Notable Knights

William L. Barrett M.D. SBS ’74
Director of the University of Cincinnati (UC) Cancer Institute, professor and chair of the department of radiation oncology at the UC College of Medicine and medical director of the UC Health Barrett Cancer Center

Joan (Siefert) Brugge ’67
Director of the Ludwig Center at Harvard Medical School and Louise Foote Pfeiffer Professor of Cell Biology. Joan also served as the Chair of the Department of Cell Biology from 2004 to 2014.

Dr. Eurie (Lee) Hong ’92
VP of Genomics at Ancestry.com; Chief Scientific Officer at Embryome

Individuals in this category meet at least one of the following criteria:

• College/university president
• Dean or higher-level position at an accredited nationally recognized 4-year college/university
• A writer with a large following outside of academia
• Nationally prominent and recognized expert in an academic field who is covered in the mainstream media
• Leadership role at a nationally known company or institution
• Contributed to a major discovery or advancement
• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• American Philosophical Society
• Institute of Medicine
• National Academy of Education
• National Academy of Engineering
• National Academy of Science

Radek Lord ’14 
Actor. Widely known for his role in television series “The Resident.”(2019), Walk of Shame Shuttle (2015) and The Rock Life (2007).  

Caroline Clark ’12
Movie producer. Known for her work on Patrolling Sandy Hook (2016), Kwaczala (2019) and Kwaczala: A Sketch Show from Joe Kwaczala (2019) 

Alexander Schiefer ’11
Podcast host “Beach too Sandy, Water too Wet” 

Christine Schiefer ’09
Producer and podcast host of “And That’s Why We Drink”

Christina Ng ’07
ABC News, Producer for Diane Sawyer 

Brian Washington ’98
Acclaimed artist documenting the struggles of Black Americans from the slavery and sharecropping eras to the Civil Rights Movement and current tensions. A portion of his collection was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution and is now in the National Underground Railroad and Freedom Center's permanent collection.

David Thies ’90
Cinematographer and director, known for The Peanut Butter Falcon

James “Noah” Hunt ’88 
Lead vocalist for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. Their first record together, "Trouble Is..", yielded three number 1 singles, including the classic Blue on Black, and sold over a million copies worldwide. Their next record, "Live On", gave them another number one song, and also went platinum. They have been nominated for four Grammy Awards, and have received three Billboard Music Awards.

John Bartlett ’81  
John is a graduate of Harvard University and the Fashion Institute of Technology. He has won several fashion awards; two Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awards: the ‘Swarovski Best Newcomer Award’ and ‘Best Menswear Designer of the Year (1997); American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) who named Bartlett ‘Designer of the Year (2010); CFDA/Lexus Eco-Fashion Award (2011); first-ever eco-luxe, 100% cruelty-free menswear collection at New York Fashion Week (2012). He is also an animal rights activist and podcaster (Dog Save The People).

Scott Silbertsein BMS ’78
Founder of HMS Media, HMS has received 20 Emmys and been nominated for another 25. Scott is the recipient of 6. Producer of several regional and national PBS specials, including Great Performances: Chicago Voices (featuring Renée Fleming, Jessie Mueller, Shemekia Copeland and Kurt Elling), First You Dream: The Songs of Kander & Ebb (for the PBS Arts Fall Festival), Second To None (featuring Tina Fey), 25 Years on the Edge (with Gary Sinise, Laurie Metcalf and John Malkovich), Celtic Woman: Emerald, three pledge specials for Under The Streetlamp, A Christmas Carol: The Concert and The Hip Hop Nutcracker, among others.

HMS is also the production company for several top tier Broadway shows and national tours, including Hamilton, Wicked, Jersey Boys and scores more.

Scott is also an Artistic Associate for Lookingglass Theatre Company since 2005, and in 2011, Lookingglass was honored with the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.

Amy Yasbeck GMS ’76
Actress. Known for her role as Casey Chappel Davenport on the sitcom Wings from (1994 to 1997), and for having played the mermaid Madison in the television film Splash, Too (1988). 

H. Nick Ragland III SBS ’58
Author of “Puller’s Runner” and co-author of “The Savior : General Oliver Prince Smith”

Individuals in this category meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Producer/director of a nationally recognized film or TV show
• Lead actor/actress on a nationally-broadcast show or Broadway production
• Radio or television personality in a major media market
• Editor-in-chief or publisher of a national publication
• National award winner (Pulitzer, Academy, Grammy, Emmy, Tony, Oscar, etc.)
• Architects who designed buildings or structures of major significance to the world
• American Academy of Arts and Science

Michael G. Daly ’96  
Assistant General Manager, Texas Rangers

Laura S. Leffler ’96 
Head of Communications & Community Outreach, BP

Ben Schmidt ’95
Co-Founder, VP of Sale, Hoist

James "Jim" Price II ’95
Co-founder of Hoist the rehydration drink. Jim is currently the CEO, and majority owner of Empower Media. 

James "Kelly" Heekin ’95 
President of Hoist

David Falk ’94
Founder of Boca Restaurant Group, Boca has been recognized as one of the top French Restaurants in the United States by Travel and Leisure Magazine as well as Open Table’s Top 100 Restaurants in the United States.

Shelby (Busemeyer) McKee ’90
Inventor of Key Socks

Phillip "Phil" Castellini ’88
Chief Operating Officer, Cincinnati Reds

Jeffrey S. Pfeifer ’85
Chief Product Officer, North America and Raleigh Technology Center Site Leader

H.N. “Nick” Ragland IV BMS ’83
President of O’Keefe’s, Gorilla Glue and Lutz Tools

Thomas "Tom" Williams SBS ’71
President of North American Properties and Mr. Williams is Vice Chairman and one of the principal owners of the Cincinnati Reds. He is a former owner of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1996 to 2006 and, prior to that, was an owner of the Baltimore Orioles.

John F. Barrett SBS ’63
Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Western & Southern Financial Group

W. Joseph Williams Jr. SBS ’57
Chairman of the Board, North American Properties

Charles E. M. Rentschler SBS ’53
Former President and CEO, The Hamilton Foundry and Machine Co.

Frederick Rentschler II SBS ’53
Former chief executive officer of Northwest Airlines and Beatrice Foods

Rose Ann Fleming SNDdeN ’50
Pro bono lawyer, academic advisor for Xavier Men’s Basketball team, and author “Out of Habit: My Life as Xavier University's Unlikely Point Guard;” named Greatest Living Cincinnatian in 2019.

Thomas Theobald SBS ’50
Former Vice Chairman of Citibank and former Chairman and CEO of Continental Bank Corp.

Individuals in this category meet at least one of the following criteria:

• President/Chairman/CEO of a nationally recognized company
• Top-ranking corporate officer of a Fortune 500, NYSE, or Nasdaq company

Lindsay (Byrnes) Reynolds ’97
Former Chief of Staff for First Lady Melania Trump, Former Associate Director of the White House Visitors Office under the George W. Bush Administration

Sean Becker ’92
Former Mayor of Bozeman, Montana

Betsy Sundermann JD GMS ’90
Cincinnati City Council Member, Magistrate, Hamilton County Probate Court

Nancy “Nan” (Kohnen) Cahall ’82
Southwest Ohio Director for US Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) (February 2018 – current)
Trustee Cincinnati State Community & Technical College, Appointed by Governor John Kasich (2015-2018), State Director, US Senator George Voinovich (2010-2011), SW Ohio District Director for US Senator George Voinovich (2005-2010)

Eric Kearney BMS ’77
Member of the Ohio Senate from the 9th district, and was in office December 6, 2005 – December 31, 2014

Cynthia C. Hogan ’75
Attorney and political advisor to Vice President Joe Biden from 2009 – 2013, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs for the NFL, Vice President for Public Policy and Government Affairs at Apple, member of the presidential vetting committee for the 2020 elections

Kathleen (Gilligan) Sebelius ’66
Former Governor of Kansas, and former Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration

Judge Michael Barrett SBS ’65
On May 25, 2006, Judge Michael R. Barrett was sworn as a Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. 

Ralph B. Kohnen, Jr. SBS ’49 
Cincinnati City Council Member (1967 – 1973) , Member of the Ohio House of Representatives (1963-1968), Cincinnati Vice Mayor (1971), Appointed by President Gerald Ford to the United Service Organization (USO) National Board (1974-late 1980’s), Federal Home Loan Bank (Late 1970’s-late 1980’s), Chairman, Hamilton County Republican Party (1986 – 1991)

John J. Gilligan ’35 
Former U.S. House of Representative representing Ohio's first district (1965-1967), former Governor of Ohio (1971-1975). He and daughter, Kathleen (Gilligan) Seblius '66 are the only father and daughter to be elected as state governors. 

Individuals in this category meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Must have attained specified high rank in Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines (Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves)
• Army/Air Force: Brigadier General, Major General, Lieutenant General, General
• Navy/Marines: Rear Admiral, Lower Half Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral
• President or Executive Director of a nationally recognized non-profit organization
• Member of U.S. Congress
• Ranking member of Cabinet, U.S. Presidential Staff, or other key Presidential Appointment
• State or Federal Supreme Court Judge
• Mayor of a large city
• Elected state official, such as governor

Austin Berry ’07
​​​​​​Strength & Conditioning Coach for FC Cincinnati, former FC Cincinnati Defender, former professional soccer player with the Chicago Fire and Philadelphia Union, who won the 2012 MLS Rookie of the Year Award.

​Walter "Wes" Homan Jr. ’02
Professional golfer

Lauren Hoeck ’01
Member of the USA Women's Rugby 7s team from 2009-2013, played in the Women’s 7s World Cup in 2009

Dustin Cohen ’95
Former NFL Linebacker with the St. Louis Rams, Super Bowl XXXV

Individuals in this category meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Prominent player on a professional top-level sports team, Olympic team, World Cup team, or other national (international) team
• Manager, head coach, or higher administration of a professional sports team
• Head coach of a nationally recognized college sports program
• Nationally recognized agent or nationally recognized official/higher-level administrator in a professional sports league/federation/association
• Former professional athletes remain on the list if they had an especially long and distinguished career