This is a list of notable individuals who are or were natives, or notable as residents of, or in association with the American city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Academia Will W. Alexander, first president of Dillard University and head of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation Stephen Ambrose, historian and University of New Orleans professor William Balée, anthropologist and Tulane University professor Charles C. Bass, physician and researcher in tropical medicine and dental health Elizabeth Bass, physician, educator, and suffragist Stanhope Bayne-Jones, physician, member of US Surgeon General's Committee linking smoking to cancer Joan W. Bennett, biologist and former Tulane University professor Florence Borders, archivist and historian at the Amistad Research Center Cyril Y. Bowers, physician and endocrinology researcher Rick Brewer, president of Louisiana College since 2015; born in New Orleans in 1956 Douglas Brinkley, historian, author and former University of New Orleans and Tulane University professor Brené Brown, professor of social work; author George E. Burch, pioneering physician, cardiovascular disease researcher, medical school professor John R. Conniff, educator and university administrator Scott Cowen, former president of Tulane University Richard Cusimano, historian and University of Louisiana at Lafayette distinguished professor Michael DeBakey, pioneer in heart surgery Albert W. Dent, president of Dillard University, chief executive of Flint-Goodridge Hospital James H. Dillard, educator, advocate for education of African-Americans John Duffy, medical historian Michael T. Dugan, educator and accounting scholar Joseph Ewan, botanist and biology professor Alcée Fortier, folklorist, historian, and university professor Mary L. Good, scientist and university professor Clifton H. Johnson, historian and founder of the Amistad Research Center Eamon Kelly, President of Tulane University Salman Khan, educator James A. Knight, psychiatrist, theologian, and medical ethicist Rudolph Matas, innovative surgeon at Tulane Medical School Gordon H. Mueller, historian and administrator at the University of New Orleans Ernest Lagarde literature and languages, professor and author Alton Ochsner, surgeon and medical researcher, founded the Ochsner Medical Center Max Rafferty, public school administrator and writer Andrew V. Schally, endocrinologist and Nobel Laureate Mary S. Sherman, cancer researcher and physician Royal D. Suttkus, biologist, founder of a major ichthyology collection Lewis Thomas, physician, researcher, and author of popular non-fiction Jeffrey Vitter, computer scientist and Purdue University dean Harold E. Vokes, zoologist and paleontologist
Architecture
Jean-Louis Dolliole, architect-builder who was a free person of color in the Antebellum era James Freret, architect, designed many 19th century homes in New Orleans William Alfred Freret, architect, supervising architect for federal building in the 19th century James Gallier Jr., architect, designed the French Opera House in New Orleans Moise H. Goldstein Sr., architect of extensive designs in the early 20th century Henry Howard, 19th century Irish-American architect Richard Koch, architectural preservationist and photographer Albert C. Ledner, 20th century architect Emile Weil, 20th century architect Leonard Spangenberg, 20th century architect Leon C. Weiss, architect commissioned by Huey P. Long Elizebeth Thomas Werlein, conservationist of the French Quarter of New Orleans
Arts and literature
Enrique Alferez, sculptor John James Audubon, painter, ornithologist, naturalist Vernel Bagneris, playwright, actor, director, singer, dancer Colette Bennet, writer, journalist, poet E. J. Bellocq, photographer Eloise Bibb Thompson, poet, fiction writer, and playwright Skip Bolen, photographer Roark Bradford, fiction writer Poppy Z. Brite, writer William S. Burroughs, writer George Washington Cable, writer Georgine Campbell, painter Truman Capote, writer John Churchill Chase, writer and cartoonist Kate Chopin, writer, feminist Marcus Bruce Christian, poet, folklorist and historian Ben Claassen III, illustrator and comics artist, DIRTFARM Margaret Clark, historian, writer, and educator Andrei Codrescu, poet and commentator Florestine Perrault Collins, photographer Alice Dalsheimer, poet Edgar Degas, artist Thomas Dent, poet and writer John Bull Smith Dimitry Creole author known for Le Tombeau Blanc George Washington Dixon, newspaper editor Alexander John Drysdale, artist Adolphe Duhart, writer and poetGibson, Audrey J. (2020) "Battling a World of Hate with Hope: Unearthing the Life and Work of Adolphe Duhart," The Macksey Journal: Vol. 1, Article 14. George Dureau, artist and photographer Caroline Durieux, artist and printmaker William Faulkner, writer Elissa Minet Fuchs, ballerina Daniel F. Galouye, science fiction writer Whitney Gaskell, writer, attended Tulane Law School which was the setting of her 2006 novel Testing Kate Rolland Golden, artist Shirley Ann Grau, writer Lafcadio Hearn, writer Knute Heldner, artist Lillian Hellman, writer George Herriman, Krazy Kat cartoonist Emma Churchman Hewitt, writer, journalist Walter Isaacson, writer, journalist, public policy analyst Charles Edward Kerbs, erotic artist and playwright Frances Parkinson Keyes, writer Grace King, writer Armand Lanusse, creole poet May Hyman Lesser, medical illustrator Dominique Lapierre, writer Elmore Leonard, author Michael Lewis, writer Shantrelle P. Lewis, curator Bunny Matthews, cartoonist Louis-Alphonse Maureau, painter Robert Bledsoe Mayfield, artist John McCrady, artist James Michalopoulos, artist Marie Madeleine Seebold Molinary, artist Gertrude Morgan, artist, musician, poet and preacher Sergio Rossetti Morosini, diplomat, painter, sculptor, filmmaker, naturalist Alice Dunbar Nelson, poet, journalist and political activist Isadora Newman, artist, poet, storyteller, sculptor David Ohle, writer Paul E. Poincy, artist Bart Ramsey, composer, author, singer and jazz musician Matthew Randazzo V, writer Anne Rice, writer of vampire tales and other Gothic fiction John T. Scott, artist and sculptor Kendall Shaw, abstract expressionist painter John Kennedy Toole, writer of A Confederacy of Dunces Sean Tuohy, sports commentator and restauranter Alexandrea Weis, author Lucille Western, actress Chris Wiltz, novelist William Woodward, painter
Business and economics Frank Abadie, businessman and horse race promoter. Micaela Almonester, 19th-century businesswoman and real estate developer Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints George Bissell, entrepreneur, founded the first oil company in the United States Nathaniel L. Carpenter, businessman Isaac Delgado, businessman and philanthropist, benefactor of Delgado Community College Constant C. Dejoie Sr., business leader William C. Edenborn, railroad magnate, industrialist and inventor Charles E. Fenner, businessperson, co-founder of Fenner & Beane, a forerunner of Merrill Lynch Ruth Fertel, businesswoman, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Avram Glazer, businessman and sports franchise owner Leon Godchaux, businessman and sugar merchant George A. Hero, entrepreneur known locally as the "Drainage King" Daniel Henry Holmes, 19th-century businessman Victor Kiam, entrepreneur Yvonne LaFleur, fashion designer, businesswoman Thomy Lafon, businessman, human rights activist Prosper Lamal, entrepreneur who started the usage of blue street tiles in New Orleans John McDonogh (1779–1850), shipping, land speculation (world's largest private landholder ca. 1850), philanthropist and namesake of many New Orleans schools Alexander Milne, 18th-century businessman and entrepreneur Oliver Pollock, merchant, financier of the American Revolutionary War Benjamin M. Rosen, computer entrepreneur John G. Schwegmann, supermarket innovator Clay Shaw, businessman Edgar B. Stern Sr, businessperson and philanthropist Patrick F. Taylor, businessperson and philanthropist Judah Touro, businessman and philanthropist Martin de Villamil or Martin Villamil (1783–1843), businessman Philip P. Werlein, music publisher and retailer Samuel Zemurray, businessman and philanthropist
Cuisine Edward Baquet, restaurateur and civil rights activist Owen Brennan, restaurateur Leah Chase, chef Al Copeland, restaurateur, Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits and Copeland's restaurants Ruth Fertel, restaurateur, Ruth's Chris Steak House Beulah Levy Ledner, pastry chef Austin Leslie, chef
Crime Axeman of New Orleans, mysterious mass murderer Sylvestro Carolla, mafia boss Wilson Chouest, serial rapist and killer of two women in California Antoinette Frank, former police officer and triple-murderer Ivory Harris, drug trafficker and weapons trafficker Mary Jane Jackson, mid-19th century serial killer Jean Lafitte, pirate and brother of Pierre Lafitte Pierre Lafitte, pirate and brother of Jean Lafitte Delphine LaLaurie, socialite and sadist Carlos Marcello, businessman and mafia boss Lee Harvey Oswald, assassinated John F. Kennedy
Fictional Mr. Bingle, snowman that assisted Santa Claus and worked at Maison Blanche Department Store Benjamin Button, man who is born old and grows young, in a film loosely adapted from an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story Louis de Pointe du Lac, vampire appearing in Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles Ignatius J. Reilly, hero of John Kennedy Toole's novel A Confederacy of Dunces (1980) Seymore D. Fair, 1984 Louisiana World Exposition Mascot, celebrity cartoon character, advocate for animal, people, and planet welfare Gambit, Marvel Comics superhero (X-Men) Marcel Gerard, vampire appearing in Julie Plec's The Originals Hazel Levesque, previous residence before moving and first death, appearing in Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan Morgus the Magnificent, mad scientist and horror movie host Dwayne Cassius "King" Pride, NCIS Supervisory Agent, NCIS: New Orleans Benjamin Sisko, Starfleet captain (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) Princess Tiana, heroine of Disney's animated film The Princess and the Frog Alastor, sinner demon and one of the Overlords of Hell in the adult-animated musical series Hazbin Hotel
Film, television and entertainment
Raymond Arroyo, director Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, actor Bryan Batt, actor Sandra Bullock, actress Kitty Carlisle, entertainer Paul Carr, actor John Carroll, actor and singer Laura Cayouette, actor and author Hong Chau, actress Patricia Clarkson, actress Marshall Colt, psychologist and former actor Frank Joseph Davis, television journalist and cookbook author Bianca Del Rio, drag queen and comedian Ellen DeGeneres, comedian and talk show host Vance DeGeneres, actor, screenwriter and musician Raquel "Rocsi" Diaz, television host Faith Domergue, actress Donna Douglas, actress Jean Baptiste Le Sueur Fontaine, actor, theatre director and newspaper editor Allison Harvard, runner-up of the twelfth cycle of America's Next Top Model Barry Shabaka Henley, actor Dwight Henry, actor Gloria Henry, actress Cheryl Holdridge, actress Indigo, actress Eddie Jemison, actor Bayn Johnson, former child actress and singer Leatrice Joy, actress Dorothy Lamour, actress Katherine LaNasa, actress John Larroquette, actor Sabrina LeBeauf, actress Anthony Mackie, actor Cooper Manning, entrepreneur and television personality Evan Mather, director Tristin Mays, actress Adah Isaacs Menken, actress Taylor Miller, actress Garrett Morris, comedian and actor Ed Nelson, actor Mark Normand, stand-up comedian Chris Owens, burlesque performer and entrepreneur Pauley Perrette, actress Tyler Perry, actor, filmwriter, and director Wendell Pierce, actor, Godfrey Reggio, experimental filmmaker and documentarian Stassi Schroeder, television personality, model and author Al Shea, actor and theatre critic Neferteri Shepherd, model and actress Sydney Shields, stage actress Richard Simmons, fitness personality Harold Sylvester, actor Jay Thomas, actor Sam Trammell, actor Ben Turpin, silent film comedian