The following are notable people who were either born, raised, or have lived for a significant period of time in the American state of Kansas.
Academics and Nobel Prize Laureates
Milton S. Eisenhower (1899–1985), university president, Abilene
Wendell Johnson (1906–1965), psychologist and speech pathologist, author of The Monster Study, Roxbury
Jack S. Kilby (1923–2005), Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Great Bend
Solon Toothaker Kimball (1909–1982), anthropologist, Manhattan
Stanford Lehmberg (born 1931), historian, McPherson
Norman Malcolm (1911–1990), philosopher, Selden
Deane Waldo Malott (1898–1996), president of Cornell University, Abilene
Abby Lillian Marlatt (1869–1943), home economics, Manhattan
Eric K. Meyer (born 1953), journalism professor and Pulitzer Prize nominee, Marion
M. Lee Pelton (born 1950), president of Willamette University, Wichita
John Brooks Slaughter (born 1934), college president and first African-American director of the National Science Foundation, Topeka
Vernon L. Smith (born 1927), Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economics, Wichita
Earl Wilbur Sutherland Jr. (1915–1974), 1971 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology and Medicine, Burlingame
Donald Worster (born 1941), historian, Lawrence
Nina E. Allender (1873–1957), artist and women's suffrage cartoonist, Auburn
Grace Bilger (1907–2000), artist, Olathe
Grant Bond (born 1974), artist, Kansas City
Blackbear Bosin (1921–1980), Native American artist, Wichita
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (1917–2000), poet, Topeka
Bruce Conner (1933–2008), artist, McPherson
John Steuart Curry (1897–1946), artist, Winchester
Aaron Douglas (1900–1979), artist, Topeka
Randall Duell (1903–1992), architect and art director, Russell County
Edgar Heap of Birds (born 1954), artist, Wichita
Elizabeth Layton (1909–1993), artist, Wellsville
Evan Lindquist (born 1936), printmaker, Artist Laureate of Arkansas, Salina
Barbara Morgan (1900–1992), photographer, Buffalo, Kansas
Gordon Parks (1912–2006), photographer and film director, Fort Scott
Birger Sandzen (1871–1954), artist, art professor at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas
Gary Mark Smith (born 1956), photographer, studied at University of Kansas, Wichita
W. Eugene Smith (1918–1978), photographer, Wichita
Mort Walker (born 1923), cartoonist, creator of Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois comic strips, El Dorado
Laura Abbot, author of Harlequin romance novels, Kansas City
Gwendolyn Brooks (1917–2000), author, poet, Topeka
William Burroughs (1914–1997), author, Lawrence
Don Coldsmith (1926–2009), author of Western fiction, Iola
Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879–1958), author of children's books, Lawrence
Thomas Frank (born 1965), author and editor, Mission Hills
Jane Heap (1883–1964), author and publisher, Topeka
Scott Heim (born 1966), author, Hutchinson
Langston Hughes (1902–1967), author and poet, Lawrence
William Inge (1913–1973), playwright, Independence
Bill James (born 1949), author, Mayetta, Kansas
Bill Martin, Jr. (1916–2004), children's author, Hiawatha
Fred Myton (1885–1955), screenwriter, Garden City, Kansas
Kathy Patrick, author, founder of Pulpwood Queens Book Club, Eureka, Kansas
Scott Phillips (born 1961), author, Wichita
Vance Randolph (1892–1980), folklorist, Pittsburg, Kansas
Red Reeder (1902–1998), author and United States Army officer, Fort Leavenworth
Richard Rhodes (born 1937), author and historian, Kansas City
Lois Ruby, author of historic fiction, Lawrence
Damon Runyon (1880–1946), author, Manhattan
Mary Francis Shura (1923–1990), children's, romance and mystery author, Pratt
William Stafford (1914–1993), poet and pacifist, Hutchinson
Max Yoho (born 1934), author, Colony, Kansas
Clark Tippet (1954–1992), ballet, Parsons, Kansas
A–F
G–M
N–Z
Aviators and astronauts
Walter Herschel Beech (1891–1950), aviator and aircraft designer, Wichita
Clyde Vernon Cessna (1879–1954), aviator and aircraft designer, Rago, Kansas
Amelia Earhart (1897–1937), aviator, Atchison
Joe Engle (born 1932), astronaut, Chapman, Kansas
Ronald Evans (1933–1990), astronaut, St. Francis, Kansas
Daniel Forbes (1920–1948), United States Army Air Corps pilot, Carbondale, Kansas
Steve Hawley (born 1951), astronaut, Salina
Donald Hudson (1895–1967), World War I flying ace, Topeka
Glenn L. Martin (1886–1955), aviation pioneer, Salina
Lloyd Carlton Stearman (1898–1975), aviator and aircraft designer, Wellsville
Businesspeople and inventors
Philip Anschutz (born 1939), billionaire investor, Russell
Bion Barnett (1857–1958), co-founder of Barnett Bank, Hiawatha
Olive Ann Beech, Chairwoman of Beech Aircraft Company, Wichita (born in Waverly, Kansas)
Dan and Frank Carney (Dan born 1931, Frank born 1938), founders of Pizza Hut, Wichita
Walter Chrysler (1875–1940), founder of Chrysler Corporation, Wamego, Kansas
William Coffin Coleman (1870–1957), founder of the Coleman Company, Wichita
David Dillon (born 1951), former CEO of Kroger, Hutchinson
Vic Edelbrock (1913–1962), automotive engineer, Eudora, Kansas
James Harbord (1866–1947), President and Chairman of the Board of RCA, Manhattan
William Wadsworth Hodkinson (1881–1971), pioneer film marketer and distributor, Independence
Omar Knedlik (1915–1989), inventor of the ICEE frozen drink, Barnes, Kansas
Charles G. Koch (born 1935), CEO of Koch Industries, Wichita
David H. Koch (born 1940), executive and politician, Wichita
Alan Mulally (born 1945), engineer, President and CEO of the Ford Motor Company, Lawrence
Matthew K. Rose (born 1959), Chairman and CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., Salina
Harry F. Sinclair (1876–1956), founder of Sinclair Oil company, Independence
Russell Stover (1888–1954), founder of Russell Stover Candies, Alton, Kansas
Michael Almereyda (born 1960), film director, Overland Park
Steve Balderson (born 1975), film director, Wamego, Kansas
Darren Lynn Bousman (born 1979), film director, Overland Park
Chris Buck (born 1960), film director, animator, Wichita
Eric Darnell (born 1960), director, writer, songwriter, animator, Prairie Village
Randall Duell (1903–1992), art director, Russell County
Alex Graves (born 1968), television director, El Dorado
Sherman Halsey, music video and television director, Independence
Martin and Osa Johnson (1884–1937 and 1894–1953), film pioneer, explorer, Chanute
Oscar Micheaux (1893–1951), film director, Great Bend
Gordon Parks (1912–2006), film director, Fort Scott
Richard Thorpe (1896–1991), film director, Hutchinson
Frank Marshall Davis (1905–1987), journalist, poet, political and labor movement activist, Arkansas City
Steve Doocy (born 1956), co-host of Fox News's Fox & Friends, Abilene
Elizabeth Farnsworth (born 1943), television journalist, Topeka
William M. Gallagher (1923–1975), Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, Hiawatha
Jane Grant (1892–1972), journalist who co-founded The New Yorker, Girard, Kansas
E. W. Howe (1853–1937), author and newspaper editor, Atchison
Bill Kurtis (born 1940), television journalist, Independence
Jim Lehrer (born 1934), television journalist, Wichita
Melissa McDermott (born 1960s), television news anchor for CBS's Up to the Minute, Wichita
Clementine Paddleford (1898–1967), journalist and food critic, Riley County, Kansas
Eugene C. Pulliam (1889–1975), founder Central Newspapers, Inc., Ulysses, Kansas
Roy A. Roberts (1887–1967), newspaper editor, Muscotah, Kansas
W. Eugene Smith (1918–1978), photojournalist, Wichita
John Cameron Swayze (1906–1995), television journalist, Wichita
Julius Wayland (1854–1912), newspaper editor, Appeal to Reason, Girard, Kansas
William Allen White (1868–1944), author and newspaper editor, Emporia, Kansas
Gene Wojciechowski, author, sportswriter and ESPN commentator
William Bickerton (1815–1905), founder of The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) and the Zion Valley, Kansas, colony, St. John, Kansas
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
Bart D. Ehrman (born 1955), New Testament scholar, Lawrence
Jerry Johnston (born 1959), Southern Baptist Convention evangelist and pastor, Overland Park
Emil Kapaun (1916–1951), U.S. Army chaplain during Korean War, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient, Roman Catholic martyr and candidate for sainthood, Pilsen, Kansas
Ron Kenoly (born 1944), musical worship leader, Coffeyville
Fred Phelps (1929–2014), leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, Topeka
James Reeb (1927–1965), Unitarian minister beaten to death by segregationists in Selma, Alabama, during the Civil Rights Movement, Wichita
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
John Joseph Sullivan (1920–2001), Bishop of Grand Island, Nebraska, and Kansas City-St. Joseph, Horton, Kansas
Gerald B. Winrod (1900–1957), evangelical Christian and Nazi sympathizer, Wichita
Gordon Winrod (born 1926), Christian Identity minister, Hesston, Kansas
John Brown (1800–1859), abolitionist, Osawatomie
Buffalo Bill Cody (1846–1917), buffalo hunter and showman, Leavenworth
Wyatt Earp (1848–1929), lawman, Wichita and Dodge City, Kansas
Dora Hand (c. 1844–1878), dance hall singer, Dodge City, Kansas
Wild Bill Hickok (1837–1876), lawman, Hays, Kansas and Abilene
James H. Lane (1814-1866), abolitionist, senator and union general, Lawrence
Bat Masterson (1853–1921), lawman, Dodge City, Kansas
Carrie Nation (1846–1911), temperance activist, Medicine Lodge
List of people from Kansas Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
