Tamdan McCrory
Born and raised here in Ithaca, Tamdan McCrory, or the “Barn Cat,” is an American professional mixed martial artist. During his time at IHS, he was often bullied for being a “nerd.” He says that those experiences motivated him to become a fighter. After wrestling for the Little Red, McCrory attended SUNY Cortland, where he studied kinesiology. At the age of 19, McCrory began his professional mixed martial arts career and became one of the youngest NABC (North American Boxing Council) champions ever. He had a very successful season and finished with a record of 8-0. This drew the attention of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), where he would go on to defeat many tough opponents and place him among the top fighters in the US.
Dustin Brown
Dustin James Brown was born in 1984 in Ithaca. He played on the IHS hockey team, where he led them through many successful seasons. He got drafted by the Los Angeles Kings with the thirteenth pick in the first round. He would go on to lead the Kings to win two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, which would land him in the US Hockey Hall of Fame and lead to his number being retired by the Kings. In 2012, he brought the Stanley Cup back here to Ithaca High School to honor his hometown. Brown was known for his physical style of play, which caused him to rank high in both hits and penalties drawn. In addition to his successful NHL career, Brown competed with the US national team in three consecutive world championships, where he won a Bronze medal. He was also the co-captain of the 2010 Olympic team, where the USA brought home a silver medal.
Walter S. Grant
A part of the IHS graduating class of 1894, Walter S. Grant was a Major General in the United States Army. He was both the class president and commencement speaker during his time at IHS. After graduating, he went on to attend the United States Military Academy, where he would train for many years. He served from 1900 to 1946 and was a veteran of both World War I and World War II. He was a highly decorated general and won the Army Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit. Grant passed away in Washington, DC, and is buried at the West Point Cemetery.
Matthew Levatich
Matthew Levatich was the President and CEO of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles. He was born in 1965 at the Tompkins County Hospital in Ithaca. He lived a very rural life and went to Caroline Elementary School before attending Dewitt Middle School and then IHS. Levatich continued his education at Northwestern, where he studied marketing and finance. He became the CEO of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles in 2015 and led the company until his resignation in 2020.
Daniel Kammen
Born and raised in Ithaca, Daniel Kammen is a renewable energy expert, scientist, and former government figure. Currently, he serves as a Distinguished Professor of Energy at the University of California, Berkeley. Like his father, Michael Kammen, who was a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, Daniel Kammen attended Cornell University, where he studied physics. His most well-known report is titled Climate Change 2007, which won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. In 2016, he was selected as a US Science Envoy by the US State Department but later resigned due to political reasons. He has written twelve books and is a distinguished figure in the modern science world. X Ambassadors
The X Ambassadors are a well-known pop-rock band from Ithaca. Led by Sam Harris, the group consists of many IHS alumni. They began making music together at a young age and quickly became more popular. Their most famous songs are “Jungle,” “Unsteady,” and “Renegades,” which features Ithaca High School in the music video. The group was recognized and collaborated with the world-famous Imagine Dragons and went on many tours across the country. They have been nominated for the iHeartRadio Music Awards as well as the American Music Award for Alternative Rock.