From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Location of Mississippi in the U.S. map
This list contains people who were born or lived in the
U.S. state of
Mississippi .
Activists and advocates
Ruby Bridges (born 1954), first African-American child to attend an all-white school in the South (
Tylertown )
[1]
Will D. Campbell (1924–2013), Baptist minister and activist (
Amite County )
[2]
James Chaney (1943–1964), civil rights activist (
Meridian )
[3]
Vernon Dahmer (1908–1966), civil rights activist (
Hattiesburg )
[4]
Charles Evers (1922–2020), civil rights leader, mayor of
Fayette (
Decatur )
[5]
Medgar Evers (1925–1963), civil rights leader (
Decatur )
[6]
Myrlie Evers-Williams (born 1933), civil rights activist, journalist (
Vicksburg )
[7]
C. L. Franklin (1915–1984), Baptist minister, father of
Aretha Franklin (
Shelby )
[8]
Lloyd L. Gaines (1911–1939?), challenged segregation at
University of Missouri School of Law , disappeared in 1939 (
Water Valley )
[9]
Duncan M. Gray Jr. (1926–2016), Episcopal clergyman, civil rights activist (
Canton )
[10]
Winifred Green (1937–2016), civil rights activist (
Jackson )
[11]
Percy Greene (1897–1977), journalist, activist (
Jackson )
[12]
Lawrence Guyot (1939–2012), civil rights activist (
Pass Christian )
[13]
Fannie Lou Hamer (1917–1977), civil rights, voting rights activist (
Ruleville )
[14]
Winson Hudson (1916–2004), civil rights activist (Harmony)
[15]
Clyde Kennard (1927–1963), civil rights activist (
Hattiesburg )
[16]
Germany Kent (born 1975), journalist, social activist (
Greenville )
Edwin King (born 1936), civil rights activist,
Tougaloo College chaplain (
Jackson )
[17]
Joyce Ann Ladner (born 1943), civil rights activist and educator (
Wayne County )
Angela McGlowan (born 1970), Republican political commentator, author, and consulting firm CEO
James Meredith (born 1933), first African-American student at the
University of Mississippi (
Kosciusko )
[18]
Anne Moody (1940–2015), civil rights activist, author (
Centreville )
[19]
Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862–1931), civil rights activist, women's rights activist (
Holly Springs )
[20]
Actors and actresses
Mary Alice (born 1941), actress (
Indianola )
Dana Andrews (1909–1992), actor (
Covington County )
Fred Armisen (born 1966), actor, comedian, and musician (
Hattiesburg )
Roscoe Ates (1895–1962), actor and musician (
Grange )
Katherine Bailess (born 1980), film and television actress (
Vicksburg )
Laura Bailey (born 1981), voice actress (
Biloxi )
Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995), actor (
Columbia )
Willie Best (1916–1962), television and film actor (
Sunflower )
Jimmy Boyd (1939–2009), singer and actor (
McComb )
Don Briscoe (1940–2004), soap opera actor (
Yalobusha County )
Geneva Carr (born 1971), television and stage actress (
Jackson )
Finn Carter (born 1960), actress (
Greenville )
Wally Cassell (1912–2015), film and television actor
Lacey Chabert (born 1982), film and television actress (
Purvis )
Alvin Childress (1907–1986), actor (
Meridian )
Gary Collins (1938–2012), film and television actor (
Biloxi )
Wyatt Emory Cooper (1927–1978), Broadway actor (
Quitman )
Cassi Davis (born 1964) (
Holly Springs )
John Dye (1963–2011), film and television actor (
Amory )
Mary Elizabeth Ellis (born 1979), television and film actress (
Laurel )
J. D. Evermore (born 1968), film and television actor (
Greenville )
Ruth Ford (1911–2009), stage and film actress (
Brookhaven )
Morgan Freeman (born 1937),
Academy Award -winning actor (
Charleston )
M. C. Gainey (born 1948), film and television actor (
Jackson )
Cynthia Geary (born 1965), actress (
Jackson )
Gavin Gordon (1901–1983), film, television, and radio actor (
Chicora )
Allie Grant (born 1994), actress (
Tupelo )
Gary Grubbs (born 1949) (
Amory )
Lynn Hamilton (born 1930), actress (
Yazoo City )
Beth Henley (born 1952), playwright and actress (
Jackson )
Jim Henson (1936–1990), creator of
The Muppets (
Greenville )
Anthony Herrera (1944–2011) (
Wiggins )
Wilbur Higby (1867–1934), silent film actor (
Meridian )
Shauntay Hinton (born 1979), actress (
Starkville )
Eddie Hodges (born 1947), child actor (
Hattiesburg )
Olivia Holt (born 1997), actress (
Nesbit )
Thelma Houston (born 1943), actress (
Leland )
James Earl Jones (born 1931), actor (
Arkabutla )
Robert Earl Jones (1910–2006), actor (
Senatobia )
Germany Kent (born 1975), actress (
Greenville )
Simbi Khali (born 1971) (
Jackson )
Diane Ladd (born 1935), actress (
Meridian )
Daniel Curtis Lee (born 1991) (
Clinton )
Tom Lester (1938–2020) (
Jackson )
Martha Mattox (1879–1933), silent film actor (
Natchez )
Shane McRae (born 1977) (
Starkville )
Gerald McRaney (born 1947), actor (
Collins )
RJ Mitte (born 1992),
Breaking Bad actor (
Jackson )
Gil Peterson (born 1936), actor (
Winona )
Parker Posey (born 1968), actress (
Laurel )
Evelyn Preer (1896–1932) (
Vicksburg )
Thalmus Rasulala (1939–1991), actor (
Arkabutla )
Beah Richards (1920–2000), stage, screen and television actress (
Vicksburg )
Eric Roberts (born 1956), actor (
Biloxi )
Toni Seawright (born 1964), actress (
Pascagoula )
Larry Semon (1889–1928), silent film actor, director, producer (
West Point )
Jamie Lynn Spears (born 1991), actress, singer (
McComb )
Taylor Spreitler (born 1993), actress, model (
Hattiesburg )
Stella Stevens (born 1938), actress (
Yazoo City )
Tonea Stewart (born 1947) (
Greenwood )
Trinitee Stokes , actress (born 2006) (
Jackson )
Channing Tatum , actor (born 1980) (
Pascagoula )
Byron Thames (born 1969), actor (
Jackson )
Joe M. Turner (born 1969), actor, magician, professional speaker (
Brandon )
James Michael Tyler (born 1962) (
Winona )
Brenda Venus (born 1957), actress (
Biloxi )
Ray Walston (1914–2001), actor (
Laurel )
Sela Ward (born 1956), actress (
Meridian )
James Wheaton (1924–2002) (
Meridian )
Kit Williamson (born 1985), actor (
Jackson )
Hattie Winston (born 1945), actress (
Greenville )
Artists
Jere Allen (born 1944), painter (
Oxford )
James McConnell Anderson (1907–1998), potter and painter (
Ocean Springs )
Peter Anderson (1901–1984), potter (
Ocean Springs )
Walter Inglis Anderson (1903–1965), painter (
Ocean Springs )
Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995), painter, sculptor, "King of the Cowboy Artists" (
Columbia )
Howard Bingham (1939–2016), photographer (
Jackson )
Marshall Bouldin III (1923–2012), portrait painter (
Clarksdale )
[21]
Andrew Bucci (1922–2014), painter (
Vicksburg )
Byron Burford (1920–2011), painter (
Greenville )
[22]
William Dunlap (born 1944), painter (
Webster County )
[23]
[24]
Sam Gilliam (born 1933),
color field painter (
Tupelo )
Theora Hamblett (1895–1977), painter (
Oxford )
[25]
Ted Jackson (born 1956), photojournalist (
McComb )
Chris LeDoux (1948–2005), bronze sculptor (
Biloxi )
Alex M. Loeb (1918–2015), painter (
Meridian )
John McCrady (1911–1968), painter, printmaker (
Canton )
Ed McGowin (born 1938), sculptor, painter (
Hattiesburg )
[26]
[27]
Joshua Meador (1911–1965), animator, artist (
Greenwood )
Fred Mitchell (1923–2013), abstract expressionist painter (
Meridian )
Ethel Wright Mohamed (1906–1992), folk stitchery artist (
Belzoni )
[28]
[29]
George E. Ohr (1857–1918), potter (
Biloxi )
James Seawright (1936–2022), sculptor (
Jackson )
J. Kim Sessums , bronze sculptor, painter (
Brookhaven )
[30]
Floyd Shaman (1935–2005), sculptor (
Cleveland )
Glennray Tutor (born 1950), painter (
Oxford )
Gary Walters (born 1941), painter (
Jackson )
James W. Washington Jr. (1908–2000), painter, sculptor (
Gloster )
Dick Waterman (born 1935), photographer and blues promoter (
Oxford )
Athletes and sports-related people
Broadcast media personalities
Paul Gallo (born 1947), radio host (
Shaw )
Lee Habeeb (born 1961), conservative talk radio producer (
Oxford )
Iris Kelso (1926–2003), newspaper journalist and television commentator in
New Orleans (
Philadelphia )
Germany Kent (born 1975), media personality, author (
Greenville )
Angela McGlowan (born 1970), Fox News political commentator (
Oxford )
Randall Pinkston (born 1950), newscaster (
Yazoo County )
Robin Roberts (born 1960), newscaster (
Pass Christian )
Norman Robinson (born 1951), news anchor (
Toomsuba )
Tavis Smiley (born 1964), talk show host (
Gulfport )
Shepard Smith (born 1964), Fox News anchor (
Holly Springs )
Paula White (born 1966), televangelist, author (
Tupelo )
Oprah Winfrey (born 1954), talk show host (
Kosciusko )
Comedians
Educators
Thea Bowman (1937–1990), Roman Catholic religious sister, teacher, and scholar (
Yazoo County )
James Madison Carpenter (1888–1983), folklorist (
Prentiss County )
Richard Carson (born 1955), professor of economics (
Jackson )
Joseph Crespino (born 1972), political scientist (
Macon )
Jesse Dukeminier (1925–2003), professor of law (
West Point )
William R. Ferris (born 1942), folklorist, chairman of
National Endowment for the Humanities (
Vicksburg )
Charles Betts Galloway (1849–1909), Methodist bishop, editor (
Kosciusko )
Edgar Godbold (1879–1952), college president (
Lincoln County )
George W. Grace (1921–2015), linguist (
Corinth )
William Baskerville Hamilton (1908-1972), historian, born in Jackson, taught public school in Holly Springs and Jackson
[31]
Robert Khayat (born 1938), chancellor of the University of Mississippi (
Moss Point )
Rory Lee (born 1949), clergyman, college president (
Ridgeland )
Mamie Locke (born 1954), political scientist, dean at
Hampton University (
Brandon )
John A. Lomax (1867–1948), folklorist (
Goodman )
Frances Lucas (born 1957), president of
Millsaps College (
Jackson )
Bernie Machen (born 1944), president of
University of Florida (
Greenwood )
Walter E. Massey (born 1938), physicist, University of Chicago (
Hattiesburg )
William H. Miller (born 1941),
theoretical chemist (
Kosciusko )
William Muse (born 1939), chancellor at
East Carolina University
Rod Paige (born 1933), U.S. secretary of education (
Monticello )
Milburn Price (born 1938), hymnologist, dean of School of Performing Arts,
Samford University (
Electric Mills )
Dan Reneau (born 1940), president of
Louisiana Tech University (
Woodville )
Argile Smith (born 1955), clergyman and educator (
Poplarville )
Louis Westerfield (1949–1996), law professor, first African-American Dean of the
University of Mississippi School of Law (
De Kalb )
Fannie C. Williams (1882–1980), normal school educator (
Biloxi )
Entrepreneurs and business leaders
Jim Barksdale (born 1943), president and CEO of
Netscape (
Jackson )
Joseph A. Biedenharn (1866–1952), confectioner, first
Coca-Cola bottler (
Vicksburg )
[32]
George W. Bryan (born 1946),
Sara Lee executive (
West Point )
John H. Bryan (1936–2018),
Sara Lee executive (
West Point )
Bill Bynum , credit union founder and philanthropist
[33]
Cynthia Cooper ,
WorldCom vice president,
whistleblower (
Clinton )
Bernard "Bernie" Ebbers (1941–2020), founder and CEO of WorldCom, convicted of fraud and conspiracy (
Brookhaven )
Joshua Green (1869–1975), shipping magnate, banker (
Jackson )
Toxey Haas (born 1960), founder and CEO of
Haas Outdoors, Inc. (
West Point )
Robert L. Johnson (born 1946), founder of
Black Entertainment Television (
Hickory )
Ken Lewis (born 1947),
Bank of America executive (
Meridian )
Matteo Martinolich (1860–1934), master shipbuilder (
DeLisle )
Walter E. Massey (born 1938), corporate executive (
Hattiesburg )
Glenn McCullough (born 1954), chairman and CEO of GLM Associates, LLC (
Tupelo )
Charles Moorman (born 1953), CEO of
Norfolk Southern (
Hattiesburg )
Clarence Otis Jr. (born 1956), CEO of
Darden Restaurants (
Vicksburg )
Hartley Peavey (born 1941), founder of
Peavey Electronics (
Meridian )
Pig Foot Mary (1870–1929), culinary entrepreneur (
Mississippi Delta )
Robert Pittman (born 1953), founder of
MTV , executive at
AOL (
Jackson )
J. H. Rush (1868–1931), founder of Rush's Infirmary (
De Kalb )
Fred Smith (born 1944), founder of
FedEx (
Marks )
James Breckenridge Speed (1844–1912), industrial pioneer
Antonio Maceo Walker (1909–1994), president, Universal Life Insurance Company (
Indianola )
Zig Ziglar (1926–2012), motivational speaker, author, salesman (
Yazoo City )
Filmmakers
Charles Burnett (born 1944), film director and producer (
Vicksburg )
Jamaa Fanaka (1942–2012), film director (
Jackson )
John Fortenberry , film and television director (
Jackson )
Lawrence Gordon (born 1936), film producer,
Die Hard (
Yazoo City )
Jonathan Murray (born 1955), creator of the reality television genre (
Gulfport )
Patrik-Ian Polk (born 1973), film writer and director (
Hattiesburg )
Bryan Spears (born 1977), film and television producer (
McComb )
Tate Taylor (born 1969), film director of The Help and Get On Up (
Jackson )
Larry A. Thompson (born 1944), television and film producer (
Clarksdale )
Jurists and lawyers
Rhesa Barksdale (born 1944), federal judge (
Jackson )
[34]
Neal Brooks Biggers Jr. (born 1935), U.S. district judge (
Corinth )
[35]
William Joel Blass (1917–2012), attorney (
Wiggins /
Gulfport )
[36]
Debra M. Brown (born 1963), U.S. district judge (
Yazoo City )
Gerald Chatham (1906–1956), lawyer, lead prosecutor in the
Emmett Till case (
Hernando )
Bobby DeLaughter (born 1954), prosecutor, judge (
Jackson )
[37]
Jess H. Dickinson (born 1947), associate justice, Supreme Court of Mississippi (
Charleston )
[38]
Boyce Holleman (1924–2003), attorney (
Wiggins /
Gulfport )
[39]
Perry Wilbon Howard (1877–1961), assistant U.S. attorney general, Republican leader (
Ebenezer )
[40]
Lucy Somerville Howorth (1895–1997), attorney, judge, state legislator (
Greenville )
E. Grady Jolly (born 1937), judge of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (
Louisville )
[41]
W. Allen Pepper Jr. (1941–2012), U.S. district judge (
Greenwood )
Charles W. Pickering (born 1937), U.S. district judge (
Jones County )
[42]
Thomas Rodney (1744–1811), U.S. territorial judge (
Natchez )
[43]
Richard "Dickie" Scruggs (born 1946), attorney (
Pascagoula )
Constance Slaughter-Harvey (born 1946), judge and attorney (
Forest )
Michael B. Thornton (born 1954), judge, U.S. Tax Court (
Hattiesburg )
[44]
Michael Wallace (born 1951), lawyer (
Biloxi )
[45]
James R. Williams (1936–2020), lawyer, U.S. attorney (
Columbus )
Military figures
William Wirt Adams (1819–1888), brigadier general, CSA (
Jackson )
Van T. Barfoot (1919–2012), World War II colonel and
Medal of Honor recipient (
Edinburg )
William Barksdale (1821–1863), brigadier general, CSA, died at
Gettysburg (
Jackson )
William Billingsley (1887–1913), ensign, first Navy aviator killed in an airplane crash (
Winona )
Alvin C. Cockrell (1918–1942), second lieutenant, USMC, killed in
World War II (
Hazelhurst )
Fox Conner (1874–1951), major general, U.S. Army, mentor to
Dwight Eisenhower (
Slate Springs )
Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821–1877), general, CSA (
Hernando )
Jeffery Hammond (born 1978), major general, U.S. Army (
Hattiesburg )
Randolph M. Holder (1918–1942), USN lieutenant (junior grade) (
Jackson )
Felix Huston (1800–1857), general, Texas army (
Natchez )
Samuel Reeves Keesler (1896–1918), Army aviator (
Greenwood )
Newt Knight (1837–1922), Unionist leader (
Jones County )
Roy Joseph Marchand (1920–1942), World War II fireman first class (
Crandall )
Henry Pinckney McCain (1861–1941), adjutant general, US Army (
Carroll County )
John S. McCain Sr. (1884–1945), USN admiral (
Teoc )
Donald H. Peterson (1933–2018), USAF colonel and
NASA astronaut (
Winona )
Charles Read (1840–1890), naval officer (
Meridian )
Viola B. Sanders (1921–2013), USN captain, director of women, U.S. Navy (
Sidon )
Daniel Isom Sultan (1885–1947), inspector general, U.S. Army (
Oxford )
James Monroe Trotter (1842–1892), first man of color to achieve rank of 2nd Lieutenant, U.S. Army, music historian (
Gulfport )
Richard H. Truly (born 1937), USN vice-admiral, astronaut, NASA administrator (
Fayette )
Louis H. Wilson Jr. (1920–2005), Commandant of the Marine Corps and
Medal of Honor recipient (
Brandon )
Models/pageant winners
Jennifer Adcock (born 1980),
Miss Mississippi 2002 and
Miss Mississippi USA 2005 (
Hattiesburg )
Kristi Addis (born 1971),
Miss Teen USA 1987 (
Holcomb )
Susan Akin (born 1965), Miss Mississippi 1985 and
Miss America 1986 (
Meridian )
Asya Branch (born 1998), Miss Mississippi 2018, Miss Mississippi USA 2019, and
Miss USA 2020 (
Booneville )
Jenna Edwards (born 1981), former
Miss Florida and
Miss Florida USA (
Brandon )
Ruth Ford (1911–2009), model (
Hazlehurst )
Taryn Foshee (born 1985), Miss Mississippi 2006 (
Clinton )
Tess Holliday (born 1985), first plus-size model (
Laurel )
Lauren Jones (born 1982), model, Barker's Beauty on The Price is Right , shoe line namesake (
Jackson )
June Juanico (born 1938), beauty queen known for dating
Elvis Presley in 1955 and 1956 (
Biloxi )
Nan Kelley (born c. 1965), Miss Mississippi 1985 and GAC's
Top 20 Country Countdown hostess (
Hattiesburg )
Kendra King , Miss Mississippi USA 2006 (
Monticello )
Christine Kozlowski (born 1988), Miss Mississippi 2008 (
D'Iberville )
Leah Laviano (born 1988), Miss Mississippi USA 2008, and 1st runner up in
Miss USA 2008 (
Ellisville )
Monica Louwerens (born 1973), Miss Mississippi 1995 (
Greenville )
Lypsinka (born 1955), drag performer and model (
Hazlehurst )
Lynda Lee Mead (born 1939), Miss America 1960 (
Natchez )
Mary Ann Mobley (1939–2014), Miss America 1959 (
Brandon )
Kimberly Morgan (born 1983), Miss Mississippi 2007 (
Taylor )
Jasmine Murray (born 1991), Miss Mississippi 2014, Season 8 finalist on
American Idol (
Starkville )
Cheryl Prewitt (born 1957), Miss America 1980 (
Ackerman )
Crystal Renn (born 1986),
plus-size model and fashion model (
Clinton )
Hannah Roberts (born 1993), Miss University of Southern Mississippi 2015 (
Mount Olive )
Toni Seawright (born 1964), Miss Mississippi 1987; first African-American winner (
Pascagoula )
Naomi Sims (1948–2009), fashion model and author (
Oxford )
Ellen Stratton (born 1939), model and Playboy Playmate (
Marietta )
Amy Wesson (born 1977),
fashion model (
Tupelo )
Cindy Williams (born 1964), journalist and Miss Mississippi USA 1986
Jalin Wood (born 1981), Miss Mississippi 2004 and Miss Mississippi USA 2007 (
Waynesboro )
Musicians
Physicians
Politicians
Thomas Abernethy (1903–1998), U.S. representative (
Eupora )
[47]
Robert H. Adams (1792–1830), U.S. senator (
Natchez )
[48]
James L. Alcorn (1816–1894), governor, U.S. senator (
Friars Point )
[49]
William Allain (1928–2013), governor (
Washington )
[50]
John Mills Allen (1846–1917), U.S. representative (
Tishomingo County )
[51]
Apuckshunubbee (c. 1740–1824),
Choctaw chief[
citation needed ]
Haley Barbour (born 1947), governor (
Yazoo City )
[52]
Ethelbert Barksdale (1824–1893), U.S. representative, Confederate congressman (
Jackson )
[53]
William Barksdale (1821–1863), U.S. congressman (
Jackson )
[54]
Ross Barnett (1898–1987), governor (
Standing Pine )
[55]
Cheri Barry (born c. 1955), mayor (
Meridian )[
citation needed ]
Marion Barry (1936–2014), Washington, D.C. mayor (
Itta Bena )
Theodore G. Bilbo (1877–1947), governor and U.S. senator (
Poplarville )
[56]
Marsha Blackburn (born 1952), U.S. representative from Tennessee (
Laurel )
[57]
Hale Boggs (1914–1972), U.S. representative from Louisiana, House majority leader (
Long Beach )
[58]
Mary Booze (1877–1948), first African-American woman to sit on the
Republican National Committee (
Mound Bayou )
[59]
David R. Bowen (born 1932), U.S. representative (
Houston )
Walker Brooke (1813–1869), U.S. senator (
Vicksburg )
Blanche Bruce (1841–1898), U.S. senator
Ezekiel S. Candler Jr. (1862–1944), U.S. representative (
Corinth )
Joseph W. Chalmers (1806–1853), U.S. senator (
Holly Springs )
Travis W. Childers (born 1958), U.S. representative (
Booneville )
John Claiborne (1809–1884), U.S. representative (
Natchez )
Bryant Clark (born 1975), state representative, son of
Robert G. Clark Jr. (
Jackson )
Robert G. Clark Jr. (born 1928), state representative, speaker pro tempore (
Ebenezer )
Thad Cochran (1937–2019), U.S. senator (
Pontotoc )
James P. Coleman (1914–1991), governor (
Ackerman )
Jacqueline Y. Collins (born 1949), Illinois state senator (
McComb )
Ross A. Collins (1880–1968), U.S. representative (
Collinsville )
William M. Colmer (1890–1980), U.S. representative (
Moss Point )
Greg Davis (born 1966), mayor (
Southaven )
Jefferson Davis (1808–1889), U.S. senator and
president of the Confederate States (
Warren County )
Wayne Dowdy (born 1943), chairman of the
Mississippi Democratic Party (
Magnolia )
Brad Dye (1933–2018), lieutenant governor (
Charleston )
James Eastland (1904–1986), U.S. senator (
Sunflower )
Ronnie Edwards (1952–2016), Louisiana state representative (
Woodville )
Mike Espy (born 1953), U.S. secretary of agriculture (
Yazoo City )
Robert C. Farrell (born 1936), Los Angeles city councilman (
Natchez )
Erik R. Fleming (born 1965), state representative (
Clinton )
Mary E. Flowers (born 1951), Illinois state representative (
Inverness )
Tim Ford (1951–2015), speaker of
Mississippi House of Representatives (
Tupelo )
Kirk Fordice (1934–2004), governor (
Vicksburg )
Webb Franklin (born 1941), U.S. representative (
Greenwood )
Evelyn Gandy (1920–2007), lieutenant governor (
Hattiesburg
James Z. George (1826–1897), U.S. senator (
Carrollton )
Charles H. Griffin (1926–1989), U.S. representative (
Utica )
Gregg Harper (born 1956), U.S. representative (
Jackson )
Pat Harrison (1881–1941), U.S. representative (
Crystal Springs )
Patrick Henry (1843–1930), U.S. representative (
Brandon )
Thomas C. Hindman (1828–1868), U.S. representative from Arkansas (
Ripley )
Jon Hinson (1942–1995), U.S. representative (
Tylertown )
David Holmes (1769–1832), first
Governor of Mississippi
Jim Hood (born 1962), Attorney General of Mississippi (
New Houlka )
Delbert Hosemann (born 1947), Mississippi secretary of state (
Vicksburg )
Benjamin G. Humphreys (1808–1882), governor (
Claiborne County )
Benjamin G. Humphreys II (1865–1923), U.S. representative (
Claiborne County )
William Y. Humphreys (1890–1933), U.S. representative (
Greenville )
Paul B. Johnson Jr. (1916–1985), governor (
Hattiesburg )
Paul B. Johnson Sr. (1880–1943), judge/governor (
Hattiesburg )
Pete Johnson (born 1948), state auditor, co-chair of
Delta Regional Authority (
Clarksdale )
Daryl Jones (born 1955), Florida legislator, attorney (
Jackson )
Penne Percy Korth (born 1942), diplomat (
Hattiesburg
L. Q. C. Lamar (1825–1893), U.S. senator and supreme court justice (
Oxford )
Greenwood LeFlore (1800–1865),
Choctaw chief, state senator
Mamie Locke (born 1954), Virginia state senator (
Brandon )
Trent Lott (born 1941), U.S. senator and Senate Majority Leader (
Grenada )
Chokwe Lumumba (1947–2014), activist, attorney, mayor of
Jackson
John R. Lynch (1847–1939), first African-American speaker of the Mississippi House, U.S. representative (
Natchez )
Ray Mabus (born 1948), governor and
Secretary of the Navy (
Starkville )
Lewis McAllister (born 1932), state representative (
Meridian )
Glenn McCullough (born 1954), mayor of Tupelo (
Tupelo )
Chris McDaniel (born 1971), state senator (
Laurel )
Anselm J. McLaurin (1848–1909), governor (
Brandon )
Hernando Money (1839–1912), U.S. senator (
Carrollton )
Frank A. Montgomery (1830–1903), state representative and circuit judge (
Adams County )
[60]
Isaiah Montgomery (1847–1924), founder, mayor of (
Mound Bayou, Mississippi )
Sonny Montgomery (1920–2006), U.S. representative (
Meridian )
Mike Moore (born 1952), Mississippi attorney general (
Pascagoula )
Stanford Morse (1926–2002), state senator (
Gulfport )
[61]
Henry L. Muldrow (1837–1905), U.S. representative and First Assistant Secretary of the Interior (
Lowndes County )
[62]
Ronnie Musgrove (born 1956), governor (
Tocowa )
David Myers (born 1961), politician, state representative (
Magee )
Spencer Myrick (1918–1991), Louisiana legislator (
Simpson County )
Edmond F. Noel (1856–1927), governor (
Lexington )
Joe Nosef (born 1969), attorney, chairman of
Mississippi Republican Party (
Clarksdale )
Alan Nunnelee (1958–2015), state senator (
Tupelo )
Rod Paige (born 1933), U.S. secretary of education (
Monticello )
Rubel Phillips (1925–2011), gubernatorial candidate
Corinth
[63]
Chip Pickering (born 1963), U.S. representative (
Laurel )
Stacey Pickering (born 1968), state auditor (
Laurel )
John E. Rankin (1882–1960), U.S. representative (
Itawamba County )
Red Shoes (died 1747), assassinated Choctaw leader
Clarke Reed (born 1928), state Republican chairman (
Greenville )
Jack Reed (1924–2016), Republican gubernatorial nominee in 1987
Bill Renick (born 1954), mayor, governor's chief of staff (
Ashland )
Hiram Rhodes Revels (1827–1901), first African-American U.S. senator (
Claiborne County )
Carol Schwartz (born 1944),
District of Columbia politician (
Greenville )
Abram M. Scott (1785–1833), governor (
Wilkinson County )
Ronnie Shows (born 1947), U.S. representative (
Moselle )
Jim Singleton (born 1931), New Orleans councilman (
Hazlehurst )
Larkin I. Smith (1944–1989), U.S. representative (
Poplarville )
Larry Speakes (1939–2014), presidential spokesman (
Cleveland )
James J. Spelman (1841–1894), journalist, state representative (
Madison County )
John C. Stennis (1901–1995), U.S. senator (
De Kalb )
Bill Stone (born 1965), state senator (
Ashland )
Tom Stuart (1936–2001),
mayor of Meridian
William V. Sullivan (1857–1918), U.S. representative and senator (
Winona )
Gene Taylor (born 1953), U.S. representative (
Bay St. Louis )
Bennie Thompson (born 1948), U.S. representative (
Bolton )
Jacob Thompson (1810–1885), U.S. representative, secretary of the interior (
Oxford )
W. H. H. Tison (1822–1882), 39th speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives (
Lee County )
Amy Tuck (born 1963), lieutenant governor (
Maben )
James K. Vardaman (1861–1930), governor, U.S. senator (
Yalobusha County )
Joseph Warren (born 1952), politician, state representative (
Magee )
Jamie L. Whitten (1910–1995), U.S. representative (
Cascilla )
Roger Wicker (born 1951), U.S. senator (
Pontotoc )
Thomas Hickman Williams (1801–1851), U.S. senator (
Pontotoc County )
Norris C. Williamson (1874–1949), Louisiana state senator (
Benton County )
[64]
William Arthur Winstead (1904–1995), U.S. representative (
Philadelphia )
William Winter (1923–2020), governor (
Grenada )
Seelig Wise (1913–2004), planter, state senator (
Clarksdale )
[65]
Fielding L. Wright (1895–1956), governor (
Rolling Fork )
Scientists and inventors
Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995), inventor of rodeo equipment (
Columbia )
Harry A. Cole , inventor of
Pine-Sol (
Jackson )
James A. Ford (1911–1968), archaeologist (
Water Valley )
Fred Haise (born 1933), engineer,
astronaut (
Biloxi )
Elizabeth Lee Hazen (1885–1975), microbiologist, developer of
nystatin (
Rich )
Martin F. Jue , amateur radio inventor, entrepreneur (
Starkville )
[66]
Ben Montgomery (1819–1877), freedman, farmer, inventor (
Davis Bend )
Joseph Newman , inventor of the Newman motor (
Lucedale )
Chester H. Pond (1844–1912), inventor of the electrical self-winding clock
Henry Sampson (1934–2020), inventor (
Jackson )
Roy A. Tucker (born 1951), astronomer (
Jackson )
Supercentenarians
Writers
William Allegrezza (born 1974), poet (
Jackson )
Ace Atkins (born 1970), novelist (
Oxford )
Howard Bahr (born 1946), novelist (
Jackson )
Frederick Barthelme (born 1943), novelist and professor (
Hattiesburg )
Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995), artist and writer (
Columbia )
Lerone Bennett Jr. (1928–2018), editor of
Ebony magazine (
Clarksdale )
Douglas A. Blackmon (born 1964), journalist and historian (
Leland )
Maxwell Bodenheim (1892–1954), poet and novelist (
Hermanville )
Margaret Hunt Brisbane (1858–1925), poet (
Vicksburg )
Larry Brown (1951–2004), novelist (
Oxford )
Jack Butler (born 1944), author (
Alligator )
Mary Cain (1904–1984), journalist (
Pike County )
Hodding Carter II (1907–1972), journalist (
Greenville )
Hodding Carter III (born 1935), journalist (
Greenville )
Craig Claiborne (1920–2000), food writer (
Sunflower )
Carl Corley (1919–2016), author (
Florence )
Hubert Creekmore (1907–1966), poet, author (
Water Valley )
Mart Crowley (1935–2020), playwright (
Vicksburg )
Borden Deal (1922–1985), novelist and short story writer (
Pontotoc )
Ben Domenech (born 1981), conservative writer and blogger (
Jackson )
David Herbert Donald (1920–2009), historian (
Goodman )
Ellen Douglas (Josephine Haxton) (1921–2012), novelist (
Greenville )
[67]
Eliza Ann Dupuy (c. 1814 – 1880), first woman of Mississippi to earn her living as a writer
John T. Edge (born 1962), food writer (
Oxford )
W. Ralph Eubanks (born 1957), author, journalist (
Mount Olive )
Woody Evans (born 1971?), technology journalist and short story writer (
Hattiesburg )
John Faulkner (1901–1963), plain-style writer (
Ripley )
William Faulkner (1897–1962), Nobel laureate (
New Albany )
William Clark Falkner (1825–1889), businessman, author (
Ripley )
Vic Fleming (born 1951), puzzle writer (
Jackson )
Shelby Foote (1916–2005), historian and novelist (
Greenville )
Charles Henri Ford (1913–2002), poet, novelist, editor (
Brookhaven )
Richard Ford (born 1944),
Pulitzer Prize -winning novelist and short story writer (
Jackson )
Lynn Franklin (1922–2005), author, police detective
Tom Franklin (born 1963), author (
Oxford )
[68]
Ellen Gilchrist (born 1935), novelist, poet, short story writer (
Vicksburg )
John Grisham (born 1955),
legal thrillers novelist (
Southaven )
Barry Hannah (1942–2010), novelist and short story writer (
Clinton )
Charlaine Harris (born 1951), mystery author (
Tunica )
Thomas Harris (born 1940), author, screenwriter (
Rich )
Beth Henley (born 1952), playwright and screenwriter (
Jackson )
M. Carl Holman (1919–1988), author, poet, playwright (
Minter City )
Alan Huffman , author, journalist (
Bolton )
Sarah Gibson Humphreys (1830–1907), author, suffragist (
Warren County )
Greg Iles (born 1960), novelist (
Natchez )
Germany Kent (born 1975), author, journalist (
Greenville )
Greg Keyes (born 1963), science fiction and fantasy writer (
Meridian )
Kiese Laymon (born 1974), novelist, memoirist (
Jackson )
Muna Lee (1895–1965), author and poet (
Raymond )
Clinton LeSueur (born 1969), journalist, congressional candidate (
Holly Springs )
Sam Chu Lin (1939–2006), journalist (
Greenville )
Della Campbell MacLeod (ca. 1884 – ?), author, journalist (
Greenwood )
Anne Moody (1940–2015), author, activist (
Centreville )
Willie Morris (1934–1999), author, editor (
Jackson )
Jess Mowry (born 1960), writer of books and stories for children and young adults (
Starkville )
Thomas Naylor (1936–2012), author and economist (
Jackson )
Lewis Nordan (1939–2012), fiction author (
Itta Bena )
Steven Ozment (1939–2019), historian (
McComb )
Walker Percy (1916–1990), author (
Greenville )
William Alexander Percy (1885–1942), author (
Greenville )
Thomas Hal Phillips (1922–2007), author, film actor (
Corinth )
Robert M. Price (born 1954), theologian, writer (
Jackson )
William Raspberry (1935–2012), public affairs columnist (
Okolona )
Kevin Sessums (born 1956), magazine editor (
Forest )
Donald C. Simmons Jr. (born 1963), author and filmmaker (
Eupora )
Roscoe Simmons (1881–1951), journalist, activist (
Greenville ?)
Patrick D. Smith (1927–2014), novelist (
Mendenhall )
Robert Bruce Smith IV (1945–2014), author, local historian (
Tupelo )
[69]
[70]
Lynne Spears (born 1955), author (
Magnolia )
Elizabeth Spencer (1921–2019), novelist (
Carrollton )
Stuart Stevens , author, political consultant (
Jackson )
William N. Still Jr. (born 1932), maritime historian (
Columbus )
Kathryn Stockett (born 1969), novelist (
Jackson )
Kate Stone (1841–1907), diarist (Mississippi Springs,
Hinds County )
Donna Tartt (born 1963), novelist (
Greenwood )
Clifton Taulbert (born 1945), author and speaker (
Glen Allan )
Mildred Taylor (born 1943), author (
Jackson )
Wright Thompson (born 1976), sports writer (
Clarksdale )
Natasha Trethewey (born 1966), 2007 Pulitzer Prize poet (
Gulfport )
Jamie Langston Turner (born 1949), Christian novelist
Irving Vendig (1902–1995), television writer (
Holly Springs )
Brenda Venus (born 1947), author (
Biloxi )
Howard Waldrop (born 1946), science fiction author (
Houston )
Rosa Kershaw Walker (1840–1909), writer, journalist, newspaper editor (Mississippi)
Jesmyn Ward (born 1977), novelist (
DeLisle )
Peggy Webb (born 1942), romance novel author (
Mooreville )
Eudora Welty (1909–2001), novelist, short story writer (
Jackson )
Curtis Wilkie (born 1940), journalist, historian (
Greenville )
Paige Williams (born 1969), journalist, author (
Tupelo )
Tennessee Williams (1911–1983), playwright (
Columbus )
Amos N. Wilson (1941–1995), psychologist, author (
Hattiesburg )
Richard Nathaniel Wright (1908–1960) (
Roxie )
Al Young (1939–2021), poet, novelist, essayist, screenwriter (
Ocean Springs )
Stark Young (1881–1963), playwright, novelist, literary critic, essayist (
Como )
Other people
Arthur Blessitt (born 1940), preacher (
Greenville )
Miriam Chamani (born 1943), Mambo priestess, co-founder of
New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple (
Jackson )
James Copeland (1823–1857), outlaw and co-leader of Wages and Copeland Clan (
Jackson County )
Cat Cora (born 1967), first female
Iron Chef America in franchise history (
Jackson )
Margaret Ferguson (born 1968), political scientist (
Hattiesburg )
Jeff Fort (born 1947), leader of
Black P. Stones Nation (
Aberdeen )
Larry Hoover (born 1950), leader of
Gangster Disciple Nation (
Jackson )
Abby Howard , internet cartoonist
Leslie Hubricht (1908–2005), biologist and malacologist (
Meridian )
Mary Comfort Leonard (1856–1940), founder of
Delta Gamma fraternity (
Kosciusko )
Floyd Mayweather Sr. (born 1952), boxer (
Amory )
L. H. Musgrove (1832–1868),
outlaw hanged by
vigilante committee in
Denver, Colorado (
Panola County )
Haller Nutt (1816–1864), planter, builder of
Longwood (
Jefferson County )
Richard Ragan (born 1964), White House official, UN diplomat (
Cleveland )
[71]
The Scott Sisters , convicted of murder in controversial case that drew national attention
Lenny Skutnik (born 1953), celebrity rescuer of 1982 disaster victim
Toby Turner (born 1985), YouTube star, better known as Tobuscus (
Osborn )
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