Although only in existence since 1981, the Communication Residential College has managed to contribute a fair number of notable persons to the media, to join Northwestern University's reputation for incubating distinguished scientists, journalists, and actors in their college years.
- Tananarive Due, novelist (The Between, My Soul to Keep, The Black Rose, The Living Blood,The Good House)
- Kathryn Larrabee, novelist (An Everyday Savior)
- Chip Rowe, writer ("The Playboy Advisor," The Book of Zines)
- Donna Washington, professional storyteller, writer (The Story of Kwaanza, The Big Spooky House, Li'l Rabbit's Kwanzaa)
- Eric Scholl, documentary filmmaker (The Dogs of El Nino, The Return of Joe Hill, The End of the Nightstick)
- Craig Shemin, writer and Muppet historian, The Muppets Character Encyclopedia, former staff writer for the Muppets, Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola, Sam and Friends - The Story of Jim Henson’s First Television Show
- Stephanie D’Abruzzo, voice actor (Sheep in the Big City), puppeteer (Sesame Street, Avenue Q)
- Ted Johnson, journalist, former deputy editor at Variety, former writer for TV Guide, occasionally seen on E!
- Dave Schiff, producer on That 70’s Show, King of the Hill
- Rob Vamosi, writer, computer virus and security columnist for ZDNet/CNET, author of When Gadgets Betray Us: The Dark Side of our Infatuation with New Technologies
- Matt Friedman, film editor (I Spy, What Happens in Vegas, Step Up Revolution, The Farewell, Palm Springs)
- Evie Shockley, award-winning poet
- Elizabeth Meister, award winning radio documentary producer, former webmaster for This American Life
- Ian Deitchman and Kristin Rusk, screenwriters/producers (Life As We Know It), Ordinary Joe, Carnival Row, As We See It
Trivia: In the 1990's, the
zine world was flooded with output from many CRC alumni from the 1986-1990 years:
Chip's Closer Cleaner, (Rowe),
Ecdysis (Matt Wolka),
Roulez (Brett Sonnenschein),
Oatmeal (Tim Ereneta), as well as occasional works by Shemin & D'Abruzzo, Bonnie Sinnock, and Isa Helderman.