List of people from New Orleans

This is a list of notable people who are or were natives, or notable as residents of, or relation with the U.S. city of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Academia

• Stephen Ambrose, historian and University of New Orleans professor
• Mary L. Good, scientist and university professor
• Salman Khan, educator
• Andrew V. Schally, endocrinologist and Nobel Laureate

Architecture

• Leon C. Weiss, architect commissioned by Huey P. Long

Arts and literature

• John James Audubon, painter, ornithologist, naturalist
• Roark Bradford, fiction writer
• Poppy Z. Brite, writer
• William S. Burroughs, writer
• George Washington Cable, writer
• Truman Capote, writer
• Kate Chopin, writer, feminist
• Andrei Codrescu, poet and commentator
• Edgar Degas, artist
• George Washington Dixon, newspaper editor
• George Dureau, artist and photographer
• William Faulkner, writer
• Rolland Golden, artist
• Shirley Ann Grau, writer
• Lafcadio Hearn, writer
• Lillian Hellman, writer
• George Herriman, Krazy Kat cartoonist
• Walter Isaacson, writer, journalist, public policy analyst
• Frances Parkinson Keyes, writer
• Dominique Lapierre, writer
• Elmore Leonard, author
• Michael Lewis, writer
• Bunny Matthews, cartoonist
• John McCrady, artist
• James Michalopoulos, artist^[1]
• Anne Rice, writer of vampire tales and other Gothic fiction
• John Kennedy Toole, writer of A Confederacy of Dunces

Business and economics

• Isaac Delgado, businessman and philanthropist, benefactor of Delgado Community College
• Avram Glazer, businessman and sports franchise owner
• John McDonogh (1779–1850), shipping, land speculation (world's largest private landholder ca. 1850), philanthropist and namesake of many New Orleans schools
• Clay Shaw, businessman
• David Voelker, businessman and philanthropist^[2]
• Samuel Zemurray, businessman and philanthropist

Cuisine

• Leah Chase, chef
• Ruth Fertel, businesswoman and restaurateur, Ruth's Chris Steak House

Crime

• Axeman of New Orleans, mysterious mass murderer
• Antoinette Frank, former New Orleans Police Officer
• Jean Lafitte, pirate and brother of Pierre Lafitte
• Pierre Lafitte, pirate and brother of Jean Lafitte
• Lee Harvey Oswald, assassin

Movie and television

• Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, actor
• Sandra Bullock, actress, resident
• Kitty Carlisle, entertainer
• John Carroll, actor and singer
• Laura Cayouette, actor and author
• Patricia Clarkson, actress
• Marshall Colt, psychologist and former actor
• Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, talk show host
• Vance DeGeneres, actor, screenwriter, and musician (bass)
• Raquel "Rocsi" Diaz, television host and personality on BET's 106 and Park
• Faith Domergue, actress
• Donna Douglas, actress (Ellie Mae from The Beverly Hillbillies)
• Allison Harvard, runner-up of twelfth cycle of America's Next Top Model
• Dwight Henry, actor
• Gloria Henry, actress born in 1923
• Eddie Jemison, actor
• Bayn Johnson, former actress and singer
• Leatrice Joy, actress
• Dorothy Lamour, actress
• John Larroquette, actor
• Anthony Mackie, actor
• Adah Isaacs Menken, actress
• Garrett Morris, comedian (SNL), actor
• Ed Nelson, actor^[3]
• Arthel Neville, journalist
• Pauley Perrette, actress
• Tyler Perry, actor, director
• Wendell Pierce, actor (Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire)
• Godfrey Reggio, experimental filmmaker/documentarian (Qatsi trilogy)
• Neferteri Shepherd, model and actress
• Richard Simmons, entertainer
• Harold Sylvester, actor
• Jay Thomas, actor
• Sam Trammell, actor, best known for his role as Sam Merlotte in True Blood
• Ben Turpin, silent film comedian
• Ray Walston, actor
• Carl Weathers, actor, football player
• Tommy Wiseau, actor, director
• Reese Witherspoon, actress
• Grace Zabriskie, actress
• Bianca Del Rio, drag queen and comedian; best known for winning the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race

Law, politics, and military

• Bryan Adams, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Jefferson Parish since 2012; born in New Orleans.^[4]
• Reverend Avery Alexander, civil rights leader, state legislator
• Andres Almonaster y Rojas, Spanish civil servant in colonial New Orleans, also a philanthropist
• Jeff Arnold, former member of the Louisiana House for the Algiers section, 2002–2016
• John B. Babcock, Medal of Honor recipient
• Algernon Sidney Badger, government official during and after Reconstruction^[5]
• Amy Coney Barrett, U.S. Supreme Court Justice and academic^[6]
• P.G.T. Beauregard, Confederate general and inventor
• Clyde F. Bel Jr., businessman and state representative for Orleans Parish, 1964–1972 and 1975–1980
• Judah P. Benjamin, U.S. Senator, Confederate Attorney General, Secretary of War and Secretary of State
• David H. Berger, commandant of the United States Marine Corps
• Hale Boggs, former U.S. Representative
• Lindy Boggs, former U.S. Representative and retired U.S. Ambassador to The Vatican
• Thomas Hale Boggs Jr., lawyer/lobbyist in Washington, D.C., born in New Orleans in 1940, son of Hale and Lindy Boggs, brother of Cokie Roberts and Barbara Boggs Sigmund
• Joseph Bouie Jr., Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 97 in Orleans Parish since 2014; retired faculty member and administrator at Southern University at New Orleans^[7]
• Stephen Bradberry, community organizer, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award laureate
• Juan Davis Bradburn, freedom fighter for Mexico, officer in the Battle of New Orleans
• Henry Braden, politician
• Elward Thomas Brady Jr., state representative from Terrebonne Parish 1972–1976, born in New Orleans^[8]
• Donna Brazile, political strategist
• Jared Brossett, member of the New Orleans City Council since 2014; state representative for District 97, 2009–2014
• J. Marshall Brown, insurance agent and politician
• Benjamin F. Butler, administrator of Union-occupied New Orleans during the Civil War
• John A. Butler, U.S. Marine Corps officer and Navy Cross recipient
• Pascal F. Calogero Jr., Chief Justice Louisiana Supreme Court
• Gary Carter Jr., member of the Louisiana House from the Algiers neighborhood, effective 2016
• James Carville, political consultant, political science professor
• Harry Connick Sr., district attorney, father of singer Harry Connick Jr.
• A.G. Crowe, politician
• Milton Joseph Cunningham, attorney, state legislator, state attorney general for three nonconsecutive terms ending in 1900
• Bernard de Marigny, politician and land developer
• Étienne de Boré, first Mayor of New Orleans in the U.S. administration
• James D. Denegre, Minnesota state senator and lawyer
• Jean Noel Destréhan, early Creole politician and plantation owner
• David Duke, state representative for Metairie 1989–1992; White nationalist
• H. Garland Dupré, attorney and politician; Speaker of the Louisiana House 1908–1910; U.S. representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, 1910–1924
• Frank Burton Ellis, attorney, politician, federal judge
• Albert Estopinal, former U.S. representative and member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature
• Olaf Fink, member of the Louisiana State Senate 1956–1972; New Orleans educator^[9]
• C.B. Forgotston, attorney, political activist, state government watchdog
• Henry L. Fuqua, governor who defeated Huey Long in an election
• Randal Gaines, state representative since 2012 for St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes; former assistant city attorney in New Orleans^[10]
• Gerald J. Gallinghouse, U.S. Attorney for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana 1970–1978; known for prosecuting corruption in government^[11]
• Jim Garrison, district attorney of Orleans Parish
• Robert T. Garrity Jr., attorney and former state representative for Jefferson Parish
• Charles Gayarré, state legislator noted for his histories of Louisiana
• Newt Gingrich, U.S. Congressman from Georgia, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Nicholas Girod, early mayor of New Orleans
• John Grenier, Birmingham lawyer and Alabama Republican Party figure, born in New Orleans in 1930
• Brenda Hatfield, former Chief Administrative Officer of the City of New Orleans
• F. Edward Hebert, Democrat U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 1st congressional district, 1941–1977
• Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, former member of the New Orleans City Council for District D, 2005–2014
• Frederick Jacob Reagan Heebe, former judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
• David Heitmeier, state senator for District 7 since 2008, optometrist^[12]
• Francis C. Heitmeier, state senator for District 7, 1988–2008; businessman and lobbyist
• David Hennessy, police chief, assassinated in 1890
• Clay Higgins, Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district; born in New Orleans in 1961
• Stephanie Hilferty, Republican state representative for Orleans and Jefferson parishes, effective January 2016
• Walker Hines, former state representative
• Jean Joseph Amable Humbert, army general, subordinate to Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans
• Bernette Joshua Johnson, Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court since 2013; associate justice, 1994–2013, native and resident of New Orleans
• Jeannette Knoll, associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court; reared and educated in New Orleans, where the court meets; resides in Marksville^[13]
• Mary Landrieu, state representative, state treasurer, U.S. senator
• Mitch Landrieu, state representative, lieutenant governor, former mayor of New Orleans
• Moon Landrieu, judge and politician, mayor of New Orleans
• Hank Lauricella, former professional football player; state senator from Jefferson Parish, 1972–1996
• Bob Livingston, Republican former U.S. Representative for 1st congressional district
• Edward Livingston, drafted Louisiana Civil Code
• Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, Confederate general
• Joseph Mansion, Louisiana state legislator, state tax assessor
• Bessie Margolin, labor lawyer
• Danny Martiny, state senator from Jefferson Parish, born in New Orleans
• Harold A. Moise, state representative for the 12th Ward, Orleans civil court judge 1937–1948, and associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court 1948–1958
• Ernest Nathan Morial, American political, legal, and civil rights leader
• Marc Morial, former mayor, son of Ernest Nathan Morial
• deLesseps Story Morrison, former mayor and ambassador to the Organization of American States
• deLesseps Morrison Jr., late state representative
• William Mumford, Confederate resistor in Union-occupied New Orleans during the Civil War
• Ray Nagin, former mayor of New Orleans
• Michael H. O'Keefe, president of the Louisiana State Senate 1976–1983; convicted felon
• Alejandro O'Reilly, governor of Louisiana, known as "Bloody O'Reilly"
• James E. Paxton, district attorney of Louisiana 6th Judicial District based in St. Joseph, practiced law in New Orleans 1988–1993^[14]
• Leander Perez, district judge, district attorney, and president of the Plaquemines Parish Commission Council
• P.B.S. Pinchback, politician
• James Pitot, third mayor of New Orleans
• Loulan Pitre Jr., New Orleans lawyer and former state representative for Lafourche Parish
• Edward Joseph Price, state representative for District 58, Gonzales businessman, and former resident of New Orleans^[15][16]
• William P. Quigley, activist attorney and academic
• Max Rafferty, educator author and columnist, California politician, born in New Orleans in 1917
• Cokie Roberts, journalist, daughter of Hale and Lindy Boggs
• Steve Scalise, House Minority Whip and U.S. Representative of Louisiana's 1st district^[17]
• Tom Schedler, former state senator from St. Tammany Parish and current Louisiana secretary of state
• Pat Screen, Louisiana State University quarterback, lawyer, and former Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish
• Ronal W. Serpas, Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department since 2010
• Joseph A. Shakspeare, Mayor of New Orleans at the time of the March 14, 1891 lynchings
• Eric Skrmetta, attorney from Metairie, Louisiana; Republican member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission for District 1
• Jefferson B. Snyder, lived in New Orleans 1893–1897; later district attorney in three delta parishes in northeast Louisiana 1904–1948
• James Z. Spearing, attorney, school board member, U.S. representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, 1924–1931
• Dorothy Mae Taylor, first African-American woman to serve in the Louisiana House, 1971–1980; member of the New Orleans City Council, 1986–1994^[18]
• Charles Laveau Trudeau, early 19th century mayor of New Orleans
• A.P. Tureaud, attorney
• Jorge Ubico, exiled president of Guatemala
• José de Villamil (or José Villamil), father of the independence of Ecuador
• David Vitter, U.S. Senator, 2005–2017
• David Voelker, businessman
• Frank Voelker Jr., lawyer, politician
• John Volz, late U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana
• Chatham Roberdeau Wheat, leader of the Louisiana Tigers during the US Civil War
• Edward Douglass White, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court
• John C. White, Louisiana education superintendent since 2012; superintendent of the Recovery School District in New Orleans, 2011^[19]
• Robert Wilkie, National Security Assistant to the President
• Clint Williamson, U.S. Ambassador, White House policy official, United Nations envoy
• John Minor Wisdom, judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• Andrew Young, politician

Invention

• Levi Spear Parmley, inventor of dental floss
• John Leonard Riddell, inventor of the binocular microscope

Sports

• D.J. Augustin, NBA player
• Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints
• Will Clark, former Major League Baseball star, infielder
• Orleans Darkwa, professional football player
• Tom Dempsey, former NFL kicker, held longest field goal record for over 43 years
• David Dixon, professional sports advocate for New Orleans Saints, Louisiana Superdome, USFL, World Championship Tennis
• Scott Dohmann, former MLB pitcher
• Corey Dowden, former NFL defensive back
• Clyde Drexler, former University of Houston and NBA star, member of Basketball Hall of Fame
• Bobby Duhon, professional football player
• Marshall Faulk, professional football star (St. Louis Rams), member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Steve Foley, former defensive back for Denver Broncos
• Matt Forte, running back for Chicago Bears, New York Jets
• John Fourcade, former NFL and CFL quarterback, sports analyst
• Nolan Franz, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver
• Leonard Fournette, NFL player, running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Harry P. Gamble, football player, swimmer, gymnast, boxer, and attorney
• Eddie Garcia, former Green Bay Packers placekicker
• Larry Gilbert, Major League Baseball player
• Tad Gormley, athletic trainer, coach, and official
• Danny Granger, forward for NBA's Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat
• Cortez Hankton, former NFL player who is currently the passing game coordinator & wide receivers coach for the LSU Tigers
• Adrian Hardy, NFL player
• Chris Henry, former NFL wide receiver
• Kevin Hughes, former NFL offensive tackle
• Avery Johnson, former National Basketball Association player, former coach of Dallas Mavericks
• Deion Jones, NFL linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons
• Junkyard Dog, stage name of Sylvester Ritter, former professional wrestler
• Robert Kelley, Washington Redskins running back
• Shaun King, former NFL quarterback
• Kerry Kittles, former NBA player for New Jersey Nets
• Dominik Koepfer, professional tennis player
• Lester Lautenschlaeger, football player, politician, first director of New Orleans Recreation Department
• Kendrick Lewis, NFL free safety, played for Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, attended Ole Miss
• Rydell Malancon, former NFL linebacker
• Archie Manning, former New Orleans Saints quarterback, father of Peyton and Eli
• Eli Manning, New York Giants quarterback
• Peyton Manning, former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback
• Pete Maravich, basketball Hall of Famer, played for LSU and NBA's New Orleans Jazz
• Sammy Martin, former New England Patriots running back
• Tyrann Mathieu, player for NFL's Kansas City Chiefs
• Bo McCalebb, Macedonian basketball player who plays for Montepaschi Siena
• Max McGee, NFL player on five championship teams
• Sylvester McGrew, former Green Bay Packers defensive end
• Greg Monroe, college basketball player for Georgetown University
• Paul Morphy, world chess champion
• Patrick Mullins, professional soccer player
• Steve Mura, retired pitcher in Major League Baseball
• Eddie Murray, prolific NFL placekicker
• Antonio Narcisse, football player
• Herman Neugass, Track & field athlete who boycotted the Berlin Olympic trials
• Mel Ott, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer
• Micah Owings, MLB pitcher
• Robert Pack, NBA player, assistant coach for New Orleans Pelicans
• Emmett Paré, professional tennis player and coach
• Joe Pasternack, head basketball coach at UC Santa Barbara
• Audrey Patterson, first African-American woman to win Olympic medal
• Chris Quinn, former NBA player and current Miami Heat assistant coach
• Eldridge Recasner, former NBA player
• Ham Richardson, professional tennis player
• Alana Shipp, American/Israeli IFBB professional bodybuilder
• Nate Singleton, former wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers
• Neil Smith, former defensive end, Kansas City Chiefs
• Truett Smith, former football player
• Rusty Staub, Major League Baseball player
• Ricky Starks, professional wrestler for All Elite Wrestling
• Kordell Stewart, former NFL quarterback
• Patrick Surtain, former NFL cornerback
• Ron Swoboda, former New York Mets outfielder
• Ike Taylor, cornerback, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Roosevelt Taylor, safety, 1963 NFL champion, Chicago Bears
• Vincent Taylor, defensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons
• Taryn Terrell, professional wrestler for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
• Mike Wallace, wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers
• Aeneas Williams, former cornerback for St. Louis Rams
• Jason Williams (born 1983), basketball player for Hapoel Be'er Sheva of the National Basketball League of Israel
• John "Hot Rod" Williams, longtime professional basketball player

Other

• Ruby Bridges, commemorated for her role, as a child, in racial integration of the New Orleans Public School System
• David Ferrie, pilot investigated in the assassination of John F. Kennedy
• Marie Alice Heine, first American Princess of Monaco
• Marie Laveau, "voodoo queen"
• Paul Morphy, unofficial world chess champion
• Homer Plessy, early civil rights activist in the Plessy v. Ferguson ‎case
• Paul Tulane, benefactor of Tulane University

Related pages

• List of people from Louisiana

References

1. Faure, Stephen. "James Michalopoulos: Adventures in Painting". Inside Northside. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
2. "David Voelker, 'one of the great saints of the recovery,' dies at 60". New Orleans Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
3. "Ed Nelson: Veteran of Roger Corman's low-budget horror movies who". The Independent. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
4. "Adams to seek 85th District House seat". New Orleans Times-Picayune. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
5. "Badger, Algernon Sidney". Louisiana Historical Association, A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography. Archived from the original on October 13, 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
6. "Amy Coney Barrett". Biography. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
7. "Joseph J. Bouie". intelius.com. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
8. "Robert Morris, "Local businessman, former legislator dies", April 8, 2007". houmatoday.com. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
9. "Fink, Olaf J". A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography by the Louisiana Historical Association. Archived from the original on September 23, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
10. "Randal L. Gaines' Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
11. "Gerald Joseph Gallinghouse". New Orleans Times-Picayune. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
12. "David Heitmeier's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
13. "Justice Jeannett Theriot Knoll". lasc.org. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
14. "James E. Paxton". sixthda.com. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
15. "Edward J. Price". house.louisiana.gov. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
16. "Edward J. Price". intelius.com. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
17. Official Congressional Directory 114th Congress, 2015-2016, Convened January 2015. Government Printing Office. 30 March 2016. ISBN 9780160929977. Retrieved 16 March 2021 – via Google Books.
18. Michael Radcliff (June 14, 2011). "Remembering Dorothy Mae Taylor: The First Lady of 1300 Perdido St". The Louisiana Weekly. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
19. "John White's appointment as Louisiana education superintendent assures continuity for reforms: An editorial, January 13, 2012". New Orleans Times-Picayune. Retrieved October 21, 2013.