List of people from Wisconsin
This is a list of notable people from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The person's hometown is in parentheses.
Art and literature
;A-G- Frank Ackerman, economist, author, co-founder and editor of Dollars & Sense magazine
- David Adler, architect
- Kevin J. Anderson, writer
- Rasmus B. Anderson, author, professor, and historian
- Walter Annenberg, creator of TV Guide and Seventeen magazines
- Antler, poet
- Ruth Ball, sculptor
- Annie Wall Barnett, writer, litterateur, poet
- Lynda Barry, author and cartoonist
- Gary Beecham, glass artist
- George Bergstrom, architect, designer of The Pentagon
- Norbert Blei, writer
- Carrie Jacobs Bond, songwriter
- Esther Bubley, photojournalist
- Nancy Ekholm Burkert, artist and illustrator, recipient of Caldecott Medal
- Ole Amundsen Buslett, author, newspaperman, politician
- Nickolas Butler, writer, author, journalist
- Kathryn Casey, writer and journalist
- Kashana Cauley, comedy writer, writer and columnist
- Jessie Kalmbach Chase, painter
- Connie Clausen, literary agent
- Chester Commodore, cartoonist
- Harriet L. Cramer, newspaper publisher
- Alice Arnold Crawford, author
- Jeremiah Curtin, translator
- Oliver Daniel, arts administrator, musicologist and composer
- Tyler Dennett, biographer, recipient of Pulitzer Prize
- August Derleth, writer
- Gene DeWeese, writer
- Donn F. Draeger, writer and martial artist
- Chip Duncan, filmmaker, author and photographer
- Bill Dwyre, columnist and editor
- Alter Esselin, poet
- Ernest R. Feidler, secretary and general consul of the National Gallery of Art
- Edna Ferber, writer
- Jack Finney, writer
- Daniel R. Fitzpatrick, cartoonist
- Lewis R. Freeman, journalist
- Ellen Gabler, journalist
- Zona Gale, writer, playwright, recipient of Pulitzer Prize
- Hamlin Garland, novelist, biographer, poet
- Greg Graffin, singer, songwriter, musician, professor, college lecturer, author
- Elmer Grey, architect and painter
- Eva Kinney Griffith, journalist, editor, publisher
- E. Gary Gygax, novelist, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons
- Jane Hamilton, writer
- Stephen Hayes, senior writer for The Weekly Standard, Fox News contributor, author
- Kevin Henkes, author and illustrator, recipient of Caldecott Medal
- Sarah Dyer Hobart, author
- Eastman Johnson, co-founder of Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Russell Klika, combat photojournalist
- Jim Knipfel, writer
- Ron Kovic, writer, Born on the Fourth of July
- Mabel Johnson Leland, lecturer, translator
- David Lenz, painter
- Gerda Lerner, Women's Studies, founder of women's history
- Paul Linebarger, writer
- Ben Logan, writer
- Flora E. Lowry, anthologist
- Per Lysne, folk artist, popularized rosemaling
- Velma Caldwell, editor and writer
- Karl E. Meyer, journalist for The New York Times; editor of World Policy Journal
- Jacquelyn Mitchard, writer
- John Nichols, political correspondent for The Nation
- Lorine Niedecker, poet
- Lucius W. Nieman, founder of Milwaukee Journal; Nieman Foundation for Journalism dedicated to him
- Jessica Nelson North, writer
- Sterling North, writer
- Georgia O'Keeffe, artist
- George Wilbur Peck, writer, newspaper editor, politician
- George Pollard, artist
- Marion Manville Pope, author
- Richard Quinney, sociologist and writer
- Ellen Raskin, writer and illustrator
- Emma May Alexander Reinertsen, writer
- Vinnie Ream, sculptor
- John Ridley, novelist
- David Robbins, artist, writer
- Adelaide Day Rollston, poet and author
- Patrick Rothfuss, writer
- Ella Giles Ruddy, author and editor
- Mary Stebbins Savage, poet, writer
- Joe Schoenmann, journalist and author
- Ruth Shalit, writer, journalist
- Clifford D. Simak, writer
- Mona Simpson, author
- Red Smith, Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist
- Peter Straub, writer
- Arthur Thrall, artist
- John Toland, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer
- Neal Ulevich, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer
- Dave Umhoefer, Pulitzer Prize recipient
- Jim VandeHei, executive editor and co-founder of Politico
- Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, film critic and essayist
- Viola S. Wendt, poet
- Ella Wheeler Wilcox, writer and poet
- John Wilde, artist
- Laura Ingalls Wilder, writer
- Thornton Wilder, writer
- Frank Lloyd Wright, architect
- David Zurawik, journalist, author
Business
- George Addes, founder of United Auto Workers
- Edward P. Allis, co-founder of Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company
- J. Ogden Armour, meatpacking magnate, owner of Armour and Company
- Carol Bartz, president and chief executive officer of Yahoo!
- Ernest J. Briskey, vice president, technical and administration of Campbell Soup Company
- William Wallace Cargill, business executive, founder of Cargill
- Jerome Case, founder of an agricultural and construction equipment company
- Betty Cohen
- Leo Crowley, banker and FDIC director
- John Cudahy, industrialist
- Michael Cudahy, entrepreneur
- Craig Culver, co-founder of Culver’s fast food chain
- Alexander M. Cutler, chief executive officer of the Eaton Corporation
- Arthur Davidson, co-founder of Harley-Davidson
- Edward L. Doheny, oil tycoon
- Ole Evinrude, inventor and entrepreneur
- Judith Faulkner, formerly of New Jersey; billionaire; CEO and founder of Epic Systems, a healthcare software company located in Wisconsin
- Bob Galvin, chief executive officer of Motorola
- Chris Gardner, entrepreneur, subject of movie The Pursuit of Happyness
- King C. Gillette, industrialist
- Donald Goerke, Campbell Soup Company executive, inventor of SpaghettiOs
- William S. Harley, co-founder of Harley-Davidson
- Randolph E. Haugan, editor and publisher
- Ken Hendricks, billionaire
- Electa Amanda Wright Johnson, philanthropist, writer
- Jay L. Johnson, chief executive officer of General Dynamics
- Samuel Curtis Johnson, Sr., founder of consumer products company
- Al C. Kalmbach, founder of Kalmbach Publishing Company
- Phil Katz, computer programmer
- Carl Kiekhaefer, owner of Mercury Marine
- Alan Klapmeier, aircraft designer and aviation entrepreneur
- Dale Klapmeier, aircraft designer and aviation entrepreneur
- Herbert Kohler, business executive
- John H. MacMillan Sr., businessman
- Marissa Mayer, chief executive officer of Yahoo
- Oscar Mayer, founder of meat packing company
- John Menard Jr., business executive, founder of Menards
- George Safford Parker, pen inventor and entrepreneur
- Paul Poberezny, aircraft designer, military aviator and founder of the Experimental Aircraft Association
- Tom Poberezny, world champion aerobatic aviator and president of the Experimental Aircraft Association
- Charles Ringling, co-founder of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
- John Ringling, real estate developer, co-founder of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
- Pleasant Rowland, businesswoman, founder of the American Girl doll company
- Herbert A. Simon, economist and computer scientist
- James Trane, founder of heating and air conditioning company
- Reuben Trane, co-founder of Trane
- Elmer Winter, co-founder of Manpower Inc.
- Dean Witter, founder of Dean Witter & Co. investment house
- Walter Wriston, chairman and chief executive officer of Citicorp
Brewing
Education
- Florence Eliza Allen, mathematician and assistant professor at University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Thomas Barnett, professor of warfare analysis & research at Naval War College
- Theodore Brameld, professor at Long Island University, Adelphi, Minnesota, NYU, and Boston University
- Arthur Louis Breslich, president of German Wallace College and Baldwin-Wallace
- Ernest J. Briskey, Dean of Agricultural Science of Oregon State University
- Albin C. Bro, president of Shimer College
- Carlos Castillo-Chavez, professor of mathematical biology at Arizona State University
- Edwin Copeland, noted botanist and founder of University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Agriculture
- Joanne V. Creighton, president of Mount Holyoke College
- Tyler Dennett, professor of American history at Johns Hopkins University and Columbia, professor of international relations at Princeton, president of Williams College
- Katharine Elizabeth Dopp, dean of Chicago Normal School
- Lars Paul Esbjörn, professor of Theology at Illinois State Normal University
- Ernst Guillemin, electrical engineer and computer scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Harlan Hanson, director of Advanced Placement program from 1965 to 1989
- Frederick Hemke, professor of saxophone at Northwestern University
- Bruno E. Jacob, founder of National Forensic League
- Peter Laurentius Larsen, founding president of Luther College
- John Leonora, professor of physiology and pharmacology at Loma Linda University
- A. Carl Leopold, graduate dean of University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- A. Starker Leopold, professor of zoology and conservation at University of California, Berkeley
- Luna Leopold, professor of geology and geophysics University of California, Berkeley
- Charles McCarthy, librarian and political scientist
- Thorbjorn N. Mohn, founding president of St. Olaf College
- Anna Augusta Von Helmholtz-Phelan, assistant professor emeritus of English, University of Minnesota
- Cora Scott Pond Pope, professor
- Christian Keyser Preus, president of Luther College
- Margarethe Schurz, opened first kindergarten in U.S.
- Philip Stieg, chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Medical Center
- David F. Swensen, chief investment officer at Yale University
- Rose Thering, professor of Catholic–Jewish dialogue at Seton Hall University
- Aaron Twerski, the Irwin and Jill Cohen Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School; former dean and professor of tort law at Hofstra University School of Law
- Norman Wengert, faculty member at City College of New York, North Dakota State, Maryland, Wayne State, Penn State, University of Sarajevo
- James Wright, president of Dartmouth College
- Nicholas S. Zeppos, chancellor of Vanderbilt University
Entertainment
Film and theatre
;A-M- Jim Abrahams, director
- Don Ameche, actor
- William Bast, screenwriter
- Abner Biberman, actor and director
- Marissa Bode, actress
- Mark Borchardt, director
- Joyce Carlson, Disney animator
- Jack Carson, actor
- Ellen Corby, actress
- Anthony Crivello, Tony Award-winning actor, singer
- Willem Dafoe, actor
- Dan Davies, actor and screenwriter
- Brian Donlevy, actor
- Robert Easton, actor, voice actor, dialogue coach
- Chris Farley, actor
- John P. Farley, actor
- Kevin Farley, actor
- Don Fellows, actor
- Lynn Fontanne, Emmy Award- and Tony Award-winning actress
- Gloria Foster, actress
- Heather Graham, actress
- Uta Hagen, actress
- Theodore Hardeen, magician and escape artist, founder of the Magicians Guild of America
- Howard Hawks, director
- Harry Houdini, magician
- Tom Hulce, actor
- Michael Isaacson, producer & winner of multiple Tony Awards
- Salome Jens, actress and dancer
- Jeana Keough, actress, Playboy Playmate
- Imran Khan, actor
- David Koepp, writer/director
- Carole Landis, actor
- Tom Laughlin, actor
- Joseph Losey, director
- Alfred Lunt, actor
- Fred MacMurray, actor
- Michael Maize, actor
- Fredric March, actor
- Rob Marshall, director
- Kerwin Mathews, actor
- John Matuszak, actor and football player
- Hattie McDaniel, actress, first African-American to win an Academy Award
- Agnes Moorehead, actress, radio, stage, film, television
- Niels Mueller, writer/director
- Cyrus Nowrasteh, writer/director
- Pat O'Brien, actor
- Robert O'Connor, actor
- Nancy Olson, actress
- Nick Oram, television producer and actor
- Jack Perkins, actor
- Jennie O'Neill Potter, actor and dramatic reader
- Manilla Powers, actress
- Nicholas Ray, director
- John Ridley, screenwriter, director
- Richard Riehle, actor
- Michael Ritchie, director
- Gena Rowlands, actor
- Mark Ruffalo, actor
- Richard Schickel, critic
- Greg Dean Schmitz, online film journalist
- Tony Shalhoub, actor
- Paul Shenar, actor
- Oliver Smith, theatrical scenic designer
- Zack Snyder, director
- Ford Sterling, actor
- Eric Szmanda, actor
- George Tillman Jr., director
- Spencer Tracy, actor
- Judy Tyler, actress
- Bob Uecker, actor and sports commentator
- James Valcq, theatre composer
- Marc Webb, director
- Peter Weller, actor
- Orson Welles, director
- Shannon Whirry, actress
- Gene Wilder, actor
- David Zucker, director
- Jerry Zucker, director
- Terry Zwigoff, director
Television
;A-M- Marc Alaimo, actor, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- Andrea Anders, actress, Joey, Better Off Ted
- Bonnie Bartlett, Emmy Award-winning actress
- Kristin Bauer van Straten, actress
- Lamont Bentley, actor, Moesha
- Val Bettin
- Brad Beyer, actor, Stanley Richmond on Jericho
- Peter Bonerz, actor and director
- Rachel Brosnahan, actress, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Gary Burghoff, actor, Radar O'Reilly on M*A*S*H
- Annie Burgstede, actress
- Michael Cole, actor
- Ellen Corby, actress
- Alaqua Cox, actress, Hawkeye, Echo
- Rich Dahm, Emmy Award-winning writer and producer
- James Daly, actor
- Tyne Daly, actress
- Nancy Dickerson, NBC News correspondent
- Sean Duffy, reality television star, ESPN commentator
- Jerry Dunphy, television newscaster
- Greg Eagles, voice actor, Grim & Evil
- Kathryn Edwards, model, reality television star, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
- John Fiedler, actor, voice of Piglet
- Paul Gigot, host and commentator on Journal Editorial Report
- David Giuntoli, actor, Grimm
- Andrea Hall, actress
- Deidre Hall, actress
- Jaida Essence Hall, drag queen and entertainer
- Dan Harmon, writer and producer
- Joel Hodgson, actor, comedian, creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000
- Isabella Hofmann, actress, Lt. Megan Russert on Homicide: Life on the Street
- Gregory Itzin, actor, President Charles Logan on 24
- Salome Jens, actress and dancer, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- Ernie Johnson Jr., sportscaster for Turner Sports and CBS Sports
- Jane Kaczmarek, actress
- Laura Kaeppeler, Miss America 2012
- Kathy Kinney, actress
- Trenni Kusnierek, reporter and studio host for MLB Network
- Allen Ludden, game show host
- Trixie Mattel, drag queen and entertainer
- David Lee McInnis, actor based in South Korea
- Terry Meeuwsen, Miss America 1973; co-host of The 700 Club
- Carol Merrill, prize presenter, Let's Make a Deal
- Agnes Moorehead, actress, radio, stage, film, television
- Chris Mulkey, actor, Bakersfield P.D., Twin Peaks
- Chris Noth, actor, Det. Mike Logan on Law & Order and Mr. Big on Sex and the City
- Caitlin O'Heaney, actress, Tales of the Gold Monkey
- Sam Page, actor, Shark, Point Pleasant
- Vic Perrin, actor
- Michael Phillips, film critic and co-host of At the Movies
- Amy Pietz, actor
- Charlotte Rae, actress
- Brad Rowe, actor, Wasteland
- Bill Shadel, first anchor of Face The Nation, CBS News correspondant covering D-Day and the liberation of Buchenwald, Moderator of the Nixon vs Kennedy presidential debate
- Tony Shalhoub, actor
- Kurtwood Smith, actor, Red Forman on That '70s Show
- Tom Snyder, talk show host
- Melinda Stolp, The Real World: Austin cast member
- Eric Szmanda, actor
- Jessica Szohr, actress
- Daniel J. Travanti, Emmy Award-winning actor, Hill Street Blues
- Greta Van Susteren, television commentator
- Nick Viall, actor, television personality, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette
- J. D. Walsh, actor, Smart Guy
- Tom Welling, actor
- Bradley Whitford, actor
- Tom Wopat, actor
- Linda Young, anime dubbing voice actress with FUNimation
- Chip Zien, actor
Comedy
- Frank Caliendo, comedian
- Randy Chestnut, comedian
- Chris Farley, comedian
- Tim Harmston, stand-up comedian
- Charlie Hill, stand-up comedian
- Jackie Kashian, stand-up comedian
- Mary Mack, stand-up comedian
- Jackie Mason, comedian and actor
- John McGivern, comedian
- Dwight York, stand-up comedian
Music
- BoDeans
- Bon Iver
- Howie Epstein
- Garbage
- Daron Hagen
- Jerry Harrison
- Bobby Hatfield
- Andy Hurley
- Al Jarreau
- Stephen Jerzak
- Lakeyah
- Liberace, Lee Liberace, or Władziu Valentino Liberace
- Ava Max
- Steve Miller
- Les Paul
- Butch Vig
- Violent Femmes
History
- Stephen Ambrose, historian
- William Cronon, environmental historian
- Lyman Draper, historian and librarian
- Harvey Goldberg, historian
- George Mosse, social and cultural historian
- Gerhard Brandt Naeseth, founder of the Norwegian-American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library
- James Breck Perkins, historian and U.S. congressman
- David Schoenbaum, historian and social scientist
- Kenneth M. Stampp, historian
- John Toland, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author
- Frederick Jackson Turner, historian, known for his Frontier Thesis
- T. Harry Williams, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian
Military
;A-B- Harold C. Agerholm, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Frank L. Anders, Philippine–American War Medal of Honor recipient
- James Roy Andersen, U.S. Army general
- Beauford T. Anderson, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Peter Anderson, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Fred Ascani, U.S. Air Force major general
- Margaret H. Bair, U.S. Air National Guard general
- Merton W. Baker, U.S. Air Force major general
- George Barnett, commandant of the United States Marine Corps
- Stuart E. Barstad, Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force
- William A. Barstow, Union Army general
- Frank E. Beatty, U.S. Navy admiral
- Harry Bell, Philippine–American War Medal of Honor recipient
- Leslie Allen Bellrichard, Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient
- Harold Medberry Bemis, U.S. Navy admiral
- Paul M. Blayney, U.S. Coast Guard admiral
- Orville Emil Bloch, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Robert D. Bohn, U.S. Marine Corps major general
- Richard Bong, World War II pilot
- Frank Matteson Bostwick, U.S. Navy commodore
- Peter J. Boylan, U.S. Army major general
- John Bradley, Iwo Jima flag-raiser
- Edward S. Bragg, Union Army general
- Deming Bronson, World War I Medal of Honor recipient
- Oscar Brookin, Spanish–American War Medal of Honor recipient
- Clarence John Brown, U.S. Navy vice admiral
- F. Taylor Brown, U.S. Navy admiral
- Robert Whitney Burns, U.S. Air Force lieutenant general
- Elmer J. Burr, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Joseph Cable, American Indian Wars Medal of Honor recipient
- James J. Carey, U.S. Navy admiral
- Irving J. Carr, U.S. Army major general
- Guy W.S. Castle, Medal of Honor recipient
- Arthur S. Champeny, U.S. Army general
- Stanley R. Christianson, Korean War Medal of Honor recipient
- Paul Clemens, U.S. Army general
- Gerald W. Clusen, U.S. Navy admiral
- Jefferson Coates, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- James Kelsey Cogswell, U.S. Navy admiral
- Robert Grimes Coman, U.S. Navy commodore
- Richard H. Cosgriff, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- James E. Croft, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Winfield S. Cunningham, U.S. Navy admiral
- James B. Currie, U.S. Air Force major general
- William B. Cushing, Navy officer who sank the CSS Albemarle; namesake of the USS Cushing
- Marshall E. Cusic Jr., U.S. Navy admiral
- Lysander Cutler, Union Army general
- Clinton W. Davies, U.S. Air Force general
- Frederick Curtice Davis, highly decorated Navy officer; namesake of the USS Frederick C. Davis
- Leighton I. Davis, U.S. Air Force lieutenant general
- Charles G. Dawes, U.S. Army general
- Dirk J. Debbink, U.S. Navy vice admiral; Chief of Navy Reserve
- Abraham DeSomer, Medal of Honor recipient
- John Durham, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Herbert W. Ehrgott, U.S. Air Force general
- Clarence Ekstrom, U.S. Navy vice admiral
- Horace Ellis, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- William Ellis, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Gerald L. Endl, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Lucius Fairchild, Union Army general
- Peter Fanta, U.S. Navy admiral
- Jack K. Farris, U.S. Air Force major general
- Ernest R. Feidler, U.S. Coast Guard admiral and Judge Advocate General
- Richard W. Fellows, U.S. Air Force general
- Art Fiala, World War I
- James H. Flatley, U.S. Navy vice admiral
- Lawrence J. Fleming, U.S. Air Force major general
- James F. Flock, U.S. Marine Corps major general
- Amos Fries, U.S. Army major general, chief of the Chemical Warfare Service
- Harold A. Fritz, Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient
- Julius A. Furer, U.S. Navy admiral
- Augustus F. Gearhard, Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force
- Theodore W. Goldin, American Indian Wars Medal of Honor recipient
- Alfred Gorham, Tuskegee Airman and prisoner of war
- Albert W. Grant, U.S. Navy vice admiral
- Sandra A. Gregory, U.S. Air Force general
- Kenneth E. Gruennert, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Charles Smith Hamilton, Union Army major general
- Melvin O. Handrich, Korean War Medal of Honor recipient
- Rodney R. Hannula, U.S. National Guard major general
- William Frederick Hase, U.S. Army major general
- J. Michael Hayes, U.S. Marine Corps general
- Philip Hayes, U.S. Army major general
- John Higgins, U.S. Navy admiral
- Frank E. Hill, American Indian Wars Medal of Honor recipient
- Benjamin Hilliker, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Harrison Carroll Hobart, Union Army general
- Roy Hoffmann, U.S. Navy admiral
- Lucius Roy Holbrook, U.S. Army major general
- Willard Ames Holbrook, U.S. Army major general
- David William Hutchison, U.S. Air Force major general
- Einar H. Ingman Jr., Korean War Medal of Honor recipient
- Frank B. James, U.S. Air Force general
- Marvin John Jensen, U.S. Navy admiral
- John L. Jerstad, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Jay L. Johnson, chief of Naval Operations
- John Johnson, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Stephen E. Johnson, U.S. Navy admiral
- Donald S. Jones, U.S. Navy vice admiral
- Harley Sanford Jones, U.S. Air Force general
- Emil C. Kiel, U.S. Air Force general
- Charles King, U.S. Army general
- Rufus King, Union Army general
- John Baxter Kinne, Philippine–American War Medal of Honor recipient
- Louis Joseph Kirn, U.S. Navy admiral
- Russell Klika, combat photographer
- Richard A. Knobloch, U.S. Air Force general
- Oscar Koch, U.S. Army general, member of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame
- Edmond Konrad, U.S. Navy admiral
- James Benjamin Lampert, U.S. Army lieutenant general
- Thomas B. Larkin, quartermaster general of the U.S. Army
- Daniel P. Leaf, U.S. Air Force lieutenant general, commander of the United States Pacific Command
- William D. Leahy, U.S. Navy fleet admiral, first military officer to reach five-star rank
- James J. LeCleir, U.S. Air Force major general
- Scott D. Legwold, U.S. National Guard general
- James J. Lindsay, U.S. Army general, first commander of the United States Special Operations Command
- Nathan J. Lindsay, U.S. Air Force major general
- Arno H. Luehman, U.S. Air Force major general
- Eugene Michael Lynch, U.S. Army general
- Edward E. Lyon, Philippine–American War Medal of Honor recipient
- Arthur MacArthur Jr., Medal of Honor in Civil War, "On Wisconsin", father of General Douglas MacArthur
- Douglas MacArthur, general of the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, Medal of Honor recipient
- Alexander Mackenzie, U.S. Army Chief of Engineers
- Lester J. Maitland, U.S. Army Air Service general
- Francis Marshall, U.S. Army general
- Michael A. McAuliffe, U.S. Air Force general
- Michael J. McCarthy, U.S. Air Force major general
- John E. McCoy, U.S. Air National Guard general
- Robert Bruce McCoy, U.S. National Guard major general
- Arthur L. McCullough, U.S. Air Force general
- Charles C. McDonald, U.S. Air Force general
- Edward McGlachlin Jr., U.S. Army major general
- Hugh J. McGrath, Philippine–American War Medal of Honor recipient
- Andrew Miller, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- John S. Mills, U.S. Air Force major general
- Billy Mitchell, U.S. general, aviation
- Marc Mitscher, World War II admiral
- Robert J. Modrzejewski, Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient
- Daniel B. Moore, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Charles E. Mower, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Dennis Murphy, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Peter Muschinske, U.S. Navy admiral
- Jason Naidyhorski, U.S. Navy admiral
- Beryl Newman, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Richard J. Nolan, American Indian Wars Medal of Honor recipient
- William Nordeen, U.S. Navy officer, killed in terrorist attack
- Albert O'Connor, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Tad J. Oelstrom, U.S. Air Force lieutenant general
- Ralph A. Ofstie, U.S. Navy vice admiral
- Truman O. Olson, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Andrew P. O'Meara, U.S. Army general, commander-in-chief of United States Southern Command and United States Army Europe
- John Birdsell Oren, U.S. Coast Guard admiral
- Halbert E. Paine, Union Army general
- John Patterson, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Ernest Dichmann Peek, U.S. Army major general
- Oscar V. Peterson, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- George F. Pond, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- James Pond, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Mitchell Red Cloud Jr., Korean War Medal of Honor recipient
- Marcus Robbins, American Indian Wars Medal of Honor recipient
- Carson Abel Roberts, U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general
- Marcus W. Robertson, Philippine–American War Medal of Honor recipient
- Davis C. Rohr, U.S. Air Force major general
- Thomas H. Ruger, superintendent of the United States Military Academy
- Margaret A. Rykowski, U.S. Navy admiral
- Ben L. Salomon, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Frederick Salomon, Union Army general
- Elmer Salzman, U.S. Marine Corps major general
- Walter Schindler, U.S. Navy vice admiral
- Herman Alfred Schmid, U.S. Air Force general
- Carl Schurz, Union Army major general
- Michael J. Schwerin, U.S. Navy admiral
- Richard Severson, U.S. Air Force general
- James Shields, Union Army general
- Henry Hastings Sibley, Union Army general
- William Sickles, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- John Otto Siegel, World War I Medal of Honor recipient
- Lance Sijan, Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient
- Clayton K. Slack, World War I Medal of Honor recipient
- Fred R. Sloan, U.S. Air National Guard major general
- Orvan R. Smeder, U.S. Coast Guard admiral
- John Converse Starkweather, Union Army general
- Henry J. Stehling, U.S. Air Force general
- Joseph Stika, U.S. Coast Guard vice admiral
- Kenneth E. Stumpf, Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient
- Jerome A. Sudut, Korean War Medal of Honor recipient
- Dennis B. Sullivan, U.S. Air Force general
- Timothy S. Sullivan, U.S. Coast Guard admiral
- Woodrow Swancutt, U.S. Air Force major general
- Eugene L. Tattini, U.S. Air Force lieutenant general
- Claude Taugher, World War I Distinguished Service Cross and Navy Cross recipient
- Thomas Toohey, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Robin G. Tornow, U.S. Air Force general
- Charles Treat, U.S. Army general
- Clement A. Trott, U.S. Army major general
- Edwin M. Truell, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Merrill B. Twining, U.S. Marine Corps general
- Nathan C. Twining, U.S. Navy admiral
- Nathan Farragut Twining, U.S. Air Force general
- William J. Van Ryzin, U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general
- James M. Vande Hey, U.S. Air Force general
- Hoyt Vandenberg, U.S. Air Force general
- James R. Van Den Elzen, U.S. Marine Corps general
- Alfred Verhulst, U.S. Air Force general
- Fred W. Vetter Jr., U.S. Air Force general
- Lutz Wahl, adjutant general of the U.S. Army
- William Miller Wallace, U.S. Army general
- Francis A. Wallar, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
- Cadwallader C. Washburn, Union Army major general
- Waldemar F.A. Wendt, U.S. Navy admiral, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Naval Forces Europe
- Don S. Wenger, U.S. Air Force major general
- Leslie J. Westberg, U.S. Air Force general
- Gary George Wetzel, Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient
- Charles W. Whittlesey, World War I Medal of Honor recipient
- Hugh E. Wild, U.S. Air Force general
- Albert H. Wilkening, U.S. Air National Guard major general
- Donald Erwin Wilson, U.S. Navy admiral
- Claron A. Windus, Indian Wars Medal of Honor recipient
- Arthur Wolcott Yates, U.S. Army general
- Cassin Young, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
- Frank Albert Young, China Relief Expedition Medal of Honor recipient
- Elmo Zumwalt, chief of Naval Operations
- Ralph Wise Zwicker, U.S. Army major general
Nobel laureates
- John Bardeen, B.S. 1928 and M.S. 1929, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1956 and 1972
- Günter Blobel, Ph.D. 1967, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1999
- Paul D. Boyer, M.S. 1941, Ph.D. 1943, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1997
- Joseph Erlanger, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1944
- Herbert Spencer Gasser, B.S. 1910, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1944
- Jack Kilby, M.S. 1950, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics for the integrated circuit in 2000
- Joshua Lederberg, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1958
- Alan G. MacDiarmid, M.S. 1952, Ph.D. 1953, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000
- Stanford Moore, Ph.D. 1938, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1972
- William P. Murphy, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1934
- Erwin Neher, M.S. 1967, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1991
- Theodore Schultz, M.S. 1928, Ph.D. 1930, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1979
- Herbert A. Simon, B.A. 1936, Ph.D. 1943, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1978
- Edward Lawrie Tatum, B.A. 1931, M.S. 1932, Ph.D. 1935, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1958
- John H. van Vleck, A.B. 1920, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1977
Politics and activism
;A-B- Glenn A. Abbey, U.S. diplomat
- Stacey Abrams, voting rights activist, lawyer, Democratic nominee for 2018 and 2022 Georgia gubernatorial election
- Alva Adams, governor of Colorado
- Billy Adams, governor of Colorado
- J. Frank Aldrich, U.S. representative from Illinois
- William Aldrich, U.S. representative from Illinois
- William A. Anderson, mayor of Minneapolis
- George R. Andrews, U.S. representative from New York
- Walter Annenberg, U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom
- Les Aspin, congressman and Secretary of Defense
- Gerhard A. Bading, U.S. diplomat
- John Miller Baer, U.S. representative from North Dakota
- Tammy Baldwin, first openly lesbian woman elected to the U.S. Senate
- Hiram Barber Jr., U.S. representative from Illinois
- Thomas M. Barrett, congressman and mayor of Milwaukee
- William A. Barstow, governor
- Coles Bashford, governor, U.S. congressional delegate from the Arizona Territory
- David L. Bazelon, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
- Charles S. Benton, U.S. representative from New York
- Victor L. Berger, U.S. representative
- Benjamin P. Birdsall, U.S. representative from Iowa
- John J. Blaine, governor and U.S. senator
- C. A. Bottolfsen, governor of Idaho
- Matthias J. Bovee, U.S. representative from New York
- Edward S. Bragg, U.S. diplomat
- John A. Bryan, U.S. diplomat
- James Budd, California governor
- George Bunn, justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
- John H. Burke, U.S. representative from California
- John R. Burke, U.S. diplomat
- Charles C. Butler, chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court
- John W. Byrnes, U.S. representative
- Thomas Cale, U.S. congressional delegate from the Alaska Territory
- John Benton Callis, U.S. representative from Alabama
- James Cameron, civil rights activist
- Lois Capps, U.S. representative from California
- Milton Robert Carr, U.S. representative from Michigan
- Carrie Chapman Catt, feminist
- Eugene W. Chafin, Prohibition Party candidate for president of the United States
- Liz Cheney, U.S. representative from Wyoming
- Kathryn F. Clarenbach, first chairwoman of the National Organization for Women
- Paul Clement, Solicitor General of the United States
- Cliff Clevenger, U.S. representative from Ohio
- Wilbur J. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
- Harmon Sweatland Conger, U.S. representative from New York
- Willis C. Cook, U.S. diplomat
- Henry A. Cooper, U.S. representative
- Michael Copps, commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission
- John W. Cox Jr., U.S. representative from Illinois
- Emma A. Cranmer, temperance activist, suffragist
- Kenneth H. Dahlberg, figure in the Watergate scandal, later cleared
- Henry C. A. Damm, U.S. diplomat
- Joseph E. Davies, U.S. diplomat
- Charles G. Dawes, vice president of the United States
- Thomas Cleland Dawson, U.S. diplomat
- Ada Deer, Native-American/Menominee activist, former BIA official
- Peter V. Deuster, U.S. diplomat
- August Dietrich, member of the State Assembly
- Bernardine Dohrn, activist
- Michael Dombeck, chief of the US Forest Service
- F. Ryan Duffy, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
- Charles Durkee, U.S. senator, governor of the Utah Territory
- Lawrence Eagleburger, U.S. Secretary of State
- John E. Erickson, U.S. senator from Montana
- John J. Esch, U.S. representative
- Experience Estabrook, U.S. congressional delegate from Nebraska Territory
- Evan Alfred Evans, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
- Tony Evers, governor of Wisconsin
- Lucius Fairchild, U.S. diplomat
- Thomas E. Fairchild, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
- Jacob Fawcett, chief justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court
- Russ Feingold, U.S. senator and co-author of McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act
- William R. Finch, U.S. diplomat
- Albert Fowler, mayor of Rockford, Illinois
- James A. Frear, U.S. representative
- George A. Garrett, U.S. diplomat
- Hiram Gill, mayor of Seattle
- Ezekiel Gillespie, civil rights leader, won a Supreme Court case which gave suffrage to male African-Americans in Wisconsin
- James Gillett, U.S. representative from California
- Callista Gingrich, wife of former Speaker Newt Gingrich
- Glory of the Morning, the only female chief ever recorded in the oral history of the Ho-Chunk nation
- Guy D. Goff, U.S. senator from West Virginia
- William Goodell, prominent abolitionist, candidate for president of the United States
- Warren Green, governor of South Dakota
- John A. Gronouski, U.S. Postmaster General
- Richard W. Guenther, U.S. diplomat
- Herbert James Hagerman, governor of the New Mexico Territory
- Darwin Hall, U.S. representative from Minnesota
- John Hammill, governor of Iowa
- Henry C. Hansbrough, U.S. senator from North Dakota
- Ole Hanson, mayor of Seattle
- Mildred Harnack, resistance fighter in Nazi Germany
- Gilbert N. Haugen, U.S. representative from Iowa
- Everis A. Hayes, U.S. representative from California
- Ned R. Healy, U.S. representative from California
- Charles N. Herreid, governor of South Dakota
- Lorena Hickok, friend of Eleanor Roosevelt, helped Harry Hopkins with fact-finding missions during the New Deal
- Fred H. Hildebrandt, U.S. representative from South Dakota
- George H. Hodges, governor of Kansas
- Adoniram J. Holmes, U.S. representative from Iowa
- Timothy O. Howe, U.S. Postmaster General
- Daniel Hugunin Jr., U.S. representative from New York
- Merlin Hull, U.S. representative
- Paul O. Husting, U.S. senator
- Franklin M. Jahnke, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- Edward H. Jenison, U.S. representative from Illinois
- J. Leroy Johnson, U.S. representative from California
- Martin N. Johnson, U.S. senator from North Dakota
- Ron Johnson, U.S. senator
- Charles Jonas, U.S. diplomat
- Edgar A. Jonas, U.S. representative from Illinois
- Francis B. Keene, U.S. diplomat
- Oscar Keller, U.S. representative from Minnesota
- John Edward Kelley, U.S. representative from South Dakota
- George F. Kennan, diplomat
- Rufus King, U.S. diplomat
- Jerry Kleczka, U.S. representative
- Herb Kohl, U.S. senator and sports-franchise owner
- Ken Kratz, former district attorney of Calumet County, Wisconsin; law license was suspended for four months after sexting scandal
- Julius Albert Krug, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
- Paul John Kvale, U.S. representative from Minnesota
- Robert M. La Follette, congressman, governor and U.S. senator
- Robert M. La Follette Jr., U.S. senator
- Mel Laird, congressman and Secretary of Defense
- Richard D. Lamm, governor of Colorado, Reform Party candidate for president of the United States
- Gilbert L. Laws, U.S. representative from Nebraska
- Irvine Lenroot, U.S. senator
- Jerris G. Leonard, administrator of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration
- Debbie Lesko, U.S. representative from Arizona
- Francis O. Lindquist, U.S. representative from Michigan
- Thomas A. Livesley, mayor of Salem, Oregon
- Thomas A. Loftus, U.S. diplomat
- James B. Loken, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
- Don Lathrop Love, mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska
- Patrick Joseph Lucey, U.S. diplomat, independent candidate for vice president of the United States
- William Josiah MacDonald, U.S. representative from Michigan
- Henry Markham, U.S. representative from California
- John McCarthy, U.S. representative from Nebraska
- Joseph McCarthy, U.S. senator
- James McCleary, U.S. representative from Minnesota
- James B. McLeran, state assembly member
- Myron Hawley McCord, U.S. Representative, governor of the Arizona Territory
- K. T. McFarland, Deputy National Security Advisor
- George de Rue Meiklejohn, U.S. representative from Nebraska
- Golda Meir, Israeli prime minister
- Abner J. Mikva, U.S. representative from Illinois
- John L. Mitchell, congressman and U.S. senator
- Charles Henry Morgan, U.S. representative from Missouri
- John Morrow, U.S. representative from New Mexico
- Wayne L. Morse, U.S. senator from Oregon
- Mary Mullarkey, chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court
- Robert Daniel Murphy, U.S. diplomat
- Philleo Nash, commissioner of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Gaylord Nelson, governor and U.S. senator
- Knute Nelson, U.S. senator from Minnesota
- Orsen N. Nielsen, U.S. diplomat
- William Nordeen, U.S. diplomat assassinated by the terrorist group Revolutionary Organization 17 November
- Frank Nye, U.S. representative from Minnesota
- Gerald Nye, U.S. senator from North Dakota
- Dave Obey, U.S. representative
- Mike O'Callaghan, governor of Nevada
- Kenneth J. O'Connell, chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
- Alvin O'Konski, U.S. representative
- Ole H. Olson, governor of North Dakota
- Halbert E. Paine, U.S. representative
- Henry C. Payne, Postmaster General of the United States
- James Breck Perkins, U.S. representative from New York
- Russell W. Peterson, governor of Delaware
- Tom Petri, U.S. representative
- Augustus Herman Pettibone, U.S. representative from Tennessee
- Vel Phillips, Secretary of State of Wisconsin and civil rights activist
- Milton Rice Polland, Marshall Islands diplomat
- John F. Potter, U.S. diplomat
- Steve Preston, SBA administrator, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- J. A. O. Preus, governor of Minnesota
- Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, White House Chief of Staff
- William Proxmire, U.S. senator
- Joseph V. Quarles, U.S. senator
- Alexander Randall, U.S. Postmaster General
- Edwin M. Randall, chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court
- Louise Goff Reece, U.S. representative from Tennessee
- William Rehnquist, U.S. Supreme Court chief justice
- Paul Samuel Reinsch, U.S. diplomat
- Henry S. Reuss, U.S. representative
- James DeNoon Reymert, state legislator and newspaper publisher
- William A. Richards, Wyoming governor
- Ben A. Riehle, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- Jim Risch, U.S. senator from Idaho
- Charles R. Robertson, U.S. representative from North Dakota
- Thomas J. B. Robinson, U.S. representative from Iowa
- Thomas H. Ruger, governor of Georgia
- Loret Miller Ruppe, U.S. diplomat
- Jeremiah McLain Rusk, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
- Paul Ryan, U.S. representative, Speaker of the House, and 2012 Republican nominee for vice president under Mitt Romney
- George Myron Sabin, U.S. District Court judge in Nevada
- Elmore Y. Sarles, governor of North Dakota
- Charles R. Savage, U.S. representative from Washington
- John G. Schmitz, U.S. representative from California, American Independent Party candidate for president of the United States
- Lester Schnare, U.S. diplomat
- Carl Schurz, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
- Lewis B. Schwellenbach, U.S. Secretary of Labor
- Stuart Nash Scott, U.S. diplomat
- Jim Sensenbrenner, U.S. representative
- Carlos D. Shelden, U.S. representative from Michigan
- James Shields, U.S. senator from Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri
- Henry Hastings Sibley, U.S. congressional delegate, governor of Minnesota
- Steve Sisolak, governor of Nevada
- Albert Smith, U.S. representative from New York
- Daniel V. Speckhard, U.S. diplomat
- William H. Stafford, U.S. representative
- Pete Stark, U.S. representative from California
- George A. Starkweather, U.S. representative from New York
- Halvor Steenerson, U.S. representative from Minnesota
- Janet Dempsey Steiger, chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission
- William Story, lieutenant governor of Colorado
- William H. H. Stowell, U.S. representative from Virginia
- Robert C. Strong, U.S. diplomat
- Bart Stupak, Michigan congressman
- Clark W. Thompson, U.S. representative from Texas
- Tommy Thompson, governor, Secretary of Health and Human Services, and 2008 candidate for president
- Peter G. Torkildsen, U.S. representative from Massachusetts
- William M. Treloar, U.S. representative from Missouri
- Ben Tremain
- Fran Ulmer, lieutenant governor of Alaska
- Robert Scadden Vessey, governor of South Dakota
- William Freeman Vilas, U.S. Postmaster General and U.S. Secretary of the Interior
- Aad J. Vinje, chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
- Davis H. Waite, governor of Colorado
- Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin
- Thomas J. Walsh, U.S. senator and main prosecutor in the Teapot Dome Scandal hearings
- William Warner, U.S. senator from Missouri
- Cadwallader C. Washburn, U.S. representative
- Paul Weyrich, commentator
- Alexander Wiley, U.S. senator
- Frances Willard, suffragist and temperance activist
- John A. Williams, U.S. District Court judge in Arkansas
- Gardner R. Withrow, U.S. representative
- Leonard G. Wolf, U.S. representative from Iowa
- Frank P. Woods, U.S. representative from Iowa
- Caroline M. Clark Woodward, temperance activist
- Clement J. Zablocki, U.S. representative
- Carl Zeidler, mayor of Milwaukee
- Frank Zeidler, mayor of Milwaukee, Socialist Party candidate for president in 1976
- Roger H. Zion, U.S. representative from Indiana
Religion
- Anton Anderledy, superior general of the Society of Jesus
- Stuart E. Barstad, chief of chaplains of the U.S. Air Force
- David Benke, president of the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
- Thea Bowman, Roman Catholic nun
- Fabian Bruskewitz, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln
- Raymond Leo Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
- Solanus Casey, Roman Catholic priest, declared Venerable by Blessed John Paul II
- W. Patrick Donlin, Supreme Advocate of the Knights of Columbus
- Selena Fox, Wiccan priestess, religious-rights activist, and founder of Circle Sanctuary and Pagan Spirit Gathering
- Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-founder of the Freedom From Religion Foundation
- Augustus F. Gearhard, deputy chief of chaplains of the U.S. Air Force
- Zenas H. Gurley Sr., apostle of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
- Francis J. Haas, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids
- Jerome J. Hastrich, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup
- Carl Christian Hein, president of the American Lutheran Church
- Keith K. Hilbig, general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Francis Peter Leipzig, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker
- Felix Ley, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Naha
- Arthur C. Lichtenberger, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church
- Albert Gregory Meyer, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
- Aloisius Joseph Muench, Roman Catholic cardinal
- Peter Muschinske, deputy chief of chaplains for Reserve Matters of the U.S. Navy
- Joseph Perry, auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
- Franz Pieper, president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
- Herman Amberg Preus, president of the Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Vincent James Ryan, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck
- Augustine Francis Schinner, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Superior and Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane
- Mark Francis Schmitt, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette
- James Strang, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)
- Paul Francis Tanner, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine
Science, including medicine
- Frank Ackerman, economist
- Roy Chapman Andrews, naturalist
- John Bardeen, Nobel Prize-winning physicist
- George Harold Brown, developer of color television
- Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin, geologist
- John Henry Comstock, entomologist
- Edwin Copeland, noted botanist and founder of the University of the Philippines Los Banos College of Agriculture
- Seymour Cray, computer designer
- John Thomas Curtis, botanist and ecologist; the Bray Curtis dissimilarity is partially named for him
- Marshall E. Cusic Jr., Chief of the U.S. Navy Medical Reserve Corps
- Farrington Daniels, pioneer researcher in Solar energy
- Richard Davidson, psychologist, pioneer of affective neuroscience
- Hector DeLuca, Vitamin D metabolism
- Michael Dhuey, co-developer of the Macintosh II and the iPod
- Olin J. Eggen, astronomer
- Milton Erickson, founding president of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, NLP
- Ernst Guillemin, recipient of the IEEE Medal of Honor
- Francis D. Hole, pedologist
- Ned Hollister, biologist
- Donald Knuth, computer scientist
- Elmer Kraemer, chemist
- Mary Lasker, philanthropist, founder of Planned Parenthood, American Cancer Society, established the modern era of medical research funding, specifically cancer research with federal funding from millions of dollars to billions, started the Lasker Foundation, Presidential Medal of Freedom, Congressional Gold Medal
- Donald Laub, plastic surgeon
- Albert Lehninger, biochemist
- Aldo Leopold, ecologist
- Karl Paul Link, discovered warfarin
- William Shainline Middleton, co-founder and secretary-treasurer of the American Board of Internal Medicine
- John Muir, environmentalist
- John Benjamin Murphy, inventor of Murphy's punch sign, Murphy's sign, and the Murphy drip
- Robert B. Pinter, biomedical engineer
- Carl Rogers, psychologist and originator of "client-centered therapy"
- Francis G. Slack, physicist
- Harry Steenbock, Vitamin D catalyzed by sunlight, D-fortified milk; rickets cured
- Jeremiah Burnham Tainter, inventor of the Tainter gate
- James Thomson, first scientist to isolate human embryonic stem cells
- Darold Treffert, psychiatrist
- Charles R. Van Hise, geologist and academic
- Thorstein Veblen, sociologist, economist, social theorist
- Warren Weaver, pioneer of machine translation
- Louis Jolyon West, psychiatrist
- Daniel Hale Williams, surgeon
- Oliver E. Williamson, economist
- Joseph Zimmermann, inventor of the answering machine
- Otto Julius Zobel, inventor of the m-derived filter and the Zobel network
Space exploration
- Daniel Brandenstein, astronaut
- Raja Chari, astronaut candidate
- Leroy Chiao, astronaut
- Laurel Clark, astronaut; died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
- Mark C. Lee, astronaut
- Nathan J. Lindsay, astronaut
- Jim Lovell, astronaut
- Deke Slayton, astronaut
- Eugene L. Tattini, deputy director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Jeffrey Williams, astronaut
Sports
;A-B- Earl Abell, head coach of Colgate Raiders and Virginia Cavaliers football teams, member of College Football Hall of Fame
- Ellen Ahrndt, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
- Bill Albright, football player
- Alan Ameche, football player, Heisman Trophy winner
- Austin Aries, professional wrestler
- Morrie Arnovich, MLB All-Star outfielder
- Ben Askren, folkstyle and freestyle wrestler, mixed martial artist
- Ed Aspatore, football player
- Glena Avila, mixed martial artist
- Pete Banaszak, football player
- Jimmy Banks, soccer player
- Peter Barrett, Olympic gold medalist
- Sam Barry, head coach, Iowa and USC, basketball, baseball, football; member of Basketball Hall of Fame
- Myrt Basing, football player
- Mistie Bass, basketball player
- James Batemon III, basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Lemoine Batson, Olympic athlete
- Ginger Beaumont, baseball player, first player to bat in World Series
- Kenny Bednarek, Olympic medalist, world champion sprinter
- Wayland Becker, football player
- Travis Beckum, football player
- Ken Behring, former Seattle Seahawks owner
- Chuck Belin, football player
- Michael Bennett, football player
- Tony Bennett, basketball coach at Virginia men's basketball, player at UW-Green Bay
- Jason Berken, baseball player
- Dennis Berkholtz, Olympic athlete
- Ray Berres, baseball player and coach
- George Berry, football player
- Rich Bickle, NASCAR driver
- Tom Bienemann, football player
- Dick Bilda, football player
- Josh Bilicki, NASCAR driver
- Kelly Bires, NASCAR driver
- Rocky Bleier, football player, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Bob Blewett, baseball player
- Dick Bosman, MLB player and coach
- Timmy Bowers, basketball player, 2006 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
- Pat Bowlen, owner of Denver Broncos
- Gene Brabender, baseball player
- Gil Brandt, NFL executive, Dallas Cowboys
- Tyrone Braxton, football player
- Erika Brown, national champion curler
- J.T. Bruett, baseball player
- Maureen Brunt, Olympic medalist, world champion curler
- Cub Buck, NFL player, college football coach
- Ray Busler, football player
- Brian Butch, basketball player
- Caron Butler, basketball player
- Karyn Bye, Olympic gold medalist
- Dave Cahill, football player
- Mike Cahill, tennis player
- Jim Caldwell, NFL head coach
- Dick Campbell, football player
- Gabe Carimi, All-American and NFL football player
- Bill Carollo, NFL referee
- Kip Carpenter, Olympic medalist, world champion speed skater
- Anthony Carter, basketball player
- Rick Chryst, Commissioner of the Mid-American Conference
- Franklin Clarke, football player
- John Coatta, NFL scout
- Colin Cochart, football player
- Eddie Cochems, college football coach
- Sandy Cohen, American-Israeli basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Craig Counsell, player and manager for Milwaukee Brewers
- Lave Cross, baseball player
- Press Cruthers, baseball player
- Abner Dalrymple, baseball player, first player to ever be intentionally walked with the bases loaded
- Margaret Danhauser, baseball player
- Ralph Davis, football player
- Claire Decker, NASCAR driver
- Natalie Decker, NASCAR driver
- Paige Decker, NASCAR driver
- Sam Dekker, basketball player
- Jay DeMerit, soccer player
- John DeMerit, baseball player
- Dan Devine, Notre Dame and Green Bay Packers head coach, College Football Hall of Fame
- Travis Diener, basketball player
- Mary Docter, Olympic athlete
- Sarah Docter, Olympic athlete
- John Doehring, football player
- Chad Dombrowski, soccer player
- Tighe Dombrowski, soccer player
- Gus Dorais, NFL head coach, College Football Hall of Fame
- Jake Dowell, hockey player for Minnesota Wild
- Davis Drewiske, hockey player for Los Angeles Kings
- Alyson Dudek, Olympic athlete
- Mike Dunleavy Jr., basketball player
- Ryne Duren, baseball player
- Claude Elliott, baseball player
- Brent Emery, Olympic medalist
- Molly Engstrom, Olympic medalist
- Louise Erickson, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
- Alex Erickson, NFL wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals
- Cory Everson, bodybuilder, six-time Ms. Olympia
- Yasmin Farooq, Olympic rower
- Suzy Favor-Hamilton, Olympic runner
- Happy Felsch, baseball player
- Bill Fischer, MLB pitcher and coach
- Clarke Fischer, football player
- Jim Fitzgerald, basketball team owner
- Stan Fox, Indycar driver
- Travis Frederick, football player
- Tucker Fredricks, Olympic athlete, world champion speedskater
- Doug Free, football player
- Lewis R. Freeman, football head coach, USC
- Ted Fritsch, football player and basketball player
- Ted Fritsch Jr., football player
- Bruce Froemming, MLB umpire
- Reece Gaines, basketball player
- Jim Gantner, baseball player
- Charlie Ganzel, baseball player
- Warren Giese, football head coach, South Carolina
- George N. Gillett Jr., co-owner of Liverpool F.C. and Richard Petty Motorsports, owned Montreal Canadiens
- Earl Girard, football player
- Ed Glick, football player
- Charles Goldenberg, All-Pro NFL player
- Melvin Gordon, NFL football player
- Bud Grant, football player and coach, basketball player
- Jabari Greer, football player
- Chris Greisen, football player
- Nick Greisen, football player
- Burleigh Grimes, MLB player and manager, Baseball Hall of Fame
- Ryan Groy, football player
- Paul Gruber, football player
- Mark Grudzielanek, baseball player
- Ruth Grulkowski, Olympic athlete
- Tim Gullikson, tennis player
- Tom Gullikson, tennis player
- Tyrese Haliburton, Basketball Player
- Dennis Hall, Olympic silver medalist, World champion in Greco-Roman wrestling
- Jim Haluska, football player
- Becca Hamilton, Olympic curler
- Matt Hamilton, Olympic curler
- Morgan Hamm, Olympic medalist
- Paul Hamm, Olympic gold medalist
- Hal Hanson, NFL player
- Pat Harder, football player, College Football Hall of Fame
- Devin Harris, basketball player
- Art Hauser, NFL player
- Joe Hauser, baseball player
- Nick Hayden, football player
- Beth Heiden, speedskater and cyclist
- Eric Heiden, athlete, Olympic champion
- Ben Heller, baseball player for New York Yankees
- Russ Hellickson, Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Phil Hellmuth, professional poker player
- Arnie Herber, football player
- Tyler Herro, basketball player
- Natisha Hiedeman, basketball player for the Israeli team Maccabi Bnot Ashdod and the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association
- Eric Hinske, baseball player for Atlanta Braves
- Elroy Hirsch, football player, college administrator, actor, Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Ed Hochuli, NFL referee
- Aaron Hohlbein, soccer player
- Larry Hough, Olympic medalist
- Mitch Jacoby, football player
- Jeff Jagodzinski, NFL assistant coach, Boston College coach
- Dan Jansen, speedskater
- Chuck Jaskwhich, basketball coach, Ole Miss
- Mike Jirschele, baseball coach, Kansas City Royals
- Larry Johnson, football player
- Mark Johnson, NHL player; gold medalist 1980 Winter Olympics Miracle on Ice team
- Swede Johnston, football player
- Davy Jones, baseball player
- Whip Jones, founder Aspen Highlands Skiing
- Nicole Joraanstad, Olympic athlete, national champion curler
- Barbara Jordan, tennis player
- Addie Joss, baseball player, Hall of Fame
- Colin Kaepernick, football player
- John Kaiser, NFL player
- Coby Karl, basketball player
- Karl Kassulke, football player
- Bill Kazmaier, powerlifter
- Ken Keltner, baseball player
- Lance Kendricks, football player
- Ken Kennedy, professional wrestler
- Matt Kenseth, NASCAR driver
- Amanda Kessel, ice hockey player
- Phil Kessel, ice hockey player for the Arizona Coyotes
- Walt Kichefski, NFL player and head coach of the Miami Hurricanes football team
- Carl Kiekhaefer, NASCAR owner, Motorsports Hall of Fame
- Ed Killian, baseball player
- Gordon King, football player
- A. J. Klein, football player
- Nap Kloza, baseball player and manager
- Todd Kluever, NASCAR driver
- Gene Knutson, football player
- Herman Koehler, football coach, Army Black Knights
- Phyllis Koehn, baseball player
- Ed Konetchy, baseball player
- Peter Konz, football player
- Dave Koslo, baseball player
- Alvin Kraenzlein, Olympic champion
- Wayne Kreklow, basketball player
- Dave Krieg, football player
- Clint Kriewaldt, football player
- Rocky Krsnich, baseball player
- Tony Kubek, baseball player
- Harvey Kuenn, baseball player and manager
- Duane Kuiper, baseball player and sportscaster
- Alan Kulwicki, NASCAR driver
- Garrott Kuzzy, Olympic athlete
- Travis Kvapil, NASCAR driver
- Steve Lacy, Olympic athlete-runner
- Maria Lamb, Olympic athlete, national champion speedskater
- Curly Lambeau, football player and coach
- Carl Landry, NBA basketball player
- Marcus Landry, basketball player
- Austen Lane, football player
- Dan Lanphear, football player
- Debi Laszewski, IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Alphonse Leemans, football player, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Jim Leonhard, football player
- DeAndre Levy, football player
- Reggie "The Crusher" Lisowski, world champion professional wrestler
- Garrett Lowney, Olympic bronze medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling
- Fred Luderus, baseball player
- Craig Ludwig, NHL player and assistant coach
- D. Wayne Lukas, horse trainer
- Gavin Lux, baseball player
- Rick Majerus, basketball coach, head coach of Marquette, Utah, Ball State and Saint Louis men's basketball teams
- Edgar Manske, football player, member of the College Football Hall of Fame
- Chris Maragos, football player
- Kevin Mather, baseball executive
- Wesley Matthews, basketball player
- Greg Mattison, NFL assistant coach
- John Matuszak, football player
- Debbie McCormick, Olympic athlete, world champion curler
- Francis J. McCormick, football player
- Chris McIntosh, football player
- John McNally, NFL player and head coach, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Jack Mead, football player
- John Menard Jr., owner of Team Menard
- Paul Menard, NASCAR driver
- David Merkow, golfer
- Candice Michelle, professional wrestler
- Chris Mihm, basketball player
- Damian Miller, baseball player
- Bob Mionske, former Olympic and professional bicycle racer
- Milan Momcilovic, basketball player
- John Morrissey, baseball player
- Tom Morrissey, baseball player
- Bob Morrow, football player
- Dom Moselle, football player
- Rose Namajunas, UFC mixed martial artist
- Pat Neshek, baseball player
- Rick Neuheisel, NFL player and assistant coach, head coach of the UCLA Bruins
- Kid Nichols, MLB player and manager, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
- Andy North, professional golfer
- Brad Nortman, NFL player
- Steve Novak, basketball player
- Scott O'Brien, NFL player and assistant coach
- John Offerdahl, football player
- Leslie Osborne, soccer player
- Jim Otto, football player
- Andy Pafko, baseball player
- Karl Pagel, baseball player
- Marvin Panch, NASCAR driver
- Danica Patrick, Indycar and NASCAR driver
- Joe Pavelski, ice hockey player for the Dallas Stars
- Nick Pearson, Olympic athlete, national champion speedskater
- Hal Peck, baseball player
- Joe Perrault, Olympic athlete
- Ben Peterson, Olympic gold and silver medalist in freestyle wrestling
- John Peterson, Olympic gold and silver medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Phil Pettey, NFL player and assistant coach
- Anthony Pettis, former UFC and WEC lightweight champion
- Sergio Pettis, MMA/UFC-fighter and brother of Anthony Pettis
- Dick Phillips, MLB player and coach
- Dan Plante, professional ice hockey player
- George Poage, athlete
- Terry Porter, NBA player and head coach
- Dylan Postl, professional wrestler
- Armintie Price, basketball player
- Casey Rabach, football player
- Brad Radke, baseball player
- Catherine Raney-Norman, Olympic athlete, national champion speedskater
- Shane Rawley, baseball player
- Russ Rebholz, football player
- Joel Rechlicz, hockey player
- Hans Reese, Olympic athlete
- Tom Regner, football player
- Andrew Rein, Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling
- Mike Reinfeldt, NFL player and general manager
- Lee Remmel, NFL historian
- Pat Richter, football player, member of the College Football Hall of Fame
- Joe Riggert, baseball player
- Nick Roach, football player
- Chester J. Roberts, head coach of the Miami Redskins football and men's basketball teams
- Andrew Rock, track
- Ryan Rohlinger, third baseman for San Francisco Giants
- Tony Romo, football player
- Aaron Ross, football player
- Braggo Roth, baseball player
- Frank Roth, baseball player
- Nina Roth, Olympic curler
- Ben Rothwell, MMA fighter
- Jeffery “Duke” Roufus, world champion kickboxer
- Pants Rowland, baseball manager
- Courtney Rummel, professional snowboarder
- Steve Russ, football player and assistant coach
- Terry Ryan, baseball general manager
- Tracy Sachtjen, Olympic athlete, world champion curler
- Zeke Sanborn, Olympic gold medalist
- Jay Sauter, NASCAR driver
- Jim Sauter, former NASCAR driver
- Johnny Sauter, NASCAR driver
- Tim Sauter, NASCAR driver
- Owen Schmitt, football player
- Mike Schneck, football player
- Dave Schreiner, football player, Hall of Fame
- Bill Schroeder, football player
- Bill Schroeder, football player
- Jay Schroeder, football player
- Champ Seibold, football player
- Molly Seidel, Olympic long distance runner
- Bud Selig, baseball commissioner
- Lauren Sesselmann, Olympic medalist, soccer player for the Canada women's national soccer team
- Rich Seubert, football player
- John Shinners, football player
- Al Simmons, baseball player, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
- Jack Skille, hockey player
- Shaka Smart, basketball head coach, VCU
- Bill Southworth, baseball player
- Latrell Sprewell, basketball player
- David Steckel, ice hockey player for Nürnberg Ice Tigers
- Aaron Stecker, football player
- Kevin Stemke, football player
- Greg Stiemsma, basketball player
- Terry Stieve, football player
- Bob Strampe, baseball player
- Steve Stricker, golfer
- Eric Studesville, NFL head coach
- Billy Sullivan, baseball player
- Bob Suter, hockey player, 1980 Winter Olympics Miracle on Ice team
- Gary Suter, NHL player, Olympic medalist
- Ryan Suter, NHL player, Olympic athlete
- Jerry Tagge, football player
- Tyree Talton, football player
- Lindsay Tarpley, soccer player, Olympic gold medalist
- Claude Taugher, football player
- Mark Tauscher, football player
- Matt Tegenkamp, professional distance runner
- Doris Tetzlaff, baseball player
- Joe Thomas, football player
- Mike Thompson, football player
- Fuzzy Thurston, football player
- Dick Trickle, racecar driver
- Matt Turk, punter for Houston Texans
- Bob Uecker, baseball player, sportscaster and actor
- Nick Van Exel, basketball player
- Ron Vander Kelen, football player
- Gary Varsho, MLB player and manager
- Joe Vavra, MLB hitting coach
- Jessie Vetter, Olympic athlete, world champion hockey player
- John Wallace, Olympic athlete
- Jimmie Ward, football player
- Jarrod Washburn, baseball player
- Derek Watt, football player
- J. J. Watt, football player
- T. J. Watt, football player
- Kyle Weaver, basketball player
- Bruce Weber, college basketball coach
- Garrett Weber-Gale, US Olympic swimmer
- Mike Webster, football player
- Lee Weigel, football player
- Gus Welch, Olympic athlete, NFL player, coach at Washington State and Virginia, College Football Hall of Fame
- Don Werner, baseball player
- Morgan White, gymnast
- Charlie Whitehurst, football player
- Mitchell Whitmore, Olympic athlete, national champion speedskater
- Bob Wickman, baseball player
- Jamil Wilson, basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Mark Wilson, golfer
- Chris Wimmer, NASCAR driver
- Scott Wimmer, NASCAR driver
- Joe Wolf, NBA player and assistant coach
- Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej, Olympic athlete
- Kevin Zeitler, football player
- Jordan Zimmermann, pitcher for Washington Nationals
- Reed Zuehlke, Olympic athlete
Notorious and infamous Wisconsinites
- Aldrich Ames, convicted spy
- Dwight Armstrong, accomplice in the Sterling Hall bombing
- Steven Avery, convicted of murder after DNA exoneration from rape conviction
- Lawrencia Bembenek, convicted murderer
- Arthur Bremer, would-be assassin of George Wallace
- Mary Brunner, member of the Manson Family
- Jeffrey Dahmer, serial killer
- Jeane Dixon, psychic
- Bernardine Dohrn, co-founder and former leader of the Weather Underground
- Evelyn Frechette, lover and accomplice of John Dillinger
- Ed Gein, murderer
- Charles J. Guiteau, assassin of 20th president James A. Garfield, lived in Ulao, 1850–1855
- Eugene Hasenfus, CIA cargo handler
- Kato Kaelin, person of interest, O. J. Simpson criminal trial
- Bridey Murphy, alleged previous life
- Oleg Nikolaenko, fugitive
- Christopher Scarver, convicted murderer
Fictional characters
- Characters from the television series The Bold and the Beautiful
- Characters from the television series Happy Days
- Characters from the television series Laverne and Shirley
- Characters from the television series Liv and Maddie
- Characters from the television series Picket Fences
- Characters from the television series That '70s Show
- Characters from the television series The Young and the Restless
- Larry Appleton, from the television series Perfect Strangers
- Barbie, a doll manufactured by Mattel, Inc. and a character from a series of novels published by Random House
- Ryan Bingham, from the film Up in the Air
- Robert Harrison Blake, from the short story "The Haunter of the Dark" by H.P. Lovecraft
- Paul Bunyan, mythological lumberjack
- William Cross, the alter ego of the comic book supervillain Crossfire
- Ashley Crawford, the alter ego of the comic book superhero Big Bertha
- Jack Dawson, from the film Titanic
- Roz Doyle, from the television series Frasier; from Bloomer
- Alan Fagan, the fourth alter ego of the comic book supervillain Mister Fear
- Grand Slam, a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic book series, and cartoon series
- Richard Harrow, from the television series Boardwalk Empire
- Jennifer-Lynn Hayden, the alter ego of the comic book superhero Jade
- Craig Hollis, the alter ego of the comic book superhero Mister Immortal
- Ethan Hunt from the film series Mission: Impossible
- Jordan, a character in the novel Cell by Stephen King
- Conrad Josten, the alter ego of the comic book superhero Smuggler
- Erik Josten, a comic book superhero from Marvel Comics
- Karl Kaufman, the second alter ego of the comic book superhero Phantom Eagle
- Jennifer Keller, from the television series Stargate Atlantis
- Hannibal King, from Marvel Comics and the film Blade: Trinity
- Vlad Masters, the alter ego of the supervillain Vlad Plasmius from the television series Danny Phantom
- Donna Moss, from the television series The West Wing
- Sonny Munroe, from the television series Sonny with a Chance
- Mike Nelson, from the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000
- Pickles the Drummer, from the television series Metalocalypse
- Daniel Plainview, from the film There Will Be Blood
- Gwen Raiden, from the television series Angel and the comic book series Angel: After the Fall
- Recondo, a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic book series, and cartoon series
- Todd Rice, the alter ego of the comic book superhero Obsidian
- Stan Ross, a Milwaukee baseball star from the film Mr. 3000
- President Andrew Shepherd, a character from the film The American President
- Samantha Spade, from the television series Without a Trace
- Norbert Sykes, the alter ego of the comic book superhero The Badger
- Albert Tappman from the novel Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
- Martha and Steven Thompson, from the South Park episode "How to Eat with Your Butt" when a practical joke leads them to mistake Kenny for their missing son, Tommy Thompson, who has a butt on his face
- Wendell Vaughn, the alter ego of the comic book superhero Quasar
- Seth Voelker, the alter ego of the comic book supervillain Sidewinder
- Greg Willis, the alter ego of the comic book superhero Gravity