The following people were born in, residents of, or closely associated with Columbia, South Carolina.
Government and law
Weston Adams, United States ambassador DeAndrea G. Benjamin, lawyer serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Stephen K. Benjamin, politician, mayor of Columbia, Director of the Office of Public Engagement for the Biden administration, and one of the senior advisors to president Biden Adair Ford Boroughs, United States attorney for the District of South Carolina John T. Campbell, politician, mayor of Columbia J. Michelle Childs, U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Jim Clyburn, US Congressman, former US House Assistant Democratic Leader and US House Majority Whip Bob Coble, politician, mayor of Columbia John E. Courson, politician, President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate Kirkman Finlay, Jr., politician, mayor of Columbia Dick Harpootlian, politician and attorney Henry Washington Hilliard, former U.S. Congressman for the 2nd District of Alabama, Confederate Army officer, and U.S. Minister to Brazil Robert H. Hodges, Jr., federal judge George Dean Johnson Jr., politician and lawyer Robert E. Kneece, politician and lawyer Henry McMaster, incumbent governor of South Carolina, since 2017 Matthew J. Perry, lawyer, judge Carol Rasco, director of the Domestic Policy Council under President Bill Clinton; advocate for disability rights, education, and children Jennifer Clyburn Reed, federal co-chair of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of Columbia Bakari T. Sellers, attorney, political commentator, former politician Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States Bill Workman, economic consultant, Greenville mayor; former Columbia resident
Film and acting
Julian Adams, film producer, writer, and actor Aziz Ansari, actor and comedian, Parks and Recreation Paul Benjamin, actor Anna Camp, actress, Pitch Perfect films Kelsey Chow, actress Mike Colter, actor Angell Conwell, actress Kristin Davis, actress, Sex and the City Stanley Donen, film director and choreographer Michael Flessas, actor Ed Grady, actor Scott Holroyd, actor Fiona Hutchison, actress Barton MacLane, actor, playwriter, screenwriter Elizabeth MacRae, actress Allison Munn, actress Kara Robinson Chamberlain, victim's advocate, influencer, and host Gloria Saunders, actress Ann Savage, actress Sadie Stanley, actress Josh Stolberg, screenwriter Robin Swicord, screenwriter Jonny Weston, actor Lee Thompson Young, actor
Education Clarissa Minnie Thompson Allen, writer and educator Walter Edgar, professor, historian, author Richard Theodore Greener, pioneering African-American professor, librarian, attorney, diplomat Mary Haskell, educator Elias Marks, founder of Barhamville Institute Steve Pettit, fifth president of Bob Jones University Sophie Sosnowski, founder of young women's schools
Activism Sarah Mae Flemming, civil rights activist Kevin Alexander Gray, activist Taylor Richardson, advocate, activist, speaker, student and philanthropist Modjeska Monteith Simkins, civil rights activist, Secretary of the South Carolina NAACP Tom Turnipseed, activist, formerly of State Senate
Music
Nickolas Ashford of Ashford & Simpson r&b duo, born in Fairfield County Atlas Road Crew, alternative rock, Southern rock band Bored Suburban Youth, hardcore punk band Pi'erre Bourne, producer and rapper Speaker Knockerz, producer and rapper Ben Bridwell, lead singer of Band of Horses, alternative rock band Phillip Bush, pianist Crossfade, alternative metal/hard rock band Danny!, musician From Safety To Where, rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, band Danielle Howle, musician and songwriter Iron & Wine (Samuel Beam), indie rock musician JetsonMade, producer Alexis Jordan, singer Lil Ru, singer Linda Martell first black female country singer, from Batesburg-Leesville The Movement, reggae band Chris Potter, musician The Sequence, first female hip-hop group in 1979 Zachary Stevens, heavy metal singer Angie Stone, singer Stretch Arm Strong, hardcore punk band Toro y Moi, musician and songwriter Ron Westray, trombonist
Art Eugene Dovilliers, artist Larry Francis Lebby, artist Alicia Leeke, artist Guy Lipscomb, artist Brooklyn Mack, ballet dancer Rodney McMillian, painter, professor Sara Mearns, ballet dancer Jacolby Satterwhite, contemporary Afrian-American artist Ashley Tuttle, ballet dancer
Science and medicine Charles F. Bolden, Jr., astronaut Tyrone Hayes, biologist Alonzo Clifton McClennan, doctor Kary Mullis, scientist (Nobel Prize winner/graduate of Dreher High School) John H. Yardley, pathologist
Military Charles W. Bagnal, military officer and lawyer Arthur C. Davis, Navy admiral Maxcy Gregg, Civil War veteran Alexander Cheves Haskell, Civil War veteran Lloyd E. Jones, Army major general
Literature and publishing
Annie Maria Barnes, journalist, editor, and author James Dickey, poet, author of Deliverance in 1970, #42 on Modern Library's list of the 100 best 20th-century novels Percival Everett, author, Pulitzer Prize winner, professor, painter Nikky Finney, poet, professor William Price Fox, novelist Terrance Hayes, poet Ed Madden, poet, professor, and editor Ryan Magee, editor John Henry McCray, African American newspaper journalist and publisher, politician, and civil rights activist Ray McManus, poetRichardson, Rachel. , "Spartanburg Herald", Spartanburg, October 5, 2014. Retrieved 2015. Tom Poland, author Julian Selby, printer, journalist and writer
Sports
Ike Anderson, Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler Jordan Anderson (racing driver), NASCAR team owner and driver Grayson Barber, soccer player Zinn Beck, MLB player, manager Ryan Bethea, professional football wide receiver Michael Boulware, NFL safety Peter Boulware, NFL linebacker, 4-time Pro Bowl, Super Bowl champion Bob Bowman, swim coach, best known as coach of Michael Phelps Zack Bowman, NFL cornerback Bruce Chen, Major League Baseball pitcher Tyrone Corbin, NBA player and coach Dennis Daley, NFL offensive tackle Brad Edwards, NFL defensive back Alex English, NBA forward, member of Basketball Hall of Fame The Fabulous Moolah, WWE/WWF wrestler Samkon Gado, NFL running back Grayson Greiner, MLB catcher Kirby Higbe, MLB pitcher LaMarr Hoyt, MLB pitcher, AL Cy Young Award winner Hal Jeffcoat, MLB player Dustin Johnson, professional golfer Erik Kimrey, college football coach Savannah McCaskill, soccer player, member of USWNT Xavier McDaniel, NBA player BJ McKie, professional basketball player Jermaine O'Neal, NBA player, 6-time All-Star The Patriot, real name Del Wilkes, pro wrestler Zach Prince, USL Championship soccer player Brian Quick, NFL player Andre Roberts, NFL wide receiver, All-Pro kick returner Darell Scott, NFL defensive tackle Richard Seymour, NFL defensive tackle, 7-time Pro Bowl, 3-time Super Bowl champion Dawn Staley, basketball coach and former player Duce Staley, NFL player and coach Freddie Summers, NFL defensive back Channing Tindall, NFL linebacker Trick Williams, professional wrestler, WWE NXT (NXT Champion) A'ja Wilson, WNBA power forward for the Las Vegas Aces Wesley Bryan, professional golfer Dan Brode, NASCAR
Other Kimberly Clarice Aiken, Miss USA 1994 Quincy Allen, Serial killer Joseph Bernardin, Catholic cardinal Marie Boozer, adventuress from Civil War era Mark Cerney, founder of the Next of Kin Registry (NOKR) Ainsley Earhardt, news anchor Richard Evonitz, serial killer Aaron Fechter, mechanical engineer and entrepreneur, creator of The Rock-afire Explosion, and one of two founders of ShowBiz Pizza Place Gerald Mason, cop killer Craig Melvin, news anchor Dylann Roof, terrorist and white supremacist mass murderer behind the Charleston church shooting
References