List of people from Denver

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

This article is a list of notable individuals who were born in, have lived in, and/or are commonly associated with Denver, Colorado.

People born elsewhere but raised in Denver are marked with a §. People born and raised elsewhere who have lived in Denver as adults are marked with a #.

Academia

• Anthony R. Barringer - geophysicist and inventor #
• Louis George Carpenter - founder of the first Bachelor of Science degree in Irrigation Engineering in the Americas #
• Edwina Hume Fallis (1876-1957) - educator, writer, toy designer^[1]
• Margaret Hayes Grazier )born Denver 1916) - librarian, educator and author^[2]
• Robert Heizer - archaeologist
• Arnold Kramish (1923-2010) - nuclear physicist on the Manhattan Project who was almost killed in a radioactive explosion^[3]
• Seeley G. Mudd - physician, professor, and major philanthropist to academic institutions
• Paul Romer - economist, major contributor to new growth theory
• Tim Samaras - engineer and storm chaser who starred on Discovery Channel's documentary reality television series Storm Chasers. He lost his life in Oklahoma City's EF3 wedge tornado on May 31, 2013 with his son, Paul and TWISTEX colleague, Carl Young of South Lake Tahoe, California.
• John Searle - philosopher

Arts and entertainment

Film, television, and theatre

• Tim Allen (1953- ), actor, comedian^[4]
• Roseanne Barr (1952- ), actress, comedian^[5] #
• Sierra Boggess (1982- ), actress, singer^[6]
• Stan Brakhage (1933-2003), experimental filmmaker^[7] §
• Joseph Castanon (1997- ), actor^[8]
• Don Cheadle (1964- ), actor^[9] §
• Marshall Colt (1948- ), actor, psychologist #
• Ann B. Davis (1926-2014), actress^[10] #
• Ashly DelGrosso (1982- ), dancer^[11]
• Madhuri Dixit (1967- ), actress^[12] #
• Jack Earle (1906-1952), actor, sideshow performer^[13]
• Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939), actor, director, producer, screenwriter^[14]
• David Fincher (1962- ), director, producer^[15]
• Pam Grier (1949- ), actress^[16] §
• Hanna R. Hall (1984- ), actress^[17]
• Pat Hingle (1924-2009), actor^[18]
• Ameenah Kaplan (1974- ), actress, musician, choreographer
• Jacqueline Madera (1980- ), Miss Colorado USA 2006^[19]
• Hattie McDaniel (1895-1952), actress, comedian, singer-songwriter^[20] §
• T.J. Miller (1981- ), actor, comedian^[21]
• Trey Parker (1969- ), actor, animator, director, screenwriter^[22]
• James D. Parriott (1950- ), writer, director, and producer^[23]
• Joseph C. Phillips (1962- ), actor, political commentator^[24]
• Wayde Preston (1929-1992), actor^[25]
• Dean Reed (1938-1986), actor, singer-songwriter^[26]
• AnnaSophia Robb (1993- ), actress^[27]
• Stephen Stohn (1948- ), television producer
• Jan-Michael Vincent (1944- ), actor^[28]
• Frank Welker (1946- ), voice actor^[29]
• Michael Winslow (1958- ), actor, comedian^[30] §

Journalism

• Ted Conover - journalist and author, born in Okinawa, Japan §
• Miriam Goldberg (born 1916) - American newspaper publisher and editor^[31]
• Jack Murphy - sportswriter, San Diego Chargers stadium originally named for him
• Rick Reilly - sportswriter and author, moved to Denver in 1981 #
• August Skamenca - broadcast journalist, born in Illinois §
• Harry Smith - Correspondent for NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC; was with CBS News 25 years; now lives in New York City. #

Literature

• Neal Cassady - beat generation icon, born in Salt Lake City, Utah §
• Mary Coyle Chase - playwright, author of Harvey
• John Dolan - writer^[32]
• Erin Dolgan - clinical psychotherapist, children’s author
• John Fante - author
• Noah Eli Gordon - poet, born in Ohio #
• Lenora Mattingly Weber - writer, born in Missouri §

Music

• Ailee - K-pop singer and actress
• India.Arie - neo-soul singer^[33]
• Philip Bailey - R&B lead singer with Earth, Wind & Fire
• Bill Barwick - Western music singer-songwriter and voiceover artist #
• Tommy Bolin - guitarist, born in Iowa #
• Judy Collins - folk singer, born in Seattle, Washington, graduated from East High School §
• Deuce Mob - rap group
• Fannie Charles Dillon - composer
• Flobots - hip-hop group
• The Fray - rock band
• Bill Frisell - jazz guitarist and composer, born in Baltimore, Maryland §
• John Grant - folk/rock musician §
• Joe Guese - guitarist of The Click Five, born in Omaha, Nebraska §
• The Lumineers - indie rock group
• OneRepublic - band. Ryan Tedder was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Zach Filkins spent early life in Spain. Brent Kutzle and Eddie Fisher are both from Orange County. Drew Brown is from Broomfield, Colorado §
• Dianne Reeves - jazz vocalist, winner of 4 Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album, graduated from George Washington High School; born in Detroit, Michigan §
• Reese Roper - singer-songwriter
• Isaac Slade - member of The Fray
• Derek Vincent Smith - American electronic music artist who performs under the stage name Pretty Lights
• Jill Sobule - singer-songwriter
• Donnette Thayer - songwriter, singer, graduated from East High School §
• Tyler Ward (1988- ), singer-songwriter^[34]
• John Warne - bassist of the Christian rock band Relient K #
• Kip Winger - lead singer and bass guitarist of the glam metal band Winger
• Ace Young - pop-music singer-songwriter, American Idol finalist

Other visual arts

• George Elbert Burr - early 20th century artist, known for landscape paintings of the Rocky Mountains #
• John Desmond - architect^[35]
• Tomory Dodge - painter
• Jess E. DuBois - artist
• Vance Kirkland - artist, born in Ohio §
• Ron McQueeney - photographer
• Arthur Roy Mitchell - cowboy and western painter, originally from Trinidad, Colorado, spent his last two years of life in Denver, where he is interred #
• Pat Oliphant - editorial cartoonist, born in Adelaide, Australia §

Business

• Molly Brown - survivor of Titanic accident, inspired The Unsinkable Molly Brown, born in Hannibal, Missouri #
• Marie Guiraud - rancher in Park County, lived for a year in Denver during the 1860s
• Samuel Hartsel - pioneer cattleman; moved from Park County to Denver in 1907, where he engaged in business #
• William Larimer, Jr. (1809-1875), land developer, co-founder of Denver^[36] #
• Frances Wisebart Jacobs - philanthropist, born in Kentucky, raised in Ohio, moved to Denver and founded a number of charities #
• Daniel M. Lewin - mathematician and entrepreneur who died on American Airlines Flight 11 during the September 11, 2001 attacks
• Tom Martino - consumer advocate and syndicated talk radio host
• James Smith McDonnell - aviation pioneer and co-founder of McDonnell Douglas Corp.
• Manick Sorcar - artist, engineer, and entrepreneur #

Crime

• L.H. Musgrove - outlaw lynched by a vigilante committee on November 23, 1868
• Soapy Smith - Denver crime boss from 1885-96.^[37] born in Coweta County, Georgia #
• Anna Blythe Speas - lived her last years in Denver; her tragic life story is told in the book Historic Tales from Park County: Parked in the Past by Laura King Van Dusen^[38] #

Law enforcement

• Duane "Dog" Chapman - bounty hunter^[39]
• Beth Chapman - bounty hunter
• Leland Chapman - bounty hunter, born in Groom, Texas §
• Lyssa Chapman - bounty hunter
• Bat Masterson - lawman, gunfighter, gambler, journalist, born in Canada #

Military

• Charles Adams - United States military officer and foreign minister^[40] #
• Danny Dietz (January 26, 1980 – June 28, 2005) - United States Navy SEAL who was killed in the War in Afghanistan. He was posthumously awarded the U.S. Navy's second highest award for valorous actions in battle, the Navy Cross, on September 13, 2006. Danny was portrayed by actor Emile Hirsch in the 2013 film Lone Survivor.
• Kenneth Walker - brigadier general in the Army Air Force, killed in action in 1943, born in New Mexico §

Politics

National

• Madeleine Albright (1937- ), 64th U.S. Secretary of State^[41] §
• Abdulrahman al-Awlaki (1995-2011), son of Anwar al-Awlaki^[42]
• Emily Gibson Braerton (1886-1966), vice president of Daughters of the American Revolution #
• Oscar L. Chapman (1896-1978), 34th U.S. Secretary of the Interior^[43] #
• John Eisenhower (1922-2013), 45th U.S. Ambassador to Belgium^[44]
• Mamie Eisenhower (1896-1979), 36th First Lady of the United States^[45] §
• Frank Freyer (1878-1930) 14th Naval Governor of Guam #
• Rodolfo Gonzales (1928-2005), Chicano Movement activist^[46]
• Carlotta Walls LaNier (1942- ), one of the Little Rock Nine^[47] #
• Golda Meir (1898-1978), 4th Prime Minister of Israel^[48] §
• Thomas M. Patterson (1839-1916), U.S. Senator from Colorado^[49] #
• Federico Peña (1947- ), 12th U.S. Secretary of Transportation, 8th U.S. Secretary of Energy^[50] #
• Dana Perino (1972- ), White House Press Secretary^[51] §
• Condoleezza Rice (1954- ), 66th U.S. Secretary of State^[52] #
• Andrew J. Rogers (1828-1900), U.S. Representative from New Jersey^[53] #
• Karl Rove (1950- ), Deputy White House Chief of Staff^[54]
• Patricia Schroeder (1940- ), U.S. Representative from Colorado^[55] #
• Alan K. Simpson (1931- ), U.S. Senator from Wyoming^[56]
• Tom Tancredo (1945- ), U.S. Representative from Colorado^[57]

State

• Robert E. Allen (1924-2014), Colorado state legislator #
• Jerome B. Chaffee (1825-1886), U.S. Senator from Colorado, co-founder of Denver^[58] #
• John Frullo (1962- ), Texas state legislator^[59] #
• John Hickenlooper (1952- ), 42nd Governor of Colorado^[60] #
• Robert H. Johnson (1916-2011), Wyoming state legislator^[61]

Local

• Wellington Webb (1941- ), 42nd Mayor of Denver^[62] #

Religion

• Nadia Bolz-Weber - minister
• John Lewis Dyer - Methodist Episcopal circuit rider, lived much of his later life in Denver, born in Franklin County, Ohio #
• Sheldon Jackson - Presbyterian missionary in the American West, including Colorado and Alaska #

Sports

American football

• Chris Brewer (1962- ), running back^[63]
• Patrick Cain (1962-2016), center, guard^[64]
• Calais Campbell (1986- ), defensive end^[65]
• Mark Cooney (1951-2011), linebacker^[66]
• John Elway (1960- ), Hall of Fame quarterback, manager^[67] #
• Mike Johnson (1943- ), cornerback^[68]
• Ray Johnson (1914-1990), defensive back^[69]
• Joe Klopfenstein (1983- ), tight end^[70]
• Terry Kunz (1952- ), running back^[71]
• John Lynch (1971- ), strong safety^[72] #
• Peyton Manning (1976- ), quarterback^[73] #
• Kevin McDougal (1977- ), running back^[74]
• Ostell Miles (1970- ), running back^[75]
• Gary Richard (1965- ), defensive back^[76]
• Mark Schlereth (1966- ), guard, sports commentator^[77] #
• Shannon Sharpe (1968- ), tight end, sports commentator^[78] #
• Andre Strode (1972- ), defensive back^[79]
• LenDale White (1984- ), running back^[80]

Baseball

• David Aardsma (1981- ), relief pitcher^[81]
• Mona Denton (1922-1995), pitcher^[82]
• Roy Halladay (1977- ), starting pitcher^[83]
• Jason Hirsh (1982- ), starting pitcher^[84] #
• Virgil Jester (1927-2016), pitcher^[85]

Basketball

• Chauncey Billups (1976- ), point guard, shooting guard^[86]
• Micheal Ray Richardson (1955- ), point guard, shooting guard, coach^[87] §
• Michael Ruffin (1977- ), center, power forward^[88]

Bodybuilding

• Heather Armbrust (1977- ), bodybuilder^[89] #
• Alina Popa (1978- ), bodybuilder^[90] #

Ice hockey

• John Grahame (1975- ), goaltender^[91]
• Joe Sakic (1969- ), centre, manager^[92] #

Pro wrestling

• 2 Cold Scorpio (1965- ), professional wrestler^[93]
• Eve Torres (1984- ), pro wrestler, actress, model^[94]

Other

• Victor Amaya (1954- ), professional tennis player^[95]
• Lindsey Durlacher (1974-2011), Greco-Roman wrestler^[96] #
• Roger Espinoza (1986- ), soccer defensive midfielder, wing back^[97] §
• Tanner Foust (1973- ), racecar driver, stunt driver^[98]
• Jonathan Kaye (1970- ), pro golfer^[99]
• Jerry Robertson (1962- ), NASCAR driver^[100]

See also

• List of people from Colorado
• Music in Denver

References

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99. "Jonathan Kaye". PGA Tour. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
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