Fun Facts: Alumni names

We unearthed a number of fun facts surrounding Cornell alumni names, from the most common to the coolest—yes, Cornellians named Cornell.

William King ’68: “I visited Cornell as part of the William Fletcher King scholarship competition weekend in 1964. I received some good-natured ribbing from upper-class students on campus that weekend—accused of insider trading. To be sure, my name tag was in high demand.”

127

Number of alumni named Smith, the most common surname

6,982

Number of alumni with a unique surname

1,987

Number of alumni with a unique first name (remember spelling matters!)

Terrie Thompson Cornell ’67: “I’m mighty proud of the name! My paternal grandfather taught law at Cornell University, so my grandmother said I was destined to marry Bill Cornell.”

 

Nicole Tuma Cornell ’98: “It’s fair to say that the Cornell Report gets more enthusiasm from my family than it might otherwise!”

Associated Colleges of the Midwest surnames

Cornell, Carleton, Coe, Knox, Lawrence, and Luther

Time

There are no Seconds, Minutes, or Hours, but we do have Day(s) and Weeks

Color

One primary color (Blue) and one secondary color (Green) are represented

Bradley Olin ’04: “In my four years on campus, I never lived in Olin Hall. In fact, I don’t really think I ever set foot in it!”