List of people from the Lehigh Valley

The following is a list of notable people who were born, or have lived a significant portion of their lives, in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.

Authors, journalists, playwrights, and poets

 * Christian Bauman, novelist
 * Stephen Vincent Benét, former Pulitzer Prize-winning author and poet
 * Charles Bierbauer, former University of South Carolina dean and former CNN correspondent
 * John Birmelin, former Pennsylvania German language poet and playwright
 * Clair Blank, author, Beverly Gray series of books
 * Katherine Boehret, former Wall Street Journal technology journalist
 * Jen Bryant, poet and author
 * Solomon DeLong (pen name Obediah Grouthomel), former Pennsylvania German newspaper columnist
 * Michael Flynn, science fiction author
 * Matthew Giobbi, author
 * H.D., former writer and modernist poet
 * Alfred Hassler, former journalist and author
 * Carmen Maria Machado, short story author and essayist
 * Francis March, former academic and founder of comparative linguistics in Old English
 * Randall Munroe, writer, XKCD comic series
 * Sandra Novack, novelist
 * Alix Olson, spoken word artist
 * Michael Pocalyko, business executive and financial novelist
 * Marci Shore, author and historian
 * Elsie Singmaster, former author
 * Jennifer Storm, author, Blackout Girl: Growing Up and Drying Out in America and Leave the Light On
 * Lauren Weisberger, author, The Devil Wears Prada

Business and politics

 * Roy Afflerbach, lobbyist and former Allentown mayor
 * William F. Andrews, former Florida State Representative
 * James Soloman Biery, former member of Congress
 * Joseph Force Crater, former New York State Supreme Court justice
 * James B. Cunningham, former U.S. ambassador to Israel and Afghanistan
 * Charlie Dent, former member of Congress
 * Charles L. Gerlach, former member of Congress
 * Fred B. Gernerd, former member of Congress
 * Rick Glazier, former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
 * Murray H. Goodman, former real estate developer
 * Eugene Grace, former industrialist and president of Bethlehem Steel
 * Erskine Hazard, co-founder of Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, Lehigh Canal, and Lehigh Crane Iron Company
 * David W. Hess, member of New Hampshire House of Representatives
 * Lee Iacocca, former chairman of Chrysler
 * Michael Johns, healthcare executive and former White House presidential speechwriter
 * John Kline, former member of Congress
 * Marcus C. L. Kline, former member of Congress
 * Fred Ewing Lewis, former member of Congress
 * Norton Lewis Lichtenwalner, former member of Congress
 * John E. McGlade, former chairman, chief executive officer and president of Air Products
 * Peter Newhard, former member of Congress
 * Andrew Horatio Reeder, former governor of Kansas
 * Donald L. Ritter, former member of Congress
 * James Ritter, former member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
 * Charles M. Schwab, former president, Bethlehem Steel
 * Samuel Sitgreaves, former U.S. commissioner to Great Britain and former member of Congress
 * Richard A. Snelling, former governor of Vermont
 * George Taylor, Founding Father and Second Continental Congress delegate who signed Declaration of Independence
 * Susan Wild, member of Congress, Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district

Film, television, and stage

 * Lisa Ann, adult film actress
 * Alexandra Chando, actress, As the World Turns
 * Jack Coleman, television actor, Dynasty, Heroes, The Office, and Castle
 * Dane DeHaan, television and film actor, In Treatment, Chronicle, A Cure for Wellness, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
 * Devon, adult film actress
 * Omar Doom, actor, Inglourious Basterds
 * Oakes Fegley, actor, The Goldfinch
 * Winslow Fegley, actor, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
 * Jonathan Frakes, actor, Star Trek: The Next Generation
 * Mel Harris, actress, Thirtysomething
 * Althea Henley, former actress
 * Tim Heidecker, actor and comedian, Adult Swim's Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
 * Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock"), actor, former professional wrestler
 * Daniel Dae Kim, actor, Lost
 * Gelsey Kirkland, ballerina
 * Carson Kressley, fashion consultant, Bravo's Queer Eye
 * Christopher Lennertz, film, television, and video game music composer, Alvin and the Chipmunks and Supernatural
 * William Marchant, former playwright and screenwriter
 * Michael McDonald, costume designer and 2009 Tony Award and Drama Desk nominee for Hair
 * Kristen McMenamy, fashion model
 * Kate Micucci, actress, comedian, artist, and singer-songwriter
 * Lara Jill Miller, voice actress, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee
 * Aimee Mullins, model and actress
 * Robert Newhard, former cinematographer
 * Sally Jessy Raphael, former television talk show host
 * Daniel Roebuck, actor, Lost
 * Amanda Seyfried, model and actress, Mean Girls Big Love, Mama Mia!, and Les Misérables
 * Sheetal Sheth, actress, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World
 * Dana Snyder, voice actor, Aqua Teen Hunger Force
 * Sarah Strohmeyer, novelist and creator of Bubbles Yablonsky
 * Andrea Tantaros, political analyst and commentator
 * Christine Taylor, actress
 * Jonathan Taylor Thomas, actor, Home Improvement
 * David Zippel, Tony-award-winning lyricist, City of Angels

Music

 * Rick Braun, smooth jazz trumpet player
 * Lillian Briggs, former rockabilly musician
 * Howard J. Buss, contemporary classical music composer
 * Leon Carr, former Broadway composer and television advertising songwriter
 * Jimmy DeGrasso, heavy metal drummer, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper Band, Megadeth, Dokken, and Ratt
 * Walt Groller, Grammy-nominated polka musician
 * George Hrab, rock and funk musician
 * Keith Jarrett, jazz musician
 * Steve Kimock, rock musician
 * Ludwig Lenel, former organist and composer
 * Lil Peep, former rapper
 * Albertus L. Meyers, former music conductor, Allentown Band
 * Mulgrew Miller, jazz pianist
 * Farley Parkenfarker, keyboardist
 * Mike Portnoy, progressive metal drummer
 * Thom Schuyler, country music singer and songwriter
 * Shadow Gallery, progressive metal band
 * Melissa VanFleet, alternative metal singer, songwriter, and musician
 * Donald Voorhees, former Emmy-nominated orchestra conductor
 * Jordan White, rock musician
 * Stephanie Woodling, opera singer

Religion

 * Frank Buchman, founder of the Oxford Group and the Moral Re-Armament religious movement
 * Tim Keller, former Christian pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church and author, The Reason for God
 * Nathan Homer Knorr, former religious leader and third president of Jehovah's Witnesses

Science

 * David Bader, director, Institute of Data Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and professor
 * Michael Behe, biochemist at Lehigh University and intelligent design proponent
 * James McKeen Cattell, first U.S. psychology professor
 * Richard Diehl, archaeologist and Mesoamerica scholar
 * Edwin Drake, former oil driller
 * Terry Hart, former Space Shuttle Challenger astronaut
 * Aaron D. O'Connell, created the world's first quantum machine
 * Beth Shapiro, evolutionary molecular biologist, University of California, Santa Cruz
 * Walter O. Snelling, former chemist and explosives expert who discovered propane

Collegiate sports

 * Chuck Amato, former head college football coach, North Carolina State
 * Steve Aponavicius, former placekicker and all-time Boston College Eagles football scoring leader
 * Parke H. Davis, former college football coach, Amherst, Lafayette, and Wisconsin
 * Jordan Oliver, two-time NCAA national wrestling champion and Bellator MMA fighter

Major League Baseball (MLB)

 * Slim Emmerich, former professional baseball player, New York Giants
 * Bob Heffner, former professional baseball player, Boston Red Sox, California Angels, and Cleveland Indians
 * Gary Lavelle, former professional baseball player, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, and Toronto Blue Jays
 * John Meister, former professional baseball player, New York Metropolitans
 * Jeff Mutis, former professional baseball player, Cleveland Indians and Florida Marlins
 * Jimmie Schaffer, former professional baseball player, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals
 * Dave Schneck, former professional baseball player, New York Mets
 * Brian Schneider, former professional baseball player, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals
 * Curt Simmons, former professional baseball player, California Angels, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals

National Basketball Association (NBA)

 * Pete Carril, former professional and collegiate basketball coach, Sacramento Kings and Princeton University
 * Aaron Gray, former professional basketball player, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Hornets, Sacramento Kings, and Toronto Raptors
 * Tyrese Martin, professional basketball player, Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League
 * Brant Weidner, former professional basketball player, San Antonio Spurs
 * Bob Weiss, former professional basketball player and head coach of four NBA teams

National Football League (NFL)

 * Saquon Barkley, professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles
 * Chuck Bednarik, former professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles, and 1967 Pro Football Hall of Fame member
 * Keith Dorney, former professional football player, Detroit Lions
 * Jahan Dotson, professional football player, Washington Commanders
 * Dan Koppen, former professional football player, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots
 * Noel LaMontagne, former professional football player, Cleveland Browns
 * Jonathan Linton, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills
 * Ed McCaffrey, former professional football player, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers
 * Joe Milinichik, former professional football player, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams, and San Diego Chargers
 * Matt Millen, former professional football player, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins, former president and general manager, Detroit Lions, and broadcaster on NFL on Fox
 * Andre Reed, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, and 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
 * Larry Seiple, former professional football player, Miami Dolphins
 * John Spagnola, former professional football player, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks
 * Tony Stewart, former professional football player, Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders, and Philadelphia Eagles
 * Kevin White, former professional football player, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and San Francisco 49ers
 * Kyzir White, professional football player, Arizona Cardinals
 * Andre Williams, former professional football player, New York Giants
 * Joe Wolf, former professional football player, Arizona Cardinals
 * Walt Zirinsky, former professional football player who won 1945 national championship with Cleveland Rams

Olympic athletes

 * Joe Kovacs, silver medalist, shot put, 2016 Summer Olympics and 2020 Summer Olympics
 * Thomas Litz, former figure skater, 1964 Winter Olympics
 * Kristen Maloney, former gymnastics medalist, 2000 Summer Olympics
 * Marty Nothstein, 2000 Summer Olympics gold medal winner, track cycling
 * Cheryl Van Kuren, former Olympic field hockey player
 * Bobby Weaver, 1984 Summer Olympics gold medal winner, freestyle wrestling
 * Cindy Werley, former 1996 Summer Olympics field hockey player

Professional boxing

 * Larry Holmes, former boxing heavyweight champion who fought under nickname "The Easton Assassin"

Professional golf

 * Jim Booros, former PGA Tour professional golfer

Professional racing

 * Jeff Andretti, former professional race car driver
 * John Andretti, former professional race car driver, NASCAR and IndyCar Series
 * Mario Andretti, former professional race car driver
 * Michael Andretti, professional racing team owner, former professional race car driver
 * Sage Karam, professional racing driver
 * Eddie Sachs, former United States Auto Club race car driver

Professional soccer

 * Francesco Caruso, former professional soccer player, Harrisburg City Islanders and Otago United
 * Jason Yeisley, former professional soccer player, Dallas FC

Professional tennis

 * Varvara Lepchenko, professional tennis player

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

 * Afa Anoa'i Jr., former WWE professional wrestler known as Manu
 * Billy Kidman, former professional wrestler
 * Brian Knobbs, former professional wrestler
 * Jerry Sags, former professional wrestler

Other sports

 * Ian "Rocky" Butler, former professional football player, Canadian Football League
 * George Daniel, former commissioner, National Lacrosse League
 * Michelle M. Marciniak, former women's college basketball coach, South Carolina, and former professional basketball player, WNBA's Portland Fire and Seattle Storm
 * Billy Packer, former CBS Sports basketball analyst
 * Zach Rey, amateur wrestler who competed in the 2015 World Wrestling Championships
 * Ian Riccaboni, author, host of Ring of Honor Wrestling
 * Matt Riddle, professional UFC mixed martial fighter
 * Theo Tran, professional poker player
 * Dave Van Horne, former professional baseball broadcaster, Florida Marlins and Montreal Expos
 * Dan Yochum, former professional football player, Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Eskimos

Visual arts

 * John E. Berninger, former Pennsylvania impressionist landscape painter and first Allentown Art Museum curator
 * Mark Beyer, comic book artist
 * Chakaia Booker, sculptor
 * Karl Buesgen, former landscape painter and Pennsylvania impressionist
 * Mario Dal Fabbro, furniture designer, sculptor, and author
 * Don Dixon, astronomical artist
 * Peter Alfred Gross, former landscape painter
 * Ella Sophonisba Hergesheimer, former illustrator, painter, and printmaker
 * Herman Leonard, former photographer noted for jazz portraits
 * Arlington Nelson Lindenmuth, former landscape and portrait painter and photographer
 * Antonio Salemme, former sculptor and painter
 * Grover Simcox, former illustrator
 * Gary Mark Smith, street photographer
 * Karl Stirner, former sculptor
 * Boris Vallejo, fantasy artist
 * Orlando Gray Wales, former landscape painter and Pennsylvania impressionist

Others

 * Stephen Barrett, psychiatrist and webmaster, Quackwatch
 * Karen Bausman, architect
 * Thom Browne, fashion designer
 * Frank Reed Horton, founder of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity
 * Sarah Knauss, supercentenarian recognized as the "world's oldest person" by Guinness World Records from April 16, 1998, until her death at age 119 in 1999
 * Harvey Miguel Robinson, serial killer
 * Ryo Tokita, artist
 * Charles A. Wikoff, the most senior ranking U.S. Army officer killed in the Spanish–American War