List of people from Tulsa, Oklahoma

This is a list of well-known persons who were either born in, or lived in, Tulsa, Oklahoma .

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Arts

• Joe Brainard, (1942 - 1994) painter
• Charles Bell (1935–1995), artist
• Ted Berrigan, (1934 - 1983) poet
• Shan Goshorn, (1957–2018), artist
• James Pepper Henry, artist and Gilcrease Museum director (2015–2017)
• Roman Jasinski, (1907- 1991) ballet dancer and teacher
• Ron Padgett, (b. 1942) poet

Business

• Frank Abagnale (born 1948), ^[1] fraud expert, former con man, subject of Catch Me If You Can
• Cyrus Avery (1870–1963), businessman and "father of Route 66"
• Bill Bartmann (c. 1949–2016), ^[2] businessman, named as "One of the Top 100 Entrepreneurs of the Last 100 Years" ^[3]
• W. Tate Brady (1870–1925), businessman, owner of the Brady Hotel
• James A. Chapman (1881–1966), oilman and philanthropist
• Robert Galbreath Jr. (1863–1955), oilman who moved to Tulsa after he drilled the first oil well in Glenn Pool Field
• J. Paul Getty (1892–1976), oilman founder of Getty Oil Company, who made his first million in Tulsa between 1914 and 1916 ^[4]
• Thomas Gilcrease (1890–1962), ^[5] oilman, founder of Gilcrease Museum
• Jay Graber (born 1991), software engineer and first CEO of Bluesky
• J. M. Hall (1851–1935), pioneer merchant in Tulsa, organized First Presbyterian Church
• George Kaiser (born 1942), ^[6] chairman of BOK Financial Corporation
• Henry Kravis (born 1944), ^[7] co-founder of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
• James H. McBirney (1870–1944), co-founder and president National Bank of Commerce in Tulsa ^[8]
• Sam P. McBirney (1877–1936), football coach and co-founder National Bank of Commerce in Tulsa ^[8]
• Robert M. McFarlin (1866–1942), oilman and philanthropist
• Waite Phillips (1883–1964), oilman and philanthropist
• Harry Ford Sinclair (1876–1956), founder of Sinclair Oil, co-founder of Exchange National Bank (later part of National Bank of Tulsa and Bank of Oklahoma; convicted of jury tampering during Teapot Dome scandal trial
• Carolyn Mary Skelly (1905–1996), eccentric daughter of William Grove Skelly; oil heiress; dubbed the most robbed woman in the U.S. by the Boston Globe; socialite; hosted fundraisers for President George H.W. Bush, and Texas Governor John Connally ^{[9] [10]}
• William G. Skelly (1877–1957), founder of Skelly Oil Company, Spartan Aircraft Company and Spartan School of Aeronautics, philanthropist
• William K. Warren Sr. (1897–1990), founder of Warren Petroleum Corporation; philanthropist
• John Smith Zink (1928–2005), engineer, owner of John Zink Industries, automobile racer

Music

• Admiral Twin (Mark Carr, Jarrod Gollihare, John Russell, Brad Becker), rock band
• The Agony Scene, metalcore band
• Elvin Bishop (born 1942), blues and rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist and bandleader
• Garth Brooks (born 1962), ^[11] country music singer
• Broncho, punk rock band with Ryan Lindsey, Johnathon Ford of Roadside Monument, and Nathan Price
• Anita Bryant (born 1940), singer
• J. J. Cale (1938–2013), ^[12] songwriter and musician, an originator of The Tulsa Sound
• Capital Lights, pop rock band
• Rodney Carrington (born 1968) ^[13] country music singer and comedian
• Jeff Carson (1963–2022), country musician
• Chuck Cissel (born 1948), ^[14] singer and dancer
• Annie Clark (St. Vincent) (born 1982)
• Roy Clark (1933–2018), country musician
• David Cook (born 1982), 2008 American Idol winner
• Denny Cordell (1943–1995), record producer, signed Tom Petty as part of Mudcrutch
• Ester Dean (born 1986), singer-songwriter
• Joe Diffie (1958–2020), ^[15] country musician
• Phil Driscoll (born 1947), trumpet player and singer, Christian and jazz musician
• Ronnie Dunn (born 1953) ^[16] (Brooks and Dunn)
• Annie Ellicott (born 1984), jazz, swing singer ^{[17] [18]}
• Scott Ellison (born 1954), electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter ^[19]
• Ester Drang, indie band
• Rocky Frisco (1937–2015), pianist for J.J. Cale; 2008 inductee into Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame
• The Gap Band, Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, R&B, funk, and soul band
• David Gates (born 1940), ^[20] pop rock musician (Bread)
• Hanson, Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson, Pop rock band
• Gus Hardin (1945–1996), ^[21] female country musician
• Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, jazz band
• William Johns (born 1936), opera singer ^[22]
• Jim Keltner (born 1942), drummer for the Traveling Wilburys
• Tosca Kramer (1903–1976), violinist, violist, and music educator
• Fredell Lack (1922–2017), violinist
• Hardie Avenue, Christian alternative rock band ^[23]
• Lega-C (born 1976), rapper
• Leon McAuliffe (1917–1988), steel guitarist Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys
• Little Joe McLerran (born 1983), singer, guitarist, recording artist and winner of 2009 International Blues Challenge
• John Moreland (born 1985), singer-songwriter
• Jamie Oldaker (1951–2020), drummer, Eric Clapton, Bob Seger
• Patti Page (1927–2013), singer
• PDA, rapper
• Pillar, band
• Johnny Polygon (born 1984), rapper
• Carl Radle (1942–1980), musician, bassist for Derek and the Dominos
• Ben Rector (born 1986), singer-songwriter
• Steve Ripley (1950–2019), engineer, producer, singer-songwriter and guitarist for The Tractors and Bob Dylan
• Leon Russell (1942–2016), ^[24] singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist, an originator of The Tulsa Sound and founder of The Church Studio
• SafetySuit, pop rock band
• Jacob Sartorius (born 2002), born in Tulsa but adopted and moved to upstate Virginia shortly after his birth
• Natalie Sims (born 1984), musician, songwriter and music executive
• Andy Skib (born 1985), guitarist, keyboardist in David Cook's band
• Clyde Stacy (1936–2013), rockabilly musician
• Ryan Tedder (born 1979), producer, songwriter, lead singer of OneRepublic
• David Teegarden, rock drummer with Teegarden & Van Winkle and with Bob Seger
• Flash Terry (1934–2004), blues musician ^[25]
• Neal Tiemann (born 1982), lead guitarist in David Cook's band
• Wayman Tisdale (1964–2009), jazz musician and former professional basketball player
• Dwight Twilley (1951–2023), power pop, rock musician
• Jared Tyler (born 1978), singer-songwriter and producer
• Unwed Sailor, instrumental indie rock
• David T. Walker (born 1941), session guitarist, famous for his work with Jackson 5, Bobby Womack, Levert and Stevie Wonder among others
• Johnnie Lee Wills (1912–1984), western music band leader, brother of Bob Wills
• Charlie Wilson (born 1953), R&B singer and lead singer of The Gap Band
• Bob Wootton (1942–2017), lead guitarist for the Tennessee Three
• Tuck Andress, guitarist
• Kristin Chenoweth (born 1968), actress, singer and author
• Dara Tucker (born 1958), singer-songwriter and documentary filmmaker
• AleXa, K-pop Idol

Politics

• Tom Adelson, member of the Oklahoma State Senate
• Alicia Andrews, chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party
• Bob Ballinger (born 1974), member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, reared in Tulsa
• Dewey F. Bartlett (1919–1979), former governor of the state of Oklahoma and U.S. Senator
• Dewey F. Bartlett Jr. (born 1947), former mayor of Tulsa (2009–2016)
• G. T. Bynum (born 1977), Mayor of Tulsa (2016–2024)
• Jim R. Caldwell, retired Church of Christ minister and former member of the Arkansas State Senate
• David Duke (born 1950), former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan and former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
• David Hall (1930–2016), former governor of the state of Oklahoma
• Linda Hughes O'Leary (born 1950), former member of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council (2003–2007)
• James Inhofe (1934–2024), U.S. Senator
• James R. Jones (born 1939), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, chairman of the American Stock Exchange
• Frank Keating (born 1944), former governor of the state of Oklahoma
• John Albert Knebel (born 1936), Secretary of Agriculture in the Carter Administration
• Sheila Kuehl (born 1941), former actress, now California state senator
• Joseph A. LaFortune, oilman and mayor
• Steve Largent (born 1954), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Willian F. Martin (born 1950), United States Deputy Secretary of Energy
• Jim McConn (1928–1997), former mayor of Houston, Texas, 1979–1981
• Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927–2003), former Democratic U.S. senator representing New York was born in Tulsa. ^[26]
• George E. Nowotny (born 1932), retired Tulsa businessman and former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Fort Smith
• John Sullivan (born 1965), member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Kathy Taylor (born 1955), Mayor of Tulsa (2006–2009)
• John Volz (1935–2011), attorney for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, died in Tulsa in 2011
• R. James Woolsey Jr. (born 1941), former director, Central Intelligence Agency
• Terry Young (born 1948), former mayor of the City of Tulsa

Print

• Mildred Grosberg Bellin (1908–2008), Jewish cookbook author
• William Bernhardt (born 1960), mystery/suspense fiction author
• Daniel J. Boorstin (1914–2004), historian and writer; former Librarian of Congress
• Cleora Butler (1901–1985), chef, caterer and cookbook writer
• Dorothy Carnegie (1912–1998), author
• P.C. Cast (born 1960), author
• John Hope Franklin (1915–2009), African American historian; namesake of John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park in Tulsa
• Martin Gardner (1914–2010), author of works on philosophy, mathematics and literature
• Sterling Gates (born 1981), comic book writer ( Supergirl , Action Comics )
• Joy Harjo (born 1951), poet, musician, and author. First Native American Poet Laureate, and first Poet Laureate from Oklahoma.
• S.E. Hinton (born 1948), author ( The Outsiders , That Was Then, This Is Now , Tex )
• Mercedes Lackey (born 1950), science-fiction author
• R.A. Lafferty (1914–2002), science-fiction author
• Billie Letts (1938–2014), author, Where the Heart Is
• Tracy Letts (born 1965), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and actor (August: Osage County)
• Joe McGuff (1926–2006), journalist and newspaper editor
• Russell Myers (born 1938), cartoonist, Broom-Hilda comic strip
• Denver Nicks, journalist
• Dan Piraro (born 1958), cartoonist of the Bizarro comic strip
• Nancy Speir, children's book illustrator
• Grace Steele Woodward (1899–1987), writer and historian
• William P. Steven (1908–1991), journalist and newspaper editor
• Clifton Taulbert, author, Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored
• Will Thomas (born 1958), mystery fiction author
• Mildred Ladner Thompson (1918–2013), reporter for The Wall Street Journal and Tulsa World ^[27]
• Michael Wallis (born 1945), author, Route 66, Pretty Boy Floyd, Mankiller, Billy the Kid Voice Of Sheriff in The Cars Series
• K. D. Wentworth (1951–2012), science-fiction author
• Cornel West (born 1953), theologian, author

Radio

• Paul Harvey (1918–2009), radio personality
• Roy D. Mercer, fictional radio character

Screen and stage

• Pamela Bach (born 1962), actress; ex-wife of David Hasselhoff
• Marshall Bell (born 1942), actor
• William Boyd (1895–1972), aka Hopalong Cassidy, western actor (born in Hendrysburg, Belmont County, Ohio)
• Max Burnett (born 1969), TV writer, screenwriter and director
• Gary Busey (born 1944), actor
• Cindy Chupack (born 1965), screenwriter for Sex and the City
• Larry Clark (born 1943), film director and photographer
• Iron Eyes Cody (1904–1999), actor
• Jay Dee (born 1979), comedian
• Larry Drake (1949–2016), actor
• Blake Edwards (1922–2010), film director
• Sue England (1928–2018), actress
• Bill Hader (born 1978), actor, writer and comedian
• Sterlin Harjo (born 1979), filmmaker ^[28]
• Josh Henderson (born 1981), actor
• John Ingle (1928–2012), actor
• Eva Jinek (born 1978), news anchor
• Jennifer Jones (1919–2009), actress
• Heather Langenkamp (born 1964), actress
• Tommy Morrison (1969–2013), boxer and actor
• Jerry Nelson (1934–2012), actor, puppeteer
• Tim Blake Nelson (born 1964), actor and director
• Mary Kay Place (born 1947), actress
• Tony Randall (1920–2004), actor
• Julián Rebolledo, actor and voice talent
• Jack Roberts, actor
• Gailard Sartain (born 1946), actor
• Mary Stuart (1926–2002), actress
• Wes Studi (born 1947), actor
• Paula Trickey (born 1966), actress
• Jeanne Tripplehorn (born 1963), actress
• Stacy Valentine, porn star
• Amber Valletta (born 1974), actress and supermodel
• Susan Watson (born 1938), Broadway actress
• Alfre Woodard (born 1952), actress
• Judy Woodruff (born 1946), television journalist
• Don Woods (1928–2012), meteorologist

Sports

Bill Goldberg

John Starks

James Tillis

• Sam P. McBirney (1877–1936), coach of Tulsa Golden Hurricane football (1914–1916)
• Janice O'Hara (1918–2001), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
• Marques Haynes (1926–2015), Harlem Globetrotters player, Basketball Hall of Famer ^[29]
• John Smith Zink (1928–2005), automobile racing
• Ray Murphy, Jr. (1946–2010), collegiate wrestler and 1989 Handicapped Person of the Year
• Wayman Tisdale (1964–2009), professional basketball player and musician
• Jeff Krosnoff (1964–1996), Championship Auto Racing Teams driver
• Tommy Morrison (1969–2013), boxer, heavyweight contender and actor, Rocky V
• Tommy Hanson (1986–2015), baseball pitcher ^[30]
• Nolan Richardson (born 1941), basketball coach for University of Tulsa and University of Arkansas, coach and general manager WNBA's Tulsa Shock
• Henry Schichtle (born 1941), football player
• Bobby Cox (born 1941), player, manager and Baseball Hall of Famer
• Jim King (born 1941), NBA player and Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball coach
• Reece Morrison (born 1945), NFL player
• Tubby Smith (born 1951), basketball coach
• Reuben Gant (born 1952), football player for Buffalo Bills
• Steve Largent (born 1954), Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, Pro Football Hall of Famer, also politician
• Bill Blankenship (born 1956), football coach, head coach at University of Tulsa
• Dale Cook (born 1956), kickboxer and actor
• James "Quick" Tillis (born 1957), boxer, heavyweight contender and actor
• Randy Heckenkemper (born 1958), golf course designer
• Charlie O'Brien (born 1960), professional baseball catcher
• Kenny Monday (born 1960), Olympic gold medalist and World Champion in freestyle wrestling
• Kevin Lilly(born 1963), NFL player
• Anthony Bowie (born 1963), basketball player
• Todd Graham (born 1964), head coach of Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team (2007–2010)
• John Starks (born 1965), basketball player
• Bill Goldberg (born 1966), professional NFL football player and undefeated wrestler
• Darryl Wren (born 1967), gridiron football player
• Richard Dumas (born 1969), professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns
• Lee Mayberry (born 1970), professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks
• Joe-Max Moore (born 1971), soccer forward, U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame 2013
• Matt Gogel (born 1971), professional golfer
• Kevin Lockett (born 1974), NFL player
• Chris Dade (born 1974), basketball player
• Mikey Burnett (born 1974), mixed martial artist
• R. W. McQuarters (born 1976), professional football cornerback
• David Heath (born 1976), mixed martial artist
• Justin Fuente (born 1976), head football coach, Virginia Tech
• Brent Albright (born 1978), professional wrestler
• Gerald Harris (born 1979), mixed martial artist
• Koyie Hill (born 1979), Major League Baseball catcher
• Iciss Tillis (born 1981), professional basketball player for WNBA's Washington Mystics
• Ebi Ere (born 1981), basketball player for Melbourne Tigers
• Matt Grice (born 1981), mixed martial arts fighter
• Peter Ramondetta (born 1982), professional skateboarder
• Matt Wiman (born 1983), mixed martial arts fighter
• Kelenna Azubuike (born 1983), professional basketball player
• Robert Meachem (born 1984), New Orleans Saints wide receiver
• Randy Blake (born 1986), kickboxer
• Zach Loyd (born 1987), soccer player
• Felix Jones (born 1987), Dallas Cowboys Running back
• Dallas Keuchel (born 1988), pitcher for the Chicago White Sox
• Chris Harris Jr. (born 1989), NFL, Cornerback
• Michael Bowie (born 1991), former Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle
• Tyler Lockett (born 1992), NFL player
• Dylan Bundy (born 1992), baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins
• Zach Jackson (born 1994), Major League Baseball, pitcher for the Oakland Athletics
• Thomas Hatch (born 1994), pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays
• Jordan Brailford (born 1995), defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons
• Josh Jacobs (born 1996), NFL, Running back
• Justice Hill (born 1997), NFL, Running back
• Kenny Bednarek (born 1998), American sprinter, olimpic and world championship silver medalist
• Terrance Ferguson (born 1998), basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers
• Patrick Callan (born 1999), competitive swimmer ^[31]
• Ricky Stromberg (born 2000), American football player
• Daxton Hill (born 2000), NFL, Safety

Religion

• Finis Alonzo Crutchfield, Jr., (1916–1986), United Methodist Church bishop, minister of Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, died in Tulsa ^[32]
• Paul Vernon Galloway (1904–1990), Minister of Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, later Methodist bishop
• Charles William Kerr (1875–1951), first permanent Protestant minister in Tulsa
• Carlton Pearson (1953–2023), evangelist
• Oral Roberts (1918–2009), pioneer televangelist, founder of Oral Roberts University, affiliated with United Methodist church
• Mother Grace Tucker (1919–2012), Evangelical Christian pastor and philanthropist
• John B. Wolf (1925–2017), minister of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church

Other

• William French Anderson, geneticist, born in Tulsa in 1936
• Bobby Baldwin, professional poker player (1978 world champion) and casino executive; born in Tulsa
• Deborah Barnes, judge of the Oklahoma Appellate Court (1987–present); daughter in law of the late Justice Don Barnes
• Don Barnes (judge) (1924–2011), born in Tulsa, Justice of the Oklahoma State Supreme Court (1972–1985)
• Jennifer Berry (born 1983), ^[33] Miss America 2006
• Butler, Phillip N. (born 1938), the eighth longest-held US prisoner of war in North Vietnam, president of Veterans for Peace
• Roscoe Cartwright (1919–1974), first black Field Artilleryman promoted to Brigadier General.
• Ponyboy Curtis, main character in S. E. Hinton's novel The Outsiders
• Mike Doonesbury, main character in Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury
• Stephen Z. Fadem, doctor and scientist
• Viola Fletcher, survivor of the Tulsa race massacre
• John Duncan Forsyth (1887–1963), architect ^[34]
• W. R. Holway (1893–1981), engineer, designer of Spavinaw water project
• Robert Lawton Jones (1925–2018), architect noted for his contributions to modern architecture
• Olivia Jordan (born 1988), Miss World America 2013, Miss Oklahoma USA 2015, Miss USA 2015
• Joseph R. Koberling, Jr. (1900–1990), architect
• Charles Page (1860–1926), philanthropist and founder of Sand Springs
• Leon B. Senter (1889–1965), architect
• William Angie Smith (1894–1974), Methodist Bishop of Oklahoma
• Mother Grace Tucker (1919–2012), pastor and philanthropist
• Gordon Todd Skinner, drug dealer and convicted kidnapper ^[35]
• Robert and Michael Bever, American brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents and 3 siblings. ^[36]

References

1. "Abagnale & Associates (based in Tulsa)". Abagnale & Associates. Archived from the original on May 15, 2007. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
2. "The Richest Man You've Never Heard Of". Inc.com. Retrieved September 16, 2007.
3. "About Bill Bartmann". Archived from the original on September 10, 2007. Retrieved September 16, 2007.
4. Whitman, Alden (June 6, 1976). "J. Paul Getty dead at 83; amassed billions from oil". The New York Times . Retrieved September 6, 2008.
5. "Gilcrease Museum History". Archived from the original on December 16, 2007. Retrieved September 16, 2007.
6. "Forbes's The World's Richest People". Forbes . Retrieved September 16, 2007.
7. "Academy of Achievement Biography". Archived from the original on February 13, 1997. Retrieved September 16, 2007.
9. "Danny Cowley: Portsmouth appoint former Huddersfield Town and Lincoln City boss". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Archived from the original on September 25, 2015.
10. "Archives". Los Angeles Times . August 18, 1986.
11. "Life and Times of Garth Brooks". Planetgarth.com. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
12. "JJ Cale Biography on Yahoo! Music". Music.yahoo.com. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
13. "Rodney Carrington :: Rodney ::: KING OF THE MOUNTAINS". Archived from the original on December 18, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
14. "Chuck Cissel Biography". Soultracks.com. May 5, 2007. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
15. "Joe Diffie Biography". Starpulse.com. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
16. "Brooks & Dunn Bio". Tv.com. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
17. Karen Shade, "Finding Annie", Tulsa World , August 13, 2009 (pay site).
18. Gary Hizer, "Big New Voice", Urban Tulsa Weekly , May 9, 2007.
19. "Scott Ellison Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic . Retrieved August 28, 2022.
20. David Gates Retrieved 24 November 2022
21. Singer Gus Hardin Killed in Accident. TulsaWorld.com (February 18, 1996). Retrieved 26 November 2022
22. Forbes, Elizabeth (2001). "Johns, William". Grove Music Online. Retrieved 26 October 2015 (subscription required for full access).
23. "Hardie Avenue Artist Profile - Biography And Discography". New Release Today. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
24. Leon Russell Retrieved 21 November 2022
25. Flash Terry Retrieved 26 November 2022
26. Barone, Michael; Ujifusa, Grant (1987). The Almanac of American Politics 1988 . National Journal. p. 794.
27. Stanley, Tim. "Mildred Ladner Thompson 1918–2013: Former Tulsa World columnist witnessed history". Tulsa World . Retrieved July 16, 2013.
28. "Sterlin Harjo | Granfalloon". Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
29. "Globetrotting tales," Tulsa World , June 25, 2008. (Haynes grew up in Sand Springs.)
30. "Tommy Hanson Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
31. "Team USA: Patrick Callan". TeamUSA.org. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
32. "A Faithful Secret". tribunedigital-chicagotribune.
33. "KRMG Event Guide for 2006 Miss America". Archived from the original on November 13, 2006. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
34. Jim Gabbert, "5 Buildings by John Duncan Forsyth", Preservation Oklahoma News, July 2006, p.5.
35. "Subterranean Psychonaut | This Land Press - Made by You and Me". thislandpress.com. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
36. Smith, Alexander (July 23, 2015). "Five Found Dead in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; Two Teen Relatives Detained". NBC News.