# List of people from Canton, Ohio

This list organizes and collects the names of notable people who are known for their birth, residency or other association with Canton, Ohio.

## Arts and entertainment

* Jake Abel, actor
* James B. Allardice, Emmy Award-winning television writer
* Matt Bors, Pulitzer Prize-nominated political cartoonist and creator of Idiot Box web comic
* Brannon Braga, television producer, director and screenwriter
* Rowland Brown, director and screenwriter
* Frank De Vol, composer, arranger, actor
* Abastenia St. Leger Eberle, sculptor
* Randall Craig Fleischer, philharmonic conductor
* Peggy Ann Garner, actress
* Macy Gray, R&B singer
* Inhale Exhale, Christian metal band
* Joshua Jay, magician
* James Karales, major civil rights era photographer
* Kathryn Karipides, choreographer and principal dancer
* Karl King, composer and bandleader
* Mark Kozelek, musician
* Enoch Light, bandleader and violinist
* Lovedrug, indie band
* Charles R. Macauley, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist
* Marilyn Manson (born Brian Hugh Warner), rock singer of the band of the same name
* Eddie McClintock, actor
* Richard Miller, opera singer, voice teacher, professor at Oberlin Conservatory, author
* Cathy Nesbitt-Stein, dance instructor, owner of Candy Apples Dance Center, and star on Dance Moms television series
* The O'Jays, soul group; a street in northeast Canton is named The O'Jays Parkway
* Jack Paar, host of The Tonight Show; namesake of a street named in northeast Canton
* Jean Peters, actress; was married to Howard Hughes
* Relient K, Christian rock band
* H. Robert Reynolds, band conductor
* Boz Scaggs, musician
* Jeff Shreve, sports announcer
* Blanche Thebom, opera singer
* Jeff Timmons, singer, 98 Degrees
* Nate Torrence, actor
* Steve Tracy, actor
* Trippie Redd, rapper
* Joe Vitale, musician, has played with Joe Walsh, The Eagles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Michael Stanley Band and The Chylds
* Kelly Wearstler, interior designer; Playboy playmate
* Lee Wilkof, Broadway actor
* Nicole Wood, Playboy playmate
* Erin Wyatt, model and actress

## Politics

* Frank T. Bow, jurist and politician
* Lafayette Caskey, Wisconsin state legislator and carpenter
* Leroy John Contie, Jr., judge
* Andrew W. Cordier, U.N. official
* Hiram Griswold (1807–1881), member of the Ohio Senate and defense lawyer of John Brown
* Shelley Hughes, current member of the Alaska House of Representatives
* Frank Lavin, international trade official
* Susie Lee, U.S. Representative
* Benjamin F. Leiter, mayor of Canton, member of the U.S. House of Representatives
* William A. Lynch, lawyer and politician
* Ida Saxton McKinley, 29th First Lady of the United States, wife of William McKinley
* William McKinley, 25th U.S. President; interred in Canton at the McKinley National Memorial
* Alan Page, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame; current Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
* John A. Scali, United States Ambassador, United Nations
* Kirk Schuring, Republican, Ohio House of Representatives

## Sports

* Todd Blackledge, football player, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers; college football commentator
* Dick Cunningham, NBA player for the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets, 1971 NBA champion
* Dan Dierdorf, football player, television commentator, College and Pro Football Hall of Famer
* Mike Doss, football player
* Wayne Fontes, football player and coach, Detroit Lions
* Dustin Fox, football player, Buffalo Bills; nephew of Tim Fox
* Tim Fox, football player, New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Rams; uncle of Dustin Fox
* Gary Grant, basketball player, L.A. Clippers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers
* John Grimsley, football player, University of Kentucky, Houston Oilers, Miami Dolphins
* Ronnie Harris, boxer, gold medalist, lightweight, 1968 Summer Olympics
* Brian Hartline, wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns; brother of Mike Hartline
* Mike Hartline, former quarterback for the Kentucky Wildcats football team, former member of New England Patriots; brother of Brian Hartline
* Michael Hawkins, basketball player
* Ralph Hay, National Football League founding contributor
* Dirk Hayhurst, baseball player
* Dick Himes, football player, Green Bay Packers
* Phil Hubbard, basketball player and coach, Olympic gold medalist
* Tim Huffman, football player, Green Bay Packers
* Chuck Hutchison, football player
* Kosta Koufos, basketball player, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets and Greece national team; former Ohio State Buckeyes player
* Kirk Lowdermilk, football player
* Jamar Martin, football player
* CJ McCollum, basketball player, Portland Trail Blazers
* Josh McDaniels, head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders
* Keith McLeod, basketball player
* Raymar Morgan, professional basketball player for Barak Netanya in Israel
* Marion Motley, football player
* Thurman Munson, baseball player, 1976 American League Most Valuable Player, 7-time All-Star
* Mark Murphy, football player, Green Bay Packers
* Don Nehlen, football coach, College Football Hall of Fame
* Alan Page, football player, College and Pro Football Hall of Famer
* Bob Pickard, football player
* Darryn Peterson, five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class
* Kenny Peterson, football player
* John Pont, college football coach
* Ed Poole, baseball player
* Renee Powell, former LPGA Golfer
* Ed Rate, football player
* Nick Roman, football player
* Ernie Roth, professional wrestling manager known as Abdullah Farouk and The Grand Wizard of Wrestling
* George Saimes, football player 1963–1972, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, member of American Football League All-Time Team (first team, defense)
* Eric Snow, basketball player; brother of Percy Snow
* Percy Snow, football player, Kansas City Chiefs; brother of Eric Snow
* Larry Snyder, track and field athlete, Ohio State coach for Jesse Owens
* Chris Spielman, football player, College Football Hall of Fame
* Rick Spielman, former general manager of the Minnesota Vikings; brother of Chris Spielman
* LeRoy Sprankle, high school multi-sport coach, author, general manager of the Canton Independents
* Charley Stanceu, baseball player New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies
* Nick Weatherspoon, Illinois and professional basketball player
* Don Willis, pool player
* Dave Wottle, gold medalist in the 800 meter run at the 1972 Summer Olympics

## Other

* Mark Aldenderfer, archaeologist and anthropologist
* Mother Angelica, Roman Catholic nun and foundress of the Eternal Word Television Network
* Christine Craft, broadcast journalist
* Bobby Lee Cutts, police officer convicted in the murder of Jessie Davis
* Thomas Dillon, serial killer
* Helias Doundoulakis, Greek-American soldier, OSS spy, and designer of the Arecibo Antenna, once the world's largest radio telescope
* Ted Henry, broadcast journalist
* James Huberty, mass murderer
* Reuben Klamer, inventor of The Game of Life and various other toys; inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame; honored by the Smithsonian Institution
* Don Mellett, newspaper editor
* Marshall Rosenberg, creator of Nonviolent Communication
* Bob Shaheen, retired American businessman
* Rhoda Wise, stigmatist named a Servant of God by the Roman Catholic Church