CNN and Turner Broadcasting founder Ted Turner says he spent "three very interesting years" at Brown before his expulsion in 1963. He was expelled for living with his girlfriend on campus while he was on suspension. Turner was commodore of the yacht club, vice president of the debating union, and he pursued studies in economics and the classics.
Source: Brown Daily Herald
"Harry Potter" Actress Emma Watson graduated in 2014 with a degree in English literature. Despite the occasional "10 points for Gryffindor" comments, Watson says that the students and university were great about respecting her privacy. Watson is now a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and has delivered compelling speeches at the UN and Davos advocating for gender equality with her HeForShe campaign.
Source: Huffington Post, Huffington Post, Business Insider
Standard Oil heir and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. sang in the glee club, managed the football team, was the president of his junior class, and graduated Brown with a Phi Beta Kappa key. Since his 1897 graduation, the university has lauded Rockefeller with many awards and named the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library in his honor.
Source: Brown
Modern Family" matriarch Julie Bowen claims she lived in the Rockefeller Library while at Brown. The two-time Emmy winner studied abroad in Florence and majored in Italian Renaissance studies before graduating in 1991. While talking with Brown students in 2012, Bowen admitted that she didn't study theater at Brown because she "was too intimidated by the department.
Source: The Brown Daily Herald
"The Office" alum John Krasinski, graduated from Brown in 2001 with a degree in theater arts. Krasinski joined Brown's sketch comedy group Out of Bounds, which he said gave him a "weird confidence" that he now carries through his acting career.
Source: The Brown Daily Herald
Fritz Pollard attended Brown on a Rockefeller Scholarship from 1916-1919. While at school he was a star on the football field and became the first African-American to play in the Rose Bowl. He went on to play and coach in the NFL. In 1981 Brown awarded Pollard with an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree.
Source: Brown Library, Biography
Chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen graduated from Brown's women's college, Pembroke, in 1967. She was one of the few women to pursue an economics degree and graduated with summa cum laude distinction.
Source: Federal Reserve, Bloomberg
John Sculley III studied architectural design at Brown and graduated in 1963. Shortly after graduating, Sculley switched to business and eventually became the CEO of Pepsi and Apple. Sculley now serves as a Trustee Emeriti at Brown.
Source: Brown, Sculley Speaks
Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb made a big move from Dallas, Texas, to the Providence, Rhode Island, campus where she majored in comparative literature. Loeb, who graduated in 1990, continues to be the only unsigned artist to have a number one single.
Source: Lisa Loeb
John Heisman played club football at Brown from 1887-1889 before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania. Heisman went on to successfully lead teams to victory coaching college football for over 30 years. His legacy is carried on by the Heisman trophy, an award given to outstanding college football players.
Source: Heisman
Actress Laura Linney pursued acting throughout her four years at Brown, graduating in 1986 with a degree in theater. In a 2012 interview with the school newspaper, Linney said she still keeps in close touch with her Brown friends.
Source: The Brown Daily Herald
JFK Jr. chose the Rhode Island Ivy over Harvard and concentrated in American history. A brother of the Phi Kappa Psi house, Kennedy performed in Brown's theater productions, played in pick-up frisbee and rugby games, and started a student discussion group about apartheid in South Africa. He graduated in 1983.
Source: Brown Alumni Magazine, CNN
Walter Hoving earned his bachelor's degree from Brown in 1920 and later went on to take the lead at Tiffany & Co. from 1955-1980. While at Brown, Hoving was a brother of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
Source: LA Times, Delta Kappa Epsilon
Former Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley earned a scholarship to pursue a masters in French literature at Brown. Talley wrote a gossip-fashion column for the Brown newspaper but said he identified more with students from the Rhode Island School of Design, where he would occasionally take art classes.
Source: Vanity Fair, Urban Socialites
Wall Street star Meredith Whitney pursued a degree in history, as opposed to economics or business, while at Brown. Whitney graduated from the university with honors in 1992.
Source: Bloomberg, Greater Talent Network
Father of education Horace Mann completed his studies at Brown in three years, graduating as the class valedictorian in 1819. He went on to serve on the Massachusetts Board of Education, the Massachusetts Senate, and as a member of the House of Representatives. Mann developed the "Six Principles of Education," which were extremely influential in shaping the public school system.
Source: Brown
Before producing films like "The Manchurian Candidate" and "School of Rock," Scott Aversano was an English literature major at Brown. The independent producer graduated with honors in 1991.
Source: Focus Features
Former Facebook CFO David Ebersman keeps ties to his alma mater as a current entrepreneur in residence at Brown. The 1991 graduate majored in economics and international relations.
Source: Brown News
Gymnast and Olympian Alicia Sacramone enrolled at Brown in the fall of 2006 but never finished her degree. During her freshman year she became the first collegiate gymnast to earn the top spot in all five events at the Ivy League Classic. Sacramone was a volunteer assistant coach for the Brown gymnastics team before leaving in 2008 to train full-time for the Beijing Summer Olympics where she captained the team and took home a silver medal.
Source: Brown Bears, USA Gymnastics, ESPN
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan was known for his competitive spirit as co-captain of the Brown rugby team. Moynihan, a history major and Brown Trustee, met his wife Susan Berry at Brown. He graduated in 1981.
Radio personality Ira Glass started work at National Public Radio directly following his 1982 Brown graduation. The "This American Life" host transferred to Brown halfway through his college career and majored in semiotics, the study of symbols.
Source: Biography
Before leading IBM through the computer age, Thomas Watson Jr. earned his bachelor's degree from Brown in 1937. Watson once admitted that he was an indifferent student and spent his time "flying airplanes and fooling around" while at the university.
Source: The New York Times
CEO of BET Networks Debra L. Lee majored in political science, specializing in Asian politics, and graduated from Brown in 1976. Lee was a two-term Brown Trustee. Lee sponsors the annual Lee Lecture series, which brings scholars to Brown to discuss slavery and justice.
Source: Brown News
Billionaire founder of Grey Goose and Jägermeister Sidney Frank was forced to leave Brown after just one year when he could no longer afford tuition. Upon his success, Frank donated $100 million to Brown to set up the Sidney E. Frank Endowed Scholarship Fund so the neediest students could afford a Brown education. In 2006 the university named the new Life Sciences building after Frank.
Source: The New York Times, Brown