and President of the United Nations General Assembly; helped start Knox's Honor System Alex Kuo 1961 — Distinguished Affiliated Scholar at Knox, author, winner of 2002 American Book Award Thomas Eugene Kurtz 1950 — co-inventor of BASIC computer language Charles Wesley Leffingwell 1862 — editor of The Living Church magazine Lorenzo D. Lewelling — 12th Governor of Kansas Don Marquis — author and journalist Edgar Lee Masters — poet and novelist, best known as author of Spoon River Anthology (1915) S. S. McClure 1882 — muckraking journalism pioneer, founder of McClure's Magazine Todd Monken 1989 — former professional football coach, former head coach at Southern Mississippi University; currently offensive coordinator for the University of Georgia Ander Monson 1997 — novelist and poet, author of Other Electricities, and Vacationland, a collection of poems John Podesta 1971 — Chief of Staff for President Bill Clinton Rose Polenzani — independent folk musician Gene Rayburn — announcer for The Tonight Show; host of The Match Game and other game shows Hiram Rhodes Revels — AME and Methodist Episcopal minister, and first black U.S. Senator (1870–1871) Barnabas Root 1870 — one of the first black men to receive a college degree in Illinois Ezekiel S. Sampson — U.S. Representative and lawyer from Iowa Don Samuelson — 25th governor of Idaho (1967–1971) Ellen Browning Scripps 1859 — newspaper magnate, philanthropist; helped found Scripps College and Scripps Institution of Oceanography Robert Seibert 1963 — Professor Emeritus at Knox College and author of Politics and Change in the Middle East Joseph J. Sisco 1941 — diplomat under Henry Kissinger; president of American University (1976–1980) Clare Snider Smith 1973 – printmaker who studied at Atelier 17, a prominent art studio in Paris, France Zack Stephenson 2006 — Minnesota State Representative (2019–present) Dorothea Tanning 1932 — surrealist painter; wife of surrealist painter Max Ernst Kathryn Tanquary 2010 — author of juvenile fiction novel The Night Parade Mary Allen West 1855 — journalist and temperance worker Allan Arthur Willman 1928 — classical pianist, 20th-century composer, chair of University of Wyoming music department John Wozniak 1999 - Football player and Division 1 football coach References External links Official website 1837 establishments in Illinois Education in Knox County, Illinois Educational institutions established in 1837 Liberal arts colleges in Illinois American manual labor schools Private universities and colleges in Illinois