This week signaled the bicentennial of the federal charter of my alma mater Georgetown University, one of the greatest schools of higher learning in American history. Georgetown boasts 23 CURRENT members of Congress, 1 former POTUS and numerous other world leaders, dignitaries and ambassadors of the world have graced the halls of the hilltop at 37th and O Streets NW in Washington D.C.
I am a proud alum of Georgetown University. #HOYASAXA
Other notable alumni:
Heads of State and/or Government
HM King Abdullah II of Jordan bin al-Hussein (MSFS 1987), 1999–present
Ricardo Arias (SFS 1935) – President of Panama, 1955–1956
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (SFS 1968) – President of the Philippines, 2001–2010
José Manuel Barroso (MSFS 1998) – President of the European Commission, 2004–present; Prime Minister of Portugal, 2002–2004
Laura Chinchilla (MPP 1989) – President of Costa Rica, 2010–2014
Bill Clinton (SFS 1968) – 42nd President of the United States, 1993–2001
Alfredo Cristiani (MSB 1968) – President of El Salvador, 1989–1994
HM King Felipe VI of Spain (MSFS 1995), 2014–present
Galo Plaza (SFS 1929) – President of Ecuador, 1948–1952; 4th Secretary General of the Organization of American States, 1968–1975
Saad Hariri (B 1992) – Prime Minister of Lebanon, 2009–2011
Željko Komšić (SFS 1982) – Tripartite President of Bosnia, 2006–present
Alfonso López Michelsen – President of Colombia, 1974–1978
Cabinet members, Presidential appointees, and White House staff
David Addington (SFS 1978) – Chief of Staff to Vice President Richard Cheney, 2005–2009
Elizabeth Alexander (L 2008) – Press Secretary to Vice President Joe Biden, 2009–present
Roger Altman (C 1967) – Deputy Treasury Secretary, 1993–1994
William W. Belknap (L 1851) – U.S. Secretary of War, 1869–1876
Patrick Joseph Buchanan (C 1961) – advisor to Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan; nationally syndicated political pundit; a regular on The McLaughlin Group
George Cortelyou (L 1895) – Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Commerce and Labor, and Postmaster General
Stephanie Cutter (L 1997) – Assistant to the President for Special Projects, 2010–present; Communications Director, U.S. Treasury, 2009–2010; Chief Spokesperson for the Obama-Biden Transition Project, 2008–2009; Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama, 2008 Presidential general election campaign
John Dean (L 1965) – White House Counsel to President Richard Nixon during the Watergate affair, 1970–1973
Paula Dobriansky (SFS 1977) – Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, 2001–2009
Douglas Feith (L 1978) – Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, 2001–2005
Edwin Foulke (L 1993) – Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, 2006–2008
Robert Gates (G 1974) – Secretary of Defense, 2006–2011; Director, Central Intelligence Agency, 1991–1993
Alexander Haig (G 1961) – Secretary of State in the Reagan Administration; Supreme Commander of NATO; White House Chief of Staff; CEO, United Technologies
Mike Hammer (SFS 1985) – Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, 2011–present
Maura Harty (SFS 1981) – Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, 2002–2008
Jane Holl Lute (L 1999) – Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security, 2009–2013. CEO, Council on CyberSecurity
Michael P. Jackson (G 1985) – Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 2005–2007
Mickey Kantor (L 1968) – Secretary of Commerce, 1996–1997
Patrick F. Kennedy (SFS 1971) – Under Secretary of State for Management, 2007–present
Robert M. Kimmitt (L 1977) – Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, 2005–2009
Ron Klain (C 1983) – Chief of Staff to Vice President Biden, 2008–2011; Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to Vice President Gore, 1995–2000
Frederick Lawton (C 1920, L 1934) – 9th Director of the Office of Management and Budget, 1950–1953
Jacob Lew (L 1975) – Secretary of the Treasury, 2013–present; Chief of Staff to President Obama, 2012–2013; Director, Office of Management and Budget, 2010–2012; Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, 2009–2010; Director, Office of Management and Budget, 1998–2001
Mike McCurry (G 1985) – Press Secretary to President Clinton, 1995–1998
Beth Nolan (L 1980) – White House Counsel to President Clinton, 1999–2001
Meghan O’Sullivan (C 1991) – Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan, 2005–2007
Dan Pfeiffer (C 1998) – White House Communications Director, 2009–present
John Podesta (L 1976) – Co-Chairman of Obama-Biden Transition Project, 2008–2009; President and CEO, Center for American Progress, 2003–present; Chief of Staff to President Clinton, 1998–2001
Jack Quinn (C 1971, L 1975) – White House Counsel to President Clinton, 1995–1996
Matthew A. Reynolds (SFS 1986) – Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, 2008–2009
Kathryn Ruemmler (L 1996) – White House Counsel to President Obama, 2011–present[25]
Charles Schultze (C 1948, G 1950) – Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers in the Carter administration
Harry A. Slattery – Under Secretary of the Interior, 1938–39; gave his name to the Slattery Report[26]
Daniel Tarullo (C 1973) – Governor of the Federal Reserve
George Tenet (SFS 1976) – Director, Central Intelligence Agency, 1997–2004
Christine A. Varney (L 1986) – Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, U.S. Treasury, 2009–2011
Richard Verma (L 1998) – Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, 2009–present; former senior advisor to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Melanne Verveer (I 66, G 69) – Assistant to President Clinton and Chief of Staff to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, 1997–2001; Assistant Chief of Staff to Mrs. Clinton, 1993–1997; co-founder and chair of Vital Voices Global Partnership; see also List of United States Ambassadors
C. David Welch (SFS 1975) – Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, 2005–2008
Robert L. Wilkie (LLM 1992) – Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, 2006–present
Misc:
Antonin Scalia (C 1957) – Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court, 1986–present
General David H. Petraeus (SFS Fellow 1994–1995) – Director, Central Intelligence Agency, 2011–2012; Commander, International
Michael S. Steele (L 1991) – Chairman, Republican National Committee, 2009–2011; Lt. Gov. of Maryland, 2003–2007
Business:
Joseph R. Baczko (SFS 1967) – president and CEO, Blockbuster Entertainment, 1991–1993; founder and president, Toys “R” Us-International, 1983–1990; CEO, Max Factor-Europe, 1979–1983
Ahmet Ertegün (G 1945) – chairman, Atlantic Records; co-founder, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum; chairman, The American Turkish Society
Bradley Cooper (C 1997) – Academy Award-nominated actor
Malcolm Lee (C 1992) – director, The Best Man and Undercover Brother
Greta Van Susteren (L 1979, L 1982) – Fox News anchor, On The Record
Carl Reiner (SFS 1943) – actor, director, film producer; holder of most Emmy awards in the entertainment field
Maria Shriver (C 1977) – NBC-TV news commentator and former First Lady of California
Jonathan Nolan (C 1999) – author of Memento, co-writer of screenplay for The Dark Knight
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (SCE 1954) – First Lady of the United States, 1961–1963
Donald H. Rumsfeld (Law 1957) – 13th and 21st Secretary of Defense, 1975–1977 and 2001–2006