Lewis Albanese - Medal of Honor recipient during the Vietnam War.

Lynda Barry - Cartoonist and author.

Royal Brougham - Journalist, news editor, and philanthropist.
As an editor for the student paper in 1920, he suggested the school's teams be named "Quakers".

Horace R. Cayton, Jr. (1903-1970) - Sociologist.

Ron Chew - Community organizer and historian.

Larry Gossett - Politician.
He was arrested for unlawful assembly during a March 29, 1968 sit-in at Franklin High School.

George Herbert Hitchings - American chemist.
He shared the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering important principles in drug treatment leading to new drugs to treat diseases which include leukemia, malaria, herpes virus infections, and gout.

Edwin M. Lee - Mayor of San Francisco.

Gary Locke - Chinese-American politician.
10th U.S. Ambassador to China (2011–2014), U.S. Secretary of Commerce (2009–2011), Governor of Washington (1997–2005), King County Executive (1994–1997), Washington House of Representatives (1983–1994).

Alfred M. Moen - founder of Moen, Inc. and inventor of the single-handed mixing faucet.

Everett Nordstrom - chairman and CEO of Nordstrom.

Scott Oki - Former senior vice-president of sales and marketing for Microsoft, founder of the non-profit Oki Foundation.

Noah Purcell, attorney and as Solicitor General of Washington since 2013
Franklin Raines - Associate director for economics and government in the Office of Management and Budget and assistant director of the White House Domestic Policy Staff from 1977 to 1979, a partner at Lazard Freres and Co., former Vice Chairman and former CEO of Fannie Mae, Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton Administration.

Ralph Julian Rivers - the first congressman from Alaska.

James Sakamoto (1903–1955), journalist and community organizer.

Bell M. Shimada (1922-1958, class of 1939), fisheries scientist who pioneered the study of the tuna fishery in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

Mark Sidran (born 1951, class of 1969), former Seattle City Attorney
Victor Steinbrueck (1911-1985), architect who contributed to the design of the Space Needle and fought to preserve significant historical landmarks of Seattle, including the Pike Place Market; November 2 is Steinbrueck Day in Seattle.

Girmay Zahilay, politician and county councilmember
Lewis Albanese - Medal of Honor recipient during the Vietnam War.
Lynda Barry - Cartoonist and author.
Royal Brougham - Journalist, news editor, and philanthropist. As an editor for the student paper in 1920, he suggested the school's teams be named "Quakers".
Horace R. Cayton, Jr. (1903-1970) - Sociologist.
Ron Chew - Community organizer and historian.
Larry Gossett - Politician. He was arrested for unlawful assembly during a March 29, 1968 sit-in at Franklin High School.
George Herbert Hitchings - American chemist. He shared the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering important principles in drug treatment leading to new drugs to treat diseases which include leukemia, malaria, herpes virus infections, and gout.
Edwin M. Lee - Mayor of San Francisco.
Gary Locke - Chinese-American politician. 10th U.S. Ambassador to China (2011–2014), U.S. Secretary of Commerce (2009–2011), Governor of Washington (1997–2005), King County Executive (1994–1997), Washington House of Representatives (1983–1994).
Alfred M. Moen - founder of Moen, Inc. and inventor of the single-handed mixing faucet.
Everett Nordstrom - chairman and CEO of Nordstrom.
Scott Oki - Former senior vice-president of sales and marketing for Microsoft, founder of the non-profit Oki Foundation.
Noah Purcell, attorney and as Solicitor General of Washington since 2013
Franklin Raines - Associate director for economics and government in the Office of Management and Budget and assistant director of the White House Domestic Policy Staff from 1977 to 1979, a partner at Lazard Freres and Co., former Vice Chairman and former CEO of Fannie Mae, Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton Administration.
Ralph Julian Rivers - the first congressman from Alaska.
James Sakamoto (1903–1955), journalist and community organizer.
Bell M. Shimada (1922-1958, class of 1939), fisheries scientist who pioneered the study of the tuna fishery in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
Mark Sidran (born 1951, class of 1969), former Seattle City Attorney
Victor Steinbrueck (1911-1985), architect who contributed to the design of the Space Needle and fought to preserve significant historical landmarks of Seattle, including the Pike Place Market; November 2 is Steinbrueck Day in Seattle.
Girmay Zahilay, politician and county councilmember
Franklin High School (Seattle)