List of Lowell High School (San Francisco) alumni facts for kids

Lowell High School in San Francisco has a long history, and many of its former students, called alumni, have gone on to do amazing things! From Nobel Prize winners to famous actors and sports stars, Lowell alumni have made a big impact on the world.

Brilliant Minds: Scientists and Inventors

Some Lowell alumni have changed the world with their discoveries and inventions.

Nobel Prize Winners

• Albert Abraham Michelson (Class of 1868) was the first American to win a Nobel Prize in a science field. He won the Physics prize in 1907 for his work on light.
• Joseph Erlanger (Class of 1892) was a doctor and professor. He won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1945 for his research on nerves.
• Eric Allin Cornell (Class of 1980) won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001 for creating a new state of matter called the Bose-Einstein condensate.

Groundbreaking Inventors

• William Hewlett (Class of 1930) was a famous inventor and businessman. He co-founded the Hewlett-Packard Company, which made many important electronics. He was also a philanthropist, meaning he gave a lot of money to good causes.
• Charles Ginsburg (Class of 1936) helped develop the very first video tape recorder (VTR) that could be sold to the public. This invention changed how we record and watch TV shows and movies!

Leaders and Visionaries

Many Lowell alumni have become important leaders in government, business, and other fields.

Public Service and Government

• Stephen Mather (Class of 1883) was the first Director of the National Park Service. He helped protect America's beautiful natural places.
• Newton B. Drury (Class of 1908) also became a Director of the National Park Service.
• Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Sr. (Class of 1923) had a long career in public service. He was the District Attorney of San Francisco, then the State Attorney General, and finally the Governor of California from 1959 to 1967.
• Pierre Salinger (Class of 1941) was the press secretary for U.S. President John F. Kennedy. He later served as a United States Senator from California.
• Stephen Breyer (Class of 1955) became an Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court, one of the highest legal positions in the country.
• Julia Chang Bloch (Class of 1960) became a U.S. Ambassador to Nepal.
• John Roos (Class of 1973) served as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
• John D. Trasviña (Class of 1976) has held important roles in government, including Assistant Secretary at HUD.

Business and Finance Leaders

• Eugene Meyer (Class of 1892) was the first President of the World Bank and also chaired the Federal Reserve Bank.
• Walter A. Haas (Class of 1905) was the Board Chairman of Levi Strauss & Co, the famous clothing company.
• Donald Fisher (Class of 1946) was the founder and Board Chairman of The GAP, another well-known clothing company.
• Warren Hellman (Class of 1951) was a successful investor who co-founded Hellman & Friedman.
• Katrina Lake is the CEO of Stitch Fix, a popular online personal styling service.

Arts, Entertainment, and Sports Stars

Lowell High has also produced many talented people in the arts, entertainment, and sports.

Creative Artists and Performers

• Rube Goldberg (Class of 1900) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist famous for drawing complex machines that do simple tasks. These are now known as "Rube Goldberg" machines!
• Alexander Calder (Class of 1915) was a famous artist who invented the "mobile," a type of sculpture that moves.
• Carol Channing (Class of 1938) was a Tony Award-winning singer, actress, and comedian, known for her big personality.
• Richard Diebenkorn (Class of 1939) was an important painter of the 20th century.
• Bill Bixby (Class of 1952) was a popular movie and TV actor, famous for shows like The Incredible Hulk and My Favorite Martian.
• Steve Silver (Class of 1962) created the long-running and popular San Francisco show, Beach Blanket Babylon.
• Linda Tillery (Class of 1966) is a talented singer, percussionist, and music producer.
• Benjamin Bratt (Class of 1982) is a well-known movie and TV actor, who starred in the series Law & Order.
• Margaret Cho (Class of 1986) is a famous comedian.
• Daniel Handler (Class of 1988), also known as Lemony Snicket, is the bestselling author of the children's book series A Series of Unfortunate Events.
• Raina Telgemeier (Class of 1995) is a popular American cartoonist and author, known for her graphic novels.
• Jamie Chung (Class of 2001) started on reality TV and became a successful actress in movies and TV shows like Once Upon a Time.
• Rita Volk (Class of 2008) is a model and actress, known for starring in Faking It.
• Golden Landis von Jones (24kGoldn) (Class of 2018) is a popular hip hop musician.
• Lolo Zouaï (Class of 2013) is a singer, songwriter, producer, and model.

Sports Heroes

• Jerry Coleman (Class of 1942) was a decorated Marine aviator, a player for the New York Yankees, and later a Hall of Fame announcer.
• Harry Likas (Class of 1943) won the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship in Singles in 1948 and is in the Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.
• Ed Mayer (Class of 1950) played Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs.
• Tom Meschery (Class of 1957) played in the NBA for the Warriors and SuperSonics.
• Gill Byrd (Class of 1978) played in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers.
• Anton Peterlin (Class of 2005) is a professional soccer player.
• Frank Kudelka was also an NBA player.

Other Notable Alumni

• Dian Fossey (Class of 1949) was a famous primatologist and conservationist. She spent years studying mountain gorillas in Rwanda, and her work was featured in the book and film Gorillas in the Mist.
• Richard C. Blum (Class of 1953) was a successful businessman and a Regent of the University of California.
• Richard Levin (Class of 1964) was the President of Yale University for 20 years.
• Charles H. Ferguson (Class of 1972) is a filmmaker whose movie Inside Job won an Academy Award for best documentary.
• Larry Baer (Class of 1975) is the President of the San Francisco Giants MLB team.