College of Charleston - Notable Alumni

Notable Alumni

Actors and Actresses

• Erick Avari, Class of 1976 - actor
• Matt Czuchry, Class of 1999 - Actor (known for his role as Logan Huntzberger on Gilmore Girls) - graduated with honors, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science. He won the Mr. College of Charleston pageant in 1998. Czuchry was captain of the men's tennis team, and was a NCAA ranked player in the Southern Conference.
• Allison Munn, Class of 1997 - Actor (What I Like About You, That '70s Show, and One Tree Hill)

Athletes

• Brett Gardner, Class of 2005 - Professional baseball player for the New York Yankees.
• Graham Godfrey, professional baseball player for the Oakland Athletics.
• Anthony Johnson, Class of 1997 - plays in the NBA. He is a veteran of 12 years (1997–present).
• Michael Kohn- Professional baseball player for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
• Wes Knight- Professional soccer player for the Vancouver Whitecaps
• Andrew Goudelock - Professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Artists and Architects

• Samuel Lapham VI (1892–1972), Class of 1913 - Architect with the firm Simons & Lapham 1920-1972. Simons & Lapham designed west wing of Randolph Hall/Chemistry Wing (1930),the Student Activities Building (1939), Craig Dormatory and Cafeteria (1962), Robert Smalls Library (1972) and Cougar Mall, located between the Robert Scott Small Building and Maybank Hall (1972). The firm was influential in Charleston, creating the city's first historic preservation ordinance in 1930.
• Robert Mills (1781–1855)- Mills studied at the College in the late 18th century. He is considered by many to be the first American-born architect. Mills designed the Washington Monument as well as the Department of Treasury building and the U.S. Patent Office Building.
• Brian Rutenberg, Class of 1987 - American Abstract painter.
• Carol-Hannah Whitfield, Class of 2007- Runner-up on Project Runway season 6, fashion designer

Politicians

• Mendel Davis, Class of 1966 - Democrat, United States House of Representatives representing the First Congressional District of South Carolina 1971-1981
• James B. Edwards, Class of 1950 - former Governor of South Carolina, Secretary of Energy under President Ronald Reagan and was president of the Medical University of South Carolina from 1983 to 1999.
• John Charles Frémont (1813–1890), Class of 1836 - Known as the Great Pathfinder, Fremont explored the West in the 1830s and 1840s. In 1856, Fremont, an outspoken opponent of slavery, was the first Republican nominee for president. During the Civil War, he served as a major general for the Union, and in 1861, issued a proclamation (overturned by President Lincoln) freeing slaves. He later served as governor of Arizona.
• Burnet R. Maybank (1899–1954), Class of 1919 - Maybank served as Mayor of Charleston, became governor of the state and served in the national legislature during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Maybank chaired the Senate Finance Committee and played a key role in the development of the New Deal. Maybank Hall, one of the main academic buildings on campus, bears his name.
• Glenn McConnell, Class of 1969 - McConnell has been an influential force in South Carolina politics for more than two decades. Elected to public office in 1981, he has served as the president pro tempore of the South Carolina Senate since 2001. The McConnell Residence Hall dormitory was named after him.
• Arthur Ravenel, Class of 1950 - member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1953 to 1958, a South Carolina senator from 1980 to 1986, and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986. In 1996, he returned to the South Carolina Senate, serving until 2005. In 2006, at the age of 79, he was elected to the Charleston School Board. The bridge connecting Charleston to Mt. Pleasant bears his name.
• Nick Shalosky, Class of 2010 - The first openly gay elected official in the state of South Carolina. From Conway, SC, he currently serves the downtown area of Charleston on the District 20 Constituent School Board.

Writers

• Ludwig Lewisohn (1882–1955), Class of 1901 - Lewisohn was a novelist, a translator and a distinguished literary and drama critic. He was also one of the founding professors of Brandeis University.
• Padgett Powell, Class of 1974 - Powell is an award-winning writer and novelist. He has published four novels, including Edisto and Mrs. Hollingsworth’s Men.

Other notable alumni

• Frank Blair (journalist) (1916–1995), Class of 1934 - Blair was an early cast member of NBC’s The Today Show, serving as a newsman and anchor from 1953 to 1974.
• Buist M. Fanning, Class of 1970 - Fanning was one of the translators of the 1995 update to the New American Standard Bible.
• Lindsay Myers, featured cast member on It's a Brad, Brad World and assistant to celebrity fashion stylist, Brad Goreski.