certain clandestine organization before pursuing journalism and eventually becoming one of the most respected journalists of his generation.

Denzel Washington

It was during his college years that this two-time Academy Award winner discovered a passion for acting, which he pursued in his college’s productions of “The Emperor Jones” and “Othello.”

George Lucas

This director transformed the medium of film with hisscience-fiction epics and his own brand of sound design Can you guess which prestigious L.A. school he graduated from?

Randy Jackson

He’s best known as a judge on America’s top talent show, but before TV fame, Jackson played and toured with some of the best musical acts in the business.

Phil Mickelson

Long before the high-dollar endorsements came in,Mickelson  earned the respect of the golf world, earning three NCAA titles while on scholarship at a Pac-12 school.

Christy Turlington

She’s more than a pretty face, and Turlington  is proving it once again as she pursues her master’s degree. The New York-based beauty  recently made headlines when her image was banned in the U.K.

Rachel Smith

This Southern beauty was born in a Latin American country before moving with her military family back to the States. They settled in Tennessee, where she went to college and rose to the status of Miss USA.

Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart developed his own brand of comedic journalism into a hit cable show. Could his study at one of America’s oldest colleges have set him up for this patriotic tirade on CNN?

Bill Cosby

Pudding pops aside,  Bill Cosby’s comedy has worked to bridge gaps among communities and families across America. A high school dropout, he worked hard to finish high school and eventually graduate from a respected school.

Regis Philbin

This daytime legend started out as a page for a nighttime legend before moving on to host his own shows

Source:msn