List of people from West Virginia

This is a list of prominent people from the territory that now makes up the U.S. state of West Virginia.

Athletics





 * A–G


 * Randy Barnes (born 1966), shotputter
 * Larry Barnett (born 1945), baseball umpire
 * Clair Bee, college basketball coach
 * Vern Bickford, professional baseball player
 * Brian Bowles, UFC/MMA fighter
 * Rich Braham, professional football coach
 * George Brett, professional baseball player
 * Vicky Bullett, professional basketball player
 * Lew Burdette, professional baseball player
 * Jesse Burkett, professional baseball player
 * Necro Butcher, professional wrestler
 * Eddie Cameron, college basketball coach
 * Mark Canterbury, professional wrestler
 * David Carpenter, professional baseball player
 * Bimbo Coles, professional basketball player
 * Wilbur Cooper, professional baseball player
 * Larry Coyer, professional football coach
 * Dan D'Antoni, college basketball coach
 * Mike D'Antoni, professional basketball player and coach
 * Jack Dempsey, professional boxer
 * Jimbo Fisher, college football coach
 * Gene Freese, professional baseball player
 * George Freese, professional baseball player
 * Bob Gain, professional football player
 * Frank Gatski, professional football player
 * Marshall Goldberg, professional football player
 * C. J. Goodwin, professional football player
 * Hal Greer, professional basketball player
 * Jedd Gyorko, professional baseball player


 * H–M


 * Cam Henderson, college football, basketball, and baseball coach
 * Lou Holtz, college football coach
 * Alexis Hornbuckle, professional basketball player
 * Jeff Hostetler, professional football player
 * J. R. House, professional baseball and football player
 * Chuck Howley, professional football player
 * Sam Huff, professional football player
 * Bob Huggins, college basketball coach
 * Hot Rod Hundley, professional basketball player and broadcaster
 * Gary Jeter, professional football player
 * James Jett, professional football player
 * Dwayne Jones, professional basketball player
 * Jason Kincaid, professional wrestler
 * John Kruk, professional baseball player
 * Carl Lee, professional football player
 * Doug Legursky, professional football player
 * Gino Marchetti, professional football player
 * Chris Massey, professional football player
 * O. J. Mayo, professional basketball player
 * Bill Mazeroski, professional baseball player
 * Leo Mazzone, professional baseball player
 * Seth McClung, professional baseball player
 * John McKay, college and professional football coach
 * Renee Montgomery, professional basketball player
 * Eric Moss, professional football player
 * Randy Moss, professional football player


 * N–Z


 * Dustin Nippert, professional baseball player
 * Jamie Noble, professional wrestler (WWE)
 * Patrick Patterson, professional basketball player
 * Joe Pettini, professional baseball coach
 * Kevin Pittsnogle, college basketball player
 * Tom Pridemore, professional football player
 * Paul Popovich, professional baseball player
 * Mary Lou Retton, professional gymnast
 * Ira Rodgers, college football coach
 * Rich Rodriguez, college football coach
 * Nick Saban, professional and college football coach
 * Ben Schwartzwalder, Hall of Fame college football coach
 * Mike Sheppard, kickboxing champion
 * Heath Slater, professional wrestler (WWE)
 * Tamar Slay, professional basketball player
 * Stephanie Sparks, professional golfer and commentator
 * Ray Stevens, professional wrestler
 * Emanuel Steward, boxing trainer
 * Bill Stewart, college football coach
 * Joe Stydahar, professional football player
 * Nick Swisher, professional baseball player
 * Steve Swisher, professional baseball player
 * Ryan Switzer, professional football player
 * Rod Thorn, basketball player and executive
 * Rick Tolley, college football coach
 * Bill Walker, professional basketball player
 * Fulton Walker, professional football player
 * Robert Walker, professional football player
 * Curt Warner, professional football player
 * Jerry West, professional basketball player
 * Deron Williams, professional basketball player
 * Jason Williams, professional basketball player
 * Kayla Williams, world champion gymnast
 * Alex Wilson, professional baseball player
 * Hack Wilson, professional baseball player
 * Quincy Wilson, professional football player
 * Steve Yeager, professional baseball player
 * Fielding H. Yost, college football coach
 * Guy Zinn, professional baseball player


 * Don Blankenship, chief executive officer of Massey Energy
 * John Chambers, chief executive officer of Cisco Systems
 * Carl Keith, inventor
 * William Luke, businessman and entrepreneur
 * George Preston Marshall, owner and president of Washington Redskins
 * William N. Page, civil engineer, entrepreneur, capitalist, businessman, and industrialist
 * Milan Puskar, entrepreneur, philanthropist, co-founder of Mylan
 * Alex Schoenbaum, founder of Shoney's restaurant chain
 * Harry F. Sinclair, industrialist
 * Brad D. Smith, chief executive officer of Intuit, Inc.
 * Ellsworth Milton Statler, hotel businessman
 * Clarence Wayland Watson, businessman
 * Allen Harvey Woodward, industrialist

Entertainment

 * A–G


 * Hasil Adkins, musician
 * Michael Ammar, magician
 * Karen Austin, actress
 * Charlie Barnett, actor, comedian
 * Lina Basquette, actress
 * Leon "Chu" Berry, jazz saxophonist
 * Chris Booker, radio DJ, TV personality
 * Bobby Campo, actor
 * Mark Carman, Producer, Songwriter
 * Jean Carson, actress
 * Bernie Casey, actor
 * Ted Cassidy, actor
 * Joe Cerisano, singer-songwriter
 * Michael Cerveris, actor, singer-songwriter
 * John Davis Chandler, actor
 * Larry Combs, clarinetist
 * Wilma Lee Cooper, country/bluegrass singer
 * Stoney Cooper, country/bluegrass singer
 * John Corbett, actor
 * Billy Cox, bassist
 * George Crumb, composer
 * Phyllis Curtin, operatic soprano, NYCO
 * Frank De Vol, film composer, actor
 * Joyce DeWitt, actress; Three's Company
 * Little Jimmy Dickens, country singer; Country Music Hall of Fame inductee
 * Hazel Dickens, bluegrass singer
 * Brad Divens, vocalist, musician, Wrathchild America, Kix
 * Paul Dooley, actor, writer and comedian
 * Brad Dourif, actor
 * Joanne Dru, actress
 * Greg Dulli, singer, The Afghan Whigs
 * Virginia Egnor (also known as Dagmar), actress, model, TV personality
 * Conchata Ferrell, actress
 * Virginia Fox, silent-film actress; frequent co-star with Buster Keaton
 * Jennifer Garner, actress
 * Randy Gilkey, singer-songwriter
 * Kristen Ruhlin, actress
 * Larry Groce, musician, radio personality


 * H–M


 * Ed Haley, blind professional fiddler
 * Joshua Harto, actor, writer, producer
 * Steve Harvey, comedian, TV personality
 * Hawkshaw Hawkins, country music singer
 * Allison Hayes, actress
 * Blind Joe Hill, one-man band
 * Frank Hutchison, slide guitar player
 * Katie Lee Joel, television host
 * Johnnie Johnson, blues musician
 * Daniel Johnston, musician, artist; subject of film The Devil and Daniel Johnston
 * Lawrence Kasdan, director, producer, screenwriter
 * Lesli Kay, actress, As The World Turns, The Bold and the Beautiful
 * Fuzzy Knight, actor
 * Don Knotts, actor
 * Shannon Larkin, musician, Godsmack
 * Rex Lease, actor
 * Jake E. Lee, rock guitarist
 * Kristi Lee, TV personality, director of The Bob & Tom Show
 * Ann Magnuson, actress
 * Peter Marshall, musician, actor, host of TV's Hollywood Squares
 * Kathy Mattea, country and bluegrass performer
 * Charlie McCoy, musician
 * Russ McCubbin, actor, stuntman, comedian
 * Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, and Griffin McElroy, hosts of My Brother, My Brother and Me
 * Elizabeth McLaughlin, actress
 * Garnet Mimms, soul singer
 * Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., singer, winner of America's Got Talent, Season 6 (2010)
 * Lou Myers, actor


 * N–Z


 * Tim O'Brien, bluegrass musician
 * Devon Odessa, producer, actress, My So-Called Life
 * Brad Paisley, country singer-songwriter
 * Will Pan, rapper, actor
 * Sam Pancake, actor
 * Squire Parsons, gospel singer
 * Johnny Paycheck, country musician
 * Rachel Proctor, country singer-songwriter
 * Don Redman, jazz musician and bandleader
 * Ashlie Rhey, actress, writer
 * Walter E. "Jack" Rollins, songwriter
 * Soupy Sales, actor and comedian
 * Frank "Poncho" Sampedro, guitarist for Neil Young's band
 * Jeff Richmond, producer, composer
 * Chris Sarandon, actor, activist
 * David Selby, actor
 * Robert R. Shafer, actor
 * Bill Slater, radio personality, host of Twenty Questions
 * Connie Smith, country singer, Country Music Hall of Fame inductee
 * Fred "Sonic" Smith, guitarist for MC5
 * Michael W. Smith, contemporary Christian singer-songwriter
 * Red Sovine, country singer
 * Morgan Spurlock, film director, screenwriter
 * Blaze Starr, stripper and burlesque star
 * Aaron Staton, actor; Mad Men
 * Eleanor Steber, soprano, The Metropolitan Opera, NYC
 * Josh Stewart, actor
 * Sam Trammell, actor, True Blood
 * Teddy Weatherford, jazz pianist
 * Patty Weaver, actress
 * Donald Ray White, mountain dancer
 * Jesse "Jesco" White, mountain dancer
 * Steve Whiteman, former Kix singer
 * Garland Wilson, jazz pianist
 * Melvin Wine, fiddler
 * Bill Withers, singer-songwriter
 * J. T. Woodruff, Hawthorne Heights singer
 * Bobby Wright, country singer
 * Frankie Yankovic, polka musician

Frontiersmen

 * Patrick Gass, frontiersman
 * Morgan Morgan, frontiersman
 * Lewis Wetzel, frontiersman

Journalism

 * William E. Chilton, newspaper publisher and politician
 * J. R. Clifford, journalist, first African-American lawyer in West Virginia; founder of the Pioneer Press
 * George Esper, newspaper reporter; known for his coverage of the Vietnam War for the Associated Press
 * John S. Knight, newspaper publisher and editor
 * Hoda Kotb, television reporter; host of Today
 * Molly Line, news correspondent for Fox News Channel
 * Herbert Morrison, radio reporter; known for his coverage of the Hindenburg disaster
 * Asra Nomani, Indian-American journalist, author, and feminist
 * Mike Patrick, sportscaster
 * Michael Tomasky, newspaper writer and editor
 * Carter G. Woodson, historian, author, and journalist

Literature and art



 * Allen Appel, novelist
 * John Peale Bishop, poet, man of letters
 * Pearl S. Buck, writer and Nobel Prize winner
 * Bob Carroll, historian, author
 * Stephen Coonts, novelist
 * Rebecca Harding Davis, short story writer
 * Henry Louis Gates, Jr., author, educator, and scholar
 * Denise Giardina, author
 * Linda Goodman, poet, novelist, best-selling astrology writer
 * Davis Grubb, novelist
 * Charley Harper, artist
 * Homer Hickam, writer
 * John Knowles, novelist
 * Craig Johnson, novelist
 * William Robinson Leigh, artist
 * Brooke McEldowney, cartoonist; creator of 9 Chickweed Lane comic strip
 * Keith Maillard, novelist, poet
 * Ehrman Syme Nadal, author
 * Breece D'J Pancake, short fiction writer, author of Trilobites
 * Roger Price, creator of Mad Libs and Droodles
 * Jedediah Purdy, author and professor
 * Mary Lee Settle, author
 * Beau Smith, comic book writer
 * Jean Edward Smith, biographer
 * David Hunter Strother (aka Porte Crayon), artist
 * Timothy Truman, writer, artist, and musician
 * Jeannette Walls, author and columnist
 * Booker T. Washington, political leader, educator, and author
 * Tom Wilson, creator of Ziggy comic strip

Military



 * John James Abert, explorer and soldier
 * Earl E. Anderson, U.S. Marine Corps general
 * John Ashby, frontiersman and soldier
 * Woodrow Wilson Barr, U.S. Marine
 * Ruby Bradley,
 * Frank Buckles,
 * French Ensor Chadwick, U.S. Navy officer and educator
 * Lynndie England, U.S. Army reservist involved in the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal
 * Stonewall Jackson, C.S. Army general
 * Albert G. Jenkins, general and politician
 * Jonah Edward Kelley, U.S. Army soldier; Medal of Honor recipient
 * Edwin Gray Lee, C.S. Army general
 * Carwood Lipton, U.S. Army soldier
 * John P. Lucas, U.S. Army general; commander at Battle of Anzio
 * Jessica Lynch, prisoner of war
 * Basil L. Plumley, U.S. Army command sergeant major
 * William E. Shuck, Jr., U.S. Marine, Medal of Honor recipient
 * M. Jeff. Thompson, Mo. State Guard general
 * Hershel W. Williams, U.S. Marine, Medal of Honor recipient
 * John Yarnall, U.S. Navy officer
 * Chuck Yeager, aviator

Politics and government



 * Newton D. Baker, politician
 * William Wallace Barron, politician
 * John J. Beckley, frontiersman and Librarian of Congress
 * Ephraim Bee, frontiersman and politician
 * Charles Bent, frontiersman and politician
 * Arthur I. Boreman, politician
 * Sylvia Mathews Burwell, politician
 * Harry F. Byrd, politician
 * Robert Byrd, U.S. Senator and majority leader, longest-serving member of Senate (51 years, 5 months, 21 days)
 * Gaston Caperton, politician
 * Shelley Moore Capito, politician
 * Thomas R. Carper, economist and politician
 * John J. Cornwell, politician
 * Henry G. Davis, politician
 * John W. Davis, politician and attorney, Democratic Party nominee for U.S. President (1924)
 * Stephen Benton Elkins, politician
 * Walter Lowrie Fisher, U.S. Secretary of Interior
 * Mark Funkhouser, politician; mayor of Kansas City, Missouri
 * William E. Glasscock, politician
 * Nathan Goff, Jr., politician
 * Howard Mason Gore, politician
 * Henry D. Hatfield, politician
 * Ken Hechler, politician and author
 * John J. Jacob, politician
 * Evan Jenkins, state senator
 * Elizabeth Kee, politician
 * John E. Kenna, politician
 * Chief Logan, Native-American leader
 * William A. MacCorkle, politician
 * Joe Manchin, politician
 * William C. Marland, politician
 * Roy L. McCulty, politician
 * Arch A. Moore, Jr., politician
 * Dwight Morrow, diplomat; father-in-law of Charles Lindbergh
 * Matthew M. Neely, politician
 * Bob Ney, politician
 * Okey L. Patteson, politician
 * Francis Harrison Pierpont, politician, "father of West Virginia"
 * Nick Rahall, politician
 * Jennings Randolph, politician
 * Absalom Willis Robertson, politician
 * Jay Rockefeller, politician
 * Hulett C. Smith, politician
 * William E. Stevenson, politician
 * Cyrus Vance, U.S. Secretary of State
 * Charles Washington, statesman
 * Erik Wells, politician and news anchor
 * Bob Wise, politician

Religion

 * Alexander Campbell, Restoration Movement leader
 * Matthew W. Clair, Methodist Episcopal Church bishop
 * T. D. Jakes, televangelist
 * B. R. Lakin, evangelist

Science

 * Eugene Aserinsky, discovered rapid eye movement sleep (REM)
 * Maurice Brooks, ornithologist
 * Homer Hickam, former NASA engineer
 * Andrew Delmar Hopkins, entomologist
 * Katherine Johnson, mathematician and NASA computer scientist
 * Carl D. Keith, chemist, invented three-way catalytic converter
 * Mahlon Loomis, inventor of the wireless telegraph
 * Robert J. Marks II, electrical engineer
 * Joseph Maroon, neurosurgeon
 * Jon McBride, NASA astronaut; pilot of Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-41-G (1984)
 * Adrian Melott, physicist and cosmologist
 * George A. Miller, psychologist and cognitive scientist
 * John Forbes Nash, mathematician
 * James Rumsey, inventor and mechanical engineer
 * Charles Marstiller Vest, educator and mechanical engineer

Other



 * James J. Andrews, espionage agent
 * Bill Blizzard, labor leader
 * Julia Bonds, environmental activist; winner of Goldman Prize
 * Belle Boyd, espionage agent
 * Larry Gibson, environmental activist; founder of Keeper of the Mountains Foundation
 * Nancy Hanks, mother of Abraham Lincoln; distant cousin of Tom Hanks
 * Devil Anse Hatfield, patriarch of Hatfield clan of 19th-century Hatfield–McCoy feud
 * Sid Hatfield, Matewan police chief, prominent figure in labor history
 * Jacob and Samuel Hawken, designers of Hawken rifle
 * John Henry, steel-driving man of folklore
 * Glen and Bessie Hyde, disappeared raftsmen
 * Julia Neale Jackson, mother of Stonewall Jackson
 * Anna Jarvis, founder of Mother's Day in United States
 * Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, labor and community organizer
 * Charles Manson, convicted murderer
 * Randal McCloy, lone survivor of 2006 Sago Mine disaster
 * Stephen Murphy, ex-DEA agent; along with Javier Peña, one of the lead investigators in the manhunt of Colombian drug smuggler Pablo Escobar
 * Harry Powers, serial killer
 * Patsy Paugh Ramsey, Miss West Virginia; mother of JonBenét Ramsey
 * Walter Reuther, labor leader
 * Cecil Roberts, United Mine Workers president
 * Leon Sullivan, civil rights activist
 * Harry Randall Truman, volcano victim; owner of lodge at Mount St. Helens
 * Jack Whittaker, lottery winner