Though some may not believe it, there are thousands of accomplished people with BA, MA, and PhD degrees in sociology, who are not necessarily Sociologists with a capital “S.” Here are a few, found by Peter Dreier, Occidental College, for his commencement address to the 2001 department of sociology graduating class of the University of Oregon.

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In Politics:

• Wellington Webb, mayor of Denver
• Brett Schundler, mayor of Jersey City
• Annette Strauss, former mayor of Dallas
• Rev. Martin Luther King
• Roy Wilkins, former head of NAACP
• Rev. Jesse Jackson
• Rev. Ralph Abernathy
• Shirley Chisholm, former Congresswoman from NY
• Maxine Waters, Congresswoman from LA
• Barbara Mikulski, US Senator from Maryland
• Tim Holden, Congressman from Pennsylvania
• Cardinal Theordore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, DC
• Saul Alinsky, father of community organizing
• Saul Bellow, novelist
• Ronald Reagan (double major in sociology and economics)
• Emily Balch, 1946 Nobel Peace Prize winner (a social worker and social reformer)
• Francis Perkins, social reformer and former Secretary of Labor
• Richard Barajas, Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court

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In the Arts:

• Saul Bellow, novelist
• Regis Philbin, no-talent TV host
• Dan Aykroyd, actor/Blues Brother
• Robin Williams, actor/comedian
• Paul Shaffer, bandleader on David Letterman Show (and before that, Saturday Night Live)
• Dinah Shore, singer
• Ruth Westheimer, the “sex doctor”

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In Sports:

• Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
• Bryant Stith, Boston Celtics
• Brian Jordan, Atlanta Braves
• Joe Theisman, NFL quarterback
• Eric Bjornson, Dallas Cowboys
• Bobby Taylor, Eagles cornerback
• Ahmad Rashad, Sportscaster