DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
Since the first graduating class in 1931, City alumni have distinguished themselves in many fields. These are just a few of the many stars launched from LACC during the last 80 years.
Business and Finance
Economics
Lawrence Klein, Ph.D., economist, Nobel Prize recipient in Economics
Entrepreneurs
Gene Bramson, real estate investor
John Hope Bryant (AKA John Bryant Smith), founder of Bryant Group Companies
John Crean, founder of Fleetwood Enterprises
Brian Edwards, founder of ETI
Harry D. Schultz, investment advisor
Communications
Journalism
Murray Fromson, broadcast journalist
Tony Valdez, broadcast journalist
Herbert G. Klein, newspaper executive
Leonard Probst, drama critic
Education
Administration
James Williams, Ph.D., Community College District Chancellor;
Community College President
Teaching
Joseph A. Bagnall, educator, author, writer, producer, and documentarian
Lowell Bean, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology and author
Edward Diller, educator and author
Jack Ericson Eblen, Ph.D., Professor of History and author
Maulana (Ron) Karenga, Ph.D., Professor of Black Studies, activist and founder of Kwanzaa
Simon Karlinsky, Ph.D., Professor of Slavic languages and literature, author
Michael Schreiber, Ph.D., Professor of Biomedical Communications, author and fitness expert
Entertainment Industry
Performance
Bob Arbogast, radio broadcaster and voice actor
Pete Arbogast, radio announcer
Alan Arkin, actor, Academy Award ® recipient
Billy Barty, actor and founder, Little People of America
Brenda Benet, actor
Tommy "Butch" Bond, actor
Albert Brooks, actor, comedian and director
Diana Canova, actor
James Coburn, actor, Academy Award ® recipient
Clint Eastwood, actor; producer, Academy Award ® recipient; director
Mike Evans, actor
Al Freeman, Jr., actor, Emmy ®
Morgan Freeman, actor, Academy Award® recipient;
Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, actor, Tony Award ® recipient
Deidre Hall, actor
Mark Hamill, actor
Michael Harris, actor
Allen "Farina" Hoskins, actor
Jackie Joseph, actor
Margaret Kerry, actor
Wallace Langham, actor
Ruta Lee, actor
Tony Maggio, actor
Whitman Mayo, actor
James Mitchell, actor and dancer
Dickie Moore, actor
Wayne Morris, actor, WWII ace
Shelley Morrison, actor
Stephen Nichols, actor
Jeannette Nolan, actor
Hugh O'Brian, actor, Golden Globe Award ® recipient
Rosie Perez, actor and choreographer
Donna Reed, actor, Academy Award ® recipient
Maggie Roswell, actor
Alexis Smith, actor, Tony Award ® recipient
Louise Sorel, actor
Robert Vaughn, actor, Emmy ® Award recipient
Stuart Whitman, actor
Cindy Williams, actor and producer
Esther Williams, actor, Golden Globe Award ® recipient
Paul Winfield, actor, Emmy ® Award recipient
Jo Anne Worley, actor
Aron Kader, comedian
Production
Nick Grippo, caterer and author
Gary Stockdale, composer for television shows
Ray Aghayan, costume designer, Emmy ® Award recipient
Rudy Behlmer, director and author
Charles Burnett, director and writer
F. Gary Gray, director and producer
Michael Lembeck, director, Emmy ® Award recipient; actor
Karen Moncrieff, director
Albert and Allen Hughes, directors
José Quintero, director
Ray Harryhausen, producer, director and special effects artist; special Academy Award ® recipient
Bruce Kimmel, director, producer, writer, actor and composer
Mimi Leder, director, Emmy ® Award recipient
Gene Roddenberry, producer and screenwriter
True Boardman, screenwriter and actor
John Milius, screenwriter, producer and director
Fine Arts
Art
John Riddle, commercial artist, sculptor and painter
Dianne Dillon, illustrator
Billy Al Bengston, painter and sculptor
Jason Laure, photographer and author
Ruth Orking, photographer and filmmaker
H.C. Westermann, printmaker and sculptor
Evangeline Juliet Montgomery, print-maker, metal smith and weaver
Melvin Edwards, sculptor
Dance
Alvin Ailey, dancer and choreographer
Maria Bermudez, Flamenco dancer
Janet Collins, ballerina
Design
Frank Gehry, architect, Pritzker Architecture Prize recipien
Rudi Gernreich, fashion designer
Music
Bob Florence, composer, band leader and educator
Jerry Goldsmith, composer, Academy Award ® recipient
Lebo M, composer
Leonard Slatkin, conductor, National Medal of Arts recipient
John Williams, composer, Academy Award ® recipient
La Monte Young, composer
Robert Bradley, blues musician Odetta, folk singer
Roy Ayers, jazz musician
Eric Dolphy, jazz musician
Charles Mingus, jazz musician
Don Friedman, jazz pianist
Les McCann, jazz pianist and singer
Dianne Reeves, jazz singer, Grammy ® recipient
Russ Titelman, music producer, Grammy ® recipient; songwriter
David Alpert, musician
George London, opera singer and administrator
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, songwriters and Hall of Fame producers, Grammy ® recipients
Photography
Kenneth E. Washington
Writing
Byron Barton, author and illustrator
Carlos Casteñeda, author
Charles Eastman, playwright and screenwriter
Jim Harmon, author and producer
Bryan Malessa, author
Diane Redfield Massie, author and illustrator
Terry McMillan, author
Carolyn See, Ph.D., author and educator
Joseph Wambaugh, author
Ed Bullins, playwright, Obie Award recipient
Charles Gordone, playwright, Pulitzer Prize recipient; actor, Obie Award recipient; director
Justin Tanner, playwright
Charles Bukowski, poet and author
Alvaro Cardone-Hine, poet, composer and author
Joanne de Longchamps, poet and artist
Michael S. Harper, poet
David Meltzer, poet, musician and educator
Pat Parker, poet and activist
Quincy Troupe, poet; former Poet Laureate of California
Law
John Branca, entertainment attorney
Howard Weitzman, entertainment attorney
Public Service
Armed Forces
Major General Eugene L. Hudson (Ret.), U. S. Air Force
Elected Official
The Honorable Jo Anne Darcy, Santa Clarita Mayor and City Council member (Ret.)
Hal Bernson, Los Angeles City Council member
Tom LaBonge, Los Angeles City Council member
Louis R. Nowell, Los Angeles City Council member (former)
Bernard C. Parks, Los Angeles City Council member and former Chief of Police
The Honorable Diane E. Watson, Member of Congress
Judiciary
The Honorable Lourdes Baird, U. S. District Court (Ret.)
The Honorable Leo Holt, Cook County (IL) Circuit Court (Ret.)
Nonprofit
Ruben Hernandez, founder, Unification of Disabled Latin Americans
Religion
Sheik Qazi Asad, LAPD chaplain
Science
Aerospace
Dean Chapman, Ph.D., NASA, Director of Astronautics
Jovita Jenkins, software designer for missile, communications and space systems
Chemistry
Thomas Bruice, Ph.D., research bioorganic chemist, professor and author
Starling Trimble, B.S., industrial chemist and patent holder
Fred Wudl, Ph.D., research chemist, professor and author
Environmental
Eugene Coan, Ph.D., environmental scientist and author
Hematology and radiobiology
Eugene Cronkite, M.D., research hematologist, professor and author
Horticulture
Barbara Joe Hoshizaki, M.S., horticulturist, educator and author
Sports
Baseball
Don Buford, major league baseball player
Dennis Gilbert, LACC Hall of Fame baseball inductee, sports agent and entrepreneur
Football
Reggie Haynes, professional football player
Raymond May, professional football player
Willie Williams, football player
Track
Jeff Williams, sprinter