List of people from Wyoming

This is a list of prominent people who were born in or lived for a significant period of time in U.S. state of Wyoming.

The arts

Acting

Burnu Acquanetta (1921–2004), actress and model; born in Cheyenne
Jim Beaver (born 1950), actor; born in Laramie
Jim J. Bullock (born 1955), actor; born in Casper
Darren Dalton (born 1965), actor; born in Powell
Mickey Daniels (1914–1970), actor; born in Rock Springs
Matthew Fox (born 1966), actor; raised in Crowheart
Jesse Garcia (born 1982), actor; born in Rawlins
Mildred Harris (1901–1944), actress; born in Cheyenne
Cecilia Hart (1948–2016), actress; born in Cheyenne
Kirby Heyborne (born 1976), actor; born in Evanston
Isabel Jewell (1907–1972), actress; born in Shoshoni
Michael Pearlman (born 1972), actor; lives in Jackson
Jim Siedow (1920–2003), actor; born in Cheyenne
Wally Wales (1895–1980), actor; born in Sheridan
Larry Wilcox (born 1947), actor; raised in Rawlins^[1]

Literature

Craig Arnold (born 1967), poet; teaches at the University of Wyoming; lives in Laramie
C. J. Box (born 1958), author of the Joe Pickett series of novels
Maxwell Struthers Burt (1882–1954), novelist
James A. "Jim" Corbett (1933–2001), writer, philosopher, and human-rights activist; born in Casper
Gretel Ehrlich (born 1946), novelist
Joe Clifford Faust (born 1957), novelist
Alexandra Fuller (born 1969), writer, author of Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight; lives in Jackson Hole
Kathleen O'Neal Gear (born 1954), writer
W. Michael Gear (born 1955), writer
Dan Hausel (born 1949), author of several geology books in Wyoming
Grace Raymond Hebard (1861–1936), western history writer whose findings regarding Sacajawea and Esther Hobart Morris tend to be challenged by contemporary historians
Craig A. Johnson (born 1961), author of the Walt Longmire mysteries; lives in Ucross
George Clayton Johnson (1929–2015), co-author of the novel Logan's Run; born in Cheyenne
Theodore Judson (born 1951), science-fiction writer
Patricia MacLachlan (1938–2022), children's book writer; her book Sarah, Plain and Tall won the Newbery Medal; born in Cheyenne
Rodger McDaniel (born 1948), legislator, attorney, pastor, author of Dying for Joe McCarthy's Sins: The Suicide of Senator Lester Hunt; from Cheyenne
Kyle Mills (born 1966), writer; lives in Jackson Hole
Florabel Muir (1889–1970), newspaper reporter and columnist; born in Rock Springs
Edgar Wilson Nye (1850–1896), journalist and humorist; postmaster of Laramie City in the Wyoming Territory
Todd Parr (born 1962), children's book writer, artist, children's television show producer; grew up in Rock Springs
E. Annie Proulx (born 1935), writer; author of the short story "Brokeback Mountain"; lives in Wyoming
Chip Rawlins (born 1949), non-fiction writer, outdoorsman; lives in Laramie
Tracy Ringolsby (born 1951), sports writer, born and lives in Cheyenne, fifth generation
David Romtvedt, Poet Laureate of Wyoming
Owen Wister (1860–1938), writer of Western novels

Music

Scott Avett (born 1976), musician; member of The Avett Brothers; born in Cheyenne
John Perry Barlow (1947–2018), Grateful Dead lyricist; co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation; retired cattleman; born in Jackson Hole
Ronnie Bedford (1931–2014), jazz musician; music professor at Northwest College in Powell
Richard Kermode (1946–1996), keyboardist; played with Janis Joplin, Malo and Santana, born in Lovell
Chris LeDoux (1948–2005), country music singer-songwriter, bronze sculptor and rodeo champion (professional bareback rider); lived in Kaycee
Ned LeDoux (born 1977), musician, singer-songwriter, son of Chris LeDoux
Teenage Bottlerocket, punk rock band from Laramie

Television

Curt Gowdy (1919–2006), sportscaster; born in Green River
Ian James Lee (born 1984), CNN correspondent; born in Lander
Pete Williams (born 1952), NBC news correspondent; born in Casper

Visual arts

Earl W. Bascom (1896–1992), painter, sculptor, "Cowboy of Cowboy Artists", "Dean of Rodeo Cowboy Sculpture"; lived in Rock Springs
Elsa Spear Byron (1896–1992), photographer; born in Big Horn; lived most of her life in Sheridan
Jackson Pollock (1912–1956), artist; born in Cody
Floyd Shaman (1935–2005), sculptor; born in Wheatland
Penny Wolin (born 1953), photographer; author of The Jews of Wyoming: Fringe of the Diaspora and Descendants of Light: American Photographers of Jewish Ancestry; born in Cheyenne

Other

Tony Andruzzi (1925–1991), magician; born in Cheyenne
Robyn Johnson (born 1985), Miss Wyoming USA 2007
Melba Ogle (born 1942), model; born in Cheyenne
Lyle Waggoner (1935–2020), actor, sculptor; lives in Jackson

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Politics and public office

A–G

Thurman Arnold (1891–1969), associate judge of the Court of Appeals for the D. C. Circuit
Amos W. Barber (1861–1915), governor of Wyoming (1890–1893)
John Barrasso (born 1952), Republican U.S. Senator from Wyoming (since 2007)
Frank A. Barrett (1892–1962), U.S. Senator, Representatives, governor of Wyoming
Eli Bebout (born 1946), Republican gubernatorial nominee (2002); member of the Wyoming State Senate (since 2007)
Mary Bellamy (1861–1954), first woman elected to the Wyoming Legislature
Eliza Stewart Boyd (1833–1912), first woman in America to serve on a jury^{[citation needed]}
Bryant Butler Brooks (1861–1944), governor of Wyoming (1905–1911)
Anne Gorsuch Burford (1942–2004), first female administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; born in Casper
Harriet Elizabeth Byrd (1926–2015), first African American elected to the Wyoming Legislature^[2]
John Allen Campbell (1835–1880), first governor of the Wyoming Territory (1869–1875)
Joseph M. Carey (1845–1924), governor of Wyoming, first U.S. Senator from Wyoming
Robert D. Carey (1878–1937), governor of Wyoming (1919–1923), U.S. Senator (1930–1937)
Vincent Carter (1891–1972), U.S. Representative (1929–1935)
Cale Case (born 1958), Wyoming state senator from Lander (since 1998)
Fenimore Chatterton (1860–1958), Acting Governor of Wyoming (1903–1905)
Dick Cheney (born 1941), vice-president of the United States; raised in Casper; lives in Jackson Hole
Lynne Cheney (born 1941), member of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research; chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Humanities; wife of Dick Cheney; born in Casper
Alonzo M. Clark (1868–1952), governor of Wyoming (1931–1933)
Clarence D. Clark (1851–1930), member of the Wyoming constitutional convention, U.S. Representative (1890–1893), U.S. Senator (1895–1917)
Tom Coburn (1948–2020), Junior Republican Senator from Oklahoma; born in Casper
Henry A. Coffeen (1841–1912), U.S. Representative (1893–1895)
Arthur G. Crane (1877–1955), governor of Wyoming (1949–1951)
Patrick Crank (born 1959), Attorney General of Wyoming (2002–2007)
Edward D. Crippa (1899–1960), interim U.S. Senator (1954)
Barbara Cubin (born 1946), U.S. Representative (1995–2009)
W. G. Curtis, founder and mayor of Torrington; Wyoming State representative
Stephen Wheeler Downey (1839–1902), Wyoming territorial government leader; member of the Wyoming congressional convention; University of Wyoming trustee and president
Frank Emerson (1882–1931), governor of Wyoming (1926–1931)
Mike Enzi (1944–2021), U.S. Senator (1997–2021)
Dave Freudenthal (born 1950), governor of Wyoming (2003–2011)
Nancy Freudenthal (born 1954), judge on the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming
Jack R. Gage (1899–1970), governor of Wyoming (1961–1963)
Jim Geringer (born 1944), governor of Wyoming (1995–2003)
Paul Ranous Greever (1891–1943), U.S. Representative (1935–1938); mayor of Cody

H–M

Clifford Hansen (1912–2009), governor of Wyoming (1963–1967), U.S. Senator (1967–1978)
William Henry Harrison (1896–1990), Republican U.S. Representative from Wyoming (1950s and 1960s)
Stanley K. Hathaway (1924–2005), governor of Wyoming (1967–1975), U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1975)
Edgar Herschler (1918–1990), Governor of Wyoming (1975–1987)
John J. Hickey (1911–1970), U.S. Senator (1961–1962)
Frank O. Horton (1882–1948), U.S. Representative (1939–1941)
Lester C. Hunt (1892–1954), governor of Wyoming (1943–1949); U.S. Senator (1949–1954)
John B. Kendrick (1857–1933), governor of Wyoming (1915–1917), U.S. Senator (1917–1933)
Frank E. Lucas (1876–1948), Republican Governor of Wyoming (1924–1925)
Cynthia Lummis (born 1954), Republican U.S. Senator from Wyoming (since 2021); former member of both houses of the Wyoming legislature and former state treasurer
Randall Luthi (born 1953), former Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives
Max Maxfield (born 1945), Republican secretary of state of Wyoming
Rodger McDaniel (born 1948), Democrat, House of Representatives (1970–1976), Wyoming Senate (1976–1980), attorney; author of biography of U.S. Senator Lester C. Hunt (2013)
Gale W. McGee (1915–1992), U.S. Senator (1959–1977)
John J. McIntyre (1904–1974), U.S. Representative (1941–1943); Wyoming Supreme Court Justice
Ron Micheli (born 1948), former Republican member of Wyoming Legislature, former Wyoming Director of Agriculture
Leslie A. Miller (1886–1970), governor of Wyoming (1932–1939)
Franklin Wheeler Mondell (1860–1939), U.S. Representative (1895–1897; 1899–1923)

N–Z

Joseph C. O'Mahoney (1884–1962), U.S. Senator (1934–1953; 1954–1961)
John Eugene Osborne (1858–1943), governor of Wyoming (1892–1895), U.S. Representative (1987–1999)
Dana Perino (born 1972), 26th White House Press Secretary
DeForest Richards (1846–1903), governor of Wyoming (1899–1903)
William A. Richards (1849–1912), governor of Wyoming (1895–1899)
Edward V. Robertson (1881–1963), U.S. Senator (1943–1949)
Teno Roncalio (1916–2003), U.S. Representative (1965–1967; 1971–1978)
Nellie Tayloe Ross (1876–1977), governor of Wyoming (1925–1927), first female governor of a U.S. state
William B. Ross (1873–1924), governor of Wyoming (1923–1924)
Tom Sansonetti (born 1949), Assistant U.S. Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Justice Department
Henry H. Schwartz (1869–1955), U.S. Senator (1937–1943)
Bryan Sharratt (1947–2007), member of Clinton administration defense team; Democratic candidate for Congress (1988), having been defeated by Dick Cheney
Alan K. Simpson (1931–2025), U.S. Senator (1979–1997)
Milward L. Simpson (1897–1993), Republican governor and U.S. Senator from Wyoming
Mike Sullivan (born 1939), governor of Wyoming (1987–1995)
Patrick Sullivan (1880–1959), Wyoming State Representative (1913–1917)
Patrick Joseph Sullivan (1865–1935), mayor of Casper; U.S. Senator (1929–1930)
John Thayer (1820–1906), governor of Wyoming Territory (1875–1878)
Craig L. Thomas (1930–2007), U.S. Senator (1995–2007)
Edwin Keith Thomson (1919–1960), U.S. Representative (1955–1960)
Thyra Thomson (1916–2013), Wyoming Secretary of State (1962–1987)
Malcolm Wallop (1933–2011), U.S. Senator (1977–1995)
Francis E. Warren (1844–1929), governor of Wyoming (1890), U.S. Senator (1890–1893; 1895–1929)
James G. Watt (1938–2023), U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1981–1983)
Charles E. Winter (1870–1948), U.S. Representative (1923–1929)
John S. Wold (1916–2017), U.S. Representative (1969–1971)

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Sportspeople

Adam Archuleta (born 1977), professional football player; born in Rock Springs
Zane Beadles (born 1986), professional football player; born in Casper
Nick Bebout (born 1951), professional football player; played for the University of Wyoming; born in Riverton
Jim Benepe (born 1963), professional golfer; born in Sheridan
Jacob Bobenmoyer (born 1997), NFL long snapper for the Denver Broncos; Born in Cheyenne
Bill Briggs (born 1931), pioneer in ski mountaineering, lives in Jackson Hole
Tom Browning (born 1960), MLB pitcher; born in Casper
John Buck (born 1980), MLB catcher, born in Kemmerer
Karen Budge (born 1949), former World Cup and Olympic alpine ski racer; born in Jackson
Jaycee Carroll (born 1983), professional basketball player; born in Laramie
Gail Cogdill (1937–2016), professional football player; born in Worland
Chris Cooley (born 1982), professional football player; born in Powell
Alicia Craig (born 1982), distance runner; born in Gillette
Jesseca Cross (born 1975), Olympic athlete; born in Laramie
Lance Deal (born 1961), Olympic athlete; born in Riverton; attended high school in Casper
Mike Devereaux (born 1963), MLB outfielder; NLCS MVP in 1995 with the Atlanta Braves; born in Casper
Boyd Dowler (born 1937), professional football player; born in Rock Springs
Aaron Elling (born 1978), professional football player; played for the University of Wyoming; lived in Lander
Dick Ellsworth (1940–2022), MLB pitcher; born in Lusk
Rulon Gardner (born 1971), wrestler; Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling; born in Afton
John Godina (born 1972), shot putter; three-time world champion; two-time Olympic medalist; lived in Cheyenne
W. Dan Hausel (born 1949), hall-of-fame karate and kobudo grandmaster
Jerry Hill (born 1939), professional football player; born in Torrington
Bryan Iguchi (born 1973), snowboarder; 1997 X-Games bronze medalist in half-pipe; lives in Jackson Hole
James Johnson (born 1987), professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors; born in Cheyenne
Jaelin Kauf (born 1996), Olympic freestyle skier; born in Alta
Brett Keisel (born 1978), professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers; born in Greybull
Mike Lansing (born 1968), MLB infielder; born in Rawlins
Nate Marquardt (born 1979), Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight fighter; born in Lander
Bryce Meredith (born 1995), professional MMA fighter, three-time NCAA Division I wrestling All-American and two-time National Finalist; born in Cheyenne
Tommy Moe (born 1970), world-class alpine skier; two-time Olympic medalist; member of the National Ski Hall of Fame; lives in Jackson Hole
Heather Moody (born 1973), water polo player; two-time Olympic medalist; lived in Green River
Jonah Nickerson (born 1985), pitcher for the Oregon State Beavers; born in Casper
Brandon Nimmo (born 1993), outfielder for New York Mets; born in Cheyenne
Jay Novacek (born 1962), professional football player; played college football at the University of Wyoming
Gail O'Brien (1911–1978), professional football player; born in Cheyenne
Brady Poppinga (born 1979), professional football player; born in Evanston
Chris Prosinski (born 1987), professional football player; born in Newcastle
Travis Rice (born 1982), professional snowboarder; co-producer of documentary films That's It, That's All (2008) and The Art of Flight (2011); born and raised in Jackson Hole
Ken Sailors (1921–2016), professional basketball player; popularized the jump shot; member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame; raised outside Hillsdale, Wyoming; played college basketball at the University of Wyoming
Todd Skinner (1958–2006), rock climber; born in Pinedale
Rick Sofield (born 1956), MLB outfielder; born in Cheyenne
Josef Stiegler (born 1937), world-class alpine skier; three-time Olympic medalist in slalom and giant slalom; lives in Jackson Hole
Resi Stiegler (born 1985), alpine skier; born and raised in Jackson Hole
John Wendling (born 1983), professional football player; born in Cody
Jamila Wideman (born 1975), left-handed point guard basketball player, lawyer and activist
Logan Wilson (born 1996), professional football player for the Cincinnati Bengals; born and raised in Casper

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Miscellaneous

Thurman Arnold (1891–1969), lawyer and judge; born in Laramie
Edward L. Baker Jr. (1865–1913), United States Army; recipient, Medal of Honor; born in Laramie County
Harold Roe Bartle (1901–1974), lawyer; politician; helped to establish Scouting in Wyoming
George T. Beck (1856–1943), politician; businessman; helped William Cody establish the town of Cody
"Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846–1917), Old West figure; helped create Cody
John Colter (1774–1813), explorer; first white man to set foot in Wyoming
Clayton Danks (1879–1970), model cowboy on the Wyoming trademark, the Bucking Horse and Rider; winner of three competitions at Cheyenne Frontier Days
Black Elk (1863–1950), heyoka of the Oglala Lakota people
Otto Franc (1846–1903), cattle baron and homesteader in the Big Horn Basin
Lilian Heath (1865–1962), first female doctor in Wyoming
James L. Herdt (born 1947), Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy; born in Casper
Leonard S. Hobbs (1896–1977), aeronautical engineer and author; won the 1952 Collier Trophy for designing the P&W J57 turbojet engine; born in Carbon County
Raymond A. Johnson (1912–1984), aviation pioneer^[3]
Harold McCracken (1894–1983), creator and director of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody
M. Margaret McKeown (born 1951), U.S. Appeals Court Judge; born in Casper
Esther Hobart Morris (1814–1902), appointed first female judge in United States in 1870 to complete the term of a justice who resigned in protest of the Wyoming Territory's passage of women's suffrage
Margaret Murie (1902–2003), conservationist; lived in Wyoming
John Pedersen (1881–1951), firearms designer who worked for Remington Arms
Chance Phelps (1985–2004), soldier; born in Dubois
Matthew Shepard (1976–1998), murdered student from the University of Wyoming; born in Casper
Jedediah Smith (1799–1831), mountain man, trapper, explorer; first American to get to California from the East
Gerry Spence (born 1929), lawyer; born in Laramie
Willis Van Devanter (1859–1941), city attorney for Cheyenne; chief judge of Wyoming territorial court; Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1911-1937)
Robert R. Wilson (1914–2000), physicist; a group leader of the Manhattan Project; born in Frontier

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References

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