A list of notable people from Bakersfield, California, in order to be included they need to have an article and clear connection to the city;

Notable people

Arts

Designers

* Marc Davis – animator and one of

Disney's Nine Old Men Disney's Nine Old Men were Walt Disney Productions' core animators, some of whom later became directors, who created some of Disney's most famous animated cartoons, from ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' (1937) onward to ''The Rescuers'' (1977) ...

, born in Bakersfield. *

Poy Gum Lee Poy Gum Lee (; 1900–1968) was a Chinese-American architect. Lee is known for his Art Deco buildings with Chinese architectural influence or "Chinese Deco" in Shanghai as well as in Chinatown, Manhattan, New York City. Early life and education ...

– architect, died in Bakersfield

Visual artists

Greg Colson Greg Colson (born April 23, 1956) is an American artist best known for works that straddle the line between painting and sculpture that address concepts of efficiency and order. Using scavenged materials, Colson allows the physicality of his ma ...

– visual artist *

Tyrus Wong Tyrus Wong (October 25, 1910 – December 30, 2016) was a Chinese-born American artist. He was a painter, animator, calligrapher, muralist, ceramicist, lithographer and kite maker, as well as a set designer and storyboard artist. One of the mo ...

– calligrapher, artist, animator, married in 1937 in Bakersfield

Business, entrepreneur

Ric Drasin Richard Alan Drasin (July 12, 1944 – August 30, 2020) was an American bodybuilder, personal trainer, actor, stuntman, author, and professional wrestler. He wrestled professionally and sporadically between 1965 and 2001, while also winning tit ...

– designer of

Gold's Gym Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an American chain of international co-ed fitness centers (commonly referred to as gyms) originally started by Joe Gold in Venice Beach, California. Each gym offers a variety of cardio and strength training equi ...

and World Gym

logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wo ...

s, retired

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

, actor, author

Crime

Vincent Brothers Vincent Edward Brothers (born May 31, 1962) is an American mass murderer convicted of killing his wife, their three children and his mother-in-law. Brothers was the former vice principal of John C. Fremont Elementary School in Bakersfield, Califo ...

– convicted murderer; shot and stabbed five members of his family to death *

Rodolfo Cadena Rodolfo Alvarado "Cheyenne" Cadena (April 15, 1943 – December 17, 1972) was a Mexican-American mob boss and a prominent figure in the Mexican Mafia prison gang also called ''La eMe'' (Spanish for the letter M). Biography Cadena was born on ...

– Rudy "Cheyenne" Cadena, one of the founders of the

Mexican Mafia The Mexican Mafia (Spanish: ''Mafia Mexicana''), also known as ''La eMe'' (Spanish for "the M"), is a Mexican American criminal organization in the United States. Despite its name, the Mexican Mafia did not originate in Mexico, and is entirely a ...

, basis of character played by

Edward James Olmos Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an American actor, director, producer, and activist. He is best known for his roles as Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in ''Miami Vice'' (1984–1989), ''American Me'' (1992) (which he also dir ...

in the film ''

American Me ''American Me'' is a 1992 American crime drama film produced and directed by Edward James Olmos, his first film as a director, and written by Floyd Mutrux and Desmond Nakano. Olmos also stars as the film's protagonist, Montoya Santana, loose ...

Entertainment

Film, television, actors, models

Ana Lily Amirpour Ana Lily Amirpour ( fa, آنا لیلی امیرپور) is a British-born American film director, screenwriter, producer and actress. She is best known for her feature film debut '' A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night'', self-described as "the firs ...

– filmmaker, director, writer *

Noah Beery Noah Nicholas Beery (January 17, 1882 – April 1, 1946) was an American actor who appeared in films from 1913 until his death in 1946. He was the older brother of Academy Award-winning actor Wallace Beery as well as the father of prominen ...

– actor *

Robert Beltran Robert Adame Beltran (born November 19, 1953) is an American actor, known for his role as Commander Chakotay on the 1990s television series '' Star Trek: Voyager''. He is also known for stage acting in California, and for playing Raoul Mendoza ...

– actor *

Justin Berry Justin Berry (born July 24, 1986) operated pornographic websites, beginning at age 13, featuring himself and other teen males. In 2005, at the age of 18, he cooperated in a ''New York Times'' feature article. Before publication, Berry was granted ...

– former teenage

webcam A webcam is a video camera which is designed to record or stream to a computer or computer network. They are primarily used in videotelephony, livestreaming and social media, and security. Webcams can be built-in computer hardware or peripheral ...

pornographer and public speaker *

Kelli Garner Kelli Brianne Garner (born April 11, 1984) is an American actress who has appeared in a variety of independent and mainstream films, television, and theater. A native of Southern California, Garner made her feature film debut at age seventeen ...

– actress *

Frank Gifford Francis Newton Gifford (August 16, 1930 – August 9, 2015) was an American football player, actor, and television sports commentator. After a 12-year playing career as a halfback and flanker for the New York Giants of the National Foo ...

– television sportscaster, college and professional football player *

Justin Gordon Justin Gordon is an American actor, stage director, film producer, and painter. He is known for his work on Mike Flanagan's films '' Absentia,'' ''Oculus,'' and '' Before I Wake.'' Life and career Born in Bakersfield, California and raised ...

– actor, producer, artist *

Fay Helm Fay Helm (April 9, 1909 – September 27, 2003) was an American film actress. Born in Bakersfield, California, she appeared in about 65 films between 1936 and 1946. She is perhaps better known for films like A Child is Born (1939), Phantom La ...

– actress *

Brian Hooks Brian Hooks (born July 27, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, producer and director. He is best known for his roles as protagonist Rob Douglas in the screwball comedy '' 3 Strikes'', and Nick Delaney on the UPN television sitcom '' Eve''. ...

– actor, ''Soul Plane'', ''Three Strike'' *

Nathan Jung Nathan Jung (November 29, 1946 – April 24, 2021) was an American actor and stuntman. Due to his height, he was usually cast in "heavy" or "enforcer" roles. Career Television Jung played the character of Genghis Khan on ''Star Trek: The Origina ...

– actor, martial artist, stunt coordinator * Dalene Kurtis – model, former ''Playboy'' Playmate of the Year *

Joanne Linville Beverly Joanne Linville (January 15, 1928 – June 20, 2021) was an American actress. She later taught at the Stella Adler Academy, Los Angeles. She is best known as a Romulan Commander on ''Star Trek: The Original Series''. Biography Early li ...

– actress *

Guy Madison Guy Madison (born Robert Ozell Moseley; January 19, 1922 – February 6, 1996) was an American film, television, and radio actor. He is best known for playing Wild Bill Hickok in the Western television series ''The Adventures of Wild Bill Hicko ...

– actor *

Roger Mathey Roger Mathey is an American theatrical director, as well as a playwright, actor, producer, and filmmaker. His plays have been staged in Los Angeles, Orange County, Bakersfield, and San Francisco in California, and also in Denver, Colorado. Plays ...

– theatrical director, actor, playwright, producer *

Derek Mears Derek Mears (born April 29, 1972) is an American actor and stuntman. Often appearing in horror and science-fiction titles, he came to prominence for portraying Jason Voorhees in the 2009 reboot of ''Friday the 13th''. His film roles also include ...

– actor and stuntman *

Michelle St. John Michelle St. John (born August 26, 1967) is a Canadians, Canadian actress, singer, producer and director who has been involved in creative projects in theatre, film, television and music since the 1980s. Her directorial debut, ''Colonization Road ...

– actress, singer, director, producer *

Sigrid Valdis Patricia Annette Olson (September 21, 1935 – October 14, 2007), known by her stage name Sigrid Valdis, was an American actress who played "Hilda" in the American television series '' Hogan's Heroes''. Early life and career Valdis began acti ...

– actress * Anjelika Washington - actress, "DC: Stargirl", "Netflix's Tall Girl 1 & 2"

Musicians

* David Benoit -

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

Jo Ann Castle Jo Ann Castle (born September 3, 1939) is an American honky-tonk pianist, best remembered for appearing on ''The Lawrence Welk Show''. She adopted her stage name from the name of an accordion manufacturer, another instrument she played proficien ...

- pianist, ''

The Lawrence Welk Show ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years, from 1951 to 1955, then nationally for another 16 years on ABC from 1 ...

Brandon Cruz Brandon Edwin Cruz (born May 28, 1962) is an American actor and singer best known for his role as Eddie Corbett, son of widower Tom Corbett (played by Bill Bixby) on the television series ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father''. Cruz is also a pun ...

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

musician and former

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated t ...

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...

- singer,

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amas ...

inductee * Michael Lockwood - guitarist and music producer * Kareem Lopez - musician *

Mary Osborne Mary Osborne (July 17, 1921 – March 4, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist and guitar manufacturer. She began performing at a young age and was featured on a radio program in North Dakota, where she grew up. In New York City during the 1940s, ...

- jazz guitarist *

Buck Owens Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006), known professionally as Buck Owens, was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and band leader. He was the lead singer for Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, which had 21 No. 1 hits on ...

- singer, musician

inductee *

Gregory Porter Gregory Porter (born November 4, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He has twice won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album: first in 2014 for ''Liquid Spirit'' and then again in 2017 for '' Take Me to the Alley''. Early l ...

- singer * Sheléa - singer-songwriter *

Lawrence Tibbett Lawrence Mervil Tibbett (November 16, 1896 – July 15, 1960) was an American opera singer and recording artist who also performed as a film actor and radio personality. A baritone, he sang leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera in New York ...

- baritone of the

New York Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

* Grant Whitson - drummer for Arlington

= Bands

= *

Adema Adema is an American rock band from Bakersfield, California. The band formed in 2000 with members vocalist Mark Chavez, guitarist Tim Fluckey, guitarist Mike Ransom, bassist Dave DeRoo, and drummer Kris Kohls. After their first two albums, ' ...

- rock band (Tim Fluckey,

Dave DeRoo Dave DeRoo (born September 3, 1974) is an American rock musician, known primarily for his role as bassist of the rock band Adema. Early life Dave DeRoo was born in Bakersfield, California; his father, Doug DeRoo, was a well-known radio DJ. Many ...

Kris Kohls Adema is an American rock band from Bakersfield, California. The band formed in 2000 with members vocalist Mark Chavez, guitarist Tim Fluckey, guitarist Mike Ransom, bassist Dave DeRoo, and drummer Kris Kohls. After their first two albums, '' ...

, Mark Chavez, Mike Ransom) * Burning Image - deathrock band (Moe Adame, Tony Bonanno, Paul Burch, Anthony Leyva) * The Def Dames - female

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

duo, hip hop musicians * Korn -

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

-winning

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

band ** Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu **

Jonathan Davis Jonathan Howsmon Davis (born January 18, 1971), also known as JD or JDevil, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman of nu metal band Korn, who are considered a pioneering act of the nu ...

** James "Munky" Shaffer **

David Silveria David Randall Silveria (born September 21, 1972) is an American drummer, best known as the original drummer for nu metal band Korn from 1993 until leaving the band in 2006. He then became the drummer for Infinika, which was formed in 2012 and d ...

Brian "Head" Welch Brian Philip Welch (born June 19, 1970), also known by his stage name Head, is an American musician. He is one of the guitarists and founding member of the nu metal band Korn and his solo project Love and Death, where he also provides vocals. ...

Government, law, politics

* Leonard L. Alvarado - Medal of Honor Recipient, Specialist 4th Class, United States Army - Republic of Vietnam 1969 *

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Edward Fitzgerald Beale Edward Fitzgerald "Ned" Beale (February 4, 1822 – April 22, 1893) was a national figure in the 19th-century United States. He was a naval officer, military general, explorer, frontiersman, Indian affairs superintendent, California rancher, ...

- Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California and

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

(1850s), Surveyor General of California and Nevada (1860s), U.S. Ambassador to

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

(1870s), founder of Tejon Ranch * Vince Fong - Politician in California State Assembly *

Harvey Hall Harvey L. Hall (January 5, 1941 – May 19, 2018) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 25th mayor of Bakersfield, California. Hall was first elected in 2000, and re-elected in 2004, 2008 and 2012. He was one of the longe ...

- past Mayor of Bakersfield (2001-2016) *

Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician, serving as House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as House Majority Leader under spea ...

- California Congressman, House Republican Leader, 55th Speaker of The United States House of Representatives * Ken Mettler - past president (2008-2010) of the

California Republican Assembly The California Republican Assembly (CRA) is a conservative California Republican activist group. It is the oldest and largest grassroots volunteer organization chartered by the California Republican Party, and is the California affiliate of the ...

Erik Paulsen Erik Philip Paulsen (born May 14, 1965) is an American businessman and politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 2009 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Minnesota House of Representati ...

- Minnesota Congressman * Walter W. Stiern - California Democratic State Senator * Earl Warren - Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, former governor of California

Science, medicine, academia

* Hans Einstein - world's foremost authority on

Valley Fever A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

Carver Mead Carver Andress Mead (born May 1, 1934) is an American scientist and engineer. He currently holds the position of Gordon and Betty Moore Professor Emeritus of Engineering and Applied Science at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), ...

- pioneer in the field of

VLSI Very large-scale integration (VLSI) is the process of creating an integrated circuit (IC) by combining millions or billions of MOS transistors onto a single chip. VLSI began in the 1970s when MOS integrated circuit (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) ...

design, inventor of the concept of neuromorphic computing

Sports

Olympics

Jake Varner Jacob Stephen "Jake" Varner (born March 24, 1986) is an American wrestler. Varner won the gold medal in the 96 kg category at the 2012 Summer Olympics in freestyle wrestling. Varner wrestled collegiately for the Iowa State University Cyc ...

- Olympic Gold Medalist

wrestler Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat spor ...

at 2012 London Games

Baseball

* Larry Barnes - California Angels

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

Corbin Burnes Corbin Brian Burnes (born October 22, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Brewers in the fourth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, and mad ...

- Milwaukee Brewers

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

Johnny Callison John Wesley Callison (March 12, 1939 – October 12, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 16 seasons and is best known for the 10 years he spent with the Philadelphia Phillies as a right ...

- Philadelphia Phillies right fielder *

Phil Dumatrait Phillip Anthony Dumatrait (born July 12, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Minnesota Twins. He also played for the LG Twins of the K ...

- Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, first-round

draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...

pick *

Jack Hiatt Jack E. Hiatt (born July 27, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1964 to 1972, most prominently as a member of the San Francisco Giants. After his ...

- catcher *

Leon Lee Leon Lee (born December 4, 1952, in Sacramento, California) is a former professional baseball player and manager, primarily known for his career in Japan. He played first base, third base, and catcher during his career, batting and throwing right- ...

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

player and manager * Colby Lewis - Texas Rangers pitcher, first-round draft pick * William "Buckshot" May - Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher *

Brent Morel Brenton Andre Morel (born April 21, 1987) is a former American professional baseball third baseman. He previously played for the Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates. Career Morel attended Centennial High School in Bakersfield, California, ...

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

third baseman *

Kurt Miller Kurt Everett Miller (born August 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), between 1994 and 1999, for the Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins. He also played in two ...

- pitcher for

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fran ...

and Chicago Cubs * Steve Ontiveros - infielder for

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

and Chicago Cubs * Dave Rader - catcher *

Rick Sawyer Richard Clyde Sawyer is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1974 through 1977 for the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres ...

- pitcher for the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres *

Todd Walker Todd Arthur Walker (born May 25, 1973) is a former professional baseball infielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1996 to 2007. Listed at and , he batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Walker played college baseball at Loui ...

- second baseman * Bruce Walton - pitcher for

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

, pitching coach for

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

* Jake Woods -

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

pitcher

Basketball

* Nikki Blue - New York Liberty

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

( WNBA) *

Fred Boyd Fred Boyd may refer to: *Fred Boyd (basketball) (born 1950), American basketball player *Fred Boyd (baseball) Alfred Boyd (June 23, 1898 – February 24, 1923) was an American baseball right fielder in the Negro leagues The Negro leagues were ...

- NBA player * Chris Childs - ABA/NBA guard (1989–2003) ew Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors*

J. R. Sakuragi is an American-Japanese professional basketball player. Biography Raised in Bakersfield, California, Sakuragi played college basketball at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and was a member of the Bruins' national championship ...

(formerly J.R. Henderson) - player for

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

Lonnie Shelton Lonnie Jewel Shelton (October 19, 1955 – July 8, 2018) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player who played from 1976 to 1985. Early years Shelton played college basketball for Oregon State University. He was drafted by the ...

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

all-star *

Robert Swift Robert Christen Swift (born December 3, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Spanish club Círculo Gijón Baloncesto y Conocimiento of the LEB Plata league. He played in the National Basketball Association fo ...

- Tokyo Apache (Japan)

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

Tyrone Wallace Tyrone Tyrin Wallace (born June 10, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for Paris Basketball of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the California Golden Bears. He was selected with the 60th pick of the 2016 NBA Dr ...

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

guard

Football

* Mike Ariey - offensive tackle for Green Bay Packers * Jon Baker - NFL and CFL player *

Theo Bell Theopolis Bell, Jr. (December 21, 1953 – June 21, 2006) was an American football wide receiver who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bell, who was born and raised in B ...

- wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers, earned

Super Bowl ring The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the team members of the winning team of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. Since only one Vince Lombardi Trophy is awarded to the team (ownership) itsel ...

s in 1979 and 1980 * Jeff Buckey - starting offensive lineman for

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

* Vern Burke -

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

for

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

, and Atlanta Falcons * David Carr -

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

, first overall selection in 2002 NFL Draft ( Houston Texans), won Super Bowl with New York Giants *

Derek Carr Derek Dallas Carr (born March 28, 1991) is an American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Fresno State, where he twice received first-team All- MWC honors, and w ...

- quarterback for Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, Mountain West Conference Player of the Year for

Fresno State California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bachelo ...

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

inductee, broadcaster * Cory Hall -

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly dif ...

for Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

Joe Hawley Joseph Kelly Hawley (born October 22, 1988) is a former American football center who played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Falcons with the 117th pick in the fo ...

for

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...

* A.J. Jefferson - free safety for Arizona Cardinals * Cody Kessler - quarterback for

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...

and

USC Trojans The USC Trojans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ''Trojans'', the women's athletic teams are referred ...

* Rodney Leisle - defensive tackle for New Orleans Saints, member of 2009 Super Bowl-winning team * Jordan Love- backup quarterback for the Green bay packers * Bob McCaffrey - center for USC Trojans and Green Bay Packers * Brent McClanahan - running back for

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

Ray Mansfield Burt James Ray Mansfield (January 21, 1941 – November 3, 1996), nicknamed "Ranger," was an American football player, a center in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. Early years Born in Bak ...

- center for Pittsburgh Steelers * Brock Marion -

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowl player * Jerry Marion - wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers, father of Brock * Ryan Mathews - running back for

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

and former Fresno State All-American * Aaron Merz - offensive lineman for

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Franci ...

and Buffalo Bills * Stephen Neal - lineman for New England Patriots, Super Bowl champion,

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

wrestling champion, world gold medalist, Olympian * Mark Nichols - wide receiver for Detroit Lions *

Jared Norris Jared Scott Norris (born July 19, 1993) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played football at Centennial High School in Bakersfield, California, where he was a three-year letterman and earned All-State honors during h ...

- NFL player * Larry Parker - wide receiver for USC Trojans and

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

Joey Porter Joseph Eugene Porter (born March 22, 1977) is an American former football outside linebacker who played 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), and is a former outside linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After playing coll ...

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...

and

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

outside linebacker, member of Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion team in 2006 * Rocky Rasley -

for Detroit Lions * D. J. Reed - free safety for New York Jets * Randy Rich - defensive back for Detroit Lions,

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

, and Cleveland Browns * Greg Robinson - defensive coordinator for Denver Broncos, University of Michigan * Ken Ruettgers - offensive tackle for Green Bay Packers * Colton Schmidt - punter for Buffalo Bills *

Rashaan Shehee Rashaan Shehee (born June 20, 1975) is a former running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. Shehee attended Foothill High School in Bakersfield, California. He then played collegiately for the Washington Huskies. He played 2 seasons in the NFL, b ...

- running back for Kansas City Chiefs * L. J. Shelton - offensive tackle for Arizona Cardinals *

Jeff Siemon Jeffrey Glenn Siemon (born June 2, 1950) is a former professional American football player and an inductee in the College Football Hall of Fame. A middle linebacker, he played eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL), all with the M ...

- Pro Bowl linebacker for

, inducted to College Football Hall of Fame in 2006 *

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...

- tight end for

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

, Oakland Raiders, and Green Bay Packers *

Jeremy Staat Jeremy Ray Staat (born October 10, 1976) is a former American football defensive lineman and offensive lineman who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1998 and the St. Louis Rams for two games in 2003. He also played for the Los Angeles Aven ...

- defensive lineman for Pittsburgh Steelers, United States Marine * Jason Stewart - defensive tackle for Indianapolis Colts in 1994 * Michael Stewart - safety for

* John Tarver - running back for New England Patriots in 1970s * Leonard Williams - defensive lineman for New York Jets *

Dick Witcher Dick Vernon Witcher (October 10, 1944February 22, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Witcher was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the eighth round (119th overa ...

- wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers * Louis Wright - All-Pro defensive back for Denver Broncos, member of 1970s NFL all-decade team * Rodney Wright - wide receiver for Fresno State and Buffalo Bills

Motorsports

Kevin Harvick Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick is the 2014 Cup Series champion, ...

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

driver, 2007 Daytona 500 winner and 2014

Sprint Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. ...

champion *

Casey Mears Casey James Mears (born March 12, 1978) is an American professional off-road and stock car racing driver. He has raced in IndyCar, NASCAR's three national series including 15 seasons in the Cup Series, SCORE International, and the Stadium Super ...

- NASCAR driver *

Rick Mears Rick Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is a retired American race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (1 ...

- 4-time

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

winner *

Roger Mears __NOTOC__ Roger Mears (born April 24, 1947 in Wichita, Kansas) is a former off-road driver who also drove in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1978–1984 seasons, with 31 combined career starts, and started in the 1982 ...

- Baja 1000 winner * Blaine Perkins - NASCAR driver *

Ryan Reed Ryan A. Reed (born August 12, 1993) is an American professional stock car racing driver and driver coach who previously competed part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Reed previously competed full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series w ...

- NASCAR driver * Bruce Sarver -

NHRA The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorsp ...

champion *

George Snider George "Ziggy" Snider (born December 8, 1940 in Fresno, California) is a retired American race car driver. A longtime driver in the United States Automobile Club Silver Crown series, Snider is also a 22-time starter of the Indianapolis 500, the ...

- 22-time competitor Indianapolis 500

Boxing

* Ruben Castillo - WBO and NABO lightweight champion, WBC featherweight and super featherweight contender * Michael Dallas, Jr. - Golden Gloves silver medalist, light welterweight contender * Jack Johnson - first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

heavyweight champion At boxing's beginning, the heavyweight division had no weight limit, and historically the weight class has gone with vague or no definition. During the 19th century many heavyweights were 170 pounds (12 st 2 lb, 77 kg) or less, thou ...

, member of World Boxing Hall of Fame *

Jerry Quarry Jerry Quarry (May 15, 1945 – January 3, 1999), nicknamed "Irish" or "The Bellflower Bomber", was an American professional boxer. During the peak of his career from 1968 to 1971, Quarry was rated by ''The Ring'' magazine as the most popular ...

- national Golden Gloves champion, heavyweight professional boxer, fought Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier * Mike Quarry - light-heavyweight professional boxer * Joey Guillen - light-heavyweight professional boxer

Track & Field

* Lonnie Spurrier - middle-distance runner, Olympian (1956), set world's record in the half-mile run in 1955

Soccer

* Cami Privett - Former NWSL Soccer Player for the

Houston Dash The Houston Dash is a professional women's soccer team based in Houston, Texas. It joined the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the 2014 season, and is affiliated with the MLS team Houston Dynamo FC. History Establishment On November ...

Writers, poets, journalists

Frank Bidart Frank Bidart (born May 27, 1939) is an American academic and poet, and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Biography Bidart is a native of California and considered a career in acting or directing when he was young. In 1957, he began to s ...

- poet * James Chapman - novelist and publisher * Robert Duncan - poet (lived in Bakersfield 1927-32) * Georgie Starbuck Galbraith - writer of light verse *

Gerald Haslam Gerald William Haslam (March 18, 1937 – April 13, 2021) was an author focused on rural and small towns in California's Great Central Valley including its poor and working-class people of all colors. A native of Oildale, California, Haslam has ...

- author *

Lawrence Kimble Lawrence Edwin Kimble (September 21, 1904 – September 3, 1977) was an American screenwriter. Early life and career On September 21, 1904, Kimble was born in Bakersfield, California, one of five children born to Sarah Elizabeth Stanley and Arth ...

- Hollywood screenwriter

References

External links