People who were born or lived in

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic. Acco ...

Arts, media and music

Michael York Michael York OBE (born Michael Hugh Johnson; 27 March 1942) is an English film, television and stage actor. After performing on-stage with the Royal National Theatre, he had a breakthrough in films by playing Tybalt in Franco Zeffirelli's ''Ro ...

, actor *

José Argüelles José Argüelles (; born Joseph Anthony Argüelles; January 24, 1939 – March 23, 2011) was an American New Age author and artist. He was the co-founder, along with Lloydine Argüelles, of the Planet Art Network and the Foundation for the Law of ...

, author, artist *

Dan Bakkedahl Dan Bakkedahl (born November 18, 1969) is an American actor and improvisational comedian. He is best known for starring as Tim Hughes on the CBS sitcom ''Life in Pieces'', as Congressman Roger Furlong on the HBO series ''Veep'', and as Steve Nuge ...

, actor, comedian *

Amanda Hocking Amanda Hocking (born July 12, 1984) is an American writer of paranormal romance young adult fiction. Early life Hocking was born and raised in Austin, Minnesota. After high school, she studied Human Services while working in a group home for pe ...

, author * Judy Onofrio, artist * Emily Sandberg, model and actress *

Warren Skaaren Warren Skaaren (March 9, 1946 - December 28, 1990) was an American screenwriter and film producer. Career Skaaren was appointed by Governor Preston Smith as executive director of the newly formed Texas Film Commission on December 9, 1970. His ...

, screenplay writer, producer *

Lea Thompson Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress and director. She is best known for her role as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the Back to the Future (franchise), ''Back to the Future'' film trilogy (1985–1990) and Beverly Switzl ...

, actress *

John Towey John Madden Towey (born February 13, 1940) is an American actor. He studied acting and directing at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He received B.F.A. degree in directing in 1967. Acted two seasons at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. (1977–7 ...

, actor *

Sheree J. Wilson Sheree Julienne Wilson (born December 12, 1958) is an American actress, producer, businesswoman, and model. She is best known for her roles as April Stevens Ewing on the American primetime television series ''Dallas (1978 TV series), Dallas'' (19 ...

, actress * Matt Hauri (Yung Gravy), rapper *

Darius Danesh Darius may refer to: Persian royalty ;Kings of the Achaemenid Empire * Darius I (the Great, 550 to 487 BC) * Darius II (423 to 404 BC) * Darius III (Codomannus, 380 to 330 BC) ;Crown princes * Darius (son of Xerxes I), crown prince of Persia, ma ...

, singer, songwriter, musician, actor, film producer

Science and medicine

Harry Bisel Harry F. Bisel, M.D. (1918–1994) was an American oncologist. With Fred Ansfield, Herman Freckman, Arnoldus Goudsmit, Robert Talley, William Wilson, and Jane Wright, was one of the founding members of the American Society of Clinical Oncology ...

, physician *

Sara C. Bisel Dr. Sara C. Bisel (1932–1996) was a physical anthropologist and classical archaeologist who played a prominent role in early scientific research at Herculaneum, a Mediterranean coastal town destroyed by the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. ...

, physical anthropologist *

Charles Horace Mayo Charles Horace Mayo (July 19, 1865 – May 26, 1939) was an American medical practitioner and was one of the founders of the Mayo Clinic along with his brother William James Mayo, Augustus Stinchfield, Christopher Graham, E. Star Judd, Henry ...

, physician *

William James Mayo William James Mayo (June 29, 1861 – July 28, 1939) was a physician and surgeon in the United States and one of the seven founders of the Mayo Clinic. He and his brother, Charles Horace Mayo, both joined their father's private medical practice ...

, physician *

William Worrall Mayo William Worrall Mayo (May 31, 1819 – March 6, 1911) was a British-American medical doctor and chemist. He is best known for establishing the private medical practice that later evolved into the Mayo Clinic. He was a descendant of a famous En ...

, physician *

Henry Stanley Plummer Henry Stanley Plummer ( – ) was an American internist and endocrinologist who, along with William Mayo, Charles Mayo, Augustus Stinchfield, E. Starr Judd, Christopher Graham, and Donald Balfour founded Mayo Clinic. Plummer is also immortali ...

, physician *

Augustus Stinchfield Augustus W. Stinchfield (December 21, 1842 – March 15, 1917) was an American physician and one of the co-founders—along with Drs. Charles Horace Mayo, William James Mayo, Christopher Graham, E. Starr Judd, Henry Stanley Plummer, Melvin M ...

, physician *

Michael Stuart Michael Stuart (born January 13, 1975) is an American salsa singer, songwriter and actor. Early years Stuart was born in New York City, to Puerto Rican parents who settled in the 1960s after moving from Puerto Rico. There Stuart received hi ...

, physician and orthopedic surgeon

Law and politics

Adolph Biermann Adolph Biermann (November 19, 1842 – January 5, 1914) was an American farmer and politician. Biography Born in Christiana, Norway, Biermann emigrated to the United States in 1862. He first settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and served in the ...

, Minnesota State Auditor *

Harry Blackmun Harry Andrew Blackmun (November 12, 1908 – March 4, 1999) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 to 1994. Appointed by Republican President Richard Nixon, Blac ...

, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court *

Walter Burdick Walter Burdick (April 23, 1893 – March 7, 1982) was an American farmer and politician. Burdick was born in Viola Township, Olmsted County, Minnesota. He went to the Minneapolis public schools. Burdick lived in Rochester, Minnesota, with his ...

, Minnesota farmer and legislator *

Marshall Burt Marshall A. Burt (born May 6, 1976) is an American politician who served in the Wyoming House of Representatives. A member of the Libertarian Party, Burt represented the 39th district from 2021 to 2023. Burt is the first Libertarian candidate t ...

, Wyoming legislator, first member of the

Libertarian Party Active parties by country Defunct parties by country Organizations associated with Libertarian parties See also * Liberal parties by country * List of libertarian organizations * Lists of political parties * Outline of libertarianism ...

to be elected to a legislature in over 20 years *

Michael C. Burgess Michael Clifton Burgess (born December 23, 1950) is an American physician and politician representing in the United States House of Representatives. The district is anchored in Denton County, a suburban county north of Dallas and Fort Worth. I ...

, Congressman *

Barbara Cegavske Barbara Katherine Cegavske (née Jewson; born August 27, 1951) is an American businesswoman and politician, who is the former Secretary of State of Nevada from 2015 to 2023. She was a Republican member of the Nevada Senate, representing Clark Coun ...

Secretary of State of Nevada The Secretary of State of Nevada is a statewide elected office in the State of Nevada. The Secretary of state (U.S. state government), secretary of state post is common to many U.S. states. In Nevada, it is a constitutional office (i.e., it is man ...

, former Nevada legislator *

Kerry Conley Kerry Ellsworth Conley (1 September 1866 – 5 March 1924) was Minnesota businessman, civic leader, and politician. Together with his brother Fred, they founded the Conley Camera Company in Spring Valley, Minnesota at 510 Main Street. The broth ...

, Minnesota legislator and businessman * Robert Rankin Dunlap, Minnesota lawyer and legislator *

John Moonan Fitzgerald John Moonan Fitzgerald (January 20, 1923 – June 16, 2008) was an American politician and jurist. Born in Rochester, Minnesota, Fitzgerald served in the United States Army Air Forces as a pilot during World War II. He had gone to Rochester Co ...

, Minnesota jurist and legislator * Donald T. Franke, Minnesota jurist and legislator *

Don Frerichs Donald L. Frerichs (January 3, 1931 – June 27, 2019) was an American businessman and politician. Frerichs was born in Ocheyedan, Iowa. He lived in Worthington, Minnesota and graduated from Worthington Senior High School, in 1949, and from ...

, Minnesota legislator and businessman * Allen John Furlow, Minnesota Congressman, lawyer, and World War I veteran *

Julie Anne Genter Julie Anne Genter (; born 17 December 1979) is an American-born New Zealand politician who is a member of the House of Representatives representing the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. She served as the Minister for Women, Associate Ministe ...

, member of the

New Zealand House of Representatives The House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the New Zealand Parliament. The House passes Law of New Zealand, laws, provides Ministers of the New Zealand Government, ministers to form Cabinet of New Zealand, Cabinet, and supervises the ...

representing the

Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand ( mi, Rōpū Kākāriki o Aotearoa, Niu Tireni), commonly known as the Greens, is a green and left-wing political party in New Zealand. Like many green parties around the world, it has four organisational ...

Gil Gutknecht Gilbert William Gutknecht Jr. (born March 20, 1951) is an American politician. Gutknecht was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives first elected in 1994 to represent Minnesota's 1st congressional district. Gutknec ...

, member of Congress * Stiles P. Jones, Minnesota state senator and lawyer * John R. Kaley, Minnesota state representative and businessman *

Sandy Keith Alexander MacDonald "Sandy" Keith (November 22, 1928 – October 3, 2020) was an American politician and jurist who was the first person to hold office in each of the three branches of Minnesota state government, serving as state senator, th ...

, Lt. Governor and State Supreme Court Chief Justice *

Frank B. Kellogg Frank Billings Kellogg (December 22, 1856December 21, 1937) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served in the U.S. Senate and as U.S. Secretary of State. He co-authored the Kellogg–Briand Pact, for which he was awarded the N ...

, U.S. Secretary of State *

Harold G. Krieger Harold G.A. Krieger (October 3, 1926 – April 22, 1995) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. Krieger was born in New Ulm, Minnesota. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. Kriger received in bachelor's degree from ...

. Minnesota state senator and judge * Gordon Moore (judge), Associate Justice of the

Minnesota Supreme Court The Minnesota Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The court hears cases in the Supreme Court chamber in the Minnesota State Capitol or in the nearby Minnesota Judicial Center. History The court wa ...

Leilani Munter Leilani Maaja Münter (born February 18, 1974) is an American former professional stock car racing driver and environmental activist. She last competed in the ARCA Menards Series, and previously drove in the Firestone Indy Lights, the developmen ...

, American stock car driver *

Carla Nelson Carla J. Nelson (born May 22, 1957) is an American politician from Minnesota who is a member of the Minnesota Senate. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, she currently represents District 24, which includes parts of Olmsted County and ...

, incumbent Minnesota state senator and former member of the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Pa ...

Richard Ojeda Richard Neece Ojeda II ( ; born October 25, 1970) is an American politician and retired United States Army major who served in the West Virginia Senate representing the 7th district from 2016 until 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he ran ...

, member of the

West Virginia Senate The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the Democratic Party held a supermajority in the ...

and a candidate in the

2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries Presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select the 3,979 pledged delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention held on August 17–20 to determine the party's nominee for president in the 2020 Unit ...

. * Edward Henry Ozmun, Minnesota lawyer, politician, and diplomat * John Parkin, Wisconsin legislator *

John M. Peters John Merrell Peters (January 16, 1927 – February 4, 2013) was an American lawyer and legislator. Born in Rochester, Minnesota, Peters grew up in DeWitt, Iowa. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. He received his bachel ...

, Iowa lawyer and legislator *

Mark Piepho Mark J. Piepho (born November 28, 1952) was an American politician and businessman. Piepho was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota. He lived in Rochester, Minnesota with his family and graduated from Rochester Lourdes High School in 1971 and then graduat ...

, Minnesota legislator and businessman *

Nels Pierson Nels Pierson (born December 29, 1972) is an American politician who served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represented the 26B district in southeastern Minn ...

, Minnesota legislator *

E. William Quirin Emil William Qurin (June 25, 1927 – November 25, 2009) was an American businessman and politician. Quirin was born in Harris, Osceola County, Iowa and graduated from Grand Meadow High School in Grand Meadow, Minnesota. He served in the United St ...

, Minnesota legislator and businessman *

Dave Senjem David Howard Senjem ( ; born December 20, 1942) is an American politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. He served as its majority leader from 2011 to 2013. A moderate Republican, Senjem has crossed party lines on many occasions, notably e ...

, incumbent Minnesota state senator, former Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate, former Minority Leader of the Minnesota Senate *

Ozora P. Stearns Ozora Pierson Stearns (January 15, 1831June 2, 1896) was an American politician and attorney. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a US Senator from the state of Minnesota. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served as mayor of R ...

, U.S. Senator and mayor of Rochester * Ken Zubay, Minnesota legislator and businessman

Sports

* Rafael Butler, boxer *

Eric Butorac Eric Butorac (born May 22, 1981), nicknamed Booty, is an American retired professional tennis player. He was a doubles specialist, and for a period of approximately six years was the No. 3 ranked American doubles player. His best result was reac ...

, tennis player *

Tyler Cain Tyler Cain (born June 30, 1988) is an American basketball player for Derthona Basket of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the University of South Dakota (USD). He is best known for being the inaugural winner o ...

, basketball player *

Phil DuBois Phil may refer to: * Phil (given name), a shortened version of masculine and feminine names * Phill, a given name also spelled "Phil" * Phil, Kentucky, United States * ''Phil'' (film), a 2019 film * -phil-, a lexical fragment, used as a root ter ...

, football player *

John Fina John Joseph Fina (born March 11, 1969) is a former American football offensive lineman, who spent eleven years in the National Football League, ten of those with the Buffalo Bills, and a one-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals. Fina attende ...

, football player *

Guy Gosselin Guy Gordon Gosselin (born January 6, 1964) is an American professional ice sled hockey coach and former ice hockey defenseman. He was drafted in the eighth round, 159th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. Gosselin played f ...

, hockey player *

Sada Jacobson Sada Molly Jacobson (born February 14, 1983) is an American Olympic fencer. She is the 2008 Olympic Individual Sabre silver medalist in women's sabre (one of three Olympic medals), the 2004 Olympic Individual Sabre bronze medalist in women's ...

(born 1983), Olympic fencing silver and bronze medalist *

Ken Johannson Kenneth Johannson (October 6, 1930November 27, 2018) was a Canadian-born American ice hockey player, coach and executive. A native of Edmonton, he attended the University of North Dakota on a football scholarship, then played for the Fighting ...

(1930–2018), Canadian-born American ice hockey player, coach and executive *

Jim Johannson James Johannson (March 10, 1964January 21, 2018) was an American ice hockey player, coach and executive. He played for the United States national junior team at the World Juniors in 1983 and 1984, then played for the United States national t ...

(1964–2018), American ice hockey player, coach and executive *

John Johannson John Joseph Johannson (born October 18, 1961 in Rochester) is a retired American ice hockey center. He played for the United States at the 1981 World Junior Championships. Johannson was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 10th round, 192nd ov ...

, ice hockey player *

Dick Kimball Dick Kimball (born c. 1935) is an American former diving champion and diving coach at the University of Michigan. He was the NCAA springboard champion in 1957 and the Professional World Diving champion in 1963. He coached the University of Mich ...

, diving coach *

Bryce Lampman Bryce James Lampman (born August 31, 1982) is an American former professional ice hockey Defenseman who played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers. Playing career Lampman was drafted 113th overall by the New York Rangers in th ...

, hockey player *

Bethanie Mattek-Sands Bethanie Mattek-Sands ( Bethanie Lynn Mattek; born March 23, 1985) is an American professional tennis player. She has won nine Grand Slam titles (five in women's doubles and four in mixed doubles), and an Olympic gold medal, and is a former wo ...

, tennis player * Scott Muller, canoer * Shjon Podein, hockey player *

John Pohl John August "Johnny" Pohl (born June 29, 1979) is an American former professional ice hockey center who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing career Pohl played for the University of Minnesota where he helped lead the team to the ...

, hockey player * Michael Restovich, baseball player * Bob Schmidt, football player *

Aaron Senne Aaron J. Senne (born November 5, 1987) is a retired professional baseball player who was part of the Miami Marlins organization from 2010 to 2013. He was the Marlins' 10th-round pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. Amateur career Senne ...

, baseball player *

Marcus Sherels Marcus John Sherels (born September 30, 1987) is a former American football cornerback and return specialist. He played college football at Minnesota Golden Gophers football, Minnesota, and was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent i ...

, football player *

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 ...

, football player *

Tommy Speer Thomas Speer (born August 20, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2005 until 2013, he received national exposure on '' The Ultimate Fighter 6: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra'', fighting as a member of Tea ...

, fighter *

Eric Strobel Eric Martin Strobel (born June 5, 1958) is an American former ice hockey forward who was a member of the "Miracle on Ice" 1980 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team. Amateur career Strobel attended Rochester Mayo High School where he ear ...

, hockey player * Colin Stuart, hockey player * Mark Stuart, hockey player *

Mike Stuart Michael B. Stuart (born August 31, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey player who last played for Lørenskog of the Norwegian Eliteserien. He is the brother of Mark Stuart and Colin Stuart, and is the son of Mayo Clinic physicia ...

, hockey player * Darrell Thompson, football player * Ben Utecht, football player *

Doug Zmolek Douglas Allan Zmolek (born November 3, 1970) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the NHL for eight seasons between 1992 and 2000. Playing career Zmolek graduated from John Marshall High School in 1989. He was ...

, hockey player

Other

Fred Hargesheimer Major Fred Hargesheimer (May 7, 1916 – December 23, 2010) was a former pilot of the United States Army Air Forces who was shot down during World War II over Papua New Guinea in June 1943. He later became a philanthropist who helped out the v ...

, pilot, philanthropist * John Jeremiah Lawler, Roman Catholic bishop *

Mary Alfred Moes Mary Alfred Moes, (born Maria Catherine Moes; October 28, 1828 – December 18, 1899) was a Roman Catholic nun who was instrumental in establishing first the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate in Joliet, Illinois, as well as the Sisters of ...

, Roman Catholic nun *

Curt Rice Curtis Calvin Rice (born 1962) is an American-born Norwegian linguist and the rector of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Until 2021, he was the rector of Oslo Metropolitan University and formerly of its predecessor institution, Oslo and ...

, Norwegian linguist and rector of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences *

Sarah Burger Stearns Sarah Burger Stearns (November 30, 1836 – October 26, 1904) was a social reformer and a leader in the woman's suffrage movement in the U.S. state of Minnesota. She co-founded the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association and served as its first pres ...

, co-founder and first president of the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association *

Igor Vovkovinskiy Igor Vovkovinskiy ( uk, Ігор Вовковинський, Ihor Vovkovynskyj; September 18, 1982 – August 20, 2021), also known as Igor Ladan, was a Ukrainian-American law student, actor and tallest living person in the United States, at , bri ...

, tallest man in U.S.

References

{{Rochester, Minnesota *

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...