This is a list of people from Spokane, Washington. The list includes individuals who were born in or lived in the city. A person who lives in or comes from

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Canada ...

, is known as a ''Spokanite''.

Authors

Arthur C. Brooks Arthur C. Brooks (born May 21, 1964) is an American author, public speaker, and academic. Brooks served as the 11th President of the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of twelve books, including ''Love Your Enemies'' (2019), The ''Co ...

, author *

Sherman Alexie Sherman Joseph Alexie Jr. (born October 7, 1966) is a Spokane- Coeur d'Alene-Native American novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and filmmaker. His writings draw on his experiences as an Indigenous American with ancestry from se ...

, author * David Eddings, author of '' The Belgariad'' and many other books *

Wilbur Crane Eveland Wilbur Crane "Bill" Eveland III (July 1, 1918 – January 2, 1990) was a World War II veteran, a CIA station chief, and critic of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. His autobiographical book, ''Ropes of Sand'' (1980), details the many fail ...

, served in various functions as secret agent for the USA in the Arab East *

Michael Gurian Michael Gurian is an American author and social philosopher. He works as a marriage and family counselor and corporate consultant. He has published twenty-eight books, several of which were ''New York Times'' bestseller list bestsellers. He is ...

, New York Times bestselling author of thirty-two books published in twenty-two languages * Quail Hawkins, bookseller and children's author * Bruce Holbert, author, Washington State Book Award winner *

Kenn Nesbitt Kenn Nesbitt (born February 20, 1962) is an American children's poet. On June 11, 2013, he was named Children's Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. He was the last one to receive this title before the Poetry Foundation changed its name to ...

, Children's Poet Laureate (2013–2015) *

Jack Nisbet Jack Nisbet is a teacher, naturalist, and writer who lives in Spokane, Washington with his wife and two children. He grew up in North Carolina, graduated from Stanford University, and moved to Stevens County, Washington, in 1971 where he wrote a co ...

, author of several books on explorer David Thompson * Shann Ray, author, American Book Award winner *

Rick Rydell Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...

, outdoor writer, worked at local radio stations as a

radio talk show Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...

host *

David Shannon David Shannon (born October 5, 1959) is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. Shannon grew up in Spokane, Washington. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design and now lives in Los Angeles. In 1998 he won the Caldecott ...

, author of '' No, David!'' and many other children's books *

Wayne Spitzer Wayne Kyle Spitzer (born July 15, 1966) is an American author and low-budget horror filmmaker from Spokane, Washington. He is the writer/director of the short horror film ''Shadows in the Garden'', as well as the author of ''Flashback'', a horro ...

, author and low-budget horror filmmaker * Terry Trueman, Printz Award winning author of Stuck in Neutral and numerous other young adult novels *

Shawn Vestal Shawn Vestal is an American author based in the state of Washington. He is best known for his collection of short stories, ''Godforsaken Idaho'', which earned him the PEN Robert W. Bingham Prize in 2014. He currently lives in Spokane where he is a ...

, author, Washington State Book Award winner and recipient of the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize *

Jess Walter Jess Walter (born July 20, 1965) is an American author of seven novels, two collections of short stories, and a non-fiction book. He is the recipient of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2006. Career Wal ...

, author, recipient of the 2006 Edgar Allan Poe Award

Chefs and restaurateurs

Sarah Minnick Sarah Minnick is a chef in Portland, Oregon, where she has operated the restaurants Lovely Hula Hands and Lovely's Fifty Fifty. Early life and education Sarah Minnick was born in Spokane, Washington and her family moved to Portland when she was ...

, chef owner at

Lovely Hula Hands Lovely Hula Hands was a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, operating from 2003 to 2009. Description and history The restaurant opened in 2003. ''The Oregonian'' Grant Butler said the original Lovely Hula Hands operated from a "painted-pink Old Portl ...

and Lovely's Fifty Fifty

Comedians

Julia Sweeney Julia Anne Sweeney (born October 10, 1959) is an American actress, comedian, and author, who gained fame as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1994. She played Mrs. Keeper in the film ''Stuart Little'' and voiced Brittany in ' ...

, actor and comedian (appeared on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

'') *

Tom McTigue Thomas McTigue (born 1959) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Harvey Miller on the 1990s television series ''Baywatch''. He made guest appearances on numerous television programs: ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' in 1991 as Ja ...

, actor and comedian, '' Baywatch'', '' Quantum Leap'', '' Boyhood'' * Kelsey Cook, stand up comedian

Convicted criminals

Kevin Coe Kevin Coe (born Frederick Harlan Coe on February 2, 1947http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=5347081&nav=menu484_2 KNDO) is an American convicted rapist from Spokane, Washington, often referred to in the news media as the South Hill Rapist. As of ...

, convicted "South Hill rapist" * Jack Owen Spillman, serial killer * Rollen Stewart, kidnapper *

Robert Lee Yates Robert Lee Yates Jr. (born May 27, 1952) is an American serial killer from Spokane, Washington. From 1975 to 1998, Yates is known to have murdered at least 11 women in Spokane. Yates also confessed to two murders committed in Walla Walla in 1975 ...

, serial killer

Film, stage and television industry

Rick Alverson Patrick James Alverson Jr. (born June 25, 1971) is an American film director, screenwriter and musician, living in Richmond, Virginia. His films have been characterized by their confrontational nature and departure from traditional 3 act structu ...

, film director *

Sophia Anne Caruso Sophia Anne Caruso (born July 11, 2001) is an American actress and singer best known for originating the role of Lydia Deetz in the Broadway musical ''Beetlejuice'', a role for which she won a Theatre World Award. She also portrays Sophie in ''T ...

, Broadway actress best known for playing Lydia Deetz in '' Beetlejuice: The Musical'' * Gary Frank, Emmy award-winning actor, known for playing Willie in the ABC series

Family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

. *

Russell Hodgkinson Russell Hodgkinson (Florida, August 14, 1959) is an American actor, known for his role in the Syfy television network series ''Z Nation'' as Steven "Doc" Beck. Personal life Hodgkinson was born on August 14, 1959 at Homestead Air Force Base in ...

, actor * Jim Ignatowski, The Reverend Jim "Iggy" Ignatowski, played by

Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...

, is a fictional character in the 1970s television series Taxi. *

Cheyenne Jackson Cheyenne David Jackson (born July 12, 1975) is an American actor and singer. His credits include leading roles in Broadway musicals and other stage roles, as well as film and television roles, concert singing, and music recordings. After beginni ...

, singer and actor, known for '' United 93'' *

Paul Johansson Paul Joseph Otto Johansson (born January 26, 1964) is an American-born Canadian actor and director in film and television, best known for playing Dan Scott on the WB/ CW series, ''One Tree Hill'', and for his role as Nick Wolfe on the short l ...

, actor, appeared in '' One Tree Hill'' *

Eric Johnston Eric Allen Johnston (December 21, 1896 – August 22, 1963) was a business owner, president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, a Republican Party activist, president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and a U.S. governme ...

, former head of the United States Chamber of Commerce, former president of the

Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...

, director of animated films, three-time

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

winner *

Neil LaBute Neil N. LaBute (born March 19, 1963) is an American playwright, film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is best-known for a play that he wrote and later adapted for film, ''In the Company of Men'' (1997), which won awards from the Sundance Fi ...

, film director/playwright *

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

, film director, known for '' Blue Velvet'' and ''

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on American Broadcasting Company, ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cance ...

'' *

Darren McGavin Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...

, actor, known for starring in '' Kolchak: the Night Stalker'' and ''

A Christmas Story ''A Christmas Story'' is a 1983 Christmas comedy film directed by Bob Clark and based on Jean Shepherd's semi-fictional anecdotes in his 1966 book '' In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash'', with some elements from his 1971 book ''Wanda Hickey's ...

'' *

John McIntire John Herrick McIntire (June 27, 1907 – January 30, 1991) was an American character actor who appeared in 65 theatrical films and many television series. McIntire is well known for having replaced Ward Bond, upon Bond's sudden death in Novem ...

, actor on ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...

'' and '' The Virginian'' *

Michele Morrow Michele Morrow (born March 19, 1978) is an American television presenter, host, actress, writer, producer and video game personality. She is the co-creator, executive producer and lead actor of the single camera sitcom, '' Good Game,'' a YouTube ...

, actress, appeared in '' Basement Jack'', ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, Wi ...

'', and ''

Alias Alias may refer to: * Pseudonym * Pen name * Nickname Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film * ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006 * ''Alias the ...

'' *

Craig T. Nelson Craig Theodore Nelson (born April 4, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Hayden Fox in the sitcom ''Coach'' (for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series), Deputy Ward Wilson in the 19 ...

, actor, star of television series ''

Coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

'' and '' Parenthood'', as well as the films ''

The Incredibles ''The Incredibles'' is a 2004 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah V ...

'' and ''

Poltergeist In ghostlore, a poltergeist ( or ; German for "rumbling ghost" or "noisy spirit") is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional descr ...

'' * Seena Owen, silent-film actress *

Gale Page Gale Page (born Sally Perkins Rutter July 29, 1910 – January 8, 1983) was an American singer and actress. Early life Page was the daughter of R.L. and Isabel (Gale) Rutter of Spokane. Her aunt and uncle were Elizabeth Gale Page and Mil ...

, actress, starred in '' Knute Rockne, All American'' with

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 ...

Patrick Page John Patrick Page (born April 27, 1962) is an American actor, low bass singer, and playwright. He originated the roles of Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in '' Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'', the Grinch in ''Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christma ...

, Tony-nominated actor best known as Hades in ''

Hadestown ''Hadestown'' is a musical with music, lyrics, and book by Anaïs Mitchell. It tells a version of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Eurydice, a young girl looking for something to eat, goes to work in a hellish industrial underworld ...

'' * Susan Peters, actress *

Matt Piedmont Matt Piedmont (born 1970) is an American film director and writer. Career At age 25 he secured a job as a writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', a position he held for six years, earning an Emmy in the process. Known for writing absurdist sketches ...

, film director and writer * Mariel Sheets, actress, known for '' The Peanuts Movie'' *

Trevor St. John Trevor Marshall St. John (born September 3, 1971) is an American actor. He portrayed Todd Manning/Victor Lord Jr. on the ABC daytime drama ''One Life to Live'', and has starred in various primetime shows and films. He is known for his performanc ...

, actor; known for his role on ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...

'' (graduated from

Whitworth University Whitworth University is a private, Christian university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Spokane, Washington. Founded in 1890, Whitworth enrolls nearly 3,000 students and offers more than 100 graduate and undergraduate ...

) *

, low-budget horror filmmaker * Hilary Swank, two-time Oscar-winning actress (father was stationed at

Fairchild Air Force Base Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base, located in the northwest United States in eastern Washington, approximately southwest of Spokane. The host unit at Fairchild is the 92nd Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW) assigned t ...

) *

Sydney Sweeney Sydney Bernice Sweeney (born September 12, 1997) is an American actress. She first gained attention for appearing in the television series ''Everything Sucks!'' (2018), ''The Handmaid's Tale'' (2018), and ''Sharp Objects'' (2018). In 2019, she w ...

, actress; best known for her role as Cassie Howard in

Euphoria Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...

Tongolele Yolanda Yvonne Montes Farrington (born January 3, 1932), better known by her stage-name Tongolele, is an American-Mexican dancer, actress and vedette. Early life Yolanda Yvonne Montes Farrington, was born in Spokane, Washington, United States, ...

, film and television actor * Sarah Truax, stage and film actress, Spokane resident from 1912 to 1927 *

Mary Ann Wilson Mary Ann Wilson (born July 25, 1936) is an American nurse and TV fitness instructor. Wilson is also the founder and host of the award-winning exercise show ''Sit and Be Fit'', which is broadcast on over 100 PBS television stations across the Unite ...

, American Nurse and TV Fitness Instructor *

Michael Winslow Michael Leslie Winslow (born September 6, 1958) is an American actor, comedian and beatboxer billed as The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects for his ability to make realistic sounds using only his voice. He is best known for his roles in all seven ''Po ...

, actor and comedian, known for ''

Police Academy A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or othe ...

'' *

Deanna Oliver Deanna Oliver (born September 27, 1952) is an American actress and writer. She hails from Spokane, Washington. Oliver performed the voice of Toaster in the film ''The Brave Little Toaster'' (1987) and its sequels. In addition, she was a writer o ...

, actress and writer, known for her role in The Brave Little Toaster and work with Animaniacs and Casper movie * Clifton James, film actor Cool Hand Luke * Troy Robertson, Reality Star best known as 'Troyzan' on CBS Survivor (American TV series) Survivor: One World , Survivor: Game Changers

Artists

Harold Balazs Harold Balazs (1928 – December 30, 2017) was an American sculptor and artist whose work has been featured in exhibits and public art installations throughout the Northwestern United States. He is known for creating large, abstract metal sculptu ...

, sculptor *

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli is a professional photographer, television host and world traveler. Dominic spent several months on assignment co-hosting the travel TV series Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled, Lonely Planet: Stressbuster, and photogr ...

, photographer/traveller *

Kenneth Callahan Kenneth Callahan (1905–1986) was an American painter and muralist who served as a catalyst for Northwest artists in the mid-20th century through his own painting, his work as assistant director and curator at the Seattle Art Museum, and his wr ...

, painter from the Northwest School *

Brian Crane Brian Crane is an American cartoonist who created ''Pickles'', a comic strip featuring a retired couple, Earl and Opal Pickles, their family, and their family pets, Muffin (cat) and Roscoe (dog). Crane was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, but was raise ...

, cartoonist *

Jerry Holkins Jerry Holkins (born Parkinson"Holkins is a combination of Holcomb (hers) and Parkinson (mine)." https://twitter.com/TychoBrahe/status/12073336701; February 6, 1976) is an American writer. He is the co-creator and writer of the webcomic '' Penny A ...

, writer for ''

Penny Arcade ''Penny Arcade'' is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website ''loonygames.com''. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have establish ...

'' *

Mike Krahulik Michael Krahulik (; born September 25, 1977) is an American artist for the webcomic '' Penny Arcade'' and co-founder with Jerry Holkins of Child's Play, a charity that organizes toy drives for children's hospitals. He goes by the online moniker ...

, artist for ''Penny Arcade'' *

Tom Kundig Tom Kundig (born 1954) is an American architect and principal in the Seattle-based firm Olson Kundig Architects. He has won numerous professional honors. In 2015, Princeton Architectural Press released ''Tom Kundig: Works'', a collection of Kun ...

, principal at

Olson Kundig Architects Olson Kundig, is an American architectural firm based in Seattle, run by architects Jim Olson and Tom Kundig. Founded by Olson in 1966, the firm’s work has grown to encompass museums, commercial and mixed-use design, exhibit design, interior des ...

* George Nakashima, furniture maker, entrepreneur * Clyfford Still, abstract-expressionist painter * Paula Mary Turnbull, welding nun

Journalists

Timothy Egan Timothy P. Egan (born November 8, 1954) is an American author, journalist and op-ed columnist for ''The New York Times'', writing from a liberal perspective. Egan has written nine books. His first, ''The Good Rain'', won the Pacific Northwest B ...

, journalist, winner of the

National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...

and the

Washington State Book Award The Washington State Book Awards is a literary awards program presented annually in recognition of notable books written by Washington authors in the previous year. The program was established in 1967 as the Governor's Writers Awards. Each year, u ...

Neil Everett Neil Everett Morfitt (born ) is an American sportscaster for ESPN. He is the co-anchor of the West Coast edition of '' SportsCenter'' alongside Stan Verrett. Early life and education Everett was born in Portland, Oregon and raised in Spokane, W ...

, journalist, ESPN SportsCenter anchor *

Julian Guthrie Julian Guthrie is an American journalist and author based in San Francisco, California, USA. Career Guthrie started her journalism career at the San Francisco Examiner, and after its merger, continued at the San Francisco Chronicle. She publish ...

, journalist and author based in San Francisco * Sue Herera, journalist, CNBC anchor *

Eric Johnson Eric Johnson may refer to: Music *Eric Johnson (guitarist) (born 1954) an American guitarist and recording artist * Eric D. Johnson (born 1976), member of multiple indie-rock bands including Fruit Bats, The Shins and Califone Politics * Eric Joh ...

, journalist, former sports director for KREM 2; weeknight news anchor for KOMO 4 * John Richards, journalist, radio personality, producer of ''The Morning Show'' and ''Audioasis'' on 90.3 FM KEXP Seattle *

, journalist, worked at local radio stations KJRB,

KZZU KZZU-FM (92.9 MHz 92.9 ZZU) is a commercial FM radio station in Spokane, Washington. The station airs an Adult Top 40 radio format which the station describes as "Today's Modern Hit Music". KZZU-FM is owned by Morgan Murphy Media, with the li ...

, and

KKZX KKZX (98.9 FM) is a classic rock radio station serving the Spokane, Washington area. The station offers up a steady diet of rock music hits from the 1960s to the early 1990s. In 2015, KKZX experimented with harder and more recent selections to t ...

as a

host

Musicians

* Jim Boyd, musician *

Cami Bradley Carmen Jane "Cami" Bradley (born May 26, 1988) is an American singer-songwriter and keyboardist from Spokane, Washington. Bradley gained fame in 2013 as a contestant on season eight of ''America's Got Talent'', during which she advanced to the ...

, ''

America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...

'' finalist and member of

The Sweeplings The Sweeplings is an American pop–folk duo comprising singer-songwriters Cami Bradley and Whitney Dean. The two musicians met in 2014 after Dean's wife saw Bradley perform during an episode of ''America's Got Talent'' and suggested that her h ...

* Keeley Brineman, musician and lead singer with Lord Mouse and the Kalypso Katz * Mike Clarke, member of the band

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

, singer/actor * Bob Crosby, bandleader and vocalist *

Andra Day Andra may refer to: People * Andra (singer) (born 1986), Romanian singer *Andra (musician), Zimbabwean-American musician * Andra Karpin (born 1979), Estonian footballer * Andra Neiburga (1957–2019), Latvian writer *Andra Day (born 1984), Amer ...

, singer-songwriter *

Paul D'Amour Paul D'Amour (born May 17, 1967) is an American musician and was the first bass guitarist for Tool. His bass sound is recognized by the aggressive picked tone he developed with his Chris Squire Signature Rickenbacker 4001CS, which can be heard ...

, former member of the band

Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

* Andy Gibson, singer-songwriter *

Theo Hakola 2022 Theo Hakola is a singer/songwriter/musician and novelist born (1954) and raised in Spokane, Washington USA. In 1978 he settled in Paris, France. He is of Finnish and Swedish descent. Books * ''Non romanesque'', nonfiction and photos publis ...

, singer/songwriter/musician *

Dan Hamilton Dan Hamilton is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama '' Holby City'', played by actor Adam Astill. He first appeared in the series thirteen episode "Blue Valentine", broadcast on 15 February 2011. Dan is a consultant orthopaedic s ...

, member of Surf band The Ventures,

Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds were a 1970s soft rock trio from Los Angeles. The original members were Dan Hamilton (guitar/lead vocal), Joe Frank Carollo (bass/vocal), and Tommy Reynolds (multi-instrumentalist/vocal), all of whom had previou ...

, and

The T-Bones The T-Bones were an American, Liberty Records recording group, existing from 1963 to 1966. The studio recordings of all of their albums but the last were done by American session musicians, The Wrecking Crew. They should not be confused with ...

. *

Thomas Hampson Thomas Walter Hampson (born June 28, 1955) is an American lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared world-wide in major opera houses and concert halls and made over 170 musical recordings. Hampson's operatic repertoire spans a range ...

, baritone *

Dan Hoerner Dan Hoerner (born May 13, 1969) is an American guitarist, vocalist and author. He is known for being the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the Seattle-based band Sunny Day Real Estate.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', ...

, lead guitarist and backup vocalist for the band Sunny Day Real Estate * Myles Kennedy, lead singer of the band Alter Bridge *

Keyboard Cat Keyboard Cat is a video-based internet meme. Its original form was a video made in 1984 by Charlie Schmidt of his cat Fatso seemingly playing a musical keyboard (though manipulated by Schmidt off-camera) to a cheery tune. While Schmidt had uplo ...

and his handler Charlie Schmidt, performer on a viral internet meme * Ryan Lewis, music producer; primarily with Macklemore * George Lynch, former member of the rock band

Dokken Dokken is an American glam metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. It split up in 1989 and reformed four years later. The band had several hit singles which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, such as " Alone Again", " In My Dreams", and " Burn ...

; member of Lynch Mob *

Chad Mitchell The Chad Mitchell Trio, later known as The Mitchell Trio, were an American vocal group who became known during the 1960s. They performed traditional folk songs and some of John Denver's early compositions. They were particularly notable for perf ...

, member of the Chad Mitchell Trio *

Craig Montoya Craig Aloysius Montoya (born September 14, 1970) is the bassist of Castella and Tri-Polar and former bassist of Everclear.

, former member of the band Everclear *

Matty Mullins Matty Mullins (born July 3, 1988) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist of the metalcore band Memphis May Fire. Life and career Matty Mullins was born on July 3, 1988, in Spokane, Washington. His father was a pastor. ...

, lead singer of the band

Memphis May Fire Memphis May Fire is an American metalcore band formed in Denton, Texas and currently signed to Rise Records. The band currently consists of lead guitarist Kellen McGregor, lead vocalist Matty Mullins, bassist Cory Elder, and drummer Jake Garla ...

Patrice Munsel Patrice Munsel (born Patrice Beverly Munsil; May 14, 1925 – August 4, 2016) was an American coloratura soprano. Nicknamed "Princess Pat", she was the youngest singer ever to star at the Metropolitan Opera. Early years An only child, Patrice ...

, former Metropolitan Opera star * Danny O'Keefe, singer-songwriter *

Eckart Preu Eckart Preu (born 24 August 1969) is an East German-born conductor. At the age of 10 he became a member, soloist and assistant conductor of the Boys Choir Dresdner Kreuzchor In Germany he earned a master's degree in Conducting from the Hochsch ...

, conductor of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra * Jimmy Rowles, jazz pianist * Ann Sandifur, composer * Scott Thompson, former member of the Canadian band Lillix *

Billy Tipton Billy Tipton (December 29, 1914 – January 21, 1989) was an American jazz musician, bandleader, and talent broker. Tipton lived and identified as a man for most of his adult life; after his death, friends and family were surprised to learn that ...

, jazz musician *

Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne (born Kenneth Wayne Spruell, November 13, 1944) is an American blues, boogie-woogie and jazz pianist, singer and songwriter. Music journalist, Jeff Johnson, writing in the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' stated, "There's no boogi ...

, boogie-woogie and blues-rock

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 ...

* Tyrone Wells, singer-songwriter * Merrill Womach,

undertaker A funeral director, also known as an undertaker (British English) or mortician (American English), is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as w ...

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

and

gospel singer Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

, founder of National Music Service *Charlie Butts - saxophone player, frontman o
Charlie Butts and The Filter Tips
*GrandMixer GMS - DJ/remixer for Tairrie B

Politicians

;Civic *

James Everett Chase James Everett Chase (March 29, 1914 – May 19, 1987) was an African American politician in Spokane, Washington. He was elected mayor in 1981 by a landslide 62 percent to 38 percent margin, and became the state's second African American mayor. Ea ...

, mayor of Spokane *

Jack Geraghty John Vincent "Jack" Geraghty, Jr. (born February 23, 1934) is an Irish American civic politician, journalist, and public relations consultant from Spokane, Washington. In 1964, he was elected to the Spokane County Board of Commissioners, while sim ...

, mayor of Spokane; former Spokane County Commissioner *

Dennis P. Hession Dennis P. Hession (born 1950, Salt Lake City, Utah) is an American attorney and adjunct professor of law at Gonzaga University School of Law, who was appointed mayor of Spokane, Washington for nearly two years. He became mayor pro tem on December ...

, mayor of Spokane * John Powers, mayor of Spokane * David H. Rodgers, mayor of Spokane * Ron Sims, former member of the King County Council; former King County Executive; former member of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development *

Jon Snyder Jon Snyder is a former member of the Spokane City Council. He was first elected in 2009. Snyder chaired the Public Safety Committee for the City of Spokane. Education and early life Snyder is a graduate of Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane. ...

, member of the Spokane City Council * John Talbott, mayor of Spokane *

Mary Verner Mary B. Verner (born August 13, 1956) is an American politician who served as the 42nd Mayor of Spokane, Washington from 2007 to 2011. Early life and education Originally from Fitzgerald, Georgia, Verner received a Bachelor of Arts degree in ...

, mayor of Spokane * James E. West, Washington State Senator and Spokane mayor ;Federal *

Ryan Crocker Ryan Clark Crocker (born June 19, 1949) is an American retired diplomat who served as a career ambassador within the United States Foreign Service and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He has served as United States Ambassador to ...

, U.S.

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

, former

U.S. Ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the President of the United States, president to serve as the country's diplomat, diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as Ambassador-at-large, ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

Tom Foley Thomas Stephen Foley (March 6, 1929 – October 18, 2013) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 49th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1989 to 1995. A member of the Democratic Party, Foley represent ...

, U.S. Congressman, former Democratic

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, Former US Ambassador to Japan *

, former head of the United States Chamber of Commerce, former president of the

Mike McKevitt James Douglas "Mike" McKevitt (October 26, 1928 – September 28, 2000) was a U.S. Representative from Colorado. Born in Spokane, Washington, McKevitt graduated from Grant High School in Sacramento, California. He received a B.A. from the Un ...

, U.S. Congressman for (1971–73) *

Cathy McMorris Rodgers Cathy Anne McMorris Rodgers (born May 22, 1969) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for , which encompasses the eastern third of the state and includes Spokane, the state's second-largest city. A Republican, McMorris Rodgers ...

, U.S. Congresswoman for (2005-present) *

George Nethercutt George Rector Nethercutt Jr. (born October 7, 1944) is an American lawyer, author, and politician. Nethercutt is the founder and chairman of The George Nethercutt Foundation. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representative ...

, former Republican U.S. Congressman, judge and attorney * Ron Sims, former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ;State *

Andy Billig Andrew Swire Billig (born May 1, 1968) is an American politician of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party and co-owner of the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team. On November 6, 2012, Billig was elected to the Washington St ...

, Washington State Senator * James M. Geraghty, Washington State Supreme Court Justice * Sam C. Guess, Washington State Senator * Samuel G. Havermale, early Spokane pioneer, minister and politician * Horace E. Houghton, Washington and Wisconsin state legislator, lawyer * James E. West, Washington State Senator and Spokane mayor *

Marcus Riccelli Marcus Michael Riccelli (born June 7, 1978) is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He is a member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 3rd district. Riccelli is a graduate of Mead High School in Spokane. He rec ...

, Washington State Representative

Science and technology

Michael P. Anderson Michael Phillip Anderson (December 25, 1959 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. Anderson and his six fellow crew members were killed in the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster when the craft disintegrat ...

, astronaut killed in the 2003 Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster *

Walter Houser Brattain Walter Houser Brattain (; February 10, 1902 – October 13, 1987) was an American physicist at Bell Labs who, along with fellow scientists John Bardeen and William Shockley, invented the point-contact transistor in December 1947. They shared t ...

, awarded the 1956

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

in Physics *

Robert Dirks Robert Dirks (May 29, 1978 – February 3, 2015) was an American chemist known for his theoretical and experimental work in DNA nanotechnology. Born in Thailand to a Thai Chinese mother and American father, he moved to Spokane, Washington at a y ...

, computational chemist killed in a 2015 train wreck in New York *

Dorothy M. Horstmann Dorothy Millicent Horstmann (July 2, 1911 – January 11, 2001) was an American epidemiologist, virologist, and pediatrician whose research on the spread of poliovirus in the human bloodstream helped set the stage for the development of the polio ...

, virologist, made important discoveries about

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

Anne McClain Anne Charlotte McClain (born June 7, 1979) is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, engineer and a NASA astronaut. Her call sign, "Annimal", dates back to her bruising rugby days; she also uses the call sign in her Twitter handle, AstroAnnimal ...

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

Astronaut, Flight Engineer for Expedition 58/59 to the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...

Wilder Graves Penfield Wilder Graves Penfield (January 26, 1891April 5, 1976) was an American Canadians, American-Physicians in Canada, Canadian neurosurgeon. He expanded brain surgery's methods and techniques, including mapping the functions of various regions of th ...

, American-born Canadian neurosurgeon who mapped out the functional areas of the cerebral cortex and pioneered groundbreaking research into epilepsy treatment * Irwin Rose, biologist awarded the 2004

in Chemistry

Sports

;Auto racing *

Chad Little Chad Little (born April 29, 1963) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He holds a degree in marketing from Washington State University and a J.D. degree from Gonzaga University. While attending Washington State University, ...

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 hi ...

race winner *

Tom Sneva Thomas E. Sneva (born June 1, 1948) is a retired American race car driver who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1983. He primarily raced in Indy cars, and was named to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. A former math teacher from Spokane ...

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 and IndyCar Series champion ;Baseball * Jeremy Affeldt,

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) pitcher for the

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 Yor ...

Ed Brandt Edward Arthur Brandt (February 17, 1905 – November 2, 1944) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1928 to 1938. He played for the Boston Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Brandt started his professional baseball career w ...

, MLB pitcher (1928–38) *

Ed Kirkpatrick Edgar Leon Kirkpatrick (October 8, 1944 – November 15, 2010) was an American professional baseball outfielder and catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1962 through 1977 for the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles / California Angel ...

, former MLB outfielder and catcher *

Andrew Kittredge Andrew Michael Kittredge (born March 17, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Amateur career Kittredge attended Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington. He was drafted out of ...

, pitcher for

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

Larry Koentopp Larry Koentopp (November 17, 1936 – January 12, 2019) was a college baseball head coach and Minor League Baseball executive. He was born in Spokane, Washington.Tyler Olson, pitcher for

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

Mike Redmond Michael Patrick Redmond (born May 5, 1971) is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager. He is currently the bench coach for the Colorado Rockies. He played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Florida Marlins, ...

, former MLB player for the Florida Marlins,

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

, and

; manager for the Marlins; (Gonzaga University graduate, 1993) *

Ryne Sandberg Ryne Dee Sandberg (born September 18, 1959), nicknamed "Ryno", is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies (19 ...

, 2005 inductee in the Baseball Hall of Fame, former second baseman for the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

, former MLB manager for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

Kevin Stocker Kevin Douglas Stocker (born February 13, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch hitter. Stocker played with the Philadelphia Phillies (1993–1997), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2000) and Anaheim Angels (2000). A ...

, former shortstop for the

, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Anaheim Angels; current analyst for the

Pac-12 Network The Pac-12 Network (P12N; also sometimes referred to as Pac-12 Networks) is an American sports-oriented digital cable and satellite television network owned by the Pac-12 Conference. The network's studio and production facilities are headquart ...

Christine Wren Christine Wren (born 1949) is an American former professional baseball umpire. She was the second woman to umpire professionally in organized baseball, and the first woman to work for a full baseball season. Wren completed three seasons as an ump, ...

, second female professional baseball umpire ;Basketball * Briann January, former

Arizona State Sun Devils The Arizona State Sun Devils are the athletic teams that represent Arizona State University. ASU has nine men's and eleven women's varsity teams competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member o ...

player; plays for the WNBA's

Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the 2000 season began. The team is owned ...

(

Lewis and Clark High School Lewis and Clark High School is a four-year public secondary school in Spokane, Washington, United States. Opened in 1912, it is located at 521 W. Fourth Ave. in the Cliff/Cannon neighborhood of downtown Spokane, bounded by I-90 to the north and ...

graduate, 2005) * Adam Morrison, former Gonzaga player, former 2005–2006 first-team All-American,

Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populous ...

and

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

basketball player (Mead High School graduate, 2003) * John Stockton, NBA Hall of Fame former

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...

for the Utah Jazz *

Wayne Tinkle Wayne Francis Tinkle II (born January 26, 1966) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the Oregon State Beavers men's team of the Pac-12 Conference. Prior to his arrival in Corvallis in 2014, he was the head coach for ...

, player for the Montana Grizzlies (Ferris High School graduate, 1984); currently head coach for the

Oregon State Beavers The Oregon State Beavers are the athletic teams that represent Oregon State University, located in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I ( Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for c ...

;Billiards * Dorothy Wise, member of Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame ;Boxing * Chauncy Welliver, professional boxer ;Hockey * Patrick Dwyer, Spokane native who last played for the NHL's

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...

* Tyler Johnson, former Spokane Chiefs player and 2008 Memorial Cup winner plus back-to-back Stanley Cup winner with the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...

Derek Ryan Derek Ryan may refer to: *Derek Ryan (ice hockey) (born 1986), American ice hockey player *Derek Ryan (squash player) (born 1969), Republic of Ireland squash player *Derek Ryan (singer) Derek Ryan (born 24 August 1983 in Garryhill, County Car ...

, Spokane native currently playing for NHL's

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

* Kailer Yamamoto, Spokane native currently playing for NHL's

Seattle Kraken The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and began play during the league's 2021–22 season. ...

;Extreme sports *

Jess Roskelley Jess Fenton Roskelley (July 13, 1982 – April 16, 2019) was an American mountaineer. On May 21, 2003, at age twenty, he became the youngest American to reach the summit of Mount Everest. He died in an avalanche while climbing on Howse Peak ...

, youngest American (at the time) to climb

Mount Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...

* Eric Uptagrafft, sport shooter ;Football *

Bob Bellinger Robert Herkimer Bellinger (January 20, 1913 – August 27, 1955) was an American football guard who played two seasons with the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Seattle Preparatory School and played college foot ...

, football player *

Erik Coleman Erik James Coleman (born May 6, 1982) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft and also played for the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Li ...

, former

Washington State Cougars The Washington State Cougars (known informally as the Cougs) are the athletic teams that represent Washington State University. Located in Pullman, Washington, WSU is a member of the Pac-12 Conference in NCAA Division I. The athletic program co ...

football player, former player for the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

and

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

(

graduate, 2000) * Joe Danelo, former kicker for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

, the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

, and the

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

(graduated from WSU and Gonzaga Prep 1971) * Will Davis, former defensive back for the

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 pla ...

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...

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 ...

, and

Salt Lake Stallions The Salt Lake Stallions were a professional American football franchise based in Salt Lake City, and one of the eight members of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which began play in February 2019. The Stallions were the northernmost team in ...

of the AAF * Steve Emtman, 1992

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

No. 1 draft pick, former defensive lineman 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 ...

Steve Gleason Stephen Michael "Steve" Gleason (born March 19, 1977) is a former professional American football Safety (gridiron football position), safety with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Originally signed by the Indianapolis ...

former special teams player for the

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 a graduate of WSU and Gonzaga Prep. *

Jason Hanson Jason Hanson (born June 17, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a kicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Washi ...

, former kicker with the

Max Krause Max Joseph Krause (April 5, 1909 – July 11, 1984) was an American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. High school career Krause played high school football at Gonzaga ...

, running back for the New York Giants and Washington Redskins *

Dan Lynch Daniel Lynch (born June 21, 1962) is a former college and professional American football offensive guard; he attended Washington State University; he was inducted to their athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. Lynch went on to a career in the venture ca ...

, first team All-American for

Washington State University Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant unive ...

(Lewis & Clark High School graduate 1980) * Steve Parker, former NFL defensive end for the

Mark Rypien Mark Robert Rypien (born October 2, 1962) is a Canadian-born former American football quarterback who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Washington State and was drafted by the Washington Redsk ...

, former quarterback for the

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 ...

; Most Valuable Player of 1991

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...

; Shadle Park High School, Washington State University *

Bishop Sankey Bishop Sankey (born September 15, 1992) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Sankey played college football at Washington. After starting 12 games over tw ...

, former NFL running back for the Tennessee Titans (attended Gonzaga Preparatory School) *

Cory Withrow Cory Withrow (born April 5, 1975, in Spokane, Washington) is a former American football center in the National Football League. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Washington St ...

, former NFL center for the

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arri ...

John Yarno John Richard Yarno, Jr. (born December 17, 1954) is a former professional football player, an offensive lineman with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the Seahawks, ...

, former NFL offensive lineman (attended Gonzaga Preparatory School and Ferris High School) ;Mixed martial arts * Michael Chiesa, Ultimate Fighter winner and current UFC lightweight * Julianna Peña, Ultimate Fighter winner and current UFC women's bantamweight champion * Sam Sicilia, Ultimate Fighter alumnus and former UFC featherweight *Brady Hiestand, Ultimate Fighter finalist and current UFC bantamweight ;Rowing *

Joe Rantz Joseph Harry Rantz (March 31, 1914 – September 10, 2007) was an American rower who won Olympic gold in the men's eight at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Early life Born in Spokane, Washington, Joe Rantz had a harsh childhood in Boulder City, ...

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

gold medal winner in the eights competition ;Soccer * Amy LePeilbet, professional player for Boston Breakers; vice world champion ;Tennis *

Jan-Michael Gambill Jan-Michael Charles Gambill (born June 3, 1977) is an American former professional tennis player who made his professional debut in 1996. His career-high singles ranking is world No. 14, which he achieved on June 18, 2001. Best known for his unu ...

, professional player ;Track and field * Madonna Buder, 75-year-old Catholic nun and oldest Hawaii Ironman Triathlete competitor * Helga Estby, walked across the United States in 1896 * Fortune Gordien, Olympic silver and bronze medalist in discus throw *

Gerry Lindgren Gerald "Gerry" Paul Lindgren (born March 9, 1946) is an American track and field runner who set many long-standing high school and national records in the United States. In 1965, Lindgren and Billy Mills both broke the world record for the six-mi ...

, runner, won 11 NCAA championships at

(attended

John R. Rogers High School John R. Rogers High School is a four-year public secondary school in Bemiss, Spokane, Bemiss, Spokane, Washington, part of Spokane Public Schools (District No. 81). Opened in 1932 in northeast Spokane, the school is named after John Rankin Roge ...

) * Brad Walker, American record holder and two-time world champion in the

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...

( University High School graduate)

Early Spokane notable residents

Joe Albi Joseph Aloysius Albi (October 5, 1892 – May 8, 1962) was an American attorney and civic leader in Spokane, Washington. Early years Born in Spokane, he was the son of Garibaldi and Louise (Ottoboni) Albi, immigrants from Italy who arrived in t ...

, attorney and civic leader *

Kirtland Cutter Kirtland Kelsey Cutter (August 20, 1860 – September 26, 1939) was a 20th-century architect in the Pacific Northwest and California. He was born in East Rockport, Ohio, the great-grandson of Jared Potter Kirtland. He studied painting and illus ...

, architect, known for his work in Spokane, including the Davenport Hotel *

Sonora Smart Dodd Sonora Smart Dodd (February 18, 1882 – March 22, 1978) was the daughter of American Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, and was responsible for the founding of Father's Day. Early life Sonora Louise Smart was born in Jenny Lind, Sebastia ...

, successfully campaigned for the establishment of Father's Day * Helga Estby, Norwegian-American resident of the Spokane area; in 1896 walked across America from Spokane to New York City *

James Geraghty James Leo Geraghty (1896 – 27 June 1960) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1941 until 1953. He was a member of the Labor Party (ALP) until 1950 and then sat as an Independent Labor ...

, Spokane City Corporate Counsel *

Alice Houghton Alice Houghton (, Ide; after first marriage, Houghton; after second marriage, Brownlee; August 18, 1849 – August 19, 1920) was a Canadian-born American broker and Woman's club movement in the United States, clubwoman. In her era, she had the dis ...

, broker * Henry John Kaiser, American industrialist ;Native Americans *

Chief Garry Spokane Garry (sometimes spelled Spokan Garry, Spokane: Slough-Keetcha) ( 1811 – 1892) was a Native American leader of the Middle Spokane tribe. He also acted as a liaison between white settlers and American Indian tribes in the area which is no ...

, one of the Spokane tribes' most prominent and influential leaders during the shift from indigenous to European-American control of their land ;Military * John Babcock, last Canadian veteran of World War I * Col. David P. Jenkins, Civil War Colonel, Spokane homesteader, and philanthropist

Crime

Keith Hunter Jesperson Keith Hunter Jesperson (born April 6, 1955) is a Canadian-American serial killer who murdered at least eight women in the United States during the early 1990s. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many lett ...

, serial killer *

, serial killer
William H Parks III
serial killer

Other

Jimmy Marks Jimmy Marks (February 14, 1945 – June 27, 2007) was a Romani American who lived in Spokane, Washington. He referred to himself as a "Rom". Marks became widely known in 1986 when the Spokane police department raided his home, performed searches, ...

, Romani American who sued Spokane

References

{{Spokane Spokane