List of French Americans
Lists of Americans |
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By US state |
By ethnicity |
A French American or Franco-American is a citizen of the United States of America of French descent and heritage. The majority of Franco-American families did not arrive directly from France, but rather settled French territories in the New World (primarily in the 17th and 18th centuries) before moving to the United States later on (see Quebec emigration and Great Upheaval). About thirteen million U.S. residents are of French descent, and about 1.5 million of them speak the French language at home. Being isolated, mixed with different cultures or ignored the French-Americans developed particular cultures that reflect various of degrees of adaptation of their environments. This gave birth to streams of French-Americans like the Acadians, the Cajuns (literally Acadian pronounced with a southern accent), Louisianians and many others.
The following is a list of notable French Americans:
Business
- Philip Armour (1832-1901) businessman who owned once US-largest meatpacking business
- John Vernou Bouvier III (1981-1957) Wall Street stockbroker and father of U.S. First lady Jacqueline Lee Bouvier
- François Castaing, 27-year veteran automotive executive
- Yvon Chouinard, rock climber, environmentalist and outdoor industry businessman
- Georges Doriot (1899-1988) one of the first American venture capitalists
- Stephen Girard (1750-1831) banker and tradesman from Bordeaux
- Philippe Kahn (1952 - ) mathematician and entrepreneur known as the inventor of the camera phone, a pioneer in the wireless industry, and the founder of Borland[1]
- Augustus D. Juilliard (1836-1919) businessman whose philanthropy built the renowned conservatory of dance, music, and theatre in New York City that bears his name
- Joseph LaCombe, retired American businessman and owner of Joseph LaCombe Stable Inc., a Thoroughbred horse racing stable
- Robert LeFevre (1911-1986) libertarian businessman and radio personality
- Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, businessman whose family fortune is estimated at $3.4 billion by Forbes
- Hall M. Lyons (1923-1998) son of Charlton, oilman and Republican Party member
- André Meyer (1898 - 1979) Wall Street investment banker[2]
- Louis J. Michot, businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist and a former Democratic state representative
- Rockefeller family, from Limousin, originally "Roquefeuille"
- Cadillac family, from Limousin, gave name to its first car named Limousine (a.k.a. Limo)
- Pierre Omidyar (1967 - ) entrepreneur, philanthropist/economist, founder and chairman of the eBay auction site[3]
- Richard Chichester du Pont (1911-1943) American businessman and an aviation and glider pioneer
- Alexis F. du Pont (1879-1948) member of the American du Pont family and helped found St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware, father of Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr., founder of U.S. Airways
- Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr. (1905-1996) American aviation pioneer, soldier, philanthropist, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family
- Du Pont family from Nemours, chemical industry
- Felix Rohatyn, businessman and investment banker and has also served in public service
- Paul Tulane (1801-1887) businessman and philantropist, Tulane University named in his honor
Entertainment
Actors
- Renée Adorée, french-born american actress
- Jessica Alba (1981 - ) actress. She is of Mexican, French, and Danish ancestry.
- Joshua Alba, actor best know as Jessica Alba's younger brother
- Lewis Arquette, American film actor, writer and producer
- Patricia Arquette, Emmy Award-winning and a Golden Globe Award-nominated American actress.
- Juli Ashton (1968 - ) porn star
- Rene Auberjonois, actor famous in Star Trek
- Tina Aumont, california-born french actress
- Lucille Ball (1911 – 1989) actress[4]
- Adrienne Barbeau (1945 - ) 1980s B-movie actress[5]
- Jean-Marc Barr, french-american film actor and director
- Pierre Bellocq, French-American artist and horse racing cartoonist
- Alice Guy-Blaché, pioneer filmmaker who was the first female director in the motion picture industry
- Charles Boyer (1899 - 1978) film actor
- Jules Brulatour, a pioneering figure in U.S. silent cinema
- Mary Cadorette, american actress
- Thane Camus, actor and TV personality, famous in Japan
- Leslie Caron (1931 - ) film actress and dancer[6]
- Jim Carrey (1962- ) Born in Canada to a French Canadian family. Is a comedian an actor known for his comedy movies such as dumb and dumber.
- Lacy Chabert (1982 - ) French (Cajun) actress. January 2007 maxim covergirl.
- Lon Chaney, Sr., silent film actor
- Lon Chaney, Jr., actor and son of Lon Chaney, Sr.
- David Charvet, french-born american actor and singer, husband of Brooke Burke
- Lilyan Chauvin, french-born actress
- Robert Clary (1926 - ) actor, published author, and lecturer[7]
- Claudette Colbert, actress
- Eddie Constantine, American actor and singer
- Phil Cousineau, author, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker
- Bud Cort (1948 - ) actor[8]
- Joan Crawford (1905 - 1977) actress
- Lili Damita, french-born actress
- Julie Delpy (1969 - ) actress[9]
- Johnny Depp (1961 -) Famous actor who has French Huguenot ancestry.
- Ellen DeGeneres, actress, talk-show host
- Emily Deschanel, actress and daughter of famous cinematographer Caleb Deschanel
- Zooey Deschanel, actress and daughter of famous cinematographer Caleb Deschanel
- Arielle Dombasle (1958 - ) singer and actress working primarily in the cinema of France[10]
- Nicole duFresne (1977-2005) playwright and actress
- Josh Duhamel, actor
- James Duval, actor, probably most famous for his roles in Donnie Darko as Frank and as Singh in Go
- Clea DuVall, actress
- Shannon Elizabeth (1973- ) Born in Houston Texas is an American actress starring in American Pie 2.
- Shelley Fabares (1944-) actress and singer, primarily for her roles on movies, soap operas and television
- Nanette Fabray, Emmy and Tony Award-winning American actress
- Robert Goulet (1933 - ) actor/singer[11]
- Adrian Grenier, actor
- Leigh Hennessy, stunt actress and politician secretary
- Angelina Jolie (1975 - ) actress [12][13]
- Christopher Lambert (1957 - ) actor [14]
- Dorothy Lamour (1914 – 1996) film actress
- John Larroquette, Emmy Award-winning film and television actor
- Taylor Lautner (1992 - ) actor/martial artist[15]
- Eva Le Gallienne, well-known actress, producer, and director, during the first half of the 20th century
- Christian LeBlanc (1958-) two-time Emmy Award-winning American actor
- Matt LeBlanc (1967- ) American actor most famously known as Joey Tribbiani on the show Friends.
- Hal LeSueur, actor and brother of Joan Crawford
- Jon Lormer, french-american actor
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (1961 -) Famous french american actress best known as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld.
- Natasha Lyonne, actress
- Mike Marshall (actor), french-american actor, son of director William Marshall and half-brother of Tonie Marshall
- Tonie Marshall, french-american actress, son of director William Marshall and half-sister of Mike Marshall (actor)
- Christopher Meloni (1961 - ) actor[16]
- Rosita Marstini (1887-1948) dancer, stage personality, silent and sound film actress from Nancy, France
- Tamara Mello, actress
- Adolphe Menjou (1890-1963) famous actor
- Violet Mersereau, silent movie star
- Liza Minnelli (1946 - ) actress
- Lisa Quinn, American actress, artist, author and interior designer
- Brandon Routh, actor and former fashion model
- Kiele Sanchez (1977 - ) actress[17]
- Reni Santoni, fil, television and voice actor
- Leelee Sobieski (1983 - ) film actress[18]
- Shannyn Sossamon (1978- ) Born in Honolulu, Hawaii she is an american actress of French, Hawaiian, Dutch, English, Irish, Filipino and German descent
- Tiffany Taylor (porn star), pornographic actress of Pakistani and French descent.
- Charlize Theron (1975- ) Born in South Africa. Is an American actress of French and German descent.
- Ben Turpin, silent film comedian
- Michael Vartan, famous actor
- Emmanuelle Vaugier (1976- ) Born in Canada. Is a French Canadian actress best known for her role as Dr.Helen Bryce on Smallville.
- Milo Ventimiglia (1977 - ) actor known for playing Peter Petrelli on the NBC show "Heroes"
- Jiří Voskovec (1905-1981) Czech actor and writer
- Robin Williams French Canadian on his maternal side.
Artists
- John Beasley Greene (1832 - 1856) Photograph
- Louise Bourgeois (1911 - ) Abstract Expressionism Artist. Born in Paris, married an American.
- Isabelle Collin Dufresne (1935 - ) artist, author, and former colleague of Andy Warhol[19]
- Angela Dufresne, artist based in Brooklyn, NY
- Edgar de Evia, Mexican-born photograph and daughter of famous french pianist Pauline Joutard
- Sean Flynn, photograph whose death in Cambodia remains a mystery, son of actress Lili damita
- Gaston Lachaise (1882 - 1935) Sculptor
- Paul de Longpré, flower painter
- Susan Nugent Clark, painter
- René Ricard, artist, poet, and philosopher
- Patrick Tatopoulos, french-american production designer
Models
- Brooke Burke (1971 - ) television personality and model, known for hosting Wild On!(1999-2002). She is of French, Irish, Jewish, and Portuguese ancestry
- Summer DeLin, top model
- Leah Dizon, model, singer and a TV personality in Japan
- Mardi Jacquet, Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its October 1980 issue
- Ali Landry - actress/model [20]
- Jennifer Lavoie (1971 - ) Playboy Playmate, model, Internet entrepreneur.
- Maria McBane (1946 - ) model and actress, Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for May 1965 issue[21]
- Linda Moon, Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its October 1966 issue
- Sandee Westgate adult model with Playboy, Hustler, and Club magazines, Internet entrepreneur.
Musicians
- Phil Anselmo, heavy metal musician
- Brent Bourgeois (1958-) American rock musician, songwriter, and producer
- Wellman Braud, jazz string bass player
- Lucien Cailliet (1897-1985) American composer, conductor, arranger and clarinetist
- Marcel Chagnon, American country music singer-songwriter
- JC Chasez, American singer, songwriter, actor, and producer
- Joe Dassin (1938 - 1980) French-speaking musician[22]
- George Girard, musician
- Dan Ingram, Top 40 disc jockey with a forty-year career on radio stations such as WABC (AM) and WCBS-FM in New York
- JoJo (1990-) singer/actress
- Beyonce Knowles (1981 - ) American Pop/R&B singer, and actress. She is a French Creole, of French and African ancestry.
- Mylon LeFevre, gospel singer and writer
- Paz Lenchantin, bass player part of the band A Perfect Circle
- J. B. Lenoir, Chicago blues guitarist, singer and songwriter
- Madeleine Peyroux, American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist
- Lily Pons (1898 - 1976) coloratura soprano[23]
- Yo-Yo Ma, French-born Chinese American cellist of world renown and the winner of multiple Grammy Awards
- Pierre Monteux (1875-1964) orchestra conductor
- Shandi Sinnamon, singer and song writer
- Edgard Varèse, french-born composer
Others
- Charlotte d'Amboise, American actress and dancer and daughter of Jacques d'Amboise
- Christopher d'Amboise, American dancer, choreographer, writer, and theatre director, son of Jacques d'Amboise
- Jacques d'Amboise, American ballet dancer and choreographer
- Kevyn Aucoin, make-up artist and photographer
- Tom Bergeron, Emmy Award-nominated American television personality
- Anthony Bourdain, author and the "Chef-at-Large" of Brasserie Les Halles, based in New York City with locations in Miami, Florida, and Washington, D.C..[24] and host of the Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure program, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
- Vance DeGeneres, performer, producer, and writer of several television shows
- Caleb Deschanel, american cinematographer
- Michael Goudeau, juggler and an ex-circus clown. He is also a writer and executive producer for the Showtime series Bullshit!
- Lloyd Jacquet, comic-book innovator
- Ted LeFevre, theatrical set designer
- Madonna (1958 - ) entertainer
- Yolanda "Tongolele" Montes, exotic dancer and actress of the Cinema of Mexico
- Jean-Paul Poulain (?-2007) famous Maine Franco-American Cabaret recording artist
- Oliver Stone, director
- Cyril Takayama, japanese/french american illusionist
- Garry Trudeau, cartoonist, best known for the Doonesbury comic strip
- Paul Verdier, stage director, actor, and playwright, who also had a number of guest parts in American television
Explorers
- Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont (1679 - 1734) French explorer who made the first maps and documentation of the Missouri and Platte rivers.
- Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau born on the Lewis and Clark expedition, depicted on a US $1 coin
- Toussaint Charbonneau member of the Lewis and Clark expedition
- François Chouteau (1797 - 1838) first white settlers of Kansas City, Missouri.
- René Auguste Chouteau (1749 - 1829) trader with American Indians and an influential figure in early St. Louis. Founder of St. Louis.
- George Drouillard translator on the Lewis and Clark expedition
- Marquis Duquesne (1700 - 1778) French Governor of New France. Duquesne served from 1752 through 1755, and is best known for his role in the French and Indian War.[6]
- Georges Doriot (1899-1987), one of the first venture capitalists. Also a brigadier general in WWII.
- Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable (1745 - 1818) first permanent settler in Chicago, Illinois.
- Peter Faneuil (1700 - 1743) colonial merchant and philanthropist who donated Faneuil Hall to Boston[25]
- Alexander McGillivray (1750 - 1793) leader of the Creek Indians[26]
- John Bevins Moisant (1868 - 1910) aviator[27]
- Paul Revere (1734/1735 - 1818) silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution[28]
- Daniel Roberdeau (1727 - 1795) merchant[29]
Law and politics
Congressmen & Senators
- Daniel Moreau Barringer, Whig U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1843 and 1849
- Elias Boudinot (1740 - 1821) early American statesman[30]
- Tom DeLay (1947 - ) former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Sugar Land, Texas, the former House Majority Leader, prominent member of the Republican Party[31]
- Mike Gravel (1930 - ) Alaska former U.S. senator and candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination[32]
- F. Edward Hebert, former Congressman, Chairman of Armed Services Committee
- Robert M. La Follette, Sr. (1855 - 1925) politician who served as a U.S. Congressman, the 20th Governor of Wisconsin from 1901 - 1906, and Senator from Wisconsin from 1905 - 1925 as a member of the Republican Party[6][33]
- Jay Le Fevre (1893-1970) New York Republican to the Seventy-eighth and to the three succeeding Congresses, holding office from January 3, 1943 to January 3, 1951
- John Baptiste Charles Lucas, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
- Bernard de Marigny, senator of Louisiana
- Charlie Melancon, US congressman[34]
- Michael Michaud (1955 - ) Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Millinocket, Maine, first elected in 2002[35]
- Daniel Roberdeau (1727-1795) represented Pennsylvania from 1777 to 1779] in the Continental Congress and served as a Brigadier General in the state militia during the Revolutionary War
- John Sevier (1745 - 1815) served four years as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years as governor of Tennessee, and as a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death[36]
Governors & Presidents
- Armand Beauvais (1783-1843) Governor of Louisiana\
- Newton C. Blanchard (1849-1922) United States Representative, Senator, and Governor of Louisiana
- Kathleen Blanco - Governor of Louisiana[37]
- Thomas Carlin, Governor of Illinois
- Pierre Derbigny (1769-1929) Governor of Louisiana
- Jacques Dupre, Lousiana State Representative, State Senator and Governor of Louisiana
- William Pope Duval (1784-1854) first Governor of Florida
- Edwin Edwards (1927- ) Louisiana Governor for four terms
- Paul Octave Hébert (1818-1880) Governor of Louisiana from 1853-56 and a General in the Confederate Army
- John F. Kennedy, former President of the USA, murdered and only Catholic of the long list of American Presidents
- Richard W. Leche (1898-1965) Democratic governor of Louisiana from 1936 until 1939
- Earl Long (1895-1960) three-time Democratic governor of Louisiana
- Huey Long (1893-1935) Louisiana Governor and a U.S. senator
- Alexander Mouton (1804-1885) United States Senator and Governor of Louisiana
- James A. Noe (1890-1976) Democratic Governor of Louisiana
- Andre B. Roman (1795-1866) Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives and twice elected Governor of Louisiana
- Henry S. Thibodaux (1769-1827), Governor of Louisiana, father-in-law of Alexander Hamilton
- Jacques Villeré (1761-1830) second Governor of Louisiana
Mayors
- Prudent Beaudry mayor of Los Angeles
- Paul Bertus, mayor of New Orleans
- Etienne de Boré, first Mayor of New Orleans
- Jack Breaux, former Republican mayor of Zachary, Louisiana
- Paul Capdevielle, Confederate army officer and then Mayor of New Orleans
- Joey Durel, mayor of Lafayette, Louisiana
- Peter Force (1790-1868) mayor of Washington, D.C., and noted archivist
- William Freret, Thirteenth mayor of New Orleans
- Charles Genois (1793-1866) Mayor of New Orleans
- Nicholas Girod, mayor of New Orleans
- John Brennan Hussey, former mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana
- Moon Landrieu, judge, former mayor of New Orleans, and former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Dud Lastrapes, former mayor of Lafayette, Louisiana
- Damien Marchessault, mayor of Los Angeles
- Joseph Edgard Montegut, mayor of New Orleans
- Ashton J. Mouton, former Mayor of Lafayette, Louisiana
- James Pitot, second Mayor of New Orleans
Louis Philippe de Roffignac, Mayor of New Orleans
- Jacques Roy, former Mayor of Alexandria, Louisiana
- J. A. D. Rozier, mayor of New Orleans
- Roy R. Theriot, former Louisiana comptroller and Mayor of Abbeville, Louisiana
- Charles Trudeau, fifth mayor of New orleans
Others
- James Carville - political consultant[38]
- Eugene Debs, union organizer
- Michael Raoul Duval, investment banker and lawyer who had Senior White House positions while serving under President Nixon and President Ford, where he raised to the position of Special Counsel to the President
- Pierre Charles L'Enfant - architect and urban planner[39]
- John C. Frémont, military officer, explorer and the first candidate of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States
- John Grenier, one of the figures responsible for the rise of the Republican Party in Alabama
- Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) American Founding Father, army officer, lawyer, politician, leading statesman, financier, and political theorist
- Donald Ray Kennard, former educator and a politician in the Louisiana House of Representatives
- Caroline Kennedy (1957-) daughter of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and John F. Kennedy
- John F. Kennedy, Jr. (1960-1999) son of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and John F. Kennedy
- Raymond "Lala" Lalonde, former Democratic Louisiana state representative
- Lyndon LaRouche, an American political figure
- Dudley J. LeBlanc, popular member of Democratic Party
- Alexander McGillivray - leader of the Creek Indians[40]
- Ernest Nathan Morial, American political, legal, and civil rights leader
- Libby Pataki, former First Lady of New York
- Hope Portocarrero (1929-1991) former First Lady of Nicaragua
- Julien de Lallande Poydras (1740-1824) French-American politician who served as Delegate from the Orleans Territory to the United States House of Representatives
- Pierre Salinger - press secretary[41]
- Pierre Soulé, U.S. politician and diplomat during the mid-19th century, best known for writing the Ostend Manifesto in 1854 as part of an attempt to annex Cuba to the United States
- Billy Tauzin - politician[42]
- David Vitter, politician
Literature
Authors & Writers
- Stephen Vincent Benét (1898 - 1943) author, poet, short story writer and novelist[6]
- Kate Chopin (1851 - 1904) author of short stories and novels[43]
- Ève Curie, French author and writer, married an american and worked for the UNICEF
- John Dufresne author[44]
- Theodore de Laguna, American philosopher known as an early feminist
- John Dufresne, American author
- Will Durant (1885 - 1981) philosopher, historian, and writer[45]
- Robert Grenier (poet), contemporary American poet who is often associated with the Language School
- Jack Kerouac (1922 - 1969) novelist, writer, poet, artist, and part of the Beat Generation[46]
- Sidney Lanier (1842 - 1881) musician and poet[6][47]
- Richard Le Gallienne, man of letters
- Jonathan Littell, french-american author
- Grace Metalious (1924 - 1964) author, best known for Peyton Place[48]
- Anaïs Nin (1903 - 1977) famous for published diaries[49]
- Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739 - 1817) writer, economist and statesman[50][6]
- Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) author, development critic, naturalist, transcendentalist, pacifist, tax resister and philosopher who is famous for Walden (on simple living amongst nature), Civil Disobedience, Resistance to Civil Government, and many other articles and essays[6][51]
- Gerald Vizenor (1934 - ) poet, novelist and literary theorist. Vizenor is best known as an Anishinaabe writer, but he has written extensively about his French ancestors in texts such as Wordarrows (the narrative persona, "Clement Beaulieu", was the name of his uncle). [52] [53]
- Marguerite Yourcenar, author and first woman to be elected to the Académie Française, in 1980
Editors & Publishers
- Camille Cazedessus Jr., editor and publisher
- Joel T. LeFevre, editor-in-chief the Citizens Informer, a quarterly newspaper put out by the Council of Conservative Citizens
Education
- Vladimir Lefebvre, mathematical psychologist at the University of California, Irvine
- Jean Mayer (1920-1993) renowned French-American nutritionist and the tenth president of Tufts University from 1976 to 1992
- Eric H. du Plessis, professor
- Jeffrey Vitter, Frederick L. Hovde Dean of Science at Purdue University
Journalism
- Adras LaBorde (1912 - 1993) Louisiana-based reporter, editor, and columnist[54]
- Steven Goldman, sports writer on baseball and a commentator on the New York Yankees and at times on the New York Mets
- Richard Grenier, neoconservative cultural columnist for The Washington Times, and a film critic for Commentary and The New York Times
- John R. MacArthur, reporter for The Wall Street Journal (1977), the Washington Star (1978), The Bergen Record (1978–1979), Chicago Sun-Times (1979–1982), and an assistant foreign editor at United Press International (1982).
- E. Annie Proulx, American journalist and author
Military
- P.G.T. Beauregard general for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, writer, civil servant, and inventor.
- Benjamin Bonneville, French-born officer in the United States Army, fur trapper, and explorer in the American West[55]
- Mitch Bouyer (1837-1876) interpreter/guide in the Old West following the American Civil War
- Claire Lee Chennault, former WWII aviator
- Claudius Crozet, french-born educator and civil engineer
- Stephen Decatur (1779 - 1820) naval officer notable for his heroism in actions at Tripoli, Libya in the Barbary Wars and in the War of 1812[6]
- Lewis DuBois - American Revolutionary War commander
- Rene Gagnon (1925 - 1979) one of the U.S. Marines immortalized in the famous World War II photograph (by Joe Rosenthal) of the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima[56]
- Robert Grenier, a longtime CIA officer who served as the CIA's top counter-terrorism official in 2005
- Jean Joseph Amable Humbert, a figure in New France's military who settled in New Orleans in 1808
- Papa Jack Laine, bandleader
- Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (1757 - 1834) aristocrat, considered a national hero in both France and the United States for his participation in the French and American revolutions for which he became an Honorary Citizen of the United States[6]
- William Lenoir (general), American Revolutionary War officer and prominent statesman in late 18th-century and early 19th-century North Carolina
- Andrew Lewis (soldier), pioneer, surveyor, and soldier from Virginia
- Prince Achille Murat, former colonel who settled in New France
- Eugene Roe, WWII medic in the famed Easy Company
Religion
- Antoine Blanc, fourth Bishop and first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
- Roy Bourgeois, American priest in the Maryknoll order of the Roman Catholic Church and founder of the human rights group SOA Watch
- Claude Marie Dubuis, second Roman Catholic bishop of Texas
- Peter L'Huillier, retired archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America's Diocese of New York and New Jersey
- Mathias Loras (1792-1858) priest who later became the first Bishop of the Dubuque Diocese in what would become the state of Iowa
- Michael Portier (1795-1859) Roman Catholic bishop and the first
Science
- John James Audubon (1785 - 1851) ornithologist, naturalist, and painter[57]
- Daniel Barringer (geologist), geologist and son of Daniel Barringer, congressman
- Philippe Cousteau Jr., environmentalist
- René Dubos (1901 - 1982) microbiologist, experimental pathologist, environmentalist, humanist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author[58][6]
- Pierre Charles L'Enfant (1754 - 1825) architect and urban planner[59]
- William B. Lenoir, former NASA astronaut
- John Bevins Moisant (1868-1910) United States aviator
- Matilde E. Moisant (1878-1964) American pioneer aviatrix and sister of John Bevins Moisant
- Caroline Moreau, American scientist and self described "pro-choice" advocate
- Paco Nathan, computer scientist, author, and performance art show producer
- Bill Nye, also known as "Bill Nye the Science Guy", is an American television program host, science educator, and mechanical engineer
- Norbert Rilleaux, inventor, engineer
- Michel (Michael) Ter-Pogossian (1925-1996) physicist who was the father of Positron emission tomography
- Edward Livingston Trudeau (1848-1915) doctor who established the Adirondack Cottage Sanitorium at Saranac Lake for treatment of tuberculosis
- Vincent du Vigneaud, American biochemist and Nobel-Prize winner
Sports
Baseball
- Danny Ardoin, baseball player (catcher)
- Lou Boudreau, baseball player
- Mike DeJean, baseball player
- Jim Duquette, current vice president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles
- Leo Durocher, former New York Yankees manager
- Mike Fontenot (1980- ) Louisiana State University and Major Leage Baseball infielder
- Ray Fontenot (1957 - ) former Major League pitcher
- Jeff Francoeur, baseball player
- Chad Gaudin, baseball player
- Tom Glavine, baseball pitcher
- Ron Guidry, former baseball player[60]
- Cal Hubbard, famous former Baseball umpire
- Nap Lajoie, Hall of Fame former second baseman in Major League Baseball
- Adam LaRoche, baseball player
- Andy LaRoche, baseball player
- Dave LaRoche, baseball player
- Jim Lefebvre, former second baseman, third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball
- John Maine, current New York Mets pitcher
- Andy Pettitte, Starting Pitcher for the NY Yankees
Basketball
- Paul Arizin, former basketball player and Hall-of-Famer
- Bob Cousy, former NBA player and Hall-of-Famer
- Pat Durham, American former professional basketball
- Dave Fergerson, basketball player who mostly plays in Europe
- Joakim Noah, basketball player recently drafter by the [[Chicago Bulls]
- Tony Parker, basketball player, NBA finals 3-times winner, 1-time finals MVP
Football
- Joe DeLamielleure, former American football offensive lineman
- Jake Delhomme, NFL quarterback[61]
- Brett Favre, NFL quarterback
- Bobby Hebert, former NFL quarterback[62]
- Tom Landry, coach, Dallas Cowboys
- Stefan LeFors, football quarterback[63]
- Chad Lavalais, NFL player
- Edd Roush, Center-field baseball player and hall of famer
- Ryan Theriot, second baseman for the Chicago Cubs, born in Baton Rouge, La.
- Dick Vermeil, former NFL player
Hockey
- Guy Hebert, former professional ice hockey goaltender
- Mario Lemieux, Hall of Fame former National Hockey League center and current owner for the Pittsburgh Penguins
- Paul Martin, hockey player
- Philippe Sauve, professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Boston Bruins
Nascar
- Greg Biffle, nascar driver
- Brett Bodine, nascar driver
- Geoff Bodine, nascar driver
- Todd Bodine, nascar driver
- Bill France, Sr. (1909-1992) co-founder of NASCAR
- Terry Labonte, nascar driver and brother of Bobby Labonte
- Bobby Labonte, nascar driver and brother of Terry Labonte
- Randy LaJoie, nascar driver
- Jack Roush, nascar team owner
Soccer
- Brian Maisonneuve, famous past soccer player
- David Regis (1968 - ) former soccer defender[64]
- Bert Patenaude, Hall-of-Famer and first player to score a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup
- Quentin Westberg (1986 - ) football (soccer) goalkeeper playing for Troyes AC in France's Ligue 1[65]
Others
- Surya Bonaly (1973 - ) professional figure skater[66]
- Jean Cruguet (1939 - ) thoroughbred horse racing jockey who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing[67]
- Eddie Delahoussaye, former quarter-horse jockey[68]
- Kent Desormeaux, hall of famer jockey
- Bob Duval, professional golfer and is best known for being the father of David Duval, formerly the top-ranked player in the world
- David Duval professional golfer and former World No. 1 who competes on the PGA Tour
- Eric Guerin, hall of fame jockey[69]
- Phil Lafleur, professional wrestler
- Jack LaLanne, fitness, exercise and nutritional expert[citation needed]
- Jason Lamy-Chappuis, French Nordic combined athlete who has been competing since 2002
- John LeRoux, professional wrestler[70]
- John LeRoux, pro-wrestler
- Mary Pierce, tennis player who won multiple Grand Slam titles
- Allaire du Pont, American sportswoman and a member of the prominent French-American Du Pont family
- Louis Meyer (1904-1995) American Hall of Fame race car driver best known as the first three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500
- Régis Sénac, fencer and instructor
- Craig Titus, IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Triple H (1969 - ) professional wrestler[71]
- Benny Valger, nicknamed "The French Flash", American professional featherweight boxer who fought from the late 1910s until the 1930s
Miscellaneous
Art
- Xavier Fourcade, famous art dealer
- Daniel Wildenstein, world-famous art dealer
Cuisine
- Anthony Bourdain, American author and the "Chef-at-Large" of Brasserie Les Halles
- Wylie Dufresne, chef and owner of wd~50 restaurant in Manhattan
- Emeril Lagasse, celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author
- Justin Wilson, chef
Fictional characters
- Bobby Boucher, main character played by Adam Sandler in The Waterboy.
- Bill Dauterive from the cartoon King of the Hill.
- Eduard Delacroix, aka "Del", one of the prisoners from The Green Mile
- Jay "Chef" Hicks, an engineman who brings Captain Benjamin Willard to Colonel Walter E. Kurts in Apocalypse Now.
- Caledon Nathan Hockley, future husband of Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic (1997 film)
- Captain Benjamin Sisko, commanding officer of space station Deep Space Nine and the USS Defiant in the Star Trek universe
Other
- Frank Abagnale (1948 - ) famous impostor[72]
- Jean Lafitte (1780? - 1826?) Gulf of Mexico pirate[6]
- Alice Heine, American-born Princess of Monaco
- Marie Laveau, voodoo queen
- Carlene LeFevre, competitive eater and wife of Rich LeFevre
- Rich LeFevre, nicknamed "The Locust" is a competitive eater and husband of Carlene LeFevre
- Nadia McCaffrey, humanitarian
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929 - 1994) former First Lady of the United States[6][73]
- Georges de Paris, french-american tailor of the United States presidents
- Elmo Patrick Sonnier, convicted murderer and rapist executed, played by Sean Penn in Dead Man Walking
- Paul Prudhomme, chef
See also
Footnotes
- ^ [1] "Kahn, French-born, but a US resident since 1982"
- ^ [2] "André Meyer, the French financier who transformed Lazard into a dealmaking powerhouse from the 1950s to the 1970s"
- ^ [3] "World's Richest: #43 Pierre Omidyar, Net Worth: $10.1 billion French émigré"
- ^ [4] Her mother DeDe was French, English and Irish
- ^ [5] "Half French-Canadian and half Armenian, she grew up in California during the 1950s."
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Noted as a French American at [6]
- ^ [7] "From stage performer to singer to painter, the French actor..."
- ^ [8] "Half Irish, half French-Canadian, half English."
- ^ [9] "Julie Delpy is one of the most popular French actresses..." [10] "She became a U.S. citizen three years ago, while retaining her French citizenship."
- ^ [11] "The story of French actress Arielle Dombasle’s life is like something from another era, a time that exists in old movies and Harlequin romances"
- ^ [12] "Famous French-Canadian author Robert Goulet…"
- ^ Nevin, Charles. The glamour of Swindon: Billie Piper, Melinda. The Independent. July 18, 2005. Accessed April 14, 2007.
- ^ Sessums, Kevin. Wild at heart. Allure. November 2004. Accessed April 14, 2007.
- ^ [13] [14]
- ^ [15] "I am only French, Dutch and German. I get my skin color from the French side of my family."
- ^ [16] "Meloni, who is half-Italian and half-French Canadian, says that he was surprised to find similarities between the Carbone family and his own."
- ^ [17] "Sanchez, who is half Puerto Rican and half French…"
- ^ [18] "Did Leelee know much about Joan, who was canonized a saint, before portraying her? "Even though I'm half-French, not terribly much""
- ^ [19] "French-born fixture of Andy Warhol's Factory"
- ^ [20] "A Cajun and Breaux Bridge native, Ali Landry was crowned Miss USA in February 1996 at age twenty-two." [21]
- ^ [22] "Francophiles will be pleasantly surprised to learn that despite the unmistakably Celtic ring to her name, May Playmate Maria McBane is every bit as French as croissants and the cancan. Born in Avignon, in the heart of the French wine region of Provence, our 19-year-old May miss was reared in the traditions of the provincial petite francaise until the age of ten, when her family sold their small vineyard and came to America."
- ^ [23] "French icon Joe Dassin"
- ^ [24] "French-born American coloratura soprano"
- ^ "Les Halles Homepage". Brasserie Les Halles. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
- ^ described as "French" at [25]; born in US to French immigrants
- ^ Described as "French-Indian" at [26]; maternal grandfather, Jean Baptiste Louis DeCourtel Marchand, was French
- ^ Described as "French-Canadian" at [27]; both parents, Medore Moisant and Josephine Fortier, were French Canadian immigrants to the U.S.
- ^ Described as "French American" at [28] His father, Apollos Rivoire, was a French Huguenot refugee from Wallonia who had anglicized his name to Paul Revere. His mother, Deborah Hitchbourn, was of English descent[29]
- ^ Described as "French American" at [30]; His father, Isaac Roberdeau, was a French Huguenot immigrant and his mother Mary Cunningham was Scottish
- ^ [31] "The Boudinots were French Huguenots who fled France and then England after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes"; both of Boudinot's paternal grandparents were French; his mother was of Welsh and Anglo descent [32]
- ^ [33] ""I trust that you do know Mr. DeLay is French," she said."
- ^ Gravel - [34] "GRAVEL: God no. Mahoney... or it was an Irish name. I'm French-Canadian; I'm American but my parents are French Canadian."
- ^ According to [35], his great-grandfather was born in France, most of his other ancestry was English and American
- ^ [36]
- ^ [37]
- ^ Described as "French Hugenot" at [38]; his paternal grandfather was French, while the rest of his ancestors were of English origin[39]
- ^ [40] "she was nicknamed the "Cajun Grandma" and won the election to become the top elected official in the state." [41] ""So many people in Louisiana actually speak French every day and feel French, and I think they're a little disappointed about the situation," says Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco, a French Acadian whose maiden name was Babineaux. "We're looking at a 200-year historical time when France was our greatest ally.""
- ^ [42] "Often referred to as the "Ragin' Cajun" for his animated and colorful debating..."
- ^ [43]
- ^ [44] "French-Indian who became the principal chief of the Creek Indians in the years following the American Revolution."
- ^ [45] "He then became a French correspondent and later Paris bureau chief for ABC News." [46]
- ^ [47] [48]
- ^ Described as "French Catholic" at [49]; her maternal grandmother, Athena'ise Charleville, was of French descent; the rest of her ancestry was Irish and English[50]
- ^ From an interview with Dufresne: [51] "Nathan Leslie: John, do you think your French Canadian background has influenced your writing? If so, how? John Dufresne: It is this primal landscape that shapes us as it shapes the characters in our stories. "You write from where you are," William Stafford said. I write from being a French Canadian/American who grew up on what had been called French Hill until the Irish and Italians muscled us out. And then it was Grafton Hill. Novelist David Plante, author of novels about growing up French Canadian not far from my home, says: "Franco-American culture is gone, and perhaps the only way to have written about it was to believe it was over even while it was being written about. Les vrais paradis sont les paradis perdus might have been said by Proust about an entirely different world, but it applies--with the difference that the Franco past was never a paradise." Grafton Hill was in the fifties and sixties as exclusively Catholic and blue collar as neighborhoods get. Jobs ran to the trades, factories, and public service. There were no dancers or brain surgeons, actors, or professors among the French Canadians on the Hill."
- ^ [52] "Will Durant was French-Canadian and a Roman Catholic who had become skeptical of religion."
- ^ [53] "Jack Kerouac was born Jean-Louis Kerouac, a French-Canadian child on March 12, 1922 in working-class Lowell, Massachusetts."
- ^ [54] His French ancestors immigrated to England in the 16th century
- ^ [55] "When it was released in 1956, PEYTON PLACE, the debut novel by French Canadian Grace Metalious…"
- ^ [56] "French-born novelist, passionate eroticist and short story writer"
- ^ [57] "French economist..."
- ^ His paternal grandfather was from the Isle of Jersey; his other ancestry was English - American [58]
- ^ [59]
- ^ [60]
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adras_LaBorde#A_.22good_government.22_columnist
- ^ [61]
- ^ Described as French-Canadian at [62]; parents were French Canadian immigrants to US [63]
- ^ [64] describes him as French American; both parents were French; he was raised in Nantes, France [65]"
- ^ [66] born in Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt, France
- ^ Born in Paris, France to George L'Enfant and Frances Ragond; immigrated to US
- ^ [67] "Just like George, he's a nice, country, Cajun guy, who left Louisiana to follow his dream and continued that dream by returning to his roots. "
- ^ [68] [69]
- ^ [70] "The Cajun Cannon" [71]
- ^ [72]
- ^ [73] "French-American David Regis earned a starter¿s spot on the 1998 U.S. World Cup squad"
- ^ [74] "Could you talk a little about what being both French and American has meant for your soccer development?... Actually, I really think that if I'm a professional today, it's because of my development both in France and in the US. I always try to take what's best for me as an athlete and a keeper from both cultures and honestly think that if I hadn't made the choice of playing internationally for the US youth teams, I wouldn't be in my situation today and wouldn't have developed as quickly."
- ^ [75] "French figure skating champion Surya Bonaly has become a US citizen during a ceremony Friday in Las Vegas."
- ^ [76] "Detractors of his French born, quotidian jockey said that if Jean Cruguet"
- ^ [77] "The California-based Delahoussaye, a Cajun from New Iberia, La., is one of the best riders in Kentucky Derby history."
- ^ [78] "Eric Guerin, the twenty-eight-year-old Cajun jockey who rode all of Vanderbilt's top horses under a contract arrangement."
- ^ [79]
- ^ [80] ""the French guy" in World Championship Wrestling"
- ^ Library.com "The Story of Frank W. Abagnale Jr. from www.Crime Library.com."
- ^ [81] noted that she was proud of her French ancestry, which was distant [82]