| Alumni | Class year | Notability | References |
| John Monteith | | President of University of Michigania | |
| | President of Miami University | |
| | President of Hanover College ; President of Wilson Female Seminary | |
| | Principal of Baltimore City College ; first Professor of Mathematics at Westminster College, Missouri | |
| 1892 | President of Washington & Jefferson College | |
| | Longtime trustee of Washington College and Interim President ; Chair of the Board of Trustees at Washington & Jefferson College ; Presbyterian minister at First Presbyterian Church in Washington, Pennsylvania for over 50 years | |
| | President of Franklin College, in New Athens, Ohio ; Associate Reformed Minister; gave up ministry to head West | |
| 1974 | Professor of Paleoanthropology at Stony Brook University; expert in hominid taxonomy from the Pliocene era; led the research team that dated the Hofmeyr Skull | |
| | President of Washington & Jefferson College ; Presbyterian minister | |
| | President of University of Ohio ; President of Davidson College ; Professor of Metaphysics, Logic, and Rhetoric; Presbyterian minister | |
| 1952 | Editor of University of Pittsburgh Press ; founded Drue Heinz Literature Prize and Pitt Poetry Series | |
| | President of Lafayette College ; President Miami University ; President Washington College, Virginia ; author of many theological books; Presbyterian minister | |
| | President of Lehigh University and St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland ; founder and editor of International Review; lawyer, poet, author, and Protestant Episcopal minister | |
| | Nationally known abolitionist, philanthropist, founder of the Washington Female Seminary, and benefactor of LeMoyne–Owen College, a historically Black college in Memphis, Tennessee | |
| | First President of Ohio University | |
| 1888 | Scholar of English literature; wrote The Road to Xanadu: A Study in the Ways of the Imagination, in 1927, the definitive study of Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Dean and Professor at Washington University in St. Louis and Harvard University | |
| 1880 | Chancellor of University of Pittsburgh ; he moved the University to its current location in Oakland and fortified its tradition of teacher liberal arts | |
| | Author of McGuffey Readers; President of Cincinnati College ; President of Ohio University ; Professor of Languages and Philosophy | |
| | President of Jefferson College ; first President of Franklin College, in New Athens, Ohio | |
| 1869 | President of Washington & Jefferson College | |
| | First President of Muhlenberg College ; President of Thiel College | |
| 1918 | President of Suffolk University | |
| | President of Franklin College, in New Athens, Ohio ; Presbyterian minister; published several theological books | |
| 1923 | President of Washington & Jefferson College ; Professor of Mathematics at Hamilton College and Washington & Jefferson College | |
| | President of Jefferson College ; Professor of Greek; Presbyterian minister | |
| | President of Ohio University ; President of Indiana University ; Professor of Mathematics at Indiana University, Ohio University, and Centre College | |
| | President of Washington College, retired to facilitate union with Jefferson College; Vice President and Professor of West Virginia University ; Presbyterian minister | |
| 1945 | Legal academic and professor; Dean of University of Pittsburgh School of Law ; considered to be the father of Pennsylvania business corporation law; taught at University of Pittsburgh School of Law for over 50 years | |
| | President of Franklin College, in New Athens, Ohio ; Presbyterian minister; wrote two early histories of the Presbytery of Redstone and Jefferson College; grandson of college founder, Joseph Smith | |
| | Principal of Pittsburgh Academy ; founder of Meadville Academy | |
| | President of Jefferson College ; studied under college founder John McMillan; Professor of Moral Philosophy | |
| | President of Jefferson College ; President of Washington College ; first President of Indiana University ; Protestant Episcopal minister | |
| Alumni | Class year | Notability | References |
| | Confederate Brigadier general during the American Civil War, commanding the Army of Tennessee; Delegate to the Provisional Confederate Congress from Florida; U.S. Congressman from Washington Territory | |
| | Union Army officer during the American Civil War, serving as Military supervisor of railroads in the Department of the Ohio, Department of the Cumberland, and the Department of the Tennessee during the American Civil War | |
| | Medal of Honor recipient; Inspector General of the U.S. Army ; Union Brevet Major general during the American Civil War | |
| | Medal of Honor recipient; Union brigadier general during the American Civil War; U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | Brevet Major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War | |
| | Adjutant General of the U.S. Army | |
| 1942 | Rocket engineer and proponent of single-stage rocket ships and laser battle stations in space; worked at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company and was chief engineer of space systems at Douglas Aircraft Company; developed expendable fuel tanks for space-shuttle and early stages of the Hubble Space Telescope; worked on the staff of National Aeronautics and Space Council; wrote textbook Thrust Into Space | |
| | Confederate Brigadier general during the American Civil War; U.S. Congressman from Virginia ; member of the First Confederate Congress | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Kentucky, resigned to enter the Union Army during the American Civil War, rising to become Brigadier general; killed during Battle of Perryville | |
| 1978 | Deputy Director of Central Intelligence and Acting Director of Central Intelligence | |
| | Brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War | |
| 1970 | Vice admiral in the United States Navy and director of the Naval Air Systems Command; majored in physics and worked as equipment manager for the Washington & Jefferson basketball team | |
| | Led the effort to create a national cemetery at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg; founded Evergreen Cemetery ; attorney | |
| | Patriarch of the "Tribe of Dan" of the Fighting McCooks; officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War; his home, the Daniel McCook House, is on the National Register of Historic Places | |
| | Presbyterian minister, active in developing Sunday Schools; Union chaplain during the American Civil War and member of the celebrated Fighting McCooks; entomologist, publishing articles on ants and spiders; author of fiction, including The Latimers, as well as several religious discourses and hymns; designed the Flag of Philadelphia | |
| | Patriarch of the "Tribe of John" of the Fighting McCooks; surgeon in the Union Army during the American Civil War | |
| | Major in the 31st Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War and a member of the Fighting McCooks | |
| 1875† | American naval officer who went to China and served in the Imperial Chinese Navy; he commanded ships during the First Sino-Japanese War and Sino-French War; best known for his heroism during the Battle of the Yalu River | |
| | Major General who commanded the 42nd Infantry Division | |
| | Fought in the Texian Army during the Texas Revolution; Brevet Brigadier general during the American Civil War; served as Consul to Marseille and United States Ambassador to Portugal; U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| | Union Brevet Major general during the American Civil War; received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Lewis's Farm | |
| 1984 | Naval intelligence officer and businessman; worked as an arms dealer on behalf of United States Department of Defense following the Cold War and during the Iraq War; majored in mathematics and physics | |
| | Brevet Brigadier general during the American Civil War; lawyer and United States Attorney | |
| 1901† | United States Army Lieutenant general; Commander of the Caribbean Defense Command and V Corps; left Washington & Jefferson College to enlist in the Spanish–American War | |
| 1942 | Astronaut and test pilot; piloted the X-15 Spaceplane during Flight 90 and Flight 91 beyond 100 kilometers, making him the first person to enter space twice; first to pilot Lunar Landing Research Vehicle for the Apollo program | |
| | First Chief of Staff of the United States Army ; left Jefferson College to work on the Pennsylvania Railroad; Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park | |
| Alumni | Class year | Notability | References |
| 1875 | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania ; owner/editor of the Washington Weekly Observer | |
| 1911† | U.S. Congressman from West Virginia, serving as Minority Whip | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Iowa ; member of the Iowa House of Representatives, serving as Speaker of the House from 1863 to 1864 | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Virginia | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| Philip Doddridge | Canonsburg | U.S. Congressman from Virginia | |
| | U.S. Congressman Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| † | U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Maryland ; member of Maryland House of Delegates, serving as Speaker of the House for the 1849 session | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| 1901 | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania ; founded Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney law firm | |
| 1984 | U.S. Congresswoman from Pennsylvania ; Pennsylvania State Senator | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Maryland ; Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Illinois | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| 1911 | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Virginia | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Iowa | |
| 1932 | U.S. Congressman from Maryland | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Iowa | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| 1870 | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania ; postmaster of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; newspaper publisher for the Harrisburg Daily Patriot, the Bedford Gazette, and the Daily Star Independent | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| 1952† | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania, chairing the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense; the first Vietnam veteran elected to Congress | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Iowa | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Iowa | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Mississippi | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania ; brigadier general in state militia | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| 1881 | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| † | U.S. Congressman from Missouri, where he helped pass the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; considered to be the father of the University of Missouri | |
| 1993 | U.S. Congressman from Florida | |
| 1880 | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| 1890† | U.S. Congressman from Maryland | |
| | U.S. Congressman from New York | |
| 1887 | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania ; General counsel of Standard Oil | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania ; U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania ; Runner-up for Vice Presidential nomination at 1848 Whig National Convention | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Mississippi | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Ohio | |
| | U.S. Congressman from Minnesota | |
| Alumni | Class year | Notability | References |
| 1952† | Actor of The Addams Family and Batman fame | |
| 1921 | Artist known for his work in oil and watercolor; called "Dean of Chicago Painters" | |
| | Author, physician, newspaper publisher, and personal secretary to President Andrew Johnson; best known for constructing a hoax, claiming the discovery of the remains of an Icelandic Christian woman near the Potomac River, proving that America had been "discovered" five centuries before Christopher Columbus | |
| 1933 | Creator of the newspaper comic strip Rex Morgan, M.D.; won the 1933 Eastern Intercollegiate Boxing Championship in the 165-pound weight class | |
| | 19th-century songwriter of American folk classics "Oh! Susanna", "Camptown Races", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Old Black Joe", "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Old Folks at Home", among others; attended Washington & Jefferson but never finished; sources conflict on whether he was expelled or left voluntarily | |
| 1876 | Art director of the St. Louis Exposition of 1904 | |
| | American historian and author | |
| Alumni | Class year | Notability | References |
| | Head coach of Washington & Jefferson Presidents football team | |
| 1895† | First openly paid professional football player | |
| | Professional football player for the Akron Pros, where he also served as head coach | |
| | Professional football player with the Canton Bulldogs, winning the NFL Championship in 1922 and 1923 | |
| 1930 | Professional football player for the Portsmouth Spartans, Providence Steam Roller, Chicago Cardinals, and the Pittsburgh Pirates; member of the 1930 NFL All-Pro Team; first head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1933 | |
| | Professional football player from 1923 to 1930, winning the 1925 NFL Championship with the Chicago Cardinals; head coach for the Milwaukee Badgers | |
| 1920† | Member of the College Football Hall of Fame | |
| 1901† | Major League Baseball right fielder and physician, playing for five teams during his 8-year career; played in the 1906 World Series for the Chicago Cubs; team captain of the Boston Red Sox in 1909; Manager of the Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League in 1914 | |
| 1981 | Commissioner of the National Football League | |
| | Professional football player for the Detroit Heralds, Detroit Tigers, Buffalo All-Americans, Cleveland Indians, and the Dayton Triangles; was named to the 1923 NFL All-Pro team | |
| 1949 | National Football League official, where he was referee for The Drive and was on the officiating crew for three Super Bowls; executive director of Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League | |
| 1919 | Professional football player and coach; member of the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
| | Professional football player, winning the 1926 NFL Championship with the Frankford Yellow Jackets | |
| 1938 | National Basketball League player; member of the Basketball Hall of Fame; later coached the Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association | |
| 1925 | Professional football coach for Manhattan College and the Boston Yanks ; a member of the Washington & Jefferson Presidents' 1922 Rose Bowl team | |
| | Professional football coach and player; head coach at DePauw University | |
| ? | Major League Baseball player; known in baseball lore for hitting the shortest home run in history: 24 inches. | |
| 1984 | Head coach of the Miami Dolphins ; Offensive Coordinator for the Green Bay Packers | |
| | Professional football player for the Cleveland Rams and the Green Bay Packers; drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 5th round of the 1938 NFL Draft | |
| | 1914 College Football All-America Team Consensus selection | |
| 1911† | Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers | |
| 1921 | Professional football player; member of the Pottsville Maroons involved in the 1925 NFL Championship controversy; member of the Washington & Jefferson College's 1922 Rose Bowl team, where he was MVP | |
| | Professional football player for the Los Angeles Rams ; five-time Pro Bowler; the NFL's leading rusher in 1951; won the 1951 NFL Championship Game | |
| 1923 | Professional football player and coach; a member of the 1922 Rose Bowl team | |
| 1924 | College football player and track star, becoming the first African American to play quarterback in the Rose Bowl; later became a respected medical doctor | |
