List of Fordham University alumni

A group of men assembled on the front steps of a building, posed in formal wear
Fordham College (then St. John's College) class of 1865 assembled on the steps of the Cunniffe House
Students and faculty in commencement garb walking down pathway among greenery
Students and faculty during Fordham University's 2017 commencement ceremony

Fordham University is a private, Roman Catholic research university located in New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1841, it is the oldest Catholic institution of higher education in the northeastern United States,[1] the third-oldest university in the state of New York, and the only Jesuit university in New York City.[2] Since its establishment 183 years ago as St. John's College, the university has been home to multiple colleges and schools, some of which are defunct or have gone through changes in name. As of 2017, Fordham is composed of a total of four undergraduate and six constitutive graduate schools,[3] situated across three campuses in southern New York State, with its two main campuses in New York City: Rose Hill in The Bronx, and Lincoln Center in Manhattan.

As of 2017, Fordham claims over 183,500 alumni throughout the world.[4] Numerous U.S. and international politicians are counted among Fordham's alumni body, including Central Intelligence Directors William J. Casey and John O. Brennan, U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell, various governors, and a head of state: Hage Geingob, President of Namibia Anne M. Mulcahy, Chairperson and CEO of Xerox, Wellington Mara (owner of the New York Giants), and billionaire entrepreneurs Eugene Shvidler and Lorenzo Mendoza are alumni. As a Jesuit institution, the university claims numerous Roman Catholic clergy, including Álvaro Corrada del Río, bishop of Mayagüez; Cardinal Francis Spellman, archbishop of New York; and Eugene Marino, archbishop of Atlanta.

Fordham has numerous alumni in the entertainment industry. Emmy Award-winning actor Alan Alda; in film, Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington and nominee Patricia Clarkson; and in theater, Tony winners John Benjamin Hickey, Robert Sean Leonard, and Julie White; are alumni. Voice actor and comedian Bill Lobley graduated from Fordham as well. Brit Award-winning singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey is an alumna, as well as writers Mary Higgins Clark and Don DeLillo. Football players and coaches Vince Lombardi and Peter Carlesimo are alumni, as well as two-time Olympic gold medal-winning track runner Tom Courtney. Stage, film, and television actor Dylan McDermott, graduated from Fordham College at Lincoln Center in 1983.

  1. ^ Kurian & Lamport 2015, p. 510.
  2. ^ Shelley 2016, p. 20.
  3. ^ "Academics". Fordham University. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  4. ^ "Graphic Identity Guide" (PDF). Fordham University. August 1, 2006. Retrieved April 2, 2017.