# List of people from El Paso, Texas

This is a list of notable people who were born in, or have lived in El Paso, Texas.

## Politics, military, and government

* Shirley "S.L." Abbott, Texas legislator and United States Ambassador
* Lucy G. Acosta (1926–2008), activist and political appointee.
* Oscar Zeta Acosta, attorney, writer
* Suzie Azar (born 1946), aviator, politician and first woman to serve as mayor of El Paso.
* Jeff Bingaman, former United States Senator
* Beau Boulter, politician
* Omar Bradley, Five Star General, first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
* Wernher von Braun, German Nazi rocket scientist
* Cornell William Brooks (born 1961), president of the NAACP
* Kathleen Cardone (born 1953), United States District Judge.
* Alicia R. Chacón (born 1938), first woman elected to office in the city of El Paso.
* Ann Day, politician
* Veronica Escobar, United States Representative.
* Albert Bacon Fall, politician
* Patrick G. Forrester, astronaut
* Mary González (born 1983), state representative.
* Ambrosio Guillen, Medal of Honor recipientAmbrosio Guillen, Medal of Honor recipient.
* Polly Harris (1924-1987), politician and theater enthusiast
* Victoriano Huerta, former President of Mexico
* Shoshana Johnson, POW
* Wayne Harold Johnson, Republican member of both houses, consecutively, of the Wyoming State Legislature from 1993 to 2017; born in El Paso in 1942
* Charles S. Kilburn. U.S. Army brigadier general
* Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo, politician
* Thomas Calloway Lea Jr., attorney, judge, Mayor of El Paso (1915–1917)
* Barbara Lee, member of the United States House of Representatives
* Oscar Leeser, Mayor of El Paso
* Virginia B. MacDonald, Illinois state legislator
* Adair Margo, Chairman, President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities
* Susana Martinez, former Governor of New Mexico
* Anson Mills, brigadier general, platted El Paso in 1859.
* Sandra Day O'Connor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. First woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
* John "Danny" Olivas, astronaut
* Beto O'Rourke, former member of the United States House of Representatives
* John "Black Jack" Pershing, General of the Armies
* Joseph C. Rodriguez, Medal of Honor recipient
* Paul Ray Smith, Medal of Honor recipient
* Gabe Vasquez, member of the United States House of Representatives
* Jack Vowell, Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1981 to 1995; construction company president in El Paso
* Richard C. White, member of the United States House of Representatives, WWII veteran, Marine
* Myra Carroll Winkler (1880-1963), first woman to hold elected office in El Paso County.

## Western history

* George Campbell, ex-El Paso marshal
* Albert Jennings Fountain, Wild West Indian fighter, politician
* Henry O. Flipper (1856-1940), Buffalo soldier and first African American graduate of West Point.
* Pat Garrett, Western law man known for killing Billy The Kid
* John Wesley Hardin, outlaw, attorney and gunfighter in late 19th-century Texas
* Gus Krempkau, El Paso County constable
* Pascual Orozco, Mexican revolutionary leader
* George Scarborough, U.S. Marshal, gunfighter, outlaw
* John Selman, El Paso County constable, cattle rustler and outlaw
* Dallas Stoudenmire, El Paso Town Marshal and U.S. Marshal
* Pancho Villa, Revolutionary general of the Mexican Revolution, Centaur of the North (Centaurio del Norte)
* Florida J. Wolfe (1867-1913), socialite, cattle rancher and philanthropist.

## Film

* F. Murray Abraham, Academy Award-winning actor
* Don Bluth, animator and director
* Lombardo Boyar, actor
* Thomas Haden Church, Academy Award-nominated actor
* Norma Crane, film actress known for her role as "Golde" in the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof
* Judith Ivey, Tony Award-winning actress
* Guy Kibbee, actor
* Rudy Larriva, animator and director
* Laura Martinez Herring, Miss Texas USA 1985, Miss USA 1985 and actress, Mulholland Drive
* John Cameron Mitchell, actor, director, songwriter, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
* Lupe Ontiveros, actress
* Anthony Quinn, Academy Award-winning actor
* Debbie Reynolds, Academy Award-nominated actress, Singin' in the Rain
* Lynne Roberts, actress
* Gilbert Roland, Golden Globe-nominated actor
* Steven Sills, screenwriter
* Octavio Solis, actor
* Sharon Tate, actress, Valley of the Dolls
* Alan Tudyk, actor
* Hal Warren, writer and director of Manos: The Hands of Fate, widely regarded as one of the worst movies ever made

## Television

* Ana Alicia, actress
* Estela Casas (born 1961), news anchor
* Ara Celi, actress
* Lydia Cornell, actress, model, comedian, novelist
* Sam Donaldson, television journalist
* Stephen Espinoza, television executive
* Alana de la Garza, actress
* Vickie Guerrero, actress
* Jack Handey, comedy writer and author
* Sherman Hemsley, television actor, The Jeffersons
* Jordan Hinson, actress
* Elisa Jimenez, designer
* Bill Macatee, sportscaster
* Karla Martinez, television personality
* Lupe Ontiveros, actress
* Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek creator and television producer
* Irene Ryan, actress, The Beverly Hillbillies
* Aarón Sanchez, chef
* Octavio Solis
* Nora Zehetner, actress

## Literature

* Paco Ahlgren, writer
* Alicia Gaspar de Alba, writer, poet, scholar
* Kathleen Barber, writer
* Cynthia Farah (born 1949), photographer and writer
* Marcia Hatfield Daudistel, writer.
* Shanaya Fastje, author, singer, songwriter, actress and speaker
* Betty J. Ligon (1921-2015), journalist
* Sheryl Luna, poet.
* Cormac McCarthy, novelist
* Aileen Mehle, gossip columnist
* Leon Claire Metz, author, writer, historian, television and radio personality, public speaker and story teller
* Pat Mora, author
* Michael Petry, artist, author
* Estela Portillo-Trambley, poet
* John Rechy, author
* Benjamin Alire Sáenz, writer, poet
* Rubén Salazar, journalist
* Robert Skimin, author
* Sergio Troncoso, author
* Janice Woods Windle (born 1938), novelist
* Angelina Virginia Winkler, journalist, editor, magazine publisher

## Visual arts

* Manuel Gregorio Acosta, artist
* Ho Baron, sculptor
* Kate Moore Brown (1871-1945), clubwoman and creator of the International Museum of Art in El Paso.
* Mago Orona Gándara (1929-2018), Chicana artist and muralist
* Joe Allen Hong, fashion designer, artist
* Anna Jaquez (born 1953), artist and metalsmith
* Luis Jiménez, fiberglass artist
* Tom Lea, artist, war correspondent, novelist, historian
* Tom Moore, cartoonist, Archie comics
* Gloria Osuna Perez (1947-1999), Chicana artist
* Becky Duval Reese, art curator and former director of the El Paso Museum of Art
* Urbici Soler, artist
* Alberto Valdés, painter

## Music, performing arts and stage

* Birdie Alexander (1870-1960), musician and educator
* Blake Allen, composer and musician
* At the Drive-In, alternative rock band
* Clint Ballard Jr., musician
* Cedric Bixler-Zavala, musician
* Jimmy Carl Black, musician
* Malena Cano, ranchero and mariachi singer
* Vikki Carr, Grammy-winning international singer, entertainer
* The Chamanas, Latin Grammy nominee, border music band
* Adam Duritz, musician
* Emcee N.I.C.E., hip-hop recording artist
* Bobby Fuller, musician
* Kenneth James Gibson, musician, record producer
* Rosa Ramirez Guerrero (born 1934), educator and dancer
* Gunplay, rapper
* Ingeborg Heuser, dancer and choreographer
* Al Jourgensen, musician, music producer
* Khalid, singer-songwriter
* Ronn Lucas, ventriloquist, comedian
* Terry Manning, music producer, audio engineer, photographer
* The Mars Volta, progressive rock band
* John Moyer, musician, bass player for Disturbed
* Stevie Nicks, musician
* Drusilla Nixon, music educator, civil rights activist, and community advocate
* Salim Nourallah, musician
* Phil Ochs, musician
* Pissing Razors, groove metal band
* Jiles Perry Richardson, musician also known as The Big Bopper
* Joan H. Quarm (1920-2010), American educator, actor, and theater director
* Riot Ten, DJ and producer
* Omar Rodríguez-López, musician
* The Royalty, musical group
* Tom Russell, singer-songwriter
* Irene Ryan, actress and entertainer
* Freddy Soto, comedian
* Sparta, musical group
* Ryan Stout, comedian
* Don Tosti, Mexican American composer, bandleader and musician
* Jim Ward, musician
* Todd Womack, comedian

## Sports

* Diego Abarca (born 2005), soccer player
* Keitha Adams (born 1967), basketball coachBob Beamon in 1968.
* Kristi Albers (born 1963), professional golfer
* Mikey Ambrose (born 1993), soccer player
* Nate Archibald, basketball player
* Arturo Astorga (born 1998), soccer player
* Jerry D. Bailey, jockey
* Cesar Bazan, boxer
* Bob Beamon, Olympic champion long jumper
* Rich Beem, professional golfer
* Fabrizio Bernal (born 2003), soccer player
* Sin Cara, WWE wrestler
* Fred Carr, NFL player, Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame inductee
* Frank Castillo, baseball player
* Andy Cohen, Major League Baseball second baseman and coach
* Randall "Tex" Cobb, boxer
* Alan Culpepper, Olympic runner
* Christian Cunningham (born 1997), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Mark Dantonio, college football coach
* Billy Davis, NFL player, two-time Super Bowl champion
* Jamie Dick, NASCAR driver
* Manny Fernandez, wrestler
* Tim Floyd, basketball coach
* James Forbes, basketball player
* Greg Foster, basketball player
* Mark Grudzielanek, baseball player
* Chavo Guerrero Sr., professional wrestler
* Chavo Guerrero Jr., professional wrestler
* Eddie Guerrero, professional wrestler former WWE Champion
* Vickie Guerrero professional wrestling personality for WWE
* Don Haskins, basketball coach, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
* J. P. Hayes, professional golfer
* Tuff Hedeman, rodeo performer
* Butch Henry, baseball pitcher and Minor League manager
* Bruce Holmes, football player
* Chris Jacke, NFL player, Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame inductee
* Marcell Jacobs, Olympic sprinter
* Aaron Jones, NFL player
* Shawn Jordan, LSU Football Champion, UFC Fighter
* Seth Joyner, professional football player
* Juan Lazcano, boxer
* Nik Lentz, mixed martial artist
* Marshall Leonard, professional soccer player
* Will Licon, swimmer
* Don Maynard, professional football player
* Taj McWilliams-Franklin, professional basketball player
* Ray Mickens, professional football player
* Ricardo Pepi, professional soccer player
* Danny Perez, professional baseball player
* Mike Price, college football coach
* Omar Quintanilla, professional baseball player
* Nolan Richardson, basketball coachNolan Richardson in 2009.
* David Rodriguez professional boxer
* Sandra Rushing, basketball coach
* Omar Salgado, professional soccer player
* Dick Savitt, professional tennis player
* Willie Shoemaker, jockey
* John Skelton, NFL quarterback
* Paul Smith, football player
* Paul Stankowski, professional golfer
* Ed Stansbury, NFL player
* Reece "Goose" Tatum, professional basketball player
* Kenny Thomas, professional basketball player
* Tony Tolbert, professional American footballer
* Lee Trevino, professional golfer
* Austin Trout, professional boxer
* Jesse Whittenton, NFL player, Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame inductee
* Brian Young, football player
* Jake Young, football player
* Alan Zinter, baseball player and coach

## Educators and librarians

* Mary Irene Stanton.Blanca Enriquez, educator and director of Head Start
* Betty Mary Goetting (1897-1980), librarian and activist
* Olga Bernstein Kohlberg (1864-1935), philanthropist and founder of first public kindergarten in Texas
* Dionne Mack (born 1973), librarian and deputy city manager
* Francis Joseph Mullin, president of Shimer College
* Diana Natalicio (born 1939), first woman to serve as president of UTEP
* Mary Irene Stanton (1862-1946), founder of the El Paso Public Library
* Maud Durlin Sullivan (1870-1943), librarian at the El Paso Public Library
* Josefina Villamil Tinajero, bilingual educator
* María Guillermina Valdes Villalva (1939-1991), scholar and educator
* Kimie Yanagawa (1915-1997), educator and first Japanese person naturalized in the United States

## Video games

* Don Bluth, animator and director; co-creator of Dragon's Lair
* Rawson Stovall, video game producer/designer, author, and first nationally syndicated reviewer of video games

## Others

* Jay J. Armes, private investigator
* Josephine Clardy Fox (1881-1971), businesswoman and philanthropist.
* Christine Gonzalez, train engineer
* Fred Imus, radio personality, brother of Don Imus
* Peter E. Kern (1860-1937), real estate entrepreneur
* Ruth Kern (1914-2002), lawyer
* Ginger Kerrick, physicist
* Richard Ramirez, serial killer
* George Angel Rivas Jr., criminal, leader of the Texas Seven
* Aaron Sanchez, chef
* Eugenia Schuster (1865-1946), community activist
* Fannie S. Spitz, inventor
* Ron Stallworth, police officer, subject of movie BlacKkKlansman
* Leona Ford Washington (1928-2007), community activist and writer of the song, "The City of El Paso," El Paso's official song
* Wulf Zendik, author, environmentalist, founder of Zendik Farm commune and art cooperative.