List of people from New Orleans

This is a list of notable people who are or were natives, or notable as residents of, or relation with the U.S. city of New Orleans, Louisiana.

 Academia 
Stephen Ambrose, historian and University of New Orleans professor
Mary L. Good, scientist and university professor
Salman Khan, educator
Andrew V. Schally, endocrinologist and Nobel Laureate

 Architecture 
Leon C. Weiss, architect commissioned by Huey P. Long

 Arts and literature 

John James Audubon, painter, ornithologist, naturalist
Roark Bradford, fiction writer
Poppy Z. Brite, writer
William S. Burroughs, writer
George Washington Cable, writer
Truman Capote, writer
Kate Chopin, writer, feminist
Andrei Codrescu, poet and commentator
Edgar Degas, artist
George Washington Dixon, newspaper editor
George Dureau, artist and photographer
William Faulkner, writer
Rolland Golden, artist
Shirley Ann Grau, writer
Lafcadio Hearn, writer
Lillian Hellman, writer
George Herriman, Krazy Kat cartoonist
Walter Isaacson, writer, journalist, public policy analyst
Frances Parkinson Keyes, writer
Dominique Lapierre, writer
Elmore Leonard, author
Michael Lewis, writer
Bunny Matthews, cartoonist
John McCrady, artist
James Michalopoulos, artist
Anne Rice, writer of vampire tales and other Gothic fiction
John Kennedy Toole, writer of A Confederacy of Dunces

 Business and economics 
Isaac Delgado, businessman and philanthropist, benefactor of Delgado Community College
Avram Glazer, businessman and sports franchise owner
John McDonogh (1779–1850), shipping, land speculation (world's largest private landholder ca. 1850), philanthropist and namesake of many New Orleans schools
Clay Shaw, businessman
David Voelker, businessman and philanthropist
Samuel Zemurray, businessman and philanthropist

 Cuisine 
Leah Chase, chef
Ruth Fertel, businesswoman and restaurateur, Ruth's Chris Steak House

 Crime 
 Axeman of New Orleans, mysterious mass murderer
 Antoinette Frank, former New Orleans Police Officer
 Jean Lafitte, pirate and brother of Pierre Lafitte
 Pierre Lafitte, pirate and brother of Jean Lafitte
 Lee Harvey Oswald, assassin 

 Movie and television 
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, actor 
Sandra Bullock, actress, resident 
Kitty Carlisle, entertainer
John Carroll, actor and singer
Laura Cayouette, actor and author
Patricia Clarkson, actress
Marshall Colt, psychologist and former actor
Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, talk show host
Vance DeGeneres, actor, screenwriter, and musician (bass)
Raquel "Rocsi" Diaz, television host and personality on BET's 106 and Park
Faith Domergue, actress
Donna Douglas, actress (Ellie Mae from The Beverly Hillbillies)
Allison Harvard, runner-up of twelfth cycle of America's Next Top Model
Dwight Henry, actor
Gloria Henry, actress born in 1923
Eddie Jemison, actor
Bayn Johnson, former actress and singer
Leatrice Joy, actress
Dorothy Lamour, actress
John Larroquette, actor
Anthony Mackie, actor 
Adah Isaacs Menken, actress
Garrett Morris, comedian (SNL), actor
Ed Nelson, actor
Arthel Neville, journalist
Pauley Perrette, actress
Tyler Perry, actor, director
Wendell Pierce, actor (Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire)
Godfrey Reggio, experimental filmmaker/documentarian (Qatsi trilogy)
Neferteri Shepherd, model and actress
Richard Simmons, entertainer
Harold Sylvester, actor
Jay Thomas, actor
Sam Trammell, actor, best known for his role as Sam Merlotte in True Blood
Ben Turpin, silent film comedian
Ray Walston, actor
Carl Weathers, actor, football player 
Tommy Wiseau, actor, director
Reese Witherspoon, actress
Grace Zabriskie, actress
Bianca Del Rio, drag queen and comedian; best known for winning the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race

 Law, politics, and military 
Bryan Adams, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Jefferson Parish since 2012; born in New Orleans.
Reverend Avery Alexander, civil rights leader, state legislator
Andres Almonaster y Rojas, Spanish civil servant in colonial New Orleans, also a philanthropist
Jeff Arnold, former member of the Louisiana House for the Algiers section, 2002–2016
John B. Babcock, Medal of Honor recipient
Algernon Sidney Badger, government official during and after Reconstruction
Amy Coney Barrett, U.S. Supreme Court Justice and academic
P.G.T. Beauregard, Confederate general and inventor
Clyde F. Bel Jr., businessman and state representative for Orleans Parish, 1964–1972 and 1975–1980
Judah P. Benjamin, U.S. Senator, Confederate Attorney General, Secretary of War and Secretary of State
David H. Berger, commandant of the United States Marine Corps
Hale Boggs, former U.S. Representative
Lindy Boggs, former U.S. Representative and retired U.S. Ambassador to The Vatican
Thomas Hale Boggs Jr., lawyer/lobbyist in Washington, D.C., born in New Orleans in 1940, son of Hale and Lindy Boggs, brother of Cokie Roberts and Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Joseph Bouie Jr., Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 97 in Orleans Parish since 2014; retired faculty member and administrator at Southern University at New Orleans
Stephen Bradberry, community organizer, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award laureate
Juan Davis Bradburn, freedom fighter for Mexico, officer in the Battle of New Orleans 
Henry Braden, politician
Elward Thomas Brady Jr., state representative from Terrebonne Parish 1972–1976, born in New Orleans
Donna Brazile, political strategist
Jared Brossett, member of the New Orleans City Council since 2014; state representative for District 97, 2009–2014
J. Marshall Brown, insurance agent and politician
Benjamin F. Butler, administrator of Union-occupied New Orleans during the Civil War
John A. Butler, U.S. Marine Corps officer and Navy Cross recipient
Pascal F. Calogero Jr., Chief Justice Louisiana Supreme Court
Gary Carter Jr., member of the Louisiana House from the Algiers neighborhood, effective 2016
James Carville, political consultant, political science professor
Harry Connick Sr., district attorney, father of singer Harry Connick Jr.
A.G. Crowe, politician
Milton Joseph Cunningham, attorney, state legislator, state attorney general for three nonconsecutive terms ending in 1900
Bernard de Marigny, politician and land developer
Étienne de Boré, first Mayor of New Orleans in the U.S. administration 
James D. Denegre, Minnesota state senator and lawyer
Jean Noel Destréhan, early Creole politician and plantation owner
David Duke, state representative for Metairie 1989–1992; White nationalist
H. Garland Dupré, attorney and politician; Speaker of the Louisiana House 1908–1910; U.S. representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, 1910–1924
Frank Burton Ellis, attorney, politician, federal judge
Albert Estopinal, former U.S. representative and member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature
Olaf Fink, member of the Louisiana State Senate 1956–1972; New Orleans educator 
C.B. Forgotston, attorney, political activist, state government watchdog
Henry L. Fuqua, governor who defeated Huey Long in an election
Randal Gaines, state representative since 2012 for St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes; former assistant city attorney in New Orleans 
Gerald J. Gallinghouse, U.S. Attorney for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana 1970–1978; known for prosecuting corruption in government
Jim Garrison, district attorney of Orleans Parish
Robert T. Garrity Jr., attorney and former state representative for Jefferson Parish
Charles Gayarré, state legislator noted for his histories of Louisiana
Newt Gingrich, U.S. Congressman from Georgia, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Nicholas Girod, early mayor of New Orleans
John Grenier, Birmingham lawyer and Alabama Republican Party figure, born in New Orleans in 1930
Brenda Hatfield, former Chief Administrative Officer of the City of New Orleans
F. Edward Hebert, Democrat U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 1st congressional district, 1941–1977
Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, former member of the New Orleans City Council for District D, 2005–2014
Frederick Jacob Reagan Heebe, former judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
David Heitmeier, state senator for District 7 since 2008, optometrist
Francis C. Heitmeier, state senator for District 7, 1988–2008; businessman and lobbyist
David Hennessy, police chief, assassinated in 1890
Clay Higgins, Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district; born in New Orleans in 1961
Stephanie Hilferty, Republican state representative for Orleans and Jefferson parishes, effective January 2016
Walker Hines, former state representative
Jean Joseph Amable Humbert, army general, subordinate to Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans
Bernette Joshua Johnson, Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court since 2013; associate justice, 1994–2013, native and resident of New Orleans
Jeannette Knoll, associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court; reared and educated in New Orleans, where the court meets; resides in Marksville
Mary Landrieu, state representative, state treasurer, U.S. senator
Mitch Landrieu, state representative, lieutenant governor, former mayor of New Orleans
Moon Landrieu, judge and politician, mayor of New Orleans
Hank Lauricella, former professional football player; state senator from Jefferson Parish, 1972–1996
Bob Livingston, Republican former U.S. Representative for 1st congressional district
Edward Livingston, drafted Louisiana Civil Code 
Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, Confederate general
Joseph Mansion, Louisiana state legislator, state tax assessor
Bessie Margolin, labor lawyer
Danny Martiny, state senator from Jefferson Parish, born in New Orleans
Harold A. Moise, state representative for the 12th Ward, Orleans civil court judge 1937–1948, and associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court 1948–1958
Ernest Nathan Morial, American political, legal, and civil rights leader
Marc Morial, former mayor, son of Ernest Nathan Morial
deLesseps Story Morrison, former mayor and ambassador to the Organization of American States
deLesseps Morrison Jr., late state representative
William Mumford, Confederate resistor in Union-occupied New Orleans during the Civil War
Ray Nagin, former mayor of New Orleans
Michael H. O'Keefe, president of the Louisiana State Senate 1976–1983; convicted felon
Alejandro O'Reilly, governor of Louisiana, known as "Bloody O'Reilly"
James E. Paxton, district attorney of Louisiana 6th Judicial District based in St. Joseph, practiced law in New Orleans 1988–1993
Leander Perez, district judge, district attorney, and president of the Plaquemines Parish Commission Council
P.B.S. Pinchback, politician
James Pitot, third mayor of New Orleans
Loulan Pitre Jr., New Orleans lawyer and former state representative for Lafourche Parish
Edward Joseph Price, state representative for District 58, Gonzales businessman, and former resident of New Orleans 
William P. Quigley, activist attorney and academic
Max Rafferty, educator author and columnist, California politician, born in New Orleans in 1917
Cokie Roberts, journalist, daughter of Hale and Lindy Boggs
Steve Scalise, House Minority Whip and U.S. Representative of Louisiana's 1st district
Tom Schedler, former state senator from St. Tammany Parish and current Louisiana secretary of state
Pat Screen, Louisiana State University quarterback, lawyer, and former Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish
Ronal W. Serpas, Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department since 2010
Joseph A. Shakspeare, Mayor of New Orleans at the time of the March 14, 1891 lynchings 
Eric Skrmetta, attorney from Metairie, Louisiana; Republican member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission for District 1
Jefferson B. Snyder, lived in New Orleans 1893–1897; later district attorney in three delta parishes in northeast Louisiana 1904–1948
James Z. Spearing, attorney, school board member, U.S. representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, 1924–1931
Dorothy Mae Taylor, first African-American woman to serve in the Louisiana House, 1971–1980; member of the New Orleans City Council, 1986–1994
Charles Laveau Trudeau, early 19th century mayor of New Orleans
A.P. Tureaud, attorney
Jorge Ubico, exiled president of Guatemala 
José de Villamil (or José Villamil), father of the independence of Ecuador
David Vitter, U.S. Senator, 2005–2017
David Voelker, businessman
Frank Voelker Jr., lawyer, politician
John Volz, late U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana
Chatham Roberdeau Wheat, leader of the Louisiana Tigers during the US Civil War 
Edward Douglass White, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court
 John C. White, Louisiana education superintendent since 2012; superintendent of the Recovery School District in New Orleans, 2011
Robert Wilkie, National Security Assistant to the President
Clint Williamson, U.S. Ambassador, White House policy official, United Nations envoy
John Minor Wisdom, judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Andrew Young, politician

 Invention 
Levi Spear Parmley, inventor of dental floss
John Leonard Riddell, inventor of the binocular microscope

 Sports 

D.J. Augustin, NBA player
Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints
Will Clark, former Major League Baseball star, infielder
Orleans Darkwa, professional football player
Tom Dempsey, former NFL kicker, held longest field goal record for over 43 years
David Dixon, professional sports advocate for New Orleans Saints, Louisiana Superdome, USFL, World Championship Tennis
Scott Dohmann, former MLB pitcher
Corey Dowden, former NFL defensive back
Clyde Drexler, former University of Houston and NBA star, member of Basketball Hall of Fame
Bobby Duhon, professional football player 
Marshall Faulk, professional football star (St. Louis Rams), member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
Steve Foley, former defensive back for Denver Broncos
Matt Forte, running back for Chicago Bears, New York Jets
John Fourcade, former NFL and CFL quarterback, sports analyst 
Nolan Franz, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Leonard Fournette, NFL player, running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Harry P. Gamble, football player, swimmer, gymnast, boxer, and attorney
Eddie Garcia, former Green Bay Packers placekicker
Larry Gilbert, Major League Baseball player
Tad Gormley, athletic trainer, coach, and official
Danny Granger, forward for NBA's Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat
Cortez Hankton, former NFL player who is currently the passing game coordinator & wide receivers coach for the LSU Tigers
Adrian Hardy, NFL player
Chris Henry, former NFL wide receiver
Kevin Hughes, former NFL offensive tackle
Avery Johnson, former National Basketball Association player, former coach of Dallas Mavericks
Deion Jones, NFL linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons
Junkyard Dog, stage name of Sylvester Ritter, former professional wrestler
Robert Kelley, Washington Redskins running back
Shaun King, former NFL quarterback
Kerry Kittles, former NBA player for New Jersey Nets
Dominik Koepfer, professional tennis player
Lester Lautenschlaeger, football player, politician, first director of New Orleans Recreation Department 
Kendrick Lewis, NFL free safety, played for Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, attended Ole Miss
Rydell Malancon, former NFL linebacker
Archie Manning, former New Orleans Saints quarterback, father of Peyton and Eli
Eli Manning, New York Giants quarterback
Peyton Manning, former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback
Pete Maravich, basketball Hall of Famer, played for LSU and NBA's New Orleans Jazz
Sammy Martin, former New England Patriots running back
Tyrann Mathieu, player for NFL's Kansas City Chiefs
Bo McCalebb, Macedonian basketball player who plays for Montepaschi Siena
Max McGee, NFL player on five championship teams
Sylvester McGrew, former Green Bay Packers defensive end
Greg Monroe, college basketball player for Georgetown University
Paul Morphy, world chess champion
Patrick Mullins, professional soccer player
Steve Mura, retired pitcher in Major League Baseball
Eddie Murray, prolific NFL placekicker
Antonio Narcisse, football player
Herman Neugass, Track & field athlete who boycotted the Berlin Olympic trials
Mel Ott, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer
Micah Owings, MLB pitcher
Robert Pack, NBA player, assistant coach for New Orleans Pelicans
Emmett Paré, professional tennis player and coach
Joe Pasternack, head basketball coach at UC Santa Barbara
Audrey Patterson, first African-American woman to win Olympic medal
Chris Quinn, former NBA player and current Miami Heat assistant coach 
Eldridge Recasner, former NBA player
Ham Richardson, professional tennis player
Alana Shipp, American/Israeli IFBB professional bodybuilder
Nate Singleton, former wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers
Neil Smith, former defensive end, Kansas City Chiefs
Truett Smith, former football player
Rusty Staub, Major League Baseball player
Ricky Starks, professional wrestler for All Elite Wrestling
Kordell Stewart, former NFL quarterback
Patrick Surtain, former NFL cornerback
Ron Swoboda, former New York Mets outfielder
Ike Taylor, cornerback, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roosevelt Taylor, safety, 1963 NFL champion, Chicago Bears
Vincent Taylor, defensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons
Taryn Terrell, professional wrestler for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Mike Wallace, wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers
Aeneas Williams, former cornerback for St. Louis Rams
Jason Williams (born 1983), basketball player for Hapoel Be'er Sheva of the National Basketball League of Israel
John "Hot Rod" Williams, longtime professional basketball player

 Other 

Ruby Bridges, commemorated for her role, as a child, in racial integration of the New Orleans Public School System
David Ferrie, pilot investigated in the assassination of John F. Kennedy
Marie Alice Heine, first American Princess of Monaco
Marie Laveau, "voodoo queen"
Paul Morphy, unofficial world chess champion
Homer Plessy, early civil rights activist in the Plessy v. Ferguson case
Paul Tulane, benefactor of Tulane University

Related pages
List of people from Louisiana

References

New Orleans
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