# List of people from Columbia, South Carolina

The following people were born in, residents of, or closely associated with Columbia, South Carolina.

## Government and law

* Weston Adams, United States ambassador
* DeAndrea G. Benjamin, lawyer serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
* Stephen K. Benjamin, politician, mayor of Columbia, Director of the Office of Public Engagement for the Biden administration, and one of the senior advisors to president Biden
* Adair Ford Boroughs, United States attorney for the District of South Carolina
* John T. Campbell, politician, mayor of Columbia
* J. Michelle Childs, U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
* Jim Clyburn, US House Assistant Democratic Leader
* Bob Coble, politician, mayor of Columbia
* John E. Courson, politician, President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate
* Kirkman Finlay, Jr., politician, mayor of Columbia
* Dick Harpootlian, politician and attorney
* Robert H. Hodges, Jr., federal judge
* George Dean Johnson Jr., politician and lawyer
* Henry McMaster, incumbent governor of South Carolina, since 2017
* Matthew J. Perry, lawyer, judge
* Carol Rasco, director of the Domestic Policy Council under President Bill Clinton; advocate for disability rights, education, and children
* Jennifer Clyburn Reed, federal co-chair of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission
* Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of Columbia
* Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States
* Bill Workman, economic consultant, Greenville mayor; former Columbia resident

## Film and acting

* Julian Adams, film producer, writer, and actor
* Aziz Ansari, actor and comedian, Parks and Recreation
* Paul Benjamin, actor
* Anna Camp, actress, Pitch Perfect films
* Kelsey Chow, actress
* Mike Colter, actor
* Angell Conwell, actress
* Kristin Davis, actress, Sex and the City
* Stanley Donen, film director and choreographer
* Michael Flessas, actor
* Ed Grady, actor
* Scott Holroyd, actor
* Fiona Hutchison, actress
* Barton MacLane, actor, playwriter, screenwriter
* Elizabeth MacRae, actress
* Allison Munn, actress
* Gloria Saunders, actress
* Ann Savage, actress
* Sadie Stanley, actress
* Josh Stolberg, screenwriter
* Robin Swicord, screenwriter
* Jonny Weston, actor
* Lee Thompson Young, actor

## Education

* Clarissa Minnie Thompson Allen, writer and educator
* Mary Haskell, educator
* Elias Marks, founder of Barhamville Institute
* Steve Pettit, fifth president of Bob Jones University
* Sophie Sosnowski, founder of young women's schools

## Activism

* Sarah Mae Flemming, civil rights activist
* Kevin Alexander Gray, activist
* Taylor Richardson, advocate, activist, speaker, student and philanthropist
* Modjeska Monteith Simkins, civil rights activist, Secretary of the South Carolina NAACP
* Tom Turnipseed, activist, formerly of State Senate

## Music

* Nickolas Ashford of Ashford & Simpson r&b duo, born in Fairfield County
* Atlas Road Crew, alternative rock, Southern rock band
* Bored Suburban Youth, hardcore punk band
* Pi'erre Bourne, producer and rapper
* Speaker Knockerz, producer and rapper
* Ben Bridwell, lead singer of Band of Horses, alternative rock band
* Phillip Bush, pianist
* Crossfade, alternative metal/hard rock band
* Danny!, musician
* From Safety To Where, rock band
* Hootie & the Blowfish, band
* Danielle Howle, musician and songwriter
* Iron & Wine (Samuel Beam), indie rock musician
* JetsonMade, producer
* Alexis Jordan, singer
* Lil Ru, singer
* Linda Martell first black female country singer, from Batesburg-Leesville
* The Movement, reggae band
* Chris Potter, musician
* The Sequence, first female hip-hop group in 1979
* Zachary Stevens, heavy metal singer
* Angie Stone, singer
* Stretch Arm Strong, hardcore punk band
* Toro y Moi, musician and songwriter
* Ron Westray, trombonist
* Young Jeezy, rapper, born in Columbia

## Art

* Eugene Dovilliers, artist
* Larry Francis Lebby, artist
* Alicia Leeke, artist
* Guy Lipscomb, artist
* Brooklyn Mack, ballet dancer
* Ashley Tuttle, ballet dancer

## Science and medicine

* Charles F. Bolden, Jr., astronaut
* Tyrone Hayes, biologist
* Alonzo Clifton McClennan, doctor
* Kary Mullis, scientist (Nobel Prize winner/graduate of Dreher High School)
* John H. Yardley, pathologist

## Military

* Charles W. Bagnal, military officer and lawyer
* Arthur C. Davis, Navy admiral
* Maxcy Gregg, Civil War veteran
* Alexander Cheves Haskell, Civil War veteran
* Lloyd E. Jones, Army major general

## Literature and publishing

* Annie Maria Barnes, journalist, editor, and author
* James Dickey, poet, author of Deliverance in 1970, #42 on Modern Library's list of the 100 best 20th-century novels
* William Price Fox, novelist
* Terrance Hayes, poet
* Ed Madden, poet, professor, and editor
* Ryan Magee, editor
* John Henry McCray, African American newspaper journalist and publisher, politician, and civil rights activist
* Ray McManus, poet
* Tom Poland, author
* Julian Selby, printer, journalist and writer

## Sports

* Ike Anderson, Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler
* Grayson Barber, soccer player
* Zinn Beck, MLB player, manager
* Ryan Bethea, professional football wide receiver
* Michael Boulware, NFL safety
* Peter Boulware, NFL linebacker, 4-time Pro Bowl, Super Bowl champion
* Bob Bowman, swim coach, best known as coach of Michael Phelps
* Zack Bowman, NFL cornerback
* Bruce Chen, Major League Baseball pitcher
* Tyrone Corbin, NBA player and coach
* Dennis Daley, NFL offensive tackle
* Brad Edwards, NFL defensive back
* Alex English, NBA forward, member of Basketball Hall of Fame
* The Fabulous Moolah, WWE/WWF wrestler
* Samkon Gado, NFL running back
* Grayson Greiner, MLB catcher
* Kirby Higbe, MLB pitcher
* LaMarr Hoyt, MLB pitcher, AL Cy Young Award winner
* Hal Jeffcoat, MLB player
* Dustin Johnson, professional golfer
* Erik Kimrey, college football coach
* Savannah McCaskill, soccer player, member of USWNT
* Xavier McDaniel, NBA player
* BJ McKie, professional basketball player
* Jermaine O'Neal, NBA player, 6-time All-Star
* The Patriot, real name Del Wilkes, pro wrestler
* Zach Prince, USL Championship soccer player
* Brian Quick, NFL player
* Andre Roberts, NFL wide receiver, All-Pro kick returner
* Darell Scott, NFL defensive tackle
* Richard Seymour, NFL defensive tackle, 7-time Pro Bowl, 3-time Super Bowl champion
* Duce Staley, NFL player and coach
* Freddie Summers, NFL defensive back
* Channing Tindall, NFL linebacker
* Trick Williams, professional wrestler, WWE NXT (NXT Champion)
* A'ja Wilson, WNBA power forward for the Las Vegas Aces
* Wesley Bryan, professional golfer
* Dan Brode, NASCAR

## Other

* Kimberly Clarice Aiken, Miss USA 1994
* Joseph Bernardin, Catholic cardinal
* Marie Boozer, adventuress from Civil War era
* Mark Cerney, founder of the Next of Kin Registry (NOKR)
* Ainsley Earhardt, news anchor
* Craig Melvin, news anchor
* Dylann Roof, terrorist and white supremacist mass murderer behind the Charleston church shooting