Who is MU's "Most Famous" Alum?

[Tugg Speedman]

I'm watching the Western Kentucky/ Miss Valley State game.  Jim Nance said Miss Valley State's "most famous" alumni is Jerry Rice.  He sounded like he said, "most famous" by any criteria.

This got me thinking ... who is MU's most famous alum by any critieria?

Here is a list to get you started

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Marquette_University_alumni

If I had to give you a short list to work from, it would be (in no particular order)

Senator Joe McCarthy
Govenor Scott Walker
Ralph Metcalfe
Head Coach George Allen
Head Coach Doc Rivers
Maurice Lucas
Edward Brennan
Patrick Haggerty
Don Ameche
Chicos Bail Bonds

Discuss

[john31]

You left out Chris Farley and the "Naked beer slide guy" from the Avalanche...

[4everwarriors]

I'm a little too modest to self-nominate.

[SoCalwarrior]

Uh, Wade.

[Skatastrophy]

Uh, Wade.

Yep.  Definitely Wade if we're talking about globally recognizable names.

[buckchuckler]

There is a period of American History named after McCarthy...

[radome]

Clearly ... The Honorable Felix Perez Camacho, former Governor of Guam or maybe "Field of Dreams" Amy Madigan.

[Eye]

How did we get 4 posts in before somebody said Wade?

[ZiggysFryBoy]

There is a period of American History named after McCarthy...

There's a whole line of ED drugs inspired by 4never.

[jficke13]

It would be Farley, but he's not really identified as being from MU. Wade is identified as being from MU, so I'd say Wade.

[Tugg Speedman]

How did we get 4 posts in before somebody said Wade?

Because Wade and Chris Farley simply do not belong on this list.  I was hestiant to put another athlete other than Ralph Metcalfe on the list (and if you don't know what Ralph did, shame on you).

A hundred years from now shool kids will still learn about the McCarthy era, not about Wade's stats or watch Tommy Boy.  A 100 years from now, they will learn about what Jesse Owens and Metcalfe did.

[john31]

Upon further review I think the hands down winner is Ben L. Salomon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_L._Salomon although he didn't graduate from MU the guy sees like a Warrior to me.

[CoachRaymondsClass]

I am older, so this may seem dated, but some pretty widely-exposed alumni include famous movie actors, Pat O'Brien and Amy (Madigan? I'm losin' it but she played opposite Kevin Costner in "Field of Dreams" and the female lead in a favorite Chicago movie, "Uncle Buck.")







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[Tugg Speedman]

I am older, so this may seem dated, but some pretty widely-exposed alumni include famous movie actors, Pat O'Brien and Amy (Madigan? I'm losin' it but she played opposite Kevin Costner in "Field of Dreams" and the female lead in a favorite Chicago movie, "Uncle Buck.")

O'Brien played Knute Rockne opposite Ronald Reagan playing George Gipp in the 1940 movie "Knute Rockne, All American."

A MU alum might have done more than any other person on the planet to soldify ND's reputation

Also, little known fact ... in the 1920s O'Brien played football at MU and was on an MU team that beat a Rockne coached ND team

[chapman]

Pretty much the only ones people not associated with the university know as alumni are Wade, Farley, and that guy from Community - Danny Pudi.

[GGGG]

It has to be McCarthy.  It's not "most recognizable."

[Marqevans]

I am going old school on you. I would have to vote for this guy.

O'Brien was born William Joseph Patrick O'Brien to an Irish-American Catholic family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1] He served as an altar boy at Gesu Church while growing up near 13th and Clybourn streets. O'Brien attended Marquette Academy with fellow actor Spencer Tracy, and later attended Marquette University. Reportedly, he also served with Jack Benny at Great Lakes Naval Station during World War I.[citation needed

O'Brien appeared with James Cagney in nine feature films, including Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) and Cagney's last film, Ragtime (1981). The two originally met in 1926 and became lifelong friends. O'Brien began appearing in movies (many times playing Irish cops or priests) in the 1930s, starting with the role of ace reporter Hildy Johnson in the original version of The Front Page in 1931. He appeared in the successful 1946 suspense film, Crack-Up, and played the lead in the boxing film, The Personality Kid.

O'Brien may be best remembered for his role as a police detective opposite George Raft in Some Like It Hot and the title role of a football coach in Knute Rockne, All American (1940), where he gave the speech to "win just one for the Gipper," referring to recently deceased football player, George Gipp, portrayed in the film by a young Ronald W. Reagan.

[Tugg Speedman]

I seem to remember Spencer Tracey as an MU alum

It is unclear from this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Tracy

Can anyone set the record straight?

(Who is Spencer Tracey?  Arguably the greatest actor who ever lived.  Take that Danny Pudi!)

[MerrittsMustache]

Because Wade and Chris Farley simply do not belong on this list.  I was hestiant to put another athlete other than Ralph Metcalfe on the list (and if you don't know what Ralph did, shame on you).

A hundred years from now shool kids will still learn about the McCarthy era, not about Wade's stats or watch Tommy Boy.  A 100 years from now, they will learn about what Jesse Owens and Metcalfe did.

Joe McCarthy is the most famous. No question. Wade and Farley are 2-3 in no particular order.

With all due respect to Metcalfe, if he really was the "most famous," you wouldn't have had to include the parenthetical.

[Avenue Commons]

There is a period of American History named after McCarthy...

Agreed. 100 years from now Wade will be a footnote in the post-Jordan era of American sports.

McCarthyism will always have its own sorry and sad history.

[Tugg Speedman]

With all due respect to Metcalfe, if he really was the "most famous," you wouldn't have had to include the parenthetical.

The parenthetical was those that think Wade and Farley belong in this dicsussion.

[warriorchick]

I seem to remember Spencer Tracey as an MU alum

It is unclear from this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Tracy

Can anyone set the record straight?

(Who is Spencer Tracey?  Arguably the greatest actor who ever lived.  Take that Danny Pudi!)

According to IMDB. he attended "Marquette Academy"(Marquette High, I presume?), joined the Navy afterwards, and later attended Ripon College.

[The Process]

I'm a little too modest to self-nominate.

I'm not too modest.

[mr.MUskie]

According to IMDB. he attended "Marquette Academy"(Marquette High, I presume?), joined the Navy afterwards, and later attended Ripon College.

Tracy attended Marquette Academy with Pat O'Brien (who did go to MU).

I stand corrected:

[MerrittsMustache]

The parenthetical was those that think Wade and Farley belong in this dicsussion.

They do belong. It's "most famous." If you ask the average person on the street who Dwyane Wade or Chris Farley is, they're likely to know. If you ask them who Ralph Metcalfe is, they likely won't.

I'll ask this: Who is the most famous alum from U of North Carolina? Clue: It's not President James K. Polk.