The following are notable people who were either born, raised, or have lived for a significant period of time in Kansas:
Academics and Nobel Prize Laureates
- Milton S. Eisenhower, (1899-1985), university president, Abilene, Kansas.
- Wendell Johnson, (1906-1965), psychologist and speech pathologist, author of The Monster Study, Roxbury, Kansas.
- Jack S. Kilby, (1923-2005), Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Great Bend, Kansas.
- Solon Toothaker Kimball, (1909-1982), anthropologist, Manhattan, Kansas.
- Deane Waldo Malott, (1898-1996), president Cornell University, Abilene, Kansas.
- Abby Lillian Marlatt, (1869-1943), home economics, Manhattan, Kansas.
- Eric K. Meyer, (born 1953), journalism professor and Pulitzer Prize nominee, Marion, Kansas.
- M. Lee Pelton, (born 1950), president Willamette University, Wichita, Kansas.
- Vernon L. Smith, (born 1927), Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economics, Wichita, Kansas.
- Earl Wilbur Sutherland Jr., (1915-1974), 1971 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology and Medicine, Burlingame, Kansas.
Arts and literature
Artists
- Grace Bilger, (1907-2000), artist, Olathe, Kansas.
- Blackbear Bosin, (1921-1980), Native American artist, Wichita, Kansas.
- Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks, (7 June 1917 – 3 December 2000), Poet, Topeka, Kansas
- John Steuart Curry, (1897-1946), artist, Winchester, Kansas.
- Aaron Douglas, (1900-1979), artist, Topeka, Kansas.
- Edgar Heap of Birds, (born 1954), artist, Wichita, Kansas.
- Barbara Morgan, (1900-1992), photographer, Buffalo, Kansas.
- Gordon Parks, (1912-2006), photographer and film director, Fort Scott, Kansas.
- Birger Sandzen, (1871-1954), Artist, Art Professor at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas.
- Gary Mark Smith, (born 1956), photographer, Lawrence, Kansas
Authors
- Laura Abbot, author of Harlequin romance novels, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Gwendolyn Brooks, (born 1917), author, poet, Topeka, Kansas.
- William Burroughs, (1914-1997), author, Lawrence, Kansas.
- Don Coldsmith, (born 1926), author of Western fiction, Iola, Kansas.
- Mary Francis Craig, (1923-1990), children's author, Pratt, Kansas.
- Dorothy Canfield Fisher, (1879-1958), author of children's books, Lawrence, Kansas.
- Thomas Frank, (born 1965), author and editor, Mission Hills, Kansas.
- Jane Heap, (1883-1964), author and publisher, Topeka, Kansas.
- Scott Heim, (born 1966), author, Hutchinson, Kansas.
- Langston Hughes, (1902-1967), author and poet, Lawrence, Kansas.
- William Inge, (1913-1973), playwright, Independence, Kansas.
- Bill James, (born 1949), author, Mayetta, Kansas.
- Scott Phillips, (born 1961), author, Wichita, Kansas.
- Vance Randolph, (1892-1980), folklorist, Pittsburg, Kansas.
- Red Reeder, (1902-1998), author and United States Army officer, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
- Richard Rhodes, (born 1937), author and historian, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Damon Runyon, (1880-1946), author, Manhattan, Kansas.
- William Stafford, (1914-1993), poet and pacifist, Hutchinson, Kansas.
- Max Yoho, (born 1934), author, Colony, Kansas.
Musicians
- Karrin Allyson, jazz performer, Great Bend, Kansas.
- Chris Burnett, (born 1955), musician, Olathe, Kansas.
- Danny Carey, (born 1961), musician, Lawrence, Kansas.
- Dorothy DeLay, (1917-2002), violinist, Juilliard Professor, Medicine Lodge, Kansas.
- Phil Ehart, (born 1951), drummer for the rock band Kansas, Coffeyville, Kansas.
- Melissa Etheridge, (born 1961), musician, Leavenworth, Kansas.
- Wendell Hall, (1886-1969), musician, St. George, Kansas.
- Louis Thomas Hardin, (1916-1999), vocalist, percussionist and composer better known by his stagename, "Moondog," Marysville, Kansas.
- Nora Holt, (1885 or 1890-1975), singer and co-founder of National Association of Negro Musicians, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Dave Hope (born 1949), musician, Topeka, Kansas
- Eva Jessye, (1895-1992), choral conductor, Coffeyville, Kansas
- Jennifer Knapp, (born 1974), singer/songwriter, Chanute, Kansas
- Katrina Leskanich (born 1960), musician, Topeka, Kansas
- Kerry Livgren, (born 1949), founding member of Kansas, Topeka, Kansas.
- Frank Luther, (1905-1980), musician, Lakin, Kansas.
- Martina McBride, (born 1966), musician, Sharon, Kansas.
- Charlie Parker, (1920–1955), musician, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Samuel Ramey, (born 1942), opera, bass-baritone, Colby, Kansas
- Steven Stucky, (born 1949), Pulitzer Prize-winner in music, Hutchinson, Kansas.
- Joe Walsh, (born 1947), musician, Wichita, Kansas.
- Bobby Watson, (born 1953), musician, Bonner Springs, Kansas.
- David Wetzel, (born 1983), musician, Westwood, Kansas.
- Chely Wright, (born 1970), musician, Wellsville, Kansas.
- Gordon Young, (1919-1998), organist and composer, McPherson, Kansas.
Athletics
Athletes
- John H. Adams, (born 1915), jockey, Iola, Kansas.
- Elden Auker, (1910-2006), baseball pitcher, Norcatur, Kansas.
- Chase Austin, (born 1989), NASCAR driver, Eudora, Kansas.
- Thane Baker, (born 1931), Gold Medalist 1956 Summer Olympics, Elkhart, Kansas.
- Judy Bell, (born 1936), member of World Golf Hall of Fame, Wichita, Kansas.
- Clint Bowyer, (born 1979), NASCAR driver, Emporia, Kansas.
- Orville Brown, (1908-1981), pro wrestler, NWA champion, Sharon, Kansas.
- Larry Cheney, (1886-1969), baseball pitcher, Belleville, Kansas.
- Jack Christiansen, (1928-1986), NFL football Hall-of-Famer, Sublette, Kansas
- Tony Clark, (born 1972), baseball player, Newton, Kansas.
- Nolan Cromwell, (born 1955), football player, Smith Center, Kansas.
- Glenn Cunningham, (1909-1988), Silver Medalist, 1936 Olympic Games, Elkhart, Kansas.
- Johnny Damon, (born 1973), baseball player, Fort Riley, Kansas.
- Eldon Danenhauer, (born 1935), football player, Clay Center, Kansas.
- Lynn Dickey, (born 1949), football player, Osawatomie, Kansas.
- Wantha Davis, (born 1918), jockey, Liberal, Kansas.
- Brian Duensing, (born 1983), starting pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, Marysville, Kansas.
- Galen Fiss, (1931-2006), football player, Johnson City, Kansas.
- Maurice Greene, (born 1974), track and field athlete (World and Olympic Champion), Kansas City, Kansas.
- Bobby Henrich, (born 1938), baseball player, Lawrence, Kansas.
- Scott Huffman, (born 1964), Pole Vaulter, Quinter, Kansas.
- Walter Johnson, (1887-1946), baseball Hall-of-Famer, Humboldt, Kansas.
- Franklin Lashley, (born 1976), professional Wrestler for the WWE, Junction City, Kansas.
- Danny Manning, (born 1966), NBA basketball player, Lawrence, Kansas.
- Rudy May, (born 1944), baseball player, Coffeyville, Kansas.
- Archie "Hap" McKain, (1911-1985), baseball player, Delphos, Kansas.
- Peter Mehringer, (1910-1987), Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestler and professional football player, Kinsley, Kansas.
- Jordy Nelson, (born 1985), football player, Manhattan, Kansas.
- Terence Newman, (born 1978), football player, Salina, Kansas.
- Nicole Ohlde, (born 1982), WNBA player, Clay Center, Kansas.
- John Parrella, (born 1969), professional football player, Topeka, Kansas.
- John Riggins, (born 1949), Pro Football Hall of Famer, Seneca, Kansas.
- Lafayette Russell, (1905-1978), football player and B movie actor "Reb" Russell, Osawatomie, Kansas.
- Johnny Rutherford, (born 1938), racecar driver, Coffeyville, Kansas.
- Jim Ryun, (born 1947), athlete and politician, Wichita, Kansas.
- Barry Sanders, (born 1968), NFL Hall-of-Famer, Wichita, Kansas.
- Gale Sayers, (born 1943), NFL Hall-of-Famer, Wichita, Kansas.
- Wayne Simien, (born 1983), NCAA All-American, NBA basketball player, Leavenworth, Kansas.
- Jackie Stiles, (born 1978), WNBA basketball player, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Steve Tasker, (born 1962), NFL Pro-Bowl MVP in 1993, Smith Center, Kansas.
- Luther Haden "Dummy" Taylor, (1875-1958), baseball pitcher, Oskaloosa, Kansas.
- Earl Watson, (born 1979), NBA basketball player, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Tom Watson, (born 1949), 8 time PGA Tour major winner, Stilwell, Kansas.
- Kendra Wecker, (born 1982), WNBA player, Marysville, Kansas.
- Jess Willard, (1881-1968), World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, St. Clere, Pottawatomie County, Kansas.
- Lynette Woodard, (born 1959), basketball Hall-of-Famer, Wichita, Kansas.
Coaches
- Phog Allen, (1885-1974), college basketball coach, Lawrence, Kansas
- Jack Christiansen, (1928-1986), pro football and college football coach, Sublette, Kansas.
- Don Gambril, (born 1934), Hall of Fame swimming coach, Altamont, Kansas.
- Bill Guthridge, (born 1937), college basketball coach, Parsons, Kansas.
- Ted Gilmore, (born 1967), college football coach, Wichita, Kansas.
- Ralph Houk, (born 1919), manager, New York Yankees, Lawrence, Kansas.
- Gene Keady, (born 1936), college basketball coach, Larned, Kansas.
- Jerry Kill, (born 1961), college football coach, Cheney, Kansas.
- Lon Kruger, (born 1952), college/NBA basketball coach, Silver Lake, Kansas.
- John McLendon, (1915-1999), Hall of Fame college/ABL/ABA basketball coach, Hiawatha, Kansas.
- Billie Moore, (born 1943), Hall of Fame college basketball coach, Westmoreland, Kansas
- John H. Outland, (1871-1947), namesake of Outland Trophy, Douglas County, Kansas.
- Adolph Rupp, (1901-1977), college basketball coach, Halstead, Kansas.
- Dean Smith, (born 1931), college basketball coach, Topeka, Kansas.
- Eddie Sutton, (born 1936), college basketball coach, Bucklin, Kansas.
- Mark Turgeon, (born 1965), college basketball coach, Topeka, Kansas.
- Brent Venables, (born 1970), college football coach, Salina, Kansas
Aviators and astronauts
- Clyde Vernon Cessna, (1879-1954), aviator and aircraft designer, Rago, Kansas.
- Walter Herschel Beech, (1891-1950), aviator and aircraft designer, Wichita, Kansas.
- Amelia Earhart, (1897-1937), aviator, Atchison, Kansas.
- Joe Engle, (born 1932), astronaut, Chapman, Kansas.
- Ron Evans, (1933-1990), astronaut, Topeka, Kansas.
- Daniel Forbes, (1920-1948), U.S. Army Aircorp photoreconnaissance pilot, Carbondale, Kansas.
- Steve Hawley, (born 1951), astronaut, Salina, Kansas.
- Lloyd Carlton Stearman, (1898-1975), aviator and aircraft designer, Wellsville, Kansas.
Business People and Inventors
- Philip Anschutz, (born 1939), billionaire investor, Russell, Kansas.
- Dan and Frank Carney, (Dan born 1931, Frank born 1938), founders of Pizza Hut, Wichita, Kansas.
- Walter Chrysler, (1875-1940), founder of Chrysler Corporation, Wamego, Kansas.
- William Coffin Coleman, (1870-1957), founder of the Coleman Company, Wichita, Kansas.
- James Harbord, (1866-1947), President and Chairman of Board of RCA, Manhattan, Kansas.
- William Wadsworth Hodkinson, (1881-1971), pioneer film marketer and distributor, Independence, Kansas.
- Charles G. Koch, (born 1935), CEO of Koch Industries, Wichita, Kansas.
- David H. Koch, (born 1940), executive and politician, Wichita, Kansas.
- Harry F. Sinclair, (1876-1956), founder of Sinclair Oil company, Independence, Kansas.
- Russell Stover, (1888-1954), founder of Russell Stover Candies, Alton, Kansas.
Film, television and stage
Actors and performers
- Kirstie Alley, (born 1951), actress, Wichita, Kansas.
- Fatty Arbuckle, (1887-1933), actor, Smith Center, Kansas.
- Ed Asner, (born 1929), actor, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Gerry Bamman, (born 1941), actor, Independence, Kansas.
- Hugh Beaumont, (1909-1982), actor, Lawrence, Kansas.
- Annette Bening, (born 1958), actress, Topeka, Kansas.
- Roscoe Born, (born 1950), actor, Topeka, Kansas.
- Steve Brodie, (1919-1992), actor, El Dorado, Kansas.
- Louise Brooks, (1906-1985), actress, Cherryvale, Kansas.
- Madge Blake, (1899-1969), actress, Kinsley, Kansas.
- Petrea Burchard, (born 1955), actress, Lawrence, Kansas
- Del Close, (1934-1999), actor/comedian, Manhattan, Kansas.
- Jack Colvin, (1934-2005), actor, Lyndon, Kansas.
- Aneta Corsaut, (1933-1995), actress, Hutchinson, Kansas.
- Lucinda Dickey, (born 1960), actress/dancer, Hutchinson, Kansas.
- Marj Dusay, (born 1936), actress, Hays, Kansas.
- R. Lee Ermey, (born 1944), actor, Emporia, Kansas.
- Bill Farmer, (born 1952), voice actor, Pratt, Kansas.
- Scott Foley, (born 1972), actor, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Dwight Frye, (1899-1943), actor, Salina, Kansas.
- Alan Fudge, (born 1944), actor, Wichita, Kansas.
- Laurel Goodwin, (born 1942), actress, Wichita, Kansas.
- Phyllis Haver, (1899-1960), actress, Douglass, Kansas.
- Thelma Hill, (1906-1938), actress, Emporia, Kansas.
- Dennis Hopper, (born 1936), actor, Dodge City, Kansas.
- Don Johnson, (born 1959), actor, Wichita, Kansas.
- Buster Keaton, (1895-1966), actor, Piqua, Kansas.
- Emmett Kelly, (1898-1979), circus clown, Sedan, Kansas.
- Shirley Knight, (born 1936), actress, Goessel, Kansas.
- Lila Leeds, (1928-1999), actress, Dodge City, Kansas.
- Hattie McDaniel, (1895-1952), actress, Wichita, Kansas.
- George Murdock, (born 1930), actor, Salina, Kansas.
- Cassandra Peterson, (born 1949), actress better known as Elvira, Manhattan, Kansas.
- ZaSu Pitts, (1894-1963), actress, Parsons, Kansas.
- Rob Riggle, (born 1970), actor/comedian, Overland Park, Kansas.
- Charles "Buddy" Rogers, (1904-1991), actor and Jazz musician, Olathe, Kansas
- Paul Rudd, (born 1969), actor, Lenexa, Kansas.
- Max Showalter, (1917-2000), actor, Caldwell, Kansas.
- Cynthia Sikes, (born 1954), actress, Coffeyville, Kansas.
- Lois Smith, (born 1930), actress, Topeka, Kansas.
- David Rees Snell, (born 1966), actor, Wichita, Kansas.
- Sara Sothern, (1895-1994), stage actress, Arkansas City, Kansas.
- Milburn Stone, (1904-1980), actor, Gunsmoke, Burrton, Kansas.
- Jason Sudeikis, (born 1975), actor Overland Park, Kansas.
- Fay Tincher, (1884-1983), actress, Topeka, Kansas.
- Vivian Vance, (1909-1979), actress, Cherryvale, Kansas.
- Dee Wallace-Stone, (born 1948), actress, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Claire Windsor, (1897-1972), actress, Cawker City, Kansas.
Directors
- Michael Almereyda, (born 1960), film director, Overland Park, Kansas
- Steve Balderson, (born 1975), film director, Wamego, Kansas.
- Oscar Micheaux, (1893-1951), film director, Great Bend, Kansas.
- Richard Thorpe, (1896-1991), film director, Hutchinson, Kansas.
Public figures
Journalists
- Steve Doocy, (born 1956), co-host of Fox News's Fox & Friends, Abilene, Kansas
- E. W. Howe, (1853-1937), author and newspaper editor, Atchison, Kansas.
- Bill Kurtis, (born 1940), television journalist, Independence, Kansas.
- Jim Lehrer, (born 1934), television journalist, Wichita, Kansas.
- Elizabeth Farnsworth, (born 1943), television journalist, Topeka, Kansas.
- Clementine Paddleford, (1898-1967), journalist & food critic, Stockdale, Kansas.
- Eugene C. Pulliam, (1889-1975), founder Central Newspapers, Inc., Ulysses, Kansas.
- Roy A. Roberts, (1887-1967), newspaper editor, Muscotah, Kansas.
- John Cameron Swayze, (1906-1995), television journalist, Wichita, Kansas.
- William Allen White, (1868-1944), author and newspaper editor, Emporia, Kansas.
Politics and law
- Arthur Capper, (1865-1951), Kansas Governor and newspaper editor, Garnett, Kansas.
- Frank Carlson, (1893-1987), only person to serve as US Representative, US Senator, and Governor for Kansas, Concordia, Kansas.
- Georgia Neese Clark, (1900-1995), first woman Treasurer of the United States, Richland, Kansas.
- Samuel J. Crawford, (1835-1913), Kansas Governor, Garnett, Kansas.
- Charles Curtis, (1860-1936), U.S. Senator and 31st Vice President of the United States, Topeka, Kansas.
- Harry Darby, (1895-1987), businessman and U.S. Senator, Kansas City, Kansas.
- George Docking, (1904-1964), Kansas Governor, Clay Center, Kansas.
- Bob Dole, (born 1923), Senator, 1996 presidential candidate, Russell, Kansas.
- Dwight Eisenhower, (1890-1969), 34th President of the United States, Allied commander in World War II, raised in Abilene, Kansas.
- Joan Finney, (1925-2001), Kansas Governor, Topeka, Kansas.
- Marlin Fitzwater, (born 1942), Press Secretary for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, Abilene, Kansas.
- Robert Gates, (born 1943), former CIA director, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Wichita, Kansas.
- Robert L. Gernon, (1943-2005), Kansas Supreme Court Justice, Sabetha, Kansas.
- Dan Glickman, (born 1944), Secretary of Agriculture, President of the Motion Picture Association of America, Wichita, Kansas.
- Bill Graves, (born 1953), Kansas Governor, Salina, Kansas.
- Paul Ranous Greever, (1891-1943), Wyoming Congressman, Lansing, Kansas.
- Gary Hart, (born 1936), Colorado Senator, Ottawa, Kansas.
- Carl Hatch, (1889-1963), New Mexico Senator, Kirwin, Kansas.
- Ural Alexis Johnson, (1908-1997), diplomat and ambassador, Falun, Kansas.
- Nancy Kassebaum Baker, (born 1932), Senator, Topeka, Kansas.
- Alf Landon, (1887-1987), Governor, 1936 presidential candidate, Topeka, Kansas.
- Roger Noriega, (born 1959), United States Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Wichita, Kansas.
- Gale Norton, (born 1954), United States Secretary of the Interior, Wichita, Kansas.
- Lawton Nuss, (born 1952), Kansas State Supreme Court Justice, Salina, Kansas.
- Roy Romer, (born 1928), Colorado Governor, Garden City, Kansas.
- Susanna M. Salter, (1860-1961), Mayor of Argonia, Kansas, first woman mayor in the United States.
- Bradley Schlozman, (born 1971), controversial figure in the George W. Bush Administration's Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy, Overland Park, Kansas.
- Harold Sebring, (1898-1968), Nuremberg Trial judge, Olathe, Kansas.
- Arlen Specter, (born 1930), Pennsylvania Senator, Russell, Kansas.
- Martin E. Trapp, (1877-1951), Oklahoma Governor, Robinson, Kansas.
- Harry Hines Woodring, (1890-1967), Kansas Governor and Secretary of War under Franklin Roosevelt, Elk City, Kansas.
- Ron Wyden, (born 1949), Oregon Senator, Wichita, Kansas.
Military and national security
- Stanley T. Adams, (1922-1999), Korean War Medal of Honor recipient, DeSoto, Kansas.
- Wilbur Bestwick, (1911-1972), first Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sabetha, Kansas.
- Richard Cowan, (1922-1944), WWII Medal of Honor recipient, Wichita, Kansas.
- Rebecca L. Ediger, (born 1952), agent in charge of the Presidential Protective Division of U.S. Secret Service, born in Newton, Kansas and raised in Peabody, Kansas.
- Harry D. Felt, (1902-1992), WWII Naval aviator and Navy Admiral, Topeka, Kansas
- Arthur M. Ferguson, (1877-1922), Colonel, Medal of Honor recipient, Philippine-American War, Coffey County, Kansas.
- Frederick N. Funston, (1865-1917), Major General, Medal of Honor recipient, Iola, Kansas.
- Elizabeth P. Hoisington, (1918-2007), first WAC officer promoted to Brigadier General, Newton, Kansas.
- Bernard W. Rogers, (born 1921), former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, Fairview, Kansas
- Duane D. Thiessen, (born 1951), Major General, USMC, Goessel, Kansas.
Religion
- Charles J. Chaput, (born 1944), Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver, Concordia, Kansas.
- Sheri L. Dew, (born 1953), influential Latter-day Saint spokeswoman, Ulysses, Kansas.
- Emil Kapaun, (1916-1951), Roman Catholic martyr in Korean War and candidate for Sainthood, Pilsen, Kansas
- Ron Kenoly, (born 1944), musical worship leader, Coffeyville, Kansas.
- Fred Phelps, (born 1929), controversial leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, Topeka, Kansas.
- James Reeb, (1927-1965), Unitarian minister beaten to death by segregationists in Selma, Alabama, during the Civil Rights Movement, Wichita, Kansas.
- David Laurin Ricken, (born 1954), bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne, Dodge City, Kansas.
- Michael Jarboe Sheehan, (born 1939), Archbishop of Santa Fe, Wichita, Kansas.
- Gerald B. Winrod, (1900-1957), evangelical Christian and Nazi sympathizer, Wichita, Kansas.
Scientists and programmers
- C. Olin Ball, (1893-1982), food scientist, Abilene, Kansas.
- John D. Carmack, (born 1970), computer programmer, Shawnee Mission, Kansas.
- George Washington Carver, (1864-1943), botanist and chemist, Minneapolis, Kansas.
- David Fairchild, (1869-1954), botanist and explorer, Manhattan, Kansas.
- Philip Fox, (1878-1944), astronomer, Manhattan, Kansas.
- Ebbe Hoff, (1906-1985), neurologist, Rexford, Kansas.
- Homer A. McCrerey, (1919-1999), meteorologist and oceanographer, Hiawatha, Kansas.
- Karl Menninger, (1893-1990), psychiatrist, Topeka, Kansas.
- Charles D. Michener, (1918-), entomologist, Lawrence, Kansas.
- Lou Montulli, a founding engineer at Netscape and responsible for many HTML and web innovations.
- Ernest Fox Nichols, (1869-1924), scientist, Leavenworth County, Kansas.
- Wallace Pratt, (1885-1981), petroleum geologist, Phillipsburg, Kansas.
- George Tiller, (1941-2009), medical doctor and controversial late-term abortion provider, Wichita, Kansas.
- Clyde Tombaugh, (1906-1997), astronomer, Burdett, Kansas.
- Samuel Wendell Williston, (1852-1918), scientist, Manhattan, Kansas.
Others
Notable individuals
- Danni Boatwright, (born 1975), winner of Survivor: Guatemala, Tonganoxie, Kansas.
- Erin Brockovich, (born 1960), environmental activist, Lawrence, Kansas.
- Richard Christy, (born 1974), comedian on the Howard Stern Show, Fort Scott, Kansas.
- Hilda Clark, (1872-1932), first woman to appear in a Coca-Cola advertisement, Leavenworth, Kansas.
- Earl Cole, (born 1971), winner of Survivor: Fiji, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Racquel Darrian, (born 1968), pornographic film star, Hutchinson, Kansas.
- Elmer Dresslar, Jr., (1925-2005), voice actor and baritone voice of the Jolly Green Giant commercials, St. Francis, Kansas.
- Ann Dunham, (1942-1995), mother of Barack Obama, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
- Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, (Madelyn, b. 1922; Stanley, 1918-1992), maternal grandparents of Barack Obama, Peru, Kansas
- Tara Dawn Holland, (born 1972), Miss America 1997, Overland Park, Kansas.
- Carrie Ingalls, (1870-1946), sister of author Laura Ingalls Wilder, born in the Little House on the Prairie in Montgomery County near Independence, Kansas.
- Vicki Lynn Lasseter, (born 1960), February 1981 Playboy Playmate of the Month, Iola, Kansas.
- Candy Loving. (born 1956), January 1979 Playboy Playmate of the Month and Playboy's 25th Anniversary Playmate, Oswego, Kansas.
- Waldo McBurney, (born 1902), listed as oldest worker, Quinter, Kansas.
- Kelli McCarty, (born 1969), Miss USA 1991, Liberal, Kansas.
- Janet Murguía, (born 1954), President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of La Raza, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Carrie Nation, (1846-1911), temperance activist, Medicine Lodge, Kansas.
- Dan Perkins, (born 1961), cartoonist better known by the pen name Tom Tomorrow, Wichita, Kansas.
- Jeff Probst, (born 1962), television personality and host of Survivor, Wichita, Kansas.
- Victor Rojas, studio analyst for the MLB Network, raised in Overland Park, Kansas
- Satanta, (1830-1878), Chief of the Kiowa tribe, western Kansas.
- Kari Wahlgren, (born 1977), video game voice actress, Hoisington, Kansas.
- Carrie Westcott, (born 1969), September 1993 Playboy Playmate of the Month, Mission Hills, Kansas.
Infamous persons
- Edward J. Adams, (1887-1921), bank robber and murderer, Hutchinson, Kansas.
- Fred “Killer” Burke, (1893-1940), Prohibition-era gangster, Mapleton, Kansas.
- Mark Essex, (1949-1973), mass murderer, Emporia, Kansas.
- Jake and Ralph Fleagle, bank robbers and murderers, Marienthal, Kansas
- Eric Harris, (1981-1999), perpetrator, along with Dylan Klebold, of the Columbine High School massacre, Wichita, Kansas.
- Richard Hickock, (1931-1965), murderer, Kansas City, Kansas.
- Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, (1907-1979), bank robber and member of the Barker Gang, Topeka, Kansas.
- George Newcomb, (1866-1895), member of Bill Doolin's Wild Bunch, Fort Scott, Kansas.
- Dennis Rader, (born 1945), serial killer known as "BTK", Wichita, Kansas.
Fictional persons
- Gray Anderson, mayor, Jericho, Kansas.
- Helen Crump, (1962), girlfriend of Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show, from rural Kansas.
- Dennis the Menace, (1951), neighborhood terror, Wichita, Kansas.
- Matt Dillon, (1949), Fictional marshal, Dodge City, Kansas.
- Dollar Bill, fictional 1940s superhero in the Watchmen universe who was a "star athlete from Kansas."
- Michael Dorie, mutant character from Marvel Comics X-Men series, Picayune, Kansas.
- Samuel Dullard, character on Rocket Power, Hutchinson, Kansas.
- Dorothy Gale, (1900), fictional little girl who lived on a farm in Kansas with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. Dorothy was transported to the Land of Oz by a tornado, with her dog Toto.
- Gil Hamilton, (c.2083), futuristic detective, Topeka, Kansas.
- Will Kane, (1952), fictional sheriff in the 1952 classic Western High Noon, from Hadleyville, Kansas.
- Johnny Kaw, (1955), mythical Kansas settler, Manhattan, Kansas.
- Clark Kent, (1938), adopted child of Jonathan and Martha Kent of Smallville, Kansas, better known as Superman, born on Krypton.
- Colleen McMurphy, lead character from China Beach, from a "small town" in Kansas.
- Cameron Mitchell, Lieutenant Colonel of Stargate SG-1 television series, from Auburn, Kansas.
- Jack B. Quick, (1999), boy genius, Queerwater Creek, Kansas.
- Amanda Rogers, (born 2351), fictional character on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Topeka, Kansas.
- Mary Ann Summers, traveler on a "three-hour tour" that was lost at sea on Gilligan's Island, Winfield, Kansas.
- Dean Winchester, (1979), demon hunter, Lawrence, Kansas.
- Sam Winchester, (1983), demon hunter, Lawrence, Kansas.
- Wizard of Oz, (1850), balloonist, magician, ruler of the Land of Oz (1939 movie version only).
Milestones & Events inspired by Kansans
- Civil War, (1850s), Violent conflict stemming from the Kansas-Nebraska Act on the Kansas/Missouri border is believed to be the precursor to the Civil war. John Brown, an integral player in the the interstate conflicts, lead the attack on Harpers Ferry which marked the beginning of the Civil War.
- Civil Rights Movement, (Aug 3, 1951), Although the Montgomery Bus Boycott which began on December 1, 1955 is believed by many to mark the beginning of the civil rights movement, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas challened unequal education in Kansas four years prior. The Supreme Court decision ruling "separate but equal" school segregation uncontitutional on May 17, 1954.
- Harlem Renaissance, (approx 1920 - 1930), Arguably the most acclaimed intellectual and artist of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes and Aaron Douglas, were raised in Lawrence, Kansas.
- Bebop, (1940s), Along with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker is widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of the bebop. Charlie Parker was born in Kansas City, KS.
Gay Rights
- Brion Gysin (January 19, 1916 - July 13, 1986), Famous painter, writer, sound poet, once lived in Kansas
- Matthew Limon, (June 28, 2003) Limon v. Kansas: Supreme Court vacates sodomy conviction of a Kansas teenager who received a 17-year sentence for having oral sex with a younger boy. Oct 22, 2005, Kansas Supreme Court Nixes Underage Gay Sex Law.
- Marcus Stephenson (April 2, 2001), After being repeatedly sodomized in prison for eight years, multiracial inmate Marc Stephenson reported the incicedents but was denied action on the basis of previous consentual homosexual acts. Stephenson, at the urging of his mother Soon-Yung Stephenson, began circulating a petition protesting the prisons inaction that has been signed by hundreds of gay inmates in Kansas demanding the protection of their right to concent or not.
- Fred Phelps, Founded by founder Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church established in 1955. Westboro Baptist Church alleges that deaths of soldiers are the result of God's wrath because of the United State's acceptance of gays in the military. Westboro Baptist Church also alleged that actor Heath Ledger died because he portrayed a gay man in "Brokeback Mountain".
- Amy Brian, (February 09, 2009), The first soldier discharged from the Kansas Army National Guard under the federal "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
References
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