15 Famous Penn Alumni Who Changed the World

The University of Pennsylvania, known as UPenn or Penn, is a Philadelphia-based university. Currently ranking as the 16th best university in the world and with a history of nearly 270 years as America’s fourth oldest university, UPenn has produced some of the most well known individuals known around the world. From world leaders to multi-billionaire CEOs to highly regarded authors, this guide will discuss 15 of the most famous Penn alumni.

Famous World Leaders and Politicians

Donald Trump

Donald Trump is an American businessman and media personality who also served as the 45th president of the United States. Trump studied economics at UPenn and graduated in 1968. Shortly after graduating, Trump’s father made him president of the family real estate business which led to some later successful business ventures. From 2004 to 2015, he hosted and co-produced the TV show The Apprentice which was successful. In 2016, Trump won the presidential election for the Republican Party, defeating Hillary Clinton. He held the presidency for four years before being defeated by Joe Biden. During and since his presidency, Trump has faced numerous allegations of criminal actions and in May 2024, was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

William Henry Harrison

William Henry Harrison (1773 – 1841) was an American military officer and the ninth president of the United States. Harrison studied medicine at UPenn, America’s oldest medical school, but left before graduation to pursue a military career where he rose to the rank of major general. William Harrion then started his political career and unsuccessfully ran for president in 1836, losing to Martin Van Buren. However, in 1840 he ran again and this time was successful. Unfortunately, only a month after his inauguration, Harrison passed away.

Chiang Wan-an

Chiang Wan-an is a Taiwanese politician who has been mayor of Taipei since 2022. Wan-an studied law at Upenn, graduating in 2005 and obtaining his J.D. degree a few years later. He then practiced law for a few years in California before returning to Taiwan in 2013. Upon his return, Chang Wan-an flourished in the field of politics and was appointed mayor of Taipei in 2022, making him the youngest mayor in 24 years.

Famous Scientists

Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is an American professor and political activist known for his research in linguistics and social commentary. Chomsky studied at Upenn where he studied a variety of topics but had a primary interest in Arabic. However, he decided to drop out and move to Palastine where he studied and later achieved his doctorate from Harvard. Following this, Chomsky eventually rose to the role of professor at MIT where the majority of his research took place. He is widely recognised as revolutionising the understanding of cognition and the study of language in the mind. Additionally, Chomsky has and remains a strong political criticizor, engaging in anti-war activism and campaigning against America’s involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Doc Holliday

John Holliday (1851 – 1887), better known as Doc Holliday was an American dentist and gunfighter. Holliday earned his dentistry degree at Pennsylvania college aged only 20 in 1871. Shortly after beginning his practice, Holliday was diagnosed with tuberculosis and moved to the American Southwest. There he gained a reputation for gambling and engaging in confrontations and was best known for taking part in the Gunfight at the O.K. Coral in Tombstone. Holliday passed away from tuberculosis at the age of 36, however, his legacy persisted in the form of many movies and TV shows in which characters were inspired by his colourful personality.

Katherine Oppenheimer

Katherine ‘Kitty’ Oppenheimer (1910 – 1972) was a German-American biologist and botanist who was married to the Manhatten Project’s director, Robert Oppenheimer. Kitty obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania before leaving for California where she met her second husband, Robert Oppenheimer. Kitty lived in Los Alamos while the atomic bomb was being developed where she had two children. Following the war, Kitty was able to continue pursuing her passion in botany but became unwell shortly after and in 1972, passed away of an embolus.

Ahmed Zewail

Ahmed Zewail (1946 – 2016) was an Egyptian-American chemist, known as the ‘father of femtochemistry’. Zewail earned his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania and then commenced post doctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley. Ahmed Zewail had a highly successful career in chemistry, winning the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on femtochemistry, becoming the first Egyptian and Arab to win the prize in a scientific field. Zewail also served in President Obama’s Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology which informed policy in areas of science, technology and innovation.

Famous Entrepreneurs

Elon Musk

Elon Musk is a South African-American-Canadian bussinessman and investor known for his roles in some of the largest modern day companies. Musk received his Bachelor’s degree in economics and physics from UPenn in 1995 before starting multiple business ventures, many of which were successful. Using the money made from selling PayPal, Musk founded SpaceX, a spaceflight company in 2002. In 2004, Musk invested in Tesla Motors Inc. and later became its chairman and CEO. Musk has since become one of the most successful businessmen in the world, with an estimated net worth of $214 billion. He has, however, attracted controversy for his public misleading statements and endorsement of conspiracy theories which have increased since his purchase of the social media platform Twitter in 2022.

Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett is an American bussinessman and philanthropist who is currently chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett enrolled at the Wharton School of UPenn aged only 17 and studied business there for two years before transferring to the University of Nebraska. After many successes, Warren obtained the textile manufacturing firm ‘Birkshire Hathaway’ and used its name to create a holding company. Since 1970, he has sat as the company’s chairman and accumulated a fortune from its business and investment successes Today, Buffett has a net worth of $135 billion, making him the tenth richest person in the world but he has pledged to give away 99% of his wealth to the Bill % Melinda Gates Foundation.

Steve Wynn

Steve Wynn is an American real estate developer, known for his work on the Las Vegas strip. Wynn obtained his Bachelor’s degree in English Literature at UPenn, graduating in 1963. After moving to Las Vegas, began deals in aquiring land, including the Golden Nuggest Las Vegas. Throughout his career, Wynn oversaw the construction of many notable Las Vegas and Atlantic City hotels until he was forced to resign in 2018 in response to sexual misconduct allegations.

Famous Writers and Journalists

Abby Huntsman

Abby Huntsman is an American journalist and TV personality who graduated UPenn with a Bachelors in political science and communications in 2008. Huntsman had a long running interest in television and achieved success in 2013 as host of MSNBC and NBC News. Since, she has had success with many other news shows and talk shows and became a general assignment reporter of Fox News Channel.

Charles Addams

Charles Addams was an American cartoonist who developed the characters who became The Addams Family. Addams attended the University of Pennsylvania from 1930 to 1931 and it is throught that College Hall, UPenns oldest building, helped inspire the future Addams family mansion in the cartoon. Addams continued his passion for cartoonism and became known for his dark and macarbe characters. He was regularly published in The New Yorker and his drawings were included in many illustrated books.

Andrea Mitchell

Andrea Mitchell is an Americal journalist and commentator for NBC News. Mitchell received a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from UPenn in 1967 where she also served as the news director for the student radio station WXPN. Mitchell was hired by NBC News in 1978 and has worked there ever since and anchors her own show Andrea Mitchell Reports. In 2019, she earned a Lifetime Achievement Emmy for her work in journalism.

Famous Actors

Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks is an American actor, director and producer. Banks graduated in communications with theatre arts from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992 before pursuing her career in acting. Her best known work is for portraying the chaperone in the film series The Hunger Games. She has since had further on screen success, however, moved into directing with her debut directorial film Pitch Perfect 2. Banks has been recognised for her achievements with three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and winning two MTV awards.

Famous Economists

Heizo Takenaka

Heizo Takenaka is a Japenese economist and politician who studied at Penn in 1982 where he researched U.S. capital investment. Upon return to Japan, Takenaka began his political career by serving in a variety of roles under the cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi including Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications from 2005 to 2006. From 2007, Takenaka decided to follow an educational pathway and became a professor at Keio University aswell as serving on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum.

Spend your summer at Penn with Summer Boarding Courses

To start your journey at the University of Pennsylvania, you can take part in one of their High School Summer Programs. Available on campus or online, these programs will let you experience what life at UPenn is like alongside helping you develop knowledge and skills in an area of your choosing. Taking part can also fuel the personal and academic growth needed to one day also become a UPenn alumni world changer.

Speak to an Admissions Expert