Famous People & The Colleges They Attended - Back-to-school bells are ringing and students are hitting the books once again. Famous People & The Colleges They Attended, Before they were famous, these celebs were students, too. See who partied, pranked, played, cheered and studied their way through or out of college, and check out their career aspirations before they decided to seek the spotlight.
Mario Batali
The clues: The joy of cooking came later for the chef, who double majored in Spanish theater and economics at a New Jersey university. mario batali recipes, food network humor mario,
Rutgers University
George W. Bush
The clues: After giving up his megaphone in high school, the future 41st U.S. president joined his college baseball team, becoming a second base starter while pursuing a degree in history. president george w. bush at yale,
Yale University
Julia Child
The clues: One of the first celebrity chefs earned a degree in history from a New England liberal arts college before attending an international culinary institute on a whim. Fans celebrate a special anniversary for the kitchen all-star this month. le courdon blue paris, Julia Child's 100th birthday, julia child in college,
Smith College
George Clooney
The clues: The Academy Award-winning actor and Kentuckian didn't travel far to college, best supporting actor 2005: george clooney as bob barnes in syriana, where he was a known party animal and class skipper who eventually dropped out to pursue acting.best supporting actor 2005: george clooney as bob barnes in syriana, george clooney northern kentucky university,
Northern Kentucky University
Thad Cochran
The clues: The U.S. senator opted not to leave his home state of Mississippi to pursue a degree in psychology, join a fraternity and serve on the cheerleading squad. Pi Kappa Alpha, thad cochran college photo,
The University Of Mississippi
Sean "Diddy" Combs
The clues: The former business major at a Washington, D.C., university dropped out to intern at an up- and-coming record label, eventually becoming talent director in charge of developing Jodeci and Mary J. Blige. sean combs college photo,
Howard University
Salvador Dali
The clues: The eccentric artist was expelled from a Madrid academy after criticizing the qualifications of his professors. san fernando royal academy of fine art art +madrid,
San Fernando Royal Academy of fine art art Madrid
Giada De Laurentiis
The clues: The celebrity chef studied baking and pastry at a prominent Paris culinary institute, but before studying abroad, she was in California earning her bachelor's degree in social anthropology. giada de laurentiis cooking, young giada,
University of California Los Angeles
Michael Dell
The clues: While a freshman pre-med student at a Lone Star state university, the computer whiz sold and upgraded computers out of his dorm room and eventually dropped out to further pursue his buy direct concept. young michael dell,
University of Texas Austin
Brian Dennehy
The clues: Brian Dennehy won two Tony Awards for “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” and “Death of a Salesman., The two-time Tony Award winner started out at a New York Ivy League school on a football scholarship and later transferred to another in Connecticut to pursue dramatic arts. Brian Dennehy won two Tony Awards for “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” and “Death of a Salesman.,
Columbia University
Dwight D. Eisenhower
The clues: Before the future five-star general took on enemies of the U.S. and its allies, he battled opponents on the gridiron at a prominent New York military academy.
West Point
Bobby Flay
The clues: After dropping out of high school at 17 and working at an ice cream franchise, French Culinary Institute +international culinary center, the chef became part of the first graduating class at a culinary institute thanks to his father's business partner footing the tuition bill. French Culinary Institute +international culinary center,
French Culinary Institute International Culinary Center
Gerald R. Ford
The clues: The future 38th U.S. president donned maize and blue as a center and linebacker for this Midwestern university football team, helping them receive back-to-back national championships. young gerald ford football,
The University of Michigan
Robert Frost
The clues: The respected poet was a bit of a prankster at a New Hampshire liberal arts college and was expelled for shaving a picture in another student's hair, which violated the school's hazing policy.
Dartmouth College
Hill Harper
The clues: While a student at a prominent law school, the "CSI: NY" actor befriended a future U.S. president over a game of basketball.
Harvard University
William Randolph Hearst
The clues: The successful publisher was kicked out of an East Coast university after gifting his professors with personalized chamber pots. william randolph hearst as a young man,
Harvard University
Mick Jagger
The clues: This member of The Rolling Stones enrolled in a London college with aspirations of becoming a journalist or politician but left to pursue music. young mick jagger,
London School of Economics
Steve Jobs
The clues: Although he dropped out of college after the first semester, the Apple co-founder credits a calligraphy course in the trailblazing Oregon town for inspiring various typefaces and fonts for the Mac. young steve jobs,
Reed College
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
The clues: Long before he became an actor or threw the "People's Elbow" in the wrestling ring, his skills as a defensive tackle earned his college football team a 1991 national championship. dwayne johnson movies,
University of Miami
Emeril Lagasse
The clues: His knack for percussion earned him a music scholarship but aspirations of becoming a chef led him to pursue that dream at a Rhode Island university.
Johnson & Wales University
Madonna
The clues: The iconic entertainer attended college in her home state to study dance but dropped out and moved to New York to pursue dance as a career. young madonna,
University of Michigan
Conan O'Brien
The clues: The late-night funny man served as president and writer for his university's humor magazine and graduated magna cum laude with a double major in history and literature.
Harvard University
Jamie Oliver
The clues: The "Naked Chef" dropped out of high school due to an acute learning disorder but later perfected his culinary skills at a college in his native England. Westminster Kingsway College, a young jaime oliver,
Westminster Kingsway College
Ronald Reagan
The clues: The future actor and 40th U.S. president dabbled in athletics at school, participating in football and serving as swim team captain at an Illinois liberal arts college.
Eureka College
Franklin D. Roosevelt
The clues: The 32nd U.S. president was a C student, a member of a fraternity and editor-in-chief of his college's daily newspaper. young franklin d. roosevelt graduation photo,
Harvard
Richard Mellon Scaife
The clues: The prominent newspaper publisher's rowdy drunkenness got him expelled from a Connecticut university after the beer keg he rolled down the stairs at a party broke another student's leg.
Yale University
Percy Bysshe Shelley
The clues: The romantic poet and lyricist was known for his salacious prose, but school officials felt he went too far and expelled him after he refused to apologize for writing a pamphlet that attacked Christianity. necessity of atheism, Percy Bysshe Shelley, percy bysshe shelley,
University of Oxford
Howard Stern
The clues: Before being crowned the “Shock Jock”, he traded New York for Boston to attend college, working at the school's radio station and earning a degree in communications.
Boston University
Ben Stiller
The clues: The comedic actor was famous for entertaining guests at fraternity parties, but the film student dropped out of this California university to move to New York and pursue acting. a young ben stiller,
UCLA
Michael Symon
The clues: After breaking his arm in a high school wrestling practice session, +st. edward high school in lakewood, ohio, the future chef took a job as a cook at a local rib joint and later developed his craft at a New York culinary institute. +st. edward high school in lakewood, ohio, michael symon restaurants, Culinary Institute of America +Hyde Park,
Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park
Ted Turner
The clues: The media mogul's tenure at a Rhode Island university was short lived due to his expulsion for being caught in a dorm room with a girl. television stations owned by Turner Broadcasting,
Brown University
Sela Ward
The clues: The Southern belle and "CSY: NY" actress was homecoming queen and a cheerleader in college, where she majored in art and advertising. sela ward cheerleader photo,
University of Alabama
J.C. Watts
The clues: Before representing the people of Oklahoma, he led his home-state college team to consecutive Orange Bowl victories as quarterback and earned a degree in journalism.
University of Oklahoma
Oprah Winfrey
The clues: The media mogul and Mississippian left a TennesseeHBCU one credit shy of a degree in communication to become a news anchor but returned more than10 years later to complete her coursework. oprah winfrey tennessee state college photo,
Tennessee State University
Reese Witherspoon
The clues: The “Legally Blonde” Southern actress majored in English literature at a university out West for one year before leaving to perfect her
Stanford University
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