List of people from Savannah, Georgia

The city of Savannah, Georgia, the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, is the birthplace and home of several notable individuals. This is a list of people from Savannah, Georgia and includes people that were born or lived in Savannah, Georgia for a nontrivial amount of time. Individuals included in this listing are people presumed to be notable because they have received significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject.^[A]

Savannah was established in 1733 and was the first colonial and state capital of Georgia.^[1] It is known as America's first planned city and attracts millions of visitors who enjoy the city's architecture and historic structures such as the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America), the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences (one of the South's first public museums), the First African Baptist Church (one of the oldest black Baptist congregations in the United States), Temple Mickve Israel (the third oldest synagogue in America), and the Central of Georgia Railway roundhouse complex (the oldest standing antebellum rail facility in America).^[1][2] Today, Savannah's downtown area is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States (designated in 1966).^[B][1]

This is an incomplete list that may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

Savannah natives

Actors and actresses

Name	Notability	References
Charles Coburn	Academy Award-winning actor (1943: Best Actor in a Supporting Role for The More the Merrier)	[3]
Dianna Agron	actress, known for role as Quinn Fabray on the TV series Glee	[4]
Desmond Harrington	2004 Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema Award-winning actor (Best Actor for Love Object)	[5]
J. G. Hertzler	actor from Star Trek Deep Space Nine series	[6]
Miriam Hopkins	Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated actress	[7]
James Keach	actor and Producers Guild Awards-nominated producer (2006: Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award Theatrical Motion Pictures for Walk the Line) [C]	[8]
Stacy Keach	Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor (1989: Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV for "Hemingway") [D]	[9]
Isabel Keating	Tony Award-nominated actress and singer (2004: Best Featured Actress in a Musical)	[10][11]
Mammy Lou	world's oldest actress
Alicia Rhett	actress in the film Gone with the Wind	[12]
Diana Scarwid	Academy Award and Emmy-nominated actress	[13]
Fredi Washington	1930s film actress who appeared in The Emperor Jones and Imitation of Life	[14]

Athletes

Name	Notability	References
Taz Anderson	National Football League tight end for the St. Louis Cardinals (1961–1964) and Atlanta Falcons (1966–1967)	[15]
George Atkinson	American Football League and NFL defensive back and kick returner for Oakland Raiders (1968 to 1977) and Denver Broncos (1979); member of Raiders' Super Bowl XI championship team, AFL All Star in 1968 and 1969	[16]
Edwin Bailey	NFL guard for the Seattle Seahawks (1981 to 1991)	[17]
Solomon Brannan	American Football League defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs (1965 to 1966) and the New York Jets (1967); member of the Chiefs' 1966 AFL championship team	[18]
Roland Daniels	professional wrestler known by ring names of "Leroy Brown" and "Elijah Akeem"
Bucky Dent	Major League Baseball player and manager, 1978 World Series Most Valuable Player	[19]
Pervis Ellison	college and National Basketball Association center for the Sacramento Kings (1989–1990), Washington Bullets (1990–1994), Boston Celtics (1994–2000) and Seattle SuperSonics (2000–2001). Nicknamed "Never Nervous Pervis", he led University of Louisville to national championship; named Most Outstanding Player as freshman	[20]
Cheryl Haworth	Olympic weightlifting medalist (bronze, 2000) and a national and junior world champion (1998–2005 national champion; 2001 and 2002 junior world champion)	[21]
Percy Howard	NFL wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys (1975)	[22]
Kevin Mawae	NFL center for the Seattle Seahawks (1994–1997), New York Jets (1998–2005), and Tennessee Titans (2006–2009)	[23]
Dustin McGowan	Major League Baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays (2005–present)	[24]
Bobby Norfleet	NASCAR driver
Terry Orr	NFL tight end for the Washington Redskins (1986–1990 and 1991–1993) and San Diego Chargers (1990)	[25]
Gerald Perry	MLB outfielder and first baseman for the Atlanta Braves (1983–1989), Kansas City Royals (1990), and St. Louis Cardinals (1991–1995) and former Chicago Cubs hitting coach	[26]
Marty Pevey	MLB catcher for the Montreal Expos (1989) and coach for the Toronto Blue Jays	[27]
Josh Reddick	Major League Baseball outfielder for the Oakland Athletics	[28]
Kenny Rogers	MLB pitcher for the Texas Rangers (1989–1995, 2000–2002, 2004–2005), New York Yankees (1996–1997), Oakland Athletics (1998–1999), New York Mets (1999), Minnesota Twins (2003), and Detroit Tigers (2006–2008)	[29]
Al Seeger	former International Boxing Association world super-bantamweight title holder	[30]
Jason Shiell	MLB pitcher for the San Diego Padres (2002), Boston Red Sox (2003), Atlanta Braves (2006)	[31]
Roy Simmons	NFL guard for the New York Giants (1979–1982) and Washington Redskins (1983)	[32]
Hollis Stacy	three-time U.S. Women's Open champion golfer (1977, 1978, and 1984)	[33]
Dusty Zeigler	NFL center for the Buffalo Bills (1996–1999) and New York Giants (2000–2002)	[34]

Business people

Name	Notability	References
Mills B. Lane Jr.	former president of Atlanta, Georgia-based Citizens and Southern National Bank who played an important role in Atlanta's political development and economic expansion during the 1950s and 1960s	[35]
J.C. Lewis	businessman, philanthropist, former Savannah mayor	[36]
Cornell McBride, Sr.	founder, president and CEO of McBride Research Laboratories, Inc. (MRL), which manufactures and distributes African-American hair care products	[37]

Judicial

Name	Notability	References
Orinda D. Evans	Judge, U. S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia (1979–2006) and chief district judge (1999–2006)	[38]
Clarence Thomas	associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (October 19, 1991–present)	[39]
James Moore Wayne	congressman and associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (January 14, 1835 – July 5, 1867)	[40]
Walter Wyatt	former Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States (1946–1963)

Military

Name	Notability	References
Robert Houston Anderson	cavalry and artillery officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
James Dunwoody Bulloch	the Confederate States of America's chief foreign agent in Great Britain during the American Civil War	[41]
Moxley Sorrel	youngest general in the Confederate Army	[42]
William F. Train	a United States Army lieutenant general and veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War
Julian Larcombe Schley	former Governor of the Panama Canal Zone
Josiah Tattnall	an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812, the Second Barbary War, and the Mexican-American War	[43]
Leonard Matlovich	Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient; gay rights activist	[44]

Musicians

Name	Notability	References
Tony Arata	country music singer	[45]
Baroness	metal music band whose 2007 album (Red Album) was named Album of the Year by heavy metal magazine Revolver	[46]
James Bignon	swing-era trumbonist	[47]
Big Boi	rapper from Grammy Award-winning hip-hop music duo OutKast	[48]
Camoflauge	rapper	[49]
Mike Curb	Curb Records and Word Label Group executive, Lieutenant Governor of California (1979–1983)	[50]
Mary Davis	R&B singer; member of The S.O.S. Band and lead singer on "Take Your Time (Do It Right)"	[51]
Stephanie Edwards	11th-place finalist on American Idol (season 6)	[52]
Arthur Gibbs	jazz singer	[53]
Connie Haines	performer with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra	[54]
Kylesa	metal music band	[55]
DJ Lord	music turntablist currently with hip hop group Public Enemy
Kate McTell	blues musician and former wife of blues musician Blind Willie McTell	[56]
Johnny Mercer	composer of more than 1,000 songs who received 19 Academy Award nominations, wrote music for a number of Broadway shows, and co-founded Capitol Records	[57]
James Moody	jazz musician (saxophone, flute), composer, actor known for his song "Moody's Mood for Love"	[58]
Ben Riley	hard bop drummer who worked with numerous artists including Thelonious Monk and Stan Getz	[59]
Mark Sadane	R&B singer; lead singer for the band Tungsten Steele	[60]
Edward Schell	R&B singer; member of the band New York City	[61]
Debi Burk Scott	entertainer and cabaret vocalist
Huxsie Scott	Gospel music and jazz music singer	[62][63]
Millie Scott	jazz singer	[64]
Sahib Shihab	jazz saxophonist and flautist who performed with Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey Dizzy Gillespie, and Quincy Jones	[65]
Showbread	Christian Post-hardcore alternative rock band	[66]
Squad 5-O	Christian Ska-Punk
Tom Turpin	composer credited with first published ragtime by an African-American ("Harlem Rag", 1897)	[67]
Jared Wade	country music singer-songwriter, from Savannah suburb Pooler	[68]
Eric "Samarai Celestial" Walker	jazz drummer	[69]
Trummy Young	swing-era trumbonist who performed with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Jazz at the Philharmonic and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars	[70]

Politicians

Name	Notability	References
Francis S. Bartow	Confederate States of America political leader, and military officer during the early months of the American Civil War	[71]
Joseph Bryan	U.S. Representative from Georgia who served in the 8th and 9th U.S. Congresses (from March 4, 1803 until his resignation in 1806)	[72]
William Bellinger Bulloch	Senator from Georgia appointed as a Democratic Republican to the United States Senate who served from April 8, 1813 until November 6, 1813	[73]
Robert M. Charlton	U.S. Senator representing Georgia from 1852 to 1853	[74]
Alfred Cuthbert	U.S. Representative (the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Congress from December 13, 1813, to November 9, 1816) and Senator (Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth Congresses, from March 4, 1821 to March 3, 1827)	[75]
Samuel Elbert	elected as Governor of the State of Georgia (1785–1786)	[76][77][78]
Ion Farris	Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives (1909 and 1913) and member of Florida Senate	[79]
John C. Frémont	the first U.S. Republican Party candidate for President of the United States and the 1864 candidate of the Radical Republicans)	[80]
Joseph Habersham	a Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (1785), a member of the convention which ratified the U.S. Constitution (1788), and the 3rd Postmaster General of the United States (1795–1801)	[81]
F. Ross Holland, Jr.	American National Park Service historian noted for his books on American lighthouses	[82]
William Houstoun	delegate to the Continental Congress and to the United States Constitutional Convention (1787)	[83]
Bob Inglis	twice elected to represent South Carolina's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives	[84]
Otis Johnson	current mayor of Savannah, Georgia, first elected in 2004	[85]
George Jones	U.S. Senator serving from August 27, 1807, to November 7, 1807	[86]
Edward Langworthy	delegate to the Continental Congress from Georgia and signature to the U.S. Articles of Confederation	[87]
John Milledge	elected to Second Congress (November 22, 1792, to March 3, 1793) and Fourth and Fifth Congresses (March 4, 1795 to March 3, 1799), again elected (March 4, 1801 until he resigned in May 1802 to become Governor of Georgia) and U.S. Senate in 10th U.S. Congress as the President pro tempore of the Senate (June 19, 1806, until November 14, 1809)	[88]
Dennis Smelt	U.S. Representative to the 9th, 10th and 11th United States Congresses (September 1, 1806 - March 3, 1811)	[89]
Josiah Tattnall	U.S. Senator (1796 to 1799) and Georgia governor (1801 to 1802)	[90]
Thomas Telfair	elected to the 13th and 14th United States Congresses (March 4, 1813, to March 3, 1817)	[91]

Scientists and inventors

Name	Notability	References
L. Blaine Hammond	NASA astronaut and current Branch Chief of NASA's Astronaut Office Safety Branch	[92]
W. Jason Morgan	American geophysicist who has made seminal contributions to the theory of plate tectonics and geodynamics

Writers

Name	Notability	References
Conrad Aiken	Pulitzer Prize for Poetry recipient for his work Selected Poems (1930)	[93]
Henry Coppée	author and educator who served as the first president of Lehigh University	[94]
Charles Elmore	African American scholar, jazz historian, and educator	[95]
Bruce Feiler	journalist credited with formulating the Feiler Faster Thesis and producer of the television mini-series Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths	[96]
Chris Fuhrman	author of The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
Anne Green	novelist, memoirist, translator, brother of Julien Green	[97]
Al Jaffee	writer and cartoonist for Timely Comics, Atlas Comics, and Mad Magazine	[98]
James Alan McPherson	short story writer and essayist who was awarded the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his short story collection, Elbow Room	[99]
Ward Morehouse	theater critic and newspaper columnist for The Atlanta Journal, The New York Tribune, the New York Herald Tribune and the New York Sun
Flannery O'Connor	short story writer and novelist for whom the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction is named	[100]
Charles Perry	author of Portrait of a Young man Drowning which was made into a film entitled Six Ways to Sunday	[101]
Sally Quinn	author, reporter for the Washington Post, and co-anchor of the CBS Morning News with CBS News reporter Hughes Rudd (August 6, 1973 - February 1, 1974)[102][103]
Mary Schmich	columnist for the Chicago Tribune, author of Wear Sunscreen and the current author of the Brenda Starr comic strip	[104]
Frank Lebby Stanton	lyricist, columnist for the Atlanta Constitution, author of the words for "Just Awearyin' for You"	[105]

Other people

Name	Notability	References
Curtis Cooper	noted Southern Civil Rights leader who served as president of the Savannah Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People	[106]
Ralph Mark Gilbert	southern Civil Rights leader who as president of the Savannah Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People helped initiate the hiring of Savannah's first African-American police officers along with other black city employees (one of first cities in South to do so)	[107]
William Gardner Hale	classical scholar best known as an original teacher on questions of syntax	[108]
Brittany Hatch	contestant on America's Next Top Model, season 8	[109]
W. W. Law	southern Civil Rights leader who was influential in the establishment of the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, the King-Tisdell Cottage Museum, the Beach Institute of African American Culture, and the Negro Heritage Trail Tour	[110]
Jack Leigh	photographer best known for the "Bird Girl" statue photograph on the cover of the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Juliette Gordon Low	founder of Girl Scouts of the USA	[111]
Sonny Seiler	owner of the University of Georgia mascot Uga	[112]
Leighton Stultz	male fitness and Playgirl model and reality television star	[113]
Kirk Varnedoe	art historian and curator of painting and sculpture at the New York City Museum of Modern Art
Akintunde Warnock	comedian
Frank Wills	security guard at Watergate break-in
Ellen Axson Wilson	first wife of Woodrow Wilson and First Lady of the United States from 1913 until her death	[114]

Current notable residents (non-natives)

Name	Notability	References
Bertice Berry	sociologist, author, and former host of her own nationally syndicated talk show, The Bertice Berry Show (1993 to 1994)	[115]
The Lady Chablis	transsexual entertainer featured as a character in John Berendt's book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil	[116]
Paula Deen	restaurateur and host of the Food Network show Paula's Home Cooking	[117]
Ruby Gettinger	Reality TV star
Gregory Keyes	author and educator
Jack Kingston	member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing Georgia's 1st congressional district	[118]
Billy Joe Royal	1960s singer	[119]
Jack Sherman	Former guitarist with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, later played with Bob Dylan and John Hiatt
Dr. Earl G. Yarbrough	former president of Savannah State University	[120]

Former notable residents (non-natives)

Name	Notability	References
Danny!	recording artist for Okayplayer Records, former student of the Savannah College of Art & Design	[121]
Mills Lane	professional boxing referee and television court show judge (Judge Mills Lane)	[122]
Phoebe Pember	the woman in charge of housekeeping and patient diet at one of the divisions of Chimborazo Hospital at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War	[123]
John Wesley	Anglican minister and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement	[124]
Eli Whitney	Inventor of the modern cotton gin	[125]

See also

• Dorothy Barnes Pelote Bridge
• Earl T. Shinhoster Interchange
• List of mayors of Savannah, Georgia

Notes

A.^{^} Notability for inclusion in this listing is based upon the standards outlined in Wikipedia:Notability.

B.^{^} Savannah had 24 original squares. Today 21 are still in existence.

C.^{^} The 2006 Producers Guild Award nomination (Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award) was shared with Cathy Konrad.^[5]

D.^{^} Tied with Michael Caine ("Jack the Ripper") for the 1989 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV.

References

City of Savannah "The Hostess City of the South" History Timeline Geography Economy Education Transportation Crime and social issues Culture Attractions In popular culture Mayors Notable people Category Metropolitan area