Steve  Altes

(Class  of  1980)

Steve Altes followed a roundabout path to arrive at his current occupation: actor, model and humorist. After graduation from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and Public Policy, he went to work for the U.S. Senate. Steve’s thesis on the space program is the only college thesis in history ever reviewed by The New York Review of Books. In 1991, President Bush awarded him the National Medal of Technology, the nation’s highest award for engineering achievement, for his work on the Pegasus air-launched space booster.

In 1995, he left engineering to work as a model and an actor. Steve has appeared in over 250 print ads and television commercials, and numerous movies and television shows. He is also the author of a book titled The Little Book of Bad Business Advice, published in 1997. But he is perhaps best known for getting hired into unusual occupations and writing humorous accounts of his exploits for a variety of magazines, such as P.O.V. and Capital Style. His adventures have been chronicled by People magazine, Hard Copy and Inside Edition. Steve is also a sought-after speaker at colleges.

Of his experience at F-M, Steve says, "I owe a tremendous debt to those dedicated F-M teachers for the serious half of my career. For the silly half, I’d like to thank all the class clowns."

Steve Altes lives just outside of Washington, D.C. in a small town much like Fayetteville. His parents, Stephen and Doris, still reside in the real thing.

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