national high jump champion 1994 Eugene E. Parker, sports agent, 45th in Sports Illustrateds 101 most influential minorities in sports Ed Viesturs, mountaineer, first American to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000 meter peaks, and the fifth person ever to do so without the use of supplemental oxygen Authors and writers E. Jean Carroll, author, journalist Constance Cumbey, author, lawyer Les Edgerton, author Ashley C. Ford, author and essayist Edith Hamilton, author, mythology expert Stephen King, best-selling author (spent parts of childhood in the city) Ross Lockridge Jr., novelist Patricia Lockwood, American writer Michael Martone, author George Jean Nathan, author, drama critic, founder of American Spectator William Rockhill Nelson, founder of the Kansas City Star Emmanuel Ortiz, poet, writer Charlie Savage, New York Times reporter, 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner Business leaders Andrew George Burry, philanthropist, paper box manufacturer Patrick M. Byrne, president and CEO of Overstock.com Dirk Gates, founder and CEO of Xircom and Xirrus Jeff Hammerbacher, founder of Cloudera Angie Hicks, founder and CMO of AngiesList.com Zach Klein, co-founder of social networking site Vimeo Nord Krauskopf, founder of K&K Insurance; NASCAR Winston Cup Series race car owner (1966–1977) Russell W. Kruse, auctioneer, founder of Kruse International Cook Lougheed, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and Allen County Councilman Dale W. McMillen, founder of Central Soya Cosette Simon, philanthropist, politician, first female Mayor of Fort Wayne (1985) Chuck Surack, philanthropist, founder of Sweetwater Sound Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's International Kevin Wall, Emmy Award-winning producer, environmentalist, founder of Live Earth Childe Wills, associate of Henry Ford Fred Zollner, industrialist, founder of the NBA and Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons Inventors and scientists Sylvanus Bowser, inventor of the gas pump Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of the television John Henry Holland, pioneer in the field of genetic algorithms Media Julia Barr, two-time Daytime Emmy award-winning actress, All My Children Jill Bennett, actress Nicole Briscoe, 1998 Miss Illinois Teen USA, host of ESPN2's NASCAR Now Eric Bruskotter, actor Dan Butler, actor Ann Colone, broadcaster, talkshow host Jenna Fischer, Emmy-nominated actress, The Office Sharon Gabet, actress Hilliard Gates, sportscaster Molly Hagan, actress Drake Hogestyn, actor Neil LaBute, director, screenwriter, playwright Stephanie Larimore, model, Playboy Playmate of the Month Carole Lombard, Oscar-nominated actress, My Man Godfrey Shelley Long, Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actress, Cheers Marilyn Maxwell, actress Patrick McVey, actor Bree Olson, pornographic actress Robert Rusler, actor Andrea Russett, actress, Internet celebrity Chris Schenkel, sportscaster Jan Schweiterman, actor Carrie