List of people from Mansfield, Ohio

The following is a list of people from Mansfield, Ohio. These people were born, lived, or worked in and around the city.

Architecture

• Paul Gilger, architect, set designer and playwright
• Friedrich Ferdinand Schnitzer, architect with many structures on the National Register of Historic Places. Principal architect and superintendent of construction for Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. His name is contained in documents found within the cornerstone of the structure. (https://sites.rootsweb.com/~ohrichla/POP/Bus2/FFS.htm)

Astronauts

• Michael L. Gernhardt, astronaut

Athletics

Ryan Pore

• Ernie Beam, former pitcher in the National League for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1895 ^[1]
• AJ Blubaugh, pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB} for the Houston Astros (2025—present) ^[2]
• Hugh Douglas, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end
• Pete Henry, professional football player
• Mary Holda, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
• Dick Logan, professional football player
• Terry McDaniel, professional football player for the Oakland Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks
• Ricky Minard, professional basketball player
• Don Nehlen, former head football coach
• Bill Peterson, former head football coach at Florida State, Mansfield Senior High, Rice University, and with the Houston Oilers
• Ryan Pore, professional soccer player, Major League Soccer, Kansas City Wizards
• Marc Wilkins, former MLB pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1996—2001) ^[3]
• Natalie Hershberger (taekwondo), six-time National Olympic-style Taekwondo Champion
• Jamie Feick, former NBA player

Authors and writers

Louis Bromfield

• Jacob Brinkerhoff, jurist, congressman, and author
• Roeliff Brinkerhoff, lawyer; editor and owner of the Mansfield Herald; later a bank president
• Louis Bromfield, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
• Stacy Dittrich, true crime author and mystery novelist ^[4]
• Terry Hertzler, poet and writer
• Mary Bigelow Ingham, educator, writer, social reformer
• Christopher Moore, author
• Natalie Hershberger, author

Entertainment

Luke Perry

• Lee Adams, stage lyricist
• Jenni Barber, ^[5] actress, The Electric Company
• John Bishop, playwright and film writer
• James Lapine, playwright and director
• Michael McConnohie, voice actor
• Sylvia McNair, operatic soprano
• Luke Perry, actor (television) Beverly Hills, 90210
• Daniel Roemer, film director, screenwriter
• Robert F. Simon, actor

Entrepreneurs

• Homer Lee, engraver, artist, entrepreneur, founder of Homer Lee Bank Note Company

Military

Frank Purdy Lahm

• Matthias W. Day, US Army Medal of Honor recipient
• Frank Purdy Lahm, first Army aviator
• Mark Matthews, veteran

Musicians and bands

• Ohio Express, rock group; Doug Grassel (rhythm guitar), Dale Powers (lead guitar), Dean Kastran (bass), Jim Pfahler (keyboards), and Tim Corwin (drums)
• Music Explosion, rock group; James "Jamie" Lyons (singer, percussion), Donald Atkins (guitar), Richard Nesta (guitar), Burton Stahl (bass), Robert Avery (drums); Top Ten hit in 1967, "Little Bit O'Soul"
• Switch, Motown R&B/soul group

Politicians

Sherrod Brown

• Charlie Brown, West Virginia Attorney General
• Sherrod Brown, United States Senator, D-Ohio
• Jay Goyal, Ohio State Representative, D-Mansfield
• William Johnston, U.S. Representative, D-Ohio from 1863 to 1865
• Lovana Jones, Illinois State Representative
• Winfield S. Kerr, U.S. Representative, R-Ohio from 1895 to 1901
• B. F. Langworthy, Minnesota State Representative
• Robert Byington Mitchell, Governor of the New Mexico Territory from 1866 to 1869
• William Patterson, U.S. Representative from Ohio
• Mark Romanchuk, Ohio Senate, R-22nd District

Scientists

• Paul Parmalee, zooarchaeologist

Other

• Rebecca Gernhardt Cox (born c. 1955), Assistant Secretary of Transportation; Public Liaison Director for President Reagan; Senior Vice President, Continental Airlines
• Shawn Grate, serial killer ^[6]
• Rose Knox, née Markward (1857–1950), businesswoman, (Knox Gelatin Factory)
• Roy Repp (1882–1934), stunt driver

• Devon Sayers, Peabody, Murrow and multiple Emmy nominated CNN Senior Producer

See also

• Mansfield, Ohio

References

1. "Ernie Beam stats, height, weight, rookie status & more". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved June 12, 2025.
2. "AJ Blubaugh stats, height, weight, rookie status & more". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
3. "Marc Wilkins stats, height, weight, rookie status & more". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
4. Ashland Times-Gazette, Feb. 22, 2010 Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
5. Henderson, Kathy (March 10, 2011). "Jenni Barber on the Fun of Playing a '60s Free Spirit in Cactus Flower". Broadway.com . Retrieved June 3, 2013.
6. Carr, Dillon (September 15, 2016). "Grate's ex-wife releases statement". Richland Source. Retrieved November 30, 2017.