This is a list of people from Topeka, Kansas.
Academia
Warren Faidley (1957– ), meteorologist, storm chaser William T. Frankenberger (1952–2021), soil scientist Riley Gardner (1921–2007), psychologist Wes Jackson (1936– ), environmentalist, The Land Institute Sokoni Karanja (1940– ), child development expert G. Warren Nutter (1923–1979), economist Ruth Patrick (1907–2013), botanist, limnologist, recipient of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement
Walton T. Roth (1939– ), psychiatrist and psychophysiological researcherVA Palo Alto Healthcare System Epicenter. David Curtis Skaggs, Jr. (1937– ), historian John Brooks Slaughter (1934–2023), electrical engineer, National Science Foundation director
Arts and entertainment Film, television, and theatre
Brandon Adams (1979– ), actor Annette Bening (1958– ), actress Gregg Binkley (1963– ), actor Roscoe Born (1950–2020), actor Jack Colvin (1934–2005), actor Samuel M. Comer (1893–1974), set decorator George Dickerson (1933–2015), actor, poet, writer Jayne Houdyshell (1953– ), actress Jeff Kready, Broadway actor Alix Lapri, actress Ted North (1916–1975), actor Sheila Ryan (1921–1975), actress Travis Schuldt (1974– ), actor Lois Smith (1930– ), actress Fay Tincher (1884–1983), actress
Journalism Allen W. Clark (1867–1931), journalist, businessman Audrey Cooper, journalist and news executive Elizabeth Farnsworth (1943– ), broadcaster, filmmaker Donald C. Thompson (1885–1947), war photographer, director, producer
Literature
Thomas Fox Averill (1949– ), novelist Gwendolyn Brooks (1917–2000), poet Irene Bennett Brown, author of children's, young adult and adult fiction Jeannette Eyerly (1908–2008), novelist, columnist Janet Fox (1940–2009), fantasy and horror writer, poet Jane Heap (1883–1964), editor, publisher Ben Lerner (1979– ), poet Karen Salyer McElmurray (1956– ), essayist, novelist Eric McHenry (1972– ), poet Frances Clarke Sayers (1897–1989), author, lecturer, librarian Ed Skoog (1971– ), poet Linda Spalding (1943– ), novelist, editor Rex Stout (1886–1975), novelist Max Yoho (1934–2017), author Kevin Young (1970/1971– ), poet, author, director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Music
Phil Ehart (1950– ), drummer, founding member of the band Kansas Streamline Ewing (1917–2002), jazz trombonist Aulsondro "Emcee N.I.C.E." Hamilton, musician, member of KansasCali, known for Crash soundtrack Coleman Hawkins (1904–1969), jazz saxophonist Dave Hope (1949– ), bass guitarist, former member of Kansas Josh Kulick, former heavy metal drummer for Through the Eyes of the Dead Katrina Leskanich (1960– ), singer (Katrina and the Waves) Kerry Livgren (1949– ), founding member of the bands Kansas and AD Andy McKee (1979– ), musician Kirke Mechem (1925– ), composer Origin, metal band Kliph Scurlock (1973– ), drummer Jamshied Sharifi (1960– ), composer, musician Kenny Starr (1952– ), country singer Rich Williams (1950– ), guitarist, member of Kansas
Other visual arts James Pringle Cook (1947– ), Western landscape painter Aaron Douglas (1899–1979), Harlem Renaissance artist Georgia Louise Harris Brown (1918–1999), architect Peter Max Lawrence (1977– ), contemporary media artist
Business Henry Bubb (1907–1989), president and chairman of Capitol Federal Savings Bank Brad Garlinghouse (1971– ), business executive, investor Cyrus K. Holliday (1826–1900), first president of Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad; founder of Topeka township John F. Kilmartin (1921–2004), retail executive
Crime Richard Gary Beach (1942–), convicted mass murderer Alvin "Creepy" Karpis (1907–1979), kidnapper, murderer, robber Anthony LaRette (1951–1995), convicted serial killer executed in Missouri Amy Watkins (1973–1999), murder victim
Medicine Karl Bowman (1888–1973), psychiatrist Harriet Lerner (1944– ), clinical psychologist and author Karl Menninger (1893–1990), psychiatrist Roy W. Menninger (1926–2024), psychiatrist William C. Menninger (1899–1966), psychiatrist W. Walter Menninger (1931– ), psychiatrist Karl Targownik (1915–1996), psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor
Military Wilder D. Baker (1890–1975), U.S. Navy vice admiral during World War II Ronald Evans (1933–1990), astronaut Harry D. Felt (1902–1992), U.S. Navy admiral Donald Hudson (1895–1967), World War I flying ace Joseph K. Hudson (1840–1907), U.S. Army brigadier general Philip Johnston (1892–1978), U.S. Marine Corps code-talker Frank E. Petersen (1932–2015), U.S. Marine Corps lt. general
Politics National
Linda Carol Brown (1943–2018), plaintiff in Brown v. Board of Education Oliver Brown (1918–1961), plaintiff in Brown v. Board of Education Arthur Capper (1865–1951), U.S. senator from Kansas, 20th governor of Kansas Helen Chenoweth-Hage (1938–2006), U.S. representative from Idaho Albert M. Cole (1901–1994), U.S. representative from Kansas Sam A. Crow (1926–2022), U.S. federal judgeJudge Sam A. Crow-obituary Charles Curtis (1860–1936), 31st vice president of the United States Ron Estes (1956– ), U.S. representative for Kansas and Kansas state treasurer Harry W. Fraser (1884–1950), labor leader David Archibald Harvey (1845–1916), U.S. House delegate from Oklahoma Territory Donald R. Heath (1894–1981), U.S. ambassador to Cambodia, Laos, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam Zelma Henderson (1920–2008), plaintiff in Brown v. Board of Education Nancy Kassebaum (1932– ), U.S. senator from Kansas Alf Landon (1887–1987), 26th governor of Kansas, 1936 Republican candidate for U.S. president Jake LaTurner (1988– ), former U.S. representative from Kansas, state treasurer, and state senatorhttps://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2025/01/17/former-congressman-jake-laturner-joins-firm-fp1-what-hell-focus-on/77724220007/ John Thomas Marten (1951– ), U.S. federal judge John Martin (1833–1913), U.S. senator from Kansas Isabell Masters (1913–2011), perennial third-party candidate for U.S. president Noah C. McFarland (1822–1897), commissioner of the United States General Land Office John G. Otis (1838–1916), U.S. representative from Kansas Brad Parscale (1976– ), campaign manager for Donald Trump Megan Phelps-Roper (1986– ), political activist and former member and dissident of the Westboro Baptist Church Nathan Phelps (1958– ), LGBT rights activist Shirley Phelps-Roper (1957– ), lawyer, anti-LGBT political activist John Ritchie (1817-1887), abolitionist Pat Roberts (1936– ), U.S. senator from Kansas William R. Roy (1926–2014), U.S. representative from Kansas Thomas Ryan (1837–1914), U.S. representative from Kansas and ambassador to Mexico John States Seybold (1897–1982), governor of Panama Canal Zone Jim Slattery (1948– ), U.S. representative from Kansas John L. Waller (1850–1907), U.S. consul to Madagascar
State
John Alcala (1959– ), Kansas state legislator Carol A. Beier (1958– ), Kansas Supreme Court justice Robert Coldsnow (1924–2014), Kansas state legislator Robert E. Davis (1939–2010), Kansas Supreme Court chief justice Joan Finney (1925–2001), 42nd governor of Kansas Shanti Gandhi (1940– ), physician and legislator A. C. Hamlin (1881–1912), Oklahoma state legislator Alexander Miller Harvey (1867–1928), 15th lieutenant governor of Kansas Anthony Hensley (1953– ), Kansas state legislator Marla Luckert (1955– ), Kansas Supreme Court justice Lutie Lytle (1875–1950), lawyer, first African-American woman admitted to Kansas bar Kay McFarland (1935–2015), Kansas Supreme Court chief justice Eric Rosen (1953– ), Kansas Supreme Court justice Caleb Stegall (1971– ), Kansas Supreme Court justice Jeff Stone (1961– ), Wisconsin state legislator Clifford W. Trow (1929– ), Oregon state legislator William C. Webb (1824-1898), Wisconsin and Kansas legislator Jackie Winters (1937–2019), Oregon state legislatorVotesamrt.org.-Jackie Winters
Local
Jacob Alan Dickinson (1911–1971), Topeka Board of Education president, desegregation supporter
Religion Lillian M. Mitchner (1862/64–1954), social reformer; president, Kansas State Woman's Christian Temperance Union Fred Phelps (1929–2014), leader of the Westboro Baptist Church Charles Sheldon (1857–1946), minister, author
Sports American football
Chris Beatty (1973– ), coach Tom Dinkel (1956– ), linebacker Forrestal Hickman (1993– ), offensive tackle Teven Jenkins (1998– ), offensive tackle Mike Lemon (1951– ), linebacker Trey Lewis (1985– ), defensive tackle Lamar Mady (1990– ), center Larry McGinnis (1899–1948), guard Jack Nason (1899–1977), tackle, wingback John H. Outland (1871–1947), college football coach and namesake of Outland Trophy John Parrella (1969– ), defensive tackle Ryan Torain (1986– ), running back Chuck Washington (1964– ), defensive back Troy Wilson (1970– ), defensive end
Baseball
Aaron Crow (1986– ), pitcher Rick DeHart (1970– ), pitcher Bingo DeMoss (1889–1965), 2nd baseman, manager Art Griggs (1884–1938), 1st baseman Ross Grimsley (1950– ), pitcher Clarence Heise (1907–1999), pitcher Larry Miller (1937–2018), pitcher Dink Mothell (1897–1980), pitcher, utility player Don O'Riley (1945–1997), pitcher Scott Taylor (1966– ), pitcher Mike Torrez (1946– ), pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn (1998– ), pitcher
Basketball Chris Babb (1990– ), shooting guard in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Leo Lyons (1987– ), power forward Fred Slaughter (1941–2016), center, sports agent Dean Smith (1931–2015), University of North Carolina and Basketball Hall of Fame coach Mark Turgeon (1965– ), head basketball coach at University of Maryland; formerly coach at Texas A&M University Kyle Weems (1989– ), small forward
Golf Marilynn Smith (1929–2019), pro golfer and LPGA co-founder, member of World Golf Hall of Fame Gary Woodland (1984– ), golfer
Racing Fred Comer (1893–1928), race car driver Louis Durant (1910–1972), race car driver Bruce Hill (1949–2017), race car driver
Softball NiJaree Canady (2003– ), pitcher Other
Simon Becher (1999– ), soccer player Bob Benoit (1954– ), pro bowler Casey Converse (1957– ), U.S. Olympic swimmer, coach Art Crews (1959– ), pro wrestler Bob Davis (1945– ), sportscaster Bill Disney (1932–2009), U.S. Olympic speed skater Jack Disney (1930–2024), U.S. Olympic cyclist Melvin Douglas, Olympic wrestler, 1996 and 2000 and World Championship gold medalist Max Falkenstien (1924–2019), radio broadcaster Margaret Thompson Murdock (1942– ), member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, and first woman to win a medal in shooting at the Summer Olympics Charles Nelson (1933– ), U.S. Olympic volleyball player Anna Seaton (1964– ), U.S. Olympic rower
See also
List of lists of people from Kansas
References