There are thousands of accomplished people with BA, MA, and PhD degrees in sociology. Below is a list of just a few, found by Peter Dreier, Occidental College, for his commencement address to the 2001 department of sociology graduating class of the University of Oregon.
Politics:
- Wellington Webb, mayor of Denver
- Brett Schundler, mayor of Jersey City
- Annette Strauss, former mayor of Dallas
- Rev. Martin Luther King
- Roy Wilkins, former head of NAACP
- Rev. Jesse Jackson
- Rev. Ralph Abernathy
- Shirley Chisholm, former Congresswoman from NY
- Maxine Waters, Congresswoman from LA
- Barbara Mikulski, US Senator from Maryland
- Tim Holden, Congressman from Pennsylvania
- Saul Alinsky, father of community organizing
- Saul Bellow, novelist
- Ronald Reagan (double major in sociology and economics)
- Emily Balch, 1946 Nobel Peace Prize winner (a social worker and social reformer)
- Francis Perkins, social reformer and former Secretary of Labor
- Richard Barajas, Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court
- Michelle Obama, lawyer and First Lady of the United States
Arts:
- Saul Bellow, novelist
- Regis Philbin, TV host
- Dan Aykroyd, actor/Blues Brother
- Paul Shaffer, bandleader on David Letterman Show (and before that, Saturday Night Live)
- Dinah Shore, singer
- Ruth Westheimer, the “sex doctor”
- Kalpen Suresh Modi, White House Liaison for Arts and Humanities
Sports:
- Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
- Bryant Stith, Boston Celtics
- Brian Jordan, Atlanta Braves
- Joe Theisman, NFL quarterback
- Eric Bjornson, Dallas Cowboys
- Bobby Taylor, Eagles cornerback
- Ahmad Rashad, Sportscaster