List of people from Rochester, New York

Rochester, New York in the United States is or has been home to many famous individuals. These people include businessmen, civil rights activists, politicians, entertainers, educators, athletes and much more. A list of their names is below:

Academics

• Martin Brewer Anderson, first president of University of Rochester
• Richard N. Aslin, developmental psychologist at the University of Rochester
• Boris Bittker, legal academic
• Robert Putnam, Harvard Professor
• Richard W. Rahn, economist
• Joel Seligman, current President of University of Rochester

Architects and designers

• Claude Fayette Bragdon, architect
• Harvey Ellis, architect
• Robert Trent Jones, golf course architect
• Clarence Stein, urban planner, architect and writer who advocated for the Garden City Movement

Athletes

Baseball

• Johnny Antonelli, MLB
• Ross Barnes, hit the first recorded home run in professional baseball
• Bernie Boland
• Cito Culver, 2010 first-round draft pick
• Heinie Groh, MLB
• Mike Jones, MLB
• Bob Keegan, MLB
• Charley Radbourn, MLB
• Tim Redding, MLB

Basketball

• Al Cervi, NBA player and coach
• Les Harrison, NBA player and coach
• Art Long, NBA
• Kenny Smith, NBA
• John Wallace, NBA
• Bernie Voorheis, NBL

Football

• Cris Crissy, NFL
• Tony Collins, NFL
• Don Davey, NFL
• Don Holleder, American college football star and Vietnam War hero
• T. J. Jackson (wide receiver), NFL
• Arthur Jones (American football), NFL
• Pat Kelly, NFL
• Rob Konrad, NFL
• Brian Kozlowski, NFL
• Leo Lyons, founder of the NFL's Rochester Jeffersons
• Adam Podlesh, NFL
• Robert R. Thomas, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois and former NFL player
• David Walker, NCAA coach
• Roland Williams, NFL
• Alan Zemaitis, NFL
• Seth Payne, NFL (Victor)

Golf

• Danielle Downey, LPGA player
• Walter Hagen, PGA legend
• Jeff Sluman, PGA Tour and Champions Tour

Hockey

• Jason Bonsignore, NHL
• Ryan Callahan, NHL
• Chris Collins, ECHL
• Rory Fitzpatrick, NHL
• Brian Gionta, NHL
• Stephen Gionta, NHL
• Kim Insalaco, Olympic medalist
• Kevin Montgomery, NHL
• Marty Reasoner, NHL
• Billy Sauer, ECHL
• Francis Spain, 1936 Winter Olympic bronze medalist
• Lyndsay Wall, Olympic medalist
• Derek Whitmore, NHL

Lacrosse

• Paul Cantabene
• Pat Cougevan, NLL
• Matt Kerwick, MILL
• Ryan Maciaszek
• Shawn Nadelen, NLL and MLL
• Brett Queener, NLL and MLL
• Chris Schiller, NLL and MLL
• Tim Soudan
• Joe Walters, NLL and MLL

Soccer

• Brian Bliss, MLS
• Jessica Dulski, W-League
• Juan Pablo Galavis, USL Division-I
• Erica Henderson, W-League
• Gretchen Miller, W-League
• Kyra Petrole, W-League
• Kathryn Potter, W-League
• Abby Wambach, 2004 Olympic medalist

Swimming and diving

• Kara Lynn Joyce, Olympic Medalist
• Ryan Lochte
• Richard Saeger
• Wendy Wyland, 1984 Olympic medalist, Diving

Wrestling

• Colin Delaney, WWE
• Joanie "Chyna" Laurer
• Gorilla Monsoon

Other athletes

• Josh Arieh, 2005 World Series Poker Champion
• Irving Crane, billiards, Six-time World Champion
• Bill Davey, bodybuilder, 1997 AAU Mr. America
• Jon Jones (fighter), UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
• Doug Kent, professional ten-pin bowler and 2006-07 PBA Player of the Year
• A.J. Kitt, skier
• Sean Lahman
• Jason McElwain, basketball personality
• Danny Padilla, bodybuilder, "The Giant Killer"
• Mike Sigel, Billiard Congress of America Hall of Famer
• Frank Ritter Shumway, figure skater
• Jenn Suhr (nee Stuczynski), 2008 Olympic medalist, Pole vault
• Cathy Turner, Olympic gold medalist, Short-track speed skating
• Jason Turner, 2008 Olympic medalist, Air pistol
• Felicia Zimmerman, fencer, 1996 and 2000 Olympics
• Iris Zimmerman, fencer, 2000 Olympics

Coaches

• Joe Altobelli, baseball manager
• Cal Ripken, Sr., baseball manager

Officials

• Ken Kaiser, baseball umpire
• Bill Klem, baseball umpire

Executives

See #Sports executives, below

Broadcasters

See #Sport broadcasters, below

Businesspeople

• Charles August, co-founder of Monro Muffler and Brake
• John Jacob Bausch, co-founder of Bausch & Lomb
• George Eastman, Eastman Kodak founder
• Charles J. Folger, lawyer, jurist and statesman
• Frank Gannett, founder of Gannett Newspapers and Presidential candidate
• Malcolm Glazer
• Kate Gleason, first female mechanical engineer
• Tom Golisano, Paychex founder, philanthropist, gubernatorial candidate and owner of the Buffalo Sabres (2003–2010)
• Leonard Jerome, financier, "King of Wall Street", and grandfather of Sir Winston Churchill
• David T. Kearns, Xerox CEO and former Deputy Secretary of Education
• Henry Lomb, co-founder of Bausch & Lomb
• Frank Ritter, Dental chair pioneer and philanthropist
• Hiram Sibley, Western Union founder
• Henry A. Strong, Eastman Kodak co-founder and president
• Hulbert Harrington Warner
• Henry Wells, founder of American Express and co-founder of Wells Fargo
• Joseph C. Wilson, founder of Xerox Corporation

Computing and Internet

• Eric Bauman, founder of eBaum's World
• Paul Buchheit, creator of Gmail and AdSense, and founder of FriendFeed
• Diane Greene, founder of VMware

Inventors

• William Seward Burroughs I
• Matthew Ewing
• James Caleb Jackson, Granula
• Daniel Myron LeFever, American gun maker and inventor of the hammerless shotgun
• John Samuel Rowell, agricultural inventor and manufacturing industrialist
• George B. Selden
• S. Donald Stookey, inventor of CorningWare

Sports executives

• Steve Donner
• Chris Economides
• Morrie Silver
• Naomi Silver

Criminals (suspected or convicted)

• The Alphabet Killer, cold case
• Kenneth Bianchi, one of the Hillside Stranglers
• Angelo Buono, Jr., one of the Hillside Stranglers
• Arthur Shawcross, serial killer
• Francis Tumblety, one of the Jack the Ripper suspects

Government

Politicians and leaders

• Parmenio Adams, U.S. Representative
• Nathaniel Allen, U.S. Representative
• Charles Billinghurst, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin
• Philip Bredesen, Governor of Tennessee
• Maggie Brooks, news anchor and County Executive
• Angus Cameron, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin
• Sanford E. Church, Lieutenant Governor of New York, New York State Comptroller, and Chief Judge of New York State Court of Appeals
• Myron H. Clark, Governor of New York from 1855–1857
• Cornplanter, leader of the Seneca
• Stephen A. Douglas, U.S. Senator and orator from Illinois
• Marion B. Folsom, former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare
• Millard Fillmore, former President of the United States
• John Rankin Gamble, U.S. Representative from South Dakota
• Rear Admiral Leslie Gheres, Captain of the U.S.S. Franklin
• Elizur K. Hart, U.S. Representative and founder of Rochester Post-Express newspaper
• Charles H. Holmes, U.S. Representative
• Kenneth Keating, U.S. Representative, Senator, and Ambassador to Israel
• Robert L. King, former state assemblyman, County Executive, and Chancellor of the State University of New York
• Brian Kolb, Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly
• Major General William Augustus Mills, served during the defense of the Niagara frontier in the War of 1812
• Charles H. Nesbitt, former NYS Assemblyman and NYS Assembly Minority Leader
• William F. Quinn, Governor of Hawaii
• John Raines, state Senator
• Daniel Shays, leader of Shays's Rebellion in 1786
• Eliakim Sherrill, politician and brigade commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War
• Louise Slaughter, U.S. Representative, Chairperson of the House Rules Committee
• Thomas Benton Stoddard, first mayor of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and Wisconsin state Assemblyman
• Robert R. Thomas, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois and former NFL player
• William W. Wright

Media

Broadcasters and reporters

• Don Alhart
• Ralph Bown
• David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize winner and reporter for the New York Times
• Glenn Johnson
• Chuck McCoy, disk jockey
• Anne Montgomery, former WROC sports reporter and ESPN broadcaster
• Henry Jarvis Raymond, journalist and founder of the New York Times
• Martin Sargent, professional "nerd" and host of TWIF
• Steve Scully, host of C-SPAN's Washington Journal; former reporter and anchor at WHEC-TV in Rochester
• Jimmy Wallington
• Irv Weinstein

Sport broadcasters

• Mike Catalana
• Lanny Frattare, Pittsburgh Pirates
• Josh Lewin, San Diego Chargers and Texas Rangers
• Clem McCarthy
• Bill Stern
• Jeff Van Gundy

Actors and models

• Tyson Beckford
• Julie Lynn Cialini
• Jordan Clarke
• Jennifer Cody
• Taye Diggs
• Pete Duel
• Dan Finnerty
• Nicole Fiscella
• Robert Forster
• Teddy Geiger
• Kevin Greene
• Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Lauren Holly
• Mimi Kennedy
• Norman Kerry, silent film actor
• Vanessa Lane, porn actress
• Hudson Leick
• Kara Lindsay
• John Lithgow
• Vincent Martella
• Timothy Mitchum
• Hugh O'Brian
• Michael Park
• Joe Reid
• Richard Ryder
• Savanna Samson, porn actress
• Brennan Swain
• Joy Tanner
• Tom Villard
• Kristen Wiig, comedienne, Saturday Night Live
• Henri Young
• Regan Young

Authors and writers

• Andrea Barrett
• Philip Barry, playwright
• Richard Brookhiser, biographer
• Tom Chiarella, Esquire
• Francis Pharcellus Church
• Thomas Fenton, screenwriter, Saw IV
• Joseph Fornieri
• Dana Fox, screenwriter, The Wedding Date
• Geoffrey Giuliano
• Virginia Haviland
• Edward D. Hoch, mystery writer
• Mary Jane Holmes, nineteenth-century author
• William H. C. Hosmer, poet
• David Hudson
• Charles R. Jackson, author of The Lost Weekend
• Shirley Jackson, author, The Lottery
• David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize winner and reporter for the New York Times
• Garson Kanin
• Mollie Katzen
• Stanton Davis Kirkham
• Michael Muhammad Knight
• Jerre Mangione
• Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal winner
• David Schickler, author, Kissing in Manhattan and Sweet and Vicious
• Joe Simon, comic book writer and co-creator of Captain America
• Rachel Stuhler, writer for Hallmark Channel's Love Takes Wing and McBride: Requiem

Entertainers

• Foster Brooks, comedian

Dancers and Choreographers

• Garth Fagan
• Sybil Shearer
• Thomas Warfield

Musicians

• Milo Bonacci, Gym Class Heroes
• Cab Calloway, bandleader
• Brann Dailor, Mastodon
• Steve Decker, Gym Class Heroes
• David Diamond, composer
• Renée Fleming, opera singer
• Jack Flynn, The Sunstreak
• Gary Foster, The Sunstreak
• Ace Frehley, Kiss
• Steve Gadd, drummer
• Teddy Geiger
• Ryan Geise, Gym Class Heroes
• Kim Gordon, Sonic Youth
• Lou Gramm, Foreigner
• DJ Green Lantern, rapper
• Mick Guzauski, mixer
• Adolphus Hailstork, composer
• Howard Hanson, conductor
• Michael Hashim
• Davey Havok
• Will Hollis, Eagles
• Son House, bluesman
• Daniel Katzen
• Bill Kelliher, Mastodon
• Charlene Keys ("Tweet")
• Christine Lavin
• Joe Locke
• Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo, Gym Class Heroes
• Lydia Lunch
• Chuck Mangione, smooth jazz flugelhornist
• Gap Mangione, bandleader
• Travis McCoy, Gym Class Heroes
• Matt McGinley, Gym Class Heroes
• Mitch Miller, bandleader
• Qwanell Mosley, Day26
• Julia Nunes
• Lauren O'Connell
• Tony Rebis, The Sunstreak
• Eric Roberts, Gym Class Heroes
• Jason Sarkis, The Sunstreak
• David Schuler, The Sunstreak
• Zach Shields, Dead Man's Bones
• Joyce Sims
• Jeff Tyzik, conductor
• John Viavattine, Mambo Kings
• Bill Wadhams, Animotion
• Leehom Wang, C-pop
• William Warfield
• Wendy O. Williams, Plasmatics
• Tim Yeung, Divine Heresy

Photographers and artists

• Alfred Agate, painter
• Frederick Styles Agate, painter
• Arthur Dove
• Emil Gruppe, impressionist painter
• Nicholas Gurewitch, creator of The Perry Bible Fellowship
• Peter Hannan, creator of CatDog
• James D. Havens, woodcut artist, early insulin recipient
• Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum, needlework designer
• Manuel Rivera-Ortiz

Other

• Larry Ashmead, book editor
• Raul daSilva, prizewinning author, filmmaker
• Sean Fine, Oscar-nominated documentarian, War/Dance
• Jason Hawes, founder of the Atlantic Paranormal Society and Sci Fi Channel series Ghost Hunters
• Frank LaLoggia, film director of Lady in White and Fear No Evil

Religion and philosophy

• Reverend Francis Bellamy, wrote the Pledge of Allegiance
• Antoinette Brown Blackwell, first female minister
• Kate, Leah, and Margaret Fox, spiritualists
• Philip Kapleau, brought Zen Buddhism to western mainstream 1964, founded Rochester Zen Center
• Carolyn Merchant
• Walter Rauschenbusch, theologian
• Benjamin Titus Roberts, founder, Free Methodist Church
• Joseph Smith, founder of Latter Day Saint movement
• Paul J. Swain, Roman Catholic bishop
• Reverend Dr. Howard Thurman

Scientists

• James C. Adamson, astronaut
• Elizabeth Blackwell, first woman to become qualified as a medical doctor
• Frank J. Duarte, laser physicist and author
• Grove Karl Gilbert, geologist
• Edward Tsang Lu, space shuttle astronaut, International Space Station resident
• Pamela Melroy, astronaut
• Lewis Henry Morgan, anthropologist
• John Wesley Powell, geologist
• Mark Rosenzweig, research psychologist
• Lewis A. Swift, astronomer
• John Ralston Williams, medical pioneer

Social reformers

• Terry A. Anderson, former hostage and humanitarian
• Susan B. Anthony, women's rights leader
• Walter Cooper, research scientist, urban education reformer and civil rights activist
• Frederick Douglass, abolitionist
• Emma Goldman, anarchist
• Helen Barrett Montgomery, social reformer and women’s activist
• Helen Pitts, abolitionist and feminist
• Samuel Ringgold Ward, African-American pastor and abolitionist
• Frances Willard, suffragist and temperance reformer
• Fannie Barrier Williams, black social reformer

Others

• Douglas Brei, sports historian
• Ed Edmondson, chess arbiter
• Jerome Fuller, jurist
• Gideon Granger, U.S. Postmaster General under Thomas Jefferson
• Seth Green, pioneer in fish farming
• Mary Jemison, the White Lady of the Genesee
• Thomas Krens, former director, current senior adviser, at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
• Increase A. Lapham, "Father" of the United States Weather Service
• Christopher Lasch, historian
• Belva Ann Lockwood, first female attorney to practice before the Supreme Court
• Nathaniel Rochester, city founder
• Blanche Stuart Scott, first American aviatrix

Fictional Rochesterians

• Rosalie Hale, vampire, Twilight