List of people from Kansas

The following are notable people who were either born, raised, or have lived for a significant period of time in the American state of Kansas.

Academics and Nobel Prize laureates

 * Milton S. Eisenhower (1899–1985), university president; Abilene
 * Wendell Johnson (1906–1965), psychologist and speech pathologist, author of The Monster Study; Roxbury
 * Jack S. Kilby (1923–2005), Nobel Prize winner in Physics; Great Bend
 * Solon Toothaker Kimball (1909–1982), anthropologist; Manhattan
 * Stanford Lehmberg (1931–2012), historian; McPherson
 * Norman Malcolm (1911–1990), philosopher; Selden
 * Deane Waldo Malott (1898–1996), president of Cornell University; Abilene
 * Abby Lillian Marlatt (1869–1943), home economics; Manhattan
 * Eric K. Meyer (born 1953), journalism professor and Pulitzer Prize nominee; Marion
 * M. Lee Pelton (born 1950), president of Willamette University; Wichita
 * John Brooks Slaughter (1934–2023), college president and first African-American director of the National Science Foundation; Topeka
 * Vernon L. Smith (born 1927), Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economics; Wichita
 * Earl Wilbur Sutherland Jr. (1915–1974), 1971 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology and Medicine; Burlingame
 * Donald Worster (born 1941), historian; Lawrence

Artists

 * Nina E. Allender (1873–1957), artist and women's suffrage cartoonist; Auburn
 * Grace Bilger (1907–2000), artist; Olathe
 * Grant Bond (born 1974), artist; Kansas City
 * Blackbear Bosin (1921–1980), Native American artist; Wichita
 * Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (1917–2000), poet; Topeka
 * Bruce Conner (1933–2008), artist; McPherson
 * John Steuart Curry (1897–1946), artist; Winchester
 * Aaron Douglas (1900–1979), artist; Topeka
 * Randall Duell (1903–1992), architect and art director; Russell County
 * Edgar Heap of Birds (born 1954), artist; Wichita
 * Bruce Helander (born 1947), artist; Great Bend
 * Elizabeth Layton (1909–1993), artist; Wellsville
 * Evan Lindquist (born 1936), printmaker, Artist Laureate of Arkansas; Salina
 * Barbara Morgan (1900–1992), photographer; Buffalo, Kansas
 * Gordon Parks (1912–2006), photographer and film director; Fort Scott
 * Birger Sandzen (1871–1954), artist, art professor at Bethany College; Lindsborg
 * Gary Mark Smith (born 1956), photographer, studied at University of Kansas; Wichita
 * W. Eugene Smith (1918–1978), photographer; Wichita
 * Mort Walker (1923–2018), cartoonist, creator of Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois comic strips; El Dorado

Authors

 * Laura Abbot, author of Harlequin romance novels; Kansas City
 * Elizabeth Barr Arthur (1884–1971), poet, author, journalist, librarian, police officer, suffragist; Lincoln County
 * Gwendolyn Brooks (1917–2000), author, poet; Topeka
 * William Burroughs (1914–1997), author; Lawrence
 * Don Coldsmith (1926–2009), author of Western fiction; Iola
 * Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879–1958), author of children's books; Lawrence
 * Thomas Frank (born 1965), author and editor; Mission Hills
 * Clara H. Hazelrigg (1861–1937), author, educator, social reformer; Council Grove
 * Jane Heap (1883–1964), author and publisher; Topeka
 * Scott Heim (born 1966), author; Hutchinson
 * Langston Hughes (1902–1967), author and poet; Lawrence
 * William Inge (1913–1973), playwright; Independence
 * Bill James (born 1949), author; Mayetta
 * Bill Martin Jr. (1916–2004), children's author; Hiawatha
 * Fred Myton (1885–1955), screenwriter; Garden City
 * Kathy Patrick, author, founder of Pulpwood Queens Book Club; Eureka
 * Scott Phillips (born 1961), author; Wichita
 * Vance Randolph (1892–1980), folklorist; Pittsburg
 * Red Reeder (1902–1998), author and United States Army officer; Fort Leavenworth
 * Richard Rhodes (born 1937), author and historian; Kansas City
 * Lois Ruby, author of historic fiction; Lawrence
 * Damon Runyon (1880–1946), author; Manhattan
 * Mary Francis Shura (1923–1990), children's, romance and mystery author; Pratt
 * William Stafford (1914–1993), poet and pacifist; Hutchinson
 * Max Yoho (1934–2017), author; Colony

Dancers

 * Clark Tippet (1954–1992), ballet; Parsons

Musicians
• Chris Arpad, solo steel pannist; McPherson

• Karrin Allyson, jazz performer; Great Bend

• Dawayne Bailey, musician and songwriter (Bob Seger and Chicago); Manhattan

• Pattie Brooks, singer

• Karla Burns (1955–2021), mezzo-soprano; Wichita

• Danny Carey (born 1961), musician; Lawrence

• Richard Christy, musician, actor, comedian, drummer, writer for Howard Stern show; Fort Scott

• Gene Clark (1944–1991), singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds; Bonner Springs

• Buck Clayton (1911–1991), jazz trumpeter-arranger solo and with Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, others; Parsons

• Dorothy DeLay (1917–2002), violinist, Juilliard professor; Medicine Lodge

• Joyce DiDonato (born 1969), mezzo-soprano; Prairie Village

• Phil Ehart (born 1951), drummer for the rock band "Kansas"; Coffeyville

• Melissa Etheridge (born 1961), musician; Leavenworth

• Rory Lee Feek (born ca. 1966), country music singer; Atchison

• Wendell Hall (1886–1969), musician; St. George

• Mark Hart (born 1953), musician, Crowded House, Supertramp; Fort Scott

• Nora Holt (1885 or 1890–1975), singer and co-founder of the National Association of Negro Musicians; Kansas City

• Dave Hope (born 1949), musician; Topeka

• Eva Jessye (1895–1992), choral conductor; Coffeyville

• Jennifer Knapp (born 1974), singer and songwriter; Chanute

• Brian Leeds (born 1991), a.k.a. Huerco S. and Pendant, electronic musician; Emporia.

• Katrina Leskanich (born 1960), musician; Topeka

• Kerry Livgren (born 1949), founding member of Kansas; Topeka

• Frank Luther (1905–1980), musician; Lakin

• Mitch Markovich (born 1944), drummer, marching band director, professor; Great Bend

• Martina McBride (born 1966), musician; Sharon

• Andy McKee (born 1979), musician; Topeka

• Janelle Monáe (born 1985), vocalist; Kansas City

• Moondog (1916–1999), vocalist, percussionist and composer; real name Louis Thomas Hardin; Marysville

• Jerrod Niemann (born 1979), country singer; Liberal

• Charlie Parker (1920–1955), musician; Kansas City

• Samuel Ramey (born 1942), opera, bass-baritone; Colby

• Joe Don Rooney (born 1975), guitarist and vocalist; Baxter Springs

• Mark Schultz (born 1970), musician; Colby

• Robby Steinhardt (1950–2021), musician; Lawrence

• Steven Stucky (1949–2016), Pulitzer Prize-winner in music; Hutchinson

• Jeremy Turner, guitar player in death metal band Origin, formerly of Cannibal Corpse

• Grace VanderWaal (born 2004), singer-songwriter, ukuleleist, winner of America's Got Talent season 11 (born in Lenexa)

• Joe Walsh (born 1947), musician; Wichita

• Bobby Watson (born 1953), musician; Bonner Springs

• James Wesley, country music singer; Mound Valley

• David Wetzel (born 1983), musician; Westwood

• J. White Did It (born 1984), record producer; Kansas City and Leavenworth

• Rich Williams (born 1950), musician; Topeka

• Chely Wright (born 1970), musician; Wellsville

• XV (stage name of Donavan LaMond Johnson), emcee, producer; Wichita

• Gordon Young (1919–1998), organist and composer; McPherson

Athletes

 * A–F


 * Alvan Adams (born 1954), basketball; Lawrence
 * John H. Adams (1914–1995), jockey; Iola
 * Neil Allen (born 1958), baseball pitcher, pitching coach; Kansas City
 * David Arkin (born 1987), pro football player; Wichita
 * Elden Auker (1910–2006), baseball pitcher; Norcatur
 * Chase Austin (born 1989), NASCAR driver; Eudora
 * Chris Babb (born 1990), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League; Topeka
 * Ron Baker (born 1993), NBA player (New York Knicks); Utica and Scott City (born in Hays)
 * Thane Baker (born 1931), gold medalist at 1956 Summer Olympics, decathlon; Elkhart
 * Tony Barker (born 1968), football player; Wichita
 * Chris Barnes (born 1970), professional bowler; Topeka
 * James Bausch (1906–1974), gold medalist 1932 Summer Olympics; Garden Plain
 * Oliver Bradwell (born 1992), sprinter; Wichita
 * Judy Bell (born 1936), member of World Golf Hall of Fame; Wichita
 * Matt Besler (born 1987), professional soccer player; Overland Park
 * B.H. Born (1932–2013), basketball player; Medicine Lodge
 * Clint Bowyer (born 1979), NASCAR driver; Emporia
 * George Brett (born 1953), baseball Hall of Famer; Mission Hills
 * Bryce Brown (born 1991), football player; Wichita
 * Orville Brown (1908–1981), pro wrestler, NWA champion; Sharon
 * Mildred Bliss Burke (1915–1989), pro wrestler, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame; Coffeyville
 * Enos Cabell (born 1949), baseball player; Fort Riley
 * Veronica Campbell-Brown (born 1982), track and field athlete (Olympic and world champion); Great Bend
 * Antoine Carr (born 1961), basketball player
 * Willie Cauley-Stein (born 1993), professional basketball player Spearville
 * Larry Cheney (1886–1969), baseball pitcher; Belleville
 * Jack Christiansen (1928–1986), football Hall of Famer; Sublette
 * Tony Clark (born 1972), baseball player; Newton
 * Maliek Collins (born 1995), football player; Kansas City
 * Baron Corbin (born 1984), football player, WWE wrestler; Lenexa
 * Nolan Cromwell (born 1955), football player; Smith Center
 * Aaron Crow (born 1986), baseball player; Topeka
 * Glenn Cunningham (1909–1988), silver medalist, 1936 Olympic Games,1,500m run; Elkhart
 * Johnny Damon (born 1973), baseball player; Fort Riley
 * Eldon Danenhauer (1935–2021), football player; Clay Center
 * Darren Daulton (born 1962), baseball player; Arkansas City
 * Wantha Davis (1917–2012), jockey; Liberal
 * Joey Devine (born 1983), baseball player; Junction City
 * Lynn Dickey (born 1949), football player; Osawatomie
 * Andy Dirks (born 1986), baseball player; Burrton
 * Larry Drew (born 1958), basketball player and coach; Kansas City
 * Mark Duckens (born 1965), football player; Wichita
 * Brian Duensing (born 1983), baseball player; Marysville
 * Brody Eldridge (born 1987), football player; La Cygne
 * Tim Elliott (born 1986), mixed martial artist; Wichita
 * Maurice Evans (born 1978), basketball player; Wichita
 * Kyle Farnsworth (born 1976), baseball player; Wichita
 * Galen Fiss (1931–2006), football player; Johnson City
 * Adrianna Franch (born 1990), soccer player (world champion); Salina
 * Scott Fulhage (born 1961), football player; Beloit


 * G–M


 * Andrew Gachkar (born 1988), football player; Overland Park
 * Kendall Gammon (born 1968), football player; Rose Hill
 * Tyson Gay (born 1982), track and field athlete (world champion); Great Bend
 * Maurice Greene (born 1974), track and field athlete (world and Olympic champion); Kansas City
 * Adrian Griffin (born 1974), basketball player and coach; Wichita
 * Geneo Grissom (born 1992), football player; Hutchinson
 * Andy Gruenebaum (born 1982), soccer player
 * Don Gutteridge (1912–2008), baseball player and manager; Pittsburg
 * Joe Hastings (born 1987), football player; Wichita
 * Tanner Hawkinson (born 1990), football player; McPherson
 * Mark Haynes (born 1958), football player; Kansas City
 * Ben Heeney (born 1992), football player; Hutchinson
 * Bobby Henrich (born 1938), baseball player; Lawrence
 * Don Hill (1904–1967), football player; Hiawatha
 * Shaun Hill (born 1980), football player; Parsons
 * Elon Hogsett (1903–2001), baseball player; Brownell
 * Lionel Hollins (born 1953), basketball player and coach; Arkansas City
 * Scott Huffman (born 1964), pole vaulter; Quinter
 * Damian Johnson (born 1962), football player; Great Bend
 * Walter Johnson (1887–1946), baseball Hall of Famer; Humboldt
 * Pete Kilduff (1893–1930), baseball player; Weir
 * Fred Kipp (born 1931), baseball pitcher; Piqua
 * Tonya Knight (born 1966), IFBB professional bodybuilder; Overland Park
 * Laurie Koehn (born 1982), WNBA player; Moundridge
 * Gene Krug (born 1955), baseball player; Garden City
 * Adam LaRoche (born 1979), baseball player; Fort Scott
 * Bobby Lashley (born 1976), professional wrestler for WWE; Junction City
 * Shalee Lehning (born 1987), WNBA player; Sublette
 * Martin Lewis (born 1975), NBA basketball player; Liberal
 * Danny Manning (born 1966), NBA basketball player; Lawrence
 * Harold Manning (1909–2003), Steeplechase world record holder and Olympian; Sedgwick
 * Rudy May (born 1944), baseball player; Coffeyville
 * Jon McGraw, professional football player; Riley
 * Archie "Hap" McKain (1911–1985), baseball player; Delphos
 * Peter Mehringer (1910–1987), Olympic gold medalist wrestler, pro football player; Kinsley
 * Brian Moorman (born 1976), football player; Sedgwick
 * Mike Morin (born 1991), baseball player; Leawood


 * N–Z


 * Marcio Navarro (born 1978), professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist; Wichita
 * Jordy Nelson (born 1985), football player; Leonardville
 * Terence Newman (born 1978), football player; Salina
 * Nicole Ohlde (born 1982), WNBA player; Clay Center
 * Antonio Orozco (born 1987), professional boxer; Garden City
 * Victor Ortiz (born 1987), professional boxer; Garden City
 * Bob Orton (1929–2006), professional wrestler; Kansas City
 * Bob Orton Jr. (born 1950), professional wrestler, WWE Hall of Fame; Kansas City
 * John Parrella (born 1969), professional football player; Topeka
 * Hal Patterson (1932–2011), professional football player; Larned
 * Jordan Phillips (born 1992), professional football player; Towanda
 * Joseph Randle (born 1991), professional football player; Wichita
 * Ronn Reynolds (born 1958), professional baseball player; Wichita
 * Dustin Richardson (born 1984), MLB pitcher; Newton
 * John Riggins (born 1949), football player, Pro Football Hall of Famer; Centralia
 * Brandon Rios (born 1986), professional boxer; Garden City
 * Lafayette Russell (1905–1978), football player, B-movie actor "Reb" Russell; Osawatomie
 * Johnny Rutherford (born 1938), race car driver; Coffeyville
 * Jim Ryun (born 1947), athlete and politician; Wichita
 * Barry Sanders (born 1968), football player, NFL Hall of Famer; Wichita
 * Melvin Sanders (born 1981), pro basketball player; Liberal
 * Wes Santee (1932–2010), NCAA cross country champion, track and field athlete; Ashland
 * Gale Sayers (1943–2020), NFL Hall of Famer; Wichita
 * Otto Schnellbacher (1923–2008), pro basketball and football player; Sublette
 * Ryan Schraeder (born 1988), professional football player; Wichita
 * Grant Sherfield (born 1999), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
 * Wayne Simien (born 1983), NCAA All-American, NBA basketball player; Leavenworth
 * Mark Simoneau (born 1977), professional football player; Smith Center
 * Marilynn Smith (1929–2019), professional golfer and LPGA co-founder; Topeka
 * Darren Sproles (born 1983), professional football player; Olathe
 * Bubba Starling (born 1992), professional baseball player; Gardner
 * Lee Stevens (born 1967), professional baseball player; Lawrence
 * Jackie Stiles (born 1978), WNBA basketball player; Claflin
 * Stewart "Smokey" Stover (born 1938), professional football player; McPherson
 * Darrell Stuckey (born 1987), professional football player; Kansas City
 * Tom Sturdivant (1930–2009), professional baseball player; Gordon
 * Steve Tasker (born 1962), NFL Pro Bowl MVP in 1993; Leoti (born in Smith Center
 * Luther Haden "Dummy" Taylor (1875–1958), baseball pitcher; Oskaloosa
 * Doug Terry (born 1968), pro football player; Liberal
 * Tommy Thompson (1916–1989), pro football player; Hutchinson
 * Joe Tinker (1880–1948), MLB shortstop, member of Baseball Hall of Fame; Muscotah
 * Blake Treinen (born 1988), professional baseball player; Osage City
 * Jerame Tuman (born 1976), pro football player; Liberal
 * Ron Warner (born 1975), professional football player; Independence
 * Earl Watson (born 1979), NBA basketball player; Kansas City
 * Tom Watson (born 1949), golfer, member of World Golf Hall of Fame; Stilwell
 * Mitch Webster (born 1959), MLB player; Larned
 * Kendra Wecker (born 1982), WNBA player; Marysville
 * Michael Wilhoite (born 1986), pro football player; Manhattan
 * Jess Willard (1881–1968), world heavyweight boxing champion, St. Clere; Pottawatomie County
 * Kamerion Wimbley (born 1983), professional football player; Wichita
 * Lynette Woodard (born 1959), basketball Hall of Famer; Wichita
 * Brad Ziegler (born 1979), baseball player; Pratt
 * John Zook (1947–2020), professional football player; Garden City

Coaches
• Phog Allen (1885–1974), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Lawrence

• Jeremy Bates (born 1976), NFL offensive coordinator; Manhattan

• Jack Christiansen (1928–1986), pro and college football coach; Sublette

• Alan Cockrell (born 1962), hitting coach, New York Yankees; Kansas City

• Jory Collins (born 1978), college basketball coach; Holton

• Larry Drew (born 1958), NBA head coach; Kansas City

• Mark Fox (born 1969), college basketball coach; Garden City

• Dennis Franchione (born 1951), college football coach; Girard

• Edward C. Gallagher (1887–1940), NCAA Champion, Olympic and Hall of Fame Wrestling Coach; Perth

• Don Gambril (born 1934), Hall of Fame swimming coach; Altamont

• Ted Gilmore (born 1967), college football coach; Wichita

• Bill Guthridge (1937–2015), college basketball coach; Parsons

• Lionel Hollins (born 1953), NBA head coach; Arkansas City

• Ralph Houk (1919–2010), Major League Baseball manager; Lawrence

• Tim Jankovich (born 1959), college basketball coach; Manhattan

• Gene Keady (born 1936), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Larned

• Gary Patterson (born 1960), college football coach; Rozel

• Jerry Kill (born 1961), college football coach; Cheney

• Lon Kruger (born 1952), college and NBA basketball coach; Silver Lake

• John McLendon (1915–1999), Hall of Fame basketball coach of college, ABL, and ABA; Hiawatha

• Ralph Miller (1919–2001), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Chanute

• Billie Moore (born 1943), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Westmoreland

• James Naismith (1861–1939), inventor of basketball, coach, athletic director, faculty member at University of Kansas

• Johnny Orr (1927–2013), college basketball coach; Yale

• John H. Outland (1871–1947), namesake of Outland Trophy; Douglas County

• Adolph Rupp (1901–1977), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Halstead

• Francis Schmidt (1885–1944), college football, baseball, and basketball coach; Downs

• Brian Schottenheimer (born 1973), NFL offensive coordinator; Stilwell

• Dean Smith (1931–2015), Hall of Fame college basketball coach; Emporia

• Bill Snyder (born 1939), Hall of Fame college football coach; Kansas State University

• Eddie Sutton (1936–2020), college basketball coach; Bucklin

• Mark Turgeon (born 1965), college basketball coach; Topeka

• Brent Venables (born 1970), college football coach; Salina

Aviators and astronauts

 * Walter Herschel Beech (1891–1950), aviator and aircraft designer; Wichita
 * Clyde Vernon Cessna (1879–1954), aviator and aircraft designer; Rago
 * Amelia Earhart (1897–1937), aviator; Atchison
 * Joe Engle (1932–2024), astronaut; Chapman
 * Ronald Evans (1933–1990), astronaut; St. Francis
 * Daniel Forbes (1920–1948), United States Army Air Corps pilot; Carbondale
 * Steve Hawley (born 1951), astronaut; Salina
 * Donald Hudson (1895–1967), World War I flying ace; Topeka
 * Glenn L. Martin (1886–1955), aviation pioneer; Salina
 * Lloyd Carlton Stearman (1898–1975), aviator and aircraft designer; Wellsford

Businesspeople and inventors

 * Philip Anschutz (born 1939), billionaire investor; Russell
 * Bion Barnett (1857–1958), co-founder of Barnett Bank; Hiawatha
 * Olive Ann Beech, chairwoman of Beech Aircraft Company; Wichita (born in Waverly)
 * Dan and Frank Carney (Dan born 1931, Frank 1938–2020), founders of Pizza Hut; Wichita
 * Walter Chrysler (1875–1940), founder of Chrysler Corporation; Wamego
 * William Coffin Coleman (1870–1957), founder of the Coleman Company; Wichita
 * David Dillon (born 1951), former CEO of Kroger; Hutchinson
 * Vic Edelbrock (1913–1962), automotive engineer; Eudora
 * David Green (born 1941), founder of Hobby Lobby; Emporia
 * James Harbord (1866–1947), president and chairman of the board of RCA; Manhattan
 * Hollis Dow Hedberg (1903–1988), president of Gulf Oil Company; Falun
 * William Wadsworth Hodkinson (1881–1971), pioneer film marketer and distributor; Independence
 * Carl Ice (born 1956), President of BNSF; Topeka
 * Omar Knedlik (1915–1989), inventor of the ICEE frozen drink; Barnes
 * Charles G. Koch (born 1935), CEO of Koch Industries; Wichita
 * David H. Koch (1940–2019), executive and politician; Wichita
 * Alan Mulally (born 1945), engineer, former president and CEO of the Ford Motor Company; Lawrence
 * Matthew K. Rose (born 1959), chairman and CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.; Salina
 * Harry F. Sinclair (1876–1956), founder of Sinclair Oil Company; Independence
 * Russell Stover (1888–1954), founder of Russell Stover Candies; Alton

Actors and performers
• Brandon Adams (born 1979), actor; Topeka

• Tyrees Allen (born 1954), actor; Salina

• Kirstie Alley (1951-2022), actress; Wichita

• Fatty Arbuckle (1887–1933), actor; Smith Center

• Barbara Babcock (born 1937), actress; Fort Riley

• Gerry Bamman (born 1941), actor; Independence

• Hugh Beaumont (1909–1982), actor; Lawrence

• Annette Bening (born 1958), actress; Topeka

• Gregg Binkley (born 1963), actor; Topeka

• Madge Blake (1899–1969), actress (Batman); Kinsley

• Roscoe Born (1950–2020), actor; Topeka

• Steve Brodie (1919–1992), actor; El Dorado

• Louise Brooks (1906–1985), actress; Cherryvale

• Petrea Burchard (born 1955), actress; Lawrence

• Darren E. Burrows (born 1966), actor; Winfield

• Trai Byers (born 1983), actor; Kansas City

• Del Close (1934–1999), actor and comedian; Manhattan

• Brent Collins (1941–1988), actor; Plainville

• Jack Colvin (1934–2005), actor; Lyndon

• Aneta Corsaut (1933–1995), actress; Hutchinson

• Nathan Darrow (born 1976), actor; Overland Park

• Lucinda Dickey (born 1960), actress and dancer; Hutchinson

• Billy Drago (1945–2019), actor; Hugoton

• Marj Dusay (1936–2020), actress; Hays

• Jimmy Donaldson (born 1998), YouTuber; Wichita

• R. Lee Ermey (1944–2018), actor; Emporia

• Bridget Everett (born 1972), actress, cabaret artist, comedian; Manhattan

• Bill Farmer (born 1952), voice actor; Pratt

• Tamara Feldman (born 1980), actress; Wichita

• Scott Foley (born 1972), actor; Kansas City

• Dwight Frye (1899–1943), actor; Salina

• Alan Fudge (1944–2011), actor; Wichita

• Laurel Goodwin (born 1942), actress; Wichita

• Cary Guffey (born 1972), actor; Topeka

• Zach Hadel (born 1990), voice actor; Overland Park

• Dennis Hayden (born 1952), actor; Girard

• Colton Haynes (born 1988), actor; Wichita

• Thelma Hill (1906–1938), actress; Emporia

• Dennis Hopper (1936–2010), actor; Dodge City

• Jayne Houdyshell (born 1953), actress; Topeka

• Mary Howard (1913–2009), actress; Independence

• Don Johnson (born 1949), actor; Wichita

• Neal Jones (born 1960), actor; Wichita

• Gordon Jump (1932–2003), actor; Manhattan

• Tom Kane (born 1962), voice actor; Overland Park

• Buster Keaton (1895–1966), actor and director; Piqua

• Emmett Kelly (1898–1979), circus clown; Sedan

• Laura Kirk (born 1966), actress; Lecompton

• Shirley Knight (1936–2020), actress; Goessel

• Sarah Lancaster (born 1980), actress; Overland Park

• Lila Leeds (1928–1999), actress; Dodge City

• Hattie McDaniel (1895–1952), actress; Wichita

• Everett McGill (born 1945), actor; Kansas City

• Michael McMillian (born 1978), actor; Olathe

• George Murdock (1930–2012), actor; Salina

• Cassandra Peterson (born 1951), actress, aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; Manhattan

• ZaSu Pitts (1894–1963), actress; Parsons

• Chris Porter (born 1979), comedian; Olathe

• John Quade (1938–2009), actor; Kansas City

• James Reynolds, actor; Oskaloosa

• Rob Riggle (born 1970), actor and comedian; Overland Park

• Charles "Buddy" Rogers (1904–1991), actor and jazz musician; Olathe

• Paul Rudd (born 1969), actor; Overland Park

• Sheila Ryan (1921–1975), actress; Topeka

• Kendall Schmidt (born 1990), singer, actor, and dancer; Wichita

• Kevin Schmidt (born 1988), actor; Andover

• Travis Schuldt (born 1974), actor; Topeka

• Angus Scrimm (1926–2016), actor; Kansas City

• Max Showalter (1917–2000), actor; Caldwell

• Cynthia Sikes (born 1954), actress; Coffeyville

• Lois Smith (born 1930), actress; Topeka

• David Rees Snell (born 1966), actor; Wichita

• Sara Sothern (1895–1994), stage actress; Arkansas City

• Taryn Southern (born 1986), actress, YouTube personality; Wichita

• Rebecca Staab (born 1961), actress; Hays

• Michael Stevens (born 1986), educator, entertainer; Stilwell

• Milburn Stone (1904–1980), actor (Gunsmoke); Burrton

• Eric Stonestreet (born 1971), actor; Kansas City

• Jason Sudeikis (born 1975), actor; Overland Park

• Norma Terris (1904–1989), actress; Columbus

• Fay Tincher (1884–1983), actress; Topeka

• Vivian Vance (1909–1979), actress (I Love Lucy); Cherryvale

• Matt Vogel (born 1970), puppeteer; Kansas City

• Lyle Waggoner (1935–2020), sculptor, actor (Wonder Woman); Kansas City

• Kari Wahlgren (born 1977), actress; Hoisington

• Dee Wallace (born 1948), actress; Kansas City

• Jason Wiles (born 1970), actor; Lenexa

• Claire Windsor (1892–1972), actress; Cawker City

• Patrice Wymore (1926–2014), actress; Miltonvale

• Jeff Yagher (born 1961), actor; Lawrence

Directors

 * Michael Almereyda (born 1960), film director; Overland Park
 * Steve Balderson (born 1975), film director; Wamego
 * Darren Lynn Bousman (born 1979), film director; Overland Park
 * Chris Buck (born 1960), film director, animator; Wichita
 * Eric Darnell (born 1960), director, writer, songwriter, animator; Prairie Village
 * Randall Duell (1903–1992), art director; Russell County
 * Alex Graves (born 1968), television director; El Dorado
 * Sherman Halsey, music video and television director; Independence
 * Martin and Osa Johnson (1884–1937 and 1894–1953), film pioneer, explorer; Chanute
 * Stephen R. Johnson (1952 - 2015), music video and television director; Paola
 * Oscar Micheaux (1893–1951), film director; Great Bend
 * Gordon Parks (1912–2006), film director; Fort Scott
 * Richard Thorpe (1896–1991), film director; Hutchinson

Journalists

 * Frank Marshall Davis (1905–1987), journalist, poet, political and labor movement activist; Arkansas City
 * Steve Doocy (born 1956), co-host of Fox News's Fox & Friends; Abilene
 * Elizabeth Farnsworth (born 1943), television journalist; Topeka
 * William M. Gallagher (1923–1975), Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist; Hiawatha
 * Jane Grant (1892–1972), journalist who co-founded The New Yorker; Girard
 * E. W. Howe (1853–1937), author and newspaper editor; Atchison
 * Bill Kurtis (born 1940), television journalist; Independence
 * Jim Lehrer (1934–2020), television journalist; Wichita
 * Melissa McDermott (born 1960s), television news anchor for CBS's Up to the Minute; Wichita
 * Clementine Paddleford (1898–1967), journalist and food critic; Riley County
 * Eugene C. Pulliam (1889–1975), founder Central Newspapers, Inc.; Ulysses
 * Roy A. Roberts (1887–1967), newspaper editor; Muscotah
 * W. Eugene Smith (1918–1978), photojournalist; Wichita
 * John Cameron Swayze (1906–1995), television journalist; Wichita
 * Julius Wayland (1854–1912), newspaper editor, Appeal to Reason; Girard
 * William Allen White (1868–1944), author and newspaper editor; Emporia
 * Gene Wojciechowski, author, sportswriter and ESPN commentator; Salina

Politics and law
• John Anderson Jr. (1917–2014), Kansas Governor; De Soto

• Sheila Bair (born 1954), former Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), former Commissioner and Acting Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Independence

• Earl Browder (1891–1973), General Secretary, Communist Party USA; Wichita

• Sam Brownback (born 1956), U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, Kansas Governor; Garnett

• Arthur Capper (1865–1951), Kansas Governor and newspaper editor; Garnett

• Frank Carlson (1893–1987), U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and Kansas Governor; Concordia

• Georgia Neese Clark Gray (1900–1995), first woman Treasurer of United States; Richland

• Ty Cobb (born 1950), Special Counsel to the President of the United States; Great Bend, Kansas

• Samuel J. Crawford (1835–1913), Kansas Governor; Garnett

• Charles Curtis (1860–1936), U.S. Senator and 31st Vice President of United States; Topeka

• Harry Darby (1895–1987), businessman and U.S. Senator; Kansas City

• George Docking (1904–1964), Kansas Governor; Clay Center

• Bob Dole (born 1923), U.S. Senator from Kansas (1969–1996) and 1996 Republican nominee for president; Russell

• Dwight Eisenhower (1890–1969), 34th President of the United States, Allied commander in World War II; Abilene (born in Denison, Texas)

• Joan Finney (1925–2001), Kansas Governor; Topeka

• Marlin Fitzwater (born 1942), Press Secretary for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush; Abilene

• Robert Gates (born 1943), CIA director, U.S. Secretary of Defense; Wichita

• Robert L. Gernon (1943–2005), Kansas Supreme Court Justice; Sabetha

• Dan Glickman (born 1944), Secretary of Agriculture, President of Motion Picture Association of America; Wichita

• Bill Graves (born 1953), Kansas Governor; Salina

• Paul Ranous Greever (1891–1943), Wyoming Congressman; Lansing

• Gary Hart (born 1936), Colorado Senator; Ottawa

• Carl Hatch (1889–1963), New Mexico Senator; Kirwin

• Mike Hayden (born 1944), Kansas Governor; Colby

• Wally Hickel (1919–2010), Governor of Alaska, U.S. Secretary of Interior; Claflin

• Laura M. Johns (1849–1935), president, Kansas State Suffrage Association; president, Kansas Republican Woman's Association

• Ural Alexis Johnson (1908–1997), diplomat and ambassador; Falun

• Tim Kaine (born 1958), Virginia Governor and Senator; 2016 Democratic nominee for Vice President; Overland Park

• Nancy Kassebaum Baker (born 1932), Kansas Senator; Topeka

• James H. "Dog" Kelley (1833–1912), frontiersman, mayor of Dodge City

• William P. Lambertson (1880–1957), U.S. Congressman; Fairview

• Alf Landon (1887–1987), Kansas Governor, 1936 presidential candidate; Topeka

• Frank H. Lee (1873–1952), Missouri U.S. Representative; De Soto

• John Martin (1839–1889), Kansas Governor, newspaperman, Civil War Colonel; Atchison

• George McGill (1879–1963), Kansas Senator; Wichita

• Jerry Moran (born 1954), U.S. Representative and Senator; Plainville

• Roger Noriega (born 1959), U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs; Wichita

• Gale Norton (born 1954), U.S. Secretary of the Interior; Wichita

• Lawton Nuss (born 1952), State Supreme Court Justice; Salina

• Kate Richards O'Hare (1877–1948), American Socialist Party activist; Ottawa County

• Leslie Osterman (born 1947), member of Kansas House of Representatives; Wichita

• Shirley Phelps-Roper (born 1957), lawyer for Westboro Baptist Church; Topeka

• Chuck Reed (born 1948), Mayor of San Jose, California; Garden City

• Roy Romer (born 1928), Colorado Governor; Garden City

• Susanna M. Salter (1860–1961), Mayor of Argonia, first woman mayor in U.S.

• Bradley Schlozman (born 1971), controversial figure in George W. Bush Administration's Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy; Overland Park

• K. Gary Sebelius (born 1949), U.S. magistrate judge, husband of Kathleen Sebelius; Norton

• Harold Sebring (1898–1968), Nuremberg Trial judge; Olathe

• Arlen Specter (1930–2012), Pennsylvania Senator; Russell

• Dale Swenson (born c. 1957), member of Kansas House; Wichita

• Martin E. Trapp (1877–1951), Oklahoma Governor; Robinson

• Rosalie E. Wahl (1924–2014), associate justice Minnesota Supreme Court; Caney

• William Walker (1800–1874), Provisional Governor of Nebraska Territory, Wyandot chief

• Mabel Walker Willebrandt (1889–1963), U.S. Assistant Attorney General 1921–29; Woodsdale

• Harry Hines Woodring (1890–1967), Kansas Governor and Secretary of War under Franklin Roosevelt; Elk City

• Robert M. Wright (1840–1915), member of Kansas House of Representatives; a founder of Dodge City

• Ron Wyden (born 1949), Oregon Senator; Wichita

Military and national security
• Stanley T. Adams (1922–1999), Korean War Medal of Honor recipient; De Soto

• Wilbur Bestwick (1911–1972), first Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps; Sabetha

• Kendall Carl Campbell (1917–1942), Ensign, posthumous WWII Navy Cross recipient; Garden City

• Richard Cowan (1922–1944), WWII Medal of Honor recipient; Wichita

• Dwight Eisenhower (1890–1969), 34th President of the United States, Allied commander in World War II, 5-star General; Abilene (born in Denison, Texas)

• Rebecca L. Ediger (born 1952), agent in charge of Presidential Protective Division of U.S. Secret Service; Peabody (born in Newton)

• Harry D. Felt (1902–1992), WWII Naval aviator and Admiral; Topeka

• Arthur M. Ferguson (1877–1922), Colonel, Medal of Honor recipient, Philippine–American War; Coffey County

• Frederick N. Funston (1865–1917), Major General, Medal of Honor recipient; Iola

• John E. Gingrich (1897–1960), U.S. Navy four-star Admiral, first chief of security for Atomic Energy Commission; Dodge City

• James Harbord (1866–1947), U.S. Army, WWI Distinguished Service Cross; Bushong

• Joseph Henderson (1869–1938), Medal of Honor recipient, Philippine–American War; Fort Leavenworth

• Elizabeth P. Hoisington (1918–2007), first WAC officer promoted to Brigadier General; Newton

• Herbert Loper (1896–1989), Major General, U.S. Army; Norcatur

• Homer A. McCrerey (1919–1999), U.S. Navy meteorologist and oceanographer; Hiawatha

• Richard Myers (born 1942), General, U.S. Air Force, 15th Chairman of Joint Chiefs; Olathe

• Ross Myers (born 1959), Commander of the United States Cyber Command, Tenth Fleet; Garden City

• Danny J. Petersen (1949–1970), Specialist 4, U.S. Army, posthumous Vietnam Medal of Honor recipient; Netawaka

• George S. Robb (1887–1972), U.S. Army, WWI Medal of Honor recipient; Assaria

• Bernard W. Rogers (1921–2008), NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; Fairview

• Donald K. Ross (1910–1992), first Medal of Honor recipient in WWII, United States Navy; Beverly

• Conrad Schmidt (1830–1908), Civil War, Medal of Honor recipient; Ogden

• Duane D. Thiessen (born 1951), Major General, USMC; Goessel

• Grant F. Timmerman (1919–1944), Sergeant, USMC, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient; Americus

• William B. Trembley (1877–1952), Medal of Honor recipient, Philippine–American War; Johnson

• Lewis William Walt (1913–1989), General, USMC, initiated Combined Action Program in Vietnam; Wabaunsee County

Religious

 * William Bickerton (1815–1905), founder of the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) and the Zion Valley, Kansas, colony; St. John
 * Charles J. Chaput (born 1944), Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver; Concordia
 * Sheri L. Dew (born 1953), influential Latter-day Saint spokeswoman; Ulysses
 * Bart D. Ehrman (born 1955), New Testament scholar; Lawrence
 * Jerry Johnston (born 1959), Southern Baptist Convention evangelist and pastor; Overland Park
 * Emil Kapaun (1916–1951), Army chaplain Korean War, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient, Catholic martyr and sainthood candidate; Pilsen
 * Ron Kenoly (born 1944), musical worship leader; Coffeyville
 * Lillian M. Mitchner (1862/64-1954), President, Kansas State Woman's Christian Temperance Union; Topeka
 * Fred Phelps (1929–2014), leader of Westboro Baptist Church; Topeka
 * James Reeb (1927–1965), Unitarian minister beaten to death by segregationists in Selma, Alabama, during the Civil Rights Movement; Wichita
 * David Laurin Ricken (born 1954), bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne; Dodge City
 * Michael Jarboe Sheehan (born 1939), Archbishop of Santa Fe; Wichita
 * M. Madeline Southard (1877–1967), Methodist minister and writer
 * John Joseph Sullivan (1920–2001), Bishop of Grand Island, Nebraska, and Kansas City-St. Joseph; Horton
 * Gerald B. Winrod (1900–1957), evangelical Christian and Nazi sympathizer; Wichita
 * Gordon Winrod (1926–2018), Christian Identity minister; Hesston

Scientists and programmers
• Charles Bachman (1924–2017), computer scientist; Manhattan

• C. Olin Ball (1893–1982), food scientist; Abilene

• Barnum Brown (1873–1963), paleontologist; Carbondale

• John D. Carmack (born 1970), computer programmer; Shawnee Mission

• George Washington Carver (1864–1943), botanist and chemist; Minneapolis, Kansas

• James F. Crow (1916–2012), geneticist; Wichita

• Carl Owen Dunbar (1891–1979), geologist and paleontologist; Cherokee County

• David Fairchild (1869–1954), botanist and explorer; Manhattan

• Philip Fox (1878–1944), astronomer; Manhattan

• Howard K. Gloyd (1902–1978), herpetologist; De Soto

• Ebbe Hoff (1906–1985), neurologist; Rexford

• Jack Kilby (1923–2005), inventor of the integrated circuit; Great Bend

• Homer A. McCrerey (1919–1999), meteorologist and oceanographer; Hiawatha

• Ray McIntire (1918–1996), research engineer, inventor of Styrofoam; Gardner

• Karl Menninger (1893–1990), psychiatrist; Topeka

• Charles D. Michener (1918–2015), entomologist; Lawrence

• Lou Montulli, a founding engineer at Netscape and responsible for many HTML and web innovations

• Ernest Fox Nichols (1869–1924), scientist; Leavenworth County

• Wallace Pratt (1885–1981), petroleum geologist; Phillipsburg

• Walter Sutton (1877–1916), geneticist and physician; Russell

• George Tiller (1941–2009), medical doctor and controversial late-term abortion provider; Wichita

• Clyde Tombaugh (1906–1997), astronomer; Burdett

• Samuel Wendell Williston (1852–1918), scientist; Manhattan

• Douglas Youvan (born 1955), biophysicist and inventor; Frontenac

Notable individuals
• Danni Boatwright (born 1975), winner of Survivor: Guatemala; Tonganoxie

• Emily Gibson Braerton (1884–1966), V.P. Daughters of the American Revolution {1950–53}; Lawrence

• Erin Brockovich (born 1960), environmental activist; Lawrence

• Oliver Brown (1918-1961), welder; Topeka

• Richard Christy (born 1974), comedian on the Howard Stern Show; Fort Scott

• Hilda Clark (1872–1932), first woman to appear in a Coca-Cola advertisement; Leavenworth

• Earl Cole (born 1971), winner of Survivor: Fiji; Kansas City

• Racquel Darrian (born 1968), pornographic film star; Hutchinson

• Elmer Dresslar Jr. (1925–2005), voice actor and baritone voice of Jolly Green Giant commercials; St. Francis

• Alvin Dewey (1912–1987), special agent of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation; Garden City

• Ann Dunham (1942–1995), mother of Barack Obama; Wichita

• Madelyn and Stanley Dunham (1922–2008 and 1918–1992), grandparents of Barack Obama; Peru

• Tara Dawn Holland (born 1972), Miss America 1997; Overland Park

• Carrie Ingalls (1870–1946), sister of Laura Ingalls Wilder; born in Little House on the Prairie near Independence

• Vicki Lynn Lasseter (born 1960), February 1981 Playboy Playmate; Iola

• Candy Loving (born 1956), January 1979 Playboy Playmate and 25th Anniversary Playmate; Oswego

• Waldo McBurney (1902–2009), formerly listed as oldest worker; Quinter

• Kelli McCarty (born 1969), Miss USA 1991, actress, pornographic films; Liberal

• Janet Murguía (born 1954), President and CEO, National Council of La Raza; Kansas City

• Dan Perkins (born 1961), cartoonist, pen name "Tom Tomorrow"; Wichita

• Jeff Probst (born 1962), television personality and host of Survivor; Wichita

• Darrel Ray (born 1950), psychologist, author, atheist activist, and founder of Recovering from Religion and the associated Secular Therapy Project; Wichita

• Victor Rojas, studio analyst for MLB Network; Overland Park (born in Miami)

• Satanta (1830–1878), Chief of Kiowa tribe; western Kansas

• Matt Schlapp, chairman of American Conservative Union; Wichita

• Theresa Vail (born 1990), host of Outdoor Channel's Limitless with Theresa Vail; Manhattan

• Carrie Westcott (born 1969), September 1993 Playboy Playmate; Mission Hills

• Harold F. Williamson (1901–1989), business historian; Piper

• Earl Woods (1932–2006), father of golfer Tiger Woods and first African-American baseball player in the Big Eight Conference; Manhattan

Notable historical figures not from Kansas but who participated in a significant event in Kansas

 * John Brown (1800–1859), abolitionist; Osawatomie
 * Buffalo Bill Cody (1846–1917), buffalo hunter and showman; Leavenworth
 * Wyatt Earp (1848–1929), lawman; Wichita and Dodge City
 * Mary Tenney Gray (1833-1904), known as the "Mother of the Women's Club Movement in Kansas"; Kansas City
 * Dora Hand (1844–1878), dance hall singer, Dodge City
 * Wild Bill Hickok (1837–1876), lawman; Hays and Abilene
 * John James Ingalls (1833–1900), politician
 * Kris Kobach (born 1966), candidate for governor in 2018, Kansas Secretary of State
 * James H. Lane (1814–1866), abolitionist, senator and union general; Lawrence
 * Bat Masterson (1853–1921), lawman; Dodge City
 * Carrie Nation (1846–1911), temperance activist; Medicine Lodge
 * Mary Bell Smith (1818-1894), organizer and first president, Kansas Woman's Christian Temperance Union

Crime
• Edward J. Adams (1887–1921), bank robber and murderer; Hutchinson

• Lowell Lee Andrews (1939–1962), murderer; Wolcott

• John and Kate Bender (1872–1873), serial killers; Labette County

• Fred "Killer" Burke (1893–1940), Prohibition-era gangster; Mapleton

• Mark Essex (1949–1973), mass murderer; Emporia

• Jake and Ralph Fleagle, bank robbers and murderers; Marienthal

• Debora Green (born 1951), murderer; Prairie Village

• Eric Harris (1981–1999), perpetrator, along with Dylan Klebold, of the Columbine High School massacre; Wichita

• Richard Hickock (1931–1965), murderer; Kansas City

• Alvin "Creepy" Karpis (1907–1979), bank robber and member of the Barker Gang; Topeka

• Anna Emmaline McDoulet (1882–1978), female spy for Doolin Gang known as Cattle Annie Lawrence; Seneca

• George Newcomb (1866–1895), member of Bill Doolin's Wild Bunch; Fort Scott

• Duane Earl Pope (born 1943), bank robber and murderer; Roxbury

• Dennis Rader (born 1945), serial killer known as "BTK"; Wichita

• Scott Philip Roeder (born 1958), assassin; Merriam

• Marc Sappington (born 1978), murderer and cannibal, known as the Kansas City Vampire; Kansas City

Fictional persons
• Courage the Cowardly Dog lives with his adoptive family in fictional Nowhere, Kansas

• Helen Crump (1962), girlfriend of Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show, from rural Kansas

• Dennis the Menace (1951), neighborhood terror, Wichita

• Matt Dillon (1949), marshal, Kansas

• Sam "Squid" Dullard, character on Rocket Power, moves to fictional California town featured in the show in the first episode, revealed in a later episode that he’s from Hutchinson

• Dorothy Gale (1900), farm girl who lived with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry; transported to the Land of Oz by a tornado, with her dog Toto

• Elmer Gantry (1927), evangelist and title character in the Sinclair Lewis novel of the same name; attended college in Kansas

• Gil Hamilton (c. 2083), futuristic detective, Topeka

• Will Kane (1952), sheriff in the 1952 classic Western High Noon, from Hadleyville, Kansas

• Johnny Kaw (1955), mythical Kansas settler, Manhattan

• Clark Joseph Kent (1938), adopted child of Jonathan and Martha Kent of Smallville, known as the alter ego Superman, born on Krypton as Kal-El

• Lana Lang (1950), Superboy's teenage love interest, Smallville

• Ted Lasso (2020), head coach of the fictional London-based AFC Richmond, Overland Park

• Major Astro (1960), astronaut portrayed by local character actor Tom Leahy; host of a children's television program, Wichita

• Colleen McMurphy, lead character from China Beach, from a "small town" in Kansas

• Cameron Mitchell, Lieutenant Colonel of Stargate SG-1 television series, from Auburn

• Jack B. Quick (1999), boy genius, Queerwater Creek, Kansas

• Amanda Rogers (born 2351), character on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Topeka

• Pete Ross (1961), Superboy's best friend, Smallville

• Mary Ann Summers, traveler on a "three-hour tour" that was lost at sea on Gilligan's Island, Winfield

• Annie Wilson (1993), aspiring actress, Wichita

• Dean Winchester (1979), demon hunter, Lawrence

• Sam Winchester (1983), demon hunter, Lawrence

• Wizard of Oz (1900), balloonist, magician, ruler of the Land of Oz (1939 movie version only)