List of people from Columbus, Ohio
The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Columbus, Ohio or from the surrounding suburbs.
Actors
- Chet Allen (1939-1984), television, Amahl and the Night Visitors on Hallmark Hall of Fame; Bonino. Member of the Columbus Boychoir.
- Majel Barrett (1932-2008), television (Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation). Barrett was born in Columbus.
- Warner Baxter (1889-1951), film (In Old Arizona). Baxter was born in Columbus and lived there until age nine.
- Richard Biggs (1960-2004), actor. Biggs was born in Columbus.
- Andrea Bowen (1990- ), actress. Bowen was born in Columbus.
- Grace Cunard (1893-1967), actress, screenwriter, and film director. Cunard was born in Columbus.
- Beverly D'Angelo (1951- ), film (National Lampoon's Vacation series). D'Angelo was born and raised in Columbus.
- Dody Goodman (1915-2008), television (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman). Goodman was born in Columbus.
- Maggie Grace (1983- ), television (Lost). Grace was born in Worthington, Ohio.
- Rachael Harris (1968- ), actress and comedienne. Harris was born in Worthington, Ohio and attended high school there.
- Elsie Janis (1889-1956), vaudeville performer, screenwriter, actress and composer. Janis was born in Columbus and maintained a home there.
- A.J. Langer (1974- ), television (My So-Called Life). Langer was born in Columbus and lived there until age five.
- Jack Plotnick (1968- ), actor. Plotnick was born in Worthington, Ohio.
- Tom Poston (1921-2007), television (Newhart); husband of Suzanne Pleshette. Poston was born in Columbus.
- Josh Radnor (1974- ), television, stage (How I Met Your Mother; The Graduate). Radnor was born and raised in Bexley, Ohio.
- Gigi Rice (1965- ), television (The John Larroquette Show). Rice was born in Columbus.
- Gene Sheldon (1908-1982), television (Disney's Zorro). Sheldon was born in Columbus.
- Philip Michael Thomas (1949- ), actor. Thomas was born in Columbus.
- Hal Williams (1938- ), actor. Williams was born was born in Columbus.
Athletes
- Mark Coleman (1964- ), professional fighter from the UFC and Pride mixed-martial-arts organizations. Member of Columbus-based Team Hammer House.
- Helen Darling (1978- ), WNBA guard. Darling attended high school in Columbus.
- Buster Douglas (1960- ), heavyweight boxing champion after defeating Mike Tyson. Douglas was born and raised in Columbus.
- Terry Glenn (1974- ), Ohio State University and NFL wide receiver. Glenn was born and raised in Columbus.
- Hank Gowdy (1889-1966), Major League Baseball catcher. Gowdy was born and lived in Columbus.
- Archie Griffin (1954- ), Only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. Griffin attended Eastmoor High School, then the Ohio State University and won the Heisman Trophy twice as a running back for the OSU Buckeyes. He returned to Columbus after his pro career to become the university's assistant athletic director, and president of its alumni association.
- Forrest Griffin (1979- ), UFC light heavyweight fighter and winner of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Griffin was born in Columbus.
- Morgan Hamm (1982- ), Olympic Medal Winning gymnast in 2004. Attended the Ohio State University.
- Paul Hamm (1982- ), Olympic Gold Medal Winning gymnast in 2004. Attended the Ohio State University.
- Andrew Hampsten (1963- ), retired professional cyclist. Hampsten was born in Columbus.
- Chic Harley (1894-1974), Ohio State University All-American football player.
- Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes (1913-1987), Ohio State University football coach for 28 years.
- Chris Leitch (1979- ), Major League Soccer defender. Leitch was born in Columbus.
- Jack Nicklaus (1940- ), winner of a record eighteen golf majors. Nicklaus was born in Columbus, and attended the Ohio State University. He won the 1961 NCAA Championship while playing for the school.
- Paul O'Neill (1963- ), Major League Baseball outfielder. O'Neill was born and raised in Columbus.
- Danny O'Rourke (1983- ), Major League Soccer midfielder. O'Rourke was born and raised in Columbus.
- Jesse Owens (1913-1980), Olympic Gold Medalist in Track & Field. Attended the Ohio State University. The Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium is located in Columbus.
- Brady Quinn (1984- ), NFL quarterback. Quinn was born in Columbus and attended high school in Dublin, Ohio.
- Randy Savage (1952-2011 ), Former professional wrestler, former WWE champion. Savage was born in Columbus.
- Troy Perkins (1981- ), Major League Soccer goalkeeper. Perkins attended high school in Worthington, Ohio.
- Bobby Rahal (1953- ), race-car driver, team owner, winner of the 1986 Indianapolis 500. Rahal lives in New Albany, Ohio
- Michael Redd (1979- ), former Ohio State University basketball player and current NBA shooting guard. Redd was born and raised in Columbus.
- Butch Reynolds (1964- ), Olympic Silver Medal Track & Field Winner in 1988.
- Mauri Rose (1906-81), racecar driver
- Kip Selbach (1872-1956), Major League Baseball outfielder. Selbach was born in Columbus.
- Nick Swisher (1980- ), Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman for the New York Yankees. Swisher attended the Ohio State University.
- Gary Trent (1974- ), NBA player. Trent was born and raised in Columbus.
- Herb Williams (1958- ), NBA player and coach. Williams was born in Columbus. Williams was born in Columbus and played basketball for the Ohio State University.
- Blaine Wilson (1974- ), Olympic Silver Medal Gymnast in 2004. Wilson attended the Ohio State University.
- Granville Waiters (1961- ), Retired NBA Player. Waiters was born and raised in Columbus.
- Gary Trent (1974- ), Retired NBA Player. Trent was born and raised in Columbus.
- Samaki Walker (1976- ), Retired NBA Player. Walker was born and raised in Columbus.
- Lawrence Funderburke (1970- ), Retired NBA Player. Funderburke was born and raised in Columbus.
See also:
- Category:Sportspeople in Columbus, Ohio
Entrepreneurs
- Dick Cepek (1930-1983), Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame member, parts supplier and racer. Cepek was raised in Columbus.
- Henry Beecher Dierdorff (1851-1935), mining engineer and inventor. Dierdorff died in Columbus.
- Jack Hanna (1947- ), zookeeper. Director of the Columbus Zoo (1978-1993), Director Emeritus afterwards.
- John H. McConnell (1923-2008), founder of Worthington Industries and the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL team.
- John Purdue (1802-1876), Purdue Block, Tippecanoe County founder, founding benefactor of Purdue University. Purdue lived in Worthington, Ohio for a time.
- Dave Thomas (1932-2002), founder of Wendy's restaurant chain, whose first store was in Columbus.
- Leslie Wexner (1937- ), chairman and CEO of Limited Brands. Wexner attended the Ohio State University and lives in New Albany, Ohio.
- Granville Woods (1856-1910), inventor. Woods spent his early childhood in Columbus.
Journalists
- Cabot Rea, an Emmy Award-winning television reporter and anchor. Rea was a reporter for the Columbus NBC affiliate WCMH beginning in 1985, and later become its evening news anchor. He also anchored the local UPN news at WWHO.
- Dana Tyler (1958- ), television news anchor. Tyler grew up in Worthington, Ohio and began her career at WBNS-TV.
Military personnel
- Curtis LeMay (1906-1990), World War II and Cold War U.S. Air Force general. LeMay was born and raised in Columbus, and studied civil engineering at the Ohio State University.
- Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973), World War I fighter pilot, "Ace of Aces". Rickenbacker was born and raised in Columbus.
- Willard Franklyn Searle (1924-2009), Captain, U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage from 1964 to 1969. Searle was born and raised in Columbus.
- Richard Secord (1932- ) Air Force major general
- Paul Tibbets (1915-2007), World War II Enola Gay decorated pilot
Miss America
Musicians
- Attack Attack!, metalcore band
- Blueprint, rapper and hip hop producer
- Bizzy Bone (1976- ), Rapper, part of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
- Bow Wow (1987- ) (formerly known as "Lil' Bow Wow"), rapper. Bow Wow was born in Columbus and spent his early childhood there.
- Camu Tao (1977-2008), rapper and producer. Member of S.A. Smash with fellow Columbian RJD2.
- Copywrite, underground hip-hop artist
- Jay DeMarcus (1971- ), bassist in the country group Rascal Flatts. DeMarcus was born in Columbus.
- Jerome Dillon (1969- ) (formerly of Nine Inch Nails), drummer/musician
- Early Man (2003- ) Speed Metal Band
- əkoostik hookah, musical group
- Fatty Koo, musical group
- Michael Feinstein (1956- ), singer. Feinstein was born in Columbus and lived there until age 19.
- Rascal Flatts, country band. Formed in Columbus
- House of Heroes, Christian rock band
- Illogic (1980- ), rapper and hip-hop artist
- Matt Johnson (1982- ), American hip-hop artist. Johnson was born and raised in Columbus.
- Howard Jones (1970- ), heavy metal singer for band Killswitch Engage
- Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935-1977), American jazz saxophonist. Kirk was born and raised in Columbus, and educated at the Ohio State School for the Blind.
- Gary LeVox (1970- ), lead singer of country group Rascal Flatts
- Joe "Foley" McCreary, bass player for Miles Davis
- O.A.R., roots rock band
- Ovarian, rock band
- Penny & The Quarters, a short-lived 1970s soul band that came to notice in 2011
- Phil Ochs (1940-1976), folk-activist singer and songwriter. Ochs grew up in Columbus, which provided the inspiration for his song "Boy in Ohio", and studied journalism at Ohio State University.
- Jordan Pruitt (1991- ), singer
- Red Wanting Blue, alternative rock band
- John Reuben (1979- ), Christian Rapper
- RJD2 (1976- ), real name, Ramble Jon "RJ" Krohn; hip-hop producer. Member of S.A. Smash with fellow Columbian Camu Tao.
- Saving Jane, alt rock band
- The Crimson Armada, metalcore band
- The Sun, alt rock band
- Times New Viking, indie rock band
- Twyla Tharp (1941- ), dancer and choreographer
- Joe Walsh (1947- ) Solo artist, Guitarist For the eagles
- Nancy Wilson (1937- ), singer
- Dwight Yoakam (1956- ), country singer. Yoakam was raised in Columbus and briefly attended the Ohio State University before dropping out.
Politicians
Writers
- David Auburn (1970- ), playwright. Auburn was raised in Columbus.
- Charlotte Curtis (1918–1987), first woman editor of the New York Times, born in Columbus and worked at the Columbus Citizen for 11 years.
- Natalie Dee, webcomic artist, creator of Natalie Dee [1] and co-creator of Married to the Sea [2] with husband Drew. Dee lives in Columbus.
- Drew (1979- ), webcomic artist, creator of toothpaste for dinner [3] and co-creator of Married to the Sea [4] with wife Natalie Dee. Drew lives in Columbus.
- Margaret Peterson Haddix (1964- ), author. Haddix lives in Columbus.
- Tom Meek (1965- ), columnist. Meek lived in Columbus in 1976.
- Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (1917-2007), historian and writer. Schlesinger was born in Columbus
- Jeff Smith (1960- ), cartoonist and creator of Bone. Smith grew up and currently lives in Columbus.
- R. L. Stine (1943- ), author. Stine was born and raised in Columbus, attended the Ohio State University.
- James Thurber (1894-1961), cartoonist and humorist. Thurber was born and raised in Columbus, and many of his short stories depict episodes from this period of his life.
Other
- George Bellows (1882-1925), artist. Bellows was born and raised in Columbus. He attended the Ohio State University in Columbus from 1901 until 1904.
- Lincoln Goodale (1782-1868), doctor and namesake of Goodale Park.
- Jim Kammerud (1960- ), director, writer, producer and animator. Kammerud attended high school in Worthington, Ohio and attended the Ohio State University.
- Christopher Ries (1952- ), sculptor. Ries was born in Columbus and attended the Ohio State University.
- Aminah Robinson (1940- ), artist. Lifelong Columbus resident.
- Howard Dwight Smith (1886-1958), architect. Smith graduated from the Ohio State University in 1907. He began the design and construction of Ohio Stadium in 1917, and during this project was a professor of architecture at OSU from 1918 to 1921. Smith was then chief architect for the Columbus Public Schools, then returned to OSU as University Architect 1929 to 1956.
- Sandra Hubby (1978- ), a Playboy Playmate and beauty pageant contestant. Hubby represented Columbus in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic Pageant.
- Ted Williams (1957- ), a voiceover artist who became an overnight celebrity when his YouTube video went viral in January, 2011.
Related lists
References
See also