# List of people from Kansas

The following are notable people who were either born, raised, or have lived for a significant period of time in the American state of Kansas.

## Academics and Nobel Prize laureates

* Milton S. Eisenhower (1899–1985), university president; Abilene
* Wendell Johnson (1906–1965), psychologist and speech pathologist, author of The Monster Study; Roxbury
* Jack S. Kilby (1923–2005), Nobel Prize winner in Physics; Great Bend
* Solon Toothaker Kimball (1909–1982), anthropologist; Manhattan
* Stanford Lehmberg (1931–2012), historian; McPherson
* Norman Malcolm (1911–1990), philosopher; Selden
* Deane Waldo Malott (1898–1996), president of Cornell University; Abilene
* Abby Lillian Marlatt (1869–1943), home economics; Manhattan
* Eric K. Meyer (born 1953), journalism professor and Pulitzer Prize nominee; Marion
* M. Lee Pelton (born 1950), president of Willamette University; Wichita
* John Brooks Slaughter (1934–2023), college president and first African-American director of the National Science Foundation; Topeka
* Vernon L. Smith (born 1927), Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economics; Wichita
* Earl Wilbur Sutherland Jr. (1915–1974), 1971 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology and Medicine; Burlingame
* Donald Worster (born 1941), historian; Lawrence

## Arts and literature
### Artists

* Nina E. Allender (1873–1957), artist and women's suffrage cartoonist; Auburn
* Grace Bilger (1907–2000), artist; Olathe
* Grant Bond (born 1974), artist; Kansas City
* Blackbear Bosin (1921–1980), Native American artist; Wichita
* Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (1917–2000), poet; Topeka
* Bruce Conner (1933–2008), artist; McPherson
* John Steuart Curry (1897–1946), artist; Winchester
* Aaron Douglas (1900–1979), artist; Topeka
* Randall Duell (1903–1992), architect and art director; Russell County
* Edgar Heap of Birds (born 1954), artist; Wichita
* Bruce Helander (born 1947), artist; Great Bend
* Elizabeth Layton (1909–1993), artist; Wellsville
* Evan Lindquist (born 1936), printmaker, Artist Laureate of Arkansas; Salina
* Barbara Morgan (1900–1992), photographer; Buffalo, Kansas
* Gordon Parks (1912–2006), photographer and film director; Fort Scott
* Birger Sandzen (1871–1954), artist, art professor at Bethany College; Lindsborg
* Gary Mark Smith (born 1956), photographer, studied at University of Kansas; Wichita
* W. Eugene Smith (1918–1978), photographer; Wichita
* Mort Walker (1923–2018), cartoonist, creator of Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois comic strips; El Dorado

### Authors

* Laura Abbot, author of Harlequin romance novels; Kansas City
* Elizabeth Barr Arthur (1884–1971), poet, author, journalist, librarian, police officer, suffragist; Lincoln County
* Gwendolyn Brooks (1917–2000), author, poet; Topeka
* William Burroughs (1914–1997), author; Lawrence
* Don Coldsmith (1926–2009), author of Western fiction; Iola
* Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879–1958), author of children's books; Lawrence
* Thomas Frank (born 1965), author and editor; Mission Hills
* Clara H. Hazelrigg (1861–1937), author, educator, social reformer; Council Grove
* Jane Heap (1883–1964), author and publisher; Topeka
* Scott Heim (born 1966), author; Hutchinson
* Langston Hughes (1902–1967), author and poet; Lawrence
* William Inge (1913–1973), playwright; Independence
* Bill James (born 1949), author; Mayetta
* Bill Martin Jr. (1916–2004), children's author; Hiawatha
* Fred Myton (1885–1955), screenwriter; Garden City
* Kathy Patrick, author, founder of Pulpwood Queens Book Club; Eureka
* Scott Phillips (born 1961), author; Wichita
* Vance Randolph (1892–1980), folklorist; Pittsburg
* Red Reeder (1902–1998), author and United States Army officer; Fort Leavenworth
* Richard Rhodes (born 1937), author and historian; Kansas City
* Lois Ruby, author of historic fiction; Lawrence
* Damon Runyon (1880–1946), author; Manhattan
* Mary Francis Shura (1923–1990), children's, romance and mystery author; Pratt
* William Stafford (1914–1993), poet and pacifist; Hutchinson
* Max Yoho (1934–2017), author; Colony

### Dancers

* Clark Tippet (1954–1992), ballet; Parsons

### Musicians

* Chris Arpad, solo steel pannist; McPherson
* Karrin Allyson, jazz performer; Great Bend
* Dawayne Bailey, musician and songwriter (Bob Seger and Chicago); Manhattan
* Pattie Brooks, singer
* Karla Burns (1955–2021), mezzo-soprano; Wichita
* Danny Carey (born 1961), musician; Lawrence
* Richard Christy, musician, actor, comedian, drummer, writer for Howard Stern show; Fort Scott
* Gene Clark (1944–1991), singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds; Bonner Springs
* Buck Clayton (1911–1991), jazz trumpeter-arranger solo and with Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, others; Parsons
* Dorothy DeLay (1917–2002), violinist, Juilliard professor; Medicine Lodge
* Joyce DiDonato (born 1969), mezzo-soprano; Prairie Village
* Phil Ehart (born 1951), drummer for the rock band "Kansas"; Coffeyville
* Melissa Etheridge (born 1961), musician; Leavenworth
* Rory Lee Feek (born ca. 1966), country music singer; Atchison
* Wendell Hall (1886–1969), musician; St. George
* Mark Hart (born 1953), musician, Crowded House, Supertramp; Fort Scott
* Nora Holt (1885 or 1890–1975), singer and co-founder of the National Association of Negro Musicians; Kansas City
* Dave Hope (born 1949), musician; Topeka
* Eva Jessye (1895–1992), choral conductor; Coffeyville
* Jennifer Knapp (born 1974), singer and songwriter; Chanute
* Brian Leeds (born 1991), a.k.a. Huerco S. and Pendant, electronic musician; Emporia.
* Katrina Leskanich (born 1960), musician; Topeka
* Kerry Livgren (born 1949), founding member of Kansas; Topeka
* Frank Luther (1905–1980), musician; Lakin
* Mitch Markovich (born 1944), drummer, marching band director, professor; Great Bend
* Martina McBride (born 1966), musician; Sharon
* Andy McKee (born 1979), musician; Topeka
* Janelle Monáe (born 1985), vocalist; Kansas City
* Moondog (1916–1999), vocalist, percussionist and composer; real name Louis Thomas Hardin; Marysville
* Jerrod Niemann (born 1979), country singer; Liberal
* Charlie Parker (1920–1955), musician; Kansas City
* Samuel Ramey (born 1942), opera, bass-baritone; Colby
* Joe Don Rooney (born 1975), guitarist and vocalist; Baxter Springs
* Mark Schultz (born 1970), musician; Colby
* Robby Steinhardt (1950–2021), musician; Lawrence
* Steven Stucky (1949–2016), Pulitzer Prize-winner in music; Hutchinson
* Jeremy Turner, guitar player in death metal band Origin, formerly of Cannibal Corpse
* Grace VanderWaal (born 2004), singer-songwriter, ukuleleist, winner of America's Got Talent season 11 (born in Lenexa)
* Joe Walsh (born 1947), musician; Wichita
* Bobby Watson (born 1953), musician; Bonner Springs
* James Wesley, country music singer; Mound Valley
* David Wetzel (born 1983), musician; Westwood
* J. White Did It (born 1984), record producer; Kansas City and Leavenworth
* Rich Williams (born 1950), musician; Topeka
* Chely Wright (born 1970), musician; Wellsville
* XV (stage name of Donavan LaMond Johnson), emcee, producer; Wichita
* Gordon Young (1919–1998), organist and composer; McPherson

## Athletics
### Athletes
#### A–F

* Alvan Adams (born 1954), basketball; Lawrence
* John H. Adams (1914–1995), jockey; Iola
* Neil Allen (born 1958), baseball pitcher, pitching coach; Kansas City
* David Arkin (born 1987), pro football player; Wichita
* Elden Auker (1910–2006), baseball pitcher; Norcatur
* Chase Austin (born 1989), NASCAR driver; Eudora
* Chris Babb (born 1990), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League; Topeka
* Ron Baker (born 1993), NBA player (New York Knicks); Utica and Scott City (born in Hays)
* Thane Baker (born 1931), gold medalist at 1956 Summer Olympics, decathlon; Elkhart
* Tony Barker (born 1968), football player; Wichita
* Chris Barnes (born 1970), professional bowler; Topeka
* James Bausch (1906–1974), gold medalist 1932 Summer Olympics; Garden Plain
* Oliver Bradwell (born 1992), sprinter; Wichita
* Judy Bell (born 1936), member of World Golf Hall of Fame; Wichita
* Matt Besler (born 1987), professional soccer player; Overland Park
* B.H. Born (1932–2013), basketball player; Medicine Lodge
* Clint Bowyer (born 1979), NASCAR driver; Emporia
* George Brett (born 1953), baseball Hall of Famer; Mission Hills
* Bryce Brown (born 1991), football player; Wichita
* Orville Brown (1908–1981), pro wrestler, NWA champion; Sharon
* Mildred Bliss Burke (1915–1989), pro wrestler, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame; Coffeyville
* Enos Cabell (born 1949), baseball player; Fort Riley
* Veronica Campbell-Brown (born 1982), track and field athlete (Olympic and world champion); Great Bend
* Antoine Carr (born 1961), basketball player
* Willie Cauley-Stein (born 1993), professional basketball player Spearville
* Larry Cheney (1886–1969), baseball pitcher; Belleville
* Jack Christiansen (1928–1986), football Hall of Famer; Sublette
* Tony Clark (born 1972), baseball player; Newton
* Maliek Collins (born 1995), football player; Kansas City
* Baron Corbin (born 1984), football player, WWE wrestler; Lenexa
* Nolan Cromwell (born 1955), football player; Smith Center
* Aaron Crow (born 1986), baseball player; Topeka
* Glenn Cunningham (1909–1988), silver medalist, 1936 Olympic Games,1,500m run; Elkhart
* Johnny Damon (born 1973), baseball player; Fort Riley
* Eldon Danenhauer (1935–2021), football player; Clay Center
* Darren Daulton (born 1962), baseball player; Arkansas City
* Wantha Davis (1917–2012), jockey; Liberal
* Joey Devine (born 1983), baseball player; Junction City
* Lynn Dickey (born 1949), football player; Osawatomie
* Andy Dirks (born 1986), baseball player; Burrton
* Larry Drew (born 1958), basketball player and coach; Kansas City
* Mark Duckens (born 1965), football player; Wichita
* Brian Duensing (born 1983), baseball player; Marysville
* Brody Eldridge (born 1987), football player; La Cygne
* Tim Elliott (born 1986), mixed martial artist; Wichita
* Maurice Evans (born 1978), basketball player; Wichita
* Kyle Farnsworth (born 1976), baseball player; Wichita
* Galen Fiss (1931–2006), football player; Johnson City
* Adrianna Franch (born 1990), soccer player (world champion); Salina
* Scott Fulhage (born 1961), football player; Beloit

#### G–M

* Andrew Gachkar (born 1988), football player; Overland Park
* Kendall Gammon (born 1968), football player; Rose Hill
* Tyson Gay (born 1982), track and field athlete (world champion); Great Bend
* Maurice Greene (born 1974), track and field athlete (world and Olympic champion); Kansas City
* Adrian Griffin (born 1974), basketball player and coach; Wichita
* Geneo Grissom (born 1992), football player; Hutchinson
* Andy Gruenebaum (born 1982), soccer player
* Don Gutteridge (1912–2008), baseball player and manager; Pittsburg
* Joe Hastings (born 1987), football player; Wichita
* Tanner Hawkinson (born 1990), football player; McPherson
* Mark Haynes (born 1958), football player; Kansas City
* Ben Heeney (born 1992), football player; Hutchinson
* Bobby Henrich (born 1938), baseball player; Lawrence
* Don Hill (1904–1967), football player; Hiawatha
* Shaun Hill (born 1980), football player; Parsons
* Elon Hogsett (1903–2001), baseball player; Brownell
* Lionel Hollins (born 1953), basketball player and coach; Arkansas City
* Scott Huffman (born 1964), pole vaulter; Quinter
* Damian Johnson (born 1962), football player; Great Bend
* Walter Johnson (1887–1946), baseball Hall of Famer; Humboldt
* Pete Kilduff (1893–1930), baseball player; Weir
* Fred Kipp (born 1931), baseball pitcher; Piqua
* Tonya Knight (born 1966), IFBB professional bodybuilder; Overland Park
* Laurie Koehn (born 1982), WNBA player; Moundridge
* Gene Krug (born 1955), baseball player; Garden City
* Adam LaRoche (born 1979), baseball player; Fort Scott
* Bobby Lashley (born 1976), professional wrestler for WWE; Junction City
* Shalee Lehning (born 1987), WNBA player; Sublette
* Martin Lewis (born 1975), NBA basketball player; Liberal
* Danny Manning (born 1966), NBA basketball player; Lawrence
* Harold Manning (1909–2003), Steeplechase world record holder and Olympian; Sedgwick
* Rudy May (born 1944), baseball player; Coffeyville
* Jon McGraw, professional football player; Riley
* Archie "Hap" McKain (1911–1985), baseball player; Delphos
* Peter Mehringer (1910–1987), Olympic gold medalist wrestler, pro football player; Kinsley
* Brian Moorman (born 1976), football player; Sedgwick
* Mike Morin (born 1991), baseball player; Leawood

#### N–Z

* Marcio Navarro (born 1978), professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist; Wichita
* Jordy Nelson (born 1985), football player; Leonardville
* Terence Newman (born 1978), football player; Salina
* Nicole Ohlde (born 1982), WNBA player; Clay Center
* Antonio Orozco (born 1987), professional boxer; Garden City
* Victor Ortiz (born 1987), professional boxer; Garden City
* Bob Orton (1929–2006), professional wrestler; Kansas City
* Bob Orton Jr. (born 1950), professional wrestler, WWE Hall of Fame; Kansas City
* John Parrella (born 1969), professional football player; Topeka
* Hal Patterson (1932–2011), professional football player; Larned
* Jordan Phillips (born 1992), professional football player; Towanda
* Joseph Randle (born 1991), professional football player; Wichita
* Ronn Reynolds (born 1958), professional baseball player; Wichita
* Dustin Richardson (born 1984), MLB pitcher; Newton
* John Riggins (born 1949), football player, Pro Football Hall of Famer; Centralia
* Brandon Rios (born 1986), professional boxer; Garden City
* Lafayette Russell (1905–1978), football player, B-movie actor "Reb" Russell; Osawatomie
* Johnny Rutherford (born 1938), race car driver; Coffeyville
* Jim Ryun (born 1947), athlete and politician; Wichita
* Barry Sanders (born 1968), football player, NFL Hall of Famer; Wichita
* Melvin Sanders (born 1981), pro basketball player; Liberal
* Wes Santee (1932–2010), NCAA cross country champion, track and field athlete; Ashland
* Gale Sayers (1943–2020), NFL Hall of Famer; Wichita
* Otto Schnellbacher (1923–2008), pro basketball and football player; Sublette
* Ryan Schraeder (born 1988), professional football player; Wichita
* Grant Sherfield (born 1999), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Wayne Simien (born 1983), NCAA All-American, NBA basketball player; Leavenworth
* Mark Simoneau (born 1977), professional football player; Smith Center
* Marilynn Smith (1929–2019), professional golfer and LPGA co-founder; Topeka
* Darren Sproles (born 1983), professional football player; Olathe
* Bubba Starling (born 1992), professional baseball player; Gardner
* Lee Stevens (born 1967), professional baseball player; Lawrence
* Jackie Stiles (born 1978), WNBA basketball player; Claflin
* Stewart "Smokey" Stover (born 1938), professional football player; McPherson
* Darrell Stuckey (born 1987), professional football player; Kansas City
* Tom Sturdivant (1930–2009), professional baseball player; Gordon
* Steve Tasker (born 1962), NFL Pro Bowl MVP in 1993; Leoti (born in Smith Center
* Luther Haden "Dummy" Taylor (1875–1958), baseball pitcher; Oskaloosa
* Doug Terry (born 1968), pro football player; Liberal
* Tommy Thompson (1916–1989), pro football player; Hutchinson
* Joe Tinker (1880–1948), MLB shortstop, member of Baseball Hall of Fame; Muscotah
* Blake Treinen (born 1988), professional baseball player; Osage City
* Jerame Tuman (born 1976), pro football player; Liberal
* Ron Warner (born 1975), professional football player; Independence
* Earl Watson (born 1979), NBA basketball player; Kansas City
* Tom Watson (born 1949), golfer, member of World Golf Hall of Fame; Stilwell
* Mitch Webster (born 1959), MLB player; Larned
* Kendra Wecker (born 1982), WNBA player; Marysville
* Michael Wilhoite (born 1986), pro football player; Manhattan
* Jess Willard (1881–1968), world heavyweight boxing champion, St. Clere; Pottawatomie County
* Kamerion Wimbley (born 1983), professional football player; Wichita
* Lynette Woodard (born 1959), basketball Hall of Famer; Wichita
* Brad Ziegler (born 1979), baseball player; Pratt
* John Zook (1947–2020), professional football player; Garden City

### Coaches

* Phog Allen (1885–1974), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Lawrence
* Jeremy Bates (born 1976), NFL offensive coordinator; Manhattan
* Jack Christiansen (1928–1986), pro and college football coach; Sublette
* Alan Cockrell (born 1962), hitting coach, New York Yankees; Kansas City
* Jory Collins (born 1978), college basketball coach; Holton
* Larry Drew (born 1958), NBA head coach; Kansas City
* Mark Fox (born 1969), college basketball coach; Garden City
* Dennis Franchione (born 1951), college football coach; Girard
* Edward C. Gallagher (1887–1940), NCAA Champion, Olympic and Hall of Fame Wrestling Coach; Perth
* Don Gambril (born 1934), Hall of Fame swimming coach; Altamont
* Ted Gilmore (born 1967), college football coach; Wichita
* Bill Guthridge (1937–2015), college basketball coach; Parsons
* Lionel Hollins (born 1953), NBA head coach; Arkansas City
* Ralph Houk (1919–2010), Major League Baseball manager; Lawrence
* Tim Jankovich (born 1959), college basketball coach; Manhattan
* Gene Keady (born 1936), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Larned
* Gary Patterson (born 1960), college football coach; Rozel
* Jerry Kill (born 1961), college football coach; Cheney
* Lon Kruger (born 1952), college and NBA basketball coach; Silver Lake
* John McLendon (1915–1999), Hall of Fame basketball coach of college, ABL, and ABA; Hiawatha
* Ralph Miller (1919–2001), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Chanute
* Billie Moore (born 1943), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Westmoreland
* James Naismith (1861–1939), inventor of basketball, coach, athletic director, faculty member at University of Kansas
* Johnny Orr (1927–2013), college basketball coach; Yale
* John H. Outland (1871–1947), namesake of Outland Trophy; Douglas County
* Adolph Rupp (1901–1977), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Halstead
* Francis Schmidt (1885–1944), college football, baseball, and basketball coach; Downs
* Brian Schottenheimer (born 1973), NFL offensive coordinator; Stilwell
* Dean Smith (1931–2015), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Emporia
* Bill Snyder (born 1939), Hall of Fame college football coach; Kansas State University
* Eddie Sutton (1936–2020), college basketball coach; Bucklin
* Mark Turgeon (born 1965), college basketball coach; Topeka
* Brent Venables (born 1970), college football coach; Salina

## Aviators and astronauts

* Walter Herschel Beech (1891–1950), aviator and aircraft designer; Wichita
* Clyde Vernon Cessna (1879–1954), aviator and aircraft designer; Rago
* Amelia Earhart (1897–1937), aviator; Atchison
* Joe Engle (1932–2024), astronaut; Chapman
* Ronald Evans (1933–1990), astronaut; St. Francis
* Daniel Forbes (1920–1948), United States Army Air Corps pilot; Carbondale
* Steve Hawley (born 1951), astronaut; Salina
* Donald Hudson (1895–1967), World War I flying ace; Topeka
* Glenn L. Martin (1886–1955), aviation pioneer; Salina
* Lloyd Carlton Stearman (1898–1975), aviator and aircraft designer; Wellsford

## Businesspeople and inventors

* Philip Anschutz (born 1939), billionaire investor; Russell
* Bion Barnett (1857–1958), co-founder of Barnett Bank; Hiawatha
* Olive Ann Beech, chairwoman of Beech Aircraft Company; Wichita (born in Waverly)
* Dan and Frank Carney (Dan born 1931, Frank 1938–2020), founders of Pizza Hut; Wichita
* Walter Chrysler (1875–1940), founder of Chrysler Corporation; Wamego
* William Coffin Coleman (1870–1957), founder of the Coleman Company; Wichita
* David Dillon (born 1951), former CEO of Kroger; Hutchinson
* Vic Edelbrock (1913–1962), automotive engineer; Eudora
* David Green (born 1941), founder of Hobby Lobby; Emporia
* James Harbord (1866–1947), president and chairman of the board of RCA; Manhattan
* Hollis Dow Hedberg (1903–1988), president of Gulf Oil Company; Falun
* William Wadsworth Hodkinson (1881–1971), pioneer film marketer and distributor; Independence
* Carl Ice (born 1956), President of BNSF; Topeka
* Omar Knedlik (1915–1989), inventor of the ICEE frozen drink; Barnes
* Charles G. Koch (born 1935), CEO of Koch Industries; Wichita
* David H. Koch (1940–2019), executive and politician; Wichita
* Alan Mulally (born 1945), engineer, former president and CEO of the Ford Motor Company; Lawrence
* Matthew K. Rose (born 1959), chairman and CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.; Salina
* Harry F. Sinclair (1876–1956), founder of Sinclair Oil Company; Independence
* Russell Stover (1888–1954), founder of Russell Stover Candies; Alton

## Film, stage and television
### Actors and performers

* Brandon Adams (born 1979), actor; Topeka
* Tyrees Allen (born 1954), actor; Salina
* Kirstie Alley (1951-2022), actress; Wichita
* Fatty Arbuckle (1887–1933), actor; Smith Center
* Barbara Babcock (born 1937), actress; Fort Riley
* Gerry Bamman (born 1941), actor; Independence
* Hugh Beaumont (1909–1982), actor; Lawrence
* Annette Bening (born 1958), actress; Topeka
* Gregg Binkley (born 1963), actor; Topeka
* Madge Blake (1899–1969), actress (Batman); Kinsley
* Roscoe Born (1950–2020), actor; Topeka
* Steve Brodie (1919–1992), actor; El Dorado
* Louise Brooks (1906–1985), actress; Cherryvale
* Petrea Burchard (born 1955), actress; Lawrence
* Darren E. Burrows (born 1966), actor; Winfield
* Trai Byers (born 1983), actor; Kansas City
* Del Close (1934–1999), actor and comedian; Manhattan
* Brent Collins (1941–1988), actor; Plainville
* Jack Colvin (1934–2005), actor; Lyndon
* Aneta Corsaut (1933–1995), actress; Hutchinson
* Nathan Darrow (born 1976), actor; Overland Park
* Lucinda Dickey (born 1960), actress and dancer; Hutchinson
* Billy Drago (1945–2019), actor; Hugoton
* Marj Dusay (1936–2020), actress; Hays
* Jimmy Donaldson (born 1998), YouTuber; Wichita
* R. Lee Ermey (1944–2018), actor; Emporia
* Bridget Everett (born 1972), actress, cabaret artist, comedian; Manhattan
* Bill Farmer (born 1952), voice actor; Pratt
* Tamara Feldman (born 1980), actress; Wichita
* Scott Foley (born 1972), actor; Kansas City
* Dwight Frye (1899–1943), actor; Salina
* Alan Fudge (1944–2011), actor; Wichita
* Laurel Goodwin (born 1942), actress; Wichita
* Cary Guffey (born 1972), actor; Topeka
* Zach Hadel (born 1990), voice actor; Overland Park
* Dennis Hayden (born 1952), actor; Girard
* Colton Haynes (born 1988), actor; Wichita
* Thelma Hill (1906–1938), actress; Emporia
* Dennis Hopper (1936–2010), actor; Dodge City
* Jayne Houdyshell (born 1953), actress; Topeka
* Mary Howard (1913–2009), actress; Independence
* Don Johnson (born 1949), actor; Wichita
* Neal Jones (born 1960), actor; Wichita
* Gordon Jump (1932–2003), actor; Manhattan
* Tom Kane (born 1962), voice actor; Overland Park
* Buster Keaton (1895–1966), actor and director; Piqua
* Emmett Kelly (1898–1979), circus clown; Sedan
* Laura Kirk (born 1966), actress; Lecompton
* Shirley Knight (1936–2020), actress; Goessel
* Sarah Lancaster (born 1980), actress; Overland Park
* Lila Leeds (1928–1999), actress; Dodge City
* Hattie McDaniel (1895–1952), actress; Wichita
* Everett McGill (born 1945), actor; Kansas City
* Michael McMillian (born 1978), actor; Olathe
* George Murdock (1930–2012), actor; Salina
* Cassandra Peterson (born 1951), actress, aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; Manhattan
* ZaSu Pitts (1894–1963), actress; Parsons
* Chris Porter (born 1979), comedian; Olathe
* John Quade (1938–2009), actor; Kansas City
* James Reynolds, actor; Oskaloosa
* Rob Riggle (born 1970), actor and comedian; Overland Park
* Charles "Buddy" Rogers (1904–1991), actor and jazz musician; Olathe
* Paul Rudd (born 1969), actor; Overland Park
* Sheila Ryan (1921–1975), actress; Topeka
* Kendall Schmidt (born 1990), singer, actor, and dancer; Wichita
* Kevin Schmidt (born 1988), actor; Andover
* Travis Schuldt (born 1974), actor; Topeka
* Angus Scrimm (1926–2016), actor; Kansas City
* Max Showalter (1917–2000), actor; Caldwell
* Cynthia Sikes (born 1954), actress; Coffeyville
* Lois Smith (born 1930), actress; Topeka
* David Rees Snell (born 1966), actor; Wichita
* Sara Sothern (1895–1994), stage actress; Arkansas City
* Taryn Southern (born 1986), actress, YouTube personality; Wichita
* Rebecca Staab (born 1961), actress; Hays
* Michael Stevens (born 1986), educator, entertainer; Stilwell
* Milburn Stone (1904–1980), actor (Gunsmoke); Burrton
* Eric Stonestreet (born 1971), actor; Kansas City
* Jason Sudeikis (born 1975), actor; Overland Park
* Norma Terris (1904–1989), actress; Columbus
* Fay Tincher (1884–1983), actress; Topeka
* Vivian Vance (1909–1979), actress (I Love Lucy); Cherryvale
* Matt Vogel (born 1970), puppeteer; Kansas City
* Lyle Waggoner (1935–2020), sculptor, actor (Wonder Woman); Kansas City
* Kari Wahlgren (born 1977), actress; Hoisington
* Dee Wallace (born 1948), actress; Kansas City
* Jason Wiles (born 1970), actor; Lenexa
* Claire Windsor (1892–1972), actress; Cawker City
* Patrice Wymore (1926–2014), actress; Miltonvale
* Jeff Yagher (born 1961), actor; Lawrence

### Directors

* Michael Almereyda (born 1960), film director; Overland Park
* Steve Balderson (born 1975), film director; Wamego
* Darren Lynn Bousman (born 1979), film director; Overland Park
* Chris Buck (born 1960), film director, animator; Wichita
* Eric Darnell (born 1960), director, writer, songwriter, animator; Prairie Village
* Randall Duell (1903–1992), art director; Russell County
* Alex Graves (born 1968), television director; El Dorado
* Sherman Halsey, music video and television director; Independence
* Martin and Osa Johnson (1884–1937 and 1894–1953), film pioneer, explorer; Chanute
* Stephen R. Johnson (1952 - 2015), music video and television director; Paola
* Oscar Micheaux (1893–1951), film director; Great Bend
* Gordon Parks (1912–2006), film director; Fort Scott
* Richard Thorpe (1896–1991), film director; Hutchinson

## Public figures
### Journalists

* Frank Marshall Davis (1905–1987), journalist, poet, political and labor movement activist; Arkansas City
* Steve Doocy (born 1956), co-host of Fox News's Fox & Friends; Abilene
* Elizabeth Farnsworth (born 1943), television journalist; Topeka
* William M. Gallagher (1923–1975), Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist; Hiawatha
* Jane Grant (1892–1972), journalist who co-founded The New Yorker; Girard
* E. W. Howe (1853–1937), author and newspaper editor; Atchison
* Bill Kurtis (born 1940), television journalist; Independence
* Jim Lehrer (1934–2020), television journalist; Wichita
* Melissa McDermott (born 1960s), television news anchor for CBS's Up to the Minute; Wichita
* Clementine Paddleford (1898–1967), journalist and food critic; Riley County
* Eugene C. Pulliam (1889–1975), founder Central Newspapers, Inc.; Ulysses
* Roy A. Roberts (1887–1967), newspaper editor; Muscotah
* W. Eugene Smith (1918–1978), photojournalist; Wichita
* John Cameron Swayze (1906–1995), television journalist; Wichita
* Julius Wayland (1854–1912), newspaper editor, Appeal to Reason; Girard
* William Allen White (1868–1944), author and newspaper editor; Emporia
* Gene Wojciechowski, author, sportswriter and ESPN commentator; Salina

### Politics and law

* John Anderson Jr. (1917–2014), Kansas Governor; De Soto
* Sheila Bair (born 1954), former Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), former Commissioner and Acting Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Independence
* Earl Browder (1891–1973), General Secretary, Communist Party USA; Wichita
* Sam Brownback (born 1956), U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, Kansas Governor; Garnett
* Arthur Capper (1865–1951), Kansas Governor and newspaper editor; Garnett
* Frank Carlson (1893–1987), U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and Kansas Governor; Concordia
* Georgia Neese Clark Gray (1900–1995), first woman Treasurer of United States; Richland
* Ty Cobb (born 1950), Special Counsel to the President of the United States; Great Bend, Kansas
* Samuel J. Crawford (1835–1913), Kansas Governor; Garnett
* Charles Curtis (1860–1936), U.S. Senator and 31st Vice President of United States; Topeka
* Harry Darby (1895–1987), businessman and U.S. Senator; Kansas City
* George Docking (1904–1964), Kansas Governor; Clay Center
* Bob Dole (born 1923), U.S. Senator from Kansas (1969–1996) and 1996 Republican nominee for president; Russell
* Dwight Eisenhower (1890–1969), 34th President of the United States, Allied commander in World War II; Abilene (born in Denison, Texas)
* Joan Finney (1925–2001), Kansas Governor; Topeka
* Marlin Fitzwater (born 1942), Press Secretary for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush; Abilene
* Robert Gates (born 1943), CIA director, U.S. Secretary of Defense; Wichita
* Robert L. Gernon (1943–2005), Kansas Supreme Court Justice; Sabetha
* Dan Glickman (born 1944), Secretary of Agriculture, President of Motion Picture Association of America; Wichita
* Bill Graves (born 1953), Kansas Governor; Salina
* Paul Ranous Greever (1891–1943), Wyoming Congressman; Lansing
* Gary Hart (born 1936), Colorado Senator; Ottawa
* Carl Hatch (1889–1963), New Mexico Senator; Kirwin
* Mike Hayden (born 1944), Kansas Governor; Colby
* Wally Hickel (1919–2010), Governor of Alaska, U.S. Secretary of Interior; Claflin
* Laura M. Johns (1849–1935), president, Kansas State Suffrage Association; president, Kansas Republican Woman's Association
* Ural Alexis Johnson (1908–1997), diplomat and ambassador; Falun
* Tim Kaine (born 1958), Virginia Governor and Senator; 2016 Democratic nominee for Vice President; Overland Park
* Nancy Kassebaum Baker (born 1932), Kansas Senator; Topeka
* James H. "Dog" Kelley (1833–1912), frontiersman, mayor of Dodge City
* William P. Lambertson (1880–1957), U.S. Congressman; Fairview
* Alf Landon (1887–1987), Kansas Governor, 1936 presidential candidate; Topeka
* Frank H. Lee (1873–1952), Missouri U.S. Representative; De Soto
* John Martin (1839–1889), Kansas Governor, newspaperman, Civil War Colonel; Atchison
* George McGill (1879–1963), Kansas Senator; Wichita
* Jerry Moran (born 1954), U.S. Representative and Senator; Plainville
* Roger Noriega (born 1959), U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs; Wichita
* Gale Norton (born 1954), U.S. Secretary of the Interior; Wichita
* Lawton Nuss (born 1952), State Supreme Court Justice; Salina
* Kate Richards O'Hare (1877–1948), American Socialist Party activist; Ottawa County
* Leslie Osterman (born 1947), member of Kansas House of Representatives; Wichita
* Shirley Phelps-Roper (born 1957), lawyer for Westboro Baptist Church; Topeka
* Chuck Reed (born 1948), Mayor of San Jose, California; Garden City
* Roy Romer (born 1928), Colorado Governor; Garden City
* Susanna M. Salter (1860–1961), Mayor of Argonia, first woman mayor in U.S.
* Bradley Schlozman (born 1971), controversial figure in George W. Bush Administration's Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy; Overland Park
* K. Gary Sebelius (born 1949), U.S. magistrate judge, husband of Kathleen Sebelius; Norton
* Harold Sebring (1898–1968), Nuremberg Trial judge; Olathe
* Arlen Specter (1930–2012), Pennsylvania Senator; Russell
* Dale Swenson (born c. 1957), member of Kansas House; Wichita
* Martin E. Trapp (1877–1951), Oklahoma Governor; Robinson
* Rosalie E. Wahl (1924–2014), associate justice Minnesota Supreme Court; Caney
* William Walker (1800–1874), Provisional Governor of Nebraska Territory, Wyandot chief
* Mabel Walker Willebrandt (1889–1963), U.S. Assistant Attorney General 1921–29; Woodsdale
* Harry Hines Woodring (1890–1967), Kansas Governor and Secretary of War under Franklin Roosevelt; Elk City
* Robert M. Wright (1840–1915), member of Kansas House of Representatives; a founder of Dodge City
* Ron Wyden (born 1949), Oregon Senator; Wichita

### Military and national security

* Stanley T. Adams (1922–1999), Korean War Medal of Honor recipient; De Soto
* Wilbur Bestwick (1911–1972), first Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps; Sabetha
* Kendall Carl Campbell (1917–1942), Ensign, posthumous WWII Navy Cross recipient; Garden City
* Richard Cowan (1922–1944), WWII Medal of Honor recipient; Wichita
* Dwight Eisenhower (1890–1969), 34th President of the United States, Allied commander in World War II, 5-star General; Abilene (born in Denison, Texas)
* Rebecca L. Ediger (born 1952), agent in charge of Presidential Protective Division of U.S. Secret Service; Peabody (born in Newton)
* Harry D. Felt (1902–1992), WWII Naval aviator and Admiral; Topeka
* Arthur M. Ferguson (1877–1922), Colonel, Medal of Honor recipient, Philippine–American War; Coffey County
* Frederick N. Funston (1865–1917), Major General, Medal of Honor recipient; Iola
* John E. Gingrich (1897–1960), U.S. Navy four-star Admiral, first chief of security for Atomic Energy Commission; Dodge City
* James Harbord (1866–1947), U.S. Army, WWI Distinguished Service Cross; Bushong
* Joseph Henderson (1869–1938), Medal of Honor recipient, Philippine–American War; Fort Leavenworth
* Elizabeth P. Hoisington (1918–2007), first WAC officer promoted to Brigadier General; Newton
* Herbert Loper (1896–1989), Major General, U.S. Army; Norcatur
* Homer A. McCrerey (1919–1999), U.S. Navy meteorologist and oceanographer; Hiawatha
* Richard Myers (born 1942), General, U.S. Air Force, 15th Chairman of Joint Chiefs; Olathe
* Ross Myers (born 1959), Commander of the United States Cyber Command, Tenth Fleet; Garden City
* Danny J. Petersen (1949–1970), Specialist 4, U.S. Army, posthumous Vietnam Medal of Honor recipient; Netawaka
* George S. Robb (1887–1972), U.S. Army, WWI Medal of Honor recipient; Assaria
* Bernard W. Rogers (1921–2008), NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; Fairview
* Donald K. Ross (1910–1992), first Medal of Honor recipient in WWII, United States Navy; Beverly
* Conrad Schmidt (1830–1908), Civil War, Medal of Honor recipient; Ogden
* Duane D. Thiessen (born 1951), Major General, USMC; Goessel
* Grant F. Timmerman (1919–1944), Sergeant, USMC, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient; Americus
* William B. Trembley (1877–1952), Medal of Honor recipient, Philippine–American War; Johnson
* Lewis William Walt (1913–1989), General, USMC, initiated Combined Action Program in Vietnam; Wabaunsee County

### Religious

* William Bickerton (1815–1905), founder of the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) and the Zion Valley, Kansas, colony; St. John
* Charles J. Chaput (born 1944), Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver; Concordia
* Sheri L. Dew (born 1953), influential Latter-day Saint spokeswoman; Ulysses
* Bart D. Ehrman (born 1955), New Testament scholar; Lawrence
* Jerry Johnston (born 1959), Southern Baptist Convention evangelist and pastor; Overland Park
* Emil Kapaun (1916–1951), Army chaplain Korean War, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient, Catholic martyr and sainthood candidate; Pilsen
* Ron Kenoly (born 1944), musical worship leader; Coffeyville
* Lillian M. Mitchner (1862/64-1954), President, Kansas State Woman's Christian Temperance Union; Topeka
* Fred Phelps (1929–2014), leader of Westboro Baptist Church; Topeka
* James Reeb (1927–1965), Unitarian minister beaten to death by segregationists in Selma, Alabama, during the Civil Rights Movement; Wichita
* David Laurin Ricken (born 1954), bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne; Dodge City
* Michael Jarboe Sheehan (born 1939), Archbishop of Santa Fe; Wichita
* M. Madeline Southard (1877–1967), Methodist minister and writer
* John Joseph Sullivan (1920–2001), Bishop of Grand Island, Nebraska, and Kansas City-St. Joseph; Horton
* Gerald B. Winrod (1900–1957), evangelical Christian and Nazi sympathizer; Wichita
* Gordon Winrod (1926–2018), Christian Identity minister; Hesston

## Scientists and programmers

* Charles Bachman (1924–2017), computer scientist; Manhattan
* C. Olin Ball (1893–1982), food scientist; Abilene
* Barnum Brown (1873–1963), paleontologist; Carbondale
* John D. Carmack (born 1970), computer programmer; Shawnee Mission
* George Washington Carver (1864–1943), botanist and chemist; Minneapolis, Kansas
* James F. Crow (1916–2012), geneticist; Wichita
* Carl Owen Dunbar (1891–1979), geologist and paleontologist; Cherokee County
* David Fairchild (1869–1954), botanist and explorer; Manhattan
* Philip Fox (1878–1944), astronomer; Manhattan
* Howard K. Gloyd (1902–1978), herpetologist; De Soto
* Ebbe Hoff (1906–1985), neurologist; Rexford
* Jack Kilby (1923–2005), inventor of the integrated circuit; Great Bend
* Homer A. McCrerey (1919–1999), meteorologist and oceanographer; Hiawatha
* Ray McIntire (1918–1996), research engineer, inventor of Styrofoam; Gardner
* Karl Menninger (1893–1990), psychiatrist; Topeka
* Charles D. Michener (1918–2015), entomologist; Lawrence
* Lou Montulli, a founding engineer at Netscape and responsible for many HTML and web innovations
* Ernest Fox Nichols (1869–1924), scientist; Leavenworth County
* Wallace Pratt (1885–1981), petroleum geologist; Phillipsburg
* Walter Sutton (1877–1916), geneticist and physician; Russell
* George Tiller (1941–2009), medical doctor and controversial late-term abortion provider; Wichita
* Clyde Tombaugh (1906–1997), astronomer; Burdett
* Samuel Wendell Williston (1852–1918), scientist; Manhattan
* Douglas Youvan (born 1955), biophysicist and inventor; Frontenac

## Others
### Notable individuals

* Danni Boatwright (born 1975), winner of Survivor: Guatemala; Tonganoxie
* Emily Gibson Braerton (1884–1966), V.P. Daughters of the American Revolution {1950–53}; Lawrence
* Deborah Bryant (born 1946), Miss America 1966; Overland Park
* Erin Brockovich (born 1960), environmental activist; Lawrence
* Oliver Brown (1918-1961), welder; Topeka
* Richard Christy (born 1974), comedian on the Howard Stern Show; Fort Scott
* Hilda Clark (1872–1932), first woman to appear in a Coca-Cola advertisement; Leavenworth
* Earl Cole (born 1971), winner of Survivor: Fiji; Kansas City
* Racquel Darrian (born 1968), pornographic film star; Hutchinson
* Elmer Dresslar Jr. (1925–2005), voice actor and baritone voice of Jolly Green Giant commercials; St. Francis
* Alvin Dewey (1912–1987), special agent of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation; Garden City
* Ann Dunham (1942–1995), mother of Barack Obama; Wichita
* Madelyn and Stanley Dunham (1922–2008 and 1918–1992), grandparents of Barack Obama; Peru
* Tara Dawn Holland (born 1972), Miss America 1997; Overland Park
* Carrie Ingalls (1870–1946), sister of Laura Ingalls Wilder; born in Little House on the Prairie near Independence
* Vicki Lynn Lasseter (born 1960), February 1981 Playboy Playmate; Iola
* Candy Loving (born 1956), January 1979 Playboy Playmate and 25th Anniversary Playmate; Oswego
* Waldo McBurney (1902–2009), formerly listed as oldest worker; Quinter
* Kelli McCarty (born 1969), Miss USA 1991, actress, pornographic films; Liberal
* Janet Murguía (born 1954), President and CEO, National Council of La Raza; Kansas City
* Dan Perkins (born 1961), cartoonist, pen name "Tom Tomorrow"; Wichita
* Jeff Probst (born 1962), television personality and host of Survivor; Wichita
* Darrel Ray (born 1950), psychologist, author, atheist activist, and founder of Recovering from Religion and the associated Secular Therapy Project; Wichita
* Victor Rojas, studio analyst for MLB Network; Overland Park (born in Miami)
* Satanta (1830–1878), Chief of Kiowa tribe; western Kansas
* Matt Schlapp, chairman of American Conservative Union; Wichita
* Theresa Vail (born 1990), host of Outdoor Channel's Limitless with Theresa Vail; Manhattan
* Carrie Westcott (born 1969), September 1993 Playboy Playmate; Mission Hills
* Harold F. Williamson (1901–1989), business historian; Piper
* Earl Woods (1932–2006), father of golfer Tiger Woods and first African-American baseball player in the Big Eight Conference; Manhattan

### Notable historical figures not from Kansas but who participated in a significant event in Kansas

* John Brown (1800–1859), abolitionist; Osawatomie
* Buffalo Bill Cody (1846–1917), buffalo hunter and showman; Leavenworth
* Wyatt Earp (1848–1929), lawman; Wichita and Dodge City
* Mary Tenney Gray (1833-1904), known as the "Mother of the Women's Club Movement in Kansas"; Kansas City
* Dora Hand (1844–1878), dance hall singer, Dodge City
* Wild Bill Hickok (1837–1876), lawman; Hays and Abilene
* John James Ingalls (1833–1900), politician
* Kris Kobach (born 1966), candidate for governor in 2018, Kansas Secretary of State
* James H. Lane (1814–1866), abolitionist, senator and union general; Lawrence
* Bat Masterson (1853–1921), lawman; Dodge City
* Carrie Nation (1846–1911), temperance activist; Medicine Lodge
* Mary Bell Smith (1818-1894), organizer and first president, Kansas Woman's Christian Temperance Union

### Crime

* Edward J. Adams (1887–1921), bank robber and murderer; Hutchinson
* Lowell Lee Andrews (1939–1962), murderer; Wolcott
* John and Kate Bender (1872–1873), serial killers; Labette County
* Fred "Killer" Burke (1893–1940), Prohibition-era gangster; Mapleton
* Mark Essex (1949–1973), mass murderer; Emporia
* Jake and Ralph Fleagle, bank robbers and murderers; Marienthal
* Debora Green (born 1951), murderer; Prairie Village
* Eric Harris (1981–1999), perpetrator, along with Dylan Klebold, of the Columbine High School massacre; Wichita
* Richard Hickock (1931–1965), murderer; Kansas City
* Alvin "Creepy" Karpis (1907–1979), bank robber and member of the Barker Gang; Topeka
* Anna Emmaline McDoulet (1882–1978), female spy for Doolin Gang known as Cattle Annie Lawrence; Seneca
* George Newcomb (1866–1895), member of Bill Doolin's Wild Bunch; Fort Scott
* Duane Earl Pope (born 1943), bank robber and murderer; Roxbury
* Dennis Rader (born 1945), serial killer known as "BTK"; Wichita
* Scott Philip Roeder (born 1958), assassin; Merriam
* Marc Sappington (born 1978), murderer and cannibal, known as the Kansas City Vampire; Kansas City

### Fictional persons

* Courage the Cowardly Dog lives with his adoptive family in fictional Nowhere, Kansas
* Helen Crump (1962), girlfriend of Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show, from rural Kansas
* Dennis the Menace (1951), neighborhood terror, Wichita
* Matt Dillon (1949), marshal, Kansas
* Sam "Squid" Dullard, character on Rocket Power, moves to fictional California town featured in the show in the first episode, revealed in a later episode that he’s from Hutchinson
* Dorothy Gale (1900), farm girl who lived with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry; transported to the Land of Oz by a tornado, with her dog Toto
* Elmer Gantry (1927), evangelist and title character in the Sinclair Lewis novel of the same name; attended college in Kansas
* Gil Hamilton (c. 2083), futuristic detective, Topeka
* Will Kane (1952), sheriff in the 1952 classic Western High Noon, from Hadleyville, Kansas
* Johnny Kaw (1955), mythical Kansas settler, Manhattan
* Clark Joseph Kent (1938), adopted child of Jonathan and Martha Kent of Smallville, known as the alter ego Superman, born on Krypton as Kal-El
* Lana Lang (1950), Superboy's teenage love interest, Smallville
* Ted Lasso (2020), head coach of the fictional London-based AFC Richmond, Overland Park
* Major Astro (1960), astronaut portrayed by local character actor Tom Leahy; host of a children's television program, Wichita
* Colleen McMurphy, lead character from China Beach, from a "small town" in Kansas
* Cameron Mitchell, Lieutenant Colonel of Stargate SG-1 television series, from Auburn
* Jack B. Quick (1999), boy genius, Queerwater Creek, Kansas
* Amanda Rogers (born 2351), character on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Topeka
* Pete Ross (1961), Superboy's best friend, Smallville
* Mary Ann Summers, traveler on a "three-hour tour" that was lost at sea on Gilligan's Island, Winfield
* Annie Wilson (1993), aspiring actress, Wichita
* Dean Winchester (1979), demon hunter, Lawrence
* Sam Winchester (1983), demon hunter, Lawrence
* Wizard of Oz (1900), balloonist, magician, ruler of the Land of Oz (1939 movie version only)