Arts and Letters
- Franklin Simmons, attended in 1858, (honorary A.M. 1867), prominent Civil War-era sculptor
- Tyler Dennett, attended 1900-01, historian, author, Pulitzer Prize winner in 1934
- E. L. Mayo, poet, professor
- Alice Swanson Esty, Class of 1925, American soprano and arts patron. She donated her collection of music manuscripts to Bates College in 1994 and 1995
- Dorothy Clarke Wilson, Class of 1925, writer, author of Prince of Egypt, a source for the Academy Award winning film, The Ten Commandments (1956 film)
- Owen Dodson, Class of 1936, African-American poet and playwright
- John Ciardi, Class of 1938 (transferred), American poet, translator, and etymologist.
- Robert Rimmer, Class of 1939, Author of The Harrad Experiment
- Jack Ellery, Class of 1955, legendary radio talk show host.
- Ann Turner, Class of 1967, children's author and poet
- Doug White (news anchor), Class of 1967, Emmy winner, NBC television host
- Bryant Gumbel, Class of 1970, award-winning television journalist, co-host of The Today Show on NBC (1982–1997) and The Early Show on CBS (1997–2002), and host of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO (1995–present)
- John Shea, Class of 1970, Prize winning Actor and Director on stage and screen
- Pamela Alexander, Class of 1970, poet and professor at Oberlin College
- John Carrafa, Class of 1976, dancer and choreographer
- Elizabeth Strout, Class of 1977, Author of Amy and Isabelle, Abide with Me, and Olive Kitteridge, 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner
- Dan Scully, Class of 1979, publisher of Boston Magazine
- Emerson Woods Baker II, "Tad," Class of 1980, American historian and archaeologist on the PBS show Colonial House
- J. D. Hale, Class of 1982, publisher of Yankee Magazine
- Jon Marcus, Class of 1982, author, journalist, former editor of Boston Magazine, member of the adjunct faculty at Boston College and Boston University
- Jonathan Hall, Class of 1983, Emmy award winning journalist, investigative reporter and news anchor on WHDH TV, Channel 7 Boston (NBC)
- Brian McGrory, Class of 1984, Boston Globe Editor, former columnist, former White House correspondent, author of several political thrillers; nephew of late Ellen McGrory
- Stacy Kabat, Class of 1985, Academy Award winner, filmmaker
- David Chokachi, Class of 1990, actor, notably Baywatch and Witchblade
- Corey Harris, Class of 1991, Anthropologist, Blues musician
- Maria Bamford, Class of 1992, Comedy Central comedian
- Lisa Genova, Class of 1992, author of Still Alice and Left Neglected
- Carrie Jones, Class of 1993, author of fiction
- Andrew Baron, Class of 1994, producer-director, creator of newscast, Rocketboom
- Natasha Friend, Class of 1994, author
- Jessica Anthony,Class of 1996, author
- Mark Erelli, Class of 1996, singer-songwriter
- Michelle Chong, Class of 2000, actress in Singapore television and film
- Daniel Stedman, Class of 2001, Cannes Film Festival winning filmmaker
- William R. Miller, Architect
Read more about this topic: List Of Bates College People
Famous quotes containing the words arts and/or letters:
“I haven’t seen so much tippy-toeing around since the last time I went to the ballet. When members of the arts community were asked this week about one of their biggest benefactors, Philip Morris, and its requests that they lobby the New York City Council on the company’s behalf, the pas de deux of self- justification was so painstakingly choreographed that it constituted a performance all by itself.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)
“American thinking, when it concerns itself with beautiful letters as when it concerns itself with religious dogma or political theory, is extraordinarily timid and superficial ... [I]t evades the genuinely serious problems of art and life as if they were stringently taboo ... [T]he outward virtues it undoubtedly shows are always the virtues, not of profundity, not of courage, not of originality, but merely those of an emasculated and often very trashy dilettantism.”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)