List of people from Missouri
The following are people who were either born, raised, or have lived for a significant period of time in the U.S. state of Missouri.
Art and literature
- Helen Andelin, author of Fascinating Womanhood
- Maya Angelou, author and poet
- Thomas P. Barnett, architect and impressionist painter
- Thomas Hart Benton, painter
- George Caleb Bingham, artist
- Edward McKendree Bounds, author and theologian
- Mark Bowden, author, journalist
- Dylan Brady, musician
- William S. Burroughs, author
- Kate Chopin, author and early feminist
- Guy Anthony De Marco, author of speculative fiction
- Lester Dent, author of Doc Savage novels
- Michele Dunaway, author of romantic novels
- Suzette Haden Elgin, science-fiction author and linguist
- T. S. Eliot, poet, dramatist and literary critic
- Mary Engelbreit, graphic artist, children's book illustrator
- Michael Evans, photographer
- Eugene Field, writer and poet
- Gillian Flynn, novelist, television critic
- Martha Gellhorn, novelist, travel writer, and journalist
- Steve Gerber, comic book writer and co-creator of Howard the Duck
- David L. Harrison, children's author, poet, recipient of the Missourian Award
- William Least Heat-Moon, author
- Robert A. Heinlein, science fiction author
- Frederick Hibbard, sculptor known for his works of famous 19th-century figures
- Langston Hughes, African-American poet, novelist, and playwright
- William W. Johnstone, author of western, horror, and survivalist novels
- Donald Judd, artist
- Oliver Lee Jackson, painter, sculptor, draftsman, and printmaker
- Jim Lee, comic book artist and writer
- Bonnie Leman, writer, historian, and founder of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine
- Laura Les, musician
- David Limbaugh, columnist, author, and political commentator
- Bernarr Macfadden, founder of Macfadden Publications, bodybuilding advocate
- Cornelia F. Maury, pastel artist
- Dennis L. McKiernan, author
- Scott Monteith, artist
- Marianne Moore, poet and writer
- Archie Musick, painter and illustrator, associated with the Regionalist movement
- John R. Musick, author and poet, known for the Columbian Historical novels
- Ruth Ann Musick, author and folklorist
- H. Richard Niebuhr, author, theologian
- Reinhold Niebuhr, author, theologian, and political commentator
- Isabel Richey, writer, poet
- Chappell Roan, singer
- John Ross, author
- Charles Marion Russell, artist
- Clay Shirky, writer, consultant, lecturer, author of Here Comes Everybody
- Kimora Lee Simmons, fashion model, author, actress
- Minnetta Theodora Taylor, poet, lyricist, writer
- Sara Teasdale, poet
- Kay Thompson, creator of Eloise children's books
- Ernest Trova, sculptor, surrealist and pop art painter best known for The Falling Man
- Margaret Truman, novelist and non-fiction author
- Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemens, iconic humorist, author and creator of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer
- Rosa Kershaw Walker, author, journalist, newspaper editor
- Laura Ingalls Wilder, writer and author of Little House series
- Tennessee Williams, playwright
- Bertha M. Wilson, dramatist
- Daniel Woodrell, author of crime fiction
Sportspeople
Auto racing
- Paul Dana, IndyCar Series driver
- Lloyd Dane, NASCAR driver
- Russ Dugger, NASCAR Truck Series driver
- Carl Edwards, NASCAR driver, 2007 NASCAR Busch Series champion
- James Ince, NASCAR crew chief
- Justin Jennings, NASCAR driver
- Cody Lane, NASCAR Truck Series driver
- Justin Marks, NASCAR driver
- Jamie McMurray, NASCAR Cup Series driver, Daytona 500 winner
- Larry Phillips, NASCAR driver
- Tony Roper, NASCAR driver
- Ken Schrader, NASCAR driver
- Dorsey Schroeder, retired NASCAR driver, Speed Channel color analyst
- Ramo Stott, retired NASCAR driver
- Chrissy Wallace, NASCAR driver
- Kenny Wallace, NASCAR driver, broadcaster
- Mike Wallace, NASCAR driver
- Rusty Wallace, NASCAR driver, 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup champion
Baseball
;A-M- Bob Allison, MLB outfielder, 3-time All-Star
- Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs pitcher, Cy Young Award winner
- Alan Ashby, MLB catcher, commentator
- George Baker, MLB catcher
- Jake Beckley, infielder in Hall of Fame
- James "Cool Papa" Bell, Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder
- Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame catcher, manager, aphorist
- Ken Berry, MLB outfielder
- Brian Boehringer, MLB pitcher
- Clete Boyer, MLB third baseman, 2-time World Series winner
- Ken Boyer, MLB third baseman, 11-time All-Star, coach and manager
- Jack Brennan, MLB catcher
- Harry Bright, MLB infielder
- Mark Buehrle, MLB pitcher, 5-time All-Star
- Bobby Byrne, MLB infielder
- Scott Carroll, MLB relief pitcher
- Nate Colbert, MLB first baseman, 3-time All-Star
- David Cone, Cy Young-winning MLB pitcher
- Joe Crede, MLB third baseman
- Bob Dernier, MLB outfielder
- Ross Detwiler, MLB relief pitcher
- Blake DeWitt, MLB infielder
- John Donaldson, Negro league baseball pitcher
- Scott Elbert, MLB relief pitcher
- A. J. Ellis, catcher for Miami Marlins
- Hoot Evers, MLB outfielder, 2-time All-Star
- David Freese, MLB third baseman, 2011 World Series MVP with St. Louis Cardinals
- Gabe Gabler, MLB player
- Joe Garagiola, MLB catcher, broadcaster, television personality
- Jeff Gray, MLB pitcher
- Charlie Grimm, MLB player and manager
- Dick Hall, MLB pitcher, 2-time World Series winner
- Lucas Harrell, starting pitcher for Toronto Blue Jays
- Tom Henke, two-time All-Star pitcher
- Bobby Hofman, MLB outfielder
- Solly Hofman, MLB outfielder
- Al Hollingsworth, MLB pitcher
- Ken Holtzman, two-time All-Star baseball pitcher
- Tommy Hottovy, MLB relief pitcher
- Elston Howard, Negro league and MLB catcher, 12-time All-Star, six World Series titles
- Ryan Howard, MLB first baseman, 3-time All-Star
- Carl Hubbell, Hall of Fame pitcher, 2-time NL MVP
- Eric Hurley, MLB pitcher
- Ron Hunt, MLB infielder, 2-time All-Star
- Vern Kennedy, MLB pitcher
- Bob Keppel, MLB pitcher
- Charlie Kerfeld, MLB relief pitcher, primarily with Houston Astros
- Johnny Kling, MLB catcher, 2-time World Series winner
- Darold Knowles, MLB pitcher, first to pitch in all seven games of a World Series
- Ron Kulpa, umpire
- Tito Landrum, MLB outfielder
- Tommy Layne, MLB relief pitcher
- Sam LeCure, MLB pitcher
- Dale Long, MLB outfielder
- Jerry Lumpe, MLB infielder
- Shaun Marcum, MLB pitcher
- Jay Marshall, MLB pitcher
- Bake McBride, MLB outfielder, 1974 Rookie of Year
- Paul Menhart, MLB pitcher and pitching coach
- Bob Miller, MLB pitcher, 3-time World Series winner
- Zach Miner, relief pitcher for Seattle Mariners
- Logan Morrison, outfielder for Tampa Bay Rays
- Carl Morton, MLB pitcher, 1970 Rookie of Year
- Bill Mueller, MLB infielder, 2003 AL batting champ
- Don Mueller, MLB infielder, 2-time All-Star
- Stan Musial, MLB Hall of Famer, played entire career for St. Louis Cardinals
- Dave Nicholson, MLB outfielder
- Al Nipper, MLB pitcher and scout
- Darren Oliver, MLB relief pitcher
- Mickey O'Neil, MLB catcher
- Josh Outman, MLB pitcher
- Mickey Owen, MLB catcher, 4-time All-Star
- Barney Pelty, MLB pitcher
- David Phelps, starting pitcher for Miami Marlins
- Albert Pujols, MLB first baseman with Los Angeles Angels, 10-time All-Star
- Pete Reiser, MLB outfielder, 3-time All-Star
- Steve Rogers, MLB pitcher, 5-time All-Star
- Trevor Rosenthal, pitcher for St. Louis Cardinals
- Bob Scheffing, MLB player and manager
- Max Scherzer, starting pitcher for Washington Nationals
- Art Shamsky, MLB outfielder and Israel Baseball League manager
- Mike Shannon, MLB player and sportscaster for St. Louis Cardinals, 2-time World Series winner
- Sonny Siebert, MLB pitcher, 2-time All-Star
- Dave Silvestri, MLB infielder
- Shae Simmons, MLB pitcher
- Roy Smalley Jr., MLB infielder
- Al Smith, MLB outfielder
- Paul Splittorff, pitcher for Kansas City Royals, broadcaster
- Casey Stengel, Baseball Hall of Fame manager
- Mel Stottlemyre, MLB pitcher, 5-time All-Star, pitching coach
- Rick Sutcliffe, MLB pitcher, 3-time All-Star, TV commentator
- Nick Tepesch, MLB pitcher
- Jacob Turner, MLB pitcher
- Scott Van Slyke, outfielder, Los Angeles Dodgers; son of Andy Van Slyke
- Luke Voit, MLB first baseman
- Earl Weaver, Hall of Fame manager for Baltimore Orioles
- Mack Wheat, MLB catcher with Brooklyn Robins and Philadelphia Phillies
- Zack Wheat, MLB Hall of Fame left fielder for Brooklyn, Philadelphia Athletics; brother of Mack Wheat
- Dick Williams, MLB player and Hall of Fame manager
- Lefty Williams, MLB pitcher
- Smoky Joe Wood, MLB pitcher, 3-time World Series winner
- Glenn Wright, MLB infielder for 1925 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates
Basketball
- Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen, Hall of Fame college basketball coach
- OG Anunoby, small forward for Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks
- Bradley Beal, NBA player for the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers
- Bill Bradley, Basketball Hall of Famer, U.S. senator
- Alec Burks, shooting guard for Golden State Warriors
- Chris Carr, shooting guard for six NBA teams
- Napheesa Collier, WNBA player and Olympic gold medalist
- Sophie Cunningham, WNBA player for Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever
- Ben Hansbrough, guard for Indiana Pacers
- Tyler Hansbrough, NBA player and international player, NCAA champion at North Carolina
- Josh Harrellson, center for New York Knicks
- Larry Hughes, shooting guard for eight NBA teams
- David Lee, power forward and center for San Antonio Spurs
- Saben Lee, basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Tyronn Lue, NBA player, head coach of Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers
- Patrick McCaw, shooting guard for Toronto Raptors
- Dan Pippin, Olympic gold medalist in 1952, played at Mizzou
- Brandon Rush, NBA player for Golden State Warriors
- Kareem Rush, shooting guard for Los Angeles Clippers
- Scott Sims, guard for San Antonio Spurs
- Xavier Sneed, basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Norm Stewart, pro basketball player, longtime Mizzou coach, College Basketball Hall of Fame
- Jayson Tatum, pro basketball player, former member of the Duke Blue Devils and small forward for the Boston Celtics
- David Thirdkill, NBA basketball player, 1993 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
- Anthony Tolliver, power forward for Minnesota Timberwolves
- Alex Tyus, American-Israeli professional basketball player, also plays for the Israeli national basketball team
- Ish Wainright, American-Ugandan forward for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Football
- Maurice Alexander, defensive back for St. Louis Rams
- Steve Atwater, safety for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets
- Allen Barbre, offensive guard for Philadelphia Eagles
- Tim Barnes, center for St. Louis Rams
- David Bass, defensive end for Chicago Bears
- Justin Britt, offensive tackle for Seattle Seahawks
- Jason Brookins, running back, Baltimore Ravens
- Colin Brown, offensive tackle for Buffalo Bills
- Jairus Byrd, free safety for New Orleans Saints
- Paul Christman, quarterback, College Football Hall of Fame; sportscaster
- Adrian Clayborn, defensive end for Atlanta Falcons
- Chase Coffman, tight end for Atlanta Falcons
- Jalen Collins, cornerback for Atlanta Falcons
- Maliek Collins, defensive tackle for Dallas Cowboys
- Dan Connolly, offensive lineman for New England Patriots
- Jimmy Conzelman, former NFL halfback and coach, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Dan Dierdorf, offensive tackle in Pro Football Hall of Fame, sportscaster
- Herb Donaldson, running back for Dallas Cowboys
- Robert Douglas, NFL fullback
- Kony Ealy, defensive end for Carolina Panthers
- Ezekiel Elliott, NFL running back for Dallas Cowboys
- Lenvil Elliott, NFL running back
- Don Faurot, College Football Hall of Fame coach, inventor of split-T formation
- Brian Folkerts, center for Carolina Panthers
- Josh Freeman, NFL quarterback
- Blaine Gabbert, quarterback for Arizona Cardinals
- Justin Gage, wide receiver for Tennessee Titans
- E. J. Gaines, cornerback for St. Louis Rams
- Tony Galbreath, NFL running back
- Markus Golden, NFL outside linebacker
- Conrad Goode, NFL offensive lineman
- Dorial Green-Beckham, NFL wide receiver
- Mark Herzlich, linebacker for New York Giants
- Cal Hubbard, only person in both Baseball Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Brandon Joyce, offensive lineman, CFL and NFL
- Terry Joyce, college All-American, NFL punter
- Howard Kindig, defensive end, 10-year NFL career
- Ryan Lilja, guard for Kansas City Chiefs
- Brandon Lloyd, wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers
- Jeremy Maclin, wide receiver for Kansas City Chiefs
- Marvin McNutt, wide receiver for Philadelphia Eagles
- Eric Moore, NFL guard
- William Moore, safety for Atlanta Falcons
- C. J. Mosley, defensive tackle for Miami Dolphins
- Eddie Moss, special teams for St. Louis Cardinals
- Jim Musick, running back, Boston Redskins
- Neil Rackers, placekicker for Houston Texans
- Shane Ray, outside linebacker for Denver Broncos
- Sheldon Richardson, defensive end for New York Jets
- Gijon Robinson, tight end for Indianapolis Colts
- Martin Rucker, tight end for Dallas Cowboys
- Mike Rucker, defensive end for Carolina Panthers
- Aldon Smith, linebacker for Oakland Raiders
- Justin Smith, defensive end for San Francisco 49ers
- Bill Snyder, current Kansas State University head coach and College Football Hall of Fame
- Donald Stephenson, offensive tackle for Kansas City Chiefs
- Roger Wehrli, Hall of Fame cornerback with St. Louis Cardinals
- James Wilder Sr., 10-year NFL running back
- Brandon Williams, nose tackle for Baltimore Ravens
- Gregg Williams, NFL coach, defensive coordinator
- Sylvester Williams, nose tackle for Denver Broncos
- Kellen Winslow, Hall of Fame tight end with San Diego Chargers
Golf
- Amy Alcott, professional golfer, World Golf Hall of Fame
- Brandel Chamblee, PGA Tour golfer
- Jay Haas, PGA Tour golfer
- Hale Irwin, golfer; oldest person to win US Open
- Jeff Maggert, PGA Tour golfer
- Tom Pernice Jr., PGA Tour golfer
- Judy Rankin, professional golfer, World Golf Hall of Fame
- Johnny Revolta, winner of 1935 PGA Championship
- Cathy Reynolds, LPGA Tour golfer
- Horton Smith, winner of first Masters, World Golf Hall of Fame
- Payne Stewart, golfer, 2-time US Open champion
- Tom Watson, 8-time major champion, 1990 Ryder Cup captain, World Golf Hall of Fame
- Larry Ziegler, PGA Tour golfer
Ice hockey
- Ben Bishop, NHL Dallas Stars
- Michael Davies, AHL Chicago Wolves
- Cam Janssen, EIHL Nottingham Panthers
- Luke Kunin, NHL hockey player
- Pat LaFontaine, NHL Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, New York Rangers
- Patrick Maroon, NHL Tampa Bay Lightning
- Mike McKenna, AHL Portland Pirates
- Paul Stastny, NHL St. Louis Blues
- Travis Turnbull, DEL Düsseldorfer EG
- Joe Vitale, NHL Arizona Coyotes
- Chris Wideman, NHL Ottawa Senators
- Landon Wilson, AHL Texas Stars
Professional wrestling
- Freddie Blassie, wrestler and manager
- "Bulldog" Bob Brown, wrestler and booker
- Bob Geigel, retired wrestler, promoter, and former NWA President
- Glenn Jacobs, ring name "Kane"; also an actor
- Rufus R. Jones, NWA wrestler and businessman
- Matthew Korklan, ring names "Matt Sydal" and "Evan Bourne"
- Sam Muchnick, founder of St. Louis Wrestling Club and co-founder of the National Wrestling Alliance
- Trevor Murdoch, WWE tag team champion
- Matt Murphy, wrestler and author
- Barry Orton, wrestler
- "Cowboy" Bob Orton, wrestler and member of WWE Hall of Fame; father of Randy Orton
- Randy Orton, third-generation pro wrestler
- Harley Race, 8-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion; member of the WWE Hall of Fameand Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Butch Reed, NWA and WCW Tag Team Champion
- Lou Thesz, superstar of professional wrestling's "Golden Age"
Miscellaneous sports
- Virgil Akins, welterweight boxing champion
- Devon Alexander, boxer, WBC and IBF Light Welterweight champion
- Henry Armstrong, boxer
- Butch Buchholz, Hall of Fame tennis player
- Christian Cantwell, Olympian, world champion shot putter
- John Coughlin, figure skater, committed suicide
- J'den Cox, Olympic bronze medalist freestyle wrestler and two-time World Champion
- Michael Chandler, UFC fighter
- Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls, IFBB pro bodybuilder
- Dwight F. Davis, tennis player, founder of the Davis Cup
- Martin Jay Davis, astrologer, author, and Olympic fencer
- Lori Endicott, volleyball player and Olympian
- Doris Hart, Hall of Fame tennis player, winner of six Grand Slam singles titles
- Sammie Henson, Olympic silver medalist and World Champion in freestyle wrestling
- Bud Houser, three-time Olympic gold medalist in shot put and discus
- Ben A. Jones, thoroughbred horse trainer
- Horace A. "Jimmy" Jones, thoroughbred horse trainer
- Lesa Lewis, IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Conn McCreary, Hall of Fame jockey, winner of 1944 and 1951 Kentucky Derby
- Chuck McKinley, Hall of Fame tennis player, 1963 Wimbledon champion
- Josh Prenot, swimmer, Olympic silver medalist, NCAA champion, and American record holder
- DeAnna Price, record holder in hammer throw, competed at two Olympic Summer Games
- Helen Stephens, two-time gold medalist in track and field at 1936 Summer Olympics
- Scott Touzinsky, volleyball player and coach
- Alex White, mixed martial artist
- Jacarra Winchester, Olympic freestyle wrestler, world champion in 2019
Soccer
- Daryl Doran, professional soccer player
- Jack Jewsbury, professional soccer player
- Lucas Bartlett, MLS St. Louis City
- John Klein, MLS St. Louis City
- Tim Ream, EPL Fulham
- Becky Sauerbrunn, National Women's Soccer League and USWNT player ; Defender of the Year 2013, 2014; 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup winner
- Taylor Twellman, former professional soccer player, sportscaster
Aviation and aerospace
- Thomas Akers, scientist and NASA astronaut on four Space Shuttle missions
- Bill Lear, founder of Lear Jet
- Charles Lindbergh, aviator, first solo non-stop trans-Atlantic flight in 1927
- James Smith McDonnell, founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
Business
- William Henry Ashley, founder of Rocky Mountain Fur Company, politician
- Charles S. L. Baker, African-American businessman and inventor
- Henry W. Bloch, co-founder of H&R Block tax services
- Richard Bloch, co-founder of H&R Block tax services
- Adolphus Busch, founder of Anheuser-Busch
- August "Gussie" Busch, owned Anheuser-Busch, and St. Louis Cardinals baseball team
- Jim Crane, businessman, owner of the Houston Astros
- William H. Danforth, founder of Ralston Purina Company
- John Doerr, venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
- James Buchanan Eads, civil engineer and inventor
- Charles Eames, designer and architect
- David Glass, former president and CEO of Wal-Mart, owner of Kansas City Royals baseball team
- Joyce Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards
- William Preston Hall, circus empresario and animal broker
- Howard R. Hughes Sr., oil drill bit and tool inventor; father of Howard Hughes, reclusive billionaire
- George M. Keller, chairman of Standard Oil Company of California in the 1980s
- R. Crosby Kemper Jr., chairman emeritus UMB Financial Corporation, philanthropist
- William Thornton Kemper Sr., patriarch of Kemper family railroad and banking empire which included Commerce Bancshares and [UMB Financial Corporation|United Missouri (band)|Missouri Bank]
- Ewing Kauffman, pharmaceutical magnate, philanthropist, and founder of the Kansas City Royals baseball team
- Stan Kroenke, owner of Kroenke Sports Enterprises
- Rebecca Mark-Jusbasche, former head of Enron International
- N. O. Nelson, founder of the N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company
- Thomas F. O'Neil, chairman of RKO General Studios, brought movies to television
- J. C. Penney, businessman and entrepreneur
- Rex Sinquefield, financial executive who created Standard & Poor's first index fund, supporter of conservative political causes
- John Sperling, businessman and founder of the University of Phoenix
- Gerard Swope, president of General Electric
- Jack C. Taylor, founder of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, billionaire philanthropist
- Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart
- Robert E. Wood, vice-president of Sears Roebuck
Criminals and outlaws
- Anthony Brancato, freelance Mafia gunman, half of "The Two Tonys" portrayed in the movie L.A. Confidential
- Ray and Faye Copeland, serial killers, oldest couple ever sentenced to death in the United States
- Egan's Rats, early crime family in St. Louis
- *Leo Vincent Brothers, low-level member; later moved to Chicago and became part of Al Capone's organization
- *Fred Burke, gunman for Egan's Rats; suspected of participating in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre
- *William "Dint" Colbeck, assumed leadership of Egan's Rats after the assassination of Willie Egan
- *Walter Costello, bodyguard to Willie Egan, killer of Harry Dunn
- *Harry "Cherries" Dunn
- *Thomas Egan, organizer of Egan's Rats
- *Willie Egan, brother and right-hand man of gang founder Tom Egan; led the gang after Tom's death
- *Max Greenberg, one of the few Jewish members of the mostly Irish Egan gang; associate/friend of Meyer Lansky
- *Frank Hackethal, robber and resort owner/money launderer for Egan's Rats
- *Thomas "Snake" Kinney, Missouri State Senator and co-founder of Egan's Rats
- *David "Chippy" Robinson, bank robber and enforcer for Egan's Rats
- *William "Skippy" Rohan
- Roy Gardner, arms smuggler and notorious 1920s bank robber
- Tom Horn, Old West lawman, army scout, outlaw and assassin
- Roscoe Jackson, murderer, last person to be publicly executed in the United States
- Kansas City crime family
- *Charles Binaggio, killed along with Charles Gargotta at the First Ward Democratic Club in downtown Kansas City
- *Anthony Brancato
- *William "Willie Rat" Cammisano, enforcer for the K.C. mob
- *Charles Carrollo, led the Kansas City mob after Johnny Lazia's assassination
- *Anthony Civella, led the K.C. crime family in the 1980s and 1990s; son of Carl Civella and nephew of Nicholas Civella
- *Carl "Cork" Civella, brother of Nicholas Civella and a top lieutenant in the crime family; father of Anthony Civella
- *Nicholas Civella, led the Kansas City crime family from the 1950s through the 1970s
- *Carl "Tuffy" DeLuna, underboss of the Kansas City crime family; brother-in-law of Anthony Civella
- *Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, took part in the Union Station Massacre
- *Charles "Mad Dog" Gargotta, top enforcer of the KC crime family
- *Anthony Gizzo, led Kansas City crime family in the early 1950s
- *John Lazia, leader of the Kansas City crime family in the 1920s and early 1930s
- Kenneth Lay, chairman and CEO of Enron, convicted of securities fraud
- Little Britches, female bandit associated with Cattle Annie and the Doolin gang
- James Earl Ray, assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.; escapee from the Missouri State Penitentiary
- James-Younger Gang:
- *Frank James, outlaw
- *Jesse James, outlaw
- *Cole Younger, outlaw
- *John Younger, outlaw
- *Bob Younger, outlaw
- *Jim Younger, outlaw
- *Bob Ford, outlaw who gunned down Jesse James
- Tom Pendergast, long-time political boss of Kansas City and western Missouri; responsible for the political rise of Harry S. Truman; imprisoned for tax evasion
- Belle Starr, female outlaw of the Old West
- St. Louis crime family
- *Anthony Giordano, leader of the St. Louis crime family in the 1960s and 1970s
- *Matthew Trupiano, nephew of Anthony Giordano, crime family boss in the 1980s
- *John Vitale, crime family boss in the early 1980s
Entertainment
Film, television and theater
;A-C- Goodman Ace, television writer, radio host and comedian
- Jane Ace, radio actress and host
- Zoë Akins, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, poet
- Robert Altman, film director, M*A*S*H, Nashville, Gosford Park
- Ed Asner, Emmy Award-winning actor, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant; Up, Elf
- Josephine Baker, dancer, singer, actress
- Scott Bakula, actor, Quantum Leap, Star Trek: Enterprise, NCIS: New Orleans
- Tisha Terrasini Banker, actress
- Ryan Michelle Bathe, actress, Boston Legal, Army Wives, Retired at 35
- Anne Bauchens, Oscar-winning film editor
- John Beal, actor, Les Misérables, Alimony
- Gerry Becker, actor
- Noah Beery, actor, The Mark of Zorro
- Wallace Beery, Oscar-winning actor, The Champ, Min and Bill, Viva Villa!
- Rob Benedict, actor, Felicity, Head Case, Threshold
- Bob Bergen, voice actor
- Fred Berry, actor, What's Happening!!
- Linda Blair, actress, The Exorcist, Airport 1975
- Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, screenwriter, Designing Women, Evening Shade
- Matt Bomer, actor, White Collar
- Johnny Yong Bosch, singer, Eyeshine; actor, Trigun, Power Rangers
- Jeff Branson, actor
- Diane Brewster, actress
- Brent Briscoe, actor, Yes Man, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Spider-Man 2
- Kent Broadhurst, actor
- Edgar Buchanan, actor, Petticoat Junction
- Norbert Leo Butz, Tony Award-winning stage actor
- Christy Cabanne, director, Jane Eyre
- Jessica Capshaw, actress, The Practice, Grey's Anatomy, 9-1-1: Nashville
- Morris Carnovsky, actor, Edge of Darkness, Dead Reckoning
- Don Cheadle, actor, Hotel Rwanda, Traffic, Boogie Nights, Ocean's Eleven, The Rat Pack
- Marguerite Churchill, actress, The Big Trail, The Walking Dead
- Anthony Cistaro, actor, Charmed, Witchblade
- Sarah Clarke, actress, Nina Myers on 24
- Andy Cohen, author, producer, and television personality, Watch What Happens Live
- Lynn Cohen, actress, Law & Order, Sex and the City
- Frank Converse, actor, Movin' On, N.Y.P.D.
- Bert Convy, actor and TV personality, Semi-Tough
- Chris Cooper, Oscar-winning actor, Lonesome Dove, The Bourne Identity, American Beauty, Breach
- Joan Crawford, Oscar-winning actress, Mildred Pierce, The Women, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
- Robert Cummings, actor, Kings Row, Saboteur, Love That Bob, Dial M for Murder
- Erin Daniels, actress, The L Word
- Nathan Darrow, actor, House of Cards
- Don S. Davis, actor, Stargate SG-1, Twin Peaks
- Kurt Deutsch, actor, Models Inc.
- Walt Disney, iconic film and television producer, studio mogul, director, screenwriter, voice actor and animator
- Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin, television producer
- Dale Dye, actor, Saving Private Ryan, Mission: Impossible, Band of Brothers
- Cliff Edwards, actor, musician; the voice of Jiminy Cricket
- Frank Faylen, actor, It's a Wonderful Life, Detective Story, Dobie Gillis
- Hala Finley, actress
- Jenna Fischer, actress, The Office, Hall Pass, Blades of Glory
- Henderson Forsythe, actor, As the World Turns
- James Franciscus, actor, Mr. Novak, Naked City, Marooned, Beneath the Planet of the Apes
- Phyllis Fraser, actress, journalist, children's book publisher, wife of Bennett Cerf and Robert F. Wagner Jr.
- Friz Freleng, film producer, director, screenwriter, and animator, Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies
- Bob Gale, screenwriter, the Back to the Future trilogy
- Betty Garrett, actress, On the Town, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Laverne & Shirley
- Heather Goldenhersh, actress, The Class, School of Rock
- John Goodman, actor, Monsters, Inc., Roseanne, The Babe, Barton Fink, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski, The Conners
- Lucas Grabeel, actor, High School Musical, Milk
- Betty Grable, actress, singer and World War II pin-up girl, Moon Over Miami, How to Marry a Millionaire
- Bryan Greenberg, actor, musician, One Tree Hill, October Road, How to Make It in America
- Dabbs Greer, actor, Little House on the Prairie, Gunsmoke, The Green Mile
- Eddie Griffin, actor, comedian, Undercover Brother, Norbit
- Davis Guggenheim, director, producer
- Robert Guillaume, actor, Benson, Soap, The Lion King, Sports Night
- James Gunn, film director and screenwriter
- Moses Gunn, actor, Father Murphy, The Cowboys, Shaft, Ragtime, Heartbreak Ridge
- Sean Gunn, actor, Gilmore Girls, October Road, Guardians of the Galaxy
- Jon Hamm, actor, Mad Men, The Town, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Baby Driver
- Jean Harlow, actress and sex symbol
- Tess Harper, actress, Breaking Bad, No Country for Old Men, Crimes of the Heart
- George Hearn, actor, primarily Broadway and musical theatre
- George Hickenlooper, documentary filmmaker, Hearts of Darkness, Dogtown
- Dennis Hopper, actor, filmmaker, artist, Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now, Speed, Hoosiers
- Arliss Howard, actor, writer and director, Full Metal Jacket, Wilder Napalm, Moneyball
- Rupert Hughes, film director, composer; uncle of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes
- John Huston, actor and Oscar-winning film director, The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo, The African Queen
- Don Johnson, actor, Miami Vice, Nash Bridges, Guilty as Sin, Tin Cup, Django Unchained
- Jay Johnson, actor, The Young and the Restless, Scrubs
- Janet Jones, actress, dancer, wife of hockey's Wayne Gretzky
- Neal Jones, actor, Dirty Dancing, G.I. Jane
- Brenda Joyce, actress, Little Tokyo, U.S.A., Tarzan movies in the 1940s
- Andreas Katsulas, actor, Babylon 5, Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Ellie Kemper, actress, The Office, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
- Edward Kerr, actor, seaQuest DSV, What I Like About You
- Lincoln Kilpatrick, actor
- Kevin Kline, Oscar-winning actor, Sophie's Choice, The Big Chill, A Fish Called Wanda, Last Vegas
- Evalyn Knapp, actress, Perils of Pauline, In Old Santa Fe
- David Koechner, actor and comedian, Saturday Night Live, Anchorman
- Laura La Plante, actress in silent films
- Kasi Lemmons, actress and director, Eve's Bayou, Talk to Me
- Angela Lindvall, actress
- Mark Linn-Baker, actor, My Favorite Year, Larry Appleton on Perfect Strangers
- Robert Lowery, actor, Batman in 1940s serial
- Oliver T. Marsh, cinematographer
- Marsha Mason, actress, Sibs, The Goodbye Girl, Only When I Laugh, Chapter Two, Frasier
- Michael Massee, actor, 24, Seven, The Crow
- Wendell Mayes, screenwriter, The Spirit of St. Louis, North to Alaska, Von Ryan's Express
- Virginia Mayo, actress, The Best Years of Our Lives, White Heat, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
- Edie McClurg, actress, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 7th Heaven
- Frank McGrath, actor, Wagon Train
- Steve McQueen, actor, The Sand Pebbles, The Great Escape, The Towering Inferno, Bullitt
- John Milius, screenwriter, director, producer, Red Dawn, The Hunt for Red October, Conan the Barbarian
- Wendy Moniz, actress, The Guardian, Guiding Light, Nash Bridges, Betrayal
- Mircea Monroe, actress, model, Cellular, Episodes
- Dustin Nguyen, actor, 21 Jump Street, V.I.P.
- Kathleen Nolan, actress, The Real McCoys
- Eva Novak, actress of the silent film era, The King of the Kitchen
- Jane Novak, actress of the silent film era, Treat'Em Rough, Redskin
- Dan O'Bannon, film director and screenwriter, Heavy Metal, Dark Star, Total Recall
- Denis O'Hare, actor, Brothers & Sisters, Sweet Charity, True Blood
- Kevin O'Morrison, actor and playwright
- Timothy Omundson, actor, Psych, Judging Amy
- Diana Ossana, screenwriter, Brokeback Mountain, Pretty Boy Floyd
- Geraldine Page, Oscar-winning actress, Summer and Smoke, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Trip to Bountiful
- Carlos PenaVega, actor, singer, and dancer, Big Time Rush
- Evan Peters, actor, American Horror Story, Invasion, Kick-Ass
- Julie Piekarski, actress, The Facts of Life
- Brad Pitt, actor and producer, Thelma & Louise, 12 Monkeys, Seven, Moneyball, World War Z
- William Powell, actor, The Thin Man, Life with Father, My Man Godfrey, Mister Roberts
- Vincent Price, actor, Laura, House of Wax, The Fly, The Ten Commandments, Edward Scissorhands
- Sally Rand, burlesque dancer, actress
- Doris Roberts, actress, Everybody Loves Raymond
- Leonard Roberts, actor, Heroes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Ginger Rogers, Oscar-winning actress, dance partner of Fred Astaire
- Paul Rudd, actor, comedian, writer, and producer, I Love You, Man, Ant-Man
- Sol Smith Russell, 19th-century stage actor
- Jacqueline Scott, actress, Charley Varrick
- Martha Scott, actress, The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur
- Sara Shane, actress, Magnificent Obsession, The King and Four Queens, Tarzan's Greatest Adventure
- Phyllis Smith, actress, The Office
- Kelly Stables, actress, The Exes, W.I.T.C.H., Two and a Half Men
- Craig Stevens, actor, State Trooper, Peter Gunn
- Christian Stolte, actor, Prison Break
- Skyler Stone, actor, Raising Hope, The Island
- Eric Stonestreet, actor, Modern Family
- Betty Thomas, actress and director, Hill Street Blues, The Brady Bunch Movie, Dr. Dolittle, Private Parts
- Kay Thompson, actress, Funny Face
- Sidney Toler, actor, Charlie Chan films
- William Traylor, actor, Fletch; founder of The Loft Studio/acting school
- Kathleen Turner, actress, Body Heat, Romancing the Stone, Prizzi's Honor, Serial Mom
- Stephen Barker Turner, actor
- Dick Van Dyke, actor, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Poppins, Diagnosis: Murder
- Jerry Van Dyke, actor, Coach, McLintock!, The Courtship of Eddie's Father
- Jack Wagner, actor/singer, Melrose Place, General Hospital
- Virgil Ward, professional fisherman and host of Championship Fishing
- Ruth Warrick, actress, Citizen Kane, All My Children
- Dennis Weaver, actor, Gunsmoke, McCloud
- William White, actor, producer and director
- Mary Wickes, actress, White Christmas, Sister Act
- Dianne Wiest, 2-time Oscar-winning actress
- Jason Wiles, actor, Third Watch, Persons Unknown
- Mykelti Williamson, actor, Forrest Gump, Fences
- Lanford Wilson, playwright, director, Lemon Sky, Redwood Curtain, Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Shelley Winters, 2-time Oscar-winning actress
- Jane Wyman, Oscar-winning actress; former wife of Ronald Reagan
Comedians
- Cedric The Entertainer, actor, comedian
- Jo Firestone, actress, comedian, writer
- Redd Foxx, comedian, starred in Sanford and Son
- Dick Gregory, comedian, social activist
- Caleb Hearon, actor, comedian
- Craig Kilborn, comedian, actor, former talk show host
- Kathleen Madigan, comedian
- Kevin Nealon, actor, comedian
- Randy and Jason Sklar, identical twin comedians, hosts of ESPN Classic's Cheap Seats
- Guy Torry, actor, comedian
- Joe Torry, actor, comedian
Cartoonists
- Ralph Barton, cartoonist
- George Booth, cartoonist for The New Yorker
- Lee Falk, cartoonist, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician
- Al Hirschfeld, caricaturist and cartoonist known for drawing celebrities
- Fred Lasswell, cartoonist, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith
- Glenn McCoy, cartoonist, The Duplex, The Flying McCoys
- George McManus, cartoonist, Maggie and Jiggs
- Mike Peters, cartoonist, Mother Goose & Grimm
- Dan Piraro, cartoonist, Bizarro
- Mort Walker, cartoonist, ''Beetle Bailey''
Magicians and mentalists
- Morgan Strebler, magician and mentalist; Las Vegas award-winning performer
Music
Bluegrass and country
- Lennie Aleshire, country-bluegrass pioneer and vaudeville act
- Connie Cato, country music singer
- Shirley Collie Nelson, country music and rockabilly singer, yodeler, guitarist and songwriter
- Helen Cornelius, country singer best known for duets with Jim Ed Brown
- Rusty Draper, country and rockabilly singer/guitarist
- The Duke of Paducah, Grand Ole Opry comedian and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame
- Sara Evans, country music star
- Tyler Farr, country music singer
- Narvel Felts, country music singer
- Bob Ferguson, country music songwriter and producer
- Teea Goans, country music singer
- John Hartford, country and bluegrass music composer and performer
- Jan Howard, country music singer and member of the Grand Ole Opry
- Ferlin Husky, singer and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, former member of the Grand Ole Opry
- Brett James, country music singer-songwriter and record producer
- Chris Janson, country music singer-songwriter
- The Kendalls, Grammy-winning country duo from the 1970s and 1980s
- Walt Koken, claw-hammer banjo player, fiddler, and singer
- Speck Rhodes, country music comedian and entertainer
- Tom Shapiro, country music songwriter and record producer
- Jack Shook, guitarist and a Grand Ole Opry star
- Tim Spencer, singer-songwriter, actor, member of the Original Sons of the Pioneers, member of the Country Music Hall of Fame
- Tate Stevens, country music singer and 2012 winner of The X Factor
- Wynn Stewart, country music singer, progenitor of the Bakersfield sound
- Billy Swan, country singer-songwriter
- Trent Tomlinson, country singer-songwriter
- Leroy Van Dyke, country singer best known for "The Auctioneer" and "Walk on By", former member of the Grand Ole Opry
- Darrin Vincent, half of the Grammy-nominated bluegrass group Dailey & Vincent; record producer
- Rhonda Vincent, bluegrass singer and musician, seven-time IMBA Female Vocalist of the Year
- Porter Wagoner, country music singer-songwriter; member of Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame
- Jerry Wallace, country and pop singer
- Dallas Wayne, Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter, voice-over artist and on-air radio personality for Sirius Satellite Radio
- Speedy West, pedal steel guitarist and record producer
- Onie Wheeler, country and bluegrass musician
- Leona Williams, country music singer
- Chely Wright, country music singer and activist
- Billy Yates, country music artist and songwriter
- Reggie Young, session musician
Jazz
- Oleta Adams, soul, jazz and gospel singer
- Ahmad Alaadeen, jazz saxophonist and composer
- Norman Brown, smooth jazz musician
- Jimmy Forrest, jazz tenor saxophonist
- Grant Green, jazz guitarist
- Coleman Hawkins, jazz tenor saxophonist
- Bob James, smooth jazz musician
- Pat Metheny, jazz guitarist and musician
- Oliver Nelson, jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer and bandleader
- Lennie Niehaus, alto saxophonist, arranger, and composer
- Charlie "Bird" Parker, jazz saxophonist and composer
- David Sanborn, smooth jazz musician
- Wilbur Sweatman, Dixieland jazz and ragtime composer and bandleader
- Bob Brookmeyer, valve trombonist and composer
- Clark Terry, swing and bebop trumpet and flugelhorn player
Rhythm & blues, pop, rap and hip-hop
- Akon, rhythm and blues musician, music producer
- Fontella Bass, singer best known for 1965 hit Rescue Me
- Chingy, rapper, actor
- Eminem, rap musician
- Tech N9ne, rapper
- Nelly, rap musician
- David Peaston, R&B and gospel singer
- Ann Peebles, soul/R&B singer
- Sexyy Red, rapper
- Chappell Roan, singer-songwriter
- St. Lunatics, hip hop group, best known for collaborations with Nelly
- SZA, singer-songwriter, born in St. Louis
- Kimberly Wyatt, singer and dancer, Pussycat Dolls
Rock & roll
- Chuck Berry, guitarist, musician, singer, songwriter, pioneer of rock & roll, in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
- The Bottle Rockets, rock, alt-country, roots rock
- T Bone Burnett, musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer
- Cavo, hard rock band
- David Cook, 2008 American Idol winner from Blue Springs
- Sheryl Crow, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter
- Gravity Kills, industrial rock band, formed in Jefferson City
- Johnnie Johnson, early rock & roll and blues piano player; member of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
- King's X, hard rock, progressive metal band, formed in Springfield
- Michael McDonald, singer, former Doobie Brothers frontman
- Missouri, band known for classic rock song "Movin' On", formed in Kansas City
- Ozark Mountain Daredevils, rock band known for the hits "Jackie Blue" and "If You Wanna Get To Heaven", formed in Springfield
- Louise Post, founder, lead singer and guitarist of alternative rock band Veruca Salt
- Puddle of Mudd, rock band, formed in Kansas City
- The Rainmakers, rock band, formed in Kansas City
- Jay Reatard, garage punk musician, born in Lilbourn
- Wes Scantlin, lead singer and guitarist of post-grunge band Puddle of Mudd
- Shooting Star, 1970s and 1980s rock band, from Kansas City
- Story of the Year, emo rock band, formed in St. Louis
- The Urge, rock band, formed in St. Louis
- Bob Walkenhorst, founder and lead singer of alternative rock band The Rainmakers
- Steve Walsh, lead vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist for the progressive rock group Kansas and Streets
- Shaman`s Harvest Jefferson (band) City, known for song "Dragonfly"
Other music
- Doris Akers, gospel music singer and composer
- Martha Bass, gospel singer with Clara Ward Singers and solo career
- Burt Bacharach, pianist, composer
- Neal E. Boyd, opera vocalist, winner of 2008 America's Got Talent competition
- Grace Bumbry, opera soprano
- Sarah Caldwell, opera conductor
- Sara Groves, Contemporary Christian singer, record producer, author
- Dan Landrum, hammer dulcimer player, featured instrumentalist with Yanni
- Basil Poledouris, film soundtrack composer
- H. Owen Reed, composer and conductor
- Willie Mae Ford Smith, gospel singer
- Virgil Thomson, composer and critic
- Helen Traubel, opera vocalist
Radio and television
- Bob Barker, television game show host
- Jim Bohannon, radio talk show host
- Rush Limbaugh, radio talk show host
- Dana Loesch, radio talk show host and television host at TheBlaze
- Melanie Morgan, radio personality with KSFO in San Francisco
- Erich "Mancow" Muller, radio and TV personality, Mancow's Morning Madhouse
- Marlin Perkins, zoologist and host of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
- April Scott, model, Deal or No Deal and SOAPnet's Soap Talk
- Scott Shannon, disc jockey for many radio stations across the country, hosted radio show America's Greatest Hits
- Chris Stigall, talk radio personality for Philadelphia's WPHT
Beauty pageant titleholders
- Shandi Finnessey, Miss USA 2004
- Debbye Turner, Miss America 1990
Journalism
- Jabari Asim, author, journalist
- Bob Broeg, St. Louis sportswriter
- Joe Buck, sportscaster for Fox Sports
- Harry Caray, Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster
- Walter Cronkite, television journalist
- Walker Evans, photojournalist best known for photos taken during the Great Depression
- Clay Felker, editor, journalist, founder of New York magazine
- Joe Garagiola, MLB catcher, baseball broadcaster, and television host
- Dave Garroway, first host of NBC's Today show
- Jane Grant, journalist, co-founder of The New Yorker
- Michael Kim, sports broadcaster for ESPN
- Carol Platt Liebau, attorney, political analyst and social conservative commentator
- Mary Margaret McBride, female radio pioneer
- Joe McGuff, Kansas City sportswriter
- Dan McLaughlin, sportscaster for Fox Sports Midwest
- Russ Mitchell, TV journalist, CBS Evening News
- Lisa Myers, TV journalist, NBC Nightly News
- Stone Phillips, TV journalist, Dateline NBC
- Joseph Pulitzer, Hungarian journalist, creator of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Pulitzer Prize
- Howard Rushmore, journalist for The Daily Worker, New York Journal-American and Confidential magazine
- Elaine Viets, St. Louis columnist and author
Military
- William T. Anderson, a.k.a. "Bloody Bill" Anderson; Confederate guerrilla leader in the Civil War
- Charles D. Barger, earned the Medal of Honor in World War I
- John L. Barkley, earned the Medal of Honor in World War I
- Frederick Benteen, best known for the role under George Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
- Omar Bradley, World War II general, from Clark, Missouri
- Robert Coontz, US Navy Admiral, former Chief of Naval Operations
- John V. Cox, United States Marine Corps major general; flew over 200 combat missions during the Vietnam War
- Enoch Crowder, US Army general and reformer of the military justice system
- Randall "Duke" Cunningham, only U.S. Navy Ace in the Vietnam War; later a U.S. congressman from California
- James Phillip Fleming, USAF pilot; awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War
- John C. Frémont, Western explorer; Union Civil War general; first [History of the United States History of the United States Republican Party|Republican Party|Republican] candidate for U.S. President
- Frederick Dent Grant, U.S. Army major general and diplomat; son of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant
- Martin E. Green, Confederate Army brigadier general; killed at Siege of Vicksburg
- John McNeil, Union Army brigadier general during the American Civil War; known as "The Butcher of Palmyra"
- Wayne E. Meyer, U.S. Navy rear admiral; "father of the Aegis weapons system"
- David Moore, Mexican–American War officer and Union Civil War brigadier general
- Edward O'Hare, "Butch" O'Hare, U.S. Navy Medal of Honor recipient, namesake of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport
- John Henry Parker, "Gatling Gun Parker"; a hero in the Spanish–American War; only U.S. soldier to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross four times in World War I
- Floyd B. Parks, U.S. Marine aviator who earned the Navy Cross posthumously for his actions leading Marine fighter squadron VMF-221 during the Battle of Midway
- John J. Pershing, soldier, General of the Armies; born in Laclede, Missouri
- Sterling Price, Confederate States Army, general of the Missouri State Guard during the Civil War
- William Quantrill, Confederate guerrilla leader in the Civil War
- John H. Quick, U.S. Marine awarded the Medal of Honor in the Spanish–American War, awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross in World War I
- James E. Rieger, colonel in Missouri National Guard; awarded Distinguished Service Cross and Croix de Guerre in World War I
- Roscoe Robinson, U.S. Army general
- Jared Schmitz, USMC Lance Cpl.; one of 13 of the last military members to be killed in the War on Terror extraction from Afghanistan
- Maxwell D. Taylor, U.S. Army general, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Stephen W. Thompson, first U.S. military pilot to ever shoot down an enemy in aerial combat
- Harry H. Vaughan, U.S. Army Reserve general, Aide to the president of the United States 1945–1953
- George Allison Whiteman, first United States Army Air Corps pilot killed in World War II; awarded the Silver Star posthumously for after being shot down in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
- Arthur L. Willard, United States Navy Vice Admiral, winner of Navy Cross, French Legion of Honour, and Belgian Order of Leopold; first man to plant the American flag on Cuban soil in the Spanish–American War
Public office
;A-K- Orland K. Armstrong, U.S. representative, journalist and social activist
- John Ashcroft, governor of Missouri, U.S. senator from Missouri, United States attorney general
- Rex Barnett, politician, and former officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol
- Thomas Hart Benton, U.S. senator
- Richard P. Bland, U.S. representative for 23 years, Democratic candidate for U.S. president in 1896
- Roy Blunt, seven-term U.S. representative for Missouri's 7th congressional district; House Minority Whip, U.S. senator
- Christopher S. "Kit" Bond, governor, U.S. senator of Missouri
- Leonard Boswell, U.S. representative for Iowa's 3rd congressional district
- Bill Bradley, U.S. senator for New Jersey, NBA Hall of Famer; born and reared in Missouri
- Karilyn Brown, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Pulaski County; born in Cape Girardeau
- Clarence Cannon, U.S. representative 1923–1964, House Appropriations Committee chairman
- Albert Sidney Johnson Carnahan, U.S. representative, US ambassador to Sierra Leone; father of Governor Mel Carnahan
- Jean Carnahan, first Missouri woman to become a U.S. senator, matriarch of Carnahan political family
- Mel Carnahan, governor, posthumous U.S. senator, patriarch of Carnahan political family
- Robin Carnahan, Missouri Secretary of State
- Russ Carnahan, member of U.S. House of Representatives
- Francis M. Cockrell, U.S. senator and general in the Confederate States Army
- Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy
- John Danforth, U.S. senator and United States ambassador to the United Nations
- Thomas Eagleton, U.S. senator from Missouri ; 1972 Democratic vice presidential nominee
- Josh Earnest, White House Press Secretary to President Barack Obama
- David R. Francis, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, U.S. ambassador to Russia
- J. William Fulbright, U.S. senator, established the Fulbright Fellowships
- Dick Gephardt, U.S. representative from Missouri's 3rd congressional district ; Democratic House Majority Leader ; candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in the 2004 election
- Michael Gerson, chief speechwriter for George W. Bush
- Ulysses S. Grant, 18th president of the United States
- Bill Hardwick, Missouri state representative
- Michael Harrington, founder of Democratic Socialists of America
- George Hearst, U.S. senator for California
- Martin Heinrich, former congressman and current U.S. senator from New Mexico
- Arthur M. Hyde, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture 1929–33, governor of Missouri 1921–25
- Alphonso Jackson, 13th U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- James Jones, U.S. National Security Advisor under Barack Obama and retired USMC four-star general
- Tim Kaine, former governor and current U.S. senator from Virginia since 2013; 2016 Democratic nominee for vice president under Hillary Clinton
- Jerry Litton, two-term U.S. representative; Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 1976; killed in plane crash before general election
- Breckinridge Long, U.S. ambassador to Italy and Assistant United States Secretary of State under President Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Claire McCaskill, state auditor of Missouri ; U.S. senator ; first woman elected U.S. senator from Missouri
- James Benton Parsons, federal judge
- Clarke Reed, Mississippi Republican state chairman, 1966 to 1976; instrumental in the nomination of Gerald R. Ford Jr. at the 1976 Republican National Convention; reared in Caruthersville, Missouri, and attended the University of Missouri
- Nellie Tayloe Ross, governor of Wyoming ; director of the United States Mint ; first woman to serve as a state governor
- Mel Sembler, U.S. ambassador to Italy and Australia
- Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. senator for New Hampshire
- Ike Skelton, U.S. congressman for the Missouri 4th District, chairman U.S. House Armed Services Committee
- Stuart Symington, first Air Force secretary and U.S. senator from Missouri
- Larry Thompson, United States deputy attorney general under George W. Bush
- Harry S. Truman, vice president and 33rd president of the United States
- George Turner, U.S. senator and international arbitrator
- David King Udall, served in Arizona Legislature, progenitor of the Udall political family
- Harold Volkmer, 20-year member of U.S. House of Representatives for northeast Missouri
- Jim Webb, U.S. senator for Virginia and United States Secretary of the Navy
- Pete Wilson, mayor of San Diego, 36th governor of California, U.S. senator
- Robert Coldwell Wood, secretary of Housing and Urban Development under Lyndon B. Johnson
Science and medicine
- Augie Auer, atmospheric scientist and meteorologist
- William F. Baker, structural engineer
- Jean Bartik, early computer programmer and designer
- Gordon Bell, computer engineer and microcomputer pioneer
- Herbert Blumer, sociologist, developer of symbolic interactionism
- Martin Stanislaus Brennan, scientist and priest
- George Washington Carver, botanist
- Steven Chu, Nobel laureate in Physics, U.S. Secretary of Energy
- Robert H. Dicke, astronomer and physicist
- Charles Stark Draper, inventor
- David F. Duncan, psychologist and epidemiologist
- James P. Eisenstein, physicist
- Meta Given, home economist scientist, dietician, author
- Edward T. Hall, anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher
- Edwin Hubble, astronomer
- John Johnson, astronomer and physicist
- Mark Johnson, philosopher
- Virginia Eshelman Johnson, psychology researcher
- Jack Kilby, inventor of the integrated circuit, Nobel Prize winner
- Vitae Kite, entomologist
- Roger Kornberg, biochemist, Nobel Prize winner
- Harry Laughlin, eugenicist
- J. C. R. Licklider, psychologist, computer scientist
- Pauline Gracia Beery Mack, chemist
- Ernest Manheim, sociologist
- William Howell Masters, gynecologist
- Orval Hobart Mowrer, psychologist
- Michael Rosbash, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Keith Schwab, physicist
- Richard Smalley, Nobel Prize-winning chemist, discovered buckminsterfullerene
- Harlow Shapley, astronomer
- William Jasper Spillman, plant geneticist, a founder of agricultural economics
- Lewis Stadler, aka L.J. Stadler, maize geneticist
- Andrew Taylor Still, physician and founder of osteopathic medicine
- Thomas H. Stix, plasma physicist
- Norbert Wiener, mathematician
Miscellaneous famous Missourians
- William Becknell, soldier, businessman, founder of the Santa Fe Trail
- Johnny Behan, sheriff of Tombstone, Arizona, during the gunfight at the O.K. Corral
- Susan Blow, educator, "the mother of kindergarten"
- Sylvia Browne, author who claimed to be a medium and to have psychic abilities
- Nelle G. Burger, president for 34 years of the Missouri State Woman's Christian Temperance Union
- Calamity Jane, Indian fighter and frontierswoman
- Alfred Caldwell, architect
- Dale Carnegie, public and motivational speaker
- Mike Caro, professional poker player
- James E. Cofer, president of Missouri State University, 2010–2011; professor of business at MSU
- Brad Daugherty, professional poker player
- Moses Dickson, African-American abolitionist, soldier, minister, and founder of the secret organization the Knights of Liberty
- Matt Dillahunty, public speaker, internet personality, atheist activist
- Timothy M. Dolan, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and archbishop of New York
- Ella Ewing, "The Missouri Giantess", world's tallest woman
- Hugh Ferriss, delineator and architect
- Julia Greeley, ex-slave, Roman Catholic candidate for canonization
- Bobby Greenlease, kidnap-murder victim in case that drew national attention
- Phoebe Hearst, philanthropist, feminist and suffragist
- Raelynn Hillhouse, national security and intelligence community analyst, Cold War smuggler, spy novelist
- Helen Viola Jackson ; last living wife of a Civil War Veteran
- Frances C. Jenkins, evangelist, Quaker minister, and social reformer
- Mary Ranken Jordan, philanthropist and community advocate
- Terry Karl, professor of Latin American Studies at Stanford University
- Emmett Kelly, circus clown
- Karlie Kloss, model and ballet dancer
- Alice Moyer Wing, writer and suffragist
- Carrie Nation, advocate for the temperance movement
- Rose O'Neill, author, illustrator, and creator of the Kewpie doll
- Walter J. Ong, Jesuit priest, cultural and religious historian and philosopher
- Homer G. Phillips, prominent lawyer and civil rights advocate
- Phyllis Schlafly, conservative political activist and author
- Dred Scott, slave and litigant in U.S. Supreme Court Dred Scott decision
- George Thampy, Scripps National Spelling Bee champion 2000, staff member 2006
- Conrad Tillard, politician, Baptist minister, radio host, author, and activist
- Faye Wattleton, feminist activist
- Brian Wesbury, economist
- Halbert White, economics professor at UC San Diego
- Roy Wilkins, civil rights activist
- Rodney Charles Wilson, educator, LGBTQ advocate