List of people from Indiana

This is a list of some famous people who were born or lived in Indiana.

Founders and pioneers

* Johnny Appleseed, missionary (Fort Wayne)
*Squire Boone, frontiersman, (Loconia)
* Jonathan Jennings, first Governor of Indiana
* Dennis Pennington, first speaker of the house in Indiana, Corydon, Indiana, also built the first capitol building. (Lanesville, Indiana|Lanesville]
* Spencer Spier, militia leader who died in the Battle of Tippecanoe

Military

* Jeremy Michael Boorda, Admiral Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C
* George Rogers Clark, man who conquered Indiana for the United States, (Clarksville
* William Grose, Civil War General, (New Castle)
* Walter Bedell Smith, General, U.S. Army, chief of staff to General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Indianapolis)
* Raymond Ames Spruance, Admiral, U.S. Navy, Flagship Commander USS Indianapolis (Indianapolis}
* Samuel Woodfill, most decorated American solider in WWI, (Jefferson County)

Politicians and activists

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thumb|100px|William Henry Harrison]
*Frank J. Anderson, Marion County Sheriff (Indianapolis)
*Birch Bayh, former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate (Terre Haute)
*Evan Bayh, U.S. Senator and former Governor of Indiana (Shirkieville)
*Otis R. Bowen, Governor of Indiana and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
*Jesse D. Bright, U.S Senator and President Pro Tempore of the Senate (Madison)
*Earl Butz, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (Albion)
*Maria Cantwell, U.S. Congresswoman and U.S. Senator (Indianapolis)
*Homer E. Capehart, businessman and U.S. Senator (Algiers)
* Benjamin V. Cohen - a key figure in the administrations of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman (Muncie)
*Schuyler Colfax, U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives, U.S. Vice President (South Bend)
*John Wesley Davis, U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives {Carlisle)
*Eugene V. Debs, labor and political leader (Terre Haute)
*William Hayden English, U.S. Congressman and Vice Presidential Candidate (Indianapolis)
*Charles W. Fairbanks, U.S. Senator and Vice President of the United States (Indianapolis)
*John W. Foster, U.S. Secretary of State (Evansville)
*Walter Q. Gresham, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Post Master General, U.S. Secretary of State (Lanesville)
*Charles A. Halleck, U.S. Congressman (Rensselaer)
*Lee H. Hamilton, U.S. Congressman (Bloomington)
*Clifford Hardin, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (Knightstown)
*Benjamin Harrison, U.S. President
*William Henry Harrison, U.S. President and Governor of Indiana Territory
*Richard Hatcher, Gary Mayor Gary}
*John Hay, U.S. Secretary of State (Salem)
*Will H. Hays, U.S. Postmaster General (Sullivan)
*Thomas A. Hendricks, U.S. Senator and Vice President (Indianapolis)
*Michael C. Kerr, U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives (New Albany)
*Richard Lugar, U.S. Senator and former Mayor of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
*Thomas Marshall, U.S. Vice President (North Manchester)
*Hugh McCulloch, US. Secretary of the Treasury (Fort Wayne)
*William H.H. Miller, U.S. Attorney General (Indianapolis)
*Sherman Minton, U.S. Senator and Supreme Court Justice
*Oliver P. Morton, Governor of Indiana (Centerville)
*Harry S. New, U.S. Postmaster General (Indianapolis)
*Mike Pence, US Congressman (Columbus)
*Bart Peterson, former Mayor of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
*Dan Quayle, former U.S. Senator and U.S. Vice President (Indianapolis)
*John Roberts, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice (Long Beach)
*William Ruckelshaus, FormerU.S Director of the F.B.I. and Deputy Attrony General, involved in Saturday Night Masacre
*Caleb Blood Smith, U.S. Secretary of the Interior (Indianapolis)
*Ted Stevens, U.S. Senator from Alaska (Indianapolis)
*John Palmer Usher, U.S. Secretary of the Interior (Terre Haute)
*Gary Webb, Journalist
*Ryan White, AIDS activist (Kokomo)
*Claude R. Wickard, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (Camden)
*Wendell Wilkie, U.S. Presidential Candidate (Elwood)

Native American leaders

*Leopold Pokagon, Potawatomi chief for whom Pokagon State Park is named
*Simon Pokagon, Potawatomi chief, author, son of Leopold
*Little Turtle, Miami chief from northeast Indiana
*Metea, Potawatomi chief from northeast Indiana

Entertainment

Film and theatre

* Leon Ames, actor (Portland)
* Anne Baxter, actress (Michigan City)
* Monte Blue, actor, (Indianapolis)
* Avery Brooks, actor, (Evansville)
* David Canary, actor (Elwood)
* James Dean, actor (Fairmount)
* Major Dodge, actor, producer, model, (New Albany)
* Heather Douglas, actress, (New Albany)
* Irene Dunne, actress, (Madison)
* Vivica A. Fox actress (Indianapolis)
* Brendan Fraser, actor, (Indianapolis)
* Sid Grauman, impresario (Indianapolis)
* Phil Harris, actor (Linton)
* Greg Kinnear, actor (Logansport)
* Elmo Lincoln, actor (Rochester)
* Carole Lombard, actress, (Fort Wayne)
* Marjorie Main, actress (Acton)
* Karl Malden, actor, (Gary)
* Michael Michele, actress, (Evansville)
* Steve McQueen, actor, (Beech Grove)
* Sydney Pollack, actor, producer, director, (Lafayette)
* Max Terhune, actor, (Anderson)
* Forrest Tucker, actor, (Plainfield)
* Clifton Webb, actor, (Indianapolis)
* Jo Anne Worley, actress, (Lowell)

Comedians

* Red Skelton, comedian (Vincennes)
* David Letterman, comedian (Indianapolis)
* Jim Gaffigan, comedian (Chesterton)
* Mike Epps, comedian (Indianapolis)
* Herb Shriner, comedian (Fort Wayne)

olo musicians

* Amanda Perez R&B artist, singer, songwriter, producer (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
* Amanda Overmyer singer, American Idol (season 7) finalist (Camden)
* Kyle Cook, Matchbox Twenty guitarist (Frankfort, Indiana)
* Shannon Hoon, Blind Melon singer (Lafayette, Indiana)
* Joshua Bell, violinist
* Hoagy Carmichael, songwriter (Bloomington)
* Paul Dresser, songwriter (Terre Haute)
* Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, singer, producer (Indianapolis)
* Janie Fricke, singer (South Whitley)
* Bill Gaither, singer (Alexandria)
* Gloria Gaither, songwriter (Alexandria)
* Crystal Gayle, singer ( Wabash)
* Krystal Harris, pianist, singer-songwriter (Anderson)
* Bobby Helms, singer (Bloomington)
* Janet Jackson, singer (Gary)
* Michael Jackson, singer (Gary)
* JJ Johnson, jazz trombonist (Indianapolis)
* Mick Mars (real name Robert Deal), Mötley Crüe lead guitarist (Terre Haute)
* Rich Mullins,Christian Contemporary Artist (Richmond, Indiana)
* Ryan McCombs, singer (Dunkirk, Indiana)*
* Jon McLaughlin, singer-songwriter (Anderson, Indiana)
* John Mellencamp, singer, songwriter, musician (Seymour)
* Luke Menard, singer, musician (Crawfordsville, Indiana)
* Wes Montgomery, jazz guitarist (Indianapolis)
* Cole Porter, songwriter (Peru)
* Ned Rorem, composer (Richmond)
* Axl Rose, Guns N' Roses singer (Lafayette)
* David Lee Roth, Van Halen singer (Bloomington)
* Connie Smith, singer (Elkhart)
* Izzy Stradlin, Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist (Lafayette)
* Steve Wariner, singer (Noblesville, Indiana)
*Deniece Williams, singer (Gary, Indiana)
* DJ Ashba, lead guitarits of Monticello, Indiana

Musical groups

*Hoosier Hot Shots
*Iced Earth
*The Ataris
*The Jackson 5
*The Why Store
*Wright Brothers Band
*Haste The Day

Television

* Arija Bareikis, actress (Bloomington)
* Julia Barr, actor (Fort Wayne)
* James Best, actor (Corydon, Indiana)
* Avery Brooks, actor (Evansville)
* Dan Butler, actor (Fort Wayne)
* Mary Jane Croft actress (Muncie)
* Scatman Crothers, actor (Terre Haute)
* Joyce DeWitt, actress (raised in Speedway, Indiana)
* Chad Everett, actor (South Bend)
* Jenna Fischer, actress (Fort Wayne)
* Dolores Fuller, actress (South Bend)
* Will Geer, actor (Frankfort)
* Ron Glass, actor (Evansville)
* Florence Henderson, actress (Dale)
* Drake Hogestyn, actor (Fort Wayne)
* Anissa Jones, actress (West Lafayette)
* Brook Kerr, actress (Indianapolis)
* David Letterman, late night entertainer (Indianapolis)
* Shelley Long, actress (Fort Wayne)
* Karl Malden, actor (Gary)
* Alvy Moore, actor (Vincennes) and (Terre Haute)
* Jane Pauley, news anchor (Indianapolis)
* Madelyn Pugh, writer (I Love Lucy) (Indianapolis)
* Tavis Smiley, talk show host on PBS and NPR (Kokomo)
* Michael Warren, actor "Hill Street Blues" (South Bend)
* Vincent Ventresca, actor (Indianapolis)
* Dick York, actor (Fort Wayne)

Modeling

* Jami Ferrell, model, "Playboy" Playmate (Muncie)
* Karen McDougal, fitness model, "Playboy" Playmate (Merrillville)
* Marjorie Wallace, model and 1973 Miss World (Indianapolis)

ports

* Steve Alford, basketball player (New Castle)
* John Andretti, racer (Indianapolis)
* William "Dick the Bruiser" Afflis, football player and professional wrestler (Indianapolis)
* Alison Bales, basketball player (Indianapolis)
* Danny "the Damaja" Basham, professional wrestler (Seymour)
* Larry Bird, basketball player (French Lick)
* Blaine Bishop, football player (Indianapolis)
* Clint Barmes, baseball player (Vincennes)
* Damarcus Beasley, soccer player (Fort Wayne)
* Phil Bradley, baseball player (Bloomington)
* Donald Brashear, hockey player (Bedford)
* Donie Bush, baseball player (Indianapolis)
* Max Carey, baseball player (Terre Haute)
* Calbert Cheaney, basketball player (Evansville)
* Mark Clayton, football player (Indianapolis)
* Roosevelt Colvin, football player (Indianapolis)
* Mike Conley, Jr., basketball player (Indianapolis)
* Lou Criger, baseball player (Elkhart)
* Nig Cuppy, baseball player (Logansport)
* Chad Curtis, baseball player (Marion)
* Jay Cutler, football player (Santa Claus)
* George Crowe, baseball player (Whiteland)
* Len Dawson, football player (West Lafayette)
* Ken Dilger, football player (Lincoln City)
* Terry Dischinger, basketball player (Terre Haute)
* Katie Douglas, WNBA player (Indianapolis)
* Carl Erskine, baseball player (Anderson)
* Trai Essex, Football player (Fort Wayne)
* Jason Fabini, football player (Fort Wayne)
* Bob Friend, baseball player (West Lafayette)
* Bill Garrett (William Leon Garrett), basketball player (Shelbyville)
* Jeff George, football player (Indianapolis)
* Katie Gearlds, basketball player (Beach Grove)
* Eric Gordon, basketball player (Indianapolis)
* Jeff Gordon, racer (Pittsboro)
* Bob Griese, football player (Evansville)
* Rex Grossman, football player (Bloomington)
* Corey Harris, football player (Indianapolis)
* Alan Henderson, basketball player (Indianapolis)
* Billy Herman, baseball player (New Albany)
* Mark Herrmann, football player (Carmel)
* Tony Hinkle, basketball coach (inventor of orange basketball) (Logansport)
* Gil Hodges, baseball player (Princeton)
* Tony Hulman, owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway
* Kenny Irwin, racer, (Indianapolis)
* Shawn Kemp, basketball player (Elkhart)
* Jeff King, baseball player (Marion)
* Mathias Kiwanuka, football player (Indianapolis)
* Chuck Klein, baseball player (Indianapolis)
* Ward Lambert, basketball coach {West Lafayette)
* Don Larsen, baseball player (Michigan City)
* Don Lash, long-distance runner (Bluffton and Auburn)
* Kenny Lofton, baseball player (East Chicago)
* Don Mattingly, baseball player (Evansville)
* George McGinnis, basketball player (Indianapolis)
* Josh McRoberts, basketball player (Carmel)
* John Mengelt, basketball player (Elwood)
* Brad Miller, basketball player (Kendallville)
* Rick Mirer, football quarterback (Goshen)
* Rick Mount, basketball player (Lebanon)
* Stretch Murphy, basketball player (Marion)
* Ryan Newman, racer (South Bend)
* Greg Oden, basketball player (Indianapolis)
* Elmer Oliphant, football player ( Washington)
* Mike Phipps, football player (Columbus)
* Dan Plesac, baseball player (Gary)
* Tony Raines, racer (LaPorte)
* Zach Randolph, baskeball player (Marion)
* Sam Rice, baseball player (Morocco)
* Glenn Robinson, basketball player (Gary)
* Oscar Robertson, basketball player (Indianapolis)
* Scott Rolen, baseball player (Jasper)
* Edd Roush, baseball player (Oakland City)
* Jeff Samardzija baseball player (Valparaiso)
* Everett Scott, baseball player (Bluffton)
* Tony Stewart, racer (Columbus)
* David Stremme, racer (South Bend)
* Dan Stryzinski, football player (Vincennes)
* Charles "Chuck" Taylor, basketball player, sports shoe pioneer (Brown County)
* Marshall "Major" Taylor, cyclist (Indianapolis)
* Sam Thompson, baseball player (Danville)
* Dickie Thon, baseball player (South Bend)
* Bonzi Wells basketball player (Muncie)
* Stephanie White, former WNBA player (Indianapolis)
* Cy Williams, baseball player (Wadena)
* John Wooden, basketball player and coach (Martinsville)
* Rod Woodson, football player and television analyst (Fort Wayne)
* Rollie Zeider, baseball player (Hoover and Auburn)
* Fuzzy Zoeller, golfer (New Albany)
* Shanna Zolman, WNBA player

Business

[
Madam C. J. Walker]
* Madam C.J. Walker, businesswoman (Indianapolis)
* Bill Blass, fashion designer (Fort Wayne)
* Charles G. Conn, manufacturer of band instruments (Elkhart)
* Steve Ells, Founder and CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill
* Carl G. Fisher, founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Prestolite (Indianapolis)
* Richard Jordan Gatling, inventor of gatling gun (Indianapolis)
* Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC (Henryville)
* Jared Fogle, spokesperson of Subway (Indianapolis)
* Halston, fashion designer (Evansville}
* Norman Norell, fashion designer (Noblesville)
* Orville Redenbacher, businessman (Brazil, Indiana)
* Vernon Smith, Nobel Prize in Economics {West Lafayette)
* Steve Bellamy, sports and media businessman
* Shanna Zolman - WNBA

Art and literature

* George Ade, author and journalist, (Kentland)
* J. Ottis Adams, artist (Indianapolis)
* Mike Adams, writer, musician, actor (Haubstadt)
* Jared Carter, poet (Elwood)
* William Merritt Chase, painter, (Nineveh, Johnson County)
* Will Cuppy, humorist (Auburn)
* Jim Davis, cartoonist (Fairmount)
* Lloyd C. Douglas, author, (Monroeville)
* Theodore Dreiser, author (Terre Haute)
* William Forsyth (artist), artist (Indianapolis)
* Art Green, painter (member of "The Hairy Who")
* Richard Gruelle, artist (Indianapolis)
* Christine Howser, author
* Kin Hubbard, humorist, writer, cartoonist (Indianapolis)
* Robert Indiana, artist (New Castle)
* Stephen King, author (Fort Wayne)
* Ross Lockridge, Jr., author (Bloomington)
* Bubba the Love Sponge, radio personality (Warsaw)
* John T. McCutcheon, cartoonist (Lafayette)
* Bruce Nauman, artist (Fort Wayne)
* Meredith Nicholson, author (Indianapolis)
* Bill Peet, author, Disney artist, and Caldecott Honor recipient (Grandview)
* Ernie Pyle, newsman, legendary war correspondent during World War II (Dana)
* James Whitcomb Riley, poet (Greenfield)
* Zerna Sharp, author and educator (Frankfort)
* Will Shortz, editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle and host of the puzzle segment on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Sunday (Crawfordsville)
* David Smith, Abstract Expressionist sculptor (Decatur)
* Otto Stark, artist (Indianapolis)
* T. C. Steele, artist (Indianapolis)
* Gene Stratton Porter, author (Wabash County)
* Booth Tarkington, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Alice Adams, Seventeen, and The Magnificent Ambersons (Indianapolis)
* Kurt Vonnegut, author (Indianapolis)
* Lew Wallace, author (Crawfordsville)

cience and medicine

* Herbert C. Brown, Nobel Prize in Chemistry {West Lafayette)
* James Bert Garner, chemist, inventor of the gas mask {Lebanon)
* Colonel Eli Lilly, founder of Eli Lilly
* Goethe Link, surgeon (Indianapolis)
* Elwood Haynes, Inventor of stainless steel (Portland)
* Salvador E. Luria, Noble Prize in Medicine (Bloomington)
* Edward Mills Purcell, Nobel Prize in Physics {West Lafayette)
* Ben Roy Mottelson, Nobel Prize in Physics {West Lafayette)
* Hermann Joseph Muller, Nobel Prize in Medicine (Bloomington)
* Julian Schwinger, Nobel Prize in Physics {West Lafayette)
* James D. Watson, Nobel Prize in Medicine (Bloomington)

Aviation and space

* Joseph P. Allen, astronaut (Crawfordsville)
* Frank Borman, astronaut (Gary)
* Kenneth Bowersox, astronaut (Bedford)
* Mark N. Brown, astronaut (Valparaiso)
* Amelia Earhart, pioneer woman aviator (West Lafayette)
* Anthony England, astronaut (Indianapolis)
* Gus Grissom, astronaut (Mitchell)
* Jerry Ross, astronaut (Crown Point)
* David Wolf, astronaut (Indianapolis)
* Charles D. Walker, astronaut (Bedford)
* Wilbur Wright, Inventor (Millville)

Martial Artists

* Glenn R. Keeney, World karate Champion, Hall of Fame Member, PKC Founder (Anderson)
* Ross Scott, World Kickboxing Champion (Anderson)
* Bill Wallace, World Karate Champion, Actor, Author (Muncie)

Notorious and infamous Indiana

* Michael Alig, founding member of Club Kids, murderer (South Bend)
* Lowell Amos, murderer, (Anderson)
* John Dillinger, bank robber (Indianapolis)
* Jimmy Hoffa, labor-union leader (Brazil)
* Jim Jones, cult founder/leader (Richmond)
* Tony Kiritsis, hostage-taker (Indianapolis)
* Sylvia Likens, murder victim (Indianapolis)
* Madge Oberholtzer, murder victim (Clay City)
*Reno Brothers, murderers, train robbers (Rockport)
* D.C. Stephenson, Grand Dragon of the Klu Klux Klan, convicted murder and rapist (Evansville)