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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

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

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?

Delana Lefevers

As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.