Discover The University of Texas’ Most Famous Alumni

Walter Cronkite

One of the most reputable journalists of all time, Cronkite anchored CBS Evening News for 19 years, from 1962 to 1981. He covered President Kennedy’s assassination (mere months after interviewing him on air), the Watergate scandal, the Iran hostage crisis and the advancements of NASA, including the first walk on the moon. He also hosted The Beatles’ first American TV broadcast and was deemed “the most trusted man in America” in an opinion poll of the American people. He finished every broadcast with his trademark signature: “And that’s the way it is.” Before all of that, though, he lived and worked in Texas, graduating from UT in 1935 and then working in Dallas, Houston, Austin and El Paso before joining CBS in 1950. Cronkite died in 2009.

Matthew McConaughey

The cute but creepy guy from Dazed and Confused was born in 1969, grew up in Longview, Texas and attended UT with the intention of studying law. However, after reading Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World, he decided to switch his major to film. Shortly after graduating, he landed the role of David Wooderson in Dazed. Since then, he has gone on to star in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, Amistad, The Wedding Planner, We Are Marshall, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Sahara and U-571. In 2006, he was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in Austin.

Lady Bird Johnson

The beloved first lady (whose given name was Claudia Alta) was born in Karnack, Texas, in 1912. From childhood, her father and siblings called her “Lady,” and her husband, President Johnson, later called her “Bird.” (Bird is even the name on her marriage license.) Johnson attended the University of Texas in the early 1930s, a time when women were a rare presence on campus. She graduated with honors with a degree in history in 1933 and earned an additional journalism degree the next year. As First Lady, Johnson advocated for the beautification of cities and highways throughout the country, and in 1982, she and friend Helen Hays founded the National Wildflower Research Center at UT to protect native plants and landscapes. Today, it has been renamed to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Johnson lived in Austin for the latter part of her life, remaining active with the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum and the LBJ School of Public Affairs, as well as serving as a member of The University of Texas System Board of Regents for six years in the 1970s. She died in Austin in 2007.

Farrah Fawcett

One of America’s most admired sweethearts was born in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1947 and attended UT in the 1960s. She embraced both social and academic endeavors, joining a sorority and majoring in microbiology. After graduating in 1968, Fawcett moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. In 1976, she became one of Charlie’s Angels, landing the role of Jill Munroe in Aaron Spelling’s TV show. Although she left after just one season, Fawcett endeared herself to the American public and was loved until she died of cancer in 2009.

Roger Clemens

Although he never actually graduated from Texas, Clemens makes the list for his remarkable contributions to both Longhorn and Major League Baseball lore. He was born in 1962 in Dayton, Ohio and was drafted out of high school but opted to attend UT instead in the early 1980s. Clemens was an All-American in both of his seasons at Texas and led the Longhorns to the 1938 College World Series title. He was also the first player in UT history to have his number retired. In his subsequent 26 seasons in the major leagues, Clemons was an 11-time All Star and won seven Cy Young awards – the most all time.