# List of people from Fort Worth, Texas

The following are people of note who were born in, live in, or have formerly resided in Fort Worth, Texas.

## Sports

* Lance Cole Barrett (born 1984), Major League Baseball umpire
* Tom Buckman (born 1947), professional football player
* Beau Burrows (born 1996), MLB pitcher
* Chennedy Carter (born 1998), professional basketball player for Atlanta Dream
* Raymond Clayborn (born 1955), NFL football player
* Kyle Crick, professional baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates
* Donald Curry, former undisputed world welterweight boxing champion
* John Douglas (1945–2005), NFL player
* Brandon Finnegan, professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Monarchs
* Jack Haden (1914–1996), football player
* Phil Handler (1908–1968), NFL football player and coach
* Brad Hawpe (born 1979), professional baseball player
* Irv Hill (1908–1978), American football running back in the NFL for the Chicago Cardinals and Boston Redskins
* Brock Holt (born 1988), professional baseball player
* Rogers Hornsby (1896–1963), Hall of Fame baseball player
* Keith Langford, professional basketball player
* Yale Lary (1930–2017), Football Hall of Famer
* Rod Manuel (born 1974), football player
* Rags Matthews (1905–1999), football player for TCU
* Suzanne Mitchell, director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
* Jeff Newman, MLB All-Star baseball player and manager
* William Paulus, swimmer and former world record holder in the 100m Butterfly
* Hunter Pence (born 1983), MLB baseball player
* Mike Renfro (born 1955), former NFL player
* Bryan Reynolds (born June 28, 2001), professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Serie A club Roma and the United States national team
* Chuck Reynolds (born 1946), football player
* Mike Richardson (born 1946), NFL player
* A'Shawn Robinson (born 1995), NFL player; attended Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth
* John Roderick (born 1944), professional football player
* Johnny Rutherford (born 1938), race car driver, three-time winner of Indy 500
* Denise Rutkowski (born 1961), professional bodybuilder
* By Saam (1914–2000), sportscaster
* Annie Sanders (born 2007), professional rock climber
* Kelly Shoppach (born 1980), Major League Baseball catcher (2005–2013)
* Slick (1957–), WWE wrestling manager
* AJ Smith-Shawver, professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves
* Hurley Tarver (born 1975), football player
* Jeana Yeager (born 1952), broke distance records during her (and Dick Rutan's) 1986 nonstop flight around the world in an experimental Voyager
* Tylan Wallace (born 1999), NFL football player, attended South Hills High School
* Allyson Simpson (born 2000), American professional ice hockey defenceman for the New York Sirens

## Politics and law

* Lawrence A. Alexander (born 1943 in Fort Worth), law professor
* Betty Andujar (1912–1997), first Republican woman in Texas State Senate (1973–1983)
* H.S. Broiles (1845–1913), 6th Mayor of Fort Worth, Texas
* Joel Burns (born 1969), politician
* Reby Cary (1920–2018), educator, historian, and member of the Texas House of Representatives
* L. Clifford Davis (1924–2025), civil rights attorney and judge
* Charlie Geren (born 1949), member of Texas House of Representatives from District 99 in Tarrant County
* Pete Geren (born 1952), former member of U.S. House of Representatives; former U.S. Secretary of the Army; director of Sid W. Richardson Foundation
* Craig Goldman (born 1968), member of Texas House of Representatives from District 97 in Fort Worth
* Kay Granger (born 1943), U.S. Representative and former mayor of Fort Worth
* John Hodgson (fl. 2022), Kentucky state representative born in Fort Worth
* Debra Lehrmann, Texas Supreme Court justice, Place 3
* Joe K. Longley, former President of the Texas State Bar
* Dario Lorenzetti (born 1970) CIA Officer killed in Afghanistan
* Lorraine Miller, first woman president of the NAACP, Interim president and CEO, 2014
* John T. Montford (born 1943), businessman and former member of the Texas Senate
* "Pappy" O'Daniel (1890–1969), Governor of Texas, U.S. Senator and radio personality
* Bill Owens (born 1950), former Governor of Colorado (1999–2007)
* Hugh Parmer (1939–2020), mayor of Fort Worth 1977 to 1979; member of both houses of Texas State Legislature
* Bennett Ratliff (born 1961), state representative from District 115 in Dallas County; civil engineer
* Tom Schieffer (born 1947), U.S. Ambassador to Japan, candidate for governor
* Mark M. Shelton (born 1956), pediatrician and politician
* Jonathan Stickland (born 1983), state representative from Tarrant County
* Bascom N. Timmons (1890–1987), journalist and political advisor
* Daniel E. Walker (1927–2009), civil servant, rescued remains of flag burned in protest at 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas
* Jim Wright (1922–2015), U.S. Congressman from Texas and Speaker of the House

## Film and television

* Adrienne Ames (1907–1947), actress
* Texas Rose Bascom (1922–1993), film and television actress, National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee 1981
* Patricia Blair (1933–2013), actress
* Wes Brown (born 1982), actor
* Betty Buckley (born 1947), Tony Award-winning actress
* Kate Capshaw (born 1953), actress, married to Steven Spielberg
* Julio Cedillo (born 1970), actor, raised in Fort Worth
* Candy Clark (born 1947), Oscar-nominated actress
* Kenneth Copeland (born 1936), televangelist
* Noah Cottrell, actor
* Shelley Duvall (1949-2024), actress
* George Eads (born 1967), actor
* Richard Gilliland (1950–2021), actor best known as JD Shackleford in Designing Women
* Judy Graubart (born 1943), actress, The Electric Company
* Larry Hagman (1931–2012), actor, son of actress Mary Martin, played J.R. Ewing in Dallas
* Bug Hall (born 1985), actor
* Harriet Sansom Harris (born 1955), actress, Frasier, Desperate Housewives
* Martha Hyer (1924–2014), Oscar-nominated actress
* Jesse Jane (1980-2024), pornographic actor
* Benton Jennings, actor
* Candace Kita, actress and model
* Wallace Langham (born 1965), actor, The Larry Sanders Show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and CSI: Vegas
* David Mann (born 1966), actor, comedian and gospel singer
* Tamela Mann (born 1966), actor, singer and songwriter
* Lisa McRee (born 1961), television journalist
* Leighton Meester (born 1986), actress
* Lynn Merrick (1919–2007), actress
* Dan Hewitt Owens (born 1947), actor
* Fess Parker (1924–2010), actor
* Bill Paxton (1955–2017), actor, starred in Titanic, Frailty, TV series Big Love; attended Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth
* Richard Rawlings (born 1969), entrepreneur and reality television star
* Rex Reed (born 1938), film critic, actor, television host
* Rod Roddy (1937–2003), television announcer on game shows, like Press Your Luck & The Price is Right
* Ginger Rogers (1911–1995), actress and dancer who moved to Fort Worth at age 9; attended Central (Paschal) High School
* Bob Schieffer (born 1937), journalist, CBS Evening News anchor and Face the Nation host
* Michael "Bear" Taliferro (1961–2006), actor
* Hunter Tylo (born 1962), actress
* Lisa Whelchel (born 1963), actress, The Facts of Life
* Keith L. Williams, actor
* Van Williams (1934–2016), actor, The Green Hornet
* Morgan Woodward (1925–2019), actor, Dallas and Cool Hand Luke
* Carlson Young (born 1990), actress, Scream

## Military

* Horace S. Carswell Jr. (1916–1944), USAAF, KIA World War II; posthumous Medal of Honor recipient; namesake of Carswell Air Force Base
* Robert David Law (September 15, 1944 – February 22, 1969), Medal of Honor recipient
* Charles F. Pendleton, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient for actions in the Korea War; R. L. Paschal High School, Class of 1953
* William C. Rogers III (born 1938), United States Navy Captain of the USS Vincennes; involved in the shootdown of Iran Air Flight 655

## Music

* Trey Anastasio (born 1964), guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Phish
* Gerry Beckley (born 1952), singer-songwriter, founding member of the band America
* Leon Bridges (born 1989), soul singer and Grammy nominee
* T-Bone Burnett (born 1948), Oscar-winning songwriter, record producer, musician
* Kelly Clarkson (born 1982), Grammy winning singer, original American Idol winner, Emmy winner talk show host
* Van Cliburn (1934–2013), pianist
* Ornette Coleman (1930–2015), jazz musician
* Jeff Current, lead singer of Against All Will
* Bobby Day (1928–1990), musician
* John Denver (born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., 1943–1997), singer-songwriter
* Johnny Dowd (born 1948), musician
* Manet Harrison Fowler (1895–1976), singer, music educator, painter
* Kirk Franklin (born 1970), gospel singer and producer
* Pat Green (born 1972), country musician
* Marcus Haddock (born 1957 in Fort Worth), opera singer
* Derek Hames (born 1979 in Fort Worth), record producer, singer, songwriter, and musician
* Taylor Hawkins (1972–2022), drummer for Foo Fighters
* Julius Hemphill (1938–1995), jazz composer and saxophone player
* Jules Hoffman, children's musician
* iayze, rapper and songwriter
* Ronald Shannon Jackson (1940–2013), jazz drummer
* Cody Jinks, country music singer-songwriter
* Prince Lasha (William Lawsha) (1929–2008), jazz saxophonist and flutist
* Vaden Todd Lewis (born 1965), lead vocalist and guitarist for the rock band Toadies
* Samuel S. Losh (1884–1943), vocalist, composer, and music educator
* Kirstin Maldonado (born 1992), singer-songwriter
* Delbert McClinton (born 1940), singer-songwriter
* Roger Miller (1936–1992), singer-songwriter
* Gary Morris (born 1948), singer
* Oh, Sleeper, heavy metal band
* Clay Perry (born 1990), songwriter and recording artist
* Dewey Redman (1931–2006), free jazz saxophonist
* Townes Van Zandt (1944–1997), country music singer-songwriter
* William Walker (1931–2010), opera singer and director

## Academics and writing

* Mel Bradford (1934–1993), literary critic
* Heloise Bowles Cruse (1919–1977), syndicated columnist, Hints from Heloise
* James T. Draper, Jr. (born 1935), author, Baptist leader
* Clare B. Dunkle (born 1964), author, librarian
* Beth Haller, journalism professor
* Patricia Highsmith (1921–1995), author of Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr Ripley
* Lillian B. Horace (1880–1965), author, educator, librarian
* Dan Jenkins (1929–2019), sports journalist and author
* Sally Jenkins (born 1960), sports journalist and author
* Mary Daggett Lake (1880–1955), historian, botanist, and educator
* Robert L. Lynn (1931–2020), journalist, poet, and retired college president
* Blanche McVeigh (1895–1970), printmaker and art educator
* Hazel Harvey Peace (1907–2008), educator, activist, and humanitarian
* Theresa A. Powell (1952–2023), academic administrator
* Ben H. Procter (1927–2012), historian
* Rex Reed (born 1938), film critic
* Lenora Rolla (1904–2001), activist, educator, and historian
* Jennie Scott Scheuber (1860–1944), public library pioneer and Fort Worth's first librarian
* Liz Smith (1923–2017), journalist, syndicated columnist
* Blake R. Van Leer (1897–1956), colonel, civil rights icon, and president of Georgia Institute of Technology

## Science

* Alan Bean (1932–2018), artist, retired NASA astronaut (1981); R. L. Paschal High School, Class of 1950; carried Paschal High School's flag to the Moon
* Robert Bruce Merrifield (1921–2006), biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1984
* Clyde Snow (1928–2014), forensic anthropologist

## Business and philanthropy

* Sid Bass (born 1943), billionaire, Sundance Square developer, major stockholder in The Walt Disney Company
* Electra Carlin (1912–2000), art dealer
* Amon G. Carter (1879–1955), civic booster, philanthropist, creator and publisher of Fort Worth Star-Telegram
* T. Cullen Davis (born 1933), millionaire tried and acquitted for 1976 murders of Stan Farr and Andrea Wilborn
* Edna Gladney (1886–1961), founder of Edna Gladney Home
* Brad Hunstable (born 1978), founder of Ustream
* Hazel Vaughn Leigh (1897–1995), founder of the Fort Worth Boys Club
* Bill Noël (1914–1987), oil industrialist and philanthropist from Odessa, born in Fort Worth
* Sid W. Richardson (1891–1959), oilman, cattleman and philanthropist
* Lucille Elizabeth Bishop Smith (1892–1985), entrepreneur, chef, and inventor
* A. Latham Staples (born 1977), CEO of EXUSMED, civil rights activist and founder of Empowering Spirits Foundation

## Criminals

* Mark David Chapman (born 1955), assassin of John Lennon
* Joe Michael Ervin (1951–1981), serial killer
* Kenneth Granviel (1950–1996), serial killer and rapist
* Ricky Lee Green (1960–1997), serial killer
* Edward Lagrone (1957–2004), serial killer and rapist

## Other

* Opal Lee, activist promoting the Juneteenth federal holiday
* G. Craige Lewis (born 1969), Christian minister
* Gretchen Polhemus, Miss Texas USA 1989 and Miss USA 1989
* Skratch (born 1972), pinstripe artist and fabricator
* Randy Souders (born 1954), visual artist and disability rights advocate