List of people from Scranton, Pennsylvania

Last updated August 20, 2025

Arts

J. Grubb Alexander, silent film screenwriter
Pete Barbutti, actor
Walter Bobbie, theatre director and choreographer
Alan Brown, filmmaker
Sonny Burke, big band leader
Stephen Cognetti, film writer and director
Mark Cohen, photographer
Karl R. Coolidge, screenwriter
Ann Crowley, singer and actress
Pat Crowley, Actress
Emile de Antonio, documentary film director and producer
Carrie De Mar, actress, singer, and vaudevillian
Dorothy Dietrich, stage magician, escapologist, co-owner of Houdini Museum
Margot Douaihy, writer and author
Cy Endfield, screenwriter, film and theater director, author, magician, and inventor
Ann Evers, film actress
Wanda Hawley, silent film actress
Lee Bennett Hopkins, educator, poet, and author
Allan Jones, singer and actor
Gloria Jean, singer and actress
Stephen Karam, playwright and screenwriter
JP Karliak, actor, voice actor, and comedian
Barrie Karp, artist, scholar, and academic
Jean Kerr, author and playwright
Michael Patrick King, television and film writer, director and producer, co-creator of 2 Broke Girls and The Comeback
William Kotzwinkle, novelist and screenwriter
Michael Kuchwara, theater critic, columnist, and journalist
Gershon Legman, cultural critic and folklorist
Bradford Louryk, theater artist and actor
Charles Emmett Mack, actor
Jeanne Madden, singer, star of musical theater and 1930s films
Judy McGrath, MTV Networks CEO
Charles MacArthur, playwright and screenwriter
The Menzingers, punk band
W. S. Merwin, 17th U.S. Poet Laureate
Jason Miller, actor, director, and Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright of That Championship Season
Russ Morgan, big band-era bandleader
Alice Cordelia Morse, American designer of book covers, educator
Motionless in White, gothic metalcore band
Bruce Mozert, photographer
Jay Parini, writer and academic
Jerry Penacoli, actor and director
Byrne Piven, stage actor
Cynthia Rothrock, martial artist and star of martial arts films
Lizabeth Scott, actress and singer
Katy Selverstone, actress, Lisa Robbins on The Drew Carey Show
Melanie Smith, television actress
Mabel Cox Surdam, photographer
Thomas L. Thomas, concert singer
Tigers Jaw, indie rock, emo band
Beverly Tyler, actress and singer
Ned Washington, Academy Award-winning lyricist
Lauren Weisberger, author, The Devil Wears Prada
Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, singer

Business, industry and labor

John J. Albright, American businessman and philathorpist
Louise Tanner Brown, African American businesswoman and owner of a trucking company
Lisa Caputo, Citigroup group
Frank J. Coyne, American business executive, former CEO of Verisk Analytics
Alex Grass, founder of Rite Aid
Ralph Lomma, popularized miniature golf
John Mitchell, labor organizer, founding member and president, United Mine Workers of America
Paul Montrone, American business executive, former chairman and CEO of Fisher Scientific
William Henry Richmond, coal mine operator
Sally Victor, milliner
Charles Sumner "Sum" Woolworth, retailer, philanthropist, co-founder of Woolworth
Mel Ziegler, co-founder, The Republic of Tea and Banana Republic

Government

Richard J. Beamish, Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth and commissioner, Public Utilities Commission
Bruce Beemer, Inspector General of Pennsylvania (2016), Pennsylvania Attorney General(2016–2017)
Joe Biden, 46th President of the United States (2021–2025), 47th Vice President of the United States (2009–2017), U.S. senator from Delaware (1973–2009)
John Blake, former Pennsylvania State Senator
Patrick J. Boland, former U.S. congressman
Marion Cowan Burrows, former Massachusetts state legislator
John D. Butzner Jr., former United States federal judge - United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Frank Carlucci, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and ambassador to Portugal
Robert P. Casey, former governor of Pennsylvania
Robert P. Casey Jr., U.S. senator
Gaynor Cawley, former Pennsylvania State Representative
Jim Connors, former mayor of Scranton
John Cusick, retired lieutenant general and 42nd Quartermaster General of the United States Army
David J. Davis, former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor
Mike Dunleavy, governor of Alaska
Hermann Eilts, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bangladesh
John R. Farr, U.S. Congressman
Anne Healey, Maryland House of Delegates
Kathleen Kane, former Pennsylvania attorney general and felon^[1]
Malachy E. Mannion, United States District Judge, United States District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
Joseph M. McDade, Member of the United States House of Representatives representing Pennsylvania’s 10th congressional district from 1963 to 1999, Powerful Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and vice chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security
Julia K. Munley, United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Karen Murphy (Pennsylvania nurse), former Secretary of Health of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Director of the State Innovation Models Initiative, and CEO of the Moses Taylor Health System
Terence V. Powderly, former head of Knights of Labor
Ernie Preate, former Pennsylvania attorney general and felon
Robert Reich, professor and political commentator, former U.S. Secretary of Labor
Hugh E. Rodham, father of Hillary Clinton ^[2]
Loretta Rush, chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court
Mary Scranton, former First Lady of Pennsylvania^[3]
George W. Scranton, American industrialist and U.S. congressman
Joseph A. Scranton, U.S. congressman
Marion Margery Scranton, Suffragette and vice-chair, U.S. Republican Party
William Scranton, former governor of Pennsylvania and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
William Scranton III, former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor
Harvey Sicherman, Special Assistant to the then Secretary of State, Alexander Haig, American writer and foreign policy expert, President of the Foreign Policy Research Institute from 1993 to 2010
Joel Wachs, Los Angeles city council member
John Anthony Walker, former U.S. Navy chief warrant officer convicted of spying for the Soviet Union ^[4]
Laurence Hawley Watres. U.S. Congressman^[5]
Louis A. Watres, Pennsylvania lieutenant governor^[5]
James Donald Walsh, Diplomat and foreign service officer, United States Ambassador to Argentina 2000-2003
Stephen Wojdak, American politician, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1969–1976)

Sports

Hank Bullough, NFL player and coach
P. J. Carlesimo, college, Olympic, and professional basketball coach and television broadcaster
Jimmy Caras, professional pool player
Nick Chickillo, former NFL player
Nestor Chylak, Baseball Hall of Famer and former American League umpire
Joe Collins, Major League Baseball player, six-time World Series champion
Patty Costello, professional bowler, International Bowling Congress Hall of Fame, and Pro Bowlers Tour Hall of Fame member
Jim Crowley, football player and coach, one-fourth of University of Notre Dame's legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield
Lenny Dykstra, Major League Baseball player
Bill Ferrario, former NFL player
Paul Foytack, Major League Baseball pitcher
Charlie Gelbert, Major League Baseball player
Joe Grzenda, Major League Baseball player
Cosmo Iacavazzi, college and AFL player
Edgar Jones, college and professional football player
Jerome Kapp, NFL wide receiver
Gary Lavelle, Major League Baseball player
Bill Lazor, NFL offensive coordinator
Dave Lettieri, Olympic cyclist
Mike Lynn, general manager and executive Minnesota Vikings
Hoddy Mahon (1932–2011), high school and collegiate basketball coach who was the head coach of the Seton Hall Pirates ^[6]
Joe McCarthy, Major League Baseball player
Jake McCarthy, Major League Baseball player
Matt McGloin, former NFL quarterback
Gerry McNamara, former basketball player and current head coach of the Siena Saints men's basketball team.
Mike McNally, former Major League Baseball player, member of New York Yankees first World Series championship team
Mike Munchak, former head coach of NFL's Tennessee Titans, college and NFL player, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
Joe O'Malley, football player
Jim O'Neill, Major League Baseball player
Steve O'Neill, former Major League Baseball player and manager
Jackie Paterson, Scottish boxer
Jimmy Piersall, Major League Baseball player and Scranton Miners Minor League Baseball player
Jim Rempe, pocket billiards champion and member of the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame
Adam Rippon, figure skater
Tim Ruddy, college and National Football League player
Dutch Savage, professional wrestler
Jack Scott (sports activist), Sports and political activist, sports writer
Greg Sherman, general manager of NHL's Colorado Avalanche
Chick Shorten, Major League Baseball player
Marc Spindler, college and NFL player
Brian Stann, mixed martial artist, UFC analyst for Fox Sports, former WEC Light Heavyweight champion
Jim Williams (powerlifter), world record holding powerlifter

Others

Joseph Bambera, Bishop of Scranton
Drew Von Bergen, journalist (United Press International), President of the National Press Club (1980) and the National Cherry Blossom Festival (1995–1997)
Mamie Cadden, Irish midwife and abortionist
William G. Connolly, Journalist and newspaper editor
Susan E. Dickinson, American journalist
Howard Gardner, developmental psychologist and professor
Frank Gibney, journalist and scholar
Hugh Glass, American frontiersman
Isaiah Fawkes Everhart, American physician, naturalist, and founder of Everhart Museum
Thomas W. Hoffman, American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient
Lansing C. Holden, architect
Jane Jacobs, writer and activist
Charles David Keeling, environmental scientist
Edwin W. Kemmerer, economist
Jeffrey Bruce Klein, investigative journalist, co-founded Mother Jones magazine
Carl Marzani, political activist, volunteer soldier in Spanish Civil War, organizer for the Communist Party USA, U.S. intelligence official, documentary filmmaker, author, and publisher
Daniel Mazia, cell biologist
Francis T. McAndrew, Psychologist, Professor, Author
Gino J. Merli, Medal of Honor recipient during World War II
Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison, Wisconsin
Albert Jay Nock, Author, editor, and social critic
Patrick O'Boyle (cardinal), Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington (1948–1973)
John Joseph O'Connor, former bishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and Bishop of Scranton
Karen Ann Quinlan, key figure in right to die controversy
Paul W. Richards, NASA astronaut and engineer
Robert Sables, American naval historian and writer
Martin F. Scanlon, U.S. Air Force general
B. F. Skinner, behaviorist and author
James Timlin, His Excellency, The Most Reverend Bishop of the Scranton Diocese,1984-2003, and Auxiliary Bishop 1976-1984
Clarence C. Walton, First lay President of Catholic University of America (1969–1978)

References

↑ Hurdle, Jon; Pérez-Peña, Richard (October 24, 2016). "Kathleen Kane, Former Pennsylvania Attorney General, Is Sentenced to Prison". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018– via NYTimes.com.
↑ "Clinton's girlhood home in Pa. (sort of) Lake Winola may have primary role. – philly-archives". Articles.philly.com. November 2, 2011. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
↑ O'Connell, Jon (December 28, 2015). "Former Pennsylvania first lady Mary L. Scranton, 97, dies". The Citizens' Voice . Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
↑ Murray, Thomas H. (September 4, 2014). Espionage and the United States During the 20th Century. Dorrance Publishing. p. 153. ISBN 9781434930521. OCLC 890757936.
1 2 "The Life and Works of Col. L. A. Watres" (PDF). Lackawanna History Society Bulletin. 16 (2). April 1983. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
↑ "Horace J. 'Hoddy' Mahon", The Star-Ledger , November 26, 2011. Accessed April 4, 2025. "Hoddy was born in Scranton, Pa., and moved to Old Bridge, N.J., before settling in Allenhurst 35 years ago."

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[1] Hurdle, Jon; Pérez-Peña, Richard (October 24, 2016). "Kathleen Kane, Former Pennsylvania Attorney General, Is Sentenced to Prison". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018– via NYTimes.com.

[2] "Clinton's girlhood home in Pa. (sort of) Lake Winola may have primary role. – philly-archives". Articles.philly.com. November 2, 2011. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2015.

[cvoice-3] O'Connell, Jon (December 28, 2015). "Former Pennsylvania first lady Mary L. Scranton, 97, dies". The Citizens' Voice . Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2015.

[4] Murray, Thomas H. (September 4, 2014). Espionage and the United States During the 20th Century. Dorrance Publishing. p. 153. ISBN 9781434930521. OCLC 890757936.

[bulletin-5] 1 2 "The Life and Works of Col. L. A. Watres" (PDF). Lackawanna History Society Bulletin. 16 (2). April 1983. Retrieved December 21, 2019.

[6] "Horace J. 'Hoddy' Mahon", The Star-Ledger , November 26, 2011. Accessed April 4, 2025. "Hoddy was born in Scranton, Pa., and moved to Old Bridge, N.J., before settling in Allenhurst 35 years ago."

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