List of people from Tallahassee, Florida
Introduction This is a list of notable people who were either born or raised, or have lived for a significant period of time in the Tallahassee, Florida metropolitan area.
Academics, education, and research Konrad Emil Bloch, Nobel-winning biochemistG. Gabrielle Starr, president of Pomona College*Roy Baumeister – psychologist of self-control*Konrad E. Bloch – Nobel Prize-winning biochemist, who helped learn about the functioning of cholesterol*Mark Frederick Boyd - malariologist and writer*James M. Buchanan – winner of Nobel Prize in economics*Talbot "Sandy" D'Alemberte – attorney, civil-rights activist, former dean of the Florida State University Law School, former president of Florida State University, president of the American Bar Association and the American Judicature Society*Paul Dirac – Nobel Prize-winning physicist whose theories predicted antimatter*Sylvia Earle – former chief scientist for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration*Neil Frank – former director of the National Hurricane Center*Fred Gainous – former president of Florida A & M University, 2002–2004; former chancellor of the Alabama College System's Department of Postsecondary Education; associate vice president of St. Petersburg College*Robert A. Holton – chemist and inventor of Taxol*Tim Howard – president and founder of Cambridge Graduate University international, former head of doctorate program of Law & Policy at Northeastern University, former Assistant Attorney General of Florida*Sir Harold Kroto – Nobel Prize-winning chemist who helped discover fullerenes*Max Mayfield – former director of the National Hurricane Center*Alfred Mele – philosopher of free will*Robert S. Mulliken – physicist and chemist who won both the Priestley Medal and the Nobel Prize*Michel Oksenberg – China scholar, member of National Security Council*X. William Proenza – former director of the National Hurricane Center*Michael Ruse – philosopher, historian of science, noteworthy atheist*Robert Schrieffer – Nobel Laureate, BCS Theory of Superconductivity*E. Lee Spence – underwater archeologist*G. Gabrielle Starr – president of Pomona College===Space exploration===*Carolyn S. Griner – former director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center*Winston Scott – NASA astronaut*Norman Thagard – NASA astronaut; flew on three different U.S. Space Shuttles, and on one Russian mission to the Mir space station
Authors Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer-winning author*Jesse Bullington – Fantasy novelist; also published as Alex Marshall*Robert Olen Butler – Pulitzer Prize-winning author for ''A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain'' (fiction)*Lisa De Pasquale – political writer and columnist*Doug Marlette – Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist*Leora Bettison Robinson (1840-1914) – author, educator*Jeff Shaara – ''New York Times'' bestselling author of historical fiction*Michael Shaara – Pulitzer prize-winning author (for ''The Killer Angels'')*Jeff VanderMeer – World Fantasy Award-winning author (for the novella ''The Transformation of Martin Lake'')
Aviation *Jerrie Mock – aviator and first woman to fly around the world solo
Business *Wally Amos – founder of the "Famous Amos" chocolate chip cookie brand; actor*Eugene Figg – engineer for such bridges as Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Linn Cove Viaduct, and Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge*Robert B. Hilton – Tallahassee newspaper owner and Confederate congressman during the American Civil War
Film, television, and radio Jim Cramer, TV host*Red Barber – sportscaster, Radio Hall of Fame member*Jim Cramer – host of CNBC's ''Mad Money''===Acting===Faye Dunaway, actress*Kay Aldridge – model and actress*Matt Battaglia – actor and former NFL player*Cathy Jenéen Doe – actress*Brad Davis – actor (Midnight Express, Querelle)*Kyan Douglas – the "grooming expert" from ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''*Faye Dunaway – actress, Academy Award winner for ''Network''*Tony Hale – actor, played Byron "Buster" Bluth on ''Arrested Development''*Cheryl Hines – actress, two-time Emmy nominee for ''Curb your Enthusiasm'', director, married to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.*Polly Holliday – actress, Golden Globe winner (for television series ''Alice'')*Will Kirby – ''Big Brother 2'' (2001) winner*Christine Lahti – film actress and director, winner of Academy Award for ''Leiberman in Love'', two Golden Globes and Emmy for ''Chicago Hope''*Burt Reynolds – Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning, Oscar-nominated actor, attended FSU*Anika Noni Rose – Tony Award-winning actress, as Emmie Thibodeaux in ''Caroline, or Change''*Sonny Shroyer – actor who played deputy sheriff on ''The Dukes of Hazzard''*Roy Wood, Jr. – comedian and actor on ''The Daily Show''===Writing and production===*Jim Butterworth – documentary filmmaker, winner of DuPont-Columbia Award for ''Seoul Train''*Ron J. Friedman – writer of Disney's Academy Award-nominated film ''Brother Bear''
Government and politics Reubin Askew, governor of Florida*Art Agnos – former mayor of San Francisco, California*Reubin Askew – politician, former governor of Florida*Bobby Brantley – lieutenant governor of Florida 1987–1991*Lawton Chiles – politician and FSU research fellow; former US Senator and Governor of Florida*LeRoy Collins – politician and Governor of Florida; the only Tallahassee native to serve as Florida's governor*Parris Glendening – former Governor of Maryland*Carla Hayden – 14th Librarian of Congress*Scott Maddox – former mayor of Tallahassee *John Marks – Mayor of Tallahassee 2003-2014*Kenneth Minihan – former director of the National Security Agency*Nell Foster Rogers – lobbyist*Orson Swindle – commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission*Gregory Tony (born 1978) – Sheriff of Broward County, Florida*Craig Waters – spokesman for the Florida Supreme Court
Historical people *Catherine Willis Gray Murat – great-grandniece of George Washington*Prince Achille Murat – nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte*Charles Kenzie Steele – clergyman and civil rights activist*Ernest I. Thomas – raiser of the original flag at Iwo Jima
Infamy *Marshall Ledbetter – protester who took over the Florida capitol building
Music Cannonball Adderley, left, saxophonist*Luh Tyler – rapper, songwriter*Cannonball Adderley – jazz alto saxophone player, Grammy Award winner*Nat Adderley – jazz cornet and trumpet player*Ethel Cain (Hayden Anhedönia) – singer-songwriter, artist*George Clinton – musician, founder of Funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic*Rita Coolidge – Grammy Award-winning singer,  "From the Bottle to the Bottom" and "Lover Please"*Janice Harsanyi – vocalist and teacher*Kenny Howes – rock musician*K. Michelle (born Kimberly Michelle Pate) – reality TV personality and R&B singer*Jim Morrison – lead singer and lyricist of The Doors*Marcus Roberts – jazz pianist*T-Pain (born Faheem Najm) – hip hop and R&B singer*Butch Trucks (Claude Hudson Trucks) – drummer, member of the Allman Brothers band*  Mayday Parade - Formed in 2005, the band was a result of a merger between two local Tallahassee bands, Kid Named Chicago and Defining Moment.===Composition===*Creed – rock band formed in Tallahassee*Carlisle Floyd – opera composer,  ''Susannah'' (1955) and others*Marcus Roberts – jazz pianist, composer and music professor at Florida State University*Morgan Sorne – singer-songwriter*Ernst von Dohnányi – composer and pianist*Ellen Taaffe Zwilich – Pulitzer prize-winning composer (for ''Three Movements for Orchestra (Symphony No. 1)'')
Sports Walter Dix, sprinter*David Ross (baseball) – MLB catcher*Robert "Bobby" C. Bowden – college football coach, winner of two national championships*Ricky Carmichael – motocross/supercross champion*Kevin Carter – NFL defensive end*Bradley Cooper – member of 1984 and 1988 Bahamas Summer Olympics team*Gene Cox – State of Florida Sports Hall of Fame member (Leon High School football coach)*Antonio Cromartie – NFL player credited with the longest play in NFL history*Kim Crosby – NASCAR driver, with a best race finish of 20th, in 2004*Dwight F. Davis – founder of the international tennis Davis Cup*Walter Dix – U.S. track team member and medalist at 2008 Beijing Olympics*Warrick Dunn – FSU and NFL football star*Carrie Englert (Zimmerman) – member of 1976 U.S. Summer Olympics team*Corey Fuller – played for FSU's football team, later became a wide receiver for the Vikings, Browns and Ravens*Michael Gaines – tight end for the Detroit Lions*DaVanche (Ron) Galimore – member of 1980 U.S. Summer Olympics team*Willie Galimore – member of College Football Hall of Fame, and NFL football player*William Gay – NFL cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers*Althea Gibson – winner of several Wimbledon and US Open tennis championships*Frances C. Griscom – U.S. Women's amateur golf champion*Ken Harnden – hurdler and sprinter who represented Zimbabwe in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games*Tahesia Harrigan – professional sprinter (BVI)*Bob Hayes – sprinter and gold medal winner on 1964 U.S. Summer Olympics team; NFL football wide receiver for Dallas Cowboys*Missy Hyatt – professional wrestling valet and commentator for World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling*Taylor Jacobs – professional football player, wide receiver with Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers, and Denver Broncos*Marty Jannetty – professional wrestler, best known for his work with WWE*Reggie Jefferson – MLB player*Brad Johnson – NFL quarterback*Brandy Johnson – member of 1988 U.S. Summer Olympics team*Desmond Koh – amateur swimmer who represented Singapore in the 1988, 1992, and 1996 Olympic Games*Nevin McCaskill – NFL player for the Green Bay Packers*Mike "11" Martin – All-Time winningest coach in NCAA Division I College Baseball; 2019 inductee in National College Baseball Hall of Fame*Michelle McCool – World Wrestling Entertainment diva (formally Diva Champion)*Fondren Mitchell – football player*Brian Olson – member of 1996, 2000 and 2004 U.S. Summer Olympics teams*Burgess Owens – professional football player, member of Oakland Raider team that won Super Bowl XV*Bill Peterson – college and NFL head football coach*Zach Piller – NFL guard for the Tennessee Titans*Don Pumphrey, Jr – offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers*Elise Ray – gymnast, represented United States in 2000 Olympic Games*Gabrielle Reece – professional volleyball player, model*Deion Sanders – FSU football star, NFL cornerback, Major League Baseball outfielder, NFL Network commentator*Ernie Sims – NFL linebacker*Dwight Smith – MLB outfielder*Bobby Thigpen – MLB relief pitcher and coach*Craphonso Thorpe – NFL wide receiver*Marion Tinsley – world checkers champion 1955–58, 1975–91*Charlie Ward – 1993 Heisman Trophy winner*Pat Watkins – NFL safety for the Dallas Cowboys*Chris Weinke – 2000 Heisman Trophy winner*Boo Williams – NFL tight end for the New Orleans Saints*Jameis Winston – 2014 Heisman winner and quarterback for the Tampa*Woody Woodward – MLB shortstop - Braves, Reds; FSU Baseball Head Coach (1975–78); MLB GM - Yankees, Phillies, Mariners*Wally Williams – NFL (1993-2003) Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and New Orleans Saints (First Franchise Player in Ravens History)
Visual arts *Karl Zerbe – expressionist painter using the encaustic painting technique
References