From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of notable people born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of
Springfield, Missouri and its surrounding
metropolitan area .
Politics
John Ashcroft , former
United States attorney general
Matt Blunt , former
governor of Missouri
Melanie Blunt , former
first lady of Missouri
Roy Blunt , former U.S. senator
Dennis Bonner , Missouri state legislator
Sempronius H. Boyd , former U.S. representative and
minister of the United States to Siam
Miller Dunckel , former
Michigan State Treasurer
James McBride , former
minister of the United States to Hawaii
Karen L. Williams , current
United States Ambassador to Suriname
Charlie Brown , former U.S. representative
Mark A. Ediger , former
Surgeon General of the United States Air Force
Johnny Ellis , Alaska state legislator
Scott Fitzpatrick ,
State Auditor of Missouri and former
State Treasurer of Missouri
M. Douglas Harpool ,
United States District Judge
Gilbert H. Jertberg ,
United States Circuit Judge
Jim Keet (born 1949), former member of both houses of the
Arkansas legislature; the 2010
Republican
gubernatorial nominee in Arkansas
Margaret Kelly , former Missouri state auditor, Missouri republican gubernatorial nominee
Billy Long , former U.S. representative
Dale Long , MLB baseball player, hit a home run in eight consecutive games
Duard Marshall , painter, lithographer, and student of
Thomas Hart Benton
Roscoe C. Patterson , former U.S. senator and representative
William C. Price , former
Treasurer of the United States
Crystal Quade , minority leader,
Missouri House of Representatives
Betsy Fogle , member of the Missouri House of Representatives
Alex Riley , member of the Missouri House of Representatives
Arts, literature, humanities and entertainment
Lennie Aleshire , vaudeville and country music performer
Jerry L. Atwood , chemist
Bob Barker , game show host (
The Price is Right )
Julie Blackmon , photographer
Aaron Buerge , star of
ABC 's
The Bachelor , season 2
Kristi Capel
Miss Missouri
2006 , anchor for
WJW in
Cleveland
Kim Crosby ,
Broadway performer
Ian Eskelin , lead singer of
All Star United
Ralph D. Foster , broadcasting pioneer
William Garwood , actor
John Goodman , actor (born in
Affton and attended
Missouri State University ) numerous award winner including
Primetime Emmy Award and
Golden Globe Award
Kathleen Turner , actress, two time
Golden Globe Award winner
Brenda Lee , singer, numerous award winner including a
Grammy Award
Ozark Mountain Daredevils , rock band
Brad Pitt , actor, and attended
Kickapoo High School
Golden Globe Award and
Primetime Emmy Award winner
Lucas Grabeel , actor, singer (
High School Musical ,
High School Musical 2 , and
High School Musical 3: Senior Year )
Sara Groves , Christian contemporary recording artist
Tess Harper , actress (graduated from
Missouri State University )
David L. Harrison , children's author and poet
Speedy Haworth , guitarist and singer
Grace Hayes , actress
Joe Haymes , swing era bandleader-arranger (born in
Marshfield ; grew up and began his band in Springfield)
Josh Heinrichs , reggae singer
Juto , singer
Melissa Hutchison , two time
BAFTA nominee
Virginia Hunter , actress
Jay Kenneth Johnson , actor (
Days of Our Lives )
The Jordanaires , singing group
David Kershenbaum , record producer
King's X , musical group
Chandler Lawson , beauty pageant titleholder,
Miss Tennessee 2012
Jim Lowe , country music singer
Robin Luke , musician
The Marksmen , singing quartet (originally The Foggy River Boys)
Mariann Mayberry , actress
Crystal Methyd , drag queen, runner-up on
season twelve of
RuPaul's Drag Race
Daya Betty , drag queen, contestant on
season fourteen of
RuPaul's Drag Race
Chappell Roan , singer-songwriter
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils , musical group
The Philharmonics , singing quintet
Mary Ellen Ray , actress
Jake Wesley Rogers , singer
Artie Romero , cartoonist, animator
Jah Roots , reggae band
Ronnie Self , singer/songwriter
Scott Siman , music producer and executive
Si Siman , music producer and broadcast executive
Cailee Spaeny , actress (
Vice ,
On the Basis of Sex )
Speakeasy , rock and roll band
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin , musical group
Heidi Strobel ,
Survivor contestant
Terre Thaemlitz , musician, cultural producer
Marissa Whitley ,
Miss Teen USA 2001
Tony Tost , poet
Speedy West , steel guitarist and record producer
Robert Westenberg , Broadway performer
Tom Whitlock ,
Academy Award winner for
Best Original Song ,
Take My Breath Away
Adrienne Wilkinson , actress (graduated from
Kickapoo High School )
Slim Wilson , musician, radio and TV personality
Daniel Woodrell , author
Percy Grainger , music composer, (lived in Springfield from 1940 to 1943)
[1]
Sports
Jaelon Acklin ,
CFL player,
Ottawa Redblacks
Scott Bailes , MLB pitcher in 1980s and 1990s; color commentator for
Springfield Cardinals
Eddie Carnett , MLB pitcher in 1940s
Dean Deetz , MLB player,
Houston Astros
Lori Endicott ,
Atlanta 1996 Olympic volleyball player
BJ Flores , boxer
Courtney Frerichs ,
Rio 2016 and
Tokyo 2020 track and field
Gracie Gold ,
Sochi 2014 Olympic figure skater, 2014 and 2016 U.S. champion
Dorial Green-Beckham , NFL player, 2015
Tennessee Titans , 2016
Philadelphia Eagles
Lucas Harrell , MLB player,
Toronto Blue Jays
John Howard ,
Mexico City 1968 ,
Munich 1972 ,
Montreal 1976 cycalist
Ryan Howard , MLB player, 2005
NL Rookie of the Year ,
2006 Home Run Derby champion, 2006 NL Most Valuable Player
Jack Jewsbury , MLS player for
Portland Timbers
Jerry Jones ,
Dallas Cowboys owner; worked in Springfield with father Pat Jones at insurance company Modern Security Life in 1960s
Josh Kinney , first Springfield Cardinal (AA) to make MLB
St. Louis Cardinals roster
Stan Musial , Hall of Fame baseball player for
St. Louis Cardinals , played for original
Springfield Cardinals in late 1930s
Larry Nemmers , NFL referee
Mickey Owen , MLB player
Robin Partch ,
Grenoble 1968 luger
Dave Patterson , MLB player,
Los Angeles Dodgers
Jason Pyrah ,
Atlanta 1996 and
Sydney 2000 Olympic 1500m runner
Steve Rogers , MLB starting pitcher, 5-time All-Star; most successful pitcher in
Montreal Expos history
Emily Scott ,
Sochi 2014 Olympic speed skater
Horton Smith , golfer, two-time
Masters Tournament champion
Payne Stewart , professional golfer
Jackie Stiles , NCAA all-time leading scorer in women's basketball
Jeri Sitzes , boxer
Anthony Tolliver , NBA player for
Minnesota Timberwolves
Paul Walker , football player
Business
Other
Jimmie Angel , aviator, discoverer of
Angel Falls , highest free-falling waterfall in world
William A. Beiderlinden , U.S. Army major general
[3]
Oliver Brown , plaintiff in the Supreme Court case
Brown v. Board of Education , born in
Topeka
James E. Cofer , professor at Missouri State University, president 2010-11
J. Alan Groves , Biblical Hebrew scholar; editor of Groves-Wheeler Hebrew morphology database
Edwin P. Hubble , of
Hubble Space Telescope fame (born in
Marshfield )
[4]
Virginia E. Johnson ,
sexologist ; junior member of
Masters and Johnson sexuality research team
Janet Kavandi ,
NASA astronaut
Curtis Price
KBE , warden of
New College, Oxford
Emma J. Ray , activist, suffragist
Notes