This is a list of people who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Manchester, New Hampshire.
Arts and entertainment
GG Allin (1956–1993), punk rock singer; known as the "Madman of Manchester" Jane Badler (born 1953), actress (sci-fi series V; several incarnations); 1973 Miss New Hampshire Ralph H. Baer (1922–2014), video game developer, inventor, and engineer; known as a "father of video games" Janel Bishop (born 1974), Miss New Hampshire Teen USA 1991; Miss Teen USA 1991 Carl Cameron (born 1961), former Fox News chief White House correspondent; former political director for WMUR-TV 9, Manchester ABC affiliate Jay Chanoine (born ), stand-up comedian Louis O. Coxe (1918–1993), poet, playwright, academic Matt Czuchry (born 1977), actor (The Resident, The Good Wife, Gilmore Girls and Hack) Stephen Dunham (1964–2012), actor (Edward Pillows on DAG) Clara Elizabeth Fanning (1878–1938), editor and compiler Matt Farley (born 1978), musician and filmmaker Toby Fox (born 1991), video game developer, composer Betty George (1926–2007), singer James Georgopoulos (born 1966), visual artist Jennie Lindquist (1899–1977), children's author, editor Josh Logan (born 1980), singer; top 12 contestant in the fall 2013 cycle of NBC's The Voice; contestant on the TV talent competition Rock Star: Supernova Grace Metalious (1924–1964), author of the classic novel Peyton Place Josh Meyers (born 1976), brother of Seth Meyers, comedian and actor, known for MADtv and That '70s Show Seth Meyers (born 1973), host of NBC's Late Night With Seth Meyers; former co-presenter of the "Weekend Update" segment on NBC's Saturday Night Live; comedian, actor, comedy writer Bob Montana (1920–1975), cartoonist, creator of the characters of Archie Comics Patricia Racette (born 1965), international opera soprano Adam Sandler (born 1966), actor, comedian, producer Sarah Silverman (born 1970), comedian, actress, producer; star of the Comedy Channel's The Sarah Silverman Program; graduate of the Derryfield School Christopher Stone (1942–1995), actor (birth name Thomas Bourassa) Aaron Tolson, tap dancer, choreographer, professor of dance Adelaide Cilley Waldron (1843–1909), author, editor, clubwoman Joseph Philbrick Webster (1819–1875), composer
Business
Joseph Carter Abbott (1825–1881), owner and editor of the Manchester Daily American Aretas Blood (1816–1897), executive at Manchester Locomotive Works Jeremy Hitchcock (born 1981), founder and former CEO of Dyn Gary Hirshberg (born 1954), chairman and former president and CEO of Stonyfield Farm, an organic yogurt producer; graduate of the Derryfield School Dean Kamen (born 1951), inventor of the iBot and founder of the FIRST Robotics competition (resident of Bedford, company based in Manchester) Alyssa LaRoche (born 1979), founder of Aimee Weber Studio Inc. Richard McDonald (1909–1998), one half of the McDonald's brothers, entrepreneurs who founded the fast food company McDonald's Maurice McDonald (1902–1971), one half of the McDonald's brothers, entrepreneurs who founded the fast food company McDonald's Charles Revson (1906–1975), businessman, founder of the cosmetics company Revlon Max I. Silber (1911–2004), businessman, scouting enthusiast
Government
Daniel Adams (1773–1864), physician, author, state legislator Emile Beaulieu (1931–2016), mayor of Manchester Josephat T. Benoit (1900–1976), mayor of Manchester Jay C. Block (born 1970), former candidate for New Mexico governor; current New Mexico state senator
Albert O. Brown (1852–1937), lawyer, banker and the 58th governor of New Hampshire
Hiram Brown (1801–1890), first mayor of Manchester Raymond Buckley (born 1959), NH Democratic Party chairman Henry E. Burnham (1844–1917), U.S. senator Sherman Everett Burroughs (1870–1923), U.S. congressman Ernest E. Chabot (1922–2019), member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and United States Postal Service worker Person Colby Cheney (1828–1901), industrialist, abolitionist and the 35th governor of New Hampshire Daniel Clark (1809–1891), U.S. senator Channing H. Cox (1879–1968), politician and the 49th governor of Massachusetts Joyce Craig, first female mayor of Manchester Moody Currier (1806–1898), lawyer, banker and the 40th governor of New Hampshire; Manchester's Currier Museum of Art is named after him and was founded based on a bequest in his will Robert K. Dodge (1928–2017), member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Charles M. Floyd (1861–1923), manufacturer and the 51st governor of New Hampshire Ted Gatsas (born 1950), mayor of Manchester and president of the New Hampshire Senate Frank Guinta (born 1970), U.S. congressman and mayor of Manchester John W. King (1916–1996), lawyer, jurist, state legislator and chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court Martin F. Loughlin (1923–2007), chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court and justice of the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire Steve Marchand (born 1974), mayor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Mace Moulton (1796–1867), U.S. congressman Chris Pappas (born 1980), U.S. representative with New Hampshire Eugene Elliott Reed (1866–1940), U.S. congressman Alphonse Roy (1897–1967), U.S. congressman Nicholas Sarwark (born 1979), former chairman of the Libertarian Party (2014–2020) Edward Clarke Smith (1864–1926), mayor of Manchester Donna Soucy (born 1967), member of the New Hampshire Senate Barbara Shaw (1942–2021), member of the New Hampshire House of RepresentativesBarbara Shaw-obituary Ezekiel A. Straw (1819–1882), engineer, businessman, and the 34th governor of New Hampshire John L. Sullivan (1899–1982), assistant secretary of the treasury under FDR; secretary of the Navy under President Truman Charles William Tobey (1880–1953), U.S. senator and congressman; 62nd governor of New Hampshire Arthur C. Vailas (born 1951), president of Idaho State University (2006–2018) Louis C. Wyman (1917–2002), U.S. congressman
Military
Chris Carr (1914–1970), U.S. Army sergeant; Medal of Honor recipient (WWII) Robert W. Cone (1957–2016), U.S. Army 4-star general Jason K. Fettig (born ), director, United States Marine Band, 2014–present Rene Gagnon (1925–1979), U.S. Marine; helped raise the flag over Iwo Jima (WWII) John Goffe (1701–1786), soldier in colonial America; his name is preserved in the name of Goffstown, New Hampshire and the Goffe's Falls neighborhood of Manchester, New Hampshire Cyrus A. Reed (1825–1910), adjutant general in Oregon in the 1860s John Stark (1728–1822), Revolutionary War-era general; widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777
Science
Thomas J. Bouchard, Jr. (born 1937), professor of psychology; director of the Minnesota Center for Twin and Adoption Research George A. Economou (1923–2003), optical expert; instrumental in the development of the atomic bomb Lee M. E. Morin (born 1952), NASA astronaut
Sports
Jamie Aube (born 1953), NASCAR driverJamie Aube, www.racing-reference.info Steve Balboni (born 1957), first baseman and designated hitter with five MLB teams; World Series champion (1985) Courtney Banghart (born 1978), head women's basketball coach at the University of North CarolinaBanghart to lead UNC women's basketball program Chris Carpenter (born 1975), pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, recipient of the Cy Young Award; graduate of Trinity High School"Chris Carpenter". Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Accessed June 16, 2026. Charlie Davies (born 1986), striker with Sochaux (French Ligue 1) and the USA soccer team Ryan Day (born 1979), head coach of Ohio State University football team Mike Flanagan (1951–2011), All-Star pitcher with Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays; World Series champion (1983) Wenyen Gabriel (born 1997), basketball player with the Los Angeles Lakers Chip Kelly (born 1963), former head coach of NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers Don Macek (born 1954), center with the San Diego Chargers Hubie McDonough (born 1963), center with NHL's Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, and San Jose Sharks Dan Mullen (born 1972), college football head coach at UNLV Dave Philistin (born 1986), linebacker with Seattle Seahawks and Kiel Baltic Hurricanes (Germany) John Francis "Phenomenal" Smith (1864–1952), pitcher with several MLB teams Sherman White (born 1948), defensive end with Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills, second pick of 1972 NFL draft
Other
Jennie Collins (1828–1887), labor reformer, humanitarian, suffragist Lisa Anne Fletcher (1844–1905), poet, correspondent Mariano Gagnon (1929–2017), Franciscan friar, Roman Catholic priest, missionary Marie-Josephine Gaudette (1902–2017), supercentenarian, oldest nun ever and oldest living person in Italy Emma Blood French (1853–1932), philanthropist Alice Hughes (1898–1977), journalist and syndicated fashion columnist Bernice Blake Perry (1905–1996), pilot and photographer, first woman to earn a pilot's license in New Hampshire Horace Riviere (1887–1942), Union organizer in the 1920s and 30s, head of the New England district of the United Textile Workers of America
References