# List of people from Raleigh, North Carolina

This is a list of people who were born in, lived in, or are closely associated with Raleigh, North Carolina.

## Academia

* Carrie Lougee Broughton (1879–1957), librarian and first woman State Librarian
* John Chavis (1763–1838), African-American educator and theologian; early integrationist (Raleigh's Chavis Park is named for him)
* Anna J. Cooper (1858–1964), author, educator and scholar; fourth African-American woman to earn doctoral degree (in 1924)
* Phillip Griffiths, mathematician, known for his work in the field of geometry
* John E. Ivey, Jr., educator and founder of Southern Regional Education Board; co-creator of Peace Corps
* Daniel McFadden, economist
* Michael Munger, economist, Duke University political science professor
* Mary Jane Patterson, first African-American woman to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree
* Tom Regan, philosopher and animal-rights advocate
* Vermont C. Royster (1914–1996), managing editor of Wall Street Journal, Pulitzer Prize winner, recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom
* James E. Shepard, pharmacist, civil servant and educator; founder of what would become North Carolina Central University
* Blake R. Van Leer, university president, dean of NC State University, inventor and civil rights advocate
* James W. York, mathematical physicist; recipient of Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics from American Physical Society

## Arts

* Juliana Royster Busbee (died 1962) and Jaques Busbee (died 1947), artists and founders of Jugtown Pottery
* Ariana DeBose, actor and dancer
* Paul Friedrich, visual artist and cartoonist
* Isabelle Bowen Henderson (1899–1969), painter and floriculturist
* Herb Jackson, painter
* Renaldo Kuhler, scientific illustrator for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
* Rachel Nabors, gURL.com graphic designer
* Martha Nichols, choreographer and dance instructor
* Hunter Schafer, model and actress
* Mel Tomlinson, ballet and modern dancer
* Lea Ved, dancer and choreographer

## Athletes

* Nazmi Albadawi, soccer player
* Loy Allen Jr., NASCAR Cup Series driver
* Chris Archer, MLB pitcher for Pittsburgh Pirates
* Hannah Aspden, youngest swimmer on Team USA to medal at either the Olympics or Paralympics in 2016
* John Baker Jr. (1935–2007), National Football League athlete and longtime Wake County sheriff
* Scott Bankhead, MLB player and pitcher for Team USA in the 1984 Olympic Games
* Darrius Barnes, soccer player
* Bates Battaglia, NHL player, played for Carolina Hurricanes 1997–2003
* Braxton Berrios, NFL wide receiver
* Rod Brind'Amour, NHL player, former Carolina Hurricanes player and current head coach
* Clark Brisson, soccer player
* Bucky Brooks, former NFL athlete
* Evan Brown, soccer player
* Willie Burden, professional Canadian football player with Calgary Stampeders of Canadian Football League
* Juston Burris, NFL safety
* Everett Case (1900–1966), NC State University men's basketball coach, member of N.C. Sports Hall of Fame and College Basketball Hall of Fame
* Isadora Cerullo, Olympic rugby player for Brazil; graduated from Enloe High School
* Bill Cowher, former professional American football coach and player
* Ike Delock, Major League Baseball player
* Randy Denton, NBA player
* James L. Dickey III (born 1996), basketball player for Hapoel Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Donald Evans, former NFL defensive end
* David Fox, Olympic gold medalist in swimming
* Ron Francis, NHL player (Carolina Hurricanes) 1998–2004, member of Hockey Hall of Fame
* Jeff Galloway, Olympic long-distance runner and author
* Justin Gatlin, Olympic sprinter
* Michael Gracz, professional poker player
* T. J. Graham, NFL wide receiver with New York Jets
* Brian Gutekunst, NFL scout with Green Bay Packers
* Chesson Hadley, professional golfer
* Josh Hamilton, Major League Baseball player
* Hardy Boyz, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy, professional wrestlers
* Antwan Harris, NFL player for New England Patriots' Super Bowl team
* Leroy Harris, NFL player for Tennessee Titans
* Bret Hedican, NHL player, played for Carolina Hurricanes 2001–2008
* Gregory Helms, professional wrestler with WWE
* Anne Henning, Olympic speed skater, 1972 gold and bronze medalist
* Ryan Jeffers, MLB player
* Curt Johnson, professional soccer player
* Marion Jones, disgraced Olympic track athlete
* Craig Keith, NFL player
* Chad Larose, NHL player, played for Carolina Hurricanes 2005–2013
* Roy Lassiter, professional soccer player for D.C. United and United States men's national soccer team
* Pete Maravich (1947–1988), Hall of Fame basketball player; attended high school in Raleigh
* Bruce Matthews, former NFL player for Tennessee Titans; 14-time Pro Bowl participant, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
* Daniel McCullers, NFL defensive lineman
* Nate McMillan, NBA player and head coach of Atlanta Hawks
* Richard Medlin, NFL player
* Ben Youssef Meite, sprinter, 3-time African champion in 100m
* Jackie Moreland (1938–1971), pro basketball player
* Kevin "PPMD" Nanney, professional Super Smash Bros. player
* Chuck Nevitt, NBA player
* Caleb Norkus, professional soccer player
* Bob Perryman, NFL player for New England Patriots and Denver Broncos
* Brandon Phillips, second baseman for Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds
* Landon Powell, MLB player (Oakland Athletics)
* Shavlik Randolph, former professional basketball player
* Greg Raymer, professional poker player
* Hunter Raynor, independent professional wrestler
* Shawan Robinson, professional basketball player with Newcastle Eagles in the British Basketball League
* Randolph Ross, track athlete, 2020 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x400m relay
* Anthony Rush, NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons
* Paul Shuey, MLB pitcher
* Webb Simpson, PGA Tour golfer
* Isaiah Todd, NBA G-League player
* Leigh Torrence, NFL player with Washington Redskins
* P. J. Tucker (born 1985), NBA player for the New York Knicks and 2008 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
* Duane Underwood Jr., professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates
* Jim Valvano (1946–1993), NC State University men's basketball coach, 1983 NCAA champion, TV commentator
* John Wall, NBA player who last played for the Los Angeles Clippers
* Pat Watkins, MLB outfielder
* Carson Wentz, quarterback for NFL's Indianapolis Colts
* Chris Wilcox, NBA athlete
* Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic figure skater, married to Bret Hedican
* Danny Young, NBA player
* Kay Yow (1942–2009), NC State University women's basketball coach, member of Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

## Business

* Louis Bacon, hedge fund manager
* Jim Baen (1943–2006), science fiction writer; founded his own publishing house, Baen Books, in 1983
* Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer of the popular Xbox 360 game Gears of War and co-founder of Boss Key Productions
* Anderson Boyd, filmmaker
* Needham B. Broughton, printer, temperance activist, and state senator
* E. Lee Hennessee, pioneer hedge fund manager
* Richard Jenrette, chairman of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and international philanthropist, awarded French Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur (National Order of the Legion of Honor) in 1996
* Jesse Lowe, first mayor of Omaha, Nebraska; an important real estate agent in the early city, Lowe is credited with naming the city after the Omaha Tribe
* Anand Lal Shimpi, employee of Apple Inc. and former CEO of AnandTech

## Entertainment

* Tyler Barnhardt, actor
* Priscilla Block, singer
* David J. Burke, screenwriter, film and television director
* Godfrey Cheshire, film writer, director and critic, former chairman of New York Film Critics Circle Awards
* Grady Cooper, director, producer, and Emmy-nominated film editor
* Ariana DeBose, actor and dancer, West Side Story, Hamilton
* Aubrey Dollar, actress
* Caroline Dollar, actress
* Rhoda Griffis, actress
* Michael C. Hall, actor, Dexter, Six Feet Under
* Lauren Kennedy, Broadway actress and singer
* Sharon Lawrence, actress, NYPD Blue
* Beth Leavel, Tony award-winning Broadway actress
* LA Lloyd, nationally syndicated radio host
* Brandi Love, pornography actress
* Robert Duncan McNeill, actor, movie and TV director
* Daniella Monet, actress, singer and dancer
* MrBeast, YouTuber
* Karin Muller, writer, filmmaker and photographer for National Geographic Society and National Public Radio
* Emily Procter, actress, CSI: Miami
* Peyton Reed, film director, Ant-Man, The Break-Up, Bring It On
* Hunter Schafer, model, actress, activist, Euphoria
* Amy Sedaris, actress, writer and satirist
* Liz Vassey, actress, CSI
* Reginald VelJohnson, actor, Family Matters
* Evan Rachel Wood, actress, Westworld
* Ira David Wood III, actor and local theatre director

## Military

* David W. Bagley (1883–1960), admiral in the United States Navy during World War II
* Worth Bagley (1874–1898), United States Navy officer during the Spanish–American War
* Josephus Daniels (1862–1948), newspaper editor and publisher, United States Secretary of the Navy during World War I
* George A. Fisher Jr. (born 1942), former United States Army officer
* Vernon V. Haywood (1920–2003), former U.S. Army Air Force officer, combat fighter pilot/jet pilot, and commanding officer of Tuskegee Airmen's 302nd Fighter Squadron
* Oscar F. Peatross (1916–1993), major general in the United States Marine Corps and recipient of the Navy Cross
* Leonidas Polk (1806–1864), lieutenant-general in the Confederate States Army, killed at the Battle of Marietta, Georgia
* Millie Dunn Veasey (1918–2018), served in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) and later NAACP president of Wake County chapter

## Musicians

* Ryan Adams, singer-songwriter
* Clay Aiken, singer/actor
* Jeb Bishop, jazz musician
* Dan Briggs, bassist for metal band Between the Buried and Me
* Andrew Cadima, composer
* Jason Michael Carroll, country musician
* Caitlin Cary, alternative country singer
* Travis Cherry, Grammy-nominated music producer
* Cordae, hip-hop artist
* John Custer, record producer
* Steve Dobrogosz, pianist and composer
* Robbie Fulks, alt-country singer
* Rufus Harley (1936–2006), jazz musician
* D. Kern Holoman, musicologist and conductor
* Randy Jones (born 1952), original Village People cowboy, singer/actor
* Jon Lindsay, recording artist, producer, activist
* Little Brother, rap group
* Tift Merritt, singer-songwriter
* Pee Wee Moore, jazz musician
* Mic Murphy, frontman for funk/soul group The System, moved to New York before career took off
* NGHTMRE, real name Tyler Marenyi, DJ and trap producer
* Anne-Claire Niver, singer-songwriter
* Petey Pablo, hip-hop artist
* Kate Rhudy, folk-pop and country singer-songwriter and musician
* Blake Richardson, drummer for metal band Between the Buried and Me
* Tommy Giles Rogers, Jr., lead vocalist for heavy metal band Between the Buried and Me
* Rajan Somasundaram, composer, songwriter whose album made in collaboration with Durham Symphony and Academy-nominated singer Bombay Jayashri became an Amazon top-10 international best seller
* Toosii, rapper and singer
* Paul Waggoner, guitarist for metal band Between the Buried and Me
* Dustie Waring, guitarist for metal band Between the Buried and Me
* Woody Weatherman, musician

### Bands and music groups

* Alesana, post-hardcore band
* American Aquarium, alternative country band
* Between the Buried and Me, progressive metal band
* Bowerbirds, freak folk band
* Chatham County Line, bluegrass band
* The Connells, 1980s indie rock band
* Corrosion of Conformity, heavy metal band
* Daylight Dies, doom metal band
* Glass Moon, 1980s progressive rock band
* The Rosebuds, indie rock band
* Selah Jubilee Singers, 1930s–40s gospel quartet
* Troop 41, hip-hop ensemble
* Whiskeytown, 1990s alternative country band

## Politics and law

* William H. Bobbitt (1900–1992), former Chief Justice of North Carolina Supreme Court
* Alice Willson Broughton (1889–1980), former First Lady of North Carolina
* J. Melville Broughton (1888–1949), former Governor of North Carolina
* Bill Campbell, two-term mayor of Atlanta
* Ralph Campbell, three-term State auditor and first African-American to hold statewide elected office in North Carolina
* Paul Coble, 36th mayor of Raleigh (2006–2014)
* Cate Edwards, attorney
* Stormie Forte, lawyer, politician, radio host, and first African-American woman and first openly LGBTQ woman to serve on the Raleigh City Council
* Jim Fulghum (1944–2014), physician and state legislator
* James H. Harris (1832–1891), African-American politician, former slave, co-founder of North Carolina Republican Party
* Winder R. Harris (1888–1973), Democratic United States Congressman
* John Haywood, statesman and the longest-serving North Carolina State Treasurer (40 years)
* William Henry Haywood, Jr. (1801–1852), early Democratic U.S. Senator
* Jesse Helms (1921–2008), five-term Republican U.S. Senator
* George Holding, Republican United States Congressman
* Andrew Johnson (1808–1875), 17th President of the United States
* Calvin Jones (1775–1846), Mayor of Raleigh, Adjutant General of North Carolina, and founder of Wake Forest College
* I. Beverly Lake, former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
* Clarence Lightner (1921–2002), mayor (1973–1975); Raleigh's first popularly elected African-American mayor and first of any major Southern city
* Greg Murphy, physician and politician
* Fred Smith, politician
* Avery C. Upchurch (1928–1994), city's longest-serving mayor of the 20th century
* Charles D. Walton (born 1948), first African American to serve in the Rhode Island Senate
* George Smedes York, 33rd Mayor of Raleigh (1979–1983)
* James H. Young, African-American politician; founder and editor of Raleigh Gazette, North Carolina's first black-owned newspaper

## Writers

* Edward A. Batchelor, sportswriter
* Andrew Britton (1981–2008), novelist
* Jonathan W. Daniels (1902–1981), author, editor; White House Press Secretary under presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman
* Thomas Dixon, Jr. (1864–1946), novelist, playwright, minister and statesman
* Elliot Engel, writer, dramatist, lecturer, and academic
* Charles Frazier, novelist, author of Cold Mountain
* Kaye Gibbons, writer
* Mary Robinette Kowal, author
* Eleanor Frances Lattimore, children's writer and illustrator
* Dorianne Laux, poet
* Armistead Maupin, writer
* Mary Lambeth Moore, novelist and podcaster
* Frances Gray Patton (1906–2000), writer, first woman to enroll at University of North Carolina
* Lawson A. Scruggs, early African-American physician in North Carolina and noted publisher of biographies on African-American women
* David Sedaris, author, humorist and satirist
* Lee Smith, writer
* Jan Cox Speas, author and novelist
* Julia Montgomery Street (1898–1993), children's author and playwright

## Other

* Jennifer Berry, Miss America 2006 from Oklahoma
* Bob Caudle, longtime WRAL news personality and host of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, later headed the Raleigh constituent office of U.S. Senator Jesse Helms
* John Anthony Copeland, Jr. (1834–1859), freed slave, abolitionist and political activist
* James A. Forbes, evangelist preacher, radio host
* T. Adelaide Goodno, president, North Carolina Woman's Christian Temperance Union
* Jacob Johnson, father of U.S. president Andrew Johnson
* Cornelia Alice Norris, socialite and genealogist
* Ray Price, motorcyclist
* Olivia Raney, church organist
* Jacob Tobia, LGBTQ activist
* John P. Turner, African-American physician, surgeon, hospital administrator, and educator
* Max Yergan, African-American activist, first black college faculty member hired in state of New York