As of 2009, more than 294,000 Fulbrighters from over 155 countries have participated in the Fulbright Program since it began in 1946. Hundreds of Fulbright alumni worldwide currently hold top positions in government, higher education, journalism, law, and the private sector.

 

20 Fulbright alumni have served as a head of state or government

Fernando Cardoso, President, Brazil (1995-2003)
Ingvar G. Carlsson, Prime Minister, Sweden (1986-91, 1994-96)
Wlodziemierz Cimoszewicz, Prime Minister, Poland (1996-1997)
Marek Belka, Prime Minister, Poland (2004-2005)
Lamberto Dini, Prime Minister, Italy (1995-96)
Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani, Prime Minister, Yemen (1994-1997)
Valery Giscard d'Estaing, President, France (1974-81)
Abd El Aziz Hegazy, Prime Minister, Egypt (1974-75)
Hyun Jae Lee, Prime Minister of Korea (1988)
Andreas Papandreou, Prime Minister, Greece (1981-1989, 1993-1996)
Alejandro Toledo, President, Peru (2001-2006)

11 Fulbright alumni have been elected to the United States Congress

20 Fulbright alumni have served as their country's Minister for Foreign Affairs

Wlodziemierz Cimoszewicz, Poland (2001-2005)
Géza Jeszenszky, Hungary (1990-1994)
Henry Kissinger, USA (1973-1977)
Mohamed Benaissa, Morocco
Luis Ernesto Derbez, Mexico

1 Fulbright alumnus has served as Secretary-General of the United Nations

Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1992-96)

1 Fulbright alumnus has served as Secretary-General of the NATO

Javier Solana (1995-99)

40 Fulbright alumni from 11 countries are recipients of the Nobel Prize

Oliver Williamson | USA | Economics | 2009
Jean-Marie Le Clézio | France | Literature | 2008
Osamu Shimomura | Japan | Chemistry | 2008
Leonid Hurwicz | USA | Economics | 2007
Muhammad Yunus | Bangladesh | Peace | 2006
Aaron Ciechanover | Israel | Chemistry | 2004
Riccardo Giacconi | Italy | Physics | 2002
Masatoshi Koshiba | Japan | Physics | 2002
George A. Akerlof | USA | Economics | 2001
Joseph Stiglitz | USA Economics | 2001
Alan G. MacDiarmid | New Zealand | Chemistry | 2000
Douglass C. North | USA | Economics | 1993
Erwin Neher | Germany Medicine | 1991
Trygve Haavelmo | Norway | Economics | 1989
Susumu Tonegawa | Japan | Medicine | 1987
James M. Buchanan | USA | Economics | 1986
Franco Modigliani | USA | Economics | 1985
Carlo Rubbia | Italy | Physics | 1984
William Alfred Fowler | USA | Physics | 1983
Bengt Samuelsson | Sweden | Medicine | 1982
Philip W. Anderson | USA | Physics | 1977
Rosalyn S. Yalow | USA | Medicine | 1977
Milton Friedman | USA | Economics | 1976
Henry Kissinger | USA | Peace | 1973
Wassily Leontief | USA | Economics | 1973
Kenneth Arrow | USA | Economics | 1972
Paul Samuelson | USA | Economics | 1970
Hannes Alfven | Sweden | Physics | 1970
Lars Onsager | USA | Chemistry | 1968
Hans Bethe | USA | Physics | 1967
Robert Sanderson Mulliken | USA | Chemistry | 1966
Charles Hard Townes | USA | Physics | 1964
Giorgos Seferis | Greece | Literature | 1963
Linus Pauling | USA | Peace | 1962
Linus Pauling | USA | Chemistry |1952
John Steinbeck | USA | Literature | 1962
James D. Watson | USA | Medicine | 1962
Emilio Segre | USA | Physics | 1959
Joshua Lederberg | USA | Medicine | 1958
Chen Ning Yang | USA | Physics | 1957
Felix Bloch | USA | Physics | 1952

60 Fulbright alumni are recipients of the Pulitzer Prize

David Hackett Fischer (History, 2005)
Bruce Bissell Finley (Breaking News Reporting, 2000)
Mark Strand (Poetry, 1999)
Charles Wright (Poetry, 1998)
Will Englund (Investigative Reporting, 1998)
George Walker (Music, 1996)
Doris Kearns Goodwin (History, 1995)
Eric Freedman (Beat Reporting, 1994)
Wayne Peterson (Music, 1992)
Jane Smiley (Fiction, 1992)
Charles Simic (Poetry, 1990)
Roger Reynolds (Music, 1989)
Rita Dove (Poetry, 1987)
Joseph Lelyveld (General Non-Fiction, 1986)
Galway Kinnell (Poetry, 1983)
John Updike (Fiction, 1982 and 1991)
Ned Rorem (Music, 1976)
Alan M. Kriegsman (Criticism, 1976)
John Ashbery (Poetry, 1976)
Dominick Argento (Music, 1975)
Daniel J. Boorstin (History, 1974)
Donald Martino (Music, 1974)
Hedrick Smith (International Reporting, 1974)
Ada Louise Huxtable (Criticism, 1970)
Paul Greenberg (Editorial Writing, 1969)
George Crumb (Music, 1968)
Anthony Hecht (Poetry, 1968)
David Brion Davis (General Non-Fiction, 1967)
Katherine Anne Porter (Fiction, 1966)
Leslie Bassett (Music, 1966)
David Herbert Donald (Biography or Autobiography, 1961 & 1988)
Peter Viereck (Poetry, 1949)
Carleton Mabee (Biography or Autobiography, 1944)

22 Fulbright alumni are recipients of the MacArthur Foundation "genius" awards

14 Fulbright alumni are recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

1 Fulbright alumnus is a recipient of an Olympic gold medal

Lee Evans (400M and 4x400M Relay, 1968 Mexico) Fulbright scholar to Cameroon

7 Fulbright alumni have served as University Presidents

John Brademas, University President, New York University (1981-92); Former U.S. Representative from Indiana (1959-81)
Leo J. Donovan, S.J. University President, Georgetown University (1989-2001)
Derek Bok, University President, Harvard University (1971-91)
Gerhard Casper, University President President, Stanford University (1992-2000)
Hanna Holborn Gray, University President, University of Chicago (1978-93)
Richard W. Lyman, University President President, Stanford University (1970-80)
John R. Silber, University President, Boston University (1971-96)

8 Fulbright alumni have served as Business Executives

Jean-Pierre Garnier, CEO, GlaxoSmithKline
Craig Barrett, President and CEO, Intel Corporation
Michael Froman, Chief of Staff, Office of the Chairman, Citigroup, Inc.
Philip Lochner, Senior Vice President, Time Warner (1998)
Alfred Partoll, Vice President AT&T
Thomas R. Pickering, Senior Vice President, The Boeing Company
Lawrence R. Ricciardi, Senior VP & General Counsel, IBM (1995-)
Amar Gopal Bose, Chairman and CEO, Bose Corporation

14 Fulbright alumni are Full Members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Sarkadi, Balázs | Medical Science | AY 2000/2001
Damjanovich, Sándor | Biological Sciences | AY 1996/1997
Stépán, Gábor | Engineering Sciences | AY 1994/1995
Bokor, József | Engineering Sciences | AY 1990/1991
Török, Ádám | Economics and Law | AY 1989/1990
Kapolyi, László | Earth Sciences | AY 1989/1990
Almási, Miklós | Philosophy and History | AY 1989/1990
Solymosi, Frigyes | Chemistry | AY 1988/1989
Hunyady, György | Philosophy and History | AY 1986/1987
Csiszár, Imre | Mathematics | AY 1986/1987
Laczkovich, Miklós | Mathematics | AY 1985/1986
Benedek, Pál | Chemistry | AY 1984/1985
Beck, Mihály | Chemistry | AY 1983/1984
Berend, T. Iván | Philosophy and History | AY 1978/1979