List of people from Springfield, Missouri

Last updated September 02, 2025

This is a list of notable people born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Springfield, Missouri and its surrounding metropolitan area.

Politics

John Ashcroft, former United States attorney general
Matt Blunt, former governor of Missouri
Melanie Blunt, former first lady of Missouri
Roy Blunt, former U.S. senator
Dennis Bonner, Missouri state legislator
Sempronius H. Boyd, former U.S. representative and minister of the United States to Siam
Charlie Brown, former U.S. representative
Eric Burlison, U.S. representative for Missouri^[1]
Miller Dunckel, former Michigan state treasurer
Mark A. Ediger, former Surgeon General of the United States Air Force
Johnny Ellis, Alaska state legislator
Scott Fitzpatrick, state auditor of Missouri and former state treasurer of Missouri
Betsy Fogle, member of the Missouri House of Representatives
M. Douglas Harpool, United States District Judge
Stephanie Hein, member of the Missouri House of Representatives
Gilbert H. Jertberg, United States circuit judge
Jim Keet, former member of both houses of the Arkansas legislature; the 2010 Republican gubernatorial nominee in Arkansas
Margaret Kelly, former Missouri state auditor, Missouri republican gubernatorial nominee
Billy Long, former U.S. representative
James McBride, former minister of the United States to Hawaii
Roscoe C. Patterson, former U.S. senator and representative
William C. Price, former treasurer of the United States
Crystal Quade, minority leader, Missouri House of Representatives, Missouri democratic gubernatorial nominee
Alex Riley, member of the Missouri House of Representatives
Karen L. Williams, former United States Ambassador to Suriname

Arts, literature, humanities and entertainment

Lennie Aleshire, vaudeville and country music performer
Jerry L. Atwood, chemist
Bob Barker, game show host ( The Price is Right )
Daya Betty, drag queen, contestant on season 14 of RuPaul's Drag Race
Julie Blackmon, photographer
Aaron Buerge, star of ABC's The Bachelor , season 2
Kristi Capel Miss Missouri 2006, anchor for WJW in Cleveland
Kim Crosby, Broadway performer
Ian Eskelin, lead singer of All Star United
Ralph D. Foster, broadcasting pioneer
William Garwood, actor
Lucas Grabeel, actor, singer ( High School Musical , High School Musical 2 , and High School Musical 3: Senior Year )
Percy Grainger, music composer (lived in Springfield from 1940 to 1943)^[2]
Sara Groves, Christian contemporary recording artist
Tess Harper, actress (graduated from Missouri State University)
David L. Harrison, children's author and poet
Speedy Haworth, guitarist and singer
Grace Hayes, actress
Joe Haymes, swing era bandleader-arranger (born in Marshfield; grew up and began his band in Springfield)
Josh Heinrichs, reggae singer
Virginia Hunter, actress
Melissa Hutchison, two-time BAFTA nominee
Jah Roots, reggae band
Jay Kenneth Johnson, actor ( Days of Our Lives )
The Jordanaires, singing group
Johnny Q. Public, rock band
Juto, singer
David Kershenbaum, record producer
King's X, musical group
Chandler Lawson, beauty pageant titleholder, Miss Tennessee 2012
Brenda Lee, singer, numerous awards including a Grammy Award
Jim Lowe, country music singer
Robin Luke, musician
The Marksmen, singing quartet (originally The Foggy River Boys)
Duard Marshall, painter, lithographer, and student of Thomas Hart Benton
Mariann Mayberry, actress
Crystal Methyd, drag queen, runner-up on season 12 of RuPaul's Drag Race
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, musical group
The Philharmonics, singing quintet
Brad Pitt, actor, attended Kickapoo High School, Oscar, Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award winner
Mary Ellen Ray, actress
Chappell Roan, singer-songwriter
Jake Wesley Rogers, singer
Artie Romero, cartoonist, animator
Ronnie Self, singer/songwriter
Scott Siman, music producer and executive
Si Siman, music producer and broadcast executive
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, musical group
Cailee Spaeny, actress ( Vice , On the Basis of Sex )
Speakeasy, rock and roll band
Heidi Strobel, Survivor contestant
Terre Thaemlitz, musician, cultural producer
Tony Tost, poet
Kathleen Turner, actress, two-time Golden Globe Award winner
Speedy West, steel guitarist and record producer
Robert Westenberg, Broadway performer
Marissa Whitley, Miss Teen USA 2001
Tom Whitlock, Academy Award winner for Best Original Song, "Take My Breath Away"
Adrienne Wilkinson, actress (graduated from Kickapoo High School)
Slim Wilson, musician, radio and TV personality
Daniel Woodrell, author

Sports

Jaelon Acklin, CFL player, Ottawa Redblacks
Scott Bailes, MLB pitcher in 1980s and 1990s; color commentator for Springfield Cardinals
Eddie Carnett, MLB pitcher in 1940s
Dean Deetz, MLB player, Houston Astros
Lori Endicott, Atlanta 1996 Olympic volleyball player
BJ Flores, boxer
Courtney Frerichs, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 track and field
Gracie Gold, Sochi 2014 Olympic figure skater, 2014 and 2016 U.S. champion
Dorial Green-Beckham, NFL player, 2015 Tennessee Titans, 2016 Philadelphia Eagles
Lucas Harrell, MLB player, Toronto Blue Jays
John Howard, Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976 cycalist
Ryan Howard, MLB player, 2005 NL Rookie of the Year, 2006 Home Run Derby champion, 2006 NL Most Valuable Player
Jack Jewsbury, MLS player for Portland Timbers
Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys owner; worked in Springfield with father Pat Jones at insurance company Modern Security Life in 1960s
Josh Kinney, first Springfield Cardinal (AA) to make MLB St. Louis Cardinals roster
Ashlyn Krueger, tennis player
Dale Long, MLB baseball player
Stan Musial, Hall of Fame baseball player for St. Louis Cardinals, played for original Springfield Cardinals in late 1930s
Larry Nemmers, NFL referee
Mickey Owen, MLB player
Robin Partch, Grenoble 1968 luger
Dave Patterson, MLB player, Los Angeles Dodgers
Jason Pyrah, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympic 1500m runner
Steve Rogers, MLB starting pitcher, 5-time All-Star; most successful pitcher in Montreal Expos history
Emily Scott, Sochi 2014 Olympic speed skater
Horton Smith, golfer, two-time Masters Tournament champion
Payne Stewart, professional golfer
Jackie Stiles, NCAA all-time leading scorer in women's basketball
Jeri Sitzes, boxer
Anthony Tolliver, NBA player for Minnesota Timberwolves
Paul Walker, football player

Business

William F. Austin, CEO of Starkey Hearing Technologies
Lester E. Cox, businessman, namesake of CoxHealth
Jack Gentry, World War II and Korean War veteran; founder of Positronic
David Glass, former CEO of Walmart; owner of MLB's Kansas City Royals
John Morris, founder and majority owner, Bass Pro Shops ^[3]
Jack Stack, founder of SRC Holdings
Byron Trott, investment banker
John T. Woodruff, businessman, founder of Route 66

Other

Jimmie Angel, aviator, discoverer of Angel Falls, highest free-falling waterfall in world
William A. Beiderlinden, U.S. Army major general^[4]
Oliver Brown, plaintiff in the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education , born in Topeka
James E. Cofer, professor at Missouri State University, president 2010–11
J. Alan Groves, Biblical Hebrew scholar; editor of Groves-Wheeler Hebrew morphology database
Edwin P. Hubble, of Hubble Space Telescope fame (born in Marshfield)^[5]
Virginia E. Johnson, sexologist; junior member of Masters and Johnson sexuality research team
Janet Kavandi, NASA astronaut
Curtis Price KBE, warden of New College, Oxford
Emma J. Ray, activist, suffragist

Notes

↑ "BURLISON, Eric". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
↑ "Percy Grainger Society - Percy Grainger's Residence in Springfield, Missouri". percygrainger.org. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
↑ "John Morris". Forbes. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
↑ Who's Who In the South and Southwest. Vol. 5. Chicago, IL: Marquis Who's Who. 1956. p. 68 – via Google Books.
↑ "Edwin Hubble - Biography".

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[1] "BURLISON, Eric". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved August 17, 2025.

[2] "Percy Grainger Society - Percy Grainger's Residence in Springfield, Missouri". percygrainger.org. Retrieved December 8, 2021.

[Forbes-3] "John Morris". Forbes. Retrieved January 9, 2015.

[4] Who's Who In the South and Southwest. Vol. 5. Chicago, IL: Marquis Who's Who. 1956. p. 68 – via Google Books.

[5] "Edwin Hubble - Biography".

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