This is a list of notable people born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

and its surrounding

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

Politics

John Ashcroft John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942) is an American lawyer, lobbyist and former politician who served as the 79th U.S. Attorney General in the George W. Bush administration from 2001 to 2005. A former U.S. Senator from Missouri and the 50th ...

, former

United States attorney general The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

Matt Blunt Matthew Roy Blunt (born November 20, 1970) is an American former naval officer and politician who served as the List of governors of Missouri, 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in ...

, former

governor of Missouri A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...

* Melanie Blunt, former first lady of Missouri *

Roy Blunt Roy Dean Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator for Missouri, a seat he was first elected to in 2010. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 33rd Missouri Sec ...

, U.S. senator * Dennis Bonner, Missouri state legislator *

Sempronius H. Boyd Sempronius Hamilton Boyd (May 28, 1828 – June 22, 1894) was a nineteenth-century politician, lawyer, judge and teacher from Missouri. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri and United States minister ...

, former U.S. representative and minister of the United States to Siam * Miller Dunckel, former

Michigan State Treasurer The State Treasurer of Michigan functions as the chief financial officer for the U.S. state of Michigan. The State Treasurer oversees the collection, investment, and disbursement of all state monies, and also administers major tax laws, safegua ...

* James McBride, former minister of the United States to Hawaii * Karen L. Williams, current

United States Ambassador to Suriname The following is a list of ambassadors that the United States has sent to Suriname. The current title given by the United States State Department to this position is Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. See also * Surinam ...

Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American ar ...

, former U.S. representative * Mark A. Ediger, former

Surgeon General of the United States Air Force The surgeon general of the Air Force and Space Force is the senior-most Medical Service officer in the United States Department of the Air Force and thus serves as surgeon general for both the United States Air Force and United States Space Forc ...

Johnny Ellis Johnny Ellis (March 13, 1960 – February 9, 2022) was an American politician who served as a member of the Alaska Senate from 1992 to 2017. He was previously a member of the Alaska House of Representatives from 1986 through 1992. Early life an ...

, Alaska state legislator *

Scott Fitzpatrick Scott Fitzpatrick (born September 28, 1987) is an American politician serving as the State Auditor of Missouri following the 2022 election. He previously served as Missouri State Treasurer. He represented Missouri's 158th District in the Missour ...

State Treasurer of Missouri State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * '' State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our ...

* M. Douglas Harpool,

United States District Judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...

* Gilbert H. Jertberg,

United States Circuit Judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. Cou ...

Jim Keet James Holland Keet (born May 12, 1949), is an American restaurateur and politician in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives and Arkansas Senate. Keet was the Republican nominee for governor of Arkansa ...

(born 1949), former member of both houses of the

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

legislature; the 2010

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

gubernatorial A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...

nominee in Arkansas * Margaret Kelly, former Missouri state auditor, Missouri republican gubernatorial nominee *

Billy Long William Hollis Long II (born August 11, 1955) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Missouri's 7th congressional district since 2011. The district includes much of the southwestern quadrant of the state and is a ...

, former U.S. representative * Duard Marshall, painter, lithographer, and student of Thomas Hart Benton *

Roscoe C. Patterson Roscoe Conkling Patterson (September 15, 1876October 22, 1954) was an American lawyer from Missouri. He was most notable for his service as a United States representative (1921–1923) and a U.S. Senator (1929–1935). Early life Patterson was b ...

, former U.S. senator and representative * William C. Price, former

Treasurer of the United States The treasurer of the United States is an officer in the United States Department of the Treasury who serves as custodian and trustee of the federal government's collateral assets and the supervisor of the department's currency and coinage produc ...

Crystal Quade Crystal Quade (born 1985/1986) is an American politician who serves as a Democrat in the Missouri House of Representatives. She currently serves as the House Minority Leader. Early life Quade was the first person in her immediate family to gradua ...

, minority leader,

Missouri House of Representatives The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

* Betsy Fogle, member of the Missouri House of Representatives *

Alex Riley Kevin Robert Kiley Jr. (born April 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler and commentator best known for his time with WWE under the ring name Alex Riley. He was a participant in the second season of ''NXT''. Professional wrestling c ...

, member of the Missouri House of Representatives File:Matt Blunt.jpg,

File:Roy Blunt, Official Portrait, 112th Congress.jpg,

File:John Ashcroft.jpg,

Arts, literature, humanities and entertainment

* Lennie Aleshire, vaudeville and country music performer * Jerry L. Atwood, chemist *

Bob Barker Robert William Barker (born December 12, 1923) is an American retired television game show host. He is known for hosting CBS's ''The Price Is Right'' from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American televis ...

, game show host (''

The Price is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is a television game show franchise created by Bob Stewart, originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; currently it is produced and owned by Fremantle. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also inc ...

'') * Julie Blackmon, photographer * Aaron Buerge, star of

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's The Bachelor, season 2 *

Kristi Capel Kristi Marie Capel (born July 7, 1983) is a television newscaster from Springfield, Missouri. Pageants and education Capel is a native of Florence, Kentucky who later moved to Missouri. She competed in the Miss Missouri USA pageant in late 2005 a ...

Miss Missouri Miss (pronounced ) is an English language honorific typically used for a girl, for an unmarried woman (when not using another title such as "Doctor" or "Dame"), or for a married woman retaining her maiden name. Originating in the 17th century, it ...

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, anchor for WJW in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

* Kim Crosby,

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

performer *

Ian Eskelin Ian Eskelin (born October 17, 1969), is a record producer, songwriter, solo artist, and founding member and lead singer of the Grammy-nominated Christian rock band All Star United, and president of recording and publishing company Radiate Music ...

, lead singer of

All Star United ''All Star United'' is a Christian rock band that was formed by solo artist Ian Eskelin in 1996. The band is known for clever and sometimes sarcastic lyrics, as they frequently use their songs as vehicles to lampoon perceived excesses in Western ...

Ralph D. Foster Ralph David Foster (April 25, 1893 – August 11, 1984) was an American broadcasting executive and philanthropist who created the framework for Springfield, Missouri, to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as the nation's country music capital duri ...

, broadcasting pioneer *

William Garwood William Davis Garwood, Jr. (April 28, 1884 – December 28, 1950) was an American stage and film actor and director of the early silent film era in the 1910s. Between 1911 and 1913, Garwood starred in a number of early adaptions of popula ...

, actor *

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the ABC comedy series '' Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he received a Golden Globe Award, an ...

, actor (born in

Affton Affton is a census-designated place (CDP) in south St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, near St. Louis. The population was 20,417 at the 2020 United States Census. Geography Affton is located at 38°33'4" North, 90°19'25" West (38.551052 ...

and attended

Missouri State University Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...

) *

Lucas Grabeel Lucas Stephen Grabeel ( ; born November 23, 1984) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006–2008). His other film appearances include '' Hallowee ...

, actor, singer (''

High School Musical ''High School Musical'' is a 2006 American musical television film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Peter Barsocchini. The 63rd Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) and first installment of the ''High School Musical'' film series, th ...

'',

High School Musical 2 ''High School Musical 2'' is a 2007 American musical television film written by Peter Barsocchini and directed by Kenny Ortega. The 70th Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), it is the sequel to ''High School Musical'' (2006) and the second insta ...

, and High School Musical 3: Senior Year) *

Sara Groves Sara Groves (born Sara Lee Colbaugh, September 10, 1972) is an American contemporary Christian singer, record producer, and author. Groves received her Bachelor of Science degree in history and English in 1994 from Evangel University, a private ...

, Christian contemporary recording artist *

Tess Harper Tessie Jean Harper (''née'' Washam; born August 15, 1950) is an American actress. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her first film role in 1983's ''Tender Mercies'', and for the Academy Award for Be ...

, actress (graduated from

) * David L. Harrison, children's author and poet *

Speedy Haworth Herschel Haworth Jr. (May 16, 1922 – February 26, 2008), better known as Speedy Haworth, was an American guitarist and singer who was involved with the golden age of country music broadcasting in the Ozarks. He was a featured cast member ...

, guitarist and singer *

Grace Hayes Grace Hayes (August 3, 1895 – February 1, 1989) was an American actress, singer, vaudeville entertainer and nightclub owner. Hayes owned the Grace Hayes Lodge in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California, and later the Las Vegas ...

, actress *

Joe Haymes Joseph Lawrence Haymes (February 10, 1907 – July 10, 1964) was an American jazz bandleader and arranger. Life and career Born in Marshfield, Missouri, United States, Haymes relocated with his family to Springfield, Missouri, after his railroade ...

, swing era bandleader-arranger (born in Marshfield; grew up and began his band in Springfield) *

Josh Heinrichs Josh Heinrichs is an American reggae singer/songwriter who was the former lead singer of internationally known indie reggae band, Jah Roots and current owner/operator of indie reggae record label, GanJah Records. Since leaving the band in 2008, ...

, reggae singer * Juto, singer *

Melissa Hutchison Melissa Hutchison is an American voice actress, who is well known for her voice role as Clementine in '' The Walking Dead'' and its sequels, for which she won ''Best Performance by a Female'' at the 2013 Spike Video Game Awards and was nominated ...

, two time BAFTA nominee *

Virginia Hunter Virginia Hunter (née Reed; February 17, 1920 – March 23, 2012) was an American model and actress. She appeared in over 20 films during the 1940s. Early years Hunter was the daughter of Freeman A. Reed. Hunter grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, bef ...

, actress *

Jay Kenneth Johnson Jay Kenneth Johnson (born February 24, 1977) is an American actor from Springfield, Missouri. He began his career in 1999 when he was cast as Philip Kiriakis on the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. Early life Johnson was born to parents J ...

, actor (

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

) *

The Jordanaires The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vocal ...

, singing group *

David Kershenbaum David Kershenbaum is an American record producer and entrepreneur, born in Springfield, Missouri. He has worked with many artists including Duran Duran, Tracy Chapman, Joe Jackson, Laura Branigan, Bryan Adams, Supertramp, Cat Stevens, Elkie Br ...

, record producer *

King's X King's X is an American rock band that originated in 1979 in Springfield, Missouri. They were first called The Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact for m ...

, musical group *

Chandler Lawson Chandler Lawson (born January 14, 1990) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Tullahoma, Tennessee who was named Miss Tennessee 2012. Biography Lawson was born in Springfield, Missouri, but grew up in Tullahoma, Tennessee. She won the ti ...

, beauty pageant titleholder,

Miss Tennessee The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss America Scholarship Competition. Lauren Dickson of Parsons was crowned Miss Tennessee 2022 on June 25, 2022 at the Cannon Center ...

2012 *

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only ...

, singer (moved to Springfield in 1956 at age 11) *

Jim Lowe James Ellsworth Lowe (May 7, 1923 – December 12, 2016) was an American singer-songwriter, best known for his 1956 number-one hit song, " The Green Door". He also served as a disc jockey and radio host and personality, and was considered ...

, country music singer *

Robin Luke Robin Luke (born 20 March 1942, Los Angeles, California, United States) is an American rock and roll singing, singer who is best known for his 1958 song, "Susie Darlin'". He later worked as a University professor in Marketing. Luke has been enshrin ...

, musician *

The Marksmen The Foggy River Boys was the name of two related American male singing quartets from southern Missouri specializing in Southern gospel, spiritual, and country music in the 1940s and 1950s. 1940s group The original Foggy River Boys traced their li ...

, singing quartet (originally The Foggy River Boys) *

Mariann Mayberry Mariann Mayberry (May 25, 1965 – August 1, 2017) was an American television and stage actress. Biography In 1993, Mayberry became an ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois. While at Steppenwolf, she was nomin ...

, actress *

Crystal Methyd Crystal Methyd (born 16 April 1991) is the stage name of Cody D. Harness, an American drag performer who competed on the twelfth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''. Her name refers to crystal meth. Early life and education Harness was born on Apr ...

, drag queen, runner-up on season twelve of

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...

* Daya Betty, drag queen, contestant on season fourteen of

Chappell Roan Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, known professionally as Chappell Roan (born February 19, 1998) is an American singer and songwriter. A pop music artist, she writes most of her own songs and has described her style as "dark pop with ballad undertones." Wh ...

, Singer/Songwriter *

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are an American rock band formed in 1972 in Springfield, Missouri. They are most widely known for their singles " If You Wanna Get to Heaven" in 1974 and "Jackie Blue" in 1975. Bassist Michael "Supe" Granda has al ...

, musical group *

The Philharmonics The Philharmonics were a versatile African-American vocal quintet from Springfield, Missouri who became successful despite origins in a then-racially-intolerant town and era. They were at their peak in the 1950s and performed across the United Sta ...

, singing quintet *

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...

, actor, *

Mary Ellen Ray Mary Ellen Ray (3 January 1931 – 10 September 2004) was an American-born actress who had a career in the United Kingdom. Early life She was born as Mary Ellen McPherson in Springfield, Missouri in 1931 to 17 year-old Hayzle McPherson and ...

, actress *

Jake Wesley Rogers Jake Wesley Rogers is an American pop musician and songwriter. Early life Rogers grew up in Ozark, Missouri, where he learned to play the guitar at age 6 and began playing piano and voice training at age 12. Rogers began performing in theater p ...

, singer * Artie Romero, cartoonist, animator *

Jah Roots Jah Roots were a reggae band from Springfield, Missouri. The band was active from 2001 to 2009. They released several albums under the independent label GanJah Records, with a local and international following. Jah Roots broke up in 2009. Since t ...

, reggae band *

Ronnie Self Ronnie Self (July 5, 1938 – August 28, 1981) was an American rockabilly singer and songwriter. His solo career was unsuccessful, despite being signed to contracts with Columbia and then Decca from the late 1950s through the early 1960s. Hi ...

, singer/songwriter *

Scott Siman Scott Foster Siman (born July 22, 1954) is a leading American country music entertainment executive based in Nashville, Tennessee. He oversaw the rise of country music superstar Tim McGraw and the launch of Dancing With the Stars celebrity Ju ...

, music producer and executive *

Si Siman Si Siman (born Ely E. Siman Jr.; January 17, 1921 – December 16, 1994) was an American country music executive as a radio producer, talent agent, songwriter, record producer, television producer and music publisher who helped transform the ...

, music producer and broadcast executive *

Cailee Spaeny Cailee Spaeny (; born July 24, 1998) is an American actress. Her first major role was in the science fiction action film ''Pacific Rim Uprising'' (2018), which was followed by appearances in ''Bad Times at the El Royale'', ''On the Basis of Sex' ...

, actress (

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...

On the Basis of Sex ''On the Basis of Sex'' is a 2018 American biographical legal drama film based on the life and early cases of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was the second woman to serve as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Directed by Mimi Lede ...

) *

Speakeasy A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illicit establishment that sells alcoholic beverages, or a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies. Speakeasy bars came into prominence in the United States d ...

, rock and roll band *

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (SSLYBY) is an American indie pop band from Springfield, Missouri. They are named after Boris Yeltsin, the first President of Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Their first full-length album, ''Bro ...

, musical group *

Heidi Strobel Colbert Michael Hamels (born December 27, 1983), nicknamed "Hollywood", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (2006–2015), Texas Rangers ( ...

, Survivor contestant *

Terre Thaemlitz Terre Thaemlitz is a musician, public speaker, and owner of the record label Comatonse Recordings. Thaemlitz's work critically combines themes of identity politics – including gender, sexuality, class, linguistics, ethnicity and race – with an ...

, musician, cultural producer *

Marissa Whitley Marissa Whitley (born January 11, 1983) is a former Miss Teen USA, having won the 2001 title representing the state of Missouri. Born in Los Angeles, California, to an African-American father and European-American mother. The youngest of four, Ma ...

Miss Teen USA 2001 Miss Teen USA 2001, the 19th Miss Teen USA pageant, was televised live from South Padre Convention Island Center, South Padre Island, Texas on 22 August 2001. At the conclusion of the final competition, Marissa Whitley of Missouri was crowned ...

Tony Tost Tony Tost (born 1975) is an American film director, poet, critic and screenwriter. His first poetry book ''Invisible Bride'' won the 2003 Walt Whitman Award judged by C.D. Wright. He is the creator, executive producer, and showrunner of ''Damnati ...

, poet *

Kathleen Turner Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards. Turner became widely k ...

, actress, two time

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

winner *

Speedy West Wesley Webb West (January 25, 1924 – November 15, 2003), better known as Speedy West, was an American pedal steel guitarist and record producer. He frequently played with Jimmy Bryant, both in their own duo and as part of the regular Capitol ...

, steel guitarist and record producer *

Robert Westenberg Robert Westenberg (born October 26, 1953) is an American stage actor, acting teacher and professor. He appeared on Broadway in ''Sunday in the Park with George'', ''Les Misérables'', ''Into the Woods'', and ''The Secret Garden'', as well as sev ...

, Broadway performer *

Tom Whitlock Thomas Ross Whitlock (Springfield, Missouri, 1954) is an American songwriter and musician, best known for his Academy Award-and Golden Globe-winning song "Take My Breath Away", from the film ''Top Gun'', which he co-wrote with Giorgio Moroder. C ...

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 for

Best Original Song This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

Take My Breath Away "Take My Breath Away" is a song written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the 1986 film ''Top Gun'', performed by American new wave band Berlin. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best ...

Adrienne Wilkinson Adrienne Wilkinson is an American actress. She is known for playing Eve, the daughter of Xena in the TV series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' in the fifth and sixth seasons. She has appeared in numerous television series such as ''Angel,'' '' Charm ...

, actress (graduated from Kickapoo High School) *

Slim Wilson Clyde Carol Wilson (July 14, 1910 – July 15, 1990), better known as Slim Wilson, was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and radio and TV personality who was a cornerstone of country music in the Ozarks for more than 50 years beginning ...

, musician, radio and TV personality * Daniel Woodrell, author *

Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...

, music composer, (lived in Springfield from 1940 to 1943) File:Bob Barker at WWE crop.jpg,

File:Lucas Grabeel 2016.png,

File:Brad Pitt Cannes.jpg,

File:Kathleen Turner (8689689518) cropped.jpg,

File:Melissa Hutchison by Gage Skidmore.jpg,

File:Cailee Spaeny (30598174127) (cropped).jpg,

Sports

Jaelon Acklin Jaelon Acklin (born August 10, 1995) is an American professional Canadian football wide receiver for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Western Illinois. Acklin has also been a member of the ...

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

player,

Ottawa Redblacks The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) ( French: Le Rouge et Noir d'Ottawa) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Startin ...

Scott Bailes Scott Alan Bailes (born December 18, 1961) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who pitched for three teams during a nine-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career. Career During his youth, he moved to Missouri, and participated in L ...

, MLB pitcher in 1980s and 1990s; color commentator for

Springfield Cardinals The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They compete as a member of the Texas League's North Division. The Cardinals began play in 2005. The team is owned by the 11-time Major League Baseball ...

Eddie Carnett Edwin Elliott Carnett (October 21, 1916 – November 4, 2016) was an American left fielder and pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three different teams from 1941 to 1945. Listed at , , he batted and threw left-handed. He was born ...

, MLB pitcher in 1940s * Dean Deetz, MLB player,

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

Lori Endicott Lori Ann Endicott (born August 1, 1967, in Kansas City, Missouri) is a retired female volleyball player from the United States. She played for the University of Nebraska and then for the United States national team, winning a bronze medal at th ...

Atlanta 1996 The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

Olympic volleyball player *

BJ Flores Benjamin "BJ" Flores (born January 29, 1979) is an American former professional boxer and a current boxing trainer. He challenged once for the WBC cruiserweight world title in 2016, and twice for interim world titles at cruiserweight and heavyw ...

, boxer *

Courtney Frerichs Courtney Frerichs (born January 18, 1993) is an American middle-distance runner and steeplechase specialist from Nixa, Missouri, She is a three-time silver medalist in the 3000 meters steeplechase capturing silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Game ...

Rio 2016 The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

and

Tokyo 2020 The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

track and field *

Gracie Gold Grace Elizabeth Gold (born August 17, 1995), known as Gracie Gold, is an American figure skater. She is a 2014 Olympic team event bronze medalist, the 2014 NHK Trophy champion, the 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard champion, and a two-time U.S. nati ...

Sochi 2014 , ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'') , nations = 88 , events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , athletes = 2,873 , opening = 7 February 2014 , closing = 23 February 2014 , opened_by = President Vladimir Putin , cauldron = , stadium = Fisht Olympic ...

Olympic figure skater, 2014 and 2016 U.S. champion *

Dorial Green-Beckham Dorial Isaiah Green-Beckham (born April 12, 1993) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft and played college football at Missouri until he was dismissed fro ...

, NFL player, 2015

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

, 2016

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

Lucas Harrell Lucas William Bradley Harrell (born June 3, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, and Toronto Blue Jays. ...

, MLB player,

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

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the s ...

Mexico City 1968 The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

Munich 1972 The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

Montreal 1976 Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...

cycalist *

Ryan Howard Ryan James Howard (born November 19, 1979), nicknamed "the Big Piece", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Howard spent his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing for the Philadelphia Phillies, from to . He is ...

, MLB player, 2005

NL Rookie of the Year In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL), as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The aw ...

, 2006 Home Run Derby champion, 2006 NL Most Valuable Player *

Jack Jewsbury Jack Jewsbury (born April 13, 1981) is a retired American soccer player who played primarily as a midfielder. Upon his retirement in 2016, Jewsbury was one of ten players to have appeared in more than 350 matches in Major League Soccer. Career Y ...

, MLS player for

Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at P ...

Jerry Jones Jerral Wayne Jones (born October 13, 1942) is an American businessman who has been the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) since February 1989. Early life Jones was born in Los Ange ...

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

owner; worked in Springfield with father Pat Jones at insurance company Modern Security Life in 1960s *

Josh Kinney Joshua Thomas "Josh" Kinney (born March 31, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners. He threw a slider, four-seam fastb ...

, first Springfield Cardinal (AA) to make MLB

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

roster *

Stan Musial Stanley Frank Musial (; born Stanislaw Franciszek Musial; November 21, 1920 – January 19, 2013), nicknamed "Stan the Man", was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman. Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consis ...

, Hall of Fame baseball player for

, played for original

in late 1930s *

Larry Nemmers Larry Nemmers (born July 12, 1943) is a retired educator and better known as a former American football official in the National Football League (NFL). Nemmers made his debut as an NFL official in the 1985 season and continued in this role until ...

, NFL referee *

Mickey Owen Arnold Malcolm "Mickey" Owen (April 4, 1916 – July 13, 2005) was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played as a catcher for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between and for the St. Louis Cardinals, Brookly ...

, MLB player * Robin Partch, Grenoble 1968 luger *

Dave Patterson David Glenn Patterson (born July 25, 1956) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who made 36 relief appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers in its 1979 season. Listed at 6' 0", 170 lb., Patterson batted and threw right handed. He was bo ...

, MLB player,

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

* Jason Pyrah,

and

Sydney 2000 The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

Olympic 1500m runner * Steve Rogers, MLB starting pitcher, 5-time All-Star; most successful pitcher in

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

history * Emily Scott,

Olympic speed skater *

Horton Smith Horton Smith (May 22, 1908 – October 15, 1963) was an American professional golfer, best known as the winner of the first and third Masters Tournaments. Tournament career Born in Springfield, Missouri, Smith turned professional in 1926 and w ...

, golfer, two-time

Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...

champion *

Payne Stewart William Payne Stewart (January 30, 1957 – October 25, 1999) was an American professional golfer who won eleven PGA Tour events, including three major championships, the last of which came just a few months before his death in an airplane acci ...

, professional golfer *

Jackie Stiles Jackie Marie Stiles (born December 21, 1978) is an American college basketball coach who was formerly an assistant coach for the University of Oklahoma women's basketball team and at Missouri State University. Stiles set several scoring records ...

, NCAA all-time leading scorer in women's basketball *

Jeri Sitzes Jeri Sitzes (born 21 March 1979) is an American boxer, kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter. She is a former WBC Muaythai Super Bantamweight champion and the former NABF Featherweight champion. She started her professional combat career as a boxer wi ...

, boxer *

Anthony Tolliver Anthony Lamar Tolliver (born June 1, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays, and played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 11 different franchis ...

, NBA player for

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

Paul Walker Paul William Walker IV (September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013) was an American actor. He was known for his role as Brian O'Conner in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Walker began his career as a child actor in the 1980s, gaining recogniti ...

, football player File:Gracie Gold at the 2015 Skate America - Awarding ceremony.jpg,

File:Anthony Tolliver.jpg,

File:Payne Stewart 1998 (by Ed Balaun).JPG,

File:Courtney Frerichs D7 30 3000mst dames finale (37236389480) (cropped).jpg,

File:Emily Scott 2007.jpg, Emily Scott

Business

* William F. Austin, CEO of

Starkey Hearing Technologies Starkey Hearing Technologies is an American privately owned company based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota that makes hearing aids, and is one of the largest hearing aid manufacturers in the world. As of 2019, the company had more than 5,000 employees ...

* Jack Gentry, World War II and Korean War veteran; founder of

Positronic A positronic brain is a fictional technological device, originally conceived by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It functions as a central processing unit (CPU) for robots, and, in some unspecified way, provides them with a form of consciou ...

David Glass David Glass may refer to: *David Glass (businessman) (1935–2020), American executive *David Glass (Canadian politician) (1829–1906), Canadian lawyer and political figure * David Glass (Israeli politician) (1936–2014), Israeli politician *Davi ...

, former CEO of

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

; owner of MLB's

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

* John Morris, founder and majority owner,

Bass Pro Shops BPS Direct, L.L.C, doing business as Bass Pro Shops, is an American privately held retailer which specializes in hunting, fishing, camping, and other related outdoor recreation merchandise. With headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, Bass Pr ...

Jack Stack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

, founder of

SRC Holdings SRC Holdings Corp (SRC) is an American equipment company based in Springfield, Missouri. History SRC was established in 1983 when 13 employees of International Harvester The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated by IHC, IH, or s ...

Byron Trott Byron David Trott (born December 2, 1958) is the founder, chairman and CEO of BDT Capital Partners, a merchant bank that provides advice and capital to family and founder-led companies. Formerly, Trott was vice chairman of Investment Banking at G ...

, investment banker

Other

Jimmie Angel James "Jimmie" Crawford Angel (August 1, 1899December 8, 1956) was an American aviator after whom Angel Falls in Venezuela, the tallest waterfall in the world, is named. Early life James Crawford Angel was born August 1, 1899, near Cedar Valley, ...

, aviator, discoverer of

Angel Falls Angel Falls ( es, Salto Ángel; Pemon language: ''Kerepakupai Merú'' meaning "waterfall of the deepest place", or ''Parakupá Vená'', meaning "the fall from the highest point") is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is the List of waterfalls by hei ...

, highest free-falling waterfall in world * Oliver Brown, plaintiff in the Supreme Court case ''

Brown v. Board of Education ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregat ...

'', born in Springfield *

James E. Cofer James Erwin Cofer, Sr. (born 1949), is a former president of both Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, and the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Louisiana. He served as the tenth president of Missouri State University and eigh ...

, professor at Missouri State University, president 2010-11 * J. Alan Groves, Biblical Hebrew scholar; editor of Groves-Wheeler Hebrew morphology database * Edwin P. Hubble, of

Hubble Space Telescope The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versa ...

fame (born in Marshfield) *

Virginia E. Johnson Virginia E. Johnson (born Mary Virginia Eshelman; February 11, 1925 – July 24, 2013) was an American sexologist and a member of the Masters and Johnson sexuality research team. Along with her partner, William H. Masters, she pioneered research ...

sexologist Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behaviors, and functions. The term ''sexology'' does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sexuality, such as social criticism. Sexologists app ...

; junior member of

Masters and Johnson The Masters and Johnson research team, composed of William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson, pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders and dysfunctions from 1957 until the 1 ...

sexuality research team * Janet Kavandi,

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 *

Curtis Price Sir Curtis Alexander Price, KBE (born 1945, in Springfield, Missouri, USA) was the Warden of New College, Oxford, between October 2009 and September 2016. He was previously principal of the Royal Academy of Music from 1995 to 2008 and Professo ...

KBE, warden of

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

* Emma J. Ray, activist, suffragist File:John Morris Bass Pro.jpg,

Johnny Morris Johnny or Johnnie Morris may refer to: * Johnnie Morris (actor) (1887–1969), American comedian and actor *Johnny Morris (television presenter) (1916–1999), British television presenter *Johnny Morris (footballer) (1923–2011), English football ...

File:Studio portrait photograph of Edwin Powell Hubble (cropped).JPG,

Edwin Hubble Edwin Powell Hubble (November 20, 1889 – September 28, 1953) was an Americans, American astronomer. He played a crucial role in establishing the fields of extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology. Hubble proved that many objects ...

File:JanetLKavandi-NASA.jpg,

Janet L. Kavandi Janet Lynn Kavandi, a native of Carthage, Missouri, (born July 17, 1959) is an American scientist and a NASA astronaut. She is a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions, served as NASA's Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office, and was the Center Dir ...

Notes

{{reflist *

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...