Art and literature

• Helen Andelin (1920–2009), author ofFascinating Womanhood
• Maya Angelou (1928–2014), author and poet
• Thomas P. Barnett (1870–1929), architect and impressionist painter
• Thomas Hart Benton (1889–1975), painter
• George Caleb Bingham (1811–1879), artist (born inVirginia but moved to central Missouri)
• Edward McKendree Bounds (1835–1913), author and theologian
• Mark Bowden (born 1951), author, journalist
• Dylan Brady (born 1993), musician (half of100 gecs)
• William S. Burroughs (1914–1997), author (Naked Lunch)
• Kate Chopin (1851–1904), author (The Awakening) and early feminist
• Guy Anthony De Marco (born 1963), author ofspeculative fiction
• Lester Dent (1904–1959), author ofDoc Savage novels
• Michele Dunaway (born 1965), author ofromantic novels
• Suzette Haden Elgin (1936–2015), science-fiction author andlinguist
• T. S. Eliot (1888–1965), poet,dramatist andliterary critic
• Mary Engelbreit (born 1952), graphic artist, children's book illustrator
• Michael Evans (1944–2005), photographer
• Eugene Field (1850–1895), writer and poet
• Gillian Flynn (born 1971), novelist, television critic
• Martha Gellhorn (1908–1998), novelist,travel writer, and journalist
• Steve Gerber (1947–2008), comic book writer and co-creator ofHoward the Duck
• David L. Harrison (born 1937), children's author, poet, recipient of the Missourian Award (2006)^[1]
• William Least Heat-Moon (born 1939), author
• Robert A. Heinlein (1907–1988), science fiction author
• Frederick Hibbard (1881–1950), sculptor known for his works of famous 19th-century figures
• Langston Hughes (1902–1967), African-American poet, novelist, and playwright
• William W. Johnstone (1938–2004), author of western, horror, and survivalist novels
• Donald Judd (1928–1994), artist
• Oliver Lee Jackson (born 1935), painter, sculptor, draftsman, and printmaker
• Jim Lee (born 1964), comic book artist and writer
• Bonnie Leman (1926–2010), writer, historian, and founder ofQuilter's Newsletter Magazine
• Laura Les (born 1994), musician (one half of100 gecs)
• David Limbaugh (born 1952), columnist, author, and political commentator
• Bernarr Macfadden (1868–1955), founder ofMacfadden Publications, bodybuilding advocate
• Cornelia F. Maury (1866–1942), pastel artist
• Dennis L. McKiernan (born 1932), author
• Scott Monteith, artist
• Marianne Moore (1887–1972), poet and writer
• Archie Musick (1902–1978), painter and illustrator, associated with theRegionalist movement
• John R. Musick (1849–1901), author and poet, known for theColumbian Historical novels
• Ruth Ann Musick (1897–1974), author andfolklorist
• H. Richard Niebuhr (1894–1962), author, theologian
• Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971), author, theologian, and political commentator
• Isabel Richey (1858–1910), writer, poet
• Chappell Roan (born 1998), singer
• John Ross (born 1957), author
• Charles Marion Russell (1864–1926), artist
• Clay Shirky (born 1964), writer, consultant, lecturer, author ofHere Comes Everybody
• Kimora Lee Simmons (born 1975), fashion model, author, actress
• Minnetta Theodora Taylor (1860–1911), poet, lyricist, writer
• Sara Teasdale (1884–1933), poet
• Kay Thompson (1909–1998), creator ofEloise children's books
• Ernest Trova (1927–2009), sculptor, surrealist and pop art painter best known forThe Falling Man
• Margaret Truman (1924–2008), novelist and non-fiction author
• Mark Twain (1835–1910), born Samuel Clemens, iconic humorist, author and creator ofHuckleberry Finn andTom Sawyer
• Rosa Kershaw Walker (1840s–1909), author, journalist, newspaper editor
• Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957), writer and author ofLittle House series
• Tennessee Williams (1911–1983), playwright (born inMississippi, grew up inSt. Louis)
• Bertha M. Wilson (1874–1936), dramatist
• Daniel Woodrell (born 1953), author ofcrime fiction

Sportspeople

Auto racing

• Paul Dana (1975–2006),IndyCar Series driver
• Lloyd Dane (1925–2015), NASCAR driver
• Russ Dugger (born 1975), NASCAR Truck Series driver
• Carl Edwards (born 1979), NASCAR driver, 2007NASCAR Busch Series champion
• James Ince (born c. 1969), NASCARcrew chief
• Justin Jennings (born 1992), NASCAR driver
• Cody Lane (born 1996), NASCAR Truck Series driver
• Justin Marks (born 1981), NASCAR driver
• Jamie McMurray (born 1976), NASCAR Cup Series driver,Daytona 500 winner
• Larry Phillips (1942–2004), NASCAR driver
• Tony Roper (1964–2000), NASCAR driver
• Ken Schrader (born 1955), NASCAR driver
• Dorsey Schroeder (born 1953), retired NASCAR driver,Speed Channel color analyst
• Ramo Stott (1934–2021), retired NASCAR driver
• Chrissy Wallace (born 1988), NASCAR driver
• Kenny Wallace (born 1963), NASCAR driver, broadcaster
• Mike Wallace (born 1959), NASCAR driver
• Rusty Wallace (born 1956), NASCAR driver, 1989 NASCARWinston Cup champion

Baseball

• Bob Allison (1934–1995), MLB outfielder, 3-time All-Star
• Jake Arrieta (born 1986),Chicago Cubs pitcher,Cy Young Award winner
• Alan Ashby (born 1951), MLB catcher, commentator
• George Baker (1857–1915), MLBcatcher
• Jake Beckley (1867–1919), infielder inHall of Fame
• James "Cool Papa" Bell (1903–1991), Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder
• Yogi Berra (1925–2015), Hall of Fame catcher,manager,aphorist
• Ken Berry (born 1941), MLB outfielder
• Brian Boehringer (born 1969),MLBpitcher
• Clete Boyer (1937–2007), MLBthird baseman, 2-time World Series winner
• Ken Boyer (1931–1982), MLB third baseman, 11-time All-Star, coach and manager
• Jack Brennan (1862–1914), MLB catcher
• Harry Bright (1929–2000), MLB infielder
• Mark Buehrle (born 1979), MLB pitcher, 5-time All-Star
• Bobby Byrne (1884–1964), MLB infielder
• Scott Carroll (born 1984), MLBrelief pitcher
• Nate Colbert (1946–2023), MLB first baseman, 3-time All-Star
• David Cone (born 1963),Cy Young-winning MLB pitcher
• Joe Crede (born 1978), MLB third baseman
• Bob Dernier (born 1957), MLB outfielder
• Ross Detwiler (born 1986), MLB relief pitcher
• Blake DeWitt (born 1985), MLB infielder
• John Donaldson (1891–1970),Negro league baseball pitcher
• Scott Elbert (born 1985), MLB relief pitcher
• A. J. Ellis (born 1981), catcher forMiami Marlins
• Hoot Evers (1921–1991), MLB outfielder, 2-time All-Star
• David Freese (born 1983), MLBthird baseman, 2011World Series MVP with St. Louis Cardinals
• Gabe Gabler (1930–2014),MLB player
• Joe Garagiola (1926–2016), MLB catcher, broadcaster, television personality
• Jeff Gray (born 1981), MLB pitcher
• Charlie Grimm (1898–1993), MLB player and manager
• Dick Hall (born 1930), MLB pitcher, 2-time World Series winner
• Lucas Harrell (born 1985),starting pitcher forToronto Blue Jays
• Tom Henke (born 1957), two-timeAll-Star pitcher
• Bobby Hofman (1925–1994), MLB outfielder
• Solly Hofman (1882–1956), MLB outfielder
• Al Hollingsworth (1908–1996), MLB pitcher
• Ken Holtzman (born 1945), two-time All-Star baseball pitcher
• Tommy Hottovy (born 1981), MLB relief pitcher
• Elston Howard (1929–1980),Negro league and MLB catcher, 12-time All-Star, six World Series titles
• Ryan Howard (born 1979), MLBfirst baseman, 3-time All-Star
• Carl Hubbell (1903–1988),Hall of Fame pitcher, 2-time NL MVP
• Eric Hurley (born 1985), MLB pitcher
• Ron Hunt (born 1941), MLB infielder, 2-time All-Star
• Vern Kennedy (1907–1993), MLB pitcher
• Bob Keppel (born 1982), MLB pitcher
• Charlie Kerfeld (born 1963), MLB relief pitcher, primarily withHouston Astros
• Johnny Kling (1875–1947), MLB catcher, 2-time World Series winner
• Darold Knowles (born 1941), MLB pitcher, first to pitch in all seven games of a World Series
• Ron Kulpa (born 1968), umpire
• Tito Landrum (born 1954), MLB outfielder
• Tommy Layne (born 1984), MLB relief pitcher
• Sam LeCure (born 1984), MLB pitcher
• Dale Long (1926–1991), MLB outfielder
• Jerry Lumpe (1933–2014), MLB infielder
• Shaun Marcum (born 1981), MLB pitcher
• Jay Marshall (born 1983), MLB pitcher
• Bake McBride (born 1949), MLB outfielder, 1974 Rookie of Year
• Paul Menhart (born 1969), MLB pitcher and pitching coach
• Bob Miller (1939–1993), MLB pitcher, 3-time World Series winner
• Zach Miner (born 1982), relief pitcher forSeattle Mariners
• Logan Morrison (born 1987),outfielder forTampa Bay Rays
• Carl Morton (1944–1983), MLB pitcher, 1970 Rookie of Year
• Bill Mueller (born 1971), MLB infielder, 2003 AL batting champ
• Don Mueller (1927–2011), MLB infielder, 2-time All-Star
• Stan Musial (1920–2013),MLB Hall of Famer, played entire career for St. Louis Cardinals

• Dave Nicholson (1939–2023), MLB outfielder
• Al Nipper (born 1959),MLB pitcher and scout
• Darren Oliver (born 1970), MLB relief pitcher
• Mickey O'Neil (1900–1964), MLB catcher
• Josh Outman (born 1984), MLB pitcher
• Mickey Owen (1916–2005), MLB catcher, 4-time All-Star
• Barney Pelty (1880–1939), MLB pitcher
• David Phelps (born 1986), starting pitcher forMiami Marlins
• Albert Pujols (born 1980), MLB first baseman withLos Angeles Angels, 10-time All-Star
• Pete Reiser (1919–1981), MLB outfielder, 3-time All-Star
• Steve Rogers (born 1949), MLB pitcher, 5-time All-Star
• Trevor Rosenthal (born 1990), pitcher forSt. Louis Cardinals
• Bob Scheffing (1913–1985), MLB player and manager
• Max Scherzer (born 1984), starting pitcher forWashington Nationals
• Art Shamsky (born 1941), MLB outfielder andIsrael Baseball League manager
• Mike Shannon (1939–2023), MLB player and sportscaster forSt. Louis Cardinals, 2-time World Series winner
• Sonny Siebert (born 1937), MLB pitcher, 2-time All-Star
• Dave Silvestri (born 1967), MLB infielder
• Shae Simmons (born 1990), MLB pitcher
• Roy Smalley Jr. (1926–2011), MLB infielder
• Al Smith (1928–2002), MLB outfielder
• Paul Splittorff (1946–2011), pitcher forKansas City Royals, broadcaster
• Casey Stengel (1890–1975),Baseball Hall of Fame manager
• Mel Stottlemyre (1941–2019), MLB pitcher, 5-time All-Star, pitching coach
• Rick Sutcliffe (born 1956), MLB pitcher, 3-time All-Star, TV commentator
• Nick Tepesch (born 1988), MLB pitcher
• Jacob Turner (born 1991), MLB pitcher
• Scott Van Slyke (born 1986), outfielder,Los Angeles Dodgers; son ofAndy Van Slyke
• Luke Voit (born 1991), MLB first baseman
• Earl Weaver (1930–2013),Hall of Famemanager forBaltimore Orioles
• Mack Wheat (1893–1979), MLB catcher withBrooklyn Robins andPhiladelphia Phillies
• Zack Wheat (1888–1972), MLB Hall of Fame left fielder forBrooklyn,Philadelphia Athletics; brother of Mack Wheat
• Dick Williams (1929–2011), MLB player and Hall of Fame manager
• Lefty Williams (1893–1959), MLB pitcher
• Smoky Joe Wood (1889–1995), MLB pitcher, 3-time World Series winner
• Glenn Wright (1901–1984), MLB infielder for1925 World Series championPittsburgh Pirates

Basketball

• Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen (1885–1974), Hall of Fame college basketball coach
• OG Anunoby (born 1997), small forward forToronto Raptors andNew York Knicks
• Bradley Beal (born 1993),NBA player for theWashington Wizards andLos Angeles Clippers
• Bill Bradley (born 1943),Basketball Hall of Famer,U.S. senator
• Alec Burks (born 1991),shooting guard forGolden State Warriors
• Chris Carr (born 1974), shooting guard for six NBA teams
• Napheesa Collier (born 1996),WNBA player and Olympic gold medalist
• Sophie Cunningham (born 1996), WNBA player forPhoenix Mercury andIndiana Fever
• Ben Hansbrough (born 1987),guard forIndiana Pacers
• Tyler Hansbrough (born 1985), NBA player and international player, NCAA champion at North Carolina
• Josh Harrellson (born 1989),center forNew York Knicks
• Larry Hughes (born 1979), shooting guard for eight NBA teams
• David Lee (born 1983),power forward and center forSan Antonio Spurs
• Saben Lee (born 1999), basketball player forMaccabi Tel Aviv of theIsraeli Basketball Premier League
• Tyronn Lue (born 1977), NBA player, head coach ofCleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers
• Patrick McCaw (born 1995), shooting guard forToronto Raptors
• Dan Pippin (1926–1965), Olympic gold medalist in 1952, played at Mizzou
• Brandon Rush (born 1985), NBA player forGolden State Warriors
• Kareem Rush (born 1980), shooting guard for Los Angeles Clippers
• Scott Sims (born 1955),guard forSan Antonio Spurs
• Xavier Sneed (born 1997), basketball player in theIsraeli Basketball Premier League
• Norm Stewart (born 1935), pro basketball player, longtimeMizzou coach,College Basketball Hall of Fame
• Jayson Tatum (born 1998), pro basketball player, former member of theDuke Blue Devils and small forward for theBoston Celtics
• David Thirdkill (born 1960), NBA basketball player, 1993Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
• Anthony Tolliver (born 1985), power forward forMinnesota Timberwolves
• Alex Tyus (born 1988), American-Israeli professional basketball player, also plays for theIsraeli national basketball team
• Ish Wainright (born 1994), American-Ugandan forward forHapoel Tel Aviv of theIsraeli Basketball Premier League

Football

• Maurice Alexander (born 1991),defensive back forSt. Louis Rams
• Steve Atwater (born 1966), safety for theDenver Broncos andNew York Jets
• Allen Barbre (born 1984),offensive guard forPhiladelphia Eagles
• Tim Barnes (born 1988),center forSt. Louis Rams
• David Bass (born 1990),defensive end forChicago Bears
• Justin Britt (born 1991),offensive tackle forSeattle Seahawks
• Jason Brookins (born 1976), running back,Baltimore Ravens
• Colin Brown (born 1985),offensive tackle forBuffalo Bills
• Jairus Byrd (born 1986),free safety forNew Orleans Saints
• Paul Christman (1918–1970), quarterback,College Football Hall of Fame; sportscaster
• Adrian Clayborn (born 1988), defensive end forAtlanta Falcons
• Chase Coffman (born 1986),tight end forAtlanta Falcons
• Jalen Collins (born 1993),cornerback forAtlanta Falcons
• Maliek Collins (born 1995),defensive tackle forDallas Cowboys
• Dan Connolly (born 1982),offensive lineman forNew England Patriots
• Jimmy Conzelman (1898–1970), former NFLhalfback and coach, member ofPro Football Hall of Fame
• Dan Dierdorf (born 1949),offensive tackle inPro Football Hall of Fame, sportscaster
• Herb Donaldson (born 1985),running back forDallas Cowboys
• Robert Douglas (born 1982), NFLfullback
• Kony Ealy (born 1991), defensive end forCarolina Panthers
• Ezekiel Elliott (born 1995), NFL running back for Dallas Cowboys
• Lenvil Elliott (1951–2008), NFL running back
• Don Faurot (1902–1995), College Football Hall of Fame coach, inventor ofsplit-T formation
• Brian Folkerts (born 1990), center forCarolina Panthers
• Josh Freeman (born 1988), NFLquarterback
• Blaine Gabbert (born 1989), quarterback forArizona Cardinals
• Justin Gage (born 1981),wide receiver forTennessee Titans
• E. J. Gaines (born 1992),cornerback for St. Louis Rams
• Tony Galbreath (born 1954), NFL running back
• Markus Golden (born 1991), NFLoutside linebacker
• Conrad Goode (born 1962), NFLoffensive lineman
• Dorial Green-Beckham (born 1993), NFLwide receiver
• Mark Herzlich (born 1987),linebacker forNew York Giants
• Cal Hubbard (1900–1977), only person in bothBaseball Hall of Fame andPro Football Hall of Fame
• Brandon Joyce (1984–2010), offensive lineman,CFL andNFL
• Terry Joyce (1954–2011), collegeAll-American, NFL punter
• Howard Kindig (born 1941), defensive end, 10-year NFL career
• Ryan Lilja (born 1981),guard forKansas City Chiefs
• Brandon Lloyd (born 1981), wide receiver forSan Francisco 49ers
• Jeremy Maclin (born 1988), wide receiver forKansas City Chiefs
• Marvin McNutt (born 1989), wide receiver forPhiladelphia Eagles
• Eric Moore (born 1965), NFLguard
• William Moore (born 1985),safety forAtlanta Falcons
• C. J. Mosley (born 1983),defensive tackle forMiami Dolphins
• Eddie Moss, special teams for St. Louis Cardinals
• Jim Musick (1910–1992),running back,Boston Redskins
• Neil Rackers (born 1976),placekicker forHouston Texans
• Shane Ray (born 1993),outside linebacker forDenver Broncos
• Sheldon Richardson (born 1990),defensive end forNew York Jets
• Gijon Robinson (born 1984), tight end forIndianapolis Colts
• Martin Rucker (born 1985),tight end forDallas Cowboys
• Mike Rucker (born 1975), defensive end forCarolina Panthers
• Aldon Smith (born 1989), linebacker forOakland Raiders
• Justin Smith (born 1979), defensive end forSan Francisco 49ers
• Bill Snyder (born 1939), currentKansas State University head coach andCollege Football Hall of Fame
• Donald Stephenson (born 1988), offensive tackle forKansas City Chiefs
• Roger Wehrli (born 1947),Hall of Fame cornerback withSt. Louis Cardinals
• James Wilder Sr. (born 1958), 10-year NFL running back
• Brandon Williams (born 1989),nose tackle forBaltimore Ravens
• Gregg Williams (born 1958), NFL coach, defensive coordinator
• Sylvester Williams (born 1988),nose tackle forDenver Broncos
• Kellen Winslow (born 1957),Hall of Fametight end withSan Diego Chargers

Golf

• Amy Alcott (born 1956), professional golfer,World Golf Hall of Fame
• Brandel Chamblee (born 1962), PGA Tour golfer
• Jay Haas (born 1953), PGA Tour golfer
• Hale Irwin (born 1945), golfer; oldest person (45) to win US Open (1990)
• Jeff Maggert (born 1964), PGA Tour golfer
• Tom Pernice Jr. (born 1959), PGA Tour golfer
• Judy Rankin (born 1945), professional golfer,World Golf Hall of Fame
• Johnny Revolta (1911–1991), winner of1935 PGA Championship
• Cathy Reynolds (born 1957), LPGA Tour golfer
• Horton Smith (1908–1963), winner of first Masters,World Golf Hall of Fame
• Payne Stewart (1957–1999), golfer, 2-time US Open champion
• Tom Watson (born 1949), 8-time major champion, 1990 Ryder Cup captain,World Golf Hall of Fame
• Larry Ziegler (born 1939), PGA Tour golfer

Ice hockey

• Ben Bishop (born 1986),NHLDallas Stars
• Michael Davies (born 1986), AHLChicago Wolves
• Cam Janssen (born 1984), EIHLNottingham Panthers
• Luke Kunin (born 1997), NHL hockey player
• Pat LaFontaine (born 1965), NHLBuffalo Sabres,New York Islanders,New York Rangers
• Patrick Maroon (born 1988),NHLTampa Bay Lightning
• Mike McKenna (born 1983),AHLPortland Pirates
• Paul Stastny (born 1985), NHLSt. Louis Blues
• Travis Turnbull (born 1986), DELDüsseldorfer EG
• Joe Vitale (born 1985), NHLArizona Coyotes
• Chris Wideman (born 1990), NHLOttawa Senators
• Landon Wilson (born 1975), AHLTexas Stars

Professional wrestling

• Freddie Blassie (1918–2003), wrestler and manager
• "Bulldog" Bob Brown (1938–1997), wrestler andbooker
• Bob Geigel (1924–2014), retired wrestler, promoter, and former NWA President
• Glenn Jacobs (born 1967), ring name "Kane"; also an actor
• Rufus R. Jones (1933–1993), NWA wrestler and businessman
• Matthew Korklan (born 1983), ring names "Matt Sydal" and "Evan Bourne"
• Sam Muchnick (1905–1998), founder ofSt. Louis Wrestling Club and co-founder of theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA)
• Trevor Murdoch (born 1978), WWE tag team champion
• Matt Murphy (born 1979), wrestler and author
• Barry Orton, wrestler
• "Cowboy" Bob Orton (born 1950), wrestler and member ofWWE Hall of Fame; father of Randy Orton
• Randy Orton (born 1980), third-generation pro wrestler
• Harley Race (1943–2019), 8-timeNWA World Heavyweight Champion; member of the WWE Hall of FameandProfessional Wrestling Hall of Fame
• Butch Reed (1954–2021), NWA and WCW Tag Team Champion
• Lou Thesz (1916–2002), superstar of professional wrestling's "Golden Age"

Miscellaneous sports

• Virgil Akins (1928–2011), welterweight boxing champion
• Devon Alexander (born 1987), boxer,WBC andIBFLight Welterweight champion
• Henry Armstrong (1912–1988), boxer (born inMississippi but grew up in St. Louis)
• Butch Buchholz (born 1940),Hall of Fame tennis player
• Christian Cantwell (born 1980), Olympian, world champion shot putter
• John Coughlin (1985–2019), figure skater, committed suicide
• J'den Cox (born 1995),Olympic bronze medalistfreestyle wrestler and two-time World Champion
• Michael Chandler (born 1986),UFC fighter
• Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls (born 1968), IFBB pro bodybuilder
• Dwight F. Davis (1879–1945), tennis player, founder of theDavis Cup
• Martin Jay Davis (1937–2022), astrologer, author, and Olympic fencer
• Lori Endicott (born 1967),volleyball player and Olympian
• Doris Hart (1925–2015), Hall of Fame tennis player, winner of six Grand Slam singles titles
• Sammie Henson (born 1971), Olympic silver medalist and World Champion in freestyle wrestling
• Bud Houser (1901–1994), three-time Olympic gold medalist in shot put and discus
• Ben A. Jones (1882–1961),thoroughbredhorse trainer
• Horace A. "Jimmy" Jones (1906–2001), thoroughbred horse trainer
• Lesa Lewis (born 1967), IFBB professional bodybuilder
• Conn McCreary (1921–1979), Hall of Fame jockey, winner of 1944 and 1951 Kentucky Derby
• Chuck McKinley (1941–1986),Hall of Fame tennis player, 1963 Wimbledon champion
• Josh Prenot (born 1995), swimmer, Olympic silver medalist (200m breaststroke), NCAA champion (400m individual medley), and American record holder (200m breaststroke)
• DeAnna Price (born 1993), record holder in hammer throw, competed at two Olympic Summer Games
• Helen Stephens (1918–1994), two-time gold medalist in track and field at1936 Summer Olympics
• Scott Touzinsky (born 1982), volleyball player and coach
• Alex White (born 1988),mixed martial artist
• Jacarra Winchester (born 1992), Olympic freestyle wrestler, world champion in 2019

Soccer

Aviation and aerospace

• Thomas Akers (born 1953), scientist andNASA astronaut on four Space Shuttle missions
• Bill Lear (1902–1978), founder ofLear Jet
• Charles Lindbergh (1902–1974),aviator, first solo non-stop trans-Atlantic flight in 1927 (born inDetroit, Michigan but lived in St. Louis)
• James Smith McDonnell (1899–1980), founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation (later McDonnell Douglas)

Business

• William Henry Ashley (1778–1838), founder ofRocky Mountain Fur Company, politician
• Charles S. L. Baker (1859–1926), African-American businessman and inventor
• Henry W. Bloch (1922–2019), co-founder ofH&R Block tax services
• Richard Bloch (1926–2004), co-founder ofH&R Block tax services
• Adolphus Busch (1839–1913), founder ofAnheuser-Busch (the world's largest brewer)
• August "Gussie" Busch (1899–1989), ownedAnheuser-Busch (the world's largest brewer), andSt. Louis Cardinals baseball team
• Jim Crane, businessman, owner of theHouston Astros
• William H. Danforth (1870–1955), founder ofRalston Purina Company
• John Doerr (born 1951),venture capitalist atKleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
• James Buchanan Eads (1820–1887),civil engineer and inventor
• Charles Eames (1907–1978), designer and architect
• David Glass (1935–2020), former president and CEO ofWal-Mart, owner ofKansas City Royals baseball team
• Joyce Hall (1891–1982), founder ofHallmark Cards
• William Preston Hall (1864–1932), circus empresario and animal broker
• Howard R. Hughes Sr. (1869–1924), oil drill bit and tool inventor; father ofHoward Hughes, reclusive billionaire
• George M. Keller (1923–2008), chairman ofStandard Oil Company of California in the 1980s
• R. Crosby Kemper Jr. (1927–2014), chairman emeritusUMB Financial Corporation, philanthropist
• William Thornton Kemper Sr. (1866–1938), patriarch of Kemper family railroad and banking empire which includedCommerce Bancshares andUnited Missouri Bank
• Ewing Kauffman (1916–1993), pharmaceutical magnate, philanthropist, and founder of theKansas City Royals baseball team
• Stan Kroenke (born 1947), owner of Kroenke Sports Enterprises
• Rebecca Mark-Jusbasche (born 1954), former head ofEnron International
• N. O. Nelson (1844–1922), founder of the N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company
• Thomas F. O'Neil, chairman ofRKO General Studios, brought movies to television
• J. C. Penney (1875–1971), businessman and entrepreneur
• Rex Sinquefield (born 1944), financial executive who createdStandard & Poor's firstindex fund, supporter of conservative political causes
• John Sperling (1921–2014), businessman and founder of theUniversity of Phoenix
• Gerard Swope (1872–1957), president ofGeneral Electric
• Jack C. Taylor (1922–2016), founder ofEnterprise Rent-A-Car, billionaire philanthropist
• Sam Walton (1918–1992), founder ofWal-Mart
• Robert E. Wood (1879–1969), vice-president ofSears Roebuck

Criminals and outlaws

• Anthony Brancato (1913–1951), freelance Mafia gunman, half of "The Two Tonys" portrayed in the movieL.A. Confidential
• Ray and Faye Copeland (1914–1993, 1921–2003), serial killers, oldest couple ever sentenced to death in the United States
• Egan's Rats, early crime family in St. Louis
  • Leo Vincent Brothers (1899–1950), low-level member; later moved to Chicago and became part ofAl Capone's organization
  • Fred Burke (1893–1940), gunman for Egan's Rats; suspected of participating in theSt. Valentine's Day Massacre
  • William "Dint" Colbeck (1890–1943), assumed leadership of Egan's Rats after the assassination of Willie Egan
  • Walter Costello (1889–1917), bodyguard to Willie Egan, killer of Harry Dunn
  • Harry "Cherries" Dunn (1892–1916)
  • Thomas Egan (1874–1919), organizer of Egan's Rats
  • Willie Egan (1884–1921), brother and right-hand man of gang founder Tom Egan; led the gang after Tom's death
  • Max Greenberg (1883–1933), one of the few Jewish members of the mostly Irish Egan gang; associate/friend ofMeyer Lansky
  • Frank Hackethal (1891–1954), robber and resort owner/money launderer for Egan's Rats
  • Thomas "Snake" Kinney (1868–1912),Missouri State Senator and co-founder of Egan's Rats
  • David "Chippy" Robinson (1897–1967), bank robber and enforcer for Egan's Rats
  • William "Skippy" Rohan (1871–1916)
• Roy Gardner (1884–1940), arms smuggler and notorious 1920s bank robber
• Tom Horn (1860–1903),Old West lawman, army scout, outlaw and assassin
• Roscoe Jackson (1901–1937), murderer, last person to be publicly executed in the United States
• Kansas City crime family
  • Charles Binaggio (1909–1950), killed along with Charles Gargotta at the First Ward Democratic Club in downtown Kansas City
  • Anthony Brancato (1913–1951)
  • William "Willie Rat" Cammisano (1914–1995), enforcer for the K.C. mob
  • Charles Carrollo (1902–1979), led the Kansas City mob after Johnny Lazia's assassination
  • Anthony Civella (1930–2006), led the K.C. crime family in the 1980s and 1990s; son of Carl Civella and nephew of Nicholas Civella
  • Carl "Cork" Civella (1910–1994), brother of Nicholas Civella and a top lieutenant in the crime family; father of Anthony Civella
  • Nicholas Civella (1912–1983), led the Kansas City crime family from the 1950s through the 1970s
  • Carl "Tuffy" DeLuna (1927–2008),underboss of the Kansas City crime family; brother-in-law of Anthony Civella
  • Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd (1904–1934), took part in theUnion Station Massacre
  • Charles "Mad Dog" Gargotta (1900–1950), top enforcer of the KC crime family
  • Anthony Gizzo (1902–1953), led Kansas City crime family in the early 1950s
  • John Lazia (1896–1934), leader of theKansas City crime family in the 1920s and early 1930s
• Kenneth Lay (1942–2006), chairman and CEO ofEnron, convicted of securities fraud
• Little Britches (1879 – year of death unknown), female bandit associated withCattle Annie and theDoolin gang
• James Earl Ray (1928–1998),assassin of civil rights leaderMartin Luther King Jr.; escapee from theMissouri State Penitentiary
• James-Younger Gang:
  • Frank James (1843–1915),outlaw
  • Jesse James (1847–1882), outlaw
  • Cole Younger (1844–1916), outlaw
  • John Younger (1851–1874), outlaw
  • Bob Younger (1853–1899), outlaw
  • Jim Younger (1848–1902), outlaw
  • Bob Ford (1862–1892), outlaw who gunned down Jesse James
• Tom Pendergast (1873–1945), long-timepolitical boss of Kansas City and western Missouri; responsible for the political rise of Harry S. Truman; imprisoned for tax evasion
• Belle Starr (1848–1889), female outlaw of the Old West
• St. Louis crime family
  • Anthony Giordano (1914–1980), leader of the St. Louis crime family in the 1960s and 1970s
  • Matthew Trupiano (1938–1997), nephew of Anthony Giordano, crime family boss in the 1980s
  • John Vitale (1909–1982), crime family boss in the early 1980s

Entertainment

Film, television and theater

• Goodman Ace (1899–1982), television writer, radio host and comedian
• Jane Ace (1897–1974), radio actress and host
• Zoë Akins (1886–1958),Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, poet
• Robert Altman (1925–2006), film director,M*A*S*H,Nashville,Gosford Park
• Ed Asner (1929–2021),Emmy Award-winning actor,The Mary Tyler Moore Show,Lou Grant;Up,Elf
• Josephine Baker (1906–1975), dancer, singer, actress
• Scott Bakula (born 1954), actor,Quantum Leap,Star Trek: Enterprise,NCIS: New Orleans
• Tisha Terrasini Banker (born 1973), actress
• Ryan Michelle Bathe (born 1976), actress,Boston Legal,Army Wives,Retired at 35
• Anne Bauchens (1882–1967), Oscar-winning film editor
• John Beal (1909–1997), actor,Les Misérables,Alimony
• Gerry Becker (born 1951), actor
• Noah Beery (1882–1946), actor,The Mark of Zorro
• Wallace Beery (1885–1949), Oscar-winning actor,The Champ,Min and Bill,Viva Villa!
• Rob Benedict (born 1970), actor,Felicity,Head Case,Threshold
• Bob Bergen (born 1964), voice actor
• Fred Berry (1951–2003), actor,What's Happening!!
• Linda Blair (born 1959), actress,The Exorcist,Airport 1975
• Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, screenwriter,Designing Women,Evening Shade
• Matt Bomer (born 1977), actor,White Collar
• Johnny Yong Bosch (born 1976), singer,Eyeshine; actor,Trigun,Power Rangers
• Jeff Branson (born 1977), actor
• Diane Brewster (1931–1991), actress
• Brent Briscoe (born 1961), actor,Yes Man,National Treasure: Book of Secrets,Spider-Man 2
• Kent Broadhurst (born 1940), actor
• Edgar Buchanan (1903–1979), actor,Petticoat Junction
• Norbert Leo Butz (born 1967), Tony Award-winning stage actor
• Christy Cabanne (1888–1950), director,Jane Eyre
• Jessica Capshaw (born 1976), actress,The Practice,Grey's Anatomy,9-1-1: Nashville
• Morris Carnovsky (1897–1992), actor,Edge of Darkness,Dead Reckoning
• Don Cheadle (born 1964), actor,Hotel Rwanda,Traffic,Boogie Nights,Ocean's Eleven,The Rat Pack
• Marguerite Churchill (1910–2000), actress,The Big Trail,The Walking Dead
• Anthony Cistaro (born 1963), actor,Charmed,Witchblade
• Sarah Clarke (born 1972), actress,Nina Myers on24
• Andy Cohen (born 1968), author, producer, and television personality,Watch What Happens Live
• Lynn Cohen (1933–2020), actress,Law & Order,Sex and the City
• Frank Converse (born 1938), actor,Movin' On,N.Y.P.D.
• Bert Convy (1933–1991), actor and TV personality,Semi-Tough
• Chris Cooper (born 1951), Oscar-winning actor,Lonesome Dove,The Bourne Identity,American Beauty,Breach
• Joan Crawford (1905–1977), Oscar-winning actress,Mildred Pierce,The Women,What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
• Robert Cummings (1908–1990), actor,Kings Row,Saboteur,Love That Bob,Dial M for Murder

• Erin Daniels (born 1973), actress,The L Word
• Nathan Darrow (born 1976), actor,House of Cards
• Don S. Davis (1942–2008), actor,Stargate SG-1,Twin Peaks
• Kurt Deutsch, actor,Models Inc.
• Walt Disney (1901–1966), iconic film and television producer, studio mogul, director, screenwriter, voice actor andanimator
• Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin, television producer
• Dale Dye (born 1944), actor,Saving Private Ryan,Mission: Impossible,Band of Brothers
• Cliff Edwards (1895–1971), actor, musician; the voice of Jiminy Cricket
• Frank Faylen (1905–1985), actor,It's a Wonderful Life,Detective Story,Dobie Gillis
• Hala Finley (born 2009), actress^[2]
• Jenna Fischer (born 1974), actress,The Office,Hall Pass,Blades of Glory (born inFort Wayne, Indiana, grew up in St. Louis)
• Henderson Forsythe (1917–2006), actor,As the World Turns
• James Franciscus (1934–1991), actor,Mr. Novak,Naked City,Marooned,Beneath the Planet of the Apes
• Phyllis Fraser (1915–2006), actress, journalist, children's book publisher, wife ofBennett Cerf andRobert F. Wagner Jr.
• Friz Freleng (1905–1995), film producer, director, screenwriter, andanimator,Looney Tunes,Merrie Melodies
• Bob Gale (born 1951), screenwriter, theBack to the Future trilogy
• Betty Garrett (1919–2011), actress,On the Town,Take Me Out to the Ball Game,Laverne & Shirley
• Heather Goldenhersh (born 1973), actress,The Class,School of Rock
• John Goodman (born 1952), actor,Monsters, Inc.,Roseanne,The Babe,Barton Fink,O Brother, Where Art Thou?,The Big Lebowski,The Conners
• Lucas Grabeel (born 1984), actor,High School Musical,Milk
• Betty Grable (1916–1973), actress, singer and World War IIpin-up girl,Moon Over Miami,How to Marry a Millionaire
• Bryan Greenberg (born 1978), actor, musician,One Tree Hill,October Road,How to Make It in America
• Dabbs Greer (1917–2007), actor,Little House on the Prairie,Gunsmoke,The Green Mile
• Eddie Griffin (born 1968), actor, comedian,Undercover Brother,Norbit
• Davis Guggenheim (born 1963), director, producer
• Robert Guillaume (1927–2017), actor,Benson,Soap,The Lion King,Sports Night
• James Gunn (born 1970), film director and screenwriter
• Moses Gunn (1929–1993), actor,Father Murphy,The Cowboys,Shaft,Ragtime,Heartbreak Ridge
• Sean Gunn (born 1974), actor,Gilmore Girls,October Road,Guardians of the Galaxy

• Jon Hamm (born 1971), actor,Mad Men,The Town,Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,Baby Driver
• Jean Harlow (1911–1937), actress andsex symbol
• Tess Harper (born 1950), actress,Breaking Bad,No Country for Old Men,Crimes of the Heart
• George Hearn (born 1934), actor, primarilyBroadway and musical theatre
• George Hickenlooper (1965–2010), documentary filmmaker,Hearts of Darkness,Dogtown
• Dennis Hopper (1936–2010), actor, filmmaker, artist,Easy Rider,Apocalypse Now,Speed,Hoosiers
• Arliss Howard (born 1954), actor, writer and director,Full Metal Jacket,Wilder Napalm,Moneyball
• Rupert Hughes (1872–1956), film director, composer; uncle of reclusive billionaireHoward Hughes
• John Huston (1906–1987), actor and Oscar-winning film director,The Maltese Falcon,Key Largo,The African Queen
• Don Johnson (born 1949), actor,Miami Vice,Nash Bridges,Guilty as Sin,Tin Cup,Django Unchained
• Jay Johnson (born 1977), actor,The Young and the Restless,Scrubs
• Janet Jones (born 1961), actress, dancer, wife of hockey'sWayne Gretzky
• Neal Jones (born 1960), actor,Dirty Dancing,G.I. Jane
• Brenda Joyce (1917–2009), actress,Little Tokyo, U.S.A.,Tarzan movies in the 1940s
• Andreas Katsulas (1946–2006), actor,Babylon 5,Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Ellie Kemper (born 1980), actress,The Office,Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
• Edward Kerr (born 1966), actor,seaQuest DSV,What I Like About You
• Lincoln Kilpatrick (1932–2004), actor
• Kevin Kline (born 1947), Oscar-winning actor,Sophie's Choice,The Big Chill,A Fish Called Wanda,Last Vegas
• Evalyn Knapp (1906–1981), actress,Perils of Pauline,In Old Santa Fe
• David Koechner (born 1962), actor and comedian,Saturday Night Live,Anchorman
• Laura La Plante (1904–1996), actress in silent films
• Kasi Lemmons (born 1961), actress and director,Eve's Bayou,Talk to Me
• Angela Lindvall (born 1979), actress
• Mark Linn-Baker (born 1954), actor,My Favorite Year,Larry Appleton onPerfect Strangers
• Robert Lowery (1913–1971), actor,Batman in 1940sserial
• Oliver T. Marsh (1892–1941), cinematographer
• Marsha Mason (born 1942), actress,Sibs,The Goodbye Girl,Only When I Laugh,Chapter Two,Frasier
• Michael Massee (1952–2016), actor,24,Seven,The Crow
• Wendell Mayes (1919–1992), screenwriter,The Spirit of St. Louis,North to Alaska,Von Ryan's Express
• Virginia Mayo (1920–2005), actress,The Best Years of Our Lives,White Heat,The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
• Edie McClurg (born 1951), actress,Ferris Bueller's Day Off,7th Heaven
• Frank McGrath (1903–1967), actor,Wagon Train
• Steve McQueen (1930–1980), actor,The Sand Pebbles,The Great Escape,The Towering Inferno,Bullitt
• John Milius (born 1944), screenwriter, director, producer,Red Dawn,The Hunt for Red October,Conan the Barbarian
• Wendy Moniz (born 1969), actress,The Guardian,Guiding Light,Nash Bridges,Betrayal
• Mircea Monroe, actress, model,Cellular,Episodes

• Dustin Nguyen (born 1962), actor,21 Jump Street,V.I.P.
• Kathleen Nolan (born 1933), actress,The Real McCoys
• Eva Novak (1898–1988), actress of the silent film era,The King of the Kitchen
• Jane Novak (1896–1990), actress of the silent film era,Treat'Em Rough,Redskin
• Dan O'Bannon (1946–2009), film director and screenwriter,Heavy Metal,Dark Star,Total Recall
• Denis O'Hare (born 1962), actor,Brothers & Sisters,Sweet Charity,True Blood
• Kevin O'Morrison (1916–2016), actor and playwright
• Timothy Omundson (born 1969), actor,Psych,Judging Amy
• Diana Ossana, screenwriter,Brokeback Mountain,Pretty Boy Floyd
• Geraldine Page (1924–1987), Oscar-winning actress,Summer and Smoke,Sweet Bird of Youth,The Trip to Bountiful
• Carlos PenaVega (born 1989), actor, singer, and dancer,Big Time Rush
• Evan Peters (born 1987), actor,American Horror Story,Invasion,Kick-Ass
• Julie Piekarski (born 1963), actress,The Facts of Life
• Brad Pitt (born 1963), actor and producer,Thelma & Louise,12 Monkeys,Seven,Moneyball,World War Z
• William Powell (1892–1984), actor,The Thin Man,Life with Father,My Man Godfrey,Mister Roberts
• Vincent Price (1911–1993), actor,Laura,House of Wax,The Fly,The Ten Commandments,Edward Scissorhands
• Sally Rand (1904–1979),burlesque dancer, actress
• Doris Roberts (1925–2016), actress,Everybody Loves Raymond
• Leonard Roberts (born 1972), actor,Heroes,Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Ginger Rogers (1911–1995), Oscar-winning actress, dance partner ofFred Astaire
• Paul Rudd (born 1969), actor, comedian, writer, and producer,I Love You, Man,Ant-Man
• Sol Smith Russell (1848–1902), 19th-century stage actor
• Jacqueline Scott (1931–2020), actress,Charley Varrick
• Martha Scott (1912–2003), actress,The Ten Commandments,Ben-Hur
• Sara Shane (1928–2022), actress,Magnificent Obsession,The King and Four Queens,Tarzan's Greatest Adventure
• Phyllis Smith (born 1951), actress,The Office
• Kelly Stables (born 1978), actress,The Exes,W.I.T.C.H.,Two and a Half Men
• Craig Stevens (1918–2000), actor,State Trooper,Peter Gunn
• Christian Stolte (born 1962), actor,Prison Break
• Skyler Stone (born 1979), actor,Raising Hope,The Island
• Eric Stonestreet (born 1971), actor,Modern Family
• Betty Thomas (born 1948), actress and director,Hill Street Blues,The Brady Bunch Movie,Dr. Dolittle,Private Parts
• Kay Thompson (1909–1998), actress,Funny Face
• Sidney Toler (1874–1947), actor,Charlie Chan films
• William Traylor (1930–1989), actor,Fletch; founder of The Loft Studio/acting school
• Kathleen Turner (born 1954), actress,Body Heat,Romancing the Stone,Prizzi's Honor,Serial Mom
• Stephen Barker Turner (born 1968), actor
• Dick Van Dyke (born 1925), actor,The Dick Van Dyke Show,Mary Poppins,Diagnosis: Murder
• Jerry Van Dyke (1931–2018), actor,Coach,McLintock!,The Courtship of Eddie's Father
• Jack Wagner (born 1959), actor/singer,Melrose Place,General Hospital
• Virgil Ward (1911–2004), professional fisherman and host ofChampionship Fishing
• Ruth Warrick (1916–2005), actress,Citizen Kane,All My Children
• Dennis Weaver (1924–2006), actor,Gunsmoke,McCloud
• William White (1921–1985), actor, producer and director
• Mary Wickes (1910–1995), actress,White Christmas,Sister Act
• Dianne Wiest (born 1948), 2-time Oscar-winning actress
• Jason Wiles (born 1970), actor,Third Watch,Persons Unknown
• Mykelti Williamson (born 1960), actor,Forrest Gump,Fences
• Lanford Wilson (April 13, 1937 – March 24, 2011), playwright, director,Lemon Sky,Redwood Curtain,Hallmark Hall of Fame
• Shelley Winters (1920–2006), 2-time Oscar-winning actress
• Jane Wyman (1917–2007), Oscar-winning actress; former wife ofRonald Reagan

Comedians

• Cedric The Entertainer (born 1964), actor, comedian
• Jo Firestone, actress, comedian, writer
• Redd Foxx (1922–1991), comedian, starred inSanford and Son
• Dick Gregory (1932–2017), comedian,social activist
• Caleb Hearon (born 1995), actor, comedian
• Craig Kilborn (born 1962), comedian, actor, former talk show host
• Kathleen Madigan (born 1965), comedian
• Kevin Nealon (born 1953), actor, comedian
• Randy and Jason Sklar (born 1972), identical twin comedians, hosts ofESPN Classic'sCheap Seats
• Guy Torry (born 1969), actor, comedian
• Joe Torry (born 1965), actor, comedian

Cartoonists

• Ralph Barton (1891–1931), cartoonist
• George Booth (1926–2022), cartoonist forThe New Yorker
• Lee Falk (1911–1999), cartoonist,The Phantom,Mandrake the Magician
• Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003), caricaturist and cartoonist known for drawing celebrities
• Fred Lasswell (1916–2001), cartoonist,Barney Google and Snuffy Smith
• Glenn McCoy (born 1965), cartoonist,The Duplex,The Flying McCoys
• George McManus (1884–1954), cartoonist,Maggie and Jiggs
• Mike Peters (born 1943), cartoonist,Mother Goose & Grimm
• Dan Piraro (born 1958), cartoonist,Bizarro
• Mort Walker (1923–2018), cartoonist,Beetle Bailey

Magicians and mentalists

• Morgan Strebler (born 1976), magician and mentalist;Las Vegas award-winning performer

Music

Bluegrass and country

• Lennie Aleshire (1890–1987), country-bluegrass pioneer and vaudeville act
• Connie Cato (born 1955), country music singer
• Shirley Collie Nelson (1931–2010), country music and rockabilly singer, yodeler, guitarist and songwriter
• Helen Cornelius (born 1941), country singer best known for duets withJim Ed Brown
• Rusty Draper (1923–2003), country androckabilly singer/guitarist
• The Duke of Paducah (1901–1986),Grand Ole Opry comedian and member of theCountry Music Hall of Fame
• Sara Evans (born 1971), country music star
• Tyler Farr (born 1984), country music singer
• Narvel Felts (born 1938), country music singer
• Bob Ferguson (1927–2001), country music songwriter and producer
• Teea Goans (born 1980), country music singer
• John Hartford (1937–2001), country and bluegrass music composer and performer
• Jan Howard (1929–2020), country music singer and member of theGrand Ole Opry
• Ferlin Husky (1925–2011), singer and member of theCountry Music Hall of Fame, former member of theGrand Ole Opry
• Brett James (born 1968), country music singer-songwriter and record producer
• Chris Janson (born 1986), country music singer-songwriter
• The Kendalls,Grammy-winning country duo from the 1970s and 1980s
• Walt Koken (born 1946), claw-hammer banjo player, fiddler, and singer
• Speck Rhodes (1915–2000), country music comedian and entertainer
• Tom Shapiro, country music songwriter and record producer
• Jack Shook (1910–1986), guitarist and a Grand Ole Opry star
• Tim Spencer (1908–1974), singer-songwriter, actor, member of the Original Sons of the Pioneers, member of theCountry Music Hall of Fame
• Tate Stevens (born 1975), country music singer and 2012 winner ofThe X Factor
• Wynn Stewart (1934–1985), country music singer, progenitor of theBakersfield sound
• Billy Swan (born 1942), country singer-songwriter
• Trent Tomlinson (born 1975), country singer-songwriter
• Leroy Van Dyke (born 1929), country singer best known for "The Auctioneer" and "Walk on By", former member of theGrand Ole Opry
• Darrin Vincent (born 1970), half of theGrammy-nominated bluegrass groupDailey & Vincent; record producer
• Rhonda Vincent (born 1962),bluegrass singer and musician, seven-timeIMBA Female Vocalist of the Year
• Porter Wagoner (1927–2007), country music singer-songwriter; member ofGrand Ole Opry andCountry Music Hall of Fame
• Jerry Wallace (1928–2008), country and pop singer
• Dallas Wayne, Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter, voice-over artist and on-air radio personality for Sirius Satellite Radio
• Speedy West (1923–2003), pedal steel guitarist and record producer
• Onie Wheeler (1921–1984), country and bluegrass musician
• Leona Williams (born 1943), country music singer
• Chely Wright (born 1970), country music singer and activist
• Billy Yates (born 1963), country music artist and songwriter
• Reggie Young (1936–2019), session musician

Jazz

• Oleta Adams (born 1953), soul, jazz and gospel singer
• Ahmad Alaadeen (1934–2010),jazz saxophonist and composer
• Norman Brown (born 1970),smooth jazz musician
• Jimmy Forrest (1920–1980), jazz tenor saxophonist
• Grant Green (1935–1979), jazz guitarist
• Coleman Hawkins (1904–1969), jazz tenor saxophonist
• Bob James (born 1939), smooth jazz musician
• Pat Metheny (born 1954), jazz guitarist and musician
• Oliver Nelson (1932–1975), jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer and bandleader
• Lennie Niehaus (1929–2020), alto saxophonist, arranger, and composer
• Charlie "Bird" Parker (1920–1955), jazz saxophonist and composer
• David Sanborn (born 1945), smooth jazz musician
• Wilbur Sweatman (1882–1961),Dixieland jazz and ragtime composer and bandleader
• Bob Brookmeyer (1929–2011), valve trombonist and composer
• Clark Terry (1920–2015),swing andbebop trumpet and flugelhorn player

Rhythm & blues, pop, rap and hip-hop

• Akon (born 1977),rhythm and blues musician, music producer
• Fontella Bass (1940–2012), singer best known for 1965 hitRescue Me
• Chingy (born 1980),rapper, actor
• Eminem (born 1972),rap musician (grew up partly in St. Joseph)
• Tech N9ne (born 1971), rapper
• Nelly (born 1974), rap musician (born inTexas and raised in St. Louis)
• David Peaston (1957–2012), R&B andgospel singer
• Ann Peebles,soul/R&B singer^[3]
• Sexyy Red (born 1998), rapper
• Chappell Roan (born 1998), singer-songwriter
• St. Lunatics,hip hop group, best known for collaborations withNelly
• SZA (born 1989), singer-songwriter, born in St. Louis
• Kimberly Wyatt (born 1982), singer and dancer,Pussycat Dolls

Rock & roll

• Chuck Berry (1926–2017), guitarist, musician, singer, songwriter, pioneer of rock & roll, inRock & Roll Hall of Fame
• The Bottle Rockets (formed 1992),rock,alt-country,roots rock
• T Bone Burnett (born 1948), musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer
• Cavo, hard rock band (formed in St. Louis)
• David Cook (born 1982), 2008American Idol winner fromBlue Springs
• Sheryl Crow (born 1962), Grammy-winning singer-songwriter
• Gravity Kills,industrial rock band, formed inJefferson City
• Johnnie Johnson (1924–2005), early rock & roll and blues piano player; member of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
• King's X,hard rock,progressive metal band, formed inSpringfield
• Michael McDonald (born 1952), singer, formerDoobie Brothers frontman
• Missouri, band known for classic rock song "Movin' On", formed in Kansas City
• Ozark Mountain Daredevils, rock band known for the hits "Jackie Blue" and "If You Wanna Get To Heaven", formed inSpringfield
• Louise Post (born 1967), founder, lead singer and guitarist of alternative rock bandVeruca Salt
• Puddle of Mudd, rock band, formed in Kansas City
• The Rainmakers, rock band, formed in Kansas City
• Jay Reatard (1980–2010), garage punk musician, born inLilbourn
• Wes Scantlin (born 1972), lead singer and guitarist of post-grunge bandPuddle of Mudd
• Shooting Star, 1970s and 1980s rock band, from Kansas City
• Story of the Year,emo rock band, formed in St. Louis
• The Urge, rock band, formed in St. Louis
• Bob Walkenhorst, founder and lead singer of alternative rock bandThe Rainmakers
• Steve Walsh (born 1951), lead vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist for the progressive rock groupKansas andStreets

Other music

• Doris Akers (1923–1995),gospel music singer and composer
• Martha Bass (1921–1998), gospel singer withClara Ward Singers and solo career
• Burt Bacharach (1928–2023), pianist, composer
• Neal E. Boyd (1975–2018), opera vocalist, winner of 2008America's Got Talent competition
• Grace Bumbry (1937–2023), operasoprano
• Sarah Caldwell (1924–2006), opera conductor
• Sara Groves (born 1972),Contemporary Christian singer, record producer, author
• Dan Landrum (born 1961),hammer dulcimer player, featured instrumentalist withYanni
• Basil Poledouris (1945–2006),film soundtrack composer
• H. Owen Reed (1910–2014), composer and conductor
• Willie Mae Ford Smith (1904–1994), gospel singer
• Virgil Thomson (1896–1989), composer and critic
• Helen Traubel (1899–1972), opera vocalist

Radio and television

• Bob Barker (1923–2023), television game show host
• Jim Bohannon (born 1944), radio talk show host
• Rush Limbaugh (1951–2021), radio talk show host
• Dana Loesch (born 1978), radio talk show host and television host atTheBlaze
• Melanie Morgan (born 1956), radio personality withKSFO in San Francisco
• Erich "Mancow" Muller (born 1966), radio and TV personality,Mancow's Morning Madhouse
• Marlin Perkins (1905–1986),zoologist and host ofMutual of Omaha'sWild Kingdom
• April Scott (born 1979), model,Deal or No Deal andSOAPnet'sSoap Talk
• Scott Shannon (born 1947), disc jockey for many radio stations across the country, hosted radio showAmerica's Greatest Hits
• Chris Stigall (born 1977), talk radio personality for Philadelphia'sWPHT

Beauty pageant titleholders

• Shandi Finnessey (born 1978),Miss USA 2004
• Debbye Turner (born 1965),Miss America 1990

Journalism

• Jabari Asim (born 1962), author, journalist
• Bob Broeg (1918–2005), St. Louis sportswriter
• Joe Buck (born 1969),sportscaster forFox Sports
• Harry Caray (1914–1998), Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster
• Walter Cronkite (1916–2009), television journalist
• Walker Evans (1903–1975), photojournalist best known for photos taken during the Great Depression
• Clay Felker (1925–2008), editor, journalist, founder ofNew York magazine
• Joe Garagiola (1926–2016),MLB catcher, baseball broadcaster, and television host (The Today Show)
• Dave Garroway (1913–1982), first host of NBC'sToday show
• Jane Grant (1892–1972), journalist, co-founder ofThe New Yorker
• Michael Kim (born 1964), sports broadcaster forESPN
• Carol Platt Liebau, attorney,political analyst andsocial conservative commentator
• Mary Margaret McBride (1899–1976), female radio pioneer
• Joe McGuff (1926–2006), Kansas City sportswriter
• Dan McLaughlin (born 1974), sportscaster forFox Sports Midwest
• Russ Mitchell (born 1960), TV journalist,CBS Evening News
• Lisa Myers (born 1951), TV journalist,NBC Nightly News
• Stone Phillips (born 1954), TV journalist,Dateline NBC
• Joseph Pulitzer (1847–1911), Hungarian journalist, creator of theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch and thePulitzer Prize
• Howard Rushmore (1913–1958), journalist forThe Daily Worker,New York Journal-American andConfidential magazine
• Elaine Viets, St. Louis columnist and author

Military

• William T. Anderson (1838–1864), a.k.a. "Bloody Bill" Anderson; Confederate guerrilla leader in theCivil War
• Charles D. Barger (1892–1936), earned the Medal of Honor in World War I
• John L. Barkley (1895–1966), earned the Medal of Honor in World War I
• Frederick Benteen (1834–1898), best known for the role underGeorge Custer at theBattle of the Little Bighorn
• Omar Bradley (1893–1981), World War II general, from Clark, Missouri
• Robert Coontz (1864–1935), US Navy Admiral, former Chief of Naval Operations
• John V. Cox (born 1930),United States Marine Corpsmajor general; flew over 200 combat missions during theVietnam War
• Enoch Crowder (1859–1932), US Army general and reformer of the military justice system
• Randall "Duke" Cunningham, onlyU.S. NavyAce in theVietnam War; later a U.S. congressman from California
• James Phillip Fleming (born 1943),USAF pilot; awarded theMedal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War
• John C. Frémont (1813–1890), Western explorer;Union Civil War general; firstRepublican candidate for U.S. President
• Frederick Dent Grant (1850–1912), U.S. Army major general and diplomat; son of U.S. PresidentUlysses S. Grant
• Martin E. Green (1815–1863), Confederate Army brigadier general; killed at Siege of Vicksburg
• John McNeil (1813–1891), Union Army brigadier general during theAmerican Civil War; known as "The Butcher of Palmyra"
• Wayne E. Meyer (1926–2009), U.S. Navy rear admiral; "father of the Aegis weapons system"
• David Moore (1817–1893), Mexican–American War officer and Union Civil War brigadier general
• Edward O'Hare (1914–1943), "Butch" O'Hare, U.S. Navy Medal of Honor recipient, namesake of Chicago'sO'Hare International Airport
• John Henry Parker (1866–1942), "Gatling Gun Parker"; a hero in theSpanish–American War; only U.S. soldier to be awarded theDistinguished Service Cross four times in World War I
• Floyd B. Parks (1911–1942),U.S. Marine aviator who earned theNavy Cross posthumously for his actions leading Marine fighter squadronVMF-221 during theBattle of Midway
• John J. Pershing (1860–1948), soldier,General of the Armies; born in Laclede, Missouri
• Sterling Price,Confederate States Army, general of theMissouri State Guard during theCivil War
• William Quantrill (1837–1865), Confederate guerrilla leader (Quantrill's Raiders) in the Civil War
• John H. Quick (1870–1922), U.S. Marine awarded the Medal of Honor in the Spanish–American War, awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and theNavy Cross in World War I
• James E. Rieger (1874–1951), colonel in Missouri National Guard; awarded Distinguished Service Cross andCroix de Guerre in World War I
• Roscoe Robinson (1928–1993),U.S. Army general
• Jared Schmitz,USMC Lance Cpl.; one of 13 of the last military members to be killed in the War on Terror extraction from Afghanistan^[4]
• Maxwell D. Taylor (1901–1987), U.S. Army general, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Stephen W. Thompson (1894–1977), first U.S. military pilot to ever shoot down an enemy in aerial combat (1918)
• Harry H. Vaughan (1893–1981),U.S. Army Reserve general,Aide to thepresident of the United States 1945–1953
• George Allison Whiteman (1919–1941), firstUnited States Army Air Corps pilot killed in World War II; awarded theSilver Star posthumously for after being shot down in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
• Arthur L. Willard (1870–1935),United States NavyVice Admiral, winner ofNavy Cross, FrenchLegion of Honour, and BelgianOrder of Leopold; first man to plant the American flag on Cuban soil in the Spanish–American War

Public office

• Orland K. Armstrong (1893–1987),U.S. representative, journalist and social activist
• John Ashcroft (born 1942),governor of Missouri (1985–1993),U.S. senator from Missouri (1995–2001),United States attorney general (2001–2005)
• Rex Barnett (born 1938), politician, and former officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol
• Thomas Hart Benton (1782–1858), U.S. senator
• Richard P. Bland (1835–1899), U.S. representative for 23 years, Democratic candidate for U.S. president in 1896
• Roy Blunt (born 1950), seven-termU.S. representative forMissouri's 7th congressional district;House Minority Whip,U.S. senator
• Christopher S. "Kit" Bond (1939–2025), governor, U.S. senator of Missouri
• Leonard Boswell (1934–2018), U.S. representative forIowa's 3rd congressional district
• Bill Bradley (born 1943), U.S. senator forNew Jersey,NBA Hall of Famer; born and reared in Missouri
• Karilyn Brown (born c. 1947), member of theArkansas House of Representatives forPulaski County; born in Cape Girardeau
• Clarence Cannon (1879–1964),U.S. representative 1923–1964,House Appropriations Committee chairman
• Albert Sidney Johnson Carnahan (1897–1968), U.S. representative, US ambassador to Sierra Leone; father of Governor Mel Carnahan
• Jean Carnahan (1933–2024), first Missouri woman to become a U.S. senator, matriarch ofCarnahan political family
• Mel Carnahan (1924–2000), governor, posthumous U.S. senator (died in plane crash three weeks before he was elected), patriarch ofCarnahan political family
• Robin Carnahan (born 1961), Missouri Secretary of State
• Russ Carnahan (born 1958), member of U.S. House of Representatives
• Francis M. Cockrell (1834–1915), U.S. senator and general in theConfederate States Army
• Steven Chu (born 1948),U.S. Secretary of Energy
• John Danforth (born 1936), U.S. senator andUnited States ambassador to the United Nations
• Thomas Eagleton (1929–2007), U.S. senator from Missouri (1968–1987); 1972Democratic vice presidential nominee
• Josh Earnest (born 1977),White House Press Secretary to PresidentBarack Obama
• David R. Francis (1850–1927),U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1896–1897), U.S. ambassador to Russia (1916–1917)
• J. William Fulbright (1905–1995), U.S. senator, established theFulbright Fellowships
• Dick Gephardt (born 1941), U.S. representative fromMissouri's 3rd congressional district (1977–2005); DemocraticHouse Majority Leader (1989–1995); candidate for theDemocratic nomination for president in the 2004 election
• Michael Gerson (born 1964), chiefspeechwriter forGeorge W. Bush (2001–2006)
• Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885), 18thpresident of the United States
• Bill Hardwick (born 1985), Missouri state representative
• Michael Harrington (1928–1989), founder ofDemocratic Socialists of America
• George Hearst (1820–1891), U.S. senator forCalifornia (1887–1891)
• Martin Heinrich (born 1971), former congressman and current U.S. senator fromNew Mexico
• Arthur M. Hyde (1877–1947), U.S. Secretary of Agriculture 1929–33,governor of Missouri 1921–25
• Alphonso Jackson (born 1945), 13thU.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
• James Jones (born 1943),U.S. National Security Advisor underBarack Obama and retiredUSMCfour-star general
• Tim Kaine (born 1958), formergovernor and currentU.S. senator from Virginia since 2013;2016 Democratic nominee forvice president underHillary Clinton

• Jerry Litton (1937–1976), two-term U.S. representative;Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 1976; killed in plane crash before general election
• Breckinridge Long (1881–1958), U.S. ambassador to Italy and AssistantUnited States Secretary of State under PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt
• Claire McCaskill,state auditor of Missouri (1999–2007); U.S. senator (2007–2019); first woman elected U.S. senator from Missouri
• James Benton Parsons (1911–1993), federal judge
• Clarke Reed (born 1928), Mississippi Republican state chairman, 1966 to 1976; instrumental in the nomination ofGerald R. Ford Jr. at the1976 Republican National Convention; reared in Caruthersville, Missouri, and attended the University of Missouri^[5]
• Nellie Tayloe Ross (1876–1977),governor of Wyoming (1925–1927); director of theUnited States Mint (1933–1953);first woman to serve as a state governor
• Mel Sembler (born 1930), U.S. ambassador to Italy (2001–2005) and Australia (1989–1993)
• Jeanne Shaheen (born 1947), U.S. senator forNew Hampshire
• Ike Skelton (1931–2013),U.S. congressman for the Missouri 4th District (1977–2011), chairmanU.S. House Armed Services Committee
• Stuart Symington (1901–1988), firstAir Force secretary and U.S. senator from Missouri
• Larry Thompson (born 1945),United States deputy attorney general underGeorge W. Bush
• Harry S. Truman (1884–1972), vice president and33rd president of the United States
• George Turner (1850–1932), U.S. senator and international arbitrator
• David King Udall (1851–1938), served inArizona Legislature, progenitor of theUdall political family
• Harold Volkmer (1931–2011), 20-year member ofU.S. House of Representatives for northeast Missouri
• Jim Webb (born 1946), U.S. senator forVirginia andUnited States Secretary of the Navy
• Pete Wilson (born 1933), mayor ofSan Diego,36thgovernor of California, U.S. senator (1983–1991)
• Robert Coldwell Wood (1923–2005),secretary of Housing and Urban Development underLyndon B. Johnson

Science and medicine

• Augie Auer (1940–2007),atmospheric scientist andmeteorologist
• William F. Baker (born 1953),structural engineer
• Jean Bartik (1924–2011), early computer programmer and designer
• Gordon Bell (1934–2024), computer engineer and microcomputer pioneer
• Herbert Blumer (1900–1987),sociologist, developer ofsymbolic interactionism
• Martin Stanislaus Brennan (1845–1927), scientist and priest
• George Washington Carver (c. 1864–1943),botanist
• Steven Chu (born 1948), Nobel laureate in Physics, U.S. Secretary of Energy
• Robert H. Dicke (1916–1997), astronomer and physicist
• Charles Stark Draper (1901–1987), inventor
• David F. Duncan (born 1947), psychologist and epidemiologist
• James P. Eisenstein (born 1952), physicist
• Meta Given (1888–1981), home economist scientist, dietician, author
• Edward T. Hall (1914–2009),anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher
• Edwin Hubble (1889–1953),astronomer
• John Johnson (born 1977), astronomer and physicist
• Mark Johnson (born 1949), philosopher
• Virginia Eshelman Johnson (1925–2013), psychology researcher
• Jack Kilby (1923–2005), inventor of theintegrated circuit,Nobel Prize winner
• Vitae Kite (1867–1940), entomologist
• Roger Kornberg (born 1947), biochemist,Nobel Prize winner
• Harry Laughlin (1880–1943),eugenicist
• J. C. R. Licklider (1915–1990), psychologist, computer scientist
• Pauline Gracia Beery Mack (1891–1974), chemist
• Ernest Manheim (1900–2002), sociologist
• William Howell Masters (1915–2001),gynecologist
• Orval Hobart Mowrer (1907–1982), psychologist
• Michael Rosbash (born 1944), Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Keith Schwab (born 1968), physicist
• Richard Smalley (1943–2005),Nobel Prize-winningchemist, discoveredbuckminsterfullerene
• Harlow Shapley (1885–1972),astronomer
• William Jasper Spillman (1863–1931), plant geneticist, a founder ofagricultural economics
• Lewis Stadler (1896–1954), aka L.J. Stadler, maize geneticist
• Andrew Taylor Still (1828–1917), physician and founder ofosteopathic medicine
• Thomas H. Stix (1924–2001), plasma physicist
• Norbert Wiener (1894–1964), mathematician

Miscellaneous famous Missourians

• William Becknell (1787–1856), soldier, businessman, founder of theSanta Fe Trail
• Johnny Behan (1844–1912), sheriff of Tombstone, Arizona, during thegunfight at the O.K. Corral
• Susan Blow (1843–1916), educator, "the mother of kindergarten"
• Sylvia Browne (1936–2013), author who claimed to be amedium and to havepsychic abilities
• Nelle G. Burger (1869–1957), president for 34 years of the Missouri StateWoman's Christian Temperance Union
• Calamity Jane (c. 1852–1903),Indian fighter andfrontierswoman
• Alfred Caldwell (1903–1998), architect
• Dale Carnegie (1888–1955), public andmotivational speaker
• Mike Caro (born 1944), professional poker player
• James E. Cofer (born 1949), president ofMissouri State University, 2010–2011; professor of business at MSU
• Brad Daugherty (born 1951), professional poker player
• Moses Dickson (1824–1901), African-American abolitionist, soldier, minister, and founder of the secret organization the Knights of Liberty
• Matt Dillahunty (born 1969), public speaker, internet personality,atheist activist
• Timothy M. Dolan (born 1950),cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church andarchbishop of New York
• Ella Ewing (1872–1913), "The Missouri Giantess", world's tallest woman (of her era)
• Hugh Ferriss (1889–1962), delineator and architect
• Julia Greeley (c. 1833–1918), ex-slave, Roman Catholic candidate for canonization
• Bobby Greenlease (1947–1953), kidnap-murder victim in case that drew national attention
• Phoebe Hearst (1842–1919), philanthropist, feminist and suffragist
• Raelynn Hillhouse, national security and intelligence community analyst, Cold War smuggler, spy novelist
• Helen Viola Jackson (1919–2020); last living wife of a Civil War Veteran
• Frances C. Jenkins (1826–1915), evangelist, Quaker minister, and social reformer
• Mary Ranken Jordan (1869–1962), philanthropist and community advocate
• Terry Karl (born 1947), professor of Latin American Studies at Stanford University
• Emmett Kelly (1898–1979), circusclown
• Karlie Kloss (born 1992), model andballet dancer
• Alice Moyer Wing (1866–1937), writer and suffragist
• Carrie Nation (1846–1911), advocate for thetemperance movement
• Rose O'Neill (1874–1944), author, illustrator, and creator of theKewpie doll
• Walter J. Ong (1912–2003),Jesuit priest, cultural and religioushistorian andphilosopher
• Homer G. Phillips (1880–1931), prominent lawyer and civil rights advocate^[6]
• Phyllis Schlafly (1924–2016), conservative political activist and author
• Dred Scott, slave and litigant in U.S. Supreme CourtDred Scott decision
• George Thampy (born 1987),Scripps National Spelling Bee champion 2000, staff member 2006
• Conrad Tillard (born 1964), politician, Baptist minister, radio host, author, and activist
• Faye Wattleton (born 1943), feminist activist
• Brian Wesbury (born 1958), economist
• Halbert White (1950–2012), economics professor atUC San Diego
• Roy Wilkins (1901–1981),civil rights activist

See also

• List of Hall of Famous Missourians inductees
• List of Missouri suffragists
• List of people from Columbia, Missouri
• List of people from Kansas City, Missouri
• List of people from Sedalia, Missouri
• List of people from Springfield, Missouri
• List of people from St. Joseph, Missouri
• List of people from St. Louis
• Lists of Americans
• Missouri Wall of Fame

References