Notable Phi Kappa Phi Members

Since its founding in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi has initiated more than 1.5 million members. Notable members throughout history include public servants and leaders, Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winners, NASA astronauts and more. It is a global network composed of the best and brightest from all academic disciplines—a community of scholars and professionals building an enduring legacy for future generations.

While by no means a comprehensive list, the notable individuals below illustrate the diverse expertise of Phi Kappa Phi members.

Academic Leadership

Mildred Garcia

President of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities
Initiated at California State University, Dominguez Hills

Freeman A. Hrabowski, III

President of University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Author
Initiated at University of Maryland, Baltimore Campuses

Martha E. Pollack

President of Cornell University
Initiated at University of Michigan

Joseph Rallo

Former Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education
Initiated at Western Illinois University

The Arts

William Bolcom

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Composer
Initiated at University of Michigan

Renée Fleming

Grammy-Winning Soprano
Initiated at State University of New York at Potsdam

Steven Spielberg

Oscar-Winning Director
Initiated at California State University, Long Beach

Authors and Poets

Brené Brown

Research Professor, Known for one of the top-watched TED Talks
Initiated at University of Houston

John Grisham

Bestselling Author
Initiated at University of Mississippi

David Baldacci

Bestselling Author
Initiated at Virginia Commonwealth University

James Lee Burke

Author
Initiated at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Rita Dove

Pulitzer Prize Winner in Poetry, First African-American named Poet Laureate of the United States
Initiated at Miami University

Business

James Barksdale

Founder of Netscape
Initiated at University of Mississippi

Chad Hurley

Co-founder and Former Chief Executive Officer of YouTube
Initiated at Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Marla Sabo

Former President and Chief Operating Officer of Christian Dior
Initiated at Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Journalism

Ernie Anastos

Emmy Award-Winning Anchor
Initiated at Northeastern University

Deborah Norville

Emmy Award-Winning Anchor
Initiated at University of Georgia

Chuck Scarborough

Emmy Award-Winning Anchor
Initiated at University of Southern Mississippi

Public Service

Jimmy Carter

39th President of the United States
Initiated at Georgia State University

Hillary Rodham Clinton

67th United States Secretary of State, Presidential Nominee
Initiated at University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Albert Gore

45th Vice President of the United States, Presidential Nominee
Initiated at Middle Tennessee State University)

Robert Gates

22nd United States Secretary of Defense
Initiated at Texas A&M University

Mitt Romney

70th Governor of Massachusetts, Presidential Nominee, United States Senator from Utah
Initiated at Brigham Young University

Elizabeth Warren

United States Senator from Massachusetts,
Initiated at University of Houston

Scholars

Matthew Desmond

Sociologist, Princeton University Professor, Pulitzer Prize Winner
Initiated at Arizona State University

John N. Gardner

Founder of the First Year Experience Program, Author
Initiated at Elon University

Stephen Prothero

Boston University Religion Professor
Initiated at Marshall University

Janna Levin

Theoretical Cosmologist, Tow Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University
Initiated at Marshall University

Science

Rashid A. Abdu

Surgeon, 2017 Arab American of the Year
Initiated at Youngstown State University

Christina Hammock Koch

NASA Astronaut 
Initiated at North Carolina State University

Tim Kopra

NASA Astronaut
Initiated at United States Military Academy

Wendy Lawrence

NASA Astronaut
Initiated at United States Naval Academy

Sports

Robert A. “Bob” DuPuy

Former President of Major League Baseball
Initiated at Cornell University

Robert Conrad Khayat

Former Player in the National Football League, 15th Chancellor of the University of Mississippi
Initiated at University of Mississippi

Kim Mulkey

Head Woman’s Basketball Coach at Louisiana State University
Initiated at Louisiana Tech University

In Memoriam

Stephen Ambrose

Historian, Founder of The National WWII Museum
Initiated at University of New Orleans

Colby Chandler

Chairman and CEO of Eastman Kodak Company
Initiated at the University of Maine

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

United States Supreme Court Justice
Initiated at Cornell University

Glenna Goodacre

Sculptor
Initiated at Texas Tech University

Ellis Marsalis

Jazz Musician
Initiated at University of New Orleans

George Olah

Nobel Prize-Winning Chemist
Initiated at University of Southern California

Merlin Olsen

Former player in the National Football League, Actor
Initiated at Utah State University