Famous People Born In Wichita

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 1 
Joe Walsh
(Singer and Guitarist Who Was Member of Three Successful Rock Bands: 'The Eagles', 'James Gang' & 'Ringo Starr’)
Joe Walsh
24
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 20, 1947
Sun Sign: Scorpio

Joe Walsh is an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer. Over the years Walsh has contributed to the success of popular rock bands such as Eagles and James Gang. In 1998, he was made an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was ranked 54th on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list.

 2 
Barry Sanders
(American Former Professional Football Player Who Played in the Running Back Position)
Barry Sanders
16
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 16, 1968
Sun Sign: Cancer

Barry Sanders is a former professional American footballer who spent all his playing years with the Detroit Lions of NFL. Widely considered one of the greatest running backs in the history of National Football League, Barry Sanders has been made an inductee to Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.

 3 
Hattie McDaniel
(Actress and Comedian Best Known for Her Role as ‘Mammy’ in the Film ‘Gone with the Wind’)
Hattie McDaniel
18
Birthdate: June 10, 1893
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: October 26, 1952

Hattie McDaniel was an American actress, comedian, and singer-songwriter. She became the first African-American to be honored with an Academy Award when her portrayal of Mammy earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Also a radio performer, Hattie McDaniel was the first African American woman to express her skills as a singer on the radio in the US.

 4 
Kirstie Alley
(Best Known for Her Role as ‘Rebecca Howe’ in the TV Series ‘Cheers’)
Kirstie Alley
42
Birthdate: January 12, 1951
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: December 5, 2022

Kirstie Alley graduated from being an interior designer to participating in game shows, and then stepped into showbiz. She is known for her rib-tickling comedy and her Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning performance as Rebecca Howe in Cheers. She was also part of Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Big Brother.

 5 
Charles Koch
(American Billionaire Businessman, Chairman, and CEO of ‘Koch Industries’)
Charles Koch
17
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: November 1, 1935
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Charles Koch, co-owner, chairman, and CEO of Koch Industries, was the world’s 11th-richest man in 2019. He and his brother, David Koch, both named to Time 100 in 2011, transformed their business from an oil and chemical company to one that owns brands such as Stainmaster, Lycra, and Dixie Cup.
 6 
Ann Dunham
(American Anthropologist and Mother of Former United States President, Barack Obama)
Ann Dunham
28
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 29, 1942
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Died: November 7, 1995
Ann Dunham was the mother of former U.S. President Barack Obama. She was an economic anthropologist and worked for the betterment of rural Indonesian women. She had met Barack Obama Sr. while studying at the University of Hawaii. She had worked with USAID, the Ford Foundation, and Bank Rakyat Indonesia.
 7 
Jeff Probst
(Producer and Host of the U.S Reality Television Show ‘Survivor’)
Jeff Probst
7
Birthdate: November 4, 1961
Sun Sign: Scorpio

Famous as the host of two-decade-old American reality show Survivor, Jeff Probst is an award-winning television personality, particularly noted for his catch-phrase, "The tribe has spoken. It's time for you to go”. Celebrity Superfan Roundtable is another prominent TV show hosted by him. People magazine recognized him as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in 2001.

 8 
Kendall Schmidt
(Singer-songwriter)
Kendall Schmidt
9
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: November 2, 1990
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 9 
W. Eugene Smith
(Photographer, Photojournalist, War photographer, Journalist)
W. Eugene Smith
1
Listed In: Photographers
Birthdate: December 30, 1918
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: October 15, 1978

W. Eugene Smith was an American photojournalist whose major photo essays include photographs of the Second World War. His work, Country Doctor, which he photographed for Life magazine, is now widely regarded as the first extended editorial photo story. An organization named W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund has been established in his honor to support young photographers. 

 10 
Jim Lehrer
(Journalist)
Jim Lehrer
2
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: May 19, 1934
Sun Sign: Taurus
 11 
Robert Ballard
(Retired US Navy Officer and Oceanographer Who Discovered the Wrecks of the 'RMS Titanic' in 1985)
Robert Ballard
3
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: June 30, 1942
Sun Sign: Cancer

A retired US Navy officer, Robert Ballard is now an oceanography professor, a marine explorer, and an underwater archaeologist, who has discovered countless shipwrecks, including the RMS Titanic and Bismark. He has also discovered hydrothermal vents. His exploration has earned him many honors, such as the Hubbard Medal.

 12 
Bill Koch
(Entrepreneur)
Bill Koch
2
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: May 3, 1940
Sun Sign: Taurus
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 13 
David H. Koch
(Co-owner of Koch Industries)
David H. Koch
6
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: May 3, 1940
Sun Sign: Taurus
Died: August 23, 2019
 14 
Arlen Specter
(United States Senator from Pennsylvania)
Arlen Specter
11
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: February 12, 1930
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: October 14, 2012
 15 
Rick Mears
(American Retired Race Car Driver)
Rick Mears
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 3, 1951
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
 16 
Jim Ryun
(American Former Republican Politician and Olympic Track and Field Athlete)
Jim Ryun
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: April 29, 1947
Sun Sign: Taurus

Jim Ryun is an American former track and field athlete who won a silver medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics. At the peak of his career, Ryun was considered one of the top middle-distance runners in the world. He later became a politician and served in the US House of Representatives. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020.

 17 
Ron Wyden
(Politician)
Ron Wyden
7
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 3, 1949
Sun Sign: Taurus
 18 
Frederick R. Koch
(Former philanthropist, Founder of Koch Industries)
Frederick R. Koch
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 26, 1933
Sun Sign: Virgo
Died: February 12, 2020
 19 
Tim Elliott
(American Mixed Martial Artist)
Tim Elliott
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 24, 1986
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 20 
Vernon L. Smith
(American Economist, Professor and Winner of Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences)
Vernon L. Smith
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 1, 1927
Sun Sign: Capricorn
 21 
Blake Bell
(American football player)
Blake Bell
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 7, 1991
Sun Sign: Leo
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
 22 
Tamara Feldman
(Actress)
Tamara Feldman
0
Birthdate: December 5, 1980
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
 23 
Darren Woods
(Chief executive officer)
Darren Woods
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: 1964 AD
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 24 
George Tiller
(Former Physician known for abortion rights advocacy, late-term abortions)
George Tiller
5
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: August 8, 1941
Sun Sign: Leo
Died: May 31, 2009
 25 
Perry Ellis
(Basketball player)
Perry Ellis
4
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 14, 1993
Sun Sign: Virgo
Height: 6'8" (203 cm)
 26 
Stan Kenton
(American musical artist)
Stan Kenton
1
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: December 15, 1911
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Died: August 25, 1979
 27 
Earl Browder
(Political leader)
Earl Browder
2
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: May 20, 1891
Sun Sign: Taurus
Died: June 27, 1973
 28 
Dean Wade
(Basketball player)
Dean Wade
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 20, 1996
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Height: 6'9" (206 cm)
 29 
Adrian Griffin
(Basketball player)
Adrian Griffin
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 4, 1974
Sun Sign: Cancer
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
 30 
John Cameron Swayze
(Newscaster)
John Cameron Swayze
1
Birthdate: April 4, 1906
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: August 15, 1995
 31 
Christopher Connelly
(Actor)
Christopher Connelly
1
Birthdate: September 8, 1941
Sun Sign: Virgo
Died: December 7, 1988
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 32 
Kyle Farnsworth
(Baseball player)
Kyle Farnsworth
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: April 14, 1976
Sun Sign: Aries
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 33 
Bryce Brown
(American football player)
Bryce Brown
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 14, 1991
Sun Sign: Taurus
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 34 
Shawn Lee
(Musician)
Shawn Lee
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: December 28, 1963
Sun Sign: Capricorn
 35 
Shawn Lee
(Singaporean Actor Best Known for His Role as 'Liu Kok Pin' in the Film 'I Not Stupid')
Shawn Lee
0
Birthdate: February 11, 1990
Sun Sign: Aquarius

Shawn Lee is a Singaporean actor best known for his portrayal of Liu Kok Pin in the popular 2002 comedy film I Not Stupid, which earned him the prestigious Star Award under the Young Talent Award category. Shawn Lee has also appeared in other comedy films like We Not Naughty and I Not Stupid Too.

 36 
B. J. Finney
(American football player)
B. J. Finney
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: October 26, 1991
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 37 
Lynette Woodard
(Basketball player - Guard)
Lynette Woodard
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 12, 1959
Sun Sign: Leo
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 38 
Robert Whittaker
(American Plant Ecologist and the First Person to Put Forward Five Kingdom Taxonomic Classification)
Robert Whittaker
2
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 27, 1920
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: October 20, 1980

Robert Whittaker was an American plant ecologist best remembered as the first person to put forward the five kingdom taxonomic classification, namely Animalia, Plantae, Protista, Fungi, and Monera. He also served as a teacher at Washington State College. During his career, Robert Whittaker was honored with several prestigious awards such as the Eminent Ecologist Award in 1981. 

 39 
Kelsey Stewart
(American Softball Player)
Kelsey Stewart
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 15, 1994
Sun Sign: Leo
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 40 
Du-Shaunt Stegall
(Dancer, Actor)
Du-Shaunt Stegall
5
Listed In: Dancers
Birthdate: September 2, 1994
Sun Sign: Virgo
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 41 
Tanner Braungardt
(YouTube Star)
Tanner Braungardt
4
Listed In: YouTubers
Birthdate: July 24, 2000
Sun Sign: Leo
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 42 
Conrad Holt
(American Chess Player Who Received the Fide Title of Grandmaster (GM))
Conrad Holt
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 9, 1993
Sun Sign: Cancer
 43 
Joanna Gaines
(American Reality TV Personality)
Joanna Gaines
3
Birthdate: April 19, 1978
Sun Sign: Aries
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 44 
Susan Pompeo
(Wife of Mike Pompeo)
Susan Pompeo
14
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 1, 1965
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 45 
Elise Ecklund
(YouTube Star)
Elise Ecklund
11
Listed In: YouTubers
Birthdate: February 18, 1997
Sun Sign: Aquarius
 46 
Ron Walters
(Author)
Ron Walters
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 20, 1938
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: September 10, 2010
 47 
Marilyn Schreffler
(Actress, Voice Actress)
Marilyn Schreffler
3
Birthdate: June 14, 1945
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: January 7, 1988