List of people from Nebraska

Native Americans

• Joba Chamberlain, pitcher for Detroit Tigers; Ho-Chunk
• Crazy Horse, great warrior of the Oglala Lakota Sioux pre-statehood
• Angel De Cora Dietz Hinook-Mahiwi-Kalinaka, painter, illustrator, American Indian advocate
• Chief Waukon Decorah
• He Dog
• Hononegah, Ho-Chunk
• Francis La Flesche Zhogaxe, first Native American anthropologist, author; Omaha people
• Susan La Flesche Picotte, born on Omaha Reservation 1865; first Native American woman to earn a medical degree
• Susette LaFlesche Tibbles, "Bright Eyes", born in Bellvue, 1854; writer ; trial translator and media source for the plight of the Ponca people and Standing Bear during the Trial of Standing Bear, May 1879; Omaha/Ponca
• Little Hawk
• Mountain Wolf Woman, Ho-Chunk
• Red Bird
• Red Cloud, chief of the Oglala Sioux
• Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr.
• Chief Standing Bear, civil rights leader and at the fore of the petition to stay on traditional homelands post-removal as documented in The Trial of Standing Bear; in this trial the state was led to recognize that Native Americans are human beings
• John Trudell, civil rights activist, community activist, speaker, poet, performer, musician, actor; Santee
• Yellow Thunder
• Kim Winona, actress
• Raymond Yellow Thunder, ranch hand killed in a notable hate crime in 1972 in Gordon; Oglala Lakota
• James Young Deer

  Public office

• Frank Aloysius Barrett, Congressman, Wyoming, 1943–1950; Governor of Wyoming, 1951–1953; Senator of Wyoming, 1953–1959
• Herbert Brownell Jr., United States Attorney General in President Eisenhower's cabinet, 1952–1957
• William Jennings Bryan, United States Secretary of State; U.S. Representative; Democratic Party nominee for President in 1896, 1900, and 1908; prosecuting attorney in Scopes Trial
• Hugh A. Butler, U.S. Senator
• James Vincenzo Capone, federal Prohibition agent; oldest brother of gangster Al Capone; changed name to Richard James Hart
• Ernie Chambers, Nebraska State Senator; Nebraska State Legislature; civil rights activist
• Dick Cheney, former U.S. Secretary of Defense under George HW Bush, and 46th Vice President of the United States under George W Bush
• George E. Cryer, 32nd Mayor of Los Angeles, 1921–1929
• Glenn Cunningham, U.S. Representative and mayor of Omaha
• Carl Curtis, U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator
• Samuel Gordon Daily, U.S. Representative for three terms
• Robert Vernon Denney, U.S. Representative and United States district court judge
• Jane English, Republican member of the Arkansas State Senate
• J. James Exon, Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator
• Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States
• Dwight Griswold, Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator
• Chuck Hagel, U.S. Senator and 24th U.S. Secretary of Defense
• Robert Dinsmore Harrison, U.S. Representative
• Edgar Howard, private secretary to William Jennings Bryan; Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska; U.S. Representative
• Bob Kerrey, Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator
• Julius Sterling Morton, United States Secretary of Agriculture; founder of Arbor Day
• Kay A. Orr, first Republican woman governor in United States history
• Pete Peterson, U.S. Representative for Florida, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam
• Peter George Peterson, U.S. Secretary of Commerce under Richard Nixon; Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Chair of the Council on Foreign Relations
• Donald Pike, Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner
• Leo Ryan, U.S. Representative
• Ted Sorensen, speechwriter and special counsel to President John F. Kennedy
• Charles Thone, Governor of Nebraska and U.S. Representative
• Kenneth S. Wherry, U.S. Senator

  Military and war

• Buffalo Bill Cody, iconic western figure; lived in Nebraska while working as a scout for the 5th Cavalry; on July 17, 1876, at War Bonnet Creek, while dressed in his Wild West stage clothing, he killed and scalped Chief Yellow Hair, claiming it a revenge for Custer; took up residence in Scout's Rest Ranch in 1886
• Alfred Gruenther, youngest four-star general in United States history; Supreme Allied Commander Europe
• Galen B. Jackman, United States Army major general ; Nancy Reagan's escort throughout the death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan; first commanding general of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region
• Bob Kerrey, United States Navy, LT; commanded a Navy SEAL team in Vietnam; Medal of Honor recipient
• Francis P. Matthews, 49th United States Secretary of the Navy during the administration of President Harry Truman
• Butler B. Miltonberger, commanded the 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division during World War II
• Jarvis Offutt, World War I aviator, namesake of Offutt Air Force Base
• John J. Pershing, General of the Armies, led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I
• Forrest S. Petersen, Navy and NASA test pilot, head of Naval Air Systems Command
• James G. Roudebush, United States Air Force lieutenant general and doctor of medicine, current Surgeon General of the United States Air Force
• Albert Coady Wedemeyer, military planner and strategist

  Entertainment

Film and theater

• Wesley Addy, actor, Network, The Verdict
• Adele Astaire, dancer and entertainer
• Fred Astaire, dancer and actor, The Band Wagon, Funny Face, The Towering Inferno, That's Entertainment!
• Pamela Austin, actress, Kissin' Cousins
• Ray Baker, actor, Silverado, Total Recall
• John Beasley, actor, Everwood
• Michael Biehn, actor, The Terminator, Tombstone
• Moon Bloodgood, actress, Terminator Salvation, Falling Skies
• Ward Bond, actor, The Searchers, The Quiet Man, Rio Bravo
• Marlon Brando, Academy Award-winning actor, The Godfather, On the Waterfront, Last Tango in Paris, Apocalypse Now
• Justin Bruening, actor, All My Children, Knight Rider
• Montgomery Clift, 4-time Oscar-nominated actor, From Here to Eternity, The Misfits, Red River, Judgement at Nuremberg
• Abbie Cobb, actress, Suburgatory
• James Coburn, Academy Award-winning actor, Our Man Flint, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Affliction
• James M. Connor, actor
• Lucas Cruikshank, actor
• Sandy Dennis, Academy Award-winning actress, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Sweet November, The Out-of-Towners
• Adam Devine, actor and comedian
• David Doyle, actor, Charlie's Angels
• Mary Doyle, actress
• Christopher B. Duncan, actor, The Jamie Foxx Show, The District, Aliens in America
• Leslie Easterbrook, actress, Police Academy films
• Ruth Etting, singer and actress
• Jim Fitzpatrick, actor, All My Children
• Henry Fonda, Academy Award-winning actor, Mister Roberts, 12 Angry Men, The Grapes of Wrath, On Golden Pond
• Hoot Gibson, actor and rodeo cowboy
• Randy J. Goodwin, actor and director, The Vampire Diaries, Girlfriends, Grey's Anatomy
• Ashley Graham, model
• Coleen Gray, actress, Kiss of Death, Red River
• Bryan Greenberg, actor, musician, One Tree Hill, October Road, How to Make It in America
• Leland Hayward, Hollywood and Broadway agent and producer
• Jean Heather, actress, Double Indemnity
• Marg Helgenberger, actress, '
• Brad William Henke, actor, October Road, Nikki, Lost
• Hallee Hirsh, actress, Flight 29 Down, JAG, ER
• Virginia Huston, actress, Out of the Past
• David Janssen, actor, The Fugitive
• Jay Karnes, actor, Det. "Dutch" Wagenbach on The Shield
• Jaime King, actress
• Emily Kinney, actress, singer, The Walking Dead
• Swoosie Kurtz, actress, Sisters, Mike & Molly
• Bill Lee, overdub singer whose voice was used instead of Christopher Plummer's in the film version of The Sound of Music
• Harold Lloyd, silent film actor and comedian
• Pierce Lyden, actor
• Gordon MacRae, actor and singer, Oklahoma!, Carousel
• Irish McCalla, actress
• Holt McCallany, actor, Lights Out, Freedom, '
• Dorothy McGuire, Oscar-nominated actress, Gentleman's Agreement, Friendly Persuasion, Old Yeller

• Fred Niblo, actor, director, and producer
• Nick Nolte, Oscar-nominated actor and producer, 48 Hrs., The Prince of Tides, Cape Fear
• Alexander Payne, Oscar-nominated director and screenwriter, Nebraska, The Descendants, Sideways
• Lenka Peterson, actress
• Scott Porter, actor, Friday Night Lights, The Good Wife
• Anne Ramsey, Oscar-nominated actress
• Thurl Ravenscroft, voice actor and singer
• Julie Sommars, actress, Matlock
• Rebecca Staab, actress, former beauty queen, Live Shot
• Hilary Swank, two-time Academy Award-winning actress, Boys Don't Cry, Million Dollar Baby
• Inga Swenson, actress, Benson, Advise and Consent
• Robert Taylor, actor, Ivanhoe, Quo Vadis, Camille
• Janine Turner, actress, Northern Exposure
• John Trudell, actor, subject of documentary
• Gabrielle Union, actress, Bring It On, Bad Boys II
• Lucky Vanous, model, actor, Pacific Palisades
• Charles Weidman, dancer and choreographer
• Irene Worth, Tony Award-winning actress, Nicholas and Alexandra, Lost in Yonkers, Deathtrap
• David Yost, actor and producer, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
• Darryl F. Zanuck, Hollywood studio mogul, producer and director

  Comedians and humorists

• James Adomian, actor, stand-up comedian
• Johnny Carson, comedian
• Adam DeVine, actor, comedian, writer, Workaholics
• Godfrey, comedian, actor
• Larry the Cable Guy, comedian
• Skip Stephenson, comedian, actor
• Roger Welsch, author, humorist, and folklorist

  Television and radio

• Dick Cavett, television talk show host
• Vivi Janiss, theatre, film, and television actress
• Floyd Kalber, television journalist and anchorman
• Lindsey Shaw, child actor for Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, born in Lincoln
• Kim Winona, actress who portrayed Morning Star on CBS's Brave Eagle
• Paula Zahn, television journalist

  Music

• Kianna Alarid, lead singer for band Tilly and the Wall
• Roni Benise, flamenco guitarist
• Dave Beste, Bassist for band Rival Sons
• Chip Davis, singer-songwriter, founder of Mannheim Steamroller, and president and CEO of American Gramaphone
• Ruth Etting, singer and actress
• Rick Evans, member of rock duo Zager and Evans, made famous by song "In the Year 2525" in 1969
• Todd Fink, member of the band The Faint
• Jack Gilinsky, musician, rap artist, 1 out of 2 in the rap duo Jack & Jack with best friend since kindergarten, Jack Johnson, their song, "Like That" went viral currently with over 24 million views on YouTube.
• Howard Hanson, composer and conductor
• Wynonie "Mr. Blues" Harris, rhythm and blues singer
• Neal Hefti, jazz trumpeter and composer
• Amy Heidemann, member of the band Karmin, graduated from Seward High School in Seward, Nebraska
• Nick Hexum, member of band 311
• Neely Jenkins, member of band Tilly and the Wall
• Tim Kasher, singer
• Matty Lewis, singer, guitarist
• Randy Meisner, singer-songwriter, bassist former member of the Eagles and Poco
• Conor Oberst, singer-songwriter with Bright Eyes
• Bryan Olesen, singer, guitarist of VOTA, former member of Newsboys
• Jamie Pressnall, member of band Tilly and the Wall
• Paul Revere, born in Harvard, Clay County; musician, teen idol, founder Paul Revere and the Raiders
• Ann Ronell, jazz composer and lyricist
• Josh Rouse, singer-songwriter
• Jason Shaw, fiddle player
• Elliott Smith, singer-songwriter
• Ryland Steen, Reel Big Fish drummer
• Matthew Sweet, rock musician
• John Trudell, poet, performer, musician, leader AKA Graffiti Band
• James Valentine, Maroon 5 guitarist
• Paul Williams, singer-songwriter
• Roger Williams, pianist
• Denny Zager, member of rock duo Zager and Evans, made famous by song "In the Year 2525" in 1969

  Art, literature, and journalism

• Bess Streeter Aldrich, author of 200 short stories and 13 novels including Miss Bishop
• Hartley Burr Alexander, writer, educator, scholar, philosopher, poet, and iconographer
• Kurt Andersen, co-founder of Spy Magazine
• Gutzon Borglum, painter, sculptor, designer and engineer of the presidential busts on Mount Rushmore
• Solon Borglum, sculptor, younger brother of Gutzon Borglum
• Jennine Capó Crucet, novelist, short story writer, essayist, professor, and cultural critic
• Willa Cather, author
• Raymond Chandler, detective fiction author, The Big Sleep, grew up in Plattsmouth, Nebraska
• Earle D. Chesney, cartoonist
• Ana Marie Cox, founder and editor of the political blog Wonkette
• Loren Eiseley, anthropologist, science writer, ecologist, and poet, born in Lincoln
• Angel De Cora Dietz Hinook-Mahiwi-Kalinaka, painter, illustrator, American Indian advocate, Carlisle Boarding School teacher ; Ho-Chunk
• John Philip Falter, artist known for many Saturday Evening Post covers
• Ernest K. Gann, pioneer airline pilot, aviation writer, author of The High and the Mighty
• Roxane Gay, feminist writer, professor, editor and commentator
• Terry Goodkind, best-selling fantasy author
• Robert Henri, painter
• M. Miriam Herrera, poet
• Clifton Hillegass, publisher and founder of CliffsNotes
• L. Ron Hubbard, science fiction author and founder of Scientology
• Lew Hunter, screenwriter
• Weldon Kees, poet, novelist, and short story writer
• Ted Kooser, former Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress; former Poet Laureate of the United States; Pulitzer Prize winner
• Stephen R. Lawhead, best-selling author of fantasy and historical fiction
• Francis La Flesche Zhogaxe, author
• Susette LaFlesche Tibbles, "Bright Eyes"; born in Bellevue, 1854; writer; Omaha/Ponca
• Christopher Lasch, historian, moralist, and social critic
• Jefferson Machamer, illustrator
• DeBarra Mayo, writer and author
• Wright Morris, novelist, photographer, and essayist
• John Neihardt, poet, dubbed the "Poet Laureate of Nebraska and the Plains" by the Nebraska State Legislature in 1921
• Tillie Olsen, author
• Rose O'Neill, illustrator, writer, and creator of the Kewpie doll
• Jean Potts, mystery writer
• Daniel Quinn, author of the philosophical novel Ishmael and its sequels
• Edward Ruscha, artist
• Brandon Sanderson, best-selling science fiction and fantasy author
• Mari Sandoz, novelist, biographer, lecturer, and teacher; author of Old Jules, Cheyenne Autumn, Slogum House
• Joel Sartore, National Geographic photographer
• Nicholas Sparks, author
• Anna Louise Strong, journalist and author
• John Trudell, author

  Business

• Howard F. Ahmanson Sr., financier and philanthropist
• Walter Behlen, founder of the Behlen Manufacturing Company in Columbus, Nebraska
• Warren Buffett, "Oracle of Omaha", investor; Forbes 2008 Richest Man in the World
• Richard N. Cabela, entrepreneur, founder of Cabela's sporting goods store
• Paul Endacott, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, president of Phillips Petroleum Company
• Joyce Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards
• Andrew Higgins, industrialist and shipbuilder; owner and founder of Higgins Industries; manufacturer of "Higgins boats"
• Peter Kiewit, contractor, investor, and philanthropist
• C. Edward McVaney, founder of JD Edwards
• William Norris, pioneering CEO of Control Data Corporation
• Edwin Perkins, inventor of Kool-Aid; philanthropist
• Frank Phillips, co-founder of Phillips Petroleum
• Michael J. Saylor, founder and CEO of MicroStrategy
• Walter Scott Jr., civil engineer and philanthropist
• Carl A. Swanson, founder of Swanson
• Evan Williams, creator of Blogger; CEO of Twitter

  Science and medicine

• Clayton Anderson, NASA astronaut assigned to International Space Station Expedition 15
• Nancy Coover Andreasen, neuroscientist and neuropsychiatrist
• Barry Barish, Nobel Prize in Physics 2017 for discovery of gravity waves
• Henry Beachell, developer of hybrid rice
• George Wells Beadle, geneticist, 1958 Nobel Prize winner
• Charles Edwin Bessey, botanist, responsible for planting of the Nebraska National Forest
• Leon Douglass, inventor; co–founder of the Victor Talking Machine Company
• John R. Dunning, physicist, played an instrumental role in the development of the atomic bomb
• Harold "Doc" Edgerton, professor at MIT, pioneer in stroboscopic photography
• Rollins A. Emerson, geneticist, pioneer in researching the genetics of maize
• Val Fitch, nuclear physicist, 1980 Nobel Prize winner
• Jay Wright Forrester, pioneer of computer engineering
• Daniel Freeman, homesteader, physician and American Civil War veteran, first person to file for a claim under the Homestead Act of 1862
• Edmund Jaeger, biologist
• Jay Keasling, synthetic biology pioneer
• Francis La Flesche, first Native American anthropologist; author
• Susan La Flesche Picotte, first person to receive federal aid for education; first American Indian woman to become a "western medicine" physician in the United States
• Max Mathews, wrote first computer music program
• Victor Mills, chemical engineer, inventor of the modern disposable diaper
• Donald Othmer, chemical engineer
• Joel Stebbins, astronomer
• Ivan Sutherland, inventor of the Sketchpad

  Athletics

• Grover Cleveland Alexander, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher
• Houston Alexander, mixed martial artist
• Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin Badgers football coach and athletic director
• Heather Armbrust, IFBB professional bodybuilder
• Max Baer, former heavyweight boxing champion
• George Baird, 1928 Olympic gold medalist in track and field
• Brad Beckman, professional football player, 1988–1989
• Wade Boggs, professional baseball player, 1982–1999; 5x American League batting champion
• Craig Bohl, college football coach
• Steve Borden "Sting", professional wrestler for CWA, UWF, NWA, WCW, WWA, TNA, and WWE
• Bob Boozer, NBA All-Star and Olympian
• Buddy Carlyle, professional baseball pitcher from Omaha who played for the MLB, KBO and NPB
• Dan Carpenter, placekicker for the Buffalo Bills
• Bob Cerv, professional baseball player, 1951–1962
• Joba Chamberlain, professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers
• Jeromey Clary, offensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers
• Sam Crawford, Baseball Hall of Fame, 2x Home run champion, and 3x AL RBI champion
• Gene Cronin, lineman for 1957 NFL champion Detroit Lions
• Brian Deegan, motocross racer
• Bob Devaney, football coach for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers
• Ted "The Million Dollar Man" DiBiase, professional wrestler
• Jake Diekman, relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
• Brian Duensing, relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins
• David Erb, jockey, winner of 1956 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes
• Chad Fleischer, Alpine skier who competed in the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics
• Rulon Gardner, Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling
• Bob Gibson, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals
• Johnny Goodman, last amateur golfer to win U.S. Open
• Alex Gordon, left fielder for the Kansas City Royals
• Ahman Green, football player for the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and Houston Texans
• Ron Hansen, professional baseball player for six MLB teams
• Mel Harder, pitcher and manager for the Cleveland Indians
• Alex Henery, placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Opal Hill, golfer and LPGA co-founder
• Russ Hochstein, guard for the Denver Broncos
• Jeremy Horn, mixed martial arts fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
• Chris Kelsay, outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills
• Monte Kiffin, football coach
• Bill Kinnamon, MLB umpire
• Sam Koch, punter for Baltimore Ravens
• Manny Lawson, outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills
• Frank Leahy, football player, coach, and College Football Hall of Famer
• Sean McDermott, Head Coach for the Buffalo Bills
• Zach Miller, tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Clarence Mitchell, professional baseball pitcher
• Darrell Mudra, college football coach

• Gregg Olson, MLB pitcher, 1989 Rookie of the Year
• Jed Ortmeyer, professional hockey player for the Minnesota Wild
• Tom Osborne, former football coach for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers
• Zach Potter, tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Ron Prince, assistant offensive line coach for the Indianapolis Colts
• James Raschke, professional wrestler
• Andy Roddick, tennis star
• Gale Sayers, Football Hall of Fame running back for the Chicago Bears
• Scott Shanle, outside linebacker for the New Orleans Saints
• Billy Southworth, manager of two World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals teams
• George Stone, Major League Baseball left fielder; 1906 American League batting champion
• Curtis Tomasevicz, 2006 U.S. Olympic bobsledder and former Nebraska Cornhuskers football player
• Jack Van Berg, Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer
• "Gorgeous George" Wagner, professional wrestler
• Dan Warthen, former MLB pitcher and current pitching coach for the Texas Rangers
• Danny Woodhead, running back for the San Diego Chargers, attended Chadron State College
• Jerry Zimmerman, MLB catcher for the Minnesota Twins
• Greg Zuerlein, placekicker for the St. Louis Rams

  Fictional

• "Penny", from The Big Bang Theory TV series, played by actress Kaley Cuoco
• "Brock Samson", an OSI agent born in Omaha, on the Adult Swim show The Venture Bros.
• "Warren Schmidt", an insurance agent from Omaha in the film About Schmidt, played by Jack Nicholson
• "Ryan Bingham", the Omaha-based principal character from the film Up in the Air, played by George Clooney
• "Tracy Flick" and "Jim McAllister", student and teacher in Omaha suburb from Election
• "Clara Allen", who owns a ranch near Ogallala, in the miniseries Lonesome Dove, played by Anjelica Huston
• "Emma Greenway", a woman living in Kearney and hospitalized in Lincoln from the film Terms of Endearment, played by Debra Winger
• "Whitey Marsh" and other characters in the Omaha-set 1938 film Boys Town, based on a true story
• Members of the Strategic Air Command based in Omaha in the 1964 film Fail-Safe

  Other

• David Phelps Abbott, magician and author
• Edith Abbott, economist, social worker, educator, and author
• Grace Abbott, social worker and child welfare reformer
• Walter Brueggemann, Protestant Old Testament scholar and theologian
• Lucas Cruikshank, maker of internet videos
• Frank W. Cyr, educator, author, and "Father of the Yellow School Bus"
• K. G. William Dahl, Lutheran minister and founder of the Bethphage Inner Mission in Axtell
• Clayton Danks, inspiration of the cowboy on the Wyoming trademark, Bucking Horse and Rider, with the gelding horse Steamboat; born in O'Neill in Holt County, Nebraska
• William Eugene Galbraith, businessman and National Commander of The American Legion
• Merle Elwin Hansen, farmer and conservationist
• Carmelita Hinton, progressive educator
• John L. Loos, historian of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
• Malcolm X, civil rights leader
• Roscoe Pound, botanist, lawyer, and law professor and theorist
• Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011
• Charles Starkweather, spree killer who murdered 11 victims
• Brandon Teena, a trans man whose murder was the basis of the movie Boys Don't Cry
• Virginia Lamp Thomas, consultant for The Heritage Foundation; wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
• Robert B. Wilson, economist