List of Danish Americans

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

This is a list of notable Danish Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American-born descendants.

To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Danish American or must have references showing they are Danish American and are notable.

List

Actors

Scarlett Johansson

Viggo Mortensen

Leslie Nielsen

• Jessica Alba, actress, mother is of part Danish descent
• Bridgette Andersen, actress^[1]
• Robert Anderson, actor, make-up artist and director
• Gwili Andre, actress, immigrant from Denmark
• Alexis Bledel, actress, paternal grandfather of Danish descent^[2]
• Erika Christensen, actress, father is of part Danish descent^[3]
• Hayden Christensen, actor, father is part Danish
• Tove Christensen, producer and actor, father is part Danish
• Ellen Corby, actress, maiden name was Hansen^[4]
• Jamie Lee Curtis, actress, maternal grandmother was born to Danish immigrants
• Kelly Curtis, actress, sister of actress Jamie Lee Curtis
• Karl Dane, comedian and actor
• Eliza Dushku, actress, mother is of mostly Danish descent^[5]
• Buddy Ebsen, actor, father was of Danish ancestry ^[6]
• Ann Forrest, actress, immigrant from Denmark
• Lilie Hayward, actress and screenwriter, sister of Danish American actress Seena Owen
• Jean Hersholt, actor, immigrant from Denmark
• Maren Jensen, actress and model, father was of Danish ancestry
• Scarlett Johansson, actress, father is an immigrant from Denmark^[7]
• Janet Leigh, actress, her mother, (Helen Westergaard), was born to Danish immigrants
• Deanna Lund, actress
• Michael Madsen, actor, father was of Danish ancestry^[8]
• Virginia Madsen, actress, father was of Danish ancestry^[9]
• John Melendez, entertainer^[10]
• Viggo Mortensen, actor, father is from Denmark^[11]
• Brigitte Nielsen, Danish-born actress
• Connie Nielsen, actress
• Leslie Nielsen, actor, father was an immigrant from Denmark
• Nica Noelle, pornographic film actress/director (father)^[12]
• William Orlamond, actor, immigrant from Denmark
• Heather O'Rourke (b. 1975 - d. 1988), child actress, her mother is of Danish descent.
• Seena Owen, actress, parents were immigrants from Denmark
• William Petersen, actor, paternal grandfather was of Danish ancestry^[13]
• Anders Randolf, actor, immigrant from Denmark
• AnnaSophia Robb, actress, one or two of her great-grandmothers were Danes
• Peter Sarsgaard, actor, paternal great-great-grandparents were born in Denmark
• Gale Sondergaard, actress^[14]
• Sven-Ole Thorsen, actor and stuntman, immigrant from Denmark
• Uma Thurman, actress, mother is of partial Danish descent
• Elijah Wood, American actor, maternal great-grandmother was of Danish ancestry^[15]

Architects

• Jens Jensen, landscape architect

Artists

• Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore^[16]
• Solon Borglum, sculptor of the American West^[17]
• Carl Christian Anton Christensen, painter
• Christian Gullager, painter
• Antonio Jacobsen, maritime painter
• Eric Larson, animator
• Ferdinand Richardt, landscape painter

Athletics

• Chris "Birdman" Andersen, NBA player, father was a Danish immigrant
• Morten Andersen, NFL Kicker
• Thomas William Asmussen, Major League Baseball catcher.
• Jay DeMerit, professional soccer player
• Vern Mikkelsen, basketball player^[18]
• Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monstery, fencing and boxing master^[19]
• Anton Peterlin, soccer player
• Battling Nelson, professional boxing world lightweight champion 1905-06, 1908-10
• Noah Syndergaard, current MLB pitcher for the New York Mets.
• Kid Williams, professional boxing world bantamweight champion 1914-17
• Alan Voskuil, basketball player for the Danish national team

Religious personalities

• Anton Marius Andersen, Founding President of Trinity Seminary at Dana College^[20]
• Kristian Anker, First president of the combined Trinity Seminary and Dana College.^[21]
• Gottlieb Bender Christiansen, Founding President of the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church ^[22]
• Claus Lauritz Clausen, First President of the Conference of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America ^[23]
• Theodore Marcus Hansen, President of Dana College and Trinity Seminary
• Kristian Ostergaard, Lutheran pastor, educator and author^[24]
• Peter Sørensen Vig, President and Professor of Theology at Trinity Seminary at Dana College ^[25]
• Russel M. Nelson, renown heart surgeon and President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints^[26]
• D. Todd Christofferson, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints^[27]
• Neil L. Andersen, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints^[28]
• Ronald A Rasband, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints^[29]

Jacob Riis

Lloyd Bentsen

Journalism

• Jack Anderson, Journalist
• Sophus Frederik Neble - (Danish born) Editor of Den Danske Pioneer ^[30]
• Jacob Riis, (Danish born) Journalist

Music

• Victor Borge, musician and comedian
• Julian Casablancas, The Strokes vocalist
• Mose Christensen, symphony conductor^[31]
• Alf Clausen, film and television composer
• King Diamond, King Diamond lead vocalist
• Lars Frederiksen, Rancid vocalist and guitarist^[32]
• Isaac Hanson, musician
• Taylor Hanson, musician
• Zac Hanson, musician
• Morten Lauridsen, composer
• Lauritz Melchior, opera singer
• M. P. Møller, pipe organ builder
• Rick Nielsen, Cheap Trick guitarist
• Oh Land (Nanna Øland), singer and songwriter
• Iggy Pop, singer and songwriter
• Matthew Santos, rock and folk singer-songwriter, musician and painter, mother Danish-born
• Mike Tramp, singer and songwriter
• Lars Ulrich, Metallica drummer
• Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam singer and songwriter

Politics and law

• Lloyd Bentsen, former Democratic senator from Texas, Treasury Secretary, and vice presidential nominee^[33]
• Marius Dueholm, Danish born American farmer and politic.
• Hans Peter Mareus Neilsen Gammel, author of The Laws of Texas 1822-1897 ^[34]
• Steny Hoyer, House Minority Whip and former House Majority Leader^[35]
• Roger Jepsen, former Republican senator from Iowa
• Chris Madsen, United States Marshal
• Janet Reno, Attorney General^[36]
• Ted Sorensen, speechwriter and president advisor^[37]
• Lis Wiehl, Fox News Channel legal analyst and author

Science

• Jens Clausen, evolutionary biologist
• Erik Erikson, psychologist
• Niels Ebbesen Hansen, Head of the Horticultural Department at South Dakota State University
• William Webster Hansen, physicist and one of the founders of microwave electronics technology
• Max Henius, Biochemist and founder of the Rebild National Park in Denmark^[38]
• Theo Holm, botanist
• Christine Korsgaard, philosopher
• Otto Larsen (sociology), sociologist known for academic work in mass hysteria and public positions on obscenity and pornography
• Holger Thiele, astronomer^[39]
• Dale T. Mortensen, Economist

Writers

• Poul Anderson, Science Fiction writer
• Erik Christian Haugaard, author of children's books
• Axel Madsen, writer
• Ib Melchior, Danish born film director and screenwriter
• Joel Skousen, American author
• Mark Skousen, American economist and author
• Royal Skousen, American professor
• W. Cleon Skousen, American author
• Sophus Keith Winther, professor and novelist

Other

• Arthur Nielsen, American market analyst of Danish descent who founded the ACNielsen company and Nielsen Media Research, best known for the Nielsen ratings.
• Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, philanthropist
• William S. Knudsen, Executive with Ford Motor Company and General Motors
• Semon Knudsen, Executive with Ford Motor Company and General Motors
• Charles E. Sorensen, Production engineer and executive with Ford Motor Company
• Christian Mortensen, Danish-born supercentenarian, was longest-lived man on record at the time of his death
• Claus Von Bulow, Danish born socialite accused of killing his wife Sunny.

References

1. "IMDb: Bridgette Andersen." Accessed July 18, 2007.
2. "Alexis Bledel interview." Accessed July 18, 2007.
3. "Erika Christensen interview." Public Servant Lifestyle, June 10, 2006. Accessed July 18, 2007.
4. "Racine, Wisconsin Claims to Fame." Accessed July 18, 2007.
5. , "The Complete Buffy Guide: Faith's Bio/Erika's Bio." Accessed July 18, 2007.
6. Boehme, R. "Buddy Ebsen Biography." Buddy Ebsen Tribute Page, August 2006. Accessed July 18, 2007.
7. Hiller, Jordan. "Interview with Scarlett Johansson." Accessed July 18, 2007.
8. IMDb.com: Michael Madsen. Accessed July 18, 2007.
9. Murray, Rebecca. "Virginia Madsen Interview." Accessed July 18, 2007.
10. "John Melendez." ThoughtWorthy. Accessed July 18, 2007.
11. Høi, Poul. "Viggo From Hollywood." August 27, 2001. Accessed July 18, 2007.
12. SweetHeartVideo. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
13. "BuddyTV Profile: William Petersen." Accessed July 18, 2007.
14. "The Climax." Ladies of Horror. Accessed July 18, 2007.
15. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/celeb/wood.htm
16. "The link from Mount Rushmore to Denmark." Accessed July 18, 2007.
17. "Solon Hannibal Borglum: Sioux Indian Buffalo Dance." Accessed July 18, 2007.
18. "Biography recalls Mikkelsen's days with the Minneapolis Lakers." Minnesota Public Radio, October 12, 2006. Accessed July 18, 2007.
19. "Monstery, Thomas Hoyer." Beadle and Adams Dime Novel Digitization Project. Accessed July 18, 2007.
20. A. M. Andersen, Pioneer Pastor, First President(Dana College Review
21. Kristian Christian Cyclopedia. The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
22. Christian Cyclopedia. The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
23. Biography of Rev. Claus L. Clausen. (Pike, Kathy McAlister. edited by K. L. Kittleson. Mitchell County, Iowa 2004)
24. Kristian Ostergaard's A Merchant's House (by John Mark Nielsen. University of Nebraska - Lincoln)
25. Peter Sorenson Vig,1854-1929. Nebraska State Historical Society
26. "Elder Nelson remembers ancestors at Ephraim Scandinavian Days | KSL.com". www.ksl.com. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
27. "RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: LDS Historical". wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
28. "How much do you know about Elder Ronald A. Rasband? | Deseret News". DeseretNews.com. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
29. "Find Our Cousins". www.lds.org. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
30. "The Danish-Language Press in America" (Marion Marzolf. Norwegian-American Historical Association. Volume 28: Page 274)
31. Giffin, Glenn. "The Christensen Brothers: An American Dance Epic." Dance Magazine, March 2000. Accessed July 18, 2007.
32. "Lars Frederiksen - Biography." Rancid Online. Accessed July 18, 2007.
33. "Multicultural America: Danish Americans." Accessed July 18, 2007.
34. "H.P.N. Gammel : Texas bookman" (by Dorothy Gammel Bohlender, Frances Tarlton McCallum)
35. Hartley, Allegra. "Ten Facts About Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland." U.S. News & World Report, November 13, 2006. Accessed July 18, 2007.
36. "Remarks of the Honorable Janet Reno Attorney General of the United States at Ceremonies Marking the Swearing in of Members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council." December 8, 1998. Accessed July 18, 2007.
37. "Kennedy and the Promise of the Sixties." Accessed July 18, 2007.
38. Rebild National Park Society, Inc
39. Astrophysics Data System (ADS)