Editing Texas Tech University (section)

== Notable alumni ==
[[File:Richard Husband, NASA photo portrait in orange suit.jpg|thumb|upright|Colonel Rick Husband]]
{{Main|List of Texas Tech University alumni|List of Texas Tech University alumni (sports)|List of Texas Tech University faculty|List of Texas Tech University presidents}}
The [[Texas Tech Alumni Association]], with over 28,000 members, operates 100 chapters in cities throughout the United States and the world.<ref name="AlumniAssociation">{{cite web|title=Texas Tech Alumni Association's Annual Report 2023|url=https://issuu.com/texastechalumniassociation/docs/ttaa_2023annualreport_8.5x11.-final|publisher=Texas Tech Alumni Association|access-date=2024-11-01}}</ref> Throughout Texas Tech's history, faculty, alumni, and former students have played prominent roles in many different fields. Among its Distinguished Alumni is [[Demetrio B. Lakas]], President of the [[Panama|Republic of Panama]] from 1969 to 1978.<ref name="Demetrio Lakas, 74, Panama Leader Who Had Role in Shaping Canal Pacts"/><ref name="Activities & Programs: Distinguished Alumni Dinner"/> Three United States Governors, [[Daniel I. J. Thornton]], Governor of Colorado from 1951 to 1955; [[John Burroughs (governor)|John Burroughs]], Governor of New Mexico from 1959 to 1961; and [[Preston Smith (Texas)|Preston Smith]], Governor of Texas from 1968 to 1972, are graduates of the university.<ref name="Governor Daniel I.J. Thornton Collection"/><ref name="New Mexico Governor John Burroughs"/><ref name="Preston Smith Bio"/> Texas Tech alumni have also served in the Texas Legislature, including State Representative [[Justin Holland (politician)|Justin Holland]] from 2017 to present.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Representatives|first=Texas House of|title=Texas House of Representatives|url=https://www.house.texas.gov/|access-date=May 25, 2021|website=www.house.texas.gov}}</ref>

Five [[astronaut]]s, including [[Rick Husband]], the final commander of [[Space Shuttle Columbia|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'']] and recipient of the [[Congressional Space Medal of Honor]], graduated from the university.<ref name="Husband"/><ref name="AstronautFactBook"/>{{refn|group=Note|name=AstronautFactBook|Astronaut Fact Book was last published by NASA in 2013. [[Joseph Acaba]] is a 2015 graduate of the [[Texas Tech University College of Education|College of Education]].}} [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]] [[Major (rank)|Major]] and [[Medal of Honor]] recipient [[George H. O'Brien Jr.]] is a distinguished alumnus.<ref name="George H. O'Brien Jr., 78, Marine Awarded Medal of Honor, Dies"/> [[Richard E. Cavazos]] is a two-time [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] recipient and the first Hispanic and Mexican American to advance to the rank of four-star general in the U.S. Army.<ref name="Richard E. Cavazos: First Hispanic American Four-star General"/> [[United States Air Force]] [[Major General]] [[Wendy M. Masiello|Wendy Motlong Masiello]], one of the highest-ranking women in the [[United States Department of Defense]], is a 1980 graduate of Texas Tech's [[Rawls College of Business Administration]]. Alumna [[Arati Prabhakar]], the former head of [[DARPA]], was the first woman to head the [[National Institute of Standards and Technology]]. [[Ginger Kerrick]], American physicist, was the first Hispanic female NASA Flight Director. [[Charles Q. Brown Jr.]] is the first African-American to be appointed as chief of staff of the United States Air Force and the first African-American to lead any branch of the United States Armed Forces.

Texas Tech's influence on the business world is seen in such people as [[General Motors]] Chairman and CEO [[Edward Whitacre Jr.]], Finisar CEO [[Jerry S. Rawls]], [[Belo Corporation]] CEO Dunia A. Shive, and [[ExxonMobil]] board member [[Angela Braly]], ranked by ''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]'' magazine as the most powerful woman in business.<ref name="Edward E. Whitacre Jr. – Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, AT&T Inc."/><ref name="Jerry Rawls Profile"/><ref name="Dunia Shive: Executive Profile and Biography"/><ref name="WellPoint CEO choice surprises some"/><ref name="Fortune 500 Women CEOs – Angela Braly (1)"/> [[Scott Pelley]], anchor and managing editor for ''[[CBS Evening News]]'' and correspondent for ''[[60&nbsp;Minutes]]'', is a graduate of the [[Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication|College of Media & Communication]].

Texas Tech alumni have also made contributions to sports, music, and acting. Texas Tech Red Raiders have gone on to play in the [[National Football League|NFL]], [[National Basketball Association|NBA]], [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]], [[PGA TOUR]], and [[Major League Baseball|MLB]]. Three of the most notable football players are [[Donny Anderson]], who was a member of the [[Green Bay Packers]] when they won [[Super Bowl I]] & [[Super Bowl II]]; [[E. J. Holub]], who in [[Super Bowl IV]] became the only player to start on offense and defense in more than one Super Bowl; and longtime [[Miami Dolphins]] All-Pro linebacker [[Zach Thomas]]. Alumni standouts include 2018 and 2022 NFL MVP and two-time All-Pro quarterback [[Patrick Mahomes]], a three-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Super Bowl MVP (for [[Super Bowl LIV]], [[Super Bowl LVII]], and [[Super Bowl LVIII]]; two-time Bilentenkoff Award-winning wide receiver [[Michael Crabtree]], [[Danny Amendola]], and [[Wes Welker]].<ref name="Zach Thomas Profile"/><ref name="Wes Welker Profile"/> Others among the university's alumni are PGA Tour golfer [[Ludvig Åberg]], folk rocker [[John Denver]], country singer [[Pat Green]], Broadway's longest-running [[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|Phantom of the Opera]] David Gaschen, mezzo-soprano [[Susan Graham]], singer-songwriter [[Lynda Kay|Lynda Kay Parker]], actor [[Barry Corbin]], Friday Night Lights actor [[Brad Leland]], and actor [[George Eads]].<ref name="John Denver killed in plane crash"/><ref name="Pat Green: Texas Songwriter"/><ref name="Biography for George Eads"/> Academy Award-nominated actor [[Jesse Plemons]] is a graduate of Texas Tech K-12.<ref name="JessePlemons">{{cite web|title=From TTU K-12 to Tinseltown|url=https://www.depts.ttu.edu/k12/about-ttu-k12/news/news-archive/2017-08-25_Jesse_Plemons.php|publisher=Texas Tech University|access-date=2024-12-01}}</ref> [[John Hinckley Jr.]], who attempted to assassinate U.S. [[Ronald Reagan|President Ronald Reagan]] in 1981, attended the university sporadically from 1973 to 1980.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lubbockcentennial.com/Section/1959_1983/hinckley.shtml|title=The Lubbock Centennial 1909–2009 – presented by The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal|work=lubbockcentennial.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925143644/http://www.lubbockcentennial.com/Section/1959_1983/hinckley.shtml|archive-date=September 25, 2013}}</ref><ref name="John Hinckley Jr. brings infamy to Lubbock"/>
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