51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Famous 51³Ô¹ÏÍø School Graduates

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Famous 51³Ô¹ÏÍø School Graduates
Graduates of boarding schools end up doing all sorts of things. Many of them become distinguished leaders in their chosen fields.
St. Paul

Graduates of boarding schools end up doing all sorts of things. Many of them become distinguished leaders in their chosen fields. Almost all of the alumnae and alumni selected below have also chosen to return time, talent, and treasure to the schools that gave them such a solid start to their careers. They serve on boards of trustees, raise money for their schools, and act as stalwart supporters of these institutions.

That's the point of this little piece: the dream of being something when you are young. Attend a school that will help you realize those dreams by giving you the skills, confidence, and belief that you can accomplish whatever you set out to do. That is the essence of a boarding school education.

Now, I hear you thinking everyone on this list is or was fabulously wealthy. Indeed, some are. But many were not quite well off when just starting out. All of these graduates share one thing in common. They had families that valued the sound, balanced approach to education that the schools they attended afforded them.

Audrey McNiff, Goldman Sachs (retired),

Arthur Bunn, Bunn-O-Matic Corp.,

Betsy Licht Turner, Northern Trust Investments,

Bette Davis, Actress, Cushing Academy, Ashburnham, MA

Betty White, Actress,

Chelsea Clinton, The Clinton Foundation,

Dan Brown, Writer,

Daniel Pinkham, Composer,

David Cameron, Politician,

Denzel Washington, Actor,

Donald Trump, The Trump Organization,

Elizabeth May, Green Party of Canada,

Eric Trump, The Trump Organization,

Ethan Hawke, Actor,

George W. Bush, President of the U.S.,

Glenn Close, Actress,

Henry Dupont IV, Investments,

Hugh Laurie, Actor & Comedian,

Humphrey Bogart, Actor,

Ivanka Trump, The Trump Organization,

J.D. Salinger, Writer, Valley Forge Military Academy, VAlley Forge, PA

James E. Bass, Ojai Goliad, LLC,

James J. Wong, Paulson & Co.,

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Editor,

Jason Wu, Fashion Designer,

Joe Perry, Musician,

John Clease, Comedian,

John F. Kennedy, Jr., Editor,

John Kerry, Secretary of State,

John McCain, Politician, Episcopal High School, Alexandria, VA

John P. Reardon, Jr., Harvard Alumni Association,

Langdon Van Norden, Jr., Attorney,

Laura E. Ellison, Google,

Leon Leonwood Bean, Merchant,

Lilly Pulitzer, Lilly Pulitzer, Inc.,

Malcolm C Moran, Artist,

Marion Freeman, Kepware Technologies,

Mark Zuckerberg, Founder of Facebook,

Michael Douglas, Actor,

Michael Eisner, Businessperson,

Owen Wilson, Actor & Film Producer,

Paul Fireman, Reebok,

Rachel Blanchard, Actress,

Randall Thompson, Composer,

Richard Griswold Woolworth, Jr., The Woodstream Corporation,

Robert Minicucci, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe,

Seth Priebatsch, SCVNGR,

Sigourney Weaver, Actress,

Steve Forbes, Forbes Magazine,

Stockard Channing, Actress,

This video offers conversations with Stockard Channing.

Ted Rogers, Rogers Communications,

Tucker Carlson, The Daily Commentator and Fox News,

Uma Thurman, Actress,

William Clay Ford, Jr., Ford Motor Company,

William Hurt, Actor,

William F. Weld, Attorney and former Governor of Massachusetts,

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Additional Resources [+]

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of careers do boarding school graduates pursue?
Graduates of boarding schools become distinguished leaders in fields such as acting, politics, business, writing, and music.
Do many boarding school alumni give back to their schools?
Almost all of the alumnae and alumni selected have returned time, talent, and treasure to their schools by serving on boards of trustees and raising money.
Can families of different financial backgrounds afford boarding schools?
Many boarding school graduates were not well off when starting out, but their families valued the sound, balanced approach to education the schools provided.
Which famous actors attended boarding schools?
Actors such as Bette Davis (Cushing Academy), Denzel Washington (Oakland Military School), and Sigourney Weaver (Ethel Walker School) are boarding school alumni.
Are there political leaders who graduated from boarding schools?
Yes, political leaders like George W. Bush (Phillips Academy), David Cameron (Eton College), and John McCain (Episcopal High School) attended boarding schools.

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