PGH Famous People

                      Famous People From Pittsburgh

Actresses

Actors

Comedians

Reporters and Anchors

Media Personalities

Producers, Directors, and effects

Music

Classics and Standards

Rock and Alternative

Classical

Country and Folk

Pop

Rap and hip-hop

Dancers and Choreographers

Visual Arts

Authors

  • Joseph Bathanti – poet, writer, professor; NC Poet Laureate, 2012–2014
  • Nellie Bly – Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and writer
  • Kenneth Burke – literary theorist
  • Willa Cather – author, Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Michael Chabon – Pulitzer Prize-winning author
  • Murray Chass – New York Times baseball writer, author
  • Stephen Chbosky – author
  • Malcolm Cowley – poet, critic
  • Melanie Craft – novelist; wife of Larry Ellison of Oracle
  • Stephen Dau – writer
  • Annie Dillard – author and Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Harry Dolan – writer
  • Zak Ebrahim – Author, Peace Activist, Public Speaker
  • Jack Gilbert – poet
  • Beth Gylys – poet and professor
  • Samuel Hazo – poet and professor
  • Kerry Hannon – author
  • Lori Jakiela – author
  • George S. Kaufman – humorist, playwright
  • Joseph Koerner – art historian and film-maker
  • David Leavitt – novelist
  • Stephen Manes – magazine writer, author
  • David McCullough – historian and author and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Burton Morris – painter
  • Elizabeth Moorhead – novelist
  • Stewart O'Nan – author
  • Peter Oresick – poet
  • Mary Roberts Rinehart – mystery writer
  • Gladys Schmitt – writer
  • Jim Shooter – comic book writer, editor and publisher
  • Michael Simms – poet in Pittsburgh since 1987
  • George Smith – gambler, handicapper
  • Gertrude Stein – writer, poet, playwright, and feminist
  • Gerald Stern – poet
  • Kathleen Tessaro – novelist
  • John Edgar Wideman – author and professor
  • August Wilson – Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
  • Baseball
  • Glenn Beckert – second baseman
  • Buddy Bell – third baseman (1972–89)
  • Bill Blair
  • Dave Bush[5]
  • Ollie Carnegie – 1931–45
  • Betty Jane Cornett (1932–2006) – third base (1950–1952) All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
  • Bill Doak – Cardinals and Dodgers, inventor of the modern baseball glove
  • Ryan Garko – first baseman Giants
  • Josh Gibson – Negro league player, Pittsburgh Crawfords and Homestead Grays
  • Gary Green
  • Howdy Groskloss – shortstop 1930–32
  • Ian Happ – Chicago Cubs
  • Art Howe – managed Astros and A's
  • Derek Law pitcher
  • Bobby Lowe – first MLB player with 4 home runs in a game[6]
  • Heinie Smith
  • Sam McDowell
  • Marguerite Pearson – utility player 1948–1954, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
  • Trent Thornton – pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays
  • Harold Joseph "Pie" Traynor – Pirates Hall of Fame member
  • Honus Wagner – shortstop, Hall of Fame member
  • Neil Walker – second baseman for the Miami Marlins
  • Bobby Wallace – Hall of Fame inductee
  • John Wehner – Pirates infielder, broadcaster
  • Josh Wilson – 2005–present
  • Baseball contributors
  • Bill Benswanger – Pirates owner, vocal advocate for integration
  • Chuck Greenberg – Rangers former owner
  • Gus Greenlee – Crawfords founder
  • John P. Harris – Boston Braves owner
  • Ray Kennedy – scout and GM
  • Tony LaCava – longtime scout and assistant general manager
  • Basketball
  • Coaches
  • Dick Bennett – Wisconsin, Washington State 1976–2006
  • Paul Birch
  • Eddie Cameron – Duke 1929–49 until 1972, Cameron Indoor Stadium, founding member of the ACC, football coach and Olympic selector
  • Suzie McConnell-Serio – WNBA player 1998–2000, head coach 2004–06, Duquesne 2007–2013
  • Dudey Moore
  • Skip Prosser – Loyola (MD), Xavier, and Wake Forest 1993–2007
  • Herb Sendek – NC State and Arizona State 1994–2015
  • Forwards and Centers
  • John Abramovic – 1946–48
  • DeJuan Blair – Pitt All-American, Spurs 2009–13, Mavericks 2013–
  • Chuck Cooper – 1950–56; first drafted African-American
  • Jakim Donaldson (born 1983) - player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
  • Ken Durrett – 1971–75 NBA
  • Paul Grant – 1997–2004
  • Maurice Lucas – 1975–88
  • Walt Miller – 1946–47
  • Maurice Stokes – Rochester/Cincinnati Royals 1955–58; Hall of Famer
  • Walt Szczerbiak – 1971–72 NBA
  • Michael Young (born 1994) - Ironi Nahariya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
  • Guards
  • Moe Barr – 1970–71 NBA
  • Paul Birch
  • Ron Carter – 1978–80 NBA
  • Calvin Fowler – 1969–70
  • DeAndre Kane
  • T. J. McConnell – Arizona Wildcats and Philadelphia 76er and Indiana Pacers
  • Jack Twyman – 1955–66, Hall of Famer
  • Basketball contributors
  • Mark Cuban – Mavericks owner
  • Tim Grgurich – Pitt coach
  • Ted Stepien – Cavs former owner
  • Boxing
  • Bob Baker – heavyweight contender
  • Eddie Chambers – Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Contender, 2008–2016
  • Billy Conn – light-heavyweight champ 1939–41
  • Andy DePaul – middleweight contender, referee
  • Harry Greb – middleweight champ 1923
  • Frank Klaus – middleweight champ 1904
  • Paul Spadafora – lightweight champ, 1999
  • Jackie Wilson – featherweight champ, early 1900s (decade)
  • Teddy Yarosz – middleweight champ, 1934
  • Fritzie Zivic – welterweight champ, 1940
  • Figure skating
  • Michael Seibert – five-time gold medalist at U.S. Figure Skating Championships; three bronze medals at World Championships
  • Jamie Silverstein – ice dancing
  • Taylor Toth – pairs skating
  • Football
  • Coaches: Primarily NFL
  • Joe Bugel – assistant and head coach 1975–present; founder of the "Hogs" of the 1980s
  • Jim Haslett – head coach Saints (2000–2005), Rams D.C. (2006–08)
  • Mike McCarthy – Packers head coach 2005–2018
  • Herb McCracken – college 1920s and 1930s
  • Mike Miller – assistant 1999–present
  • Dick Nolan – head coach, San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints
  • Coaches: other Football
  • Frank Cignetti, Jr. – Rutgers
  • Tom Davies – 1922–47
  • Rich Lackner – Carnegie Mellon 1986–present
  • Quarterbacks
  • Marc Bulger – 2000–2011, Super Bowl[7]
  • Chuck Fusina – NFL 1979–86
  • Bruce Gradkowski – Steelers, Bucs, Raiders 2006–16
  • Major Harris – record-setter in college and CFL
  • Leon Hart – Heisman Trophy, College Hall of Fame
  • Al Jacks
  • Jim Kelly – 1986–96, Hall of Fame, 4 Super Bowl appearances
  • Dan Marino – 1983–99, Hall of Fame 1 Super Bowl appearance
  • Mike McMahon – 2001–present
  • Rod Rutherford – 2003–present
  • Matt Schaub – 2004–present
  • Johnny Unitas – 1956–73, Hall of Famer, two Super Bowls
  • Alex Van Pelt – 1995–2003
  • Scott Zolak – 1991–99 1 Super Bowl appearance
  • Running Backs
  • Kevan Barlow
  • Cookie Gilchrist – AFL and CFL
  • Warren Heller – 1930s
  • William F. Knox
  • Roger Kochman – 1963
  • Curtis Martin – 1995–2006, Super Bowl
  • Harry McChesney – 1900s (decade) NFL
  • Eugene "Mercury" Morris – 70s Dolphins; two Super Bowls
  • Ray Zellars – Saints
  • Receivers and Tight Ends
  • Brian Baschnagel – originally a running back, Ohio State, Bears 1976–1984
  • Darnell Dinkins – NFL tight end in the 1990s and 2000s (decade)
  • John Frank – NFL tight end in the 1980s
  • Gregg Garrity – Penn State, NFL 1983–89
  • Ken Herock – NFL tight end 1963–69, Super Bowl
  • Brandon Marshall – NFL wide receiver 2006–present
  • Rasheed Marshall – NFL wide receiver 2005–present
  • Joel Williams – NFL tight end, 1987
  • Offensive Linemen
  • Adam Bisnowaty – NFL offensive linesman for the New York Giants
  • Dean Caliguire – NFL lineman in 1991
  • Bill Fralic – offensive lineman for Atlanta Falcons, '80s All-Decade Team
  • Gary Greaves – tackle 1960
  • Leander Jordan – offensive lineman Carolina Panthers, San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Mose Lantz NFL center 1933
  • William R. Moore – NFL guard in the 1940s
  • Bull Polisky NFL guard 1929
  • Tom Ricketts – NFL tackle 1980s and 1990s
  • Mike Rosenthal – NFL tackle 1999–2007
  • Jack Sack – NFL guard in the 1920s
  • Defensive Linemen
  • Mike Barnes – Pro bowler 1973–1981
  • Bob Buczkowski – NFL defensive end in the 1980s
  • Sam Clancy – NFL defensive end in the 1980s and 1990s
  • Ave Daniell – NFL tackle in the 1930s
  • Aaron Donald – NFL defensive tackle
  • Jack Dugger – NFL lineman 1946–49
  • Art Gob – NFL defensive end, 1950s and 1960s
  • Cameron Heyward – NFL 2011–present
  • Tyrique Jarrett – NFL defensive tackle
  • David Logan – defensive tackle 1970s and 1980s
  • Leo Skladany – NFL defensive end 1940s and 1950s
  • Jason Taylor – defensive end; five-time Pro Bowler for Miami Dolphins
  • Randy White – defensive lineman 1975–88; three Super Bowls, Hall of Fame
  • Defensive Backs and Linebackers
  • LaVar Arrington – NFL linebacker 2000–06
  • Jack Butler – cornerback 1951–59, Pro Football Hall of Fame
  • Jim Flanigan Sr. – NFL linebacker 1960s and 1970s
  • Don Graham Penn State, NFL 1987–89
  • Justin King – NFL 2008–present
  • Sean Lee – linebacker for Dallas Cowboys
  • Mike Logan – NFL safety 1996–2006, Super Bowl
  • Paul Martha – NFL safety in the 1960s
  • Dick McCabe – NFL safety in the 1950s and 1960s
  • Ryan Mundy – NFL safety
  • Paul Posluszny – Dick Butkus Award winner from Penn State, linebacker for Buffalo Bills
  • Scott Radecic – Penn State and NFL linebacker 1984–95
  • Bryant Salter – NFL safety in the 1970s
  • Joe Schmidt – linebacker 1953–65, Hall of Fame
  • Raymond Ventrone – safety, Cleveland Browns
  • Eric Wicks – safety, finalist for Bronko Nagurski Award in 2007
  • Football Specialists
  • Pat McAfee – All Pro NFL punter, 2010’s all decade team
  • Don Silvestri – kicker in the 1990s
  • Football Contributors
  • Dave Berry – pro football pioneer
  • Kevin Colbert – director of football operations (2 Super Bowls)
  • Dale Hamer – NFL referee 1978–2001, 3 Super Bowls
  • Shaun Herock – NFL executive
  • Bill Nunn – Steelers scout since 1967
  • Art Rooney – owner and founder of Pittsburgh Steelers Duquesne University
  • Dan Rooney – second chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
  • Golf
  • Scott Dunlap – PGA and Champions Tour
  • Bob Friend – PGA and Nationwide Tour
  • Jim Simons – as an amateur nearly won 1971 U.S. Open; first tournament winner using a metal driver
  • Brendon Todd – PGA Tour
  • Hockey
  • Centers and Wingers
  • Riley Barber – Capitals winger, 2017–
  • Ryan Malone – Penguins, Lightning, Rangers winger 2003–15; 2017
  • Gerry O'Flaherty – Leafs, Canucks, Flames 1971–79
  • Brandon Saad – Colorado Avalanche winger 2011–
  • Henrik Samuelsson – Coyotes winger 2014–
  • William Thomas – Anyang Halla winger 2005–
  • Vincent Trocheck – Panthers 2014-2020, Hurricanes 2020-
  • R. J. Umberger – Flyers, Jackets center 2005–
  • Defense
  • Matt Bartkowski – Iowa Wild
  • Bob Beers – Bruins, Lightning, Oilers, Islanders defenseman 1989–97
  • Dylan Reese – Rangers, Islanders, Penguins 2007–
  • Mike Weber – former NHL defenseman.
  • Goalies
  • John Gibson – player for Anaheim Ducks
  • Hockey Contributors
  • James Wallace Conant – managed Duquesne Gardens
  • Motorsports
  • Chip Ganassi – former driver, now team owner in IndyCar and NASCAR
  • Dick Linder – 1950s NASCAR driver
  • Olympic Sports
  • Kurt Angle – 1996 gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, became professional wrestler
  • Robert "Bob" Blum (born 1928), Olympic fencer
  • Herb Douglas – long jump bronze medalist at 1948 Summer Olympics; inducted into Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame 1992
  • Suzie McConnell-Serio – basketball 1988 and 1992
  • Allison Schmitt – competitive swimmer, four time Olympian[8]
  • Leah Smith – swimming, gold and bronze medalist in 2016 Olympics
  • Amanda Polk – rowing, gold medalist W8+ in 2016 Olympics
  • Soccer
  • Meghan Klingenberg – player for the Portland Thorns FC and United States women's national soccer team
  • A. J. Wood – MLS player
  • Marvell Wynne II
  • Tennis
  • Bjorn Fratangelo – French Open boys' champion[9]
  • Bonnie Gadusek – pro tennis player, reached U.S. Open quarterfinals
  • Gretchen Magers – reached Wimbledon and French Open quarterfinals
  • Alison Riske -WTA player, reached 4th round of U.S. Open
  • Wrestling
  • Kurt Angle – WWE wrestler and Olympic gold medalist
  • Rob Conway – WWE wrestler on RAW brand
  • Johnny De Fazio – known as "Jumping" Johnny De Fazio
  • Dominic DeNucci – WWWF wrestler and trainer
  • Shane Douglas – WCW and WWWF wrestler
  • Corey Graves – wrestler, WWE commentator
  • Mike Jones – known as Virgil in WWE; worked as Vincent, Shane and Curly Bill in WCW
  • Cody Michaels – former USWA tag team champion, ECW, WSX producer
  • John Minton – WWF aka Big John Studd
  • Jeffrey Sciullo – WWE wrestler known as Elias (formerly Elias Samson)
  • Bruno Sammartino – two-time World Wide Wrestling Federation champion
  • Mike Scicluna – known as Baron Mikel Scicluna
  • John Sullivan – known as Johnny Valiant
  • Newton Tattrie – known as Geeto Mongol
  • Larry Zbyszko (real name Larry Whistler) – director of authority on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
  • Other Sports
  • Danny Chew – cyclist, winner of Race Across America (1996, 1999)
  • Joseph Kearney – athletic administrator
  • George Smith – horse racing
  • Tom Wallisch – professional skier
  • Aviation
  • Paige Kassalen – electrical engineer on Solar Impulse
  • Willard Rockwell – formed Rockwell Intl.
  • Calbraith Perry Rodgers – made the first transcontinental flight
  • Steel and Metals
  • James W. Brown – Crucible Steel
  • Andrew Carnegie – steel tycoon and philanthropist, founded what became U.S. Steel
  • William Donner – steel tycoon, founded Monessen and Donora, daughter married FDR's son in 1932
  • George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. – steel engineer, businessman and inventor of the Ferris wheel
  • Henry Clay Frick – steel tycoon, chief operation officer of what became U.S. Steel
  • Charles Martin Hall – aluminum producer and founder of Alcoa
  • Julian Kennedy – mechanical engineer in steel
  • George Lauder – Scottish-American billionaire industrialist; partner in the Carnegie Steel Company; board member of U.S. Steel; cousin-brother of Andrew Carnegie
  • James H. Laughlin – Jones & Laughlin Steel
  • John Leishman – executive at Carnegie Steel
  • William Metcalf – Fort Pitt foundry
  • Charles M. Schwab – founder of Bethlehem Steel
  • John P. Surma – U.S. Steel
  • Thomas Usher – CEO of U.S. Steel and chairman of the board of Marathon Oil
  • John Walker – iron and steel industrialist
  • Energy
  • Walter Arnheim – Mobil executive and corporate and non-profit advisor
  • Frederick Bausman
  • E. W. Marland – oilman, founded what would become Conoco, also became the governor of Oklahoma
  • William Mellon – co-founded Gulf Oil
  • Transport
  • Erik Buell – Buell Motorcycle Company
  • Alexander Cassatt – Pennsylvania Railroad
  • Louis Semple Clarke – steamboats
  • John E. Connelly – Gateway Clipper Fleet
  • Mike Fink – river boatman
  • Robert Pitcairn – Pennsylvania Railroad
  • Samuel Rea – Pennsylvania Railroad
  • Finance
  • John F. Donahue – chairman, Federated Investors
  • Stanley Druckenmiller – hedge fund manager
  • Thomas Marshall Howe – 19th-century politician
  • Richard B. Mellon – banker, philanthropist
  • Thomas Mellon – founded Mellon Financial
  • David Tepper – businessman, hedge fund manager, philanthropist, and owner of the Carolina Panthers
  • William Thaw – 19th-century banker
  • Technology and Communications
  • William Bullock – printing press innovator
  • Charlie Cheever – co-founder of Quora
  • Brendan Eich – Mozilla, creator of JavaScript
  • Caterina Fake – co-founder of Flickr and Hunch
  • John P. Harris – theater owner
  • Regis McKenna – high technology marketing guru
  • Willard Rockwell – pioneer of Rockwell Intl.
  • Richard Mellon Scaife – Tribune-Review
  • Rich Skrenta – computer programmer
  • George Westinghouse – electrical industry pioneer
  • Mark Whitaker – CNN Worldwide chief[10]
  • Jamie Zawinski – hacker
  • Consumer goods
  • Peter Chartier (Chartiers Town and Tarentum) – fur trader 1734–43
  • David L. Clark
  • H. J. Heinz II – CEO of H.J. Heinz Co.
  • Henry J. Heinz – founder of H. J. Heinz Company
  • Edgar J. Kaufmann – Kaufmann's
  • Billy Mays – TV pitchman
  • James Sinegal – Costco
  • Patricia A. Woertz – ADM[11]
  • Other Industries
  • William D. Boyce – founder of Boy Scouts of America
  • Dr. Herbert Boyer – co-founder of Genentech
  • John Baptiste Ford – PPG Industries
  • Ed Grier – Disneyland
  • Joseph A. Hardy III – 84 Lumber
  • Bob Stupak – Vegas Stratosphere
  • Labor
  • David J. McDonald – president of steelworkers union
  • Fannie Sellins – union organizer
  • Joseph Yablonski – UMW
  • Joseph "Chip" Yablonski – UMW attorney
  • Kenneth Yablonski – attorney
  • Religion
  • Catherine Anne Cesnik (1942-1969), Catholic nun who was murdered
  • Cardinal Daniel DiNardo – archbishop of Galveston-Houston
  • Thomas Dolinay – archbishop
  • Joseph R. Lamonde
  • Cardinal Adam Maida – Emeritus Archbishop of Detroit
  • Janice McLaughlin – Catholic nun and human rights activist
  • Madalyn Murray O'Hair – founder of American Atheists
  • William Passavant
  • George Rapp – founder of the religious sect Harmonists
  • Charles Owen Rice
  • Charles Taze Russell – founder of Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society
  • R. C. Sproul – theologian
  • Thomas J. Tobin – auxiliary bishop of Pittsburgh, bishop of Youngstown OH, and current bishop of Providence, Rhode Island
  • Cardinal Donald Wuerl – eleventh bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, current Archbishop of Washington
  • David Zubik – twelfth and current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
  • Science and Research
  • Ross Allen – herpetologist
  • Frederick S. Billig – scramjet pioneer
  • Daniel Chamovitz – biologist, author of What a Plant Knows, and President of Ben Gurion University of the Negev[12]
  • Yuan Chang – virologist, co-discoverer of causes of several viral cancers, including Kaposi's sarcoma
  • Norman Christ – physicist
  • Childs Frick
  • George Otto Gey – scientist who propagated the HeLa cell line
  • William Jacob Holland – entomologist and chancellor of the Western University of Pennsylvania
  • Randy Pausch, founder of Alice, and man behind the Last Lecture
  • David M. Pozar – electrical engineer and academician[13]
  • Jonas Salk – physician, inventor of first polio vaccine
  • Alex Shigo – arboriculturist and horticulturist
  • Clifford Shull – Nobel Prize winner
  • Herbert A. Simon – Carnegie Mellon University professor; winner of Nobel Prize for Economics
  • Thomas Starzl – pioneering transplant surgeon in liver and multiorgan transplantation
  • Jesse Steinfeld – United States Surgeon General under Nixon
  • Otto Stern – German-American physicist and Nobel laureate, known for his studies of molecular beams; Carnegie Institute of Technology professor
  • Nicholas E. Wagman
  • Sandra Welner (1958–2001) – physician, advocate for disabled women's healthcare
  • Jerome Wolken (1917–1999) – biophysicist[14]
  • Jamie Zawinski
  • Jonathan Zittrain – professor of Internet law and computer science at Harvard
  • Vladimir Zworykin – engineer and inventor, developed an early form of television;
  • Governors and Mayors
  • Bob Cranmer – Allegheny County Commissioner
  • Bob Filner – San Diego Mayor
  • John F. Forward Sr. – 12th mayor of San Diego
  • John F. Forward Jr. – 21st mayor of San Diego
  • Barbara Hafer – first female Allegheny County Commissioner
  • E. W. Marland – Governor of Oklahoma
  • John Martin (Fayette) – Governor of Kansas, founder of the abolitionist movement
  • Elliot S. N. Morgan (Allegheny) – Wyoming governor
  • Janet Napolitano (Allegheny) – Arizona governor
  • Joshua G. Newbold (Fayette) – Iowa governor
  • Tom Ridge (Allegheny) – Governor 1995–2001; first Secretary of Homeland Security
  • John F. Seymour (Allegheny) – Mayor of Anaheim 1978–82
  • John K. Tener (Allegheny) – Governor, former MLB pitcher
  • Dick Thornburgh – Governor 1979–87; U.S. Attorney General 1987–91
  • Tom Vilsack – Iowa Governor, 1999–2007; Agriculture Secretary, 2009–2017
  • Congressmen and Senators
  • John Dalzell – Congressman 1887–1913; Chairman of the Ways and Means committee 1898–1913
  • Harmar Denny – Congressman 1825–37
  • Bob Filner – California Congressman 1993–2012
  • Orrin Hatch – Utah Senator, 1977–2019
  • John Heinz – Congressman 71–77, Senator 1977–91
  • Thomas Marshall Howe – Congressman 1851–55
  • John Kasich – Ohio Congressman 1983–2001, Governor 2011–2019
  • Philander C. Knox – Senator 1901–04, 1917–21, United States Attorney General from 1901–04, Sec. of State from 1909–13
  • Robert McKnight – Congressman 1859–63
  • George T. Oliver – Senator 1909–17
  • Rand Paul – Kentucky Senator 2011–present, Tea Party leader
  • Ron Paul – Texas Congressman, presidential candidate
  • David A. Reed – Senator
  • Rick Santorum – Congressman 1991–95, Senator 1995–2007
  • Claudine Schneider – Congresswoman Rhode Island 1981–91


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