List of people from Nebraska
The following are notable people who were born in, raised in, or have lived for a significant period of time in the U.S. state of Nebraska.
Native Americans
- Crazy Horse, great warrior of the Oglala Lakota Sioux pre-statehood
- Chief Waukon Decorah
- He Dog
- Hononegah
- Francis La Flesche, first Native American anthropologist, author
- Susan La Flesche Picotte, first Native American woman to earn a medical degree
- Susette LaFlesche Tibbles, writer and translator
- Little Hawk
- Red Bird, Ho-Chunk leader
- Red Cloud, chief of the Oglala Sioux
- Chief Standing Bear, civil rights leader and at the fore of the petition to stay on traditional homelands post-removal as documented in The Trial of Standing Bear; in this trial the state was led to recognize that Native Americans are human beings
- John Trudell, civil rights activist, community activist, speaker, poet, performer, musician, actor; Santee
- Raymond Yellow Thunder, ranch hand killed in a notable hate crime in 1972 in Gordon
Public office
- Frank Aloysius Barrett, Congressman, Wyoming, 1943–1950; Governor of Wyoming, 1951–1953; Senator of Wyoming, 1953–1959
- Herbert Brownell Jr., United States Attorney General in President Eisenhower's cabinet, 1952–1957
- William Jennings Bryan, United States Secretary of State; U.S. Representative; Democratic Party nominee for president in 1896, 1900, and 1908; prosecuting attorney in Scopes Trial
- Hugh A. Butler, U.S. Senator
- James Vincenzo Capone, federal Prohibition agent; oldest brother of gangster Al Capone; changed name to Richard James Hart
- Ernie Chambers, Nebraska State Senator; Nebraska State Legislature; civil rights activist
- Dick Cheney, former U.S. Secretary of Defense under George HW Bush, and 46th Vice President of the United States under George W Bush
- George E. Cryer, 32nd Mayor of Los Angeles, 1921–1929
- Glenn Cunningham, U.S. Representative and mayor of Omaha
- Carl Curtis, U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator
- Samuel Gordon Daily, U.S. Representative for three terms
- Robert Vernon Denney, U.S. Representative and United States district court judge
- Jane English, Republican member of the Arkansas State Senate
- J. James Exon, Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator
- Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States
- Dwight Griswold, Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator
- Chuck Hagel, U.S. Senator and 24th U.S. Secretary of Defense
- Robert Dinsmore Harrison, U.S. Representative
- Edgar Howard, private secretary to William Jennings Bryan; Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska; U.S. Representative
- Megan Hunt, Nebraska state legislator and first openly LGBT person elected to state legislature
- Bob Kerrey, Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator
- Julius Sterling Morton, United States Secretary of Agriculture; founder of Arbor Day
- Kay A. Orr, first Republican woman governor in United States history
- Pete Peterson, U.S. Representative for Florida, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam
- Peter George Peterson, U.S. Secretary of Commerce under Richard Nixon; Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Chair of the Council on Foreign Relations
- Donald Pike, Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner
- Leo Ryan, U.S. Representative
- Ted Sorensen, speechwriter and special counsel to President John F. Kennedy
- Charles Thone, Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Representative
- Kenneth S. Wherry, U.S. Senator
Military
- Buffalo Bill Cody, iconic western figure; lived in Nebraska while working as a scout for the 5th Cavalry; on July 17, 1876, at War Bonnet Creek, while dressed in his Wild West stage clothing, he killed and scalped Chief Yellow Hair, claiming it a revenge for Custer; took up residence in Scout's Rest Ranch in 1886
- Alfred Gruenther, youngest four-star general in United States history; Supreme Allied Commander Europe
- William Hayward, commanding officer of the Harlem Hellfighters in World War I; later served as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
- Galen B. Jackman, United States Army major general ; Nancy Reagan's escort throughout the death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan; first commanding general of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region
- Bob Kerrey, United States Navy, LT; commanded a Navy SEAL team in Vietnam; Medal of Honor recipient
- Francis P. Matthews, 49th United States Secretary of the Navy during the administration of President Harry Truman
- Butler B. Miltonberger, commanded the 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division during World War II
- Jarvis Offutt, World War I aviator, namesake of Offutt Air Force Base
- Forrest S. Petersen, Navy and NASA test pilot, head of Naval Air Systems Command
- James G. Roudebush, United States Air Force lieutenant general and doctor of medicine, current Surgeon General of the United States Air Force
- Albert Coady Wedemeyer, military planner and strategist
Entertainment
Film and theater
;A-M- Wesley Addy, actor, Network, The Verdict
- Adele Astaire, dancer and entertainer
- Fred Astaire, dancer and actor, The Band Wagon, Funny Face, The Towering Inferno, That's Entertainment!
- Pamela Austin, actress, Kissin' Cousins
- Ray Baker, actor, Silverado, Total Recall
- Andrew Rannells, actor, The Book of Mormon
- John Beasley, actor, Everwood
- Michael Biehn, actor, The Terminator, Tombstone
- Moon Bloodgood, actress, Terminator Salvation, Falling Skies
- Ward Bond, actor, The Searchers, The Quiet Man, Rio Bravo
- Marlon Brando, Academy Award-winning actor, The Godfather, On the Waterfront, Last Tango in Paris, Apocalypse Now
- Montgomery Clift, 4-time Oscar-nominated actor, From Here to Eternity, The Misfits, Red River, Judgment at Nuremberg
- James Coburn, Academy Award-winning actor, Our Man Flint, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Affliction
- James M. Connor, actor
- Sandy Dennis, Academy Award-winning actress, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Sweet November, The Out-of-Towners
- Adam Devine, actor and comedian
- David Doyle, actor, Charlie's Angels
- Mary Doyle, actress
- Leslie Easterbrook, actress, Police Academy films
- Henry Fonda, Academy Award-winning actor, Mister Roberts, 12 Angry Men, The Grapes of Wrath, On Golden Pond
- Hoot Gibson, actor and rodeo cowboy
- Coleen Gray, actress, Kiss of Death, Red River
- Leland Hayward, Hollywood and Broadway agent and producer
- Jean Heather, actress, Double Indemnity
- Hallee Hirsh, actress, Flight 29 Down, JAG, ER
- Virginia Huston, actress, Out of the Past
- Bill Lee, overdub singer whose voice was used instead of Christopher Plummer's in the film version of The Sound of Music
- Harold Lloyd, silent film actor and comedian
- Danny Lockin, actor and dancer, Hello, Dolly!
- Pierce Lyden, actor
- Gordon MacRae, actor and singer, Oklahoma!, Carousel
- Dorothy McGuire, Oscar-nominated actress, Gentleman's Agreement, Friendly Persuasion, Old Yeller
- Fred Niblo, actor, director, and producer
- Nick Nolte, Oscar-nominated actor and producer, 48 Hrs., The Prince of Tides, Cape Fear
- Alexander Payne, Oscar-nominated director and screenwriter, Nebraska, The Descendants, Sideways
- Lenka Peterson, actress
- Anne Ramsey, Oscar-nominated actress
- Thurl Ravenscroft, voice actor and singer
- Hilary Swank, two-time Academy Award-winning actress, Boys Don't Cry, Million Dollar Baby
- Inga Swenson, actress, Benson, Advise and Consent
- Robert Taylor, actor, Ivanhoe, Quo Vadis, Camille
- John Trudell, actor and documentary subject
- Gabrielle Union, actress, Bring It On, Bad Boys II
- Red Wing, actress
- Irene Worth, Tony Award-winning actress, Nicholas and Alexandra, Lost in Yonkers, Deathtrap
- Darryl F. Zanuck, Hollywood studio mogul, producer and director
Comedians and humorists
- James Adomian, actor and stand-up comedian
- Johnny Carson, comedian
- Ryan Cownie, stand-up comedian
- Adam DeVine, actor, comedian, writer, Workaholics
- Godfrey, comedian and actor
- Larry the Cable Guy, comedian
- Skip Stephenson, comedian and actor
- Roger Welsch, author, humorist, and folklorist
- Bob Wiltfong, comedian and actor, ''The Daily Show''
Television and radio
- Justin Bruening, actor, All My Children, Knight Rider
- Dick Cavett, television talk show host
- Abbie Cobb, actress, Suburgatory
- Christopher B. Duncan, actor, The Jamie Foxx Show, The District, Aliens in America
- Jim Fitzpatrick, actor, All My Children
- Bryan Greenberg, actor, musician, One Tree Hill, October Road, How to Make It in America
- Randy J. Goodwin, actor and director, The Vampire Diaries, Girlfriends, Grey's Anatomy
- Marg Helgenberger, actress, CSI
- Brad William Henke, actor, October Road, Nikki, Lost
- Vivi Janiss, theatre, film, and television actress
- David Janssen, actor, The Fugitive
- Floyd Kalber, television journalist and anchorman
- Jay Karnes, actor, Det. "Dutch" Wagenbach on The Shield
- Emily Kinney, actress, singer, The Walking Dead
- Swoosie Kurtz, actress, Sisters, Mike & Molly
- Irish McCalla, actress, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle
- Holt McCallany, actor, Lights Out, Freedom, CSI: Miami
- Scott Porter, actor, Friday Night Lights, The Good Wife
- Lindsey Shaw, child actor for Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
- Julie Sommars, actress, Matlock
- Rebecca Staab, actress, former beauty queen, Live Shot
- Janine Turner, actress and author, Northern Exposure
- Lucky Vanous, model, actor, Pacific Palisades
- Kim Winona, actress, Brave Eagle
- David Yost, actor and producer, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
- Paula Zahn, television journalist
Music
- Kianna Alarid, lead singer for band Tilly and the Wall
- Roni Benise, flamenco guitarist
- Chip Davis, singer-songwriter, founder of Mannheim Steamroller, and president and CEO of American Gramaphone
- Ruth Etting, singer
- Rick Evans, member of rock duo Zager and Evans, made famous by song "In the Year 2525" in 1969
- Todd Fink, member of the band The Faint
- Jack Gilinsky, musician, rap artist, part of rap duo Jack & Jack
- Howard Hanson, composer and conductor
- Wynonie "Mr. Blues" Harris, rhythm and blues singer
- Neal Hefti, jazz trumpeter and composer
- Amy Heidemann, member of the band Karmin, graduated from Seward High School in Seward, Nebraska
- Nick Hexum, member of band 311
- Neely Jenkins, member of band Tilly and the Wall
- Tim Kasher, singer
- Matty Lewis, singer, guitarist
- Randy Meisner, singer-songwriter, bassist former member of the Eagles and Poco
- Conor Oberst, singer-songwriter with Bright Eyes
- Bryan Olesen, singer, guitarist of VOTA, former member of Newsboys
- Jamie Pressnall, member of band Tilly and the Wall
- Paul Revere, born in Harvard, Clay County; musician, teen idol, founder Paul Revere and the Raiders
- Ann Ronell, jazz composer and lyricist
- Josh Rouse, singer-songwriter
- Elliott Smith, singer-songwriter
- Ryland Steen, Reel Big Fish drummer
- Matthew Sweet, rock musician
- John Trudell, poet, performer, musician, leader AKA Graffiti Band
- James Valentine, Maroon 5 guitarist
- Paul Williams, singer-songwriter
- Roger Williams, pianist
- Denny Zager, member of rock duo Zager and Evans, made famous by song "In the Year 2525" in 1969
Other
- David Phelps Abbott, magician and author
- Lucas Cruikshank, maker of internet videos
- Ashley Graham, model
- Jaime King, model and actress
- Sono Osato, dancer
- JoJo Siwa, dancer and singer, Dance Moms
- Sarah Rose Summers, model and Miss USA 2018
- Shelton Tappes, union and civil rights activist
- Charles Weidman, dancer and choreographer
Art, literature, and journalism
- Bess Streeter Aldrich, author of 200 short stories and 13 novels including Miss Bishop
- Hartley Burr Alexander, writer, educator, scholar, philosopher, poet, and iconographer
- Kurt Andersen, co-founder of Spy Magazine
- Gutzon Borglum, painter, sculptor, designer and engineer of the presidential busts on Mount Rushmore
- Solon Borglum, sculptor, younger brother of Gutzon Borglum
- Jennine Capó Crucet, novelist, short story writer, essayist, professor, and cultural critic
- Willa Cather, author
- Raymond Chandler, detective fiction author, The Big Sleep
- Earle D. Chesney, cartoonist
- Mamie Claflin, newspaper editor and publisher
- Ana Marie Cox, founder and editor of the political blog Wonkette
- Angel De Cora, painter, illustrator, American Indian advocate, Carlisle Boarding School teacher
- Loren Eiseley, anthropologist, science writer, ecologist, and poet
- John Philip Falter, artist known for many Saturday Evening Post covers
- Ernest K. Gann, pioneer airline pilot, aviation writer, author of The High and the Mighty
- Roxane Gay, feminist writer, professor, editor and commentator
- Terry Goodkind, best-selling fantasy author
- Robert Henri, painter
- M. Miriam Herrera, poet
- Clifton Hillegass, publisher and founder of CliffsNotes
- L. Ron Hubbard, science fiction author and founder of Scientology
- Lew Hunter, screenwriter
- Weldon Kees, poet, novelist, and short story writer
- Ted Kooser, former Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress; former Poet Laureate of the United States; Pulitzer Prize winner
- Stephen R. Lawhead, best-selling author of fantasy and historical fiction
- Christopher Lasch, historian, moralist, and social critic
- Jefferson Machamer, illustrator
- DeBarra Mayo, writer and author
- Wright Morris, novelist, photographer, and essayist
- John Neihardt, poet, dubbed the "Poet Laureate of Nebraska and the Plains" by the Nebraska State Legislature in 1921
- Tillie Olsen, author
- Rose O'Neill, illustrator, writer, and creator of the Kewpie doll
- Jean Potts, mystery writer
- Daniel Quinn, author of the philosophical novel Ishmael and its sequels
- Edward Ruscha, artist
- Brandon Sanderson, best-selling science fiction and fantasy author
- Mari Sandoz, novelist, biographer, lecturer, and teacher; author of Old Jules, Cheyenne Autumn, Slogum House
- Joel Sartore, National Geographic photographer and founder of the Photo Ark
- Dan Schlissel, record producer and label founder
- Nicholas Sparks, author
- Anna Louise Strong, journalist and author
- John Trudell, author
Business
- Howard F. Ahmanson Sr., financier and philanthropist
- Walter Behlen, founder of the Behlen Manufacturing Company in Columbus, Nebraska
- Warren Buffett, "Oracle of Omaha", investor; Forbes 2008 Richest Man in the World
- Richard N. Cabela, entrepreneur, founder of Cabela's sporting goods store
- Paul Endacott, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, president of Phillips Petroleum Company
- Joyce Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards
- Mary E. Smith Hayward, businesswoman; honorary president of the Nebraska Equal Suffrage Association
- Andrew Higgins, industrialist and shipbuilder; owner and founder of Higgins Industries; manufacturer of "Higgins boats"
- Peter Kiewit, contractor, investor, and philanthropist
- C. Edward McVaney, founder of JD Edwards
- Zach Nelson, CEO of NetSuite
- William Norris, pioneering CEO of Control Data Corporation
- Edwin Perkins, inventor of Kool-Aid; philanthropist
- Frank Phillips, co-founder of Phillips Petroleum
- Michael J. Saylor, founder and CEO of MicroStrategy
- Walter Scott Jr., civil engineer and philanthropist
- Carl A. Swanson, founder of Swanson
- Evan Williams, creator of Blogger; CEO of Twitter
Science and medicine
- Clayton Anderson, NASA astronaut assigned to International Space Station Expedition 15
- Nancy Coover Andreasen, neuroscientist and neuropsychiatrist
- Barry Barish, Nobel Prize in Physics 2017 for discovery of gravity waves
- Henry Beachell, developer of hybrid rice
- George Wells Beadle, geneticist, 1958 Nobel Prize winner
- Charles Edwin Bessey, botanist, responsible for planting of the Nebraska National Forest
- Leon Douglass, inventor; co–founder of the Victor Talking Machine Company
- John R. Dunning, physicist, played an instrumental role in the development of the atomic bomb
- Harold "Doc" Edgerton, professor at MIT, pioneer in stroboscopic photography
- Rollins A. Emerson, geneticist, pioneer in researching the genetics of maize
- Val Fitch, nuclear physicist, 1980 Nobel Prize winner
- Jay Wright Forrester, pioneer of computer engineering
- Daniel Freeman, homesteader, physician and American Civil War veteran, first person to file for a claim under the Homestead Act of 1862
- Edmund Jaeger, biologist
- Jay Keasling, synthetic biology pioneer
- Francis La Flesche, first Native American anthropologist; author
- Susan La Flesche Picotte, first person to receive federal aid for education; first American Indian woman to become a "western medicine" physician in the United States
- Max Mathews, wrote first computer music program
- Victor Mills, chemical engineer, inventor of the modern disposable diaper
- Donald Othmer, chemical engineer
- Joel Stebbins, astronomer
- Ivan Sutherland, inventor of the Sketchpad
Sportspeople
;A-M- Grover Cleveland Alexander, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher
- Houston Alexander, mixed martial artist
- Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin Badgers football coach and athletic director
- Heather Armbrust, IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Richie Ashburn, Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder
- Max Baer, former heavyweight boxing champion
- George Baird, 1928 Olympic gold medalist in track and field
- Brad Beckman, professional football player, 1988–1989
- Wade Boggs, professional baseball player, 1982–1999; 5x American League batting champion
- Craig Bohl, college football coach
- Steve Borden "Sting", professional wrestler for CWA, UWF, NWA, WCW, WWA, TNA, and WWE
- Bob Boozer, NBA All-Star and Olympian
- Buddy Carlyle, professional baseball pitcher from Omaha who played for the MLB, KBO and NPB
- Dan Carpenter, placekicker for the Buffalo Bills
- Bob Cerv, professional baseball player, 1951–1962
- Joba Chamberlain, professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers
- Jeromey Clary, offensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers
- Sam Crawford, Baseball Hall of Fame, 2x Home run champion, and 3x AL RBI champion
- Terence Crawford, undisputed welterweight champion
- Gene Cronin, lineman for 1957 NFL champion Detroit Lions
- Eric Crouch, football quarterback, 2001 Heisman Trophy winner
- Brian Deegan, motocross racer
- Bob Devaney, football coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Ted "The Million Dollar Man" DiBiase, professional wrestler
- Jake Diekman, relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
- Brian Duensing, relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins
- Jake Ellenberger, UFC fighter
- David Erb, jockey, winner of 1956 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes
- Chad Fleischer, Alpine skier who competed in the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics
- Rulon Gardner, Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling
- Bob Gibson, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals
- Johnny Goodman, last amateur golfer to win U.S. Open
- Alex Gordon, left fielder for the Kansas City Royals
- Ahman Green, football player for the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and Houston Texans
- Ira Hanford, jockey
- Ron Hansen, professional baseball player for six MLB teams
- Mel Harder, pitcher and manager for the Cleveland Indians
- Alex Henery, placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles
- Opal Hill, golfer and LPGA co-founder
- Russ Hochstein, guard for the Denver Broncos
- Jeremy Horn, mixed martial arts fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Chris Kelsay, outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills
- Monte Kiffin, football coach
- Bill Kinnamon, MLB umpire
- Oliver Kirk, bantamweight and featherweight professional boxer
- Sam Koch, punter for Baltimore Ravens
- Manny Lawson, outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills
- Frank Leahy, football player, coach, and College Football Hall of Famer
- Sean McDermott, Head Coach for the Buffalo Bills
- Zach Miller, tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars
- Clarence Mitchell, professional baseball pitcher
- Darrell Mudra, college football coach
- Gregg Olson, MLB pitcher, 1989 Rookie of the Year
- Jed Ortmeyer, professional hockey player for the Minnesota Wild
- Tom Osborne, former football coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Justin Patton, basketball player for Hapoel Eilat of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, formerly in the NBA
- Zach Potter, tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars
- Ron Prince, assistant offensive line coach for the Indianapolis Colts
- James Raschke, professional wrestler
- Dave Rimington, NFL offensive lineman, two-time Outland Trophy winner
- Andy Roddick, tennis star
- Johnny Rodgers, football running back, 1972 Heisman Trophy winner
- Gale Sayers, Football Hall of Fame running back for the Chicago Bears
- Scott Shanle, outside linebacker for the New Orleans Saints
- Billy Southworth, manager of two World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals teams
- George Stone, Major League Baseball left fielder; 1906 American League batting champion
- Khyri Thomas, basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague
- Curtis Tomasevicz, 2006 U.S. Olympic bobsledder and former Nebraska Cornhuskers football player
- Jack Van Berg, Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer
- Brad Vering, Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler in 2004 and 2008
- "Gorgeous George" Wagner, professional wrestler
- Dan Warthen, former MLB pitcher and current pitching coach for the Texas Rangers
- Danny Woodhead, running back for the San Diego Chargers, attended Chadron State College
- Jerry Zimmerman, MLB catcher for the Minnesota Twins
- Greg Zuerlein, placekicker for the St. Louis Rams
Fictional characters
- "Clara Allen", who owns a ranch near Ogallala, in the miniseries Lonesome Dove, played by Anjelica Huston
- "Ryan Bingham", the Omaha-based principal character from the film Up in the Air, played by George Clooney
- "Tracy Flick" and "Jim McAllister", student and teacher in Omaha suburb from Election
- "Emma Greenway", a woman living in Kearney and hospitalized in Lincoln from the film Terms of Endearment, played by Debra Winger
- "Whitey Marsh" and other characters in the Omaha-set 1938 film Boys Town, based on a true story
- "Will McAvoy", anchor of the fictional Newsnight with Will McAvoy, HBO's The Newsroom; portrayed by Jeff Daniels
- "Penny" from The Big Bang Theory television sitcom, played by actress Kaley Cuoco
- "Brock Samson", an OSI agent born in Omaha, on the Adult Swim show The Venture Bros.
- "Warren Schmidt", an insurance agent from Omaha in the film About Schmidt, played by Jack Nicholson
- "Kim Wexler", a lawyer in the television drama Better Call Saul, played by Rhea Seehorn
- Members of the Strategic Air Command based in Omaha in the 1964 film ''Fail-Safe''
Other
- Edith Abbott, economist, social worker, educator, and author
- Grace Abbott, social worker and child welfare reformer
- Walter Brueggemann, Protestant Old Testament scholar and theologian
- Frank W. Cyr, educator, author, and "Father of the Yellow School Bus"
- K. G. William Dahl, Lutheran minister and founder of the Bethphage Inner Mission in Axtell
- Clayton Danks, inspiration of the cowboy on the Wyoming trademark, Bucking Horse and Rider, with the gelding horse Steamboat; born in O'Neill in Holt County, Nebraska
- William Eugene Galbraith, businessman and National Commander of The American Legion
- Merle Elwin Hansen, farmer and conservationist
- Carmelita Hinton, progressive educator
- John L. Loos, historian of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
- Malcolm X, civil rights leader
- Roscoe Pound, botanist, lawyer, and law professor and theorist
- Carrie B. Raymond, choral director, University of Nebraska chorus
- Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011
- Charles Starkweather, spree killer who murdered 11 victims
- Brandon Teena, a trans man whose murder was the basis of the movie Boys Don't Cry
- Virginia Lamp Thomas, consultant for The Heritage Foundation; wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
- Robert B. Wilson, economist
- Caroline M. Clark Woodward, temperance activist