List of people from Columbia, South Carolina

The following people were born in, residents of, or closely associated with Columbia, South Carolina.

Government and law

• Weston Adams, United States ambassador
• DeAndrea G. Benjamin, lawyer serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• Stephen K. Benjamin, politician, mayor of Columbia, Director of the Office of Public Engagement for the Biden administration, and one of the senior advisors to president Biden
• Adair Ford Boroughs, United States attorney for the District of South Carolina
• John T. Campbell, politician, mayor of Columbia
• J. Michelle Childs, U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
• Jim Clyburn, US House Assistant Democratic Leader
• Bob Coble, politician, mayor of Columbia
• John E. Courson, politician, President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate
• Kirkman Finlay, Jr., politician, mayor of Columbia
• Dick Harpootlian, politician and attorney
• Robert H. Hodges, Jr., federal judge
• George Dean Johnson Jr., politician and lawyer
• Henry McMaster, incumbent governor of South Carolina, since 2017
• Matthew J. Perry, lawyer, judge
• Carol Rasco, director of the Domestic Policy Council under President Bill Clinton; advocate for disability rights, education, and children
• Jennifer Clyburn Reed, federal co-chair of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission
• Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of Columbia
• Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States
• Bill Workman, economic consultant, Greenville mayor; former Columbia resident

Film and acting

• Julian Adams, film producer, writer, and actor
• Aziz Ansari, actor and comedian, Parks and Recreation
• Paul Benjamin, actor
• Anna Camp, actress, Pitch Perfect films
• Kelsey Chow, actress
• Mike Colter, actor
• Angell Conwell, actress
• Kristin Davis, actress, Sex and the City
• Stanley Donen, film director and choreographer
• Michael Flessas, actor
• Ed Grady, actor ^[1]
• Scott Holroyd, actor
• Fiona Hutchison, actress
• Barton MacLane, actor, playwriter, screenwriter
• Elizabeth MacRae, actress
• Allison Munn, actress
• Gloria Saunders, actress
• Ann Savage, actress
• Sadie Stanley, actress
• Josh Stolberg, screenwriter
• Robin Swicord, screenwriter
• Jonny Weston, actor
• Lee Thompson Young, actor

Education

• Clarissa Minnie Thompson Allen, writer and educator ^[2]
• Mary Haskell, educator
• Elias Marks, founder of Barhamville Institute
• Steve Pettit, fifth president of Bob Jones University
• Sophie Sosnowski, founder of young women's schools

Activism

• Sarah Mae Flemming, civil rights activist
• Kevin Alexander Gray, activist
• Taylor Richardson, advocate, activist, speaker, student and philanthropist
• Modjeska Monteith Simkins, civil rights activist, Secretary of the South Carolina NAACP
• Tom Turnipseed, activist, formerly of State Senate

Music

• Nickolas Ashford of Ashford & Simpson r&b duo, born in Fairfield County
• Atlas Road Crew, alternative rock, Southern rock band
• Bored Suburban Youth, hardcore punk band
• Pi'erre Bourne, producer and rapper
• Speaker Knockerz, producer and rapper
• Ben Bridwell, lead singer of Band of Horses, alternative rock band
• Phillip Bush, pianist
• Crossfade, alternative metal/hard rock band
• Danny!, musician
• From Safety To Where, rock band
• Hootie & the Blowfish, band
• Danielle Howle, musician and songwriter
• Iron & Wine (Samuel Beam), indie rock musician
• JetsonMade, producer
• Alexis Jordan, singer
• Lil Ru, singer
• Linda Martell first black female country singer, from Batesburg-Leesville
• The Movement, reggae band
• Chris Potter, musician
• The Sequence, first female hip-hop group in 1979
• Zachary Stevens, heavy metal singer
• Angie Stone, singer
• Stretch Arm Strong, hardcore punk band
• Toro y Moi, musician and songwriter
• Ron Westray, trombonist
• Young Jeezy, rapper, born in Columbia

Art

• Eugene Dovilliers, artist
• Larry Francis Lebby, artist
• Alicia Leeke, artist
• Guy Lipscomb, artist^{[ citation needed ][ dubious – discuss ]}
• Brooklyn Mack, ballet dancer ^[3]
• Ashley Tuttle, ballet dancer

Science and medicine

• Charles F. Bolden, Jr., astronaut
• Tyrone Hayes, biologist
• Alonzo Clifton McClennan, doctor
• Kary Mullis, scientist (Nobel Prize winner/graduate of Dreher High School)
• John H. Yardley, pathologist

Military

• Charles W. Bagnal, military officer and lawyer
• Arthur C. Davis, Navy admiral
• Maxcy Gregg, Civil War veteran
• Alexander Cheves Haskell, Civil War veteran
• Lloyd E. Jones, Army major general ^[4]

Literature and publishing

• Annie Maria Barnes, journalist, editor, and author
• James Dickey, poet, author of Deliverance in 1970, #42 on Modern Library's list of the 100 best 20th-century novels
• William Price Fox, novelist
• Terrance Hayes, poet
• Ed Madden, poet, professor, and editor
• Ryan Magee, editor
• John Henry McCray, African American newspaper journalist and publisher, politician, and civil rights activist
• Ray McManus, poet ^[5]
• Tom Poland, author
• Julian Selby, printer, journalist and writer

Sports

• Ike Anderson, Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler
• Grayson Barber, soccer player ^[6]
• Zinn Beck, MLB player, manager
• Ryan Bethea, professional football wide receiver
• Michael Boulware, NFL safety
• Peter Boulware, NFL linebacker, 4-time Pro Bowl, Super Bowl champion
• Bob Bowman, swim coach, best known as coach of Michael Phelps
• Zack Bowman, NFL cornerback
• Bruce Chen, Major League Baseball pitcher
• Tyrone Corbin, NBA player and coach
• Dennis Daley, NFL offensive tackle
• Brad Edwards, NFL defensive back
• Alex English, NBA forward, member of Basketball Hall of Fame
• The Fabulous Moolah, WWE/WWF wrestler
• Samkon Gado, NFL running back
• Grayson Greiner, MLB catcher
• Kirby Higbe, MLB pitcher
• LaMarr Hoyt, MLB pitcher, AL Cy Young Award winner
• Hal Jeffcoat, MLB player
• Dustin Johnson, professional golfer
• Erik Kimrey, college football coach
• Savannah McCaskill, soccer player, member of USWNT
• Xavier McDaniel, NBA player
• BJ McKie, professional basketball player
• Jermaine O'Neal, NBA player, 6-time All-Star
• The Patriot, real name Del Wilkes, pro wrestler
• Zach Prince, USL Championship soccer player
• Brian Quick, NFL player
• Andre Roberts, NFL wide receiver, All-Pro kick returner
• Darell Scott, NFL defensive tackle
• Richard Seymour, NFL defensive tackle, 7-time Pro Bowl, 3-time Super Bowl champion
• Duce Staley, NFL player and coach
• Freddie Summers, NFL defensive back
• Channing Tindall, NFL linebacker
• Trick Williams, professional wrestler, WWE NXT (NXT Champion)
• A'ja Wilson, WNBA power forward for the Las Vegas Aces
• Wesley Bryan, professional golfer

Other

• Kimberly Clarice Aiken, Miss USA 1994
• Joseph Bernardin, Catholic cardinal
• Marie Boozer, adventuress from Civil War era
• Mark Cerney, founder of the Next of Kin Registry (NOKR)
• Ainsley Earhardt, news anchor
• Craig Melvin, news anchor
• Dylann Roof, terrorist and white supremacist mass murderer behind the Charleston church shooting

References

1. Brings Plenty, Scott M. (December 13, 2012). "Edward Louis "Ed" Grady – obituary". The Cherokee One Feather . Retrieved July 25, 2016.
2. Elizabeth Ann Beaulieu (April 2006). Writing African American Women. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 6–7. ISBN   978-0-313-02462-7 . Retrieved November 13, 2012.
3. "Athlete turned dancer to compete". The Columbia Star. Columbia, South Carolina. June 2, 2006. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
4. "Maj. Gen. Lloyd E. Jones, 68, Artillery Expert, Dies" . Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD. Associated Press. January 4, 1958. p. 8.
5. Richardson, Rachel. , "Spartanburg Herald", Spartanburg, October 5, 2014. Retrieved 2015.
6. "Columbia native Grayson Barber turns pro; heads to the MLS". WACH . January 23, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2025.