List of people from Missouri

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

State flag of Missouri
Location of Missouri in the U.S. map
Flag-map of Missouri.svg

The following are people who were either born/raised or have lived for a significant period of time in Missouri.

Art and literature[]

T. S. Eliot
Russ Mitchell
Mark Twain
Tennessee Williams
  • Helen Andelin (1920–2009), author of Fascinating Womanhood
  • Maya Angelou (1928–2014), author and poet
  • Thomas P. Barnett (1870–1929), architect and impressionist painter
  • Thomas Hart Benton (1889–1975), painter
  • George Caleb Bingham (1811–1879), artist (born in Virginia but moved to central Missouri)
  • Edward McKendree Bounds (1835–1913), author and theologian
  • Mark Bowden (born 1951), author, journalist
  • William S. Burroughs (1914–1997), author (Naked Lunch)
  • Kate Chopin (1851–1904), author (The Awakening) and early feminist
  • Guy Anthony De Marco (born 1963), author of speculative fiction
  • Lester Dent (1904–1959), author of Doc Savage novels
  • Michele Dunaway (born 1965), author of romantic novels
  • Suzette Haden Elgin (1936–2015), science-fiction author and linguist
  • T. S. Eliot (1888–1965), poet, dramatist and literary critic
  • Mary Engelbreit (born 1952), graphic artist, children's book illustrator
  • Michael Evans (1944–2005), photographer
  • Eugene Field (1850–1895), writer and poet
  • Gillian Flynn (born 1971), novelist, television critic
  • Martha Gellhorn (1908–1998), novelist, travel writer and journalist
  • Steve Gerber (1947–2008), comic book writer and co-creator of Howard the Duck
  • David L. Harrison (born 1937), children's author, poet, recipient of the Missourian Award (2006)[1]
  • William Least Heat-Moon (born 1939), author
  • Robert A. Heinlein (1907–1988), science fiction author
  • Frederick Hibbard (1881–1950), sculptor known for his works of famous 19th-century figures
  • Langston Hughes (1902–1967), African-American poet, novelist and playwright
  • William W. Johnstone (1938–2004), author of western, horror and survivalist novels
  • Donald Judd (1928–1994), artist
  • Jim Lee (born 1964), comic book artist and writer
  • David Limbaugh (born 1952), columnist, author, political commentator
  • Bernarr Macfadden (1868–1955), founder of Macfadden Publications, bodybuilding advocate
  • Cornelia F. Maury (1866–1942), pastel artist
  • Dennis L. McKiernan (born 1932), author
  • Marianne Moore (1887–1972), poet and writer
  • Archie Musick (1902–1978), painter and illustrator, associated with the Regionalist movement
  • John R. Musick (1849–1901), author and poet, known for the Columbian Historical novels
  • Ruth Ann Musick (1897–1974), author and folklorist
  • H. Richard Niebuhr (1894–1962), author, theologian
  • Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971), author, theologian, political commentator
  • John Ross (born 1957), author
  • Charles Marion Russell (1864–1926), artist
  • Clay Shirky (born 1964), writer, consultant, lecturer, author of Here Comes Everybody
  • Kimora Lee Simmons (born 1975), fashion model, author, actress
  • Sara Teasdale (1884–1933), poet
  • Kay Thompson (1909–1998), creator of Eloise children's books
  • Ernest Trova (1927–2009), sculptor, surrealist and pop art painter best known for The Falling Man
  • Margaret Truman (1924–2008), novelist and non-fiction author
  • Mark Twain (1835–1910), born Samuel Clemens, iconic humorist, author and creator of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer
  • Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957), writer and author of Little House series
  • Tennessee Williams (1911–1983), playwright (born in Mississippi, grew up in St. Louis)
  • Daniel Woodrell (born 1953), author of crime fiction

Athletics[]

Auto racing[]

Rusty Wallace
  • Paul Dana (1975–2006), IndyCar Series driver
  • Lloyd Dane (1925–2015), NASCAR driver
  • Russ Dugger (born 1975), NASCAR driver, Camping World Truck Series
  • Carl Edwards (born 1979), NASCAR driver, 2007 NASCAR Busch Series champion
  • James Ince (born c. 1969), NASCAR crew chief
  • Justin Jennings (born 1992), NASCAR driver
  • Cody Lane (born 1996), NASCAR driver, Camping World Truck Series
  • Justin Marks (born 1981), NASCAR driver
  • Jamie McMurray (born 1976), NASCAR driver, Daytona 500 winner
  • Larry Phillips (1942–2004), NASCAR driver
  • Tony Roper (1964–2000), NASCAR driver
  • Ken Schrader (born 1955), NASCAR driver
  • Dorsey Schroeder (born 1953), retired NASCAR driver, Speed Channel color analyst
  • Ramo Stott (born 1934), retired NASCAR driver
  • Chrissy Wallace (born 1988), NASCAR driver
  • Kenny Wallace (born 1963), NASCAR driver, broadcaster
  • Mike Wallace (born 1959), NASCAR driver
  • Rusty Wallace (born 1956), NASCAR driver, 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup champion

Baseball[]

Yogi Berra
David Freese
Ken Holtzman
Elston Howard
Carl Hubbell
A–M
  • Bob Allison (1934–1995), MLB outfielder, 3-time All-Star
  • Jake Arrieta (born 1986), Chicago Cubs pitcher, Cy Young Award winner
  • Alan Ashby (born 1951), MLB catcher, commentator
  • George Baker (1857–1915), MLB catcher
  • Jake Beckley (1867–1919), infielder in Hall of Fame
  • James "Cool Papa" Bell (1903–1991), Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder
  • Yogi Berra (1925–2015), Hall of Fame catcher, manager, aphorist
  • Ken Berry (born 1941), MLB outfielder
  • Brian Boehringer (born 1969), MLB pitcher
  • Clete Boyer (1937–2007), MLB third baseman, 2-time World Series winner
  • Ken Boyer (1931–1982), MLB third baseman, 11-time All-Star, coach and manager
  • Jack Brennan (1862–1914), MLB catcher
  • Harry Bright (1929–2000), MLB infielder
  • Mark Buehrle (born 1979), MLB pitcher, 5-time All-Star
  • Bobby Byrne (1884–1964), MLB infielder
  • Scott Carroll (born 1984), MLB relief pitcher
  • Nate Colbert (born 1946), MLB first baseman, 3-time All-Star
  • David Cone (born 1963), Cy Young-winning MLB pitcher
  • Joe Crede (born 1978), MLB third baseman
  • Bob Dernier (born 1957), MLB outfielder
  • Ross Detwiler (born 1986), MLB relief pitcher
  • Blake DeWitt (born 1985), MLB infielder
  • John Donaldson (1891–1970), Negro league baseball pitcher
  • Scott Elbert (born 1985), MLB relief pitcher
  • A. J. Ellis (born 1981), catcher for Miami Marlins
  • Hoot Evers (1921–1991), MLB outfielder, 2-time All-Star
  • David Freese (born 1983), MLB third baseman, 2011 World Series MVP with St. Louis Cardinals
  • Gabe Gabler (1930–2014), MLB player
  • Joe Garagiola, Sr. (1926–2016), MLB catcher, broadcaster, television personality
  • Jeff Gray (born 1981), MLB pitcher
  • Charlie Grimm (1898–1993), MLB player and manager
  • Dick Hall (born 1930), MLB pitcher, 2-time World Series winner
  • Lucas Harrell (born 1985), starting pitcher for Toronto Blue Jays
  • Tom Henke (born 1957), two-time All-Star pitcher
  • Bobby Hofman (1925–1994), MLB outfielder
  • Solly Hofman (1882–1956), MLB outfielder
  • Al Hollingsworth (1908–1996), MLB pitcher
  • Ken Holtzman (born 1945), two-time All-Star baseball pitcher
  • Tommy Hottovy (born 1981), MLB relief pitcher
  • Elston Howard (1929–1980), Negro league and MLB catcher, 12-time All-Star, six World Series titles
  • Ryan Howard (born 1979), MLB first baseman, 3-time All-Star
  • Carl Hubbell (1903–1988), Hall of Fame pitcher, 2-time NL MVP
  • Eric Hurley (born 1985), MLB pitcher
  • Ron Hunt (born 1941), MLB infielder, 2-time All-Star
  • Vern Kennedy (1907–1993), MLB pitcher
  • Bob Keppel (born 1982), MLB pitcher
  • Charlie Kerfeld (born 1963), MLB relief pitcher, primarily with Houston Astros
  • Johnny Kling (1875–1947), MLB catcher, 2-time World Series winner
  • Darold Knowles (born 1941), MLB pitcher, first to pitch in all seven games of a World Series
  • Ron Kulpa (born 1968), umpire
  • Tito Landrum (born 1954), MLB outfielder
  • Tommy Layne (born 1984), MLB relief pitcher
  • Sam LeCure (born 1984), MLB pitcher
  • Dale Long (1926–1991), MLB outfielder
  • Jerry Lumpe (1933–2014), MLB infielder
  • Shaun Marcum (born 1981), MLB pitcher
  • Jay Marshall (born 1983), MLB pitcher
  • Bake McBride (born 1949), MLB outfielder, 1974 Rookie of Year
  • Paul Menhart (born 1969), MLB pitcher and pitching coach
  • Bob Miller (1939–1993), MLB pitcher, 3-time World Series winner
  • Zach Miner (born 1982), relief pitcher for Seattle Mariners
  • Logan Morrison (born 1987), outfielder for Tampa Bay Rays
  • Carl Morton (1944–1983), MLB pitcher, 1970 Rookie of Year
  • Bill Mueller (born 1971), MLB infielder, 2003 AL batting champ
  • Don Mueller (1927–2011), MLB infielder, 2-time All-Star
  • Stan Musial (1920–2013), MLB Hall of Famer, played entire career for St. Louis Cardinals
N–Z
Max Scherzer
Casey Stengel
  • Dave Nicholson (born 1939), MLB outfielder
  • Al Nipper (born 1959), MLB pitcher and scout
  • Darren Oliver (born 1970), MLB relief pitcher
  • Mickey O'Neil (1900–1964), MLB catcher
  • Mickey Owen (1916–2005), MLB catcher, 4-time All-Star
  • Josh Outman (born 1984), MLB pitcher
  • Barney Pelty (1880–1939), MLB pitcher
  • David Phelps (born 1986), starting pitcher for Miami Marlins
  • Albert Pujols (born 1980), MLB first baseman with Los Angeles Angels, 10-time All-Star
  • Pete Reiser (1919–1981), MLB outfielder, 3-time All-Star
  • Steve Rogers (born 1949), MLB pitcher, 5-time All-Star
  • Trevor Rosenthal (born 1990), pitcher for St. Louis Cardinals
  • Bob Scheffing (1913–1985), MLB player and manager
  • Max Scherzer (born 1984), starting pitcher for Washington Nationals
  • Art Shamsky (born 1941), MLB outfielder and Israel Baseball League manager
  • Mike Shannon (born 1939), MLB player and sportscaster for St. Louis Cardinals, 2-time World Series winner
  • Sonny Siebert (born 1937), MLB pitcher, 2-time All-Star
  • Dave Silvestri (born 1967), MLB infielder
  • Shae Simmons (born 1990), MLB pitcher
  • Roy Smalley, Jr. (1926–2011), MLB infielder
  • Al Smith (1928–2002), MLB outfielder
  • Paul Splittorff (1946–2011), pitcher for Kansas City Royals, broadcaster
  • Casey Stengel (c. 1890–1975), Baseball Hall of Fame manager
  • Mel Stottlemyre (1941—2019), MLB pitcher, 5-time All-Star, pitching coach
  • Rick Sutcliffe (born 1956), MLB pitcher, 3-time All-Star, TV commentator
  • Nick Tepesch (born 1988), MLB pitcher
  • Jacob Turner (born 1991), MLB pitcher
  • Scott Van Slyke (born 1986), outfielder, Los Angeles Dodgers; son of Andy Van Slyke
  • Luke Voit (born 1991), MLB first baseman
  • Earl Weaver (1930–2013), Hall of Fame manager for Baltimore Orioles
  • Mack Wheat (1893–1979), MLB catcher with Brooklyn Robins and Philadelphia Phillies
  • Zack Wheat (1888–1972), MLB Hall of Fame left fielder for Brooklyn, Philadelphia Athletics; brother of Mack Wheat
  • Dick Williams (1929–2011), MLB player and Hall of Fame manager
  • Lefty Williams (1893–1959), MLB pitcher
  • Smoky Joe Wood (1889–1995), MLB pitcher, 3-time World Series winner
  • Glenn Wright (1901–1984), MLB infielder for 1925 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates

Basketball[]

Norm Stewart
Jayson Tatum
  • Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen (1885–1974), Hall of Fame college basketball coach
  • OG Anunoby (born 1997), small forward for Toronto Raptors
  • Bradley Beal (born 1993), NBA player for the Washington Wizards
  • Bill Bradley (born 1943), Basketball Hall of Famer, U.S. Senator
  • Alec Burks (born 1991), shooting guard for Golden State Warriors
  • Chris Carr (born 1974), shooting guard for six NBA teams
  • Ben Hansbrough (born 1987), guard for Indiana Pacers
  • Tyler Hansbrough (born 1985), NBA player and international player, NCAA champion at North Carolina
  • Josh Harrellson (born 1989), center for New York Knicks
  • Larry Hughes (born 1979), shooting guard for eight NBA teams
  • David Lee (born 1983), power forward and center for San Antonio Spurs
  • Tyronn Lue (born 1977), NBA player, head coach of Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Patrick McCaw (born 1995), shooting guard for Toronto Raptors
  • Dan Pippin (1926–1965), Olympic gold medalist in 1952, played at Mizzou
  • Brandon Rush (born 1985), shooting guard for Golden State Warriors
  • Kareem Rush (born 1980), shooting guard for L.A. Clippers
  • Scott Sims (born 1955), guard for San Antonio Spurs
  • Norm Stewart (born 1935), pro basketball player, longtime Mizzou coach, College Basketball Hall of Fame
  • Jayson Tatum (born 1998), pro basketball player, former member of the Duke Blue Devils and small forward for the Boston Celtics
  • David Thirdkill (born 1960), NBA basketball player, 1993 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
  • Anthony Tolliver (born 1985), power forward for Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Alex Tyus (born 1988), American-Israeli professional basketball player, also plays for the Israeli national basketball team

Football[]

See also: List of Missouri state high school football champions
Ezekiel Elliott
Jeremy Maclin
Justin Smith
Roger Wehrli
  • Maurice Alexander (born 1991), defensive back for St. Louis Rams
  • Steve Atwater (born 1966), safety for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets
  • Allen Barbre (born 1984), offensive guard for Philadelphia Eagles
  • Tim Barnes (born 1988), center for St. Louis Rams
  • David Bass (born 1990), defensive end for Chicago Bears
  • Justin Britt (born 1991), offensive tackle for Seattle Seahawks
  • Jason Brookins (born 1976), running back, Baltimore Ravens
  • Colin Brown (born 1985), offensive tackle for Buffalo Bills
  • Jairus Byrd (born 1986), free safety for New Orleans Saints
  • Paul Christman (1918–1970), quarterback, College Football Hall of Fame; sportscaster
  • Adrian Clayborn (born 1988), defensive end for Atlanta Falcons
  • Chase Coffman (born 1986), tight end for Atlanta Falcons
  • Jalen Collins (born 1993), cornerback for Atlanta Falcons
  • Maliek Collins (born 1995), defensive tackle for Dallas Cowboys
  • Dan Connolly (born 1982), offensive lineman for New England Patriots
  • Dan Dierdorf (born 1949), offensive tackle in Pro Football Hall of Fame, sportscaster
  • Herb Donaldson (born 1985), running back for Dallas Cowboys
  • Robert Douglas (born 1982), NFL fullback
  • Kony Ealy (born 1991), defensive end for Carolina Panthers
  • Ezekiel Elliott (born 1995), NFL running back for Dallas Cowboys
  • Lenvil Elliott (1951–2008), NFL running back
  • Don Faurot (1902–1995), College Football Hall of Fame coach, inventor of Split-T formation
  • Brian Folkerts (born 1990), center for Carolina Panthers
  • Josh Freeman (born 1988), NFL quarterback
  • Blaine Gabbert (born 1989), quarterback for Arizona Cardinals
  • Justin Gage (born 1981), wide receiver for Tennessee Titans
  • E. J. Gaines (born 1992), cornerback for St. Louis Rams
  • Tony Galbreath (born 1954), NFL running back
  • Markus Golden (born 1991), NFL outside linebacker
  • Conrad Goode (born 1962), NFL offensive lineman
  • Mark Herzlich (born 1987), linebacker for New York Giants
  • Cal Hubbard (1900–1977), only person in both Baseball Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame
  • Brandon Joyce (1984–2010), offensive lineman, CFL and NFL
  • Terry Joyce (1954–2011), college All-American, NFL punter
  • Howard Kindig (born 1941), defensive end, 10-year NFL career
  • Ryan Lilja (born 1981), guard for Kansas City Chiefs
  • Brandon Lloyd (born 1981), wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers
  • Jeremy Maclin (born 1988), wide receiver for Kansas City Chiefs
  • Marvin McNutt (born 1989), wide receiver for Philadelphia Eagles
  • Eric Moore (born 1965), NFL guard
  • William Moore (born 1985), safety for Atlanta Falcons
  • C. J. Mosley (born 1983), defensive tackle for Miami Dolphins
  • Eddie Moss, special teams for St. Louis Cardinals
  • Jim Musick (1910–1992), running back, Boston Redskins
  • Neil Rackers (born 1976), placekicker for Houston Texans
  • Shane Ray (born 1993), outside linebacker for Denver Broncos
  • Sheldon Richardson (born 1990), defensive end for New York Jets
  • Gijon Robinson (born 1984), tight end for Indianapolis Colts
  • Martin Rucker (born 1985), tight end for Dallas Cowboys
  • Mike Rucker (born 1975), defensive end for Carolina Panthers
  • Aldon Smith (born 1989), linebacker for Oakland Raiders
  • Justin Smith (born 1979), defensive end for San Francisco 49ers
  • Bill Snyder (born 1939), Current Kansas State University head coach and College Football Hall of Fame
  • Donald Stephenson (born 1988), offensive tackle for Kansas City Chiefs
  • Roger Wehrli (born 1947), Hall of Fame cornerback with St. Louis Cardinals
  • James Wilder Sr. (born 1958), 10-year NFL running back
  • Brandon Williams (born 1989), nose tackle for Baltimore Ravens
  • Gregg Williams (born 1958), NFL coach, defensive coordinator
  • Sylvester Williams (born 1988), nose tackle for Denver Broncos
  • Kellen Winslow (born 1957), Hall of Fame tight end with San Diego Chargers

Golf[]

Payne Stewart
  • Amy Alcott (born 1956), professional golfer, World Golf Hall of Fame
  • Brandel Chamblee (born 1962), PGA Tour golfer
  • Jay Haas (born 1953), PGA Tour golfer
  • Hale Irwin (born 1945), golfer; oldest person (45) to win US Open (1990)
  • Jeff Maggert (born 1964), PGA Tour golfer
  • Tom Pernice, Jr. (born 1959), PGA Tour golfer
  • Judy Rankin (born 1945), professional golfer, World Golf Hall of Fame
  • Johnny Revolta (1911–1991), winner of 1935 PGA Championship
  • Cathy Reynolds (born 1957), LPGA Tour golfer
  • Horton Smith (1908–1963), winner of first Masters, World Golf Hall of Fame
  • Payne Stewart (1957–1999), golfer, 2-time US Open champion
  • Tom Watson (born 1949), 8-time major champion, 1990 Ryder Cup captain, World Golf Hall of Fame
  • Larry Ziegler (born 1939), PGA Tour golfer

Ice hockey[]

Chris Butler
Luke Kunin
  • Ben Bishop (born 1986), NHL Dallas Stars
  • Chris Wideman (born 1990), NHL Ottawa Senators
  • Michael Davies (born 1986), AHL Chicago Wolves
  • Cam Janssen (born 1984), EIHL Nottingham Panthers
  • Luke Kunin (born 1997), NHL hockey player
  • Pat LaFontaine (born 1965), NHL Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, New York Rangers
  • Patrick Maroon (born 1988), NHL Tampa Bay Lightning
  • Mike McKenna (born 1983), AHL Portland Pirates
  • Paul Stastny (born 1985), NHL St. Louis Blues
  • Travis Turnbull (born 1986), DEL Düsseldorfer EG
  • Joe Vitale (born 1985), NHL Arizona Coyotes
  • Landon Wilson (born 1975), AHL Texas Stars

Professional wrestling[]

Glenn "Kane" Jacobs
"Handsome" Harley Race
  • Freddie Blassie (1918–2003), wrestler and manager
  • "Bulldog" Bob Brown (1938–1997), wrestler and booker
  • Bob Geigel (1924–2014), retired wrestler, promoter, and former NWA President
  • Glenn Jacobs (born 1967), ring name "Kane"; also an actor
  • Rufus R. Jones (1933–1993), NWA wrestler and businessman
  • Matthew Korklan (born 1983), ring names "Matt Sydal" and "Evan Bourne"
  • Sam Muchnick (1905–1998), founder of St. Louis Wrestling Club and co-founder of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)
  • Trevor Murdoch (born 1978), WWE tag team champion
  • Matt Murphy (born 1979), wrestler and author
  • Barry Orton, wrestler
  • "Cowboy" Bob Orton (born 1950), wrestler and member of WWE Hall of Fame; father of Randy Orton
  • Randy Orton (born 1980), third-generation pro wrestler
  • Harley Race (1943–2019), 8-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion; member of the WWE Hall of Fameand Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Butch Reed (1954–2021), NWA and WCW Tag Team Champion
  • Lou Thesz (1916–2002), superstar of professional wrestling's "Golden Age"

Miscellaneous sports[]

Dwight Davis
  • Daryl Doran (born 1963), professional soccer player
  • Virgil Akins (1928–2011), welterweight boxing champion
  • Devon Alexander (born 1987), boxer, WBC and IBF Light Welterweight champion
  • Henry Armstrong (1912–1988), boxer (born in Mississippi but grew up in St. Louis)
  • Butch Buchholz (born 1940), Hall of Fame tennis player
  • Christian Cantwell (born 1980), Olympian, world champion shot putter
  • John Coughlin (1985-2019), figure skater, committed suicide
  • J'den Cox (born 1995), Olympic freestyle wrestler
  • Michael Chandler (born 1986), UFC fighter
  • Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls (born 1968), IFBB pro bodybuilder
  • Dwight F. Davis (1879–1945), tennis player, founder of the Davis Cup
  • Doris Hart (1925–2015), Hall of Fame tennis player, winner of six Grand Slam singles titles
  • Sammie Henson (born 1971), Olympic silver medalist and world champion in freestyle wrestling
  • Bud Houser (1901–1994), three-time Olympic gold medalist in shot put and discus
  • Jack Jewsbury (born 1981), Major League Soccer player (Portland Timbers)
  • Ben A. Jones (1882–1961), thoroughbred horse trainer
  • Horace A. "Jimmy" Jones (1906–2001), thoroughbred horse trainer
  • Lesa Lewis (born 1967), IFBB professional bodybuilder
  • Conn McCreary (1921–1979), Hall of Fame jockey, winner of 1944 and 1951 Kentucky Derby
  • Chuck McKinley (1941–1986), Hall of Fame tennis player, 1963 Wimbledon champion
  • Josh Prenot (born 1995), swimmer, Olympic silver medalist (200m breaststroke), NCAA champion (400m individual medley), and American record holder (200m breaststroke)
  • DeAnna Price (born 1993), record holder in hammer throw,
  • Becky Sauerbrunn (born 1985), National Women's Soccer League and USWNT player (FC Kansas City); Defender of the Year 2013, 2014; 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup winner
  • Helen Stephens (1918–1994), two-time gold medalist in track and field at 1936 Summer Olympics
  • Scott Touzinsky (born 1982), volleyball player and coach
  • Alex White (born 1988), mixed martial artist

Aviation and aerospace[]

  • Thomas Akers (born 1953), scientist and NASA astronaut on four Space Shuttle missions
  • Bill Lear (1902–1978), founder of Lear Jet
  • Charles Lindbergh (1902–1974), aviator, first solo non-stop trans-Atlantic flight in 1927 (born in Detroit, Michigan but lived in St. Louis)
  • James Smith McDonnell (1899–1980), founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation (later McDonnell Douglas)

Business[]

J. C. Penney
  • William Henry Ashley (1778–1838), founder of Rocky Mountain Fur Company, politician
  • Charles S.L. Baker (1859–1926), African-American businessman and inventor
  • Roger E. Billings (born 1948), businessman and scientist; known for his pioneering work on hydrogen energy technologies
  • Henry W. Bloch (1922–2019), co-founder of H&R Block tax services
  • Richard Bloch (1926–2004), co-founder of H&R Block tax services
  • Adolphus Busch (1839–1913), founder of Anheuser-Busch (the world's largest brewer)
  • August "Gussie" Busch (1899–1989), owned Anheuser-Busch (the world's largest brewer), and St. Louis Cardinals baseball team
  • Jim Crane, businessman, owner of the Houston Astros
  • William H. Danforth (1870–1955), founder of Ralston Purina Company
  • John Doerr (born 1951), venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
  • James Buchanan Eads (1820��1887), civil engineer and inventor
  • Charles Eames (1907–1978), designer and architect
  • David Glass (1935–2020), former president and CEO of Wal-Mart, owner of Kansas City Royals baseball team
  • Joyce Hall (1891–1982), founder of Hallmark Cards
  • William Preston Hall (1864–1932), circus empresario and animal broker
  • Howard R. Hughes, Sr. (1869–1924), oil drill bit and tool inventor; father of Howard Hughes, reclusive billionaire
  • George M. Keller (1923–2008), chairman of Standard Oil Company of California in the 1980s
  • R. Crosby Kemper Jr. (1927–2014), chairman emeritus UMB Financial Corporation, philanthropist
  • William Thornton Kemper, Sr. (1866–1938), patriarch of Kemper family railroad and banking empire which included Commerce Bancshares and United Missouri Bank
  • Ewing Kauffman (1916–1993), pharmaceutical magnate, philanthropist and founder of the Kansas City Royals baseball team
  • Stan Kroenke (born 1947), owner of Kroenke Sports Enterprises
  • Rebecca Mark-Jusbasche (born 1954), former head of Enron International
  • N. O. Nelson (1844–1922), founder of the N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company
  • Thomas F. O'Neil, chairman of RKO General Studios, brought movies to television
  • J. C. Penney (1875–1971), businessman and entrepreneur
  • Rex Sinquefield (born 1944), financial executive who created Standard & Poor's first index fund, supporter of conservative political causes
  • John Sperling (1921–2014), businessman and founder of the University of Phoenix
  • Gerard Swope (1872–1957), president of General Electric
  • Jack C. Taylor (1922–2016), founder of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, billionaire philanthropist
  • Sam Walton (1918–1992), founder of Wal-Mart
  • Robert E. Wood (1879–1969), vice-president of Sears Roebuck

Criminals and outlaws[]

  • Anthony Brancato (1913–1951), freelance Mafia gunman, half of "The Two Tonys" portrayed in the movie L.A. Confidential
  • Ray and Faye Copeland (1914–1993, 1921–2003), serial killers, oldest couple ever sentenced to death in the United States
  • Egan's Rats, early crime family in St. Louis
    • Leo Vincent Brothers (1899–1950), low-level member; later moved to Chicago and became part of Al Capone's organization
    • Fred Burke (1893–1940), gunman for Egan's Rats; suspected of participating in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre
    • William "Dint" Colbeck (1890–1943), assumed leadership of Egan's Rats after the assassination of Willie Egan
    • Walter Costello (1889–1917), bodyguard to Willie Egan, killer of Harry Dunn
    • Harry "Cherries" Dunn (1892–1916)
    • Thomas Egan (1874–1919), organizer of Egan's Rats
    • Willie Egan (1884–1921), brother and right-hand man of gang founder Tom Egan; led the gang after Tom's death
    • Max Greenberg (1883–1933), one of the few Jewish members of the mostly Irish Egan gang; associate/friend of Meyer Lansky
    • Frank Hackethal (1891–1954), robber and resort owner/money launderer for Egan's Rats
    • Thomas "Snake" Kinney (1868–1912), Missouri State Senator and co-founder of Egan's Rats
    • David "Chippy" Robinson (1897–1967), bank robber and enforcer for Egan's Rats
    • William "Skippy" Rohan (1871–1916)
  • Roy Gardner (1884–1940), arms smuggler and notorious 1920s bank robber
  • Tom Horn (1860–1903), Old West lawman, army scout, outlaw and assassin
  • Kansas City crime family
    • Charles Binaggio (1909–1950), killed along with Charles Gargotta at the First Ward Democratic Club in downtown Kansas City
    • Anthony Brancato (1913–1951)
    • William "Willie Rat" Cammisano (1914–1995), enforcer for the K.C. mob
    • Charles Carrollo (1902–1979), led the Kansas City mob after Johnny Lazia's assassination
    • Anthony Civella (1930–2006), led the K.C. crime family in the 1980s and 1990s; son of Carl Civella and nephew of Nicholas Civella
    • Carl "Cork" Civella (1910–1994), brother of Nicholas Civella and a top lieutenant in the crime family; father of Anthony Civella
    • Nicholas Civella (1912–1983), led the Kansas City crime family from the 1950s through the 1970s
    • Carl "Tuffy" DeLuna (1927–2008), underboss of the Kansas City crime family; brother-in-law of Anthony Civella
    • Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd (1904–1934), took part in the Union Station Massacre
    • Charles "Mad Dog" Gargotta (1900–1950), top enforcer of the KC crime family
    • Anthony Gizzo (1902–1953), led Kansas City crime family in the early 1950s
    • John Lazia (1896–1934), leader of the Kansas City crime family in the 1920s and early 1930s
  • Kenneth Lay (1942–2006), chairman and CEO of Enron, convicted of securities fraud
  • Little Britches (1879 – year of death unknown), female bandit associated with Cattle Annie and the Doolin gang
  • James Earl Ray (1928–1998), assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.; escapee from the Missouri State Penitentiary
  • James-Younger Gang:
    • Frank James (1843–1915), outlaw
    • Jesse James (1847–1882), outlaw
    • Cole Younger (1844–1916), outlaw
    • John Younger (1851–1874), outlaw
    • Bob Younger (1853–1899), outlaw
    • Jim Younger (1848–1902), outlaw
    • Bob Ford (1862–1892), outlaw who gunned down Jesse James
  • Tom Pendergast (1873–1945), long-time political boss of Kansas City and western Missouri; responsible for the political rise of Harry S. Truman; imprisoned for tax evasion
  • Belle Starr (1848–1889), female outlaw of the Old West
  • St. Louis crime family
    • Anthony Giordano (1914–1980), leader of the St. Louis crime family in the 1960s and 1970s
    • Matthew Trupiano (1938–1997), nephew of Anthony Giordano, crime family boss in the 1980s
    • John Vitale (1909–1982), crime family boss in the early 1980s

Entertainment[]

Film, television and theater[]

Emmy Award-winner Ed Asner
Josephine Baker
Linda Blair
Don Cheadle
A–C
  • Goodman Ace (1899–1982), television writer, radio host and comedian
  • Jane Ace (1897–1974), radio actress and host
  • Zoë Akins (1886–1958), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, poet
  • Robert Altman (1925–2006), film director, M*A*S*H, Nashville, Gosford Park
  • Ed Asner (1929–2021), Emmy Award-winning actor, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant; Up, Elf
  • Scott Bakula (born 1954), actor, Quantum Leap, Star Trek: Enterprise, NCIS: New Orleans
  • Josephine Baker (1906–1975), dancer, singer, actress
  • Tisha Terrasini Banker (born 1973), actress
  • Ryan Michelle Bathe (born 1976), actress, Boston Legal, Army Wives, Retired at 35
  • Anne Bauchens (1882–1967), Oscar-winning film editor
  • John Beal (1909–1997), actor, Les Misérables, Alimony
  • Gerry Becker (born 1951), actor
  • Noah Beery (1882–1946), actor, The Mark of Zorro
  • Wallace Beery (1885–1949), Oscar-winning actor, The Champ, Min and Bill, Viva Villa!
  • Rob Benedict (born 1970), actor, Felicity, Head Case, Threshold
  • Bob Bergen (born 1964), voice actor
  • Fred Berry (1951–2003), actor, What's Happening!!
  • Linda Blair (born 1959), actress, The Exorcist, Airport 1975
  • Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, screenwriter, Designing Women, Evening Shade
  • (born 1977), actress, General Hospital
  • Matt Bomer (born 1977), actor, White Collar
  • Johnny Yong Bosch (born 1976), singer, Eyeshine; actor, Trigun, Power Rangers
  • Jeff Branson (born 1977), actor
  • Diane Brewster (1931–1991), actress
  • Brent Briscoe (born 1961), actor, Yes Man, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Spider-Man 2
  • Kent Broadhurst (born 1940), actor
  • Edgar Buchanan (1903–1979), actor, Petticoat Junction
  • Norbert Leo Butz (born 1967), Tony Award-winning stage actor
  • Christy Cabanne (1888–1950), director, Jane Eyre
  • Jessica Capshaw (born 1976), actress, The Practice
  • Morris Carnovsky (1897–1992), actor, Edge of Darkness, Dead Reckoning
  • Don Cheadle (born 1964), actor, Hotel Rwanda, Traffic, Boogie Nights, Ocean's Eleven, The Rat Pack
  • Marguerite Churchill (1910–2000), actress, The Big Trail, The Walking Dead
  • Anthony Cistaro (born 1963), actor, Charmed, Witchblade
  • Sarah Clarke (born 1972), actress, Nina Myers on 24
  • Andy Cohen (born 1968), author, producer, and television personality, Watch What Happens Live
  • Lynn Cohen (1933–2020), actress, Law & Order, Sex and the City
  • Frank Converse (born 1938), actor, Movin' On, N.Y.P.D.
  • Bert Convy (1933–1991), actor and TV personality, Semi-Tough
  • Chris Cooper (born 1951), Oscar-winning actor, Lonesome Dove, The Bourne Identity, American Beauty, Breach
  • Joan Crawford (1905–1977), Oscar-winning actress, Mildred Pierce, The Women, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
  • Greg Cromer (born 1971), actor
  • Robert Cummings (1908–1990), actor, Kings Row, Saboteur, Love That Bob, Dial M for Murder
D–G
Betty Grable
Jenna Fischer
  • Erin Daniels (born 1973), actress, The L Word
  • Nathan Darrow (born 1976), actor, House of Cards
  • Don S. Davis (1942–2008), actor, Stargate SG-1, Twin Peaks
  • Kurt Deutsch, actor, Models Inc.
  • Walt Disney (1901–1966), iconic film and television producer, studio mogul, director, screenwriter, voice actor and animator
  • Dale Dye (born 1944), actor, Saving Private Ryan, Mission: Impossible, Band of Brothers
  • Cliff Edwards (1895–1971), actor, musician; the voice of Jiminy Cricket
  • Frank Faylen (1905–1985), actor, It's a Wonderful Life, Detective Story, Dobie Gillis
  • Hala Finley (born 2009), actress[2]
  • Jenna Fischer (born 1974), actress, The Office, Hall Pass, Blades of Glory (born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, grew up in St. Louis)
  • Henderson Forsythe (1917–2006), actor, As the World Turns
  • James Franciscus (1934–1991), actor, Mr. Novak, Naked City, Marooned, Beneath the Planet of the Apes
  • Phyllis Fraser (1915–2006), actress, journalist, children's book publisher, wife of Bennett Cerf and Robert F. Wagner, Jr.
  • Friz Freleng (1905–1995), film producer, director, screenwriter, and animator, Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies
  • Bob Gale (born 1951), screenwriter, the Back to the Future trilogy
  • Betty Garrett (1919–2011), actress, On the Town, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Laverne & Shirley
  • Heather Goldenhersh (born 1973), actress, The Class, School of Rock
  • John Goodman (born 1952), actor, Monsters, Inc., Roseanne, The Babe, Barton Fink, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski
  • Lucas Grabeel (born 1984), actor, High School Musical, Milk
  • Betty Grable (1916–1973), actress, singer and World War II pin-up girl, Moon Over Miami, How to Marry a Millionaire
  • Bryan Greenberg (born 1978), actor, musician, One Tree Hill, October Road, How to Make It in America
  • Dabbs Greer (1917–2007), actor, Little House on the Prairie, Gunsmoke, The Green Mile
  • Eddie Griffin (born 1968), actor, comedian, Undercover Brother, Norbit
  • Davis Guggenheim (born 1963), director, producer
  • Robert Guillaume (1927–2017), actor, Benson, Soap, The Lion King, Sports Night
  • James Gunn (born 1970), film director and screenwriter
  • Moses Gunn (1929–1993), actor, Father Murphy, The Cowboys, Shaft, Ragtime, Heartbreak Ridge
  • Sean Gunn (born 1974), actor, Gilmore Girls, October Road
H–M
Jean Harlow
Kevin Kline
  • Jon Hamm (born 1971), actor, Mad Men, The Town, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Baby Driver
  • Tess Harper (born 1950), actress, Breaking Bad, No Country for Old Men, Crimes of the Heart
  • Jean Harlow (1911–1937), actress and sex symbol
  • George Hearn (born 1934), actor, primarily Broadway and musical theatre
  • George Hickenlooper (1965–2010), documentary filmmaker, Hearts of Darkness, Dogtown
  • Dennis Hopper (1936–2010), actor, filmmaker, artist, Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now, Speed, Hoosiers
  • Arliss Howard (born 1954), actor, writer and director, Full Metal Jacket, Wilder Napalm, Moneyball
  • Rupert Hughes (1872–1956), film director, composer; uncle of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes
  • John Huston (1906–1987), actor and Oscar-winning film director, The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo, The African Queen
  • Don Johnson (born 1949), actor, Miami Vice, Nash Bridges, Guilty as Sin, Tin Cup, Django Unchained
  • Jay Johnson (born 1977), actor, The Young and the Restless, Scrubs
  • Janet Jones (born 1961), actress, dancer, wife of hockey's Wayne Gretzky
  • Neal Jones (born 1960), actor, Dirty Dancing, G.I. Jane
  • Brenda Joyce (1917–2009), actress, Little Tokyo, U.S.A., Tarzan movies in the 1940s
  • Andreas Katsulas (1946–2006), actor, Babylon 5, Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • Ellie Kemper (born 1980), actress, The Office, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
  • Edward Kerr (born 1966), actor, seaQuest DSV, What I Like About You
  • Lincoln Kilpatrick (1932–2004), actor
  • Kevin Kline (born 1947), Oscar-winning actor, Sophie's Choice, The Big Chill, A Fish Called Wanda, Last Vegas
  • Evalyn Knapp (1906–1981), actress, Perils of Pauline, In Old Santa Fe
  • David Koechner (born 1962), actor and comedian, Saturday Night Live, Anchorman
  • Laura La Plante (1904–1996), actress in silent films
  • Kasi Lemmons (born 1961), actress and director, Eve's Bayou, Talk to Me
  • Angela Lindvall (born 1979), actress
  • Mark Linn-Baker (born 1954), actor, My Favorite Year, Larry Appleton on Perfect Strangers
  • Robert Lowery (1913–1971), actor, Batman in 1940s serial
  • Marsha Mason (born 1942), actress, Sibs, The Goodbye Girl, Only When I Laugh, Chapter Two, Frasier
  • Michael Massee (1952–2016), actor, 24, Seven, The Crow
  • Wendell Mayes (1919–1992), screenwriter, The Spirit of St. Louis, North to Alaska, Von Ryan's Express
  • Virginia Mayo (1920–2005), actress, The Best Years of Our Lives, White Heat, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
  • Edie McClurg (born 1951), actress, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 7th Heaven
  • Frank McGrath (1903–1967), actor, Wagon Train
  • Steve McQueen (1930–1980), actor, The Sand Pebbles, The Great Escape, The Towering Inferno, Bullitt
  • John Milius (born 1944), screenwriter, director, producer, Red Dawn, The Hunt for Red October, Conan the Barbarian
  • Wendy Moniz (born 1969), actress, The Guardian, Guiding Light, Nash Bridges, Betrayal
  • Mircea Monroe, actress, model, Cellular, Episodes
N–Z
Brad Pitt
  • Dustin Nguyen (born 1962), actor, 21 Jump Street, V.I.P.
  • Kathleen Nolan (born 1933), actress, The Real McCoys
  • Eva Novak (1898–1988), actress of the silent film era, The King of the Kitchen
  • Jane Novak (1896–1990), actress of the silent film era, Treat'Em Rough, Redskin
  • Dan O'Bannon (1946–2009), film director and screenwriter, Heavy Metal, Dark Star, Total Recall
  • Denis O'Hare (born 1962), actor, Brothers & Sisters, Sweet Charity, True Blood
  • Kevin O'Morrison (1916–2016), actor and playwright
  • Timothy Omundson (born 1969), actor, Psych, Judging Amy
  • Diana Ossana, screenwriter, Brokeback Mountain, Pretty Boy Floyd
  • Geraldine Page (1924–1987), Oscar-winning actress, Summer and Smoke, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Trip to Bountiful
  • Carlos Peña (born 1989), actor, singer, and dancer, Big Time Rush
  • Evan Peters (born 1987), actor, American Horror Story, Invasion, Kick-Ass
  • Julie Piekarski (born 1963), actress, The Facts of Life
  • Brad Pitt (born 1963), actor and producer, Thelma & Louise, 12 Monkeys, Seven, Moneyball, World War Z
  • William Powell (1892–1984), actor, The Thin Man, Life with Father, My Man Godfrey, Mister Roberts
  • Vincent Price (1911–1993), actor, Laura, House of Wax, The Fly, The Ten Commandments, Edward Scissorhands
  • Sally Rand (1904–1979), burlesque dancer, actress
  • Doris Roberts (1925–2016), actress, Everybody Loves Raymond
  • Leonard Roberts (born 1972), actor, Heroes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • Ginger Rogers (1911–1995), Oscar-winning actress, dance partner of Fred Astaire
  • Paul Rudd (born 1969), actor, comedian, writer, and producer, I Love You, Man, Ant-Man
  • Sol Smith Russell (1848–1902), 19th-century stage actor
  • Jacqueline Scott (1931–2020), actress, Charley Varrick
  • Martha Scott (1912–2003), actress, The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur
  • Sara Shane (born 1928), actress, Magnificent Obsession, The King and Four Queens, Tarzan's Greatest Adventure
  • Phyllis Smith (born 1951), actress, The Office
  • Kelly Stables (born 1978), actress, The Exes, W.I.T.C.H., Two and a Half Men
  • Craig Stevens (1918–2000), actor, State Trooper, Peter Gunn
  • Christian Stolte (born 1962), actor, Prison Break
  • Skyler Stone (born 1979), actor, Raising Hope, The Island
  • Eric Stonestreet (born 1971), actor, Modern Family
  • Betty Thomas (born 1948), actress and director, Hill Street Blues, The Brady Bunch Movie, Dr. Dolittle, Private Parts
  • Kay Thompson (1909–1998), actress, Funny Face
  • Sidney Toler (1874–1947), actor, Charlie Chan films
  • William Traylor (1930–1989), actor, Fletch; founder of The Loft Studio/acting school
  • Kathleen Turner (born 1954), actress, Body Heat, Romancing the Stone, Prizzi's Honor, Serial Mom
  • Stephen Barker Turner (born 1968), actor
  • Dick Van Dyke (born 1925), actor, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Poppins, Diagnosis: Murder
  • Jerry Van Dyke (1931–2018), actor, Coach, McLintock!, The Courtship of Eddie's Father
  • Jack Wagner (born 1959), actor/singer Melrose Place, General Hospital
  • Virgil Ward (1911-2004), professional fisherman and host of Championship Fishing
  • Ruth Warrick (1916–2005), actress, Citizen Kane, All My Children
  • Dennis Weaver (1924–2006), actor, Gunsmoke, McCloud
  • William White (1921–1985), actor, producer and director
  • Mary Wickes (1910–1995), actress, White Christmas, Sister Act
  • Dianne Wiest (born 1948), 2-time Oscar-winning actress
  • Jason Wiles (born 1970), actor, Third Watch, Persons Unknown
  • Mykelti Williamson (born 1960), actor, Forrest Gump, Fences
  • Lanford Wilson (April 13, 1937 – March 24, 2011), playwright, director, Lemon Sky, Redwood Curtain, Hallmark Hall of Fame
  • Shelley Winters (1920–2006), 2-time Oscar-winning actress
  • Jane Wyman (1917–2007), Oscar-winning actress; former wife of Ronald Reagan

Comedians[]

  • Cedric The Entertainer (born 1964), actor, comedian
  • Jo Firestone, actress, comedian, writer
  • Redd Foxx (1922–1991), comedian, starred in Sanford and Son
  • Dick Gregory (1932–2017), comedian, social activist
  • Craig Kilborn (born 1962), comedian, actor, former talk show host
  • Kathleen Madigan (born 1965), comedian
  • Kevin Nealon (born 1953), actor, comedian
  • Randy and Jason Sklar (born 1972), identi*cal twin comedians, hosts of ESPN Classic's Cheap Seats
  • Guy Torry (born 1969), actor, comedian
  • Joe Torry (born 1965), actor, comedian

Cartoonists[]

  • Ralph Barton (1891–1931), cartoonist
  • George Booth (born 1926), cartoonist for The New Yorker
  • Lee Falk (1911–1999), cartoonist, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician
  • Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003), caricaturist and cartoonist known for drawing celebrities
  • Fred Lasswell (1916–2001), cartoonist, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith
  • Glenn McCoy (born 1965), cartoonist, The Duplex, The Flying McCoys
  • George McManus (1884–1954), cartoonist, Maggie and Jiggs
  • Mike Peters (born 1943), cartoonist, Mother Goose & Grimm
  • Dan Piraro (born 1958), cartoonist, Bizarro
  • Mort Walker (1923–2018), cartoonist, Beetle Bailey

Magicians and mentalists[]

  • Morgan Strebler (born 1976), magician and mentalist; Las Vegas award-winning performer

Music[]

Bluegrass and country[]

  • Lennie Aleshire (1890–1987), country-bluegrass pioneer and vaudeville act
  • Connie Cato (born 1955), country music singer
  • Shirley Collie Nelson (1931–2010), American country music and rockabilly singer, yodeler, guitarist and songwriter
  • Helen Cornelius (born 1941), country singer best known for duets with Jim Ed Brown
  • Rusty Draper (1923–2003), country and rockabilly singer/guitarist
  • The Duke of Paducah (1901–1986), Grand Ole Opry comedian and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame
  • Sara Evans (born 1971), country music star
  • Tyler Farr, country music singer
  • Narvel Felts, (born 1938), country music singer
  • Bob Ferguson (1927–2001), country music songwriter and producer
  • Teea Goans, American country music singer
  • John Hartford (1937–2001), country and bluegrass music composer and performer
  • Jan Howard (1929–2020), country music singer and member of the Grand Ole Opry
  • Ferlin Husky (1925–2011), singer and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, former member of the Grand Ole Opry
  • Brett James, country music singer-songwriter and record producer
  • Chris Janson, (born 1986), American country music singer and songwriter
  • The Kendalls, Grammy-winning country duo from the 1970s and 1980s
  • Speck Rhodes, (1915–2000), country music comedian and entertainer.
  • Tom Shapiro, country music songwriter and record producer
  • Jack Shook (1910–1986), American guitarist and a Grand Ole Opry star
  • Tim Spencer, (1908–1974), American singer, songwriter, actor, member of the Original Sons of the Pioneers, member of the Country Music Hall of Fame
  • Tate Stevens, country music singer and 2012 winner of The X Factor
  • Wynn Stewart (1934–1985), country music singer, progenitor of the Bakersfield sound
  • Billy Swan (born 1942), American country singer-songwriter
  • Jamie Teachenor (born 1980), country and rock singer-songwriter, musician and record producer
  • Trent Tomlinson (born 1975), country singer-songwriter
  • Leroy Van Dyke (born 1929), country singer best known for "The Auctioneer" and "Walk on By", former member of the Grand Ole Opry
  • Darrin Vincent (born 1970), half of the Grammy-nominated bluegrass group Dailey & Vincent; record producer
  • Rhonda Vincent (born 1962), bluegrass singer and musician, seven-time IMBA Female Vocalist of the Year
  • Porter Wagoner (1927–2007), country music singer, songwriter and Grand Ole Opry member. Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame
  • Jerry Wallace (1928–2008), American country and pop singer.
  • Dallas Wayne, Austin, Texas-based singer, songwriter, voice-over artist and on-air radio personality for Sirius Satellite Radio.
  • Speedy West, (1923–2003), American pedal steel guitarist and record producer.
  • Onie Wheeler (1921–1984), country and bluegrass musician
  • Leona Williams (born 1943), American country music singer
  • Chely Wright (born 1970), American country music singer and activist
  • Billy Yates (born 1963), American country music artist and songwriter
  • Reggie Young (1936–2019), American session musician

Jazz[]

  • Oleta Adams (born 1953), soul, jazz and gospel singer
  • Ahmad Alaadeen (1934–2010), jazz saxophonist and composer
  • Norman Brown (born 1970), smooth jazz musician
  • Jimmy Forrest (1920–1980), jazz tenor saxophonist
  • Grant Green (1935–1979), jazz guitarist
  • Coleman Hawkins (1904–1969), jazz tenor saxophonist
  • Bob James (born 1939), smooth jazz musician
  • Scott Joplin (1867–1917), ragtime musician and composer
  • Pat Metheny (born 1954), jazz guitarist and musician
  • Lennie Niehaus (1929–2020), alto saxophonist, arranger, and composer
  • Charlie "Bird" Parker (1920–1955), jazz saxophonist and composer
  • David Sanborn (born 1945), smooth jazz musician
  • Wilbur Sweatman (1882–1961), Dixieland jazz and ragtime composer and bandleader
  • Clark Terry (1920–2015), swing and bebop trumpet and flugelhorn player

Rhythm & blues, pop, rap and hip-hop[]

Nelly
  • Akon (born 1977), rhythm and blues musician, music producer
  • Fontella Bass (1940–2012), singer best known for 1965 hit Rescue Me
  • Chingy (born 1980), rapper, actor
  • Eminem (born 1972), rap musician (grew up partly in St. Joseph)
  • Nelly (born 1974), rap musician (born in Texas and raised in St. Louis)
  • David Peaston (1957–2012), R&B and Gospel singer
  • St. Lunatics, hip hop, best known for collaborations with Nelly
  • Tech N9ne (born 1971), rapper
  • Kimberly Wyatt, singer and dancer, Pussycat Dolls

Rock & roll[]

David Cook
  • Chuck Berry (1926–2017), guitarist, musician, singer, songwriter, pioneer of rock & roll, in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
  • The Bottle Rockets (formed 1992), rock, alt-country, roots rock
  • T Bone Burnett (born 1948), musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer
  • Cavo, hard rock band (formed in St. Louis)
  • David Cook (born 1982), 2008 American Idol winner from Blue Springs
  • Sheryl Crow (born 1962), Grammy-winning singer-songwriter
  • Gravity Kills, industrial rock band, formed in Jefferson City
  • Johnnie Johnson (1924–2005), early rock & roll and blues piano player; member of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
  • King's X, hard rock, progressive metal band, formed in Springfield
  • Michael McDonald (born 1952), singer, former Doobie Brothers frontman
  • Missouri, band known for classic rock song "Movin' On", formed in Kansas City
  • Ozark Mountain Daredevils, rock band known for the hits "Jackie Blue" and "If You Wanna Get To Heaven", formed in Springfield
  • Louise Post, founder, lead singer and guitarist of alternative rock band Veruca Salt
  • Puddle of Mudd, rock band, formed in Kansas City
  • The Rainmakers, rock band, formed in Kansas City
  • Jay Reatard (1980–2010), garage punk musician, born in Lilbourn
  • Wes Scantlin (born 1972), lead singer and guitarist of post-grunge band Puddle of Mudd
  • Shooting Star, 1970s and 1980s rock band, from Kansas City
  • Story of the Year, emo rock band, formed in St. Louis
  • The Urge, rock band, formed in St. Louis
  • Bob Walkenhorst, founder and lead singer of alternative rock band The Rainmakers
  • Story of the Year, rock band, formed in St. Louis
  • Steve Walsh (born 1951), lead vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist for the progressive rock group Kansas and Streets

Other music[]

  • Doris Akers (1923–1995), gospel music singer and composer
  • Martha Bass (1921–1998), gospel singer with Clara Ward Singers and solo career
  • Burt Bacharach (born 1928), pianist, composer
  • Neal E. Boyd (1975–2018), opera vocalist, winner of 2008 America's Got Talent competition
  • Grace Bumbry (born 1937), opera soprano
  • Sarah Caldwell (1924–2006), opera conductor
  • Sara Groves (born 1972), Contemporary Christian singer, record producer, author
  • Dan Landrum (born 1961), hammer dulcimer player, featured instrumentalist with Yanni
  • Basil Poledouris (1945–2006), film soundtrack composer
  • H. Owen Reed (1910–2014), composer and conductor
  • Willie Mae Ford Smith (1904–1994), Gospel singer
  • Virgil Thomson (1896–1989), composer and critic
  • Helen Traubel (1899–1972), opera vocalist
  • Grace VanderWaal (born 2004), singer-songwriter, ukuleleist, winner of America's Got Talent season 11

Radio and television[]

  • Bob Barker (born 1923), television game show host
  • Jim Bohannon (born 1944), radio talk show host
  • Rush Limbaugh (1951–2021), radio talk show host
  • Dana Loesch (born 1978), radio talk show host and television host at TheBlaze
  • Melanie Morgan (born 1956), radio personality with KSFO in San Francisco
  • Erich "Mancow" Muller (born 1966), radio and TV personality, Mancow's Morning Madhouse
  • Marlin Perkins (1905–1986), zoologist and host of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
  • April Scott (born 1979), model, Deal or No Deal and SOAPnet's Soap Talk
  • Scott Shannon (born 1947), disc jockey for many radio stations across the country, hosted radio show America's Greatest Hits
  • Chris Stigall (born 1977), talk radio personality for Philadelphia's WPHT

Beauty pageant titleholders[]

  • Debbye Turner (born 1965), Miss America 1990
  • Shandi Finnessey (born 1978), Miss USA 2004

Journalism[]

  • Jabari Asim (born 1962), author, journalist
  • Bob Broeg (1918–2005), St. Louis sportswriter
  • Joe Buck (born 1969), sportscaster for Fox Sports
  • Harry Caray (1914–1998), Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster
  • Walter Cronkite (1916–2009), television journalist
  • Walker Evans (1903–1975), photojournalist best known for photos taken during the Great Depression
  • Clay Felker (1925–2008), editor, journalist, founder of New York magazine
  • Joe Garagiola, Sr. (1926–2016), MLB catcher, baseball broadcaster, and television host (The Today Show)
  • Dave Garroway (1913–1982), first host of NBC's Today show
  • Jane Grant (1892–1972), journalist, co-founder of The New Yorker
  • Michael Kim (born 1964), sports broadcaster for ESPN
  • Carol Platt Liebau, attorney, political analyst and social conservative commentator
  • Mary Margaret McBride (1899–1976), female radio pioneer
  • Joe McGuff (1926–2006), Kansas City sportswriter
  • Dan McLaughlin (born 1974), sportscaster for Fox Sports Midwest
  • Russ Mitchell (born 1960), TV journalist, CBS Evening News
  • Lisa Myers (born 1951), TV journalist, NBC Nightly News
  • Stone Phillips (born 1954), TV journalist, Dateline NBC
  • Joseph Pulitzer (1847–1911), Hungarian journalist, creator of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Pulitzer Prize
  • Howard Rushmore (1913–1958), journalist for The Daily Worker, New York Journal-American and Confidential magazine
  • Elaine Viets, St. Louis columnist and author

Military[]

John J. Pershing
  • William T. Anderson (1838–1864), a.k.a. "Bloody Bill" Anderson; Confederate guerrilla leader in the Civil War
  • Charles D. Barger (1892–1936), earned the Medal of Honor in World War I
  • John L. Barkley (1895–1966), earned the Medal of Honor in World War I
  • Frederick Benteen (1834–1898), best known for the role under George Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
  • Omar Bradley (1893–1981), World War II general, from Clark, Missouri
  • Robert Coontz (1864–1935), US Navy Admiral, former Chief of Naval Operations
  • John V. Cox (born 1930), United States Marine Corps Major General; flew over 200 combat missions during the Vietnam War
  • Enoch Crowder (1859–1932), US Army General and reformer of the military justice system
  • Randall "Duke" Cunningham, only U.S. Navy Ace in the Vietnam War; later a U.S. Congressman from California
  • James Phillip Fleming (born 1943), USAF pilot; awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War
  • John C. Frémont (1813–1890), Western explorer; Union Civil War general; first Republican candidate for U.S. President
  • Frederick Dent Grant (1850–1912), U.S. Army major general and diplomat; son of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant
  • Martin E. Green (1815–1863), Confederate Army brigadier general; killed at Siege of Vicksburg
  • John McNeil (1813–1891), Union Army brigadier general during the American Civil War; known as "The Butcher of Palmyra"
  • Wayne E. Meyer (1926–2009), U.S. Navy rear admiral; "father of the Aegis weapons system"
  • David Moore (1817–1893), Mexican–American War officer and Union Civil War Brigadier General
  • John Henry Parker (1866–1942), "Gatling Gun Parker"; a hero in the Spanish–American War; only U.S. soldier to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross four times in World War I
  • Floyd B. Parks (1911–1942), U.S. Marine aviator who earned the Navy Cross posthumously for his actions leading Marine fighter squadron VMF-221 during the Battle of Midway
  • John J. Pershing (1860–1948), soldier, General of the Armies; born in Laclede, Missouri
  • Sterling Price, Confederate States Army, General of the Missouri State Guard during the Civil War
  • William Quantrill (1837–1865), Confederate guerrilla leader (Quantrill's Raiders) in the Civil War
  • John H. Quick (1870–1922), U.S. Marine awarded the Medal of Honor in the Spanish–American War, awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross in World War I
  • James E. Rieger (1874–1951), Colonel Mo. National Guard; awarded Distinguished Service Cross and Croix de Guerre in World War I
  • Roscoe Robinson, U.S. Army General
  • , USMC Lance Cpl. One of 13 of the last military members to be killed in the War on Terror extraction from Afghanistan [3]
  • Maxwell D. Taylor (1901–1987), U.S. Army general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • Stephen W. Thompson (1894–1977), first U.S. military pilot to ever shoot down an enemy in aerial combat (1918)
  • Harry H. Vaughan (1893–1981), U.S. Army Reserve general, Aide to the President of the United States from 1945 to 1953
  • George Allison Whiteman (1919–1941), the first United States Army Air Corps pilot killed in World War II; awarded the Silver Star posthumously for after being shot down in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
  • Arthur L. Willard (1870–1935), United States Navy Vice Admiral, winner of Navy Cross, French Legion of Honor, and Belgian Order of Leopold; the first man to plant the American flag on Cuban soil in the Spanish–American War

Public office[]

Martin Heinrich
Tim Kaine
Harry S. Truman
See also: List of Governors of Missouri; List of judges of the Supreme Court of Missouri; List of lieutenant governors of Missouri; List of mayors of Kansas City, Missouri; List of mayors of St. Joseph, Missouri; List of United States Representatives from Missouri; and List of United States Senators from Missouri
A–K
  • Orland K. Armstrong (1893–1987), U.S. Representative, journalist and social activist
  • John Ashcroft (born 1942), governor of Missouri (1985–1993), U.S. Senator from Missouri (1995–2001), United States Attorney General (2001–2005)
  • Rex Barnett (born 1938), politician, and former officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol
  • Thomas Hart Benton (1782–1858), U.S. Senator
  • Richard P. Bland (1835–1899), U.S. Representative for 23 years, Democratic candidate for U.S. president in 1896
  • Roy Blunt (born 1950), seven-term U.S. Representative for Missouri's 7th congressional district; House Minority Whip, U.S. Senator
  • Christopher S. "Kit" Bond (born 1939), governor, U.S. Senator of Missouri
  • Leonard Boswell (1934–2018), U.S. Representative for Iowa's 3rd congressional district
  • Bill Bradley (born 1943), U.S. Senator for New Jersey, NBA Hall of Famer; born and reared in Missouri
  • Karilyn Brown (born c. 1947), member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Pulaski County; born in Cape Girardeau
  • Clarence Cannon (1879–1964), U.S. Representative 1923–1964, House Appropriations Committee chairman
  • Albert Sidney Johnson Carnahan (1897–1968), US Representative, US Ambassador to Sierra Leone; father of Governor Mel Carnahan
  • Jean Carnahan (born 1933), first Missouri woman to become a U.S. Senator, matriarch of Carnahan political family
  • Mel Carnahan (1924–2000), governor, posthumous US Senator (died in plane crash three weeks before he was elected), patriarch of Carnahan political family
  • Robin Carnahan (born 1961), Missouri Secretary of State
  • Russ Carnahan (born 1958), US House of Representatives
  • Francis M. Cockrell (1834–1915) U.S. Senator and general in the Confederate States Army
  • Steven Chu (born 1948), U.S. Secretary of Energy
  • John Danforth (born 1936), U.S. Senator and United States Ambassador to the United Nations
  • Thomas Eagleton (1929–2007), U.S. Senator from Missouri (1968–1987); 1972 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee
  • Josh Earnest (born 1977), White House Press Secretary to President Barack Obama
  • David R. Francis (1850–1927), U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1896–1897), U.S. Ambassador to Russia (1916–1917)
  • J. William Fulbright (1905–1995), U.S. Senator, established the Fulbright Fellowships
  • Dick Gephardt (born 1941), U.S. Representative from Missouri's 3rd congressional district (1977–2005); Democratic House Majority Leader (1989–1995); candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in the 2004 election
  • Michael Gerson (born 1964), chief speechwriter for George W. Bush (2001–2006)
  • Ulysses S. Grant, (1822–1885), 18th President of the United States
  • Michael Harrington (1928–1989), founder Democratic Socialists of America
  • George Hearst (1820–1891), U.S. Senator for California (1887–1891)
  • Martin Heinrich (born 1971), former Congressman and current U.S. Senator from New Mexico
  • Arthur M. Hyde (1877–1947), U.S. Secretary of Agriculture 1929–33, Governor of Missouri 1921–25
  • Alphonso Jackson (born 1945), 13th U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  • James Jones (born 1943), U.S. National Security Advisor under Barack Obama and retired USMC four-star general
  • Tim Kaine (born 1958), former Governor and current U.S. Senator from Virginia since 2013; 2016 Democratic nominee for vice president under Hillary Clinton
L–Z
  • Jerry Litton (1937–1976), two-term U.S. Representative; Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 1976; killed in plane crash before general election
  • Breckinridge Long (1881–1958), U.S. Ambassador to Italy and Assistant United States Secretary of State under President Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • Claire McCaskill, State Auditor of Missouri (1999–2007); U.S. Senator (2007–2019); first woman elected U.S. senator from Missouri
  • James Benton Parsons (1911–1993), federal judge
  • Clarke Reed (born 1928), Mississippi Republican state chairman, 1966 to 1976; instrumental in the nomination of Gerald R. Ford, Jr. at the 1976 Republican National Convention; reared in Caruthersville, Missouri, and attended the University of Missouri[4]
  • Nellie Tayloe Ross (1876–1977), governor of Wyoming (1925–1927); director of the United States Mint (1933–1953); first woman to serve as a state governor
  • Mel Sembler (born 1930), U.S. Ambassador to Italy (2001–2005) and Australia (1989–1993)
  • Jeanne Shaheen (born 1947), U.S. Senator for New Hampshire
  • Ike Skelton (1931–2013), U.S. Congressman for the Missouri 4th District (1977–2011), chairman U.S. House Armed Services Committee
  • Stuart Symington, first Air Force Secretary and U.S. Senator from Missouri
  • Larry Thompson (born 1945), United States Deputy Attorney General under George W. Bush
  • Harry S. Truman (1884–1972), vice president and 33rd President of the United States
  • George Turner (1850–1932), U.S. Senator and international arbitrator
  • David King Udall (1851–1938), served in Arizona Legislature, progenitor of the Udall political family
  • Harold Volkmer (1931–2011), 20-year member of U.S. House of Representatives for northeast Missouri
  • Jim Webb (born 1946), U.S. Senator for Virginia and United States Secretary of the Navy
  • (born 1950), Assistant Secretary of the United States Navy (2020-2021), U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, Ret. (2005)
  • Pete Wilson (born 1933), mayor of San Diego, 36th Governor of California, U.S. Senator (1983–1991)
  • Robert Coldwell Wood (1923–2005), Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under Lyndon B. Johnson

Science and medicine[]

George Washington Carver
  • Augie Auer (1940–2007), atmospheric scientist and meteorologist
  • William F. Baker (born 1953), structural engineer
  • Jean Bartik (1924–2011), early computer programmer and designer
  • Gordon Bell (born 1934), computer engineer and microcomputer pioneer
  • Herbert Blumer (1900–1987), sociologist, developer of symbolic interactionism
  • Martin Stanislaus Brennan (1845–1927), scientist and priest
  • George Washington Carver (c. 1864–1943), botanist
  • Steven Chu (born 1948), Nobel Laureate in Physics, U.S. Secretary of Energy
  • Robert H. Dicke (1916–1997), astronomer and physicist
  • Charles Stark Draper (1901–1987), inventor
  • David F. Duncan (born 1947), psychologist and epidemiologist
  • James P. Eisenstein (born 1952), physicist
  • Meta Given (1888–1981), home economist scientist, dietician, author
  • Edward T. Hall (1914–2009), anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher
  • Edwin Hubble (1889–1953), astronomer
  • Mark Johnson (born 1949), philosopher
  • John Johnson (astronomer) (born 1977), astronomer and physicist
  • Virginia Eshelman Johnson (1925–2013), psychology researcher
  • Jack Kilby (1923–2005), inventor of the integrated circuit, Nobel Prize winner
  • Roger Kornberg (born 1947), biochemist, Nobel Prize winner
  • Harry Laughlin (1880–1943), eugenicist
  • J. C. R. Licklider (1915–1990), psychologist, computer scientist
  • Pauline Gracia Beery Mack (1891���1974), chemist
  • Ernest Manheim (1900–2002), sociologist
  • William Howell Masters (1915–2001), gynecologist
  • Orval Hobart Mowrer (1907–1982), psychologist
  • Michael Rosbash (born 1944), Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
  • Keith Schwab (born 1968), physicist
  • Richard Smalley (1943–2005), Nobel Prize-winning chemist, discovered buckminsterfullerene
  • Harlow Shapley (1885–1972), astronomer
  • William Jasper Spillman (1863–1931), plant geneticist, a founder of agricultural economics
  • Lewis Stadler (1896–1954), aka L.J. Stadler, maize geneticist
  • Andrew Taylor Still (1828–1917), physician and founder of osteopathic medicine
  • Thomas H. Stix (1924–2001), plasma physicist
  • Norbert Wiener (1894–1964), mathematician

Miscellaneous famous Missourians[]

  • William Becknell (1787–1856), soldier, businessman, founder of the Santa Fe Trail
  • Johnny Behan (1844–1912), sheriff of Tombstone, Arizona, during the gunfight at the O.K. Corral
  • Susan Blow (1843–1916), educator, "the mother of kindergarten"
  • Sylvia Browne (1936–2013), author who claimed to be a medium and to have psychic abilities
  • Calamity Jane (c. 1852–1903), Indian fighter and frontierswoman
  • Alfred Caldwell (1903–1998), architect
  • Dale Carnegie (1888–1955), public and motivational speaker
  • Mike Caro (born 1944), professional poker player
  • James E. Cofer (born 1949), president of Missouri State University, 2010–2011; professor of business at MSU
  • Brad Daugherty (born 1951), professional poker player
  • Moses Dickson (1824–1901), African-American abolitionist, soldier, minister and founder of the secret organization the Knights of Liberty
  • Matt Dillahunty (born 1969), public speaker, internet personality, atheist activist
  • Timothy M. Dolan (born 1950), Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of New York
  • Ella Ewing (1872–1913), "The Missouri Giantess", world's tallest woman (of her era)
  • Hugh Ferriss (1889–1962), delineator and architect
  • Julia Greeley (c. 1833–1918) ex-slave, Roman Catholic candidate for canonization
  • Bobby Greenlease (1947–1953), kidnap-murder victim in case that drew national attention
  • Phoebe Hearst (1842–1919), philanthropist, feminist and suffragist
  • Raelynn Hillhouse, national security and intelligence community analyst, Cold War smuggler, spy novelist
  • Helen Viola Jackson (1919–2020); last living wife of a Civil War Veteran
  • Mary Ranken Jordan (1869–1962), philanthropist and community advocate
  • Terry Karl (born 1947), professor of Latin American Studies at Stanford University
  • Emmett Kelly (1898–1979), circus clown
  • Karlie Kloss (born 1992), model and ballet dancer
  • Alice Moyer Wing (1866–1937), American writer and suffragist
  • Carrie Nation (1846–1911), advocate for the temperance movement
  • Rose O'Neill (1874–1944), author, illustrator and creator of the Kewpie doll
  • Walter J. Ong (1912–2003), Jesuit priest, cultural and religious historian and philosopher
  • Phyllis Schlafly (1924–2016), conservative political activist and author
  • Dred Scott, slave and litigant in U.S. Supreme Court Dred Scott decision
  • George Thampy (born 1987), Scripps National Spelling Bee champion 2000, staff member 2006
  • Faye Wattleton (born 1943), feminist activist
  • Brian Wesbury (born 1958), economist
  • Halbert White (1950–2012), economics professor at UC San Diego
  • Roy Wilkins (1901–1981), civil rights activist

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "The Missourian Award -". themissourianaward.org.
  2. ^ "Hala Finley - Man With A Plan Cast Member". CBS. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  3. ^ https://news.yahoo.com/missouri-marine-jared-schmitz-american-202850708.html?fr=sychp_catchall
  4. ^ "R.W. Apple, Jr., THE REPUBLICANS: THE CONVENTION IN NEW YORK -- APPLE'S ALMANAC; Father of the Southern Strategy, at 76, Is Here for His 11th Convention, August 30, 2004". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
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