Our alumni go on to do amazing things in their professional lives. Some even rise to fame. Here, below, are examples of alumni who are nationally recognized in their careers or are notable in the State of New Hampshire. Additionally, the COLA Dean's Development Board is comprised of alumni who are CEOs, CAOs, VPs, managers and hold other high-achieving roles in business, finance, media and more.
- Barbara Bonney '78H (German/music majors), American soprano
- Marcy Carsey '66 (English major), Emmy award-winning television producer
- Jared Cassedy '04 (music major), Grammy award-winning music teacher
- Jeff Coffin (music major), saxophone player, three-time Grammy Award-winner as a member of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, toured with Dave Matthews Band
- Jack Edwards '79 (political science major), sportscaster, formerly on Versus and ESPN, play-by-play announcer for Boston Bruins on NESN
- Mary Ann Esposito '91G (history masters), chef, cookbook writer, television host
- Anne Finucane '74 (English major), vice chair of Bank of America, named to Forbes list of "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women"
- David Hallal '88 (psychology major), former president and CEO of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, best known for its development of Soliris
- Ursula Hegi '78 '79G (English major, English masters), novelist, including best-selling Oprah's Book Club novel "Stones from the River"
- John Irving '65 (English major), American novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter
- Natalie Jacobson '65 (English major), long-time news anchor on WCVB-TV
- Tim Janis '91 (music major), composer who has collaborated with Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Andre Previn and others
- Jennifer Lee '92 (English major), chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Golden Globe- and Oscar-winning screenwriter and director of the movie "Frozen"
- Mary Legere '82 (political science and communication majors), lieutenant general and deputy chief of staff for intelligence of the United States Army (retired)
- John Lynch '74 (English and political science majors), former governor of New Hampshire
- Jackie MacMullan '82 (English major), sportswriter and NBA columnist
- Alice McDermott '78G '94H (English masters), author, National Book Award winner
- Steve Merrill '69 (history major), former governor of New Hampshire
- Mike O'Malley '88 (theatre major), actor, writer
- Maryann Plunkett '76 (theatre major), Tony Award-winning actor who has acted on Broadway, in films and on television
- Brendan Emmett Quigley '96 (English major), crossword puzzle constructor, author, musician published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere.
- Lori Robinson '81 (English major), retired United States Air Force general and first female officer to head a global war command
- Laurel Ulrich '80G (history Ph.D.), Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian who coined sentence, "well-behaved women seldom make history"
- Barbara Walsh '81 (English/journalism major), Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author
- Richard Whitney '68 (fine arts major), nationally recognized portrait artist
- Chris Wragge '92 (communication major), Emmy award-winning CBS news anchor
