The following is a list of prominent people who were born in the U.S. state of Utah, live in Utah, or for whom Utah is a significant part of their identity.
A
Maurice Abravanel – music director of the Utah Symphony for over 30 years Maude Adams – Broadway stage actress of late 19th and early 20th centuries, noted for title role in Peter Pan Florence E. Allen – first woman to serve on a state Supreme Court, second to serve as a federal judge Quinn Allman – guitarist for The Used John Amaechi – American-English NBA player for the Utah Jazz (2001–2003), sports broadcaster, political activist Rocky Anderson – former mayor of Salt Lake City David Archuleta – singer-songwriter, runner-up on the seventh season of American Idol Leonard J. Arrington – historian Hal Ashby – director; films include Being There, The Last Detail, Harold and Maude
B
Simon Bamberger – first Democratic governor of Utah; only Jewish governor of Utah Dean Baker (born 1958) – macroeconomist Lee Barnes (1906–1970) – pole vaulter, gold medalist in 1924 Olympics Roseanne Barr – comedian, television actress, writer, talk-show host Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995) – rodeo champion, inventor, artist, sculptor, Utah Sports Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Bastian – computer programmer, co-founder of WordPerfect company, philanthropist, on the board of directors of the Human Rights Campaign Zane Beadles – lineman for the Jacksonville Jaguars Linda Bement (1942–2018) – Miss USA and Miss Universe 1960 Robert Foster "Bob" Bennett – Republican United States senator from Utah Ezra Taft Benson – 13th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1985–1994; United States secretary of agriculture Jaime Bergman – actress, model, 1999 Playboy Playmate Arnie Beyeler – first base coach for the Boston Red Sox Don Bluth (born 1937) – animator Frank Borzage – film director and actor Reva Beck Bosone – Utah's first female member of Congress Elaine Bradley – musician; member of rock band Neon Trees Shawn Bradley – former NBA center, one of the tallest players in NBA history Stewart Bradley – linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles Juanita Brooks – historian and author John Moses Browning (1855–1926) – firearms designer Val Browning (1895–1994) – business magnate, philanthropist, and gun innovator John Buck (born 1980) – catcher for the Miami Marlins Ted Bundy – serial killer who attended the S. J. Quinney College of Law (not born in Utah, but lived there) Nolan Bushnell (born 1943) – video game designer, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese Jerry Buss (1933–2013) – businessman, real estate investor and chemist, owned the Los Angeles Lakers
C
Ben Cahoon – slotback for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes, member of two Grey Cup championship teams in 2002 and 2009 Mario Capecchi (born 1939) – recipient, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2007 Orson Scott Card (born 1951) – science fiction author Kate B. Carter (1891–1976) – writer and historian Neal Cassady – writer; major figure of the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the psychedelic and counterculture movements of the 1960s; inspiration for the character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road Butch Cassidy (1866 – c. 1908) – outlaw, born Robert LeRoy Parker in Beaver, Utah Stephen Covey (1932–2012) – author, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Reed Cowan (born 1972) – television news anchor, philanthropist, and documentary filmmaker Melvin A. Cook (1911–2000) – explosives expert, chemist Chris Cooley (born 1982) – NFL tight end James Cowser (born 1990) – NFL outside linebacker Chandler Cox (born 1996) – NFL fullback
D
Matthew Davis – actor, The Vampire Diaries, What About Brian, Legally Blonde Laraine Day – actress, Foreign Correspondent, Mr. Lucky, The High and the Mighty Jordan Devey – offensive guard for the San Francisco 49ers Paul W. Draper – anthropologist, mentalist, educator Jack Dreyer – MLB pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers Christine M. Durham – chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court since 2002
E
David Eccles – industrialist Marriner Eccles – banker, economist, chairman of the Federal Reserve during Roosevelt and Truman administrations Spencer Eccles – bank executive for First Security and Wells Fargo Lily Eskelsen García – vice president of National Education Association Richard Paul Evans – author, known for novel The Christmas Box Henry Eyring – theoretical chemist who proposed theories on which future Nobel Prize winners based their work
F
Philo T. Farnsworth (1906–1971) – inventor of the electronic television John D. Fitzgerald – author of The Great Brain series of children's books and Papa Married a Mormon John F. Fitzpatrick – publisher of The Salt Lake Tribune 1924–1960 Harvey Fletcher – physicist, invented the hearing aid and audiometer; called "the father of stereophonic sound" Brandon Flowers – singer for the rock band The Killers"The Lady Killer: An Interview with the Killers' Brandon Flowers": Spin, 9 Nov 2004 Jim Fosgate – inventor of first car amplifier, Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound, founder of Rockford Fosgate electronics Jimmer Fredette – professional basketball player Patrick Fugit (born 1982) – actor, known for lead role of Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous Gene Fullmer (1931–2015) – middleweight boxer and world champion
G
John W. Gallivan – publisher of The Salt Lake Tribune, 1960–1984 Kendall D. Garff – founder of Ken Garff Automotive Group Jake Garn – former U.S. senator and astronaut, the first member of Congress in space Anthony Geary – actor in several daytime television series John Gilbert – silent film star Tyler Glenn – musician; member of rock band Neon Trees Jared Goldberg (born 1991) – Olympic skier Robert Gore – co-inventor of Gore-Tex fabrics Wilbert L. Gore – co-inventor of Gore-Tex fabrics Heber J. Grant (1856–1945) – 7th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Tom Green – Mormon fundamentalist and practicer of plural marriage Riley Griffiths – actor, known for Super 8 Jesse Grupper (born 1997) – Olympic rock climber
H
Gregg Hale – guitarist for British band Spiritualized Tracy Hall (1919–2008) – scientist Jacob Hamblin – peace maker with Native Americans Orrin Hatch (1934–2022) – long-time U.S. senator from Utah since 1977 Dan Hausel (born 1949) – martial-arts grandmaster, exploration geologist and author Stanley Havili (born 1987) – fullback for the Philadelphia Eagles Colin Haynie (born 2004/2005) – alleged mass shooter Katherine Heigl – actress (Grey's Anatomy, 27 Dresses) Gary R. Herbert (born 1947) – governor of Utah Jared and Jerusha Hess (born 1979, 1980) – filmmakers (Napoleon Dynamite) Tracy Hickman – writer, co-creator of the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Dragonlance and associated novels Esther Hicks – inspirational speaker and best-selling author Chelsie Hightower – professional ballroom dancer on So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars Joe Hill – socialist, radical labor activist, and member of the Industrial Workers of the World Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) – 15th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1995–2008 Allison Holker – jazz dancer Derek Hough and Julianne Hough – professional ballroom dancers on Dancing with the Stars Jeph Howard (born 1979) – bassist for The Used Jon Huntsman Jr. (born 1960) – governor of Utah 2005–2009; ambassador to the People's Republic of China Jon Huntsman Sr. – businessman, philanthropist, founder of Huntsman Corporation
I
Brian Ibbott – creator of the Coverville podcast
J
Daniel C. Jackling – founded the Utah Copper Co. in 1903, starting what became the world's largest open-pit mine Ken Jennings – 74-time Jeopardy! champion Jewel (born Jewel Kilcher, 1974) – singer-songwriter, guitarist, actress, and poet Scott Johnson – creator of Extralife webcomic and podcast network Frogpants Studios Megan Joy – singer, American Idol Season 8 finalist
K
Thomas Kearns – U.S. senator from Utah (1901–1905), owned the Silver King Coalition Mine in Park City and the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah's largest newspaper Bryan Kehl – linebacker for the Washington Redskins Brett Keisel – defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers David M. Kennedy (1905–1996) – treasury secretary under President Nixon Spencer W. Kimball – 12th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; LDS president who ended the ban on priesthood for African-Americans in 1978 John F. Kinney – chief justice of the Utah Territory Supreme Court, 1853–1857, and the Territory of Utah's Delegate in the House of Representatives of the 38th Congress Raymond Knight – rodeo organizer, son of mining magnate Jesse Knight Steve Konowalchuk – NHL forward for Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche Paul Kruger – linebacker for Cleveland Browns
L
Carnell Lake (born 1967) – former NFL professional football player, football coach Paul Langton – actor Joi Lansing – model, actress LeafyIsHere – YouTuber Mike Leavitt – former governor of Utah, secretary of Health and Human Services Harold B. Lee – 11th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints John D. Lee – early LDS Church leader, the only man convicted in the Mountain Meadows massacre Trevor Lewis – forward for NHL's Los Angeles Kings Don L. Lind – astronaut Mike Lookinland – actor Star Lotulelei – defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers Brandon Lyon – relief pitcher for MLB's Toronto Blue Jays
M
Maddox – Internet satirist and author of The Best Page in the Universe and The Alphabet of Manliness Karl Malone – professional basketball player (retired); two-time NBA MVP and Hall of Famer John Willard Marriott – founder of worldwide hotel business Marriott International, Inc. Mark Maryboy – politician and a former Navajo Nation Council Delegate Daya Mata – president of Self-Realization Fellowship for 55+ years Scott M. Matheson – governor of Utah Ned Mathews – running back for Detroit Lions and Boston Yanks Bert McCracken – lead singer of the band The Used Roger I. McDonough – chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court, 1947–1948 and 1954–1959 David O. McKay – 9th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints James B. McKean – congressman, chief justice of the Utah Territory Supreme Court, 1870–1875 Jim McMahon – NFL football player (retired); businessman; motivational speaker Evan Mecham – 17th governor of Arizona Kieth Merrill – Academy Award-winning producer and director Johnny Miller – former professional golfer, won 25 PGA Tour events, current golf analyst for NBC Sports Larry H. Miller (1944–2009) – businessman, philanthropist, owner of Utah Jazz basketball team Gerald R. Molen – Academy Award-winning film producer Thomas S. Monson – president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ted Moss – three-term Democratic senator from Utah Barry Mower – businessperson, owner of Lifetime Products Brandon Mull – best-selling author
N
Jim Nantz – CBS Sports anchor David Neeleman – co-founder JetBlue Russell M. Nelson – 17th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Haloti Ngata – defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens Claude Nowell (1944–2008) – founder of Summum religion and philosophy
O
Dallin H. Oaks – lawyer, jurist, Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Darcy Olsen – president and chief executive officer of the Goldwater Institute Merlin Olsen (1940–2010) – former NFL football player, actor on Little House on the Prairie and star of NBC's Father Murphy The Osmonds – family music group Alan Osmond (born 1949) – singer Donny Osmond (born 1957) – singer, actor, television host Jay Osmond (born 1955) – singer Jimmy Osmond (born 1963) – singer, actor, businessman Marie Osmond (born 1959) – singer, actress, television host Merrill Osmond (born 1953) – singer Wayne Osmond (born 1951) – singer Wayne Owens (1937–2002) – attorney, U.S. congressman from Utah
P
Erik Pears (born 1982) – offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers Utah Phillips (1935–2008) – folk singer, poet, and labor organizer