List of people from Whittier, California

Last updated December 04, 2025

The following is a list of people who were born in or lived in the city of Whittier, California

Entertainment

Gary Allan (born Gary Allan Herzberg), country music artist, graduated La Serna High School
Antagonist, metal band signed to Prosthetic Records
Andrea Barber, actress ( Full House )
Caprice Bourret, supermodel
Cold War Kids, indie rock band
Pete Dee Davison, musician ( The Adicts )
Joy Enriquez, singer, actress ( 7th Heaven )
Funeral Party, punk/rock band
William Garwood, actor and director of early silent films in the 1910s
David Hidalgo, musician (Los Lobos)
Kathy Hilton, actress, socialite, mother of Paris and Nicky Hilton
Gabriel Iglesias, comedian and actor
Vic "the Brick" Jacobs, radio personality
Adrienne Janic, co-host of Overhaulin', model, and Fanta Girl
Mark Kostabi, composer and artist
Paul Kostabi, artist, musician, and producer
John Alan Lasseter, Academy Award–winning animator and Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios
Roger Lodge, actor (host of Blind Date )
Long Gone John, founder of Sympathy for the Record Industry
Martika, singer
Tim Minear, screenwriter, director
Roger Mobley, child actor, moved to Whittier in 1957
Lorna Patterson, actress
Merle Pertile, Playboy Playmate, January 1962
Vaneza Leza Pitynski, actress ( The Brothers Garcia )
Chuck Prophet, musician (solo artist and founder of the band Green On Red)
Dax Reynosa, hip hop and smooth jazz artist and producer, music manager, and film producer
Zane Reynosa, hip hop artist and fashion accessory designer
Ron Shelton, director, screenwriter ( Bull Durham , White Men Can't Jump , Tin Cup )
Eric Stoltz, actor ( Memphis Belle , Jerry Maguire , Pulp Fiction )
Geoff Stults, actor ( 7th Heaven )
Lauren Tewes, actress ( The Love Boat )
Tom Waits, actor, singer-songwriter
Tina Yothers, actress ( Family Ties )
Michael Sweet musician, Christian rock band ( Stryper )
Robert Sweet musician, Christian rock band ( Stryper )
Oz Fox musician, Christian rock band ( Stryper )

Arts and literature

Horace Bristol, photographer, Life Magazine
Firoozeh Dumas, author
Christine Dzidrums, author
M.F.K. Fisher, author
Dave Freeman, author
Mark Kostabi, painter, left Whittier to be discovered in New York
Paul Kostabi, artist, musician, and producer
Carol Lay, artist
Thom Mayne, Pritzker Prize-winning architect
Craig McCracken, animator
Tim Miller, performance artist (member of the NEA Four)
Cherríe Moraga, poet, essayist, playwright
Joe Ranft - animator, storyboard artist
Nicole Stansbury, author
Diane Wakoski, poet
X-8, artist, publisher

Government

George Allen, United States Senator (Virginia)
Louis Caldera, United States Secretary of the Army
Ronald B. Cameron, Congressman^[1]
Raymond F. Chandler, Sergeant Major of the Army, first enlisted commandant of United States Army Sergeants Major Academy
James Ferguson, Air Force General
Jacob F. Gerkens - first chief of the LAPD
Gabriel Green, write-in presidential candidate
Lou Henry Hoover, wife of Herbert Hoover and First Lady of the United States
Gary Miller, Republican U.S. Representative for California's 31st congressional district . Miller grew up in Whittier.^[2]
Pat Nixon, First Lady, wife of President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States, played football at Whittier High School and Whittier College
Pío Pico, last Mexican governor of Alta California
Anthony Rendon, assemblyman representing California's 63rd State Assembly district
James C. Riley, US Army lieutenant general^[3]^[4]
Linda Sánchez, Democratic U.S. Representative for California's 38th congressional district ^[5]

Sports

Deborah Babashoff, swimmer
Shirley Babashoff, Olympic gold medalist swimmer
Chet Brewer, Negro league baseball player
George Buehler, football player
Mitchell Callahan, hockey player
Chuck Cary, baseball player
Bob Chandler, football player
Dave Dalby, football player, center, Oakland Raiders ^[6]
Oscar De La Hoya, Olympic and professional boxing champion
Andy Etchebarren, baseball player (last man to bat against Sandy Koufax)
Vince Evans, football quarterback
Arturo Frias, boxing champion
Michael Garciaparra, baseball player
Nomar Garciaparra, baseball player^[7]
Greg Hancock, speedway champion
Payton Jordan, coach of 1968 U.S. Olympic track and field
Mark Kotsay, baseball player
Dan Owens, football player
Jamie Quirk, baseball player
Ante Razov, soccer player
Anthony Reyes, baseball player
Kim Rhode, Olympic gold medalist, (double trap and skeet shooter)
Mark Sanchez, football quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles
Art Sherman (born 1937), horse trainer and jockey
Adam Snyder, football player, San Francisco 49ers
Jenny Topping, Olympic gold medalist, softball
Aaron Valdes (born 1993), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Al Young, drag racing World Champion & award winning high school teacher
Jim Zorn, football quarterback, former coach Washington Redskins
Eddie Zosky, baseball player
Jared Jones, baseball player

Miscellaneous

Milo Burcham, aviator, test pilot
Tricia Nixon Cox - daughter of President Nixon
Francis A. and Hannah Nixon, parents of President Nixon
John Quijada, linguist, constructed language expert
Nadya Suleman, mother of the Suleman octuplets (born January 26, 2009)
Kerry Thornley, founder of Discordianism

References

↑ "CAMERON, Ronald Brooks, (1927 - 2006)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
↑ Barone, Michael; McCutcheon, Chuck (2013). 2014 Almanac of American Politics. The University of Chicago Press.
↑ "Area Serviceman Gets Promotion To Captain". East Whittier Review. Whittier, California. January 16, 1969. p. 6A – via Newspapers.com.
↑ Kirkpatrick, Charles Edward (2006). "Ruck it Up!": The Post-Cold War Transformation of V Corps, 1990-2001. Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. p. 561 – via Google Books.
↑ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601. "Linda T. Sánchez (California (CA)), 119th Congress Profile". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved May 28, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
↑ "Dave Dalby Obituary". Legacy.com via Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
↑ "Nomar Garciaparra". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2012.

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[1] "CAMERON, Ronald Brooks, (1927 - 2006)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved November 18, 2012.

[2] Barone, Michael; McCutcheon, Chuck (2013). 2014 Almanac of American Politics. The University of Chicago Press.

[Promotion1969-3] "Area Serviceman Gets Promotion To Captain". East Whittier Review. Whittier, California. January 16, 1969. p. 6A – via Newspapers.com.

[Ruck2006-4] Kirkpatrick, Charles Edward (2006). "Ruck it Up!": The Post-Cold War Transformation of V Corps, 1990-2001. Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. p. 561 – via Google Books.

[5] Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601. "Linda T. Sánchez (California (CA)), 119th Congress Profile". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved May 28, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[6] "Dave Dalby Obituary". Legacy.com via Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 13, 2016.

[7] "Nomar Garciaparra". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2012.

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