Famous Pennsylvanians
These are just a few of the famous people who were either born in Pennsylvania or spent some important time in Pennsylvania.
Edward Goodrich Acheson, inventor
David Akers, football player
Al Alberts, member of The Four Aces
Louisa May Alcott, novelist, Little Women
Maxwell Anderson, playwright
Walter Annenberg, philanthropist
Joe Banner, football team president
Samuel Barber, composer
John Barry, Revolutionary War naval hero
John Barrymore, actor
Donald Barthelme, author
Irene Bedard, actress and singer
Chuck Bednarik, football player. The greatest two-way football player (playing center on offense and linebacker on defense).
Kendrell Bell, football player
Stephen Vincent Benet, poet and short story writer
Stan Berenstain, author of the Berenstain Bears books
Jerome Bettis, football player
George Blaisdell, founder of Zippo Manufacturing
Mel Blount, football player
Daniel Boone, frontiersman and explorer
Ed Bradley, TV newsman
Sheldon Brown, football player
James Buchanan, U.S. president
Jim Bunning, baseball player
Plaxico Burress, football player
Alexander Calder, sculptor
Andrew Carnegie, industrialist and philanthropist
Bud Carson, football coach
Rachel Carson, biologist and author, Silent Spring
Chris Carter, football player
Mary Cassatt, painter
George Catlin, Indian expert and poet
Brad Childress, football coach
Lou Christie, aka Luigi Sacco, singer
Harry “Flash” Clarke, football player
Roberto Clemente, baseball player
Henry Steele Commager, historian
Bill Cosby, actor and comedian
Bill Cowher, football coach
Randall Cunningham, football quarterback
Stuart Davis, painter
Brian Dawkins, football player
Cote de Pablo, actress
Walter E. Diemer, inventor
Jimmy Dorsey, big band leader
Tony Dungy, football player and coach
Lenny Dykstra, baseball player
Thomas Eakins, artist
Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. president and general
Julius Erving, basketball player
Oliver Evans, inventor
Alan Faneca, football player
James Farrior, football player
Tina Fey, actress
W. C. Fields, comedian and actor
Jeff Fisher, football coach
Larry Foote, football player
Stephen Foster, composer
Hank Fraley, football player
Ben Franklin, U.S. patriot, publisher, statesman, and inventor. Author of Poor Richard's Almanac.
Robert Fulton, inventor
Henry George, economist
Richard “Goose” Gossage, baseball player
Martha Graham, choreographer
“Mean” Joe Greene, football player
L.C. Greenwood, football player
Alexander Haig, general and secretary of state
Jack Ham, football player
Casey Hampton, football player
William Edward Hanford, inventor
Jeff Hartings, football player
John Heinz, U.S. senator
Tana Hoban, children's book illustrator and author
Lauren Holly, actress
Ernie Holmes, football player
Marilyn Horne, opera singer
Lee Iacocca, auto executive
Reggie Jackson, baseball player
Dan Janzen, butterfly expert
Robinson Jeffers, poet
Gene Kelly, dancer, singer, and actor
Grace Kelly, actress
Jim Kelly, football quarterback
Gelsey Kirkland, ballerina
Nancy Kulp, actress
Stephanie Louise Kwolek, inventor
S. S. Kresge, merchant
Jack Lambert, football player
Alf Landon, Kansas governor and presidential candidate
Mario Lanza, singer
Michael Lewis, football player
Rush Limbaugh, radio talk show host and author
Tara Lipinski, figure skater
William Maclay, U.S. senator
Connie Mack, baseball manager and owner
Tommy Maddox, football quarterback
Dave Mahoney, member of The Four Aces
Dan Marino, football quarterback, holder of many NFL quarterback records
George C. Marshall, five-star general
Gene Mauch, baseball manager
George McClellan, general
Thomas McKean, Pennsylvania governor
Donovan McNabb, football quarterback
Margaret Mead, anthropologist
Andrew Mellon, banker and financier
Henry Chapman Mercer, potter, founder of the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works
Thomas Mifflin, Pennsylvania governor
Tom Mix, cowboy actor
Joe Montana, football quarterback
Robert Morris, financier of the American Revolution
Joe Namath, football quarterback
Barry Nelson, actor
Hezekiah Niles, journalist
Chuck Noll, football coach
Terrell Owens, football player
Arnold Palmer, golfer
Joe Paterno, football coach
Robert E. Peary, explorer
Holly Robinson Peete, actress
Rodney Peete, football player
John Penn, colonial governor of Pennsylvania
William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania
Troy Polamalu, football player
Joey Porter, football player
Antwaan Randle El, football player
Man Ray, painter and photographer
Jake Reed, football player
Andy Reid, football coach
Pete Retzlaff, football player
Mary Roberts Rinehart, author
Jim Ringo, football player
Ben Roethlisberger, football player
Betsy Griscom Ross, flagmaker
Jonas Salk, developer of polio vaccine
Lito Sheppard, football player
Lou Silvestri, member of The Four Aces
Mark Simeneau, football player
Corey Simon, football player
B. F. Skinner, psychologist
John Sloan, painter
Will Smith, actor
Simon Snyder, Pennsylvania governor
Musiq Soulchild, singer and songwriter
Duce Staley, football player
John Stallworth, football player
Terry Staubach, football quarterback
Gertrude Stein, author
James Stewart, actor
George R. Stibitz, inventor
Lynn Swann, football player
Taylor Swift, country singer
Jeremiah Trotter, football player
John Unitas, football quarterback
John Updike, novelist
Sol Vaccaro, member of The Four Aces
Troy Vincent, football player
Honus Wagner, baseball player
Mike Wagner, football player
Hines Ward, football player
Fred Waring, big band leader
Ethel Waters, singer and actress
Anthony Wayne, military officer
Andrew Weil, doctor and book author
Jennifer Weiner, romance novelist
George Westinghouse, entrepreneur
Reggie White, football player
Hugh Williamson, signer of U.S. Constitution
August Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
Andrew Wyeth, painter
