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List of people from Nebraska
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The following are people who were either born/raised or have lived for a significant period of time in Nebraska.
Native Americans
Public office
- Herbert Brownell, Jr. (1904–1996), United States Attorney General in President Eisenhower's cabinet from 1952 to 1957
- William Jennings Bryan (1860–1925), U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Representative, Democratic Party nominee for president 1896, 1900, and 1908, and prosecuting attorney in Scopes Trial.
- Hugh A. Butler (1878–1954), U.S. Senator
- Dick Cheney (1941-), 46th U.S. Vice-president
- Glenn Cunningham (1912-2003), U.S. Representative; Mayor of Omaha
- Carl Curtis (1905-2000), U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator
- Robert Vernon Denney (1916-1981), U.S. Representative and U.S. District Court Judge
- J. James Exon (1921-2005), Nebraska Governor and U.S. Senator
- Gerald Ford (1913–2006), 38th U.S. President (born in Omaha, but raised in Michigan)
- Dwight Griswold (1893-1954), Nebraska Governor and U.S. Senator
- Robert Dinsmore Harrison (1897–1977), U.S. Representative
- Edgar Howard (1858–1951), served as private secretary to William Jennings Bryan; Nebraska Lt. Governor and U.S. Representative
- Joseph Robert "Bob" Kerrey (1943-), Nebraska Governor and US Senator
- Kay A. Orr (1939-), first Republican woman governor (Nebraska) in U.S. history (1987–1991)
- Leo Ryan (1925–1978), U.S. Representative (Democrat-California) to Congress; born in Lincoln.
- Charles Thone (1924- ), Nebraska Governor and U.S. Congressman
- Kenneth S. Wherry (1892–1951), U.S. Senator
Military/war
- Alfred Gruenther (1899–1983), youngest four-star general in U.S. history, Commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- Galen B. Jackman (1951-), US Army Major General (retired), Nancy Reagan's escort throughout the death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan, first commanding general of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region
- Joseph Robert "Bob" Kerrey (1943-), US Navy, LT(JG), Commanded a Navy SEAL team in Vietnam, Medal of Honor recipient
- Francis P. Matthews (1887–1952), served as 49th U.S. Secretary of the Navy, during the administration of President Harry Truman
- Butler B. Miltonberger (1897–1977), Commanded the 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division during World War II
- Jarvis Offutt (1894–1918), World War I aviator, namesake of Offutt Air Force Base
- Forrest S. Petersen (1922–1990), Navy and NASA test pilot, head of Naval Air Systems Command
- James G. Roudebush (c. 1949-), U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General and doctor of medicine, current Surgeon General of the United States Air Force
- Karl Timmerman, United States Army. Helped capture the Bridge at Remagen during World War II. First officer of an attacking army to cross the Rhine River since Napoleon.
- Albert Coady Wedemeyer (1897–1989), noted military planner and strategist
Entertainment
Film/theater
- Adele Astaire (1897–1981), dancer and entertainer
- Fred Astaire (1899–1987), dancer and actor
- John Beasley (1943-), actor
- Ward Bond (1903–1960), actor
- Marlon Brando (1924–2004), Academy Award-winning actor
- Montgomery Clift (1920–1966), actor
- James Coburn (1928–2002), actor
- Sandy Dennis (1937–1992), actress
- David Doyle (1929–1997), actor
- Henry Fonda (1905–1982), Academy Award-winning actor
- Hoot Gibson (1892–1962), actor, rodeo cowboy
- Leland Hayward (1902–1971), Hollywood and Broadway agent and producer
- Marg Helgenberger (1958-), actress
- Virginia Huston (1925-1981), actress
- David Janssen (1931–1980), actor
- Jaime King (1979-), actress
- Swoosie Kurtz (1944-), actress
- Harold Lloyd (1893–1971), actor, comedian
- Pierce Lyden (1908- ), actor
- Gordon MacRae (1921–1986), actor, singer
- Dorothy McGuire (1916–2001), actress
- Fred Niblo (1874–1948), actor, director, producer
- Nick Nolte (1941-), actor, producer
- Alexander Payne (1961-), director, screenwriter
- Thurl Ravenscroft (1914–2005), voice actor and singer
- Hilary Swank (1974-), 2-time Academy Award-winning actress
- Inga Swenson (1932-), actress
- Robert Taylor (1911–1969), actor
- Janine Turner (1962-), actress
- Gabrielle Union (1973-), actress
- Charles Weidman (1901–1975), dancer, choreographer
- Darryl F. Zanuck (1902–1979), producer, writer, actor and director
Comedians/humorists
Television/radio
Music
- 311, Rock band
- Roni Benise, Flamenco guitarist
- Ruth Etting (1896–1976), singer and actress
- Chip Davis (1947-), singer-songwriter; founder of Mannheim Steamroller, president and ceo of American Gramaphone Records
- Howard Hanson (1896–1981), composer and conductor
- Wynonie "Mr. Blues" Harris (1915–1969), rhythm and blues singer
- Neal Hefti (1922-), jazz trumpeter and composer
- Tim Kasher (1976-), singer
- Conor Oberst (1980-), singer
- Ann Ronell (1906 or 1908–1993), jazz composer and lyricist
- Josh Rouse (1972-), singer-songwriter
- Elliott Smith (1969–2003), singer-songwriter
- Ryland Steen (1980-) Reel Big Fish drummer
- Matthew Sweet (1964-), rock musician
- James Valentine (1978-), Maroon 5 guitarist
- Paul Williams (1940-), singer-songwriter
- Roger Williams (1925-), pianist
Art/literature/journalism
- Bess Streeter Aldrich (1881-1954), author of 200 short stories and 13 novels including Miss Bishop
- Hartley Burr Alexander (1873-1939), writer, educator, scholar, philosopher, poet and iconographer
- Kurt Andersen (1954-), co-founder of Spy Magazine
- John Gutzon Borglum (1867–1941), painter, sculptor, designer and engineer of the presidential busts on Mount Rushmore
- Solon Borglum (1869–1922), sculptor, younger brother of John Gutzon Borglum
- Willa Cather (1873–1947), author
- Ana Marie Cox (1972-), founder and editor of the political blog, Wonkette
- Loren Eiseley (1907-1977), anthropologist, science writer, ecologist, and poet; born in Lincoln, Nebraska
- John Philip Falter (1910-1982), renowned Nebraska artist famous for his many Saturday Evening Post covers
- Terry Goodkind (1948-), bestselling fantasy author
- Robert Henri (1865–1929), painter
- Clifton Hillegass (1918–2001), publisher and founder of CliffsNotes
- L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986), science fiction author and founder of the cult of Scientology
- Lew Hunter (1935-), Sreenwriter
- Weldon Kees (1914–1955), poet, novelist, short story writer
- Ted Kooser (1939-), Poet Laureate of the United States and Pulitzer Prize winner
- Stephen R. Lawhead (1950-), bestselling author of fantasy and historical fiction
- DeBarra Mayo (1953-) writer, author
- Wright Morris (1910-1998), novelist, photographer, and essayist
- John Neihardt (1881–1973), poet, dubbed the "Poet Laureate of Nebraska and the Plains" by the Nebraska State Legislature in 1921
- Rose O'Neill (1874–1944), Illustrator, writer and creator of the Kewpie doll
- Mari Sandoz (1896-1966), novelist, biographer, lecturer and teacher; author of Old Jules, Cheyenne Autumn, Slogum House, and others
Business
- Arjay R. Miller (1916 - ,) Business and college executive, served as president of Ford Motor Company from 1963 to 1968, was dean of Graduate School of Business at Stanford University for ten years.
- Howard F. Ahmanson, Sr. (1906–1968), financier, philanthropist
- Walter Behlen (1905-1994), founder of the Behlen Manufacturing Company in Columbus, Nebraska
- Warren Buffett (1930-), "Oracle of Omaha", investor; Forbes Magazine's 2008 Richest Man in the World
- Richard N. Cabela (1936-), entrepreneur, founder of Cabela's sporting store
- Joyce Hall (1891–1982), founder of Hallmark Cards
- Andrew Higgins (1886–1952), Industrialist and shipbuilder, owner and founder of Higgins Industries, manufacturer of "Higgins boats"
- Peter Kiewit (1900–1979), contractor, investor and philanthropist
- William Norris (1911-), pioneering CEO of Control Data Corporation
- Edwin Perkins (1889–1961), inventor of Kool-Aid, philanthropist
- Walter Scott, Jr. (1931-), civil engineer, philanthropist
- Evan Williams, creator of Blogger
- James Ousley, chairman of the Board, SAVVIS
- Dale M. Jensen, ITI founder, then Phoenix Sun and diamondbacks baseball sold ITI in 1996 for $383 million
- Don Dillion, Founder of ITI, former Chairman of the Board FIServ, largest singe stock holder.
- Tony Raimondo - Behlen mfg, Chairman of the Board
- William (bill) martin kubly, CEO landscapes unlimited
- Donald O. Clifton - Chairman of the Board Gallup Corp. founder of SRI
- Edward McVaney - founder J.D. EDWARDS (purchased by PeopleSoft)
- Tom Peed - President and CEO Sandhills Publishing
- Paul Endacott, college basketball Hall of Fame (University of Kansas), president of Phillips 66
- Paul Henson, UN-L grad. - Chairman of the Board, United Telecom (became Sprint)
- Clarence L. Werner - Founder and Chairman Werner Enterprises - billion dollar Trucking company
- Duane Acklie founder of Crete Carrier Corporation, as well as a chairman of Shaffer Trucking, Inc., Sunflower Carriers, Inc., largest privately held trucking company in the US.
Science/medicine
- Clayton Anderson (1959-) NASA Astronaut assigned to ISS Expedition 15
- Henry Beachell (1906-), developer of hybrid-rice, which has saved millions around the world from starvation
- George Wells Beadle (1903–1989), scientist in the study of genetics
- Charles Edwin Bessey (1845-1915), botanist, responsible for planting of the Nebraska National Forest
- John R. Dunning (1907–1975), physicist; played an instrumental role in the development of the atomic bomb
- Harold Eugene "Doc" Edgerton (1903–1990), professor at MIT, pioneer in stroboscopic photography
- Rollins A. Emerson (1873–1947), geneticist, considered a pioneer in researching the genetics of maize
- Jay Wright Forrester (1918-), pioneer of computer engineering
- Daniel Freeman (1826–1908), a homesteader, physician and American Civil War veteran. First person to file for a claim under Homestead Act of 1862.
- Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865–1915), first person to receive federal aid for education and the first American Indian woman to become a physician in the United States
- Ivan Sutherland (1938-), inventor of the Sketchpad
Athletics
- Ted "The Million Dollar Man" DiBiase (1954-), professional wrestler
- Grover Cleveland Alexander (1887–1950), Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher
- Max Baer (1909–1959), boxer
- Robert S. "Bob" Devaney (1915-1997), football coach for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Bob Gibson (1935-), Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher for St. Louis Cardinals
- Ahman Green (1977-), football player
- Jeremy Horn (1975-), mixed martial arts fighter in the UFC
- Gregg Olson (1966-), professional baseball pitcher
- Tom Osborne (1937-), former football coach for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers
- James Raschke (1940-), professional wrestler
- Andy Roddick (1982-), tennis star
- Gale Sayers (1943-), Football Hall of Fame running back for the Chicago Bears
- "Gorgeous George" Wagner (1915–1963), professional wrestler
- Joba Chamberlain (1985-) Professional baseball player for the New York Yankees
- Jed Ortmeyer (1978-) Professional hockey player for the Nashville Predators
- Curtis Tomasevicz (1980-), 2006 U.S. Olympic Bobsledder, former Nebraska Cornhuskers football player
- Barry Alvarez (1946-), Coached the Wisconsin Badgers football team for 16 years, where he remains as the athletic director currently
- Monte Kiffin (1940-), Current and longtime defensive coordinator for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Lynn Madsen (1960-) DT for 1986 Houston Oilers
Other
- Grace Abbott (1878–1939), social worker, child welfare reformer
- Frank W. Cyr (1900–1995), educator, author, "Father of the Yellow School Bus"
- Carmelita Hinton (1890–1983), progressive educator
- Julius Sterling Morton (1832–1902), founder of Arbor Day
- Roscoe Pound (1870–1964), botanist, lawyer law professor, theorist
- Malcolm X (1925–1965), civil rights leader
- Charles Starkweather (1938-1959), spree killer who murdered 11 victims and inspired numerous books and movies including The Sadist, Badlands, and Natural Born Killers
- Brandon Teena (1972–1993), a female-to-male transsexual whose murder was the basis of the movie Boys Don't Cry
External links
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