Charles W. Childs, 1867, San José State Normal School principal, 1889-96
Dr. Marshall "Mark" Drummond, (BS Management and Economics, and MBA), former chancellor
of the California Community College system, former chancellor of the Los Angeles Community
College District, former president of Eastern Washington University and currently
Provost of Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
John Maupin, president, Morehouse School of Medicine
William Pence, National Science Teachers Association “Outstanding Biology Teacher”
Margaret Shallenberger McNaught, 1880, first state commissioner of elementary schools,
first woman to teach in the School of Education at Stanford University (1891)
Henry Zuzallo, 1895, (former) president of the University of Washington
Lorna Dee Cervantes, poet and author of Drive: The First Quartet and other poetry collections, and numerous anthologized poems
James D. Houston - author of Farewell to Manzanar, Continental Drift, Snow Mountain Passage, and others; Lurie Distinguished Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at SJSU in
Spring 2006
Jayne Ann Krentz (Master's in Library Science) author; also writes under Amanda Quick,
Jayne Castle and others
Edwin Markham, 1872, poet (1852-1940)
Sandra McPherson - poet
Amy Tan, 1972 (B.A. English and Linguistics), novelist, author of The Joy Luck Club, The Bonesetter's Daughter, The Opposite of Fate, and others
Ralph Abascal, founding director of the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment
and the 1995 recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Award
James T. Beall, Jr., (BA in Political Science) California Assemblyman; San José City
Council 1980 - 1994; Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors (District 4) 1994 - 2006
Lee P. Brown, 1964 (Masters in Sociology) former mayor of Houston; professor; law
enforcement
Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, the first Native American to serve in
the U.S. Senate
Albert E. Carter, 1903, (former) U.S. congressman (Oakland)
Cindy Chavez, San José City councilmember, District 3
Judy Chirco, San José City councilmember, District 9
Mike Deaver, influential member of Ronald Reagan's staff in California and the White
House
Robert C. Doerr, (former) mayor of San José (mayor during SJSC's Centennial year -
1957)
Robert Foster (BA public administration), president of Southern California Edison,
CSU Trustee (1997 - 2006); elected mayor of Long Beach in 2006
Leslie C. Francis, 1965 (BA in Social Science) and 1966 (Secondary Teaching Credential)
Democratic political consultant. Served in the Carter administration
Congressman Mike Honda, 1968 (BA Biological Sciences and Spanish; MA Education, 1974)
representing San José
Lou Henry Hoover, 1893 (1874-1944), first lady (Herbert Hoover, 31st U.S. President)
Peter Kutras, Jr., county of Santa Clara, county executive
Linda J. LeZotte, San José City councilmember, District 1
Nancy McFadden, deputy chief of staff in the Clinton Administration; currently VP
governmental relations for PG&E
Gaylord A. Nelson, 1939 Political Science; 1960 Honorary Master of Arts degree; founder
of Earth Day, former U.S. Senator and governor of Wisconsin
Lyn Nofziger, 1950 (BA in Journalism) (1924 - 2006), aide to Governor Reagan, advisor
to Presidents Nixon and Reagan, campaign advisor for Steve Forbes and Pat Buchanan
Ed Rollins, political strategist
Laurie Smith, first California female sheriff, Santa Clara County
Fernando Torres-Gil, 1970 (BA in Political Science) first assistant secretary for
aging at the Department of Health and Human Services in the Clinton Administration;
currently associate dean of the School of Public Affairs at UCLA
Susanne B. Wilson, former member of San José City Council and Santa Clara County Board
of Supervisors; recipient of the SJSU Tower Award in 1996
Ken Yeager, Santa Clara County Supervisor; San José City councilmember, District 6
