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