From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Notable people from Indianapolis
The following is a list of notable people who have been born or lived in
Indianapolis, Indiana . Organized alphabetically by field of study and then by last name.
Actors
Abraham Benrubi
Abraham Benrubi (1969– ), actor, best known for
ER and
Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Monte Blue (1887–1963), silent film/character actor
Connie Booth (1944– ), actress, screenwriter
Steve Burton (1970– ), television actor
Joyce DeWitt (1949– ), actress, best known for
Three's Company
Cullen Douglas (1967– ), actor, producer, director, best known for Grey’s Anatomy and Pure Genius
Robert Emhardt (1914–1994), Actor
Mike Epps (1970– ), stand-up comedian, actor, producer, writer, rapper
Frances Farmer (1913–1970), actress
Rhett Fisher (1980– ), actor, best known for
Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue
Brendan Fraser (1968– ), film actor
Ken Foree (1948– ), actor
Vivica A. Fox (1964- ) actress
Doug Jones (1960– ), actor
Brook Kerr (1973– ), actress
Forrest Landis (1994– ), actor
Priscilla Lawson (1914–1958), actress
Marjorie Main (1890–1975), actress
Steve McQueen (1930–1980), Academy Award-nominated actor
Julie McWhirter (1947– ), actress
Margo Moore (1931–2000), actress
Dohn Norwood
[1] (1974– ) actor,
Hell on Wheels (TV series)
[2]
Dayo Okeniyi (1988– ), film actor
Jake Short (1997– ), actor
Steve Talley (1981– ), television/film actor
Harry von Zell (1906–1981), television/film actor and radio announcer, best known for
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
Clifton Webb (1889–1966), stage/film actor
Sasheer Zamata (1986– ), comedian, actress, former
cast member on
Saturday Night Live
Artists
Vija Celmins (1938– ), visual artist
Don Gummer , artist
John Wesley Hardrick (1891–1968), artist
Ron McQueeney , photographer
Wilhelmina Seegmiller (1866–1913), author, illustrator, art teacher
Sheida Soleimani (1990–), contemporary artist, born in Indianapolis.
[3]
Jeremy Spencer , musician (1973– )
Athletes
George Hill
Donie Bush (1887–1972),
Major League Baseball (MLB) player/manager
George Bailey (1900–1940),
IndyCar Series driver
Bryce Campbell (1994– ), plays for the
United States national rugby union team
Rodney Carney (1984– ),
National Basketball Association (NBA) player
Oscar Charleston (1896–1954), baseball player, member of
Baseball Hall of Fame
Mike Conley Jr. (1987– ), NBA player
Hooks Dauss (1889–1963), MLB player
Euphrasia Donnelly (1905–1963), swimmer,
Olympic gold medalist (1924)
Stu Douglass (1990– ),
American-Israeli basketball player for the Israeli team
Maccabi Ashdod
Jack Doyle (1990– ),
National Football League (NFL) tight end
Jeff George (1967– ), NFL quarterback
Eric Gordon (1988– ), NBA player
Greg Graham (1970– ), NBA player
Marcellus Greene (1957– ), NFL player
Gordon Hayward (1990– ), NBA player
Alan Henderson (1972– ), NBA player
John F. Hennessey (1900–1981), tennis player (1920s)
Oral Hildebrand (1907–1977), MLB All-Star pitcher
George Hill (1986– ), NBA player
Lauren Holiday (1987– ),
US Women's National Soccer player, Olympic gold medalist, 2015 Women's World Cup champion
Lester Horton (1906–1953), dancer and choreographer
Tommy Hunter (1986– ), Major League baseball pitcher for
Philadelphia Phillies
Kenny Irwin (1969–2000),
NASCAR driver
Jack Johnson (1987– ) NHL player
Mathias Kiwanuka (1983– ), NFL player
Ken Klee (1971– ),
National Hockey League (NHL) player
Chuck Klein (1904–1958), MLB player
Kyle Krisiloff (1986– ), NASCAR driver
Shawn Langdon (2007– ), Current NHRA Funny Car Driver 2013 Top Fuel Champion 2 Time Super Comp Champion
Brad Leaf (1960–),
American-Israeli basketball player for
Hapoel Galil Elyon and
Maccabi Tel Aviv of the
Israel Premier League
Courtney Lee (1985– ), NBA player
Don Leppert (1931– ), MLB player
Lori Lindsey (1980– ),
U.S. Women's National Soccer player, Olympic gold medalist
Zack Martin (1990– ), NFL player
George McGinnis (1950– ), NBA player
Frank McKinney (1938–1992), diver, Olympic gold medalist (1960), banking executive
Terry McLaurin
Ohio State Buckeyes and
Washington Redskins wide receiver
Eric Montross (1971– ), NBA player
Greg Oden (1988– ), NBA player
Austin Price (born 1995), basketball player in the
Israeli Premier Basketball League
Derrick Ransom (1976– ),
National Football League (NFL) player defensive tackle
Matt Reiswerg (born 1980), soccer player, coach, and administrator
Oscar Robertson (1938– ), basketball player, member of
Basketball Hall of Fame
Sally Schantz , figure skater, U.S. ice dancing champion (1963)
Judy Schwomeyer (1950– ), figure skater, U.S. ice dancing champion (1968–72)
Sandra Spuzich (1937–2015),
LPGA pro golfer
Brad Stevens (1976– ), President of Basketball Operations and former head coach of the
Boston Celtics
Major Taylor (1878–1932), cyclist
Jeff Teague (1988– ), NBA player
Johnny Weaver (1935–2008), pro wrestler, first to use the sleeper hold "Weaver Lock"
Randy Wittman (1959– ), NBA head coach
Greg Wojciechowski (1951– ), wrestler
Sean Woods (1970– ), college basketball coach
T. J. Yates (1987–), former quarterback who is currently the wide receivers coach for the
Atlanta Falcons
Business and philanthropy
Colonel
Eli Lilly (right) with son
Josiah K. Lilly Sr. (left) and grandson
Eli Lilly (center)
Steve Bellamy , sports media entrepreneur, founder of
The Ski Channel and
The Tennis Channel
Steve Ells , founder, CEO of
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Scott Flanders , businessman and former CEO of Playboy, Inc.
John Geisse , businessman, founder of
Target Stores
Bob Glenalvin , first manager of
Detroit Tigers
Sid Grauman , founder of
Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, former home of the
Academy Awards
Scott A. Jones , co-founder of
ChaCha
Eli Lilly , founder, president of pharmaceutical company
Eli Lilly and Company
Josiah K. Lilly Sr. , president of pharmaceutical company
Eli Lilly and Company
Ruth Lilly , philanthropist
Kim Ng ,
Major League Baseball executive
Freeman Ransom , lawyer, businessman, civic leader
[4]
Willard Ransom , lawyer, businessman, civic leader
[5]
Henry J. Richardson Jr. , lawyer and civil rights activist, member of the
Indiana House of Representatives (1932–36), and a judge in
Marion County, Indiana .
[6]
Madam C.J. Walker , pioneering African-American businesswoman, first female self-made millionaire in America
Margaret Ray Wickens (1843–1918), organizer and social reformer
Entertainment
David Letterman
Rupert Boneham , reality show contestant,
Survivor: Pearl Islands ,
Survivor: All-Stars ,
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains , "
Survivor: Blood vs. Water ; politician
June Cochran , model,
Miss Indiana USA 1960,
Playboy magazine's
Playmate of the Year 1963
Ken Hixon , screenwriter
David Letterman , television personality, former host of
The Late Show (1993–2015)
Ryan Murphy , film and television screenwriter, director, and producer, notably
Nip/Tuck , '
American Horror Story and
Glee
Blair St. Clair (Andrew Bryson), drag performer
Marc Summers , game show host, television personality
Dan Wakefield , screenwriter, novelist
Marjorie Wallace ,
Miss World 1973
Journalists and media
Military
Musicians
Kenneth Babyface
Mark Battles , rapper-songwriter, founder of record label Fly America
Scrapper Blackwell , blues musician and songwriter, writer of the earliest version of "
Sweet Home Chicago "
Darrell Clanton , singer
[7]
Dorian , hip-hop recording artist and music producer
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds ,
R&B music producer/performer
Guitar Pete Franklin , blues musician
[8]
Jan Garber , bandleader
Blind Leroy Garnett , boogie-woogie and ragtime pianist and songwriter
Thurston Harris , singer, songwriter
Billy Henderson , singer, member of
The Spinners (American group)
John Hiatt , musician
Freddie Hubbard , jazz trumpeter
J. J. Johnson , jazz trombonist
Josh Kaufman , singer-songwriter, contestant on
The Voice (U.S. Season 6)
Adam Lambert , singer, runner-up of
American Idol
(Season 8)
Adrianne Lenker , musician, singer songwriter of the indie band, Big Thief
Ted Leo , musician
Charles Scott Leonard , member of the a cappella group
Rockapella
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's , indie rock band formed in Indianapolis
Tim McIlrath , musician
Wes Montgomery , jazz guitarist
Plumb , singer/songwriter
Hal Rayle , voice artist
Larry Ridley , jazz bassist
June Rochelle , singer/songwriter
David Michael Schuster , opera singer
George Shirley , operatic tenor
Noble Sissle , composer
Tiara Thomas , singer-songwriter
Albert Von Tilzer , composer, notably "
Take Me Out to the Ball Game "
Pharez Whitted , jazz trumpeter
Keke Wyatt , R&B singer
Politicians
Benjamin Harrison , 21st president of the United States
James Bingham ,
Indiana Attorney General (1907–1911)
Maria Cantwell , U.S. Senator from Washington
Paul Cantwell , Indiana state representative
André Carson , member of the
U.S. House of Representatives for Indiana, second Muslim to be elected to the
U.S. Congress (2008)
Julia Carson , member of the
U.S. House of Representatives for Indiana; grandmother of
André Carson
Harriette Bailey Conn , state representative and the first African American to serve as Indiana's state public defender
Ray Crowe , basketball coach and politician
John J. Dillon ,
Indiana Attorney General (1965-1969)
Charles W. Fairbanks , 26th Vice President of the United States (1905–1909)
William T. Francis ,
United States Ambassador to Liberia (1927–1929)
[9]
Benjamin Harrison , 23rd President of the United States (1889–1893); lived and died in Indianapolis
Thomas A. Hendricks , 21st Vice President of the United States (1863–1869)
Eric Holcomb , Governor of Indiana
William A. Ketcham ,
Indiana Attorney General (1894–1898), Commander-in-Chief of the
Grand Army of the Republic (1920–1921).
Jon Krahulik , Justice of the
Indiana Supreme Court (1990–1993)
Daisy Riley Lloyd , first female African American to serve in the Indiana legislature
Richard Lugar , U.S. Senator from Indiana
Frank E. McKinney , Democratic Party chairman
Dan Quayle , 44th Vice President of the United States (1989–1993)
Charles Ray , Justice of the
Indiana Supreme Court (1865–1871)
Edwin K. Steers ,
Indiana Attorney General (1953–1965)
Ted Stevens , former U.S. Senator from
Alaska
Mark Warner , U.S. Senator from Virginia
Mike Pence , 48th Vice President of the United States (2017–2021)
Writers
Margaret C. Anderson
Margaret C. Anderson , critic, editor and publisher
John David Anderson
[10] (1975– ), children's book author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day , 2017 Indiana Authors Award Winner
[11]
Allan Bloom , philosopher and essayist
A'Lelia Bundles (1952– ),
[12] TV producer, journalist, and author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker
Jared Carter (1939– ), poet, author of Work, for the Night Is Coming (1981), and winner of the
Walt Whitman Award and the
Poets' Prize .
Matt Dellinger (1975– ), author of Interstate 69: The Unfinished History of the Last Great American Highway
Mari Evans (1923–2017), poet, author of I Am a Black Woman (1970), winner of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters poetry award
[13]
Janet Flanner , Paris correspondent of
The New Yorker
Hildegarde Flanner , poet
John Green , children's book award-winning author of
The Fault in Our Stars ;
vlogger
Alex Hall , author of
Ben Drowned (2010)
Joseph Hayes , author
Phillip Hoose (1947– ),
[14] award-winning children's book author of
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
Kathryn Lasky (1944– ),
[15] children's book author of
Guardians of Ga'Hoole
Charles Major , author
Elizabeth Miller (1878–1961), novelist
Bill Peet (1915–2002), children's book author and illustrator of Pamela Camel ,
Madelyn Pugh , script-writer
I Love Lucy television program
Booth Tarkington ,
Pulitzer Prize -winning author
Kurt Vonnegut , author
James Whitcomb Riley , poet
Other
John Dillinger
Frank J. Anderson , former Sheriff of
Marion County, Indiana (2003–2011)
Herb Baumeister , suspected serial killer
Kent Brantly , physician, author, speaker, first American to be treated for the Ebola virus in 2014,
TIME Person of the Year 2014
Emmett I. Brown Jr. , professional photographer, documented
Indiana Avenue 's jazz scene in the 1940s and 50s, editor
Sepia magazine
John P. Donohue , professor, doctor, pioneered treatments for testicular cancer
John Dillinger , bank robber
Jared Fogle ,
Subway restaurant endorser, motivational speaker, and convicted child pornographer
Ruth M. Gardiner , first nurse killed in action during
World War II
Michael Graves , architect
Margaret Yandes Holliday , Presbyterian missionary in
Tabriz from 1883 to 1919
Peter Kassig , aid worker, taken hostage and ultimately beheaded by
The Islamic State
[16]
Justin Knapp , Wikipedia editor
John Morton-Finney , Buffalo soldier, lawyer, educator and civil rights leader
Irvine Page , physiologist, former president of the
American Heart Association (1956–1957)
John C. Rule , historian at
Ohio State University
Bill Shirk , escape artist, president of Hoosier Broadcasting Corp.
Avriel Shull , architect
William V. Wheeler , founder of Wheeler Mission Ministries of Indianapolis
David A. Wolf , astronaut
Evans Woollen III , architect, founder and principal of
Woollen, Molzan and Partners
[17]
References
^
"Talking Hell on wheels Dohn Norwood returns" . BlogTalkRadio . Retrieved January 3, 2018 .
^
"Q&A – Dohn Norwood (Psalms)" . AMC . Retrieved January 3, 2018 .
^
"Sheida Soleimani bio" . decordova.org . Retrieved January 7, 2020 .
^
"Notable names in local Black history" . The Indianapolis Star. February 10, 2000. Archived from
the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2012 .
^
"Willard B. (Mike) Ransom" . Encyclopedia of Indianapolis . February 5, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2023 .
^ Charles Latham Jr. (February 1993). "Henry J. Richardson Papers: Historical Sketch". Black History News and Notes (51). Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society: 1.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008 . Record Research, Inc. p. 94.
ISBN
0-89820-177-2 .
^
"Guitar Pete Franklin Biography" .
AllMusic . Retrieved September 17, 2014 .
^
"Chiefs of Mission for Liberia" .
U.S. Department of State . Retrieved September 11, 2013 .
^
"The Winners - Indiana Authors Award" . www.indianaauthorsaward.org . Retrieved January 2, 2018 .
^
"Four Top Authors Named as 2017 Indiana Authors Award Winners | The Indianapolis Public Library" . www.indypl.org . Retrieved January 2, 2018 .
^
"A'Lelia Bundles" . www.aleliabundles.com . Retrieved January 2, 2018 .
^
"Mari Evans" . Poetry Foundation . Poetry Foundation. January 2, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2018 . {{
cite web }}
: CS1 maint: others (
link )
^
"Perfect Once Removed" . Phillip Hoose, National Book Award Winner . Retrieved January 2, 2018 .
^ Lasky, Kathryn.
"Get to know Kathryn Lasky" . Kathryn Lasky . Retrieved January 2, 2018 .
^ Brian Eason, Stephanie Wang and Michael Anthony Adams (October 3, 2014).
"Indianapolis native Peter Kassig named next ISIS target" . Indystar.com. Retrieved December 21, 2014 .
^ Mary Ellen Gadski, "Woollen, Molzan and Partners" in David J. Bodenhamer and Robert G. Barrows, ed. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis . Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. pp. 1453–54.
ISBN
0-253-31222-1 .