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 (born 1931), 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 (born 1934), 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
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
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, Kansas
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 (born 1934), author; Colony
Dancers
Clark Tippet (1954-1992), ballet; Parsons
Musicians
Athletics
Athletes
A-F
Alvan Adams (born 1954), basketball; Lawrence
John H. Adams (born 1915), 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
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
Judy Bell (born 1936), member of World Golf Hall of Fame; Wichita
Matt Besler (born 1987), professional soccer player; Overland Park
B.H. Born (born 1932), 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), 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
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 (born 1935), football player; Clay Center
Darren Daulton (born 1962), baseball player; Arkansas City
Wantha Davis (born 1918), 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
Scott Fulhage (born 1961), football player; Beloit
G-M
Andrew Gachkar (born 1988), football player; Overland Park
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
Chief 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
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 January 3, 1981), pro basketball player; Liberal
Wes Santee (1932-2010), NCAA cross country champion, track and field athlete; Ashland
Gale Sayers (born 1943), NFL Hall of Famer; Wichita
Otto Schnellbacher (1923-2008), pro basketball and football player; Sublette
Ryan Schraeder (born 1988), professional football player; Wichita
Wayne Simien (born 1983), NCAA All-American, NBA basketball player; Leavenworth
Mark Simoneau (born 1977), professional football player; Smith Center
Marilynn Smith (born 1928), professional golfer and LPGA co-founder; Topeka
Lee Stevens (born 1967), professional baseball player; Lawrence
Darren Sproles (born 1983), professional football player; Olathe
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 February 10, 1968), pro football player; Liberal
Tommy Thompson (1916-1989), pro football player; Hutchinson
Blake Treinen (born 1988), professional baseball player; Osage City
Jerame Tuman (born March 24, 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 (born 1947), professional football player; Garden City
Coaches
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 (born 1932), 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; Wellsville
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 born 1938), 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
James Harbord (1866-1947), President and Chairman of the Board of RCA; Manhattan
William Wadsworth Hodkinson (1881-1971), pioneer film marketer and distributor; Independence
Omar Knedlik (1915-1989), inventor of the ICEE frozen drink; Barnes
Charles G. Koch (born 1935), CEO of Koch Industries; Wichita
David H. Koch (born 1940), 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
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
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, Kansas
E. W. Howe (1853-1937), author and newspaper editor; Atchison
Bill Kurtis (born 1940), television journalist; Independence
Jim Lehrer (born 1934), 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
Military and national security
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
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 (born 1926), Christian Identity minister; Hesston
Scientists and programmers
Others
Notable individuals
Notable historical people not from Kansas but were part of an important 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
Dora Hand (1844-1878), dance hall singer, Dodge City, Kansas
Wild Bill Hickok (1837-1876), lawman; Hays and Abilene
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
John James Ingalls (1833-1900), politician
Kris Kobach (1966), Candidate for Governor in 2018, Kansas Secretary of State.
Infamous persons
Fictional persons
References