List of people from Portland, Oregon

Portland is a port city in the U.S. state of Oregon located at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Established in the 1830s as a camp along the Oregon Trail, Portland evolved into a major West Coast industrial city during the twentieth century. Contemporarily, it is the most populous city in Oregon, and the second-largest city in the Pacific Northwest.

This list of notable people includes persons who were either born in, are current residents of, or have lived in Portland. A person who lives in or comes from Portland, Oregon is called a Portlander.

A

Person Lifespan Notability Born 2001- Baseball player 1954– Actor 1942–2015 Diplomat 1963– Comic book artist DeAngelo, Danny (November/December 1997). "Art Adams: King of the Monster Artists". G-Fan. pp. 22–25. 1963– Former mayor of Portland 1936–2012Musician 1973– Artist Poet 1921–1997 Playwright, screenwriter 1893–1983 Musicologist, composer 1962– Musician 1928–2015 Clown, author 1974– Actress 1956– Diplomat, businesswoman 1929– Actress 1928–1957 Actor 1953– Major League Baseball player 1897–1993 Singer Musician 1941–2016 Singer 1986– Singer-songwriter 1949– Cinematographer 1930–2003 Televangelist 1929–1988 Film director and editor 1923–2014 32nd governor of Oregon 1907–1990 Photographer 1819–1889 Missionary 1936– Author 1888–1958 Plywood manufacturing innovator

B

Person Lifespan Notability Born 2000– Actor 1941– Attorney, athlete 1963– Actress 1995– Model 1860–1957 One of first policewomen in the United States 1972– Filmmaker Daniel E. Barbey1989-1969U.S. Navy admiral 1966–1994 Professional wrestler 1924–2015 Civil rights activist 1873–1941 Actress 1990– Lacrosse player 1931–1996 Actor 1903–1985 Food expert 1980– Musician 1923–1986 Football player 1899–1994 Architect 1966–Soccer player 1867–1943 Architect 1852–1942 Philanthropist, logger 1977– Artist 2005– Soccer player 1939–2025Entrepreneur and tennis professionalNo 1908–1989 Voice actor 1963– Major League Baseball player, World Series champion 1978– Filmmaker 1974– Bodybuilder 1969– Drummer 1948– Democratic U.S. representative 1920–2011 Actor 1841–1932 Union soldier, founder of Boring, Oregon 1962– Composer, trumpeter 1970– NBA all-star 1974– Standup comedian 1954– Actor 1975– Singer, frontman of Modest Mouse 1915–1999 Actor 1954– NASCAR racer 1960– NASCAR racer 1977–Soccer player 1965– Professional basketball player 1944– Jazz drummer 1887–1938 Silent film director Writer, editor 1974– Musician, actor 1985– Actress 1977– Retired fencer 1885–1936 Journalist, writer 1910–1995 Politician, lawyer 1956– Guitarist of R.E.M. 1915–1989 Actor 1953– Politician 1924–2009 All-American girls professional baseball player 1916–1937 Actress 1913–1964 Actress, art collector 1950–Musician, master Irish fiddler 1923–2011 Children's author, illustrator 1895–1988 Civil rights activist; first African-American to attend the University of Oregon

C

Person Lifespan Notability Born 1951–2010 Cartoonist Artist, author 1998– Soccer player; represented Luxembourg 1913–1993 Actress 1897–1984 Actress 1959– Musician 1858–1917 Publisher 1935– Politician 1952– Actress, acting coach 1983– Actor 1955–2011 Actor 1979– Actress 1808–1892 Politician, lawyer 1925–2000 Photographer 1951–2003 British soccer player, coach (Paywall) 1972- Pop artist 1964– Classical soprano, director 1906–2003 Actress, singer 1992– Actress 1916–2021 Author 1956– Architect 1969– Actress 1983– Soccer player 1857–1927 Physician, politician 1967– Filmmaker, actor 1807–1882 Investor, militia officer 1987–WNBA player 1925-1957 Serial killer 1898–1951 Actor, director 1923–2014 Actor 1995– Olympic swimmer 1970– Soccer player 1901–1961 Actor 1972– Rapper, entertainer and radio personality 1947– President of Compassion & Choices 1969– Comic artist 1915–2000 Attorney, politician 1947– Actress 1827–1903 Industrialist, U.S. senator 1933–2021 Olympic swimmer 1917–2006 Actor 1811–1870 Sea captain, co-founder of Portland 1910–1982 Political activist 1963– Sports media host 1905–2002 Entrepreneur, inventor of chainsaw chain 1960– Artist Publisher of Tape Op 1992– Olympic shot putter and discus thrower 1963– Musician 1883–1976 Photographer 1949– Inventor of wiki 1892–1967 Actress 1956– Journalist 1967– Costume and puppet designer 1941– Poet, novelist

D

Person Lifespan Notability Born 1895–1986 Actress 1910–2000 Chess Grandmaster 1994– Rapper, musician 1971– Musician, vocalist of Spoon 1914—2005Mathematical scientist 1930–2023 Drag performer 1982– Political lobbyist 1959– Singer 1877–1937 Academic 1970– Comic writer 1962– Filmmaker 1982– Professional soccer players 1952–2007 Blues harmonica player 1946– Businessman, state representative 1936–2013 Director emeritus of orchestral studies at Juilliard School; director of Oregon Symphony 1968– Olympic rower 1972–Democratic U.S. representative, former Oregon state representative 1978– Ultrarunner 1975– Poet 1922–1993 Painter 1901–2004 Law professor at University of Chicago 1981– Singer-songwriter of Gossip 1978– Basketball player, Portland Trail Blazers 1979– Reality TV personality 1977– NBA player 1924–1986 R&B singer 1967– Singer-songwriter 1928–2017 Actress, wife of Hank Greenberg 1872–1968Painter, sculptor, and teacher; wife of Frank DuMond 1834–1915 Suffragist 1980– NBA player 1945–2016 Author

E

Person Lifespan Notability Born 1943– NFL player, coach 1988– Decathlete 1970– CEO of Stand for Children 1884–1947 Baseball player 1901–1968 Crime boss 1944– Actor 1975– Illustrator 1943–2015 Musician of The Kingsmen 1973– Radio personality 1925–2013 Inventor of computer mouse 1872–1952 Physician, anarchist 1902–1985 Politician, mayor of Anchorage, Alaska 1978– Olympic silver medalist in water polo 1847–1917 Train robber 1854–1940 Suffragist 1991– Soccer player 1918–1992 First chancellor of City University of New York; president of the New School for Social Research 1962– Sportscaster 1948– Actor

F

Person Lifespan Notability Born 1834–1898 Banker, politician 1893–1989 Soprano concert singer 1932– Attorney, broadcaster World champion disc golfer 1923–1995 Legislator, judge 1964– Actor, filmmaker 1980– Creator of LiveJournal 1967– Artist 1986– Actress 1947–2023 High jumper 1879–1950 Economist, first president of Reed College 1975– Comic writer 1890–1968 Actress, singer –1931 Civic worker 1982– Host of Clips & Quips 1889–1973 Actress 1974– Meteorologist, WABC-TV New York 1987– Actor 1936–2013 Astronaut, member of Astronaut Hall of Fame 1983– Standup comedian 1936–2021 U.S. congresswoman

G

Person Lifespan Notability Born 1901–1960 Actor 1988– Major League Baseball player 1990–NFL player 1982– National Hockey League player 1958– Actress 1896–1964Landscape architect 1883–1958Naval officer 1966–Musician 1984– Baseball player 1940–1977 First person executed in U.S. after reinstatement of capital punishment 1903–1979Poet, dramatist 1908–1945Actor 1924-2020 Founder of the Portland Trail Blazers 1827–1890 U.S. Army surgeon 1944– Author 1988– Actor 1970s– Musician 1905–1988Artist 1984– Professional boxer 1906–2000Pharmacologist, pioneer of chemotherapy 1976–Photographer, cameraman of Ghost Adventures 1947– First African-American woman elected to Oregon State Senate 1915–1978Baseball player 1978–Olympic long-distance runner 1886–1953 Actress 1938–2006 Cinematographer Betty Evans Grayson(1925–1979)Softball pitcher 1963– Retired NBA champion 1910–1987Politician 1884–1945 Actor 1936–2020 Olympic middle-distance runner 1909–1947Actress 1954–Animator, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama 1912–1955 Folk singer-songwriter

H

Person Lifespan Notability Born 1928–2005Actor 1944–U.S. federal judge 1941– Actress 1933–1988NBA player 1908–2007Painter 1874–1940Major general and chief of the National Guard Bureau 1973–Sportswriter, film producer 1968– Singer-songwriter (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre) 1907–1988 Politician 1970– U.S. national champion and Olympic figure skater 1980– Miss America 2002 1978–NFL quarterback 1983–NFL linebacker 1982–Actor 1917–2003Composer Musician 1948–2018 Artist, founder of Burning Man 1887–1953Actor 1899–1984Filmmaker 1848–1935 Politician Creator of Pokey the Penguin 1819–1881 Physician, co-founder of Oregon Hospital for the Insane 1899–1950Writer 1961–Screenwriter 1961–Screenwriter 1961–Filmmaker 1966– Musician 1958– Astronaut 1954–1996 Model, actress; granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway 1975–Actress 1920–1986 Writer, journalist 1879–1915 Labor activist 1948–Actress 1940–2013 Businessperson 1905–1990 Radio host, actress 1893–1964 Author, artist 1819–1897 Transportation mogul 1973– Musician 1852–1927 Lawyer Musician 2002– Missing person 1960– Author 1892–1934 Journalist 1949– Musician, father of Oliver and Kate Hudson 1953– Musician, television producer 1951– Musician, record producer 1951– Musician 1994– Major League Baseball player 1950–2022 Actor

I Person Lifespan Notability Born 1986– Hip hop musician 1989– Hip hop musician 1949–2016 Filmmaker 1865–1920 Librarian, founder of Oregon Library Association born ? Inventor, writer, producer, media executive, investor and financier

J Person Lifespan Notability Born 1954– Pro-golfer 1933–2022 Creator of jet ski 1989– Distance runner 1970– Art critic, historian, and curator 1950– Olympic swimmer 1980– Musician 1909–1991 Actress 1877–1944 Actress 1955–2011 Creator, founder of Apple 1968– Painter 1900–1985 Major League Baseball player 1979– NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Champion 1966– NFL offensive guard 1992– NBA player 1956– High jumper 1974– Filmmaker, performance artist

K

Person Lifespan Notability Born 1905–1944 Violinist 1977– Architect, artist 1990– Chef, entrepreneur 1972– Political commentator 1914–2010 Professor, president of California Polytechnic State University 1958–2008 Actress 1883–1928 Actress 1876–1965 Avant-garde artist 1890–1911 Heiress to Kerr Glass Company 1946–2015 Wildlife biologist, conservationist 1863–1947 Academic, first chancellor of Oregon University System 1975– Founder and CEO of MergerTech 1983– Unicyclist known as the Unipiper 1947– Activist, author 1923–2018 Actor 1990– YouTube personality 1938– Co-founder of Nike, Inc. 1909–1981 Publisher 1946– Actor 1889–1965 Politician 1934–2016 Classics and Jewish history scholar 1924–1987 Printmaker 1952– Author 1974– Author, activist; wife of Chris Kyle

L

Person Lifespan Notability Born 1896–1926 Actress 1826–1893 Businessman, industrialist 1949–2009 Textile artist 1948– Retired professional boxer 1896–1954 Editor, Oregon poet laureate 1950–2007 Midget professional wrestler 1961– Singer-songwriter 1855–1917 Politician, physician 1969– Musician 1899–1947 Actor 1959– Conservative talk radio host 1959– Actor; ex-husband of Olivia Newton-John 1970– Musician (Pink Martini) 1991– Comedian 1868–1939 Architect 1929–2018 Author 1893–1943 Screenwriter 1886–1993 First Chinese American woman registered to vote 1912–1944 First Chinese-American female military pilot 1978–2006 United States Navy SEAL 1925–2018Artist, sculptor 1853–1923 Architect 1964– Author 1917–2014 Conductor, clarinetist 1864–1945 German American architect 1959–1987 Engineer 1961– Documentarian First professional abortion provider in Portland 1871–1958 Journalist 1906–1942 Actress 1940– Major League Baseball pitcher 1959– Football player 1987-Sex worker, author and freelance writer 1839–1893 Physician, co-founder of Oregon Hospital for the Insane 1964– Actress, musician (Hole) 1931–2015 New Hampshire State Senator, businessman 1953– Author 1855–1904 Journalist, historian 1979– Musician, writer, activist

M