Posted in Nebraska
June 19, 2015
by Delana Lefevers
36 MORE Famous People You Might Not Know Are From Nebraska
Nebraska has turned out so many shining stars that we couldn’t fit them all into just one list – see part one here . In our second list of famous people from Nebraska, we look at 36 more folks who were born here or spent part of their lives here (and we’re claiming those partial-life residents because we’re pretty sure they all want people to know they lived in Nebraska).
311, Band, Formed in Omaha in 1988
Grace Abbott, Pioneering Social Worker Who Fought for Child Welfare and Immigrants' Rights, Born in Grand Island in 1878
Max Baer, Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World, Born in Omaha in 1909
John Beasley, Actor and Founder of the John Beasley Theater and Workshop, Born in Omaha in 1943
Mildred Brown, Civil Rights Leader and Publisher of the Omaha Star, Lived in Omaha From 1937 Until Her Death in 1989
William Jennings Bryan, Nebraska Politician, 41st U.S. Secretary of State and Three-Time Democratic Presidential Candidate, Lived in Nebraska 1887-Early 1900s
Montgomery Clift, Film and Stage Actor, Born in Omaha in 1920
James Coburn, Film and Television Actor, Born in Laurel in 1928
Sandy Dennis, Tony Award-winning Theater and Film Actress, Born in Hastings in 1937
John R. Dunning, Physicist Who Played a Key Role in Developing the Atomic Bomb, Born in Shelby in 1907
(Pictured on the left.)
Harold Eugene "Doc" Edgerton, Inventor of the Strobe Light and Stroboscopic Photography, Born in Fremont in 1903
Jorge Garcia, Actor and Comedian, Born in Omaha in 1973
Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals Left Fielder, Born in Lincoln in 1984
Ahman Green, Former NFL Running Back For the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks, Born in Omaha in 1977
David Janssen, Film and Television Actor, Born in Naponee in 1931
Chris Klein, Actor, Lived in Omaha in His Teens and Graduated from Millard West High School in 1998
Ted Kooser, Pulitzer Prize Winner and Former Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, Has Lived in Garland since the 1960s
Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, First Female Native American Physician, Born on the Omaha Reservation in 1865
Harold Lloyd, Silent Film Actor and Film Producer, Born in Burchard in 1893
Preston Love, Musician, Born in Omaha in 1921
Randy Meisner, Founding Member of The Eagles, Born in Scottsbluff in 1946
(Meisner is second from the left.)
Victor Mills, Inventor of the Modern Disposable Diaper, Born in Milford in 1897
J. Sterling Morton, Former Secretary of Agriculture and Founder of Arbor Day, Lived in Nebraska from 1854 Until His Death in 1902
Nick Nolte, Academy Award-Nominated Actor, Born in Omaha in 1941
Kay Orr, Former NE Governor, First Female Republican Elected as Governor in the U.S., Moved to Lincoln in 1963
Roscoe Pound, Legal Scholar and Dean of Harvard Law School, Born in Lincoln in 1870
Red Cloud, Oglala Lakota Tribe Chief and Native American Activist, Born in What is Now Nebraska in 1822
Paul Revere, Popular Rock Musician, Born in Harvard in 1938
Gale Sayers, Former Chicago Bears Running Back and Inspiration for the Movie Brian's Song, Raised in Omaha and Graduated from Omaha Central High School
Bess Streeter Aldrich, Author, Lived in Nebraska From 1906 Until Her Death in 1954
Brandon Teena, Murder Victim and Inspiration for the Movie "Boys Don't Cry," Born in Lincoln in 1972
John Trudell, Author, Musician, Actor, and Native American Activist, Born in Omaha in 1946
Gabrielle Union, Film and Television Actress, Born in Omaha in 1972
Evan Williams, Inventor of Blogger and Former CEO of Twitter, Born in Clarks in 1972
Malcolm X, Muslim Minister and Human Rights Activist, Born in Omaha in 1925
Darryl Zanuck, Film Producer and Founder of 20th Century-Fox, Born in Wahoo in 1902
Even with TWO lists – and a total of 66 names – we still haven’t named every single famous person from Nebraska. Who are some of your favorites?
