The following is a list of notable people who were born or who live or formerly lived in the city of Sarasota, Florida. *

Carl Abbott Carl Abbott is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the youngest member of the original Sarasota School of Architecture. After receiving his bachelor's degree from the University of Florida, Abbott earned his master's degree at Y ...

, architect * Erik Arroyo, former mayor of Sarasota and lawyer *

Doug Band Douglas Jay Band (born October 28, 1972) is an American businessman and lawyer. He is a founding partner and former president of Teneo, a multinational C-suite advisory firm and investment bank. Previously he was Deputy Assistant to Presiden ...

, assistant to Bill Clinton and businessman. Helped found the Clinton Global Initiative and assisted with the

Clinton Foundation The Clinton Foundation (founded in 2001 as the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, and renamed in 2013 as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation) is a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. It was e ...

after his presidency * Freddie Bartholomew, 1930s child actor * Roy Basler (1906–1989), historian * Dickey Betts (1943–2024), guitarist and founding member of The Allman Brothers Band *

Duane Betts Duane Betts (born April 16, 1978) is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. He is a member of the Allman Betts Band, and leads Duane Betts and the Pistoleers. He was also a guitarist and singer for the Dickey Betts & Great Southern, l ...

, singer-songwriter, guitarist, and member of

The Allman Betts Band The Allman Betts Band is an American rock group. Formed in November 2018, it includes the sons of three founding members of the Allman Brothers Band – Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman), Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts), and Berry Duane Oakley ...

* Daniel Bukantz (1917–2008), Olympic fencer *

Eugene A. Burdick Eugene Allan Burdick (October 15, 1912 – November 3, 2000) was a judge in North Dakota's Fifth Judicial District and a surrogate judge of the North Dakota Supreme Court. He was on the bench from 1953 until he retired in 1978. Life Burdick w ...

, North Dakota Fifth Judicial District judge and surrogate judge for the

North Dakota Supreme Court The North Dakota Supreme Court is the highest court of law in the state of North Dakota. The Court rules on questions of law in appeals from the state's district courts. Each of the five justices are elected on a no-party ballot for ten year te ...

William J. Burns William John Burns (October 19, 1861 – April 14, 1932) was an American private investigator and law enforcement official. He was known as "America's Sherlock Holmes" and earned fame for having conducted private investigations into a number of ...

, Director of the Bureau of Investigation, later the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

Flossie M. Byrd Flossie M. Byrd (August 8, 1927 – March 17, 2020) was a home economist, family and consumer services scientist, educator, and the first provost and vice president for academic affairs at the public historically black university (HBCU), Prairie ...

, home economist and academic * Lincoln Child, author of techno-thriller and horror novels * Barber Conable,

New York state senator The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan compo ...

, U.S representative from New York, and World Bank President under President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

Marlow Cook Marlow Webster Cook (July 27, 1926 – February 4, 2016) was an American politician who served Kentucky in the United States Senate from his appointment in December 1968 to his resignation in December 1974. He was a moderate Republican. He ...

, U.S. senator from Kentucky * Eric Curran, racing driver * Vincent D'Autorio, Two-time Olympic gymnast *

Ian Desmond Ian Morgan Desmond (born September 20, 1985) is an American former professional baseball infielder and outfielder. He played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies. Desmond is a ...

, professional baseball player for the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...

* Lois Duncan, writer, novelist, poet, and journalist * Gil Elvgren, painter of pin-up models *

Richard Floethe Richard Floethe (1901–1988) was an American artist. He served as the art director of the Works Progress Administration's (WPA) Federal Art Project (FAP) New York City poster division and then went on to illustrate numerous books. Biography Fl ...

, printmaker and illustrator *

Sonia Pressman Fuentes Sonia Pressman Fuentes (born May 30, 1928 in Berlin, Germany) is a German American author, speaker, feminist leader, and lawyer. Early years and education Fuentes was born in Berlin, Germany, of Polish parents, with whom she came to the U.S. to ...

, lawyer; author and co-founder of National Organization for Women * Jackie Gerlich, dwarf actor and circus entertainer * Brian Gottfried (born 1952), tennis player, reached Nº3 in the world in 1977 *

Carla Gugino Carla Gugino (; born August 29, 1971) is an American actress. After appearing in ''Troop Beverly Hills'' (1989) and ''This Boy's Life'' (1993), she received recognition for her starring roles as Ingrid Cortez in the ''Spy Kids'' trilogy (2001� ...

(born 1971), actress *

Dalton Guthrie Dalton Guthrie (born December 23, 1995) is an American professional baseball infielder and outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Florida Gators. Guthrie was selected in the 6th ...

(born 1995), Major League Baseball player for the San Francisco Giants *

James A. Haley James Andrew Haley (January 4, 1899 – August 6, 1981) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Florida. Born in Jacksonville, Alabama, Jacksonville, Alabama, Haley attended the public schools and the Univer ...

, U.S. representative from Florida and member of the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...

. Vice-president and later president of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1952,

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

, and

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

* Denver David Hargis, U.S. representative from Kansas *

Forest Harness Forest Arthur Harness (June 24, 1895 – July 29, 1974) was an American lawyer, World War I veteran, and politician who served five terms as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1939 to 1949. Biography Born in Kokomo, Indiana, Harness atten ...

, U.S representative from Indiana and

Sergeant at Arms of the Senate The Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the United States Senate (originally known as the Doorkeeper of the Senate from April 7, 1789 – 1798) is the protocol officer, executive officer, and highest-ranking federal law enforcement officer of the ...

Ian Hornak Ian Hornak (January 9, 1944 – December 9, 2002) was an American draughtsman, painter and printmaker. He was one of the founding artists of the Hyperrealist and Photorealist fine art movements; credited with having been the first Photoreal ...

, founding artist of the

Hyperrealist Jean Baudrillard ( , , ; 27 July 1929 – 6 March 2007) was a French sociologist, philosopher and poet with interest in cultural studies. He is best known for his analyses of media, contemporary culture, and technological communication, as we ...

and Photorealist fine art movements. Owned a winter home in Sarasota from 1985 to 2001.Stephen Bennett Phillips, Eric Ian Hornak Spoutz, "Ian Hornak Transparent Barricades," exhibition catalogue, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Fine Art Program, Washington D.C., 2012Joan Adan, Eric Ian Hornak Spoutz, "Transparent Barricades: Ian Hornak, A Retrospective," exhibition catalogue, Forest Lawn Museum, Glendale, California, May 2012 *

Tim Jaeger Tim Jaeger (born August 6, 1979) is an American artist. He currently lives and works in Sarasota, Florida. Early life and education Jaeger was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan as the 4th of 5 children to an Episcopal priest. At a young age Jaeger mo ...

, artist *

Brian Johnson Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Rol ...

, lead singer of

AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...

* Mackinlay Kantor, Pulitzer Prize winning author * Josh Kaufman, soul singer and singer-songwriter * Margaret Kerry, actress, radio host, and model for Tinker Bell in the 1953 Walt Disney film '' Peter Pan'' *

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

, author * David Lawrence, publisher; founded what would later become '' U.S. News & World Report'' *

La Norma Fox Norma Fox ( Nielsen; born 9 February 1926), also known as La Norma, is a Danish-born aerialist and trapeze artist who performed throughout Europe before moving to the United States with her husband, the Frenchman André W. Fox, in 1949. In 1952, ...

trapeze artist A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...

in RBB Circus and Sarasotan from 1949 onwards * Mirjana Lučić-Baroni, professional tennis player *

Victor Lundy Victor Alfred Lundy (born February 1, 1923) is an American architect. An exemplar of modernist architecture, he was one of the leaders of the Sarasota School of Architecture. His Warm Mineral Springs Motel, outside Warm Mineral Springs, Florid ...

, architect *

Jes Macallan Jes Macallan is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Josslyn Carver in ABC drama series ''Mistresses'' and Ava Sharpe in The CW superhero comedy-drama ''Legends of Tomorrow''. Career Jes Macallan is an actor and director. Bef ...

, actress *

John D. MacDonald John Dann MacDonald (July 24, 1916December 28, 1986) was an American writer of novels and short stories. He is known for his thrillers. MacDonald was a prolific author of crime and suspense novels, many set in his adopted home of Florida. On ...

, crime novelist *

Marlon Mack Marlon Devon Mack (born March 7, 1996) is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Florida and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth roun ...

, running back for the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

of the National Football League *

Myka Meier Myka Meier (born 27 June 1982) is an American-British entrepreneur, etiquette coach, and author. She is the founder of Beaumont Etiquette and co-founder of the Plaza Hotel's Finishing Program. Meier has authored two books, ''Modern Etiquette Mad ...

, etiquette coach and writer * Noelia Voigt, Miss USA 2023 winner *

Eric Minkin Eric Minkin (אריק מנקין; born November 28, 1950) is an American-Israeli former basketball player. He played the center position. He played in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, and for the Israeli national basketball team. Biography ...

(born 1950), American-Israeli basketball player * Daniel Myrick, director of horror films *

Bello Nock Bello Nock (born September 27, 1968), often known simply as Bello, is an American daredevil clown and circus performer. Nock has been listed in the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' for his highwire walk over a cruise ship. He has performed s ...

, daredevil and circus performer *

Carol Perkins Carol Perkins (born December 29, 1957) is an American business owner, fashion model and pet product designer who started her own company, Harry Barker, Inc., in 1997. The success of Harry Barker (company sales doubled between 2006 and 2009) has gar ...

, fashion model * Jack Perkins, reporter, commentator, war correspondent, and anchorman * Joe Perry, lead guitarist of

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...

Guy Peterson Guy Wesley Peterson (born December 26, 1953) is an American architect based in Sarasota, Florida. Peterson is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the recipient of the AIA Florida Gold Medal for his outstanding contributions to ...

, architect * Paul Reubens, actor known for creating and portraying Pee-wee Herman *

Michael Rey Michael Rey (born in Sarasota, Florida 1979) is an American abstract painter. Rey lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Education Rey received his BFA in 2002 from Ringling School of Art and Design, Sarasota, Florida, and his MFA in 2008 ...

, abstract painter * Charles Edward Ringling, one of the Ringling Brothers * Stephen Root, actor, voice actor, and comedian *

Milton Rubenfeld Milton Rubenfeld ( he, מילטון רובנפלד; September 13, 1919 – February 21, 2004) was a pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force and U.S. Army during World War II, later becoming one of the five founding pilots of the Israeli Air Force ...

(1919–2004), pilot and one of five founding pilots of Israeli Air Force * Randy Savage (1952–2011), professional wrestler *

Tim Seibert Edward John "Tim" Seibert (September 27, 1927—December 2, 2018) was an architect based in Sarasota, Florida. Seibert was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and one of the founders of the modern movement known as the Sarasota Schoo ...

, architect *

Sam Shields Samuel George Shields III (born December 8, 1987) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at the University of Miami. Shields was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He won Super Bo ...

, cornerback in the National Football League * George Snyder,

Maryland state senator The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single-m ...

and majority leader * Kyle Snyder, Tampa Bay Rays pitching coach *

Dick Smothers Richard Remick Smothers (born November 20, 1938) is an American actor, comedian, composer, and musician. He was half of the musical comedy team the Smothers Brothers, with his older brother Tom Smothers, Tom. Life and career Smothers was born i ...

, actor, comedian, composer, and musician *

Syd Solomon Syd Solomon (July 12, 1917 – January 28, 2004) was an American abstract artist. He spent most of his time in his homes in both East Hampton, NY and Sarasota, Florida, which influenced many of his paintings. His works have been presented at The ...

, American artist * Jerry Springer, television personality * Ben Stahl (artist) * Alex Steinweiss, graphic artist, credited with being the inventor of album cover art. *

Mildred Ladner Thompson Mildred Ladner Thompson (June 24, 1918 – June 25, 2013) was an American journalist, writer and columnist. Her career included tenures at ''The Wall Street Journal'', where she became one of its first female reporters, as well as the ''Associated ...

, journalist and writer * Ralph Twitchell, architect * Dick Vitale, college basketball coach and broadcaster *

Adrienne Vittadini Adrienne Vittadini (born October 9, 1943, in Győr, Hungary) is an American fashion designer. When she was 13, her family fled Győr during the 1956 Hungarian revolution. In 1979, she started what would become a multimillion-dollar fashion busin ...

, fashion designer * Joseph Volpe, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera * Nik Wallenda, tightrope walker * Iain Webb, Director of The Sarasota Ballet and former dancer with The Royal Ballet * Scott Weiss, venture capitalist * Hoyt Wilhelm, MLB pitcher and

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

inductee *

George Howard Williams George Howard Williams (December 1, 1871November 25, 1963) was an American politician and attorney from Missouri. A Republican, he served as U.S. Senator from Missouri from 1925 to 1926, completing the term of Selden P. Spencer following the lat ...

U.S Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and ...

from Missouri *

Jack West John Melville West (17 February 1889 – 30 March 1960) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne and University in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Military service He was both a footballer and a resident master at Me ...

, architect *

Robert Windom Robert Emerson Windom (July 14, 1930 – October 21, 2016) was an American physician who served as the United States Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services under President Ronald Reagan from 1986-89. Windom graduated from Duke Unive ...

, former Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services under President Ronald Reagan * Linda Winikow, politician and

New York State Senator The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan compo ...

* Roger Zare, composer and pianist *

Bridgett Zehr Bridgett Zehr (born c. 1985) is an American ballet dancer. After terms with the Houston Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada, she joined the English National Ballet in 2011 as a principal. Biography Born in Sarasota, Florida, Zehr trained from ...

, ballet dancer with the

English National Ballet English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet and based in London, England. Along with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottish ...

References

{{reflist Sarasota