List of Harvard University non-graduate alumni

This is a list of some notable people who attended Harvard University, but did not graduate or have yet to graduate. See List of Harvard University people for a more comprehensive list of people affiliated with Harvard.

Name Life Known for Relationship to Harvard
Bülent Ecevit 1925–2006 Turkish politician, statesman, poet, writer, scholar, and journalist, who served as the Prime Minister of Turkey Attended Harvard University with a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship Scholarship in 1957, studying social psychology and Middle East history for eight months. He attended lectures on anti-communism with Olof Palme and Bertrand Russell and attended Henry Kissinger's Harvard International Seminar.[1]
John Adams II 1803–1834 aide to his father President John Quincy Adams Attended College; expelled prior to 1823 graduation; later among those designated as "Bachelor of Arts as of 1823" and admitted to Roll of Graduates
Vincent Astor 1891–1959 businessman and philanthropist Attended College
F. Lee Bailey 1933–2021 lawyer Attended College
William J. A. Bailey 1884–1949 Radithor scandal Attended College
Andrew Beyer born 1943 horse racing expert Attended College
James Blake born 1979 tennis player Attended College in 1997–1999
Rick Brewer born 1956 president of Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana; former administrator at Charleston Southern University in North Charleston, South Carolina Post-graduate study at Harvard
William Starling Burgess 1878–1947 aviator, yacht designer, automotive innovator, poet Attended Harvard College 1897–1900
Frederik X of Denmark born 1968 King of Denmark since 2024 Spent the 1992–1993 academic year at Harvard, studied political science under the name Frederik Henriksen
Frank Carlucci 1930–2018 United States Secretary of Defense Attended Business School
Alistair Cooke 1908–2004 journalist, broadcaster Visiting graduate student
Hamilton Coolidge 1895–1918 soldier Attended College 1916 but dropped out to fight in World War I (killed in action); posthumously awarded an A.B. (War Degree), Harvard Class of 1919
Broderick Crawford 1911–1986 actor Attended college after high school graduation but dropped out after three weeks
Vincent Cronin 1924–2011 historian, writer Attended College
Matt Damon born 1970 actor Attended College
Eli Dershwitz born 1995 2023 World Saber Champion, 2015 Under-20 World Saber Champion, and US Olympic saber fencer Attending College
Paul Douglas 1892–1976 United States Senator Attended Graduate School
Edmund Fanning 1739–1818 British Colonial Officer and Governor Given A.M. Degree in 1764
John F. Fitzgerald 1863–1950 mayor of Boston, Massachusetts Attended Harvard Medical School but dropped out in 1885 after father died
John Gould Fletcher 1886–1950 poet and philosopher College (attended 1903–1907, but did not finish)
Benjamin Franklin 1706–1790 scientist Never attended College; awarded an honorary degree in 1753 as Class of 1724
Robert Frost 1874–1963 poet Attended College (1897–1899); awarded an honorary degree in 1937
Buckminster Fuller 1895–1983 designer, architect Attended College
William Gaddis 1922–1998 novelist Attended College
Bill Gates born 1955 co-founder and chairman of Microsoft, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Attended College (1973–1975); awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws in 2007
Frank Gehry born 1929 architect Attended Design School
Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1933–2020 Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Attended Law School, later transferred to Columbia
James Halperin born 1952 co-founder and chairman of Heritage Auctions, entrepreneur, and author Attended College (1970–1972)
S. Herbert Hare 1888-1960 landscape architect, co-founder of Hare & Hare Attended Design School
William Randolph Hearst 1863–1951 newspaper magnate Attended College
Bruce Henderson 1915–1992 founder of the Boston Consulting Group Attended the Business School
Joel Iacoomes 1644–1665 Native American student (Wampanoag) Attended Harvard's Indian College; died in shipwreck at Nantucket before receiving his degree as Class of 1665; awarded a posthumous degree A.B. in 2011[2][3]
Henry James 1843–1916 novelist Attended Law School
Philip Kaufman born 1936 film director, screenwriter Attended Law School
John Key born 1961 Prime Minister of New Zealand Attended professional courses at the Business School
Dan Kiley 1912–2004 landscape architect, architect Attended Design School
Edwin Land 1909–1991 inventor Attended College; awarded honorary doctorate in 1957
William Harrington Leahy 1904-1986 rear admiral in the United States Navy, son of fleet admiral William D. Leahy Attended Business School[4]
Fred A. Leuchter born 1943 inventor and execution equipment designer Attended for post-graduate studies
Alan Lomax 1915–2002 musicologist Attended College (1932–1933)
John Lomax 1867–1948 musicologist Visiting student (1907)
Amory Lovins born 1947 environmentalist Attended College (1964–66)
Robert Lowell 1917–1977 poet Attended College
James MacArthur 1937–2010 actor Attended Harvard; dropped out in second year to become actor
Rosario Marin born 1958 Treasurer of the United States Attended KSG Program for State and Local Government Executives
Tshilidzi Marwala born 1971 academic, community leader, and businessman Attended Harvard Business School
Dustin Moskovitz born 1984 co-founder of Facebook, Inc. Attended College
Ogden Nash 1902–1971 poet Attended College (1920–21)
Benjamin Netanyahu born 1949 Prime Minister of Israel Attended College; studied political science
Gabe Newell born 1962 co-founder of Valve Attended College[5]
Eugene O'Neill 1888–1953 playwright Attended College
James Park born 1976 co-founder and CEO of Fitbit Attended College
Gram Parsons 1946–1973 father of country rock Attended College
James Peck 1914–1993 civil rights and anti-war activist Attended College
Ion Perdicaris 1840–1925 businessman and philanthropist Attended College but left in second year
Mary Peters born 1948 United States Secretary of Transportation Attended KSG Program for State and Local Government Executives
Albert Pike 1809–1891 Confederate General Attended but then chose not to attend college because of fees
Cole Porter 1891–1964 composer Attended Law and Graduate Schools
David Endicott Putnam 1898–1918 Soldier Attended College 1917 but dropped out to fight in World War I {killed in action}; posthumously awarded an S.B. {War Degree} Harvard Class of 1920}
Bonnie Raitt born 1949 singer, songwriter Attended Radcliffe
Richard Read born 1957 two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Nieman fellow (1996–97)
Eden Riegel born 1981 actress Attended College (1998–2000)
Laurance Spelman Rockefeller 1910–2004 businessman and philanthropist Attended College but dropped out when he decided not to be a lawyer
Quentin Roosevelt 1897–1918 soldier Attended College 1916 but dropped out to fight in World War I (killed in action); posthumously awarded an A.B. (War Degree), Harvard Class of 1919
Pete Seeger 1919–2014 songwriter, singer, activist Attended College
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah 1945–2001 late King of Nepal Attended for one year (1967–1968)
Robert Gould Shaw 1837–1863 abolitionist, Union Army colonel Attended College (1856–1859); killed in American Civil War
Harry Shearer born 1943 actor, writer Attended Graduate School
Wallace Stevens 1879–1955 poet Special student (1897–1900)
Adlai Stevenson 1900–1965 1952 and 1956 Democratic U.S. presidential nominee, Governor of Illinois Attended Law School
Jonathan Taylor Thomas born 1981 actor Attended College (2001–2002)
Daniel Cosío Villegas 1898–1976 economist, historian Student
David Foster Wallace 1962–2008 writer Attended graduate school
David Kenyon Webster 1922–1961 soldier, journalist, and author; was profiled in Band of Brothers Attended College one semester; dropped out to fight in WWII
John Wentworth 1815–1888 Mayor of Chicago Attended Law School in 1841
Marjorie Williams 1958–2005 writer Dropped out after junior year[6]
Charles W. Woodworth 1865–1940 entomologist Studied under Hermann August Hagen 1886 to 1888, 1900–1901
Isoroku Yamamoto 1884–1943 World War II Naval Marshal General, Imperial Japanese Navy Visiting student (1919–1921)
Mark Zuckerberg born 1984 founder & CEO of Facebook Left College in his second year

References

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  1. ^ Sanger, David E. (November 30, 2023). "Henry Kissinger Is Dead at 100; Shaped the Nation's Cold War History". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  2. ^ Ireland, Corydon (September 20, 2013). "The First Native Man of Letters: Harvard's Indian Colonial Poet (in Latin!)". IndianCountryTodayMedianNtwork.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  3. ^ "Honor for Native American". Harvard Gazette. Harvard University. May 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  4. ^ "W. H. Leahy, Rear Admiral, Dies at 81". The Washington Post. May 13, 1986.
  5. ^ Murphy Barret, Victoria (December 12, 2005). "It's A Mod, Mod Underworld". Forbes.com.
  6. ^ Von Drehle, David (January 17, 2005). "Post Columnist Marjorie Williams Dies". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 13, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2010.