List of people from Monroe, Louisiana
This is a list of notable persons who were born in and/or have lived in the American city of Monroe, Louisiana.
For a list of people who have studied at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, see List of University of Louisiana at Monroe alumni.
Activists
- Huey P. Newton, Black Panthers founder
Actors and entertainers
- Clay Jordan, contestant on Survivor Thailand
- Valerie Mason, September 2008 Playboy Playmate
- Mantan Moreland, actor and comic of the 1930s and 1940s
- Jesse Pearson, actor and screenwriter; died in Monroe in 1979
- Parker Posey, film actress
- Monti Sharp, film and soap opera actor
- Susan Ward, film and soap opera actress
Business
- Edmund Graves Brown (1921–2008), executive of the Monroe News Star, 1952–1977; member of the Ewing newspaper family
- Kitty DeGree (1922–2012), real estate developer and philanthropist
- Grady A. Dugas (1923–2007), inventor of Safer Automatic Wheelchair Wheel Locks
- Robert Ewing III (1935–2007), Monroe newspaper executive and photographer
- Howard D. Griffin (1911–1986),[1] outboard motor and motorcycle dealer; owner of the former Howard Griffin "Land O' Toys store (1965–1985) in Monroe[2]
- Lloyd E. Lenard (1922–2008), author; advertising manager of KNOE Radio;later in the insurance business in Shreveport; former Caddo Parish commissioner
- Sol Rosenberg (1926–2009), steel industrialist; philanthropist; Holocaust survivor
- Collett E. Woolman (1889–1966), an original director and founder of Delta Air Service
Journalists
- Keith Babb, KNOE-TV personality prior to 1971; chief national auctioneer of American Quarter Horses
- Moon Griffon, statewide radio talk show host, formerly based in Monroe, now Lafayette
- Frank McGee, television journalist
- John Travis Nixon, journalist and publisher of Monroe News-Star in early 1890s; later published what became the Crowley Post Signal in Crowley, Louisiana[3]
- Dale Thorn, journalist, Louisiana State University professor, and press secretary to Governor Edwin Edwards, graduated in 1960 from Ouachita Parish High School[4]
Musicians
- Fred Anderson, jazz saxophonist and club owner
- Hamid Drake, jazz drummer and percussionist
- Doug Duffey, singer, songwriter, pianist, bandleader, music arranger, record producer, music publisher, poet, diarist, photographer and visual artist
- Carl Fontana, jazz trombonist
- Kevin Griffin, lead singer of Better Than Ezra
- Andy Griggs, country music singer
- Ivory Joe Hunter, rhythm and blues musician[5]: 293
- Rickey Minor, music director, composer, music producer, and music director and bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- Webb Pierce, country musician[5]: 274
- Frank Ticheli, composer, conductor, Professor of Music at University of Southern California
- Leon "Pee Wee" Whittaker, trombonist who played with the Rabbit's Foot Minstrels from Monroe, 1935–1950
Politicians
- Edwards Barham, former member of the Louisiana State Senate from Morehouse Parish
- Robert J. Barham, director of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission; former state senator from Morehouse Parish
- William R. Boles, Sr. (1927–2008), attorney and former Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate
- William Denis Brown, III (1931–2012), attorney, businessman, and state senator, floor leader in first term of Governor Edwin Washington Edwards[6]
- William Derwood Cann, Jr. (1919–2010), World War II lieutenant colonel; interim mayor of Monroe from 1978 to 1979[7]
- Marcus R. Clark (born 1956), associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court; former district court judge
- Donnie Copeland (born 1961), Pentecostal pastor in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, 2015 to 2017, born in Monroe[8]
- James L. Dennis (born 1936), Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Jimmy Dimos, former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives and retired judge
- Ken Duncan, Louisiana state treasurer from 1996 to 2000; reared in Monroe in the early 1960s[9]
- John C. Ensminger (born 1934), Monroe businessman, state representative (1972–1991) and state senator (1991–1992) from Ouachita Parish
- Chris Faser, Jr. (1917–2004), member of both the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Louisiana House of Representatives from East Baton Rouge Parish; confidant to Governor Jimmie Davis; born and reared in Monroe[10]
- William C. Feazel (1895–1965), interim U.S. Senator in 1948; member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1932–1936; father-in-law of Shady R. Wall
- Lee Fletcher (1966–2009), Republican political consultant
- H. Lawrence Gibbs (1919–1993), member of both houses of the Louisiana Legislature
- Bert Hatten (born 1927), mayor of West Monroe from 1966 to 1978; newspaper managing editor and publisher; graduated from Ouachita Parish High School in 1945
- Malcolm P. Hebert, Alexandria politician; born in Monroe in 1926[11]
- Jennifer Sneed Heebe (born 1966), former state representative for Jefferson Parish; former member of the Jefferson Parish Council; former television reporter in Monroe[12]
- W. L. "Jack" Howard (1911–1994), former mayor of Monroe and owner with his brother, Alton Hardy Howard of the former Howard Brothers Discount Stores
- John S. Hunt, III (1928–2001), Monroe attorney and former member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission
- Marcus Hunter (born 1979), member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 17 in Ouachita Parish
- Neal Lane "Lanny" Johnson (born 1940), former Ouachita Parish school superintendent; member of the Louisiana House, 1976–1980 from Franklin and Tensas parishes; first All-American in basketball at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, then NLSC
- Gary Lee Jones (born 1946), member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, effective January 2016; educator in Monroe from 1971 to 1999
- Kay Katz, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives; former Republican National Committeewoman from Louisiana
- Robert Kostelka, Republican state senator and former judge
- W. Burch Lee (1883–1938), state representative for Webster Parish, 1914–1916; clerk of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana in Shreveport, 1918–1933; born in Farmerville, reared in Monroe[13]
- Scott Leehy, Republican judge of the Fourth Judicial District
- Sam Little, Republican former state representative from Morehouse Parish and portions of Ouachita, West Carroll, and East Carroll parishes
- Jamie Mayo, Democratic mayor of Monroe since 2001
- Vance McAllister, businessman and U.S. representative elected in Louisiana's 5th congressional district special election, 2013
- Newt V. Mills, U.S. representative from Louisiana's 5th congressional district from 1937 to 1943; resided in Monroe
- Jay Morris, state representative since 2012 from Ouachita and Morehouse parishes
- J. Kelly Nix, Louisiana superintendent of education, 1976–1984; attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe and then resided in Monroe from c. 1965 to 1972
- James A. Noe, short-term governor of Louisiana in 1936; founder of WNOE & KNOE radio & TV stations
- Abe E. Pierce, III (born 1934), mayor of Monroe from 1996 to 2000, first African American in the position; Ouachita Parish educator
- Robert E. Powell (1923-1997), mayor of Monroe from 1979 to 1996
- Melvin Rambin (1941–2001), mayor of Monroe from 2000 to 2001, only Republican in the position since Reconstruction; banker in Baton Rouge and Monroe; interred in Baton Rouge
- James St. Raymond - businessman and former state representative in Orleans Parish; former resident of Monroe[14]
- Johnny Riley Jr, State of Louisiana Assistant Secretary for Department of Labor - Workforce Commission 2008 - 2011
- Frank Spooner, oil and natural gas producer and Republican politician, moved to Monroe in 1967[15]
- Lawson Swearingen, former Louisiana state senator and president of ULM
- Jeff R. Thompson, former insurance agent in Monroe; state representative from Bossier Parish; incoming 26th Judicial District Court judge
- Chet D. Traylor, Associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, 1997–2009; Republican primary candidate for U.S. Senate, 2010
- Ralph T. Troy (1935–2014), mayor of Monroe from 1972 to 1976
- Shady R. Wall (1922–1985), state representative from 1948–1956 and 1968–1984
- Mike Walsworth, Louisiana state senator from Ouachita and Morehouse parishes
- W. E. Whetstone (1908–1987), former member of the Louisiana State Board of Education
- Mary Lou Trawick Winters (1935–2014), member of the Democratic National Committee for thirty-two years, elector for U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1996, and the chief lobbyist for the Louisiana State Medical Society
- J. Robert Wooley (born 1953), Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance, 2000–2006; spent his high school and college years in Monroe[16]
- Aubrey W. Young (1922–2010), drug and alcohol abuse coordinator within the Department of Health and Hospitals, 1965–1999; aide-de-camp to Governor John McKeithen
Sports
- Brian Bateman, PGA golfer, 2007 Buick Open winner[17]
- Benoit Benjamin, NBA center for the Cleveland Cavaliers[18]
- Bubby Brister, Denver Broncos quarterback[19]
- Jimmy Childress, Neville High School and Ruston High School state championship football coach[20]
- John David Crow, late coach of the ULM Warhawks; professional football player
- LaceDarius Dunn, basketball guard with Bnei HaSharon in Israel[21]
- Billy Joe Dupree, tight end for the Dallas Cowboys[22]
- Lenny Fant, Northeast Louisiana, basketball coach, 1957–1979, first NLU coach to win 300 games[23]
- Chuck Finley, MLB All-Star pitcher, California Angels, Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Cardinals; ex-spouse of Tawny Kitaen[24]
- Ralph Garr, All-Star MLB outfielder[25]
- Larry Gordon, football player
- Gerrod Henderson, basketball player for the Anwil Włocławek 2007–09
- Tyree Hollins, football player
- Cardia Jackson, Louisiana–Monroe Warhawk and Green Bay Packers linebacker
- Bradie James, LSU and Dallas Cowboys linebacker[26]
- Arnold R. Kilpatrick, ULM basketball coach, 1950s; president of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches from 1966 to 1978
- Shawn King, ULM/LSU and Carolina Panthers defensive end[27]
- Lynn McGlothen, MLB pitcher
- Paul Millsap, power forward for Louisiana Tech University and the Atlanta Hawks[28]
- Rudy Niswanger, LSU and Kansas City Chiefs center[29]
- Joe Profit, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints running back[30]
- Cassidy Riley, professional wrestler, WWE TNA
- Phil Robertson, quarterback for Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
- Johnny Robinson, LSU and Kansas City Chiefs safety
- Bill Russell, NBA center for the Boston Celtics), Basketball Hall of Famer
- Ben Sheets, MLB All-Star Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics and Atlanta Braves pitcher; played at NLU, now ULM[31]
- Don Shows, football coach ULM, NSU, Ouachita Parish High School, West Monroe High School
- Sammy White, football player, GSU and Offensive Rookie of Year receiver for Minnesota Vikings
- Andrew Whitworth, LSU and Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle
- Jonathan Wilhite, Auburn and New England Patriots cornerback
- Aeneas Williams, St. Louis Rams free safety
- Pat Williams, NFL defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings
- Ralph Williams, gridiron football player
- Larry Wright, GSU and NBA guard for the Washington Bullets
Writers
- Harry W. Addison, writer and humorist
- Henry E. Chambers, Louisiana historian; resided in Monroe, 1894–1896[32]
- Dixon Hearne, writer and poet
- Speed Lamkin, novelist and playwright
- William Y. Thompson, retired historian from Louisiana Tech University
Others
- Guy Banister, career employee of the FBI and private investigator; alleged co-conspirator in assassination of John F. Kennedy
- C. E. Byrd, educator who resided in Monroe from 1889 to 1892; founded C.E. Byrd High School in Shreveport
- W. C. Friley, Baptist clergyman; second president of Louisiana College; pastor in Monroe in the early 1880s
- William Gabriel Fuller, IV (St. Frederick High School-Class of 1976) (Distinguished Military Graduate (DMG) 1985) (Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) US Army) Finalist - National Security and International Affairs, 2010 Service to America Medal
- Rowena Spencer, MD; first female pediatric surgeon
- Richard Stalder, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections from 1992 to 2008; former superintendent at Louisiana Training Institute in Monroe[33]
- Marc Swayze, comic book writer and illustrator
- George T. Walker, president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe from 1958 to 1976
See also
References
- ^ "Howard D. Griffin". findagrave.com. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
- ^ "Howard Griffin Land O' Toys lives on in memory". The Monroe News-Star. December 17, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
- ^ "Nixon, John Travis". Louisiana Historical Association. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
- ^ "Obituary – Dr. Jesse Dale Thorn, May 14, 2014". Ouachita Citizen. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
- ^ a b Tom Aswell (April 22, 2013). Louisiana Rocks!: The True Genesis of Rock and Roll. Pelican Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4556-0783-9.
- ^ "William Denis Brown, III". Monroe News-Star, March 9, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- ^ "William Derwood Cann, Jr". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, July 14, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ^ "Donnie Copeland's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ "Ken Duncan". classmates.com. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- ^ "Christian Faser, Jr. (1917–2004)". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate. January 18, 2004. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
- ^ "Malcolm Paul Hebert, September 24, 2006". The Alexandria Daily Town Talk. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ Richard Rainey (August 19, 2008). "Jennifer Sneed resigns Jefferson Parish Council". The New Orleans Times-Picayune. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ "W. Burch Lee Funeral Here in Afternoon: Former Clerk of Federal Court Expires After Week of Illness". The Shreveport Times through findagrave.com. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
- ^ "James St. Raymond". intelius.com. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ "Otto Passman, Jerry Huckaby, and Frank Spooner: The Louisiana Fifth Congressional District Election of 1976", Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association, LIV No. 3 (Summer 2013), p. 346
- ^ "Mike Hasten, "Louisiana insurance commissioner's race Wooley turns temporary job into a mission", November 7, 2003". capitolwatch.reallouisiana.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
- ^ PGA TOUR, Inc. (2010). "PGATOUR.com – Brian Bateman's Official Profile". Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ Sports Reference LLC (2010). "Benoit Benjamin NBA & ABA Statistics". Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ NFL Enterprises LLC (2010). "Bubby Brister". Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ Adam Hunsucker, "Childress was about more than defense and shutouts", The Monroe News-Star, July 14, 2015
- ^ LaceDarius Dunn (November 16, 2009). "LaceDarius Dunn Profile – Baylor Bears Official Athletic Site". BaylorBears.com. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ "Billy Joe DuPree". NFL. 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "Lenny Fant Coaching Record". Sports Reference. 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "Chuck Finley Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
- ^ "Ralph Garr Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights". MLB. 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ Dallas Cowboys (2010). "DallasCowboys.com – Official Site of the Dallas Cowboys". Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ NFL Enterprises LLC (2010). "Shawn King". Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ NBA Media Ventures, LLC (2010). "NBA.com : Paul Millsap Bio Page". Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "Kansas City Chiefs: Rudy Niswanger". 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ NFL Enterprises, LLC (2010). "Joe Profit". Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ Oakland Athletics (2010). "Ben Sheets Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights". MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "Biography of Henry Edward Chambers". usgwarchives.org. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
- ^ "Richard Stalder". lapoliticalmuseum.com. Retrieved December 15, 2013.