List of people from Whittier, California

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
• Linda Sánchez, Democratic U.S. Representative for California's 38th congressional district ^[3]

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 ^[4]
• 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 ^[5]
• 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

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.
3. 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.
4. "Dave Dalby Obituary". Legacy.com via Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
5. "Nomar Garciaparra". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2012.