List of people from Wyoming

State flag of Wyoming

Location of Wyoming on U.S. map

This is a list of prominent people who were born in or lived for a significant period of time in U.S. state of Wyoming.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

The arts

Acting

Jim Beaver

Mildred Harris

• Burnu Acquanetta (1921–2004), actress and model; born in Cheyenne
• Jim Beaver (born 1950), actor; born in Laramie
• Jim J. Bullock (born 1955), actor; born in Casper
• Darren Dalton (born 1965), actor; born in Powell
• Mickey Daniels (1914–1970), actor; born in Rock Springs
• Matthew Fox (born 1966), actor; raised in Crowheart
• Jesse Garcia (born 1982), actor; born in Rawlins
• Mildred Harris (1901–1944), actress; born in Cheyenne
• Cecilia Hart (1948–2016), actress; born in Cheyenne
• Kirby Heyborne (born 1976), actor; born in Evanston
• Isabel Jewell (1907–1972), actress; born in Shoshoni
• Michael Pearlman (born 1972), actor; lives in Jackson
• Jim Siedow (1920–2003), actor; born in Cheyenne
• Wally Wales (1895–1980), actor; born in Sheridan
• Larry Wilcox (born 1947), actor; raised in Rawlins

Literature

Owen Wister

• Craig Arnold (born 1967), poet; teaches at the University of Wyoming; lives in Laramie
• C. J. Box, author of the Joe Pickett series of novels
• Maxwell Struthers Burt (1882–1954), novelist
• James A. "Jim" Corbett (1933–2001), writer, philosopher, and human-rights activist; born in Casper
• Gretel Ehrlich, novelist
• Joe Clifford Faust, novelist
• Alexandra Fuller (born 1969), writer, author of Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight; lives in Jackson Hole
• Kathleen O'Neal Gear (born 1954), writer
• W. Michael Gear (born 1955), writer
• Dan Hausel (born 1949), author of several geology books in Wyoming
• Grace Raymond Hebard (1861–1936), western history writer whose findings regarding Sacajawea and Esther Hobart Morris tend to be challenged by contemporary historians
• Craig A. Johnson (born 1961), author of the Walt Longmire mysteries; lives in Ucross
• George Clayton Johnson (1929–2015), co-author of the novel Logan's Run; born in Cheyenne
• Theodore Judson, science-fiction writer
• Patricia MacLachlan (1938–2022), children's book writer; her book Sarah, Plain and Tall won the Newbery Medal; born in Cheyenne
• Rodger McDaniel (born 1948), legislator, attorney, pastor, author of Dying for Joe McCarthy's Sins: The Suicide of Senator Lester Hunt; from Cheyenne
• Kyle Mills (born 1966), writer; lives in Jackson Hole
• Florabel Muir (1889–1970), newspaper reporter and columnist; born in Rock Springs
• Edgar Wilson Nye (1850–1896), journalist and humorist; postmaster of Laramie City in the Wyoming Territory
• Todd Parr (born 1962), children's book writer, artist, children's television show producer; grew up in Rock Springs
• E. Annie Proulx (born 1935), writer; author of the short story "Brokeback Mountain"; lives in Wyoming
• Chip Rawlins, non-fiction writer, outdoorsman; lives in Laramie
• Tracy Ringolsby, sports writer, born and lives in Cheyenne, fifth generation
• David Romtvedt, Poet Laureate of Wyoming
• Owen Wister (1860–1938), writer of Western novels

Music

• Scott Avett (born 1976), musician; member of The Avett Brothers; born in Cheyenne
• John Perry Barlow (1947–2018), Grateful Dead lyricist; co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation; retired cattleman; born in Jackson Hole
• Ronnie Bedford (1931–2014), jazz musician; music professor at Northwest College in Powell
• Richard Kermode (1946–1996), keyboardist; played with Janis Joplin, Malo and Santana, born in Lovell
• Chris LeDoux (1948–2005), country music singer-songwriter, bronze sculptor and rodeo champion (professional bareback rider); lived in Kaycee
• Teenage Bottlerocket, punk rock band from Laramie

Television

• Curt Gowdy (1919–2006), sportscaster; born in Green River
• Ian James Lee, CNN correspondent; born in Lander
• Pete Williams, NBC news correspondent; born in Casper

Visual arts

Jackson Pollock

• Earl W. Bascom (1896–1992), painter, sculptor, "Cowboy of Cowboy Artists", "Dean of Rodeo Cowboy Sculpture"; lived in Rock Springs
• Elsa Spear Byron (1896–1992), photographer; born in Big Horn; lived most of her life in Sheridan
• Jackson Pollock (1912–1956), artist; born in Cody
• Floyd Shaman (1935–2005), sculptor; born in Wheatland
• Penny Wolin (born 1953), photographer; author of The Jews of Wyoming: Fringe of the Diaspora and Descendants of Light: American Photographers of Jewish Ancestry; born in Cheyenne

Other

• Tony Andruzzi (1925–1991), magician; born in Cheyenne
• Robyn Johnson (born 1985), Miss Wyoming USA 2007
• Melba Ogle (born 1942), model; born in Cheyenne
• Lyle Waggoner (1935–2020), actor, sculptor; lives in Jackson

Politics and public office

See also: List of Governors of Wyoming, List of justices of the Wyoming Supreme Court, List of United States Representatives from Wyoming, and List of United States Senators from Wyoming

A–G

Mary Bellamy

Clarence D. Clark

• Thurman Arnold (1891–1969), associate judge of the Court of Appeals for the D. C. Circuit
• Amos W. Barber (1861–1915), governor of Wyoming (1890–1893)
• John Barrasso (born 1952), Republican U.S. Senator from Wyoming (since 2007)
• Frank A. Barrett (1892–1962), U.S. Senator, Representatives, governor of Wyoming
• Eli Bebout (born 1946), Republican gubernatorial nominee (2002); member of the Wyoming State Senate (since 2007)
• Mary Bellamy (1861–1954), first woman elected to the Wyoming Legislature
• Eliza Stewart Boyd (1833–1912), first woman in America to serve on a jury
• Bryant Butler Brooks (1861–1944), governor of Wyoming (1905–1911)
• Anne Gorsuch Burford (1942–2004), first female administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; born in Casper
• Harriet Elizabeth Byrd (1926–2015), first African American elected to the Wyoming Legislature
• John Allen Campbell (1835–1880), first governor of the Wyoming Territory (1869–1875)
• Joseph M. Carey (1845–1924), governor of Wyoming, first U.S. Senator from Wyoming
• Robert D. Carey (1878–1937), governor of Wyoming (1919–1923), U.S. Senator (1930–1937)
• Vincent Carter (1891–1972), U.S. Representative (1929–1935)
• Cale Case (born 1958), Wyoming state senator from Lander (since 1998)
• Fenimore Chatterton (1860–1958), Acting Governor of Wyoming (1903–1905)
• Dick Cheney (born 1941), vice-president of the United States; raised in Casper; lives in Jackson Hole
• Lynne Cheney (born 1941), member of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research; chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Humanities; wife of Dick Cheney; born in Casper
• Alonzo M. Clark (1868–1952), governor of Wyoming (1931–1933)
• Clarence D. Clark (1851–1930), member of the Wyoming constitutional convention, U.S. Representative (1890–1893), U.S. Senator (1895–1917)
• Tom Coburn (1948–2020), Junior Republican Senator from Oklahoma; born in Casper
• Henry A. Coffeen (1841–1912), U.S. Representative (1893–1895)
• Arthur G. Crane (1877–1955), governor of Wyoming (1949–1951)
• Patrick Crank, Attorney General of Wyoming (2002–2007)
• Edward D. Crippa, interim U.S. Senator (1954)
• Barbara Cubin (born 1946), U.S. Representative (1995–2009)
• W. G. Curtis, founder and mayor of Torrington; Wyoming State representative
• Stephen Wheeler Downey (1839–1902), Wyoming territorial government leader; member of the Wyoming congressional convention; University of Wyoming trustee and president
• Frank Emerson (1882–1931), governor of Wyoming (1926–1931)
• Mike Enzi (1944–2021), U.S. Senator (1997–2021)
• Dave Freudenthal (born 1950), governor of Wyoming (2003–2011)
• Nancy Freudenthal (born 1954), judge on the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming
• Jack R. Gage (1899–1970), governor of Wyoming (1961–1963)
• Jim Geringer (born 1944), governor of Wyoming (1995–2003)
• Paul Ranous Greever (1891–1943), U.S. Representative (1935–1938); mayor of Cody

H–M

Clifford Hansen

• Clifford Hansen (1912–2009), governor of Wyoming (1963–1967), U.S. Senator (1967–1978)
• William Henry Harrison (1896–1990), Republican U.S. Representative from Wyoming (1950s and 1960s)
• Stanley K. Hathaway (1924–2005), governor of Wyoming (1967–1975), U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1975)
• Edgar Herschler (1918–1990), Governor of Wyoming (1975–1987)
• John J. Hickey (1911–1970), U.S. Senator (1961–1962)
• Frank O. Horton (1882–1948), U.S. Representative (1939–1941)
• Lester C. Hunt (1892–1954), governor of Wyoming (1943–1949); U.S. Senator (1949–1954)
• John B. Kendrick (1857–1933), governor of Wyoming (1915–1917), U.S. Senator (1917–1933)
• Frank E. Lucas (1876–1948), Republican Governor of Wyoming (1924–1925)
• Cynthia Lummis (born 1954), former Republican member of both houses of the Wyoming legislature and former state treasurer
• Randall Luthi (born 1953), former Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives
• Max Maxfield (born 1945), Republican secretary of state of Wyoming
• Rodger McDaniel (born 1948), Democrat, House of Representatives (1970–1976), Wyoming Senate (1976–1980), attorney; author of biography of U.S. Senator Lester C. Hunt (2013)
• Gale W. McGee (1915–1992), U.S. Senator (1959–1977)
• John J. McIntyre (1904–1974), U.S. Representative (1941–1943); Wyoming Supreme Court Justice
• Ron Micheli (born 1948), former Republican member of Wyoming Legislature, former Wyoming Director of Agriculture
• Leslie A. Miller (1886–1970), governor of Wyoming (1932–1939)
• Franklin Wheeler Mondell (1860–1939), U.S. Representative (1895–1897; 1899–1923)

N–Z

Nellie Tayloe Ross

• Joseph C. O'Mahoney (1884–1962), U.S. Senator (1934–1953; 1954–1961)
• John Eugene Osborne (1858–1943), governor of Wyoming (1892–1895), U.S. Representative (1987–1999)
• Dana Perino (born 1972), 26th White House Press Secretary
• DeForest Richards (1846–1903), governor of Wyoming (1899–1903)
• William A. Richards (1849–1912), governor of Wyoming (1895–1899)
• Edward V. Robertson (1881–1963), U.S. Senator (1943–1949)
• Teno Roncalio (1916–2003), U.S. Representative (1965–1967; 1971–1978)
• Nellie Tayloe Ross (1876–1977), governor of Wyoming (1925–1927), first female governor of a U.S. state
• William B. Ross (1873–1924), governor of Wyoming (1923–1924)
• Tom Sansonetti, Assistant U.S. Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Justice Department
• Henry H. Schwartz (1869–1955), U.S. Senator (1937–1943)
• Bryan Sharratt (1947–2007), member of Clinton administration defense team; Democratic candidate for Congress (1988), having been defeated by Dick Cheney
• Alan K. Simpson (born 1931), U.S. Senator (1979–1997)
• Milward L. Simpson (1897–1993), Republican governor and U.S. Senator from Wyoming
• Mike Sullivan (born 1939), governor of Wyoming (1987–1995)
• Patrick Sullivan (1880–1959), Wyoming State Representative (1913–1917)
• Patrick Joseph Sullivan (1865–1935), mayor of Casper; U.S. Senator (1929–1930)
• John Thayer (1820–1906), governor of Wyoming Territory (1875–1878)
• Craig L. Thomas (1930–2007), U.S. Senator (1995–2007)
• Edwin Keith Thomson (1919–1960), U.S. Representative (1955–1960)
• Thyra Thomson (1916–2013), Wyoming Secretary of State (1962–1987)
• Malcolm Wallop (1933–2011), U.S. Senator (1977–1995)
• Francis E. Warren (1844–1929), governor of Wyoming (1890), U.S. Senator (1890–1893; 1895–1929)
• James G. Watt (born 1938), U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1981–1983)
• Charles E. Winter (1870–1948), U.S. Representative (1923–1929)
• John S. Wold (1916–2017), U.S. Representative (1969–1971)

Sportspeople

Karen Budge

Mike Devereaux

Boyd Dowler

Rulon Gardner

Travis Rice

• Adam Archuleta (born 1977), professional football player; born in Rock Springs
• Zane Beadles (born 1986), professional football player; born in Casper
• Nick Bebout (born 1951), professional football player; played for the University of Wyoming; born in Riverton
• Jim Benepe (born 1963), professional golfer; born in Sheridan
• Jacob Bobenmoyer (born 1997), NFL long snapper for the Denver Broncos; Born in Cheyenne
• Bill Briggs (born 1943), pioneer in ski mountaineering, lives in Jackson Hole
• Tom Browning (born 1960), MLB pitcher; born in Casper
• John Buck (born 1980), MLB catcher, born in Kemmerer
• Karen Budge (born 1949), former World Cup and Olympic alpine ski racer; born in Jackson
• Jaycee Carroll (born 1983), professional basketball player; born in Laramie
• Gail Cogdill (1937–2016), professional football player; born in Worland
• Chris Cooley (born 1982), professional football player; born in Powell
• Alicia Craig (born 1982), distance runner; born in Gillette
• Jesseca Cross (born 1975), Olympic athlete; born in Laramie
• Lance Deal (born 1961), Olympic athlete; born in Riverton; attended high school in Casper
• Mike Devereaux (born 1963), MLB outfielder; NLCS MVP in 1995 with the Atlanta Braves; born in Casper
• Boyd Dowler (born 1937), professional football player; born in Rock Springs
• Aaron Elling (born 1978), professional football player; played for the University of Wyoming; lived in Lander
• Dick Ellsworth (born 1940), MLB pitcher; born in Lusk
• Rulon Gardner (born 1971), wrestler; Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling; born in Afton
• John Godina (born 1972), shot putter; three-time world champion; two-time Olympic medalist; lived in Cheyenne
• W. Dan Hausel (born 1949), hall-of-fame karate and kobudo grandmaster
• Jerry Hill (born 1939), professional football player; born in Torrington
• Bryan Iguchi (born 1973), snowboarder; 1997 X-Games bronze medalist in half-pipe; lives in Jackson Hole
• James Johnson (born 1987), professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors; born in Cheyenne
• Jaelin Kauf (born 1996), Olympic freestyle skier; born in Alta
• Brett Keisel (born 1978), professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers; born in Greybull
• Mike Lansing (born 1968), MLB infielder; born in Rawlins
• Nate Marquardt (born 1979), Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight fighter; born in Lander
• Bryce Meredith (born 1995), professional MMA fighter, three-time NCAA Division I wrestling All-American and two-time National Finalist; born in Cheyenne
• Tommy Moe (born 1970), world-class alpine skier; two-time Olympic medalist; member of the National Ski Hall of Fame; lives in Jackson Hole
• Heather Moody (born 1973), water polo player; two-time Olympic medalist; lived in Green River
• Jonah Nickerson (born 1985), pitcher for the Oregon State Beavers; born in Casper
• Brandon Nimmo (born 1993), outfielder for New York Mets; born in Cheyenne
• Jay Novacek (born 1962), professional football player; played college football at the University of Wyoming
• Gail O'Brien (1911–1978), professional football player; born in Cheyenne
• Brady Poppinga (born 1979), professional football player; born in Evanston
• Chris Prosinski (born 1987), professional football player; born in Newcastle
• Travis Rice (born 1982), professional snowboarder; co-producer of documentary films That's It, That's All (2008) and The Art of Flight (2011); born and raised in Jackson Hole
• Ken Sailors (1921–2016), professional basketball player; popularized the jump shot; member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame; raised outside Hillsdale, Wyoming; played college basketball at the University of Wyoming
• Todd Skinner (1958–2006), rock climber; born in Pinedale
• Rick Sofield (born 1956), MLB outfielder; born in Cheyenne
• Josef Stiegler (born 1937), world-class alpine skier; three-time Olympic medalist in slalom and giant slalom; lives in Jackson Hole
• Resi Stiegler (born 1985), alpine skier; born and raised in Jackson Hole
• John Wendling (born 1983), professional football player; born in Cody
• Jamila Wideman (born 1975), left-handed point guard basketball player, lawyer and activist
• Logan Wilson (born 1996), professional football player for the Cincinnati Bengals; born and raised in Casper

Miscellaneous

Edward L. Baker Jr.

Buffalo Bill

Margaret Murie

• Thurman Arnold (1891–1969), lawyer and judge; born in Laramie
• Edward L. Baker Jr. (1865–1913), United States Army; recipient, Medal of Honor; born in Laramie County
• Harold Roe Bartle (1901–1974), lawyer; politician; helped to establish Scouting in Wyoming
• George T. Beck (1856–1943), politician; businessman; helped William Cody establish the town of Cody
• "Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846–1917), Old West figure; helped create Cody
• John Colter (1774–1813), explorer; first white man to set foot in Wyoming
• Clayton Danks (1879–1970), model cowboy on the Wyoming trademark, the Bucking Horse and Rider; winner of three competitions at Cheyenne Frontier Days
• Black Elk (1863–1950), heyoka of the Oglala Lakota people
• Otto Franc (1846–1903), cattle baron and homesteader in the Big Horn Basin
• Lilian Heath, first female doctor in Wyoming
• James L. Herdt, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy; born in Casper
• Leonard S. Hobbs (1896–1977), aeronautical engineer and author; won the 1952 Collier Trophy for designing the P&W J57 turbojet engine; born in Carbon County
• Raymond A. Johnson, aviation pioneer
• Harold McCracken (1894–1983), creator and director of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody
• M. Margaret McKeown (born 1951), U.S. Appeals Court Judge; born in Casper
• Esther Hobart Morris (1814–1902), appointed first female judge in United States in 1870 to complete the term of a justice who resigned in protest of the Wyoming Territory's passage of women's suffrage
• Margaret Murie (1902–2003), conservationist; lived in Wyoming
• John Pedersen, firearms designer who worked for Remington Arms
• Chance Phelps (1985–2004), soldier; born in Dubois
• Matthew Shepard (1976–1998), murdered student from the University of Wyoming; born in Casper
• Jedediah Smith (1799–1831), mountain man, trapper, explorer; first American to get to California from the East
• Gerry Spence (born 1929), lawyer; born in Laramie
• Willis Van Devanter (1859–1941), city attorney for Cheyenne; chief judge of Wyoming territorial court
• Robert R. Wilson (1914–2000), physicist; a group leader of the Manhattan Project; born in Frontier