List of people from Olathe, Kansas

The following is a list of people who were born in and/or have lived in the American city of Olathe, Kansas.

Academia

• George Washington Carver (1860–1943), botanist, prominent African American leader
• J. Wayne Reitz (1908–1993), President of the University of Florida (1955–1967)
• Charles H. Zimmerman (1908–1996), aeronautical engineer

Arts and entertainment

Film, television, and theatre

• Willie Aames (1960– ), actor
• Jennifer Bertrand, interior designer, television show host
• Adam Jamal Craig (1981– ), actor
• Ashley Litton (1983– ), beauty queen
• Michael McMillian (1978– ), actor
• Larry Parks (1914–1975), actor
• Chris Porter (1979– ), comedian
• Charles "Buddy" Rogers (1904–1999), actor

Journalism

• C. L. Edson (1881–1975), newspaper columnist, humorist, and poet

• Dan Ryckert (1984– ), journalist and author.

Music

• Johnny Dare (1968– ), Kansas City radio personality
• Charles Miller (1939–1980), musician
• Rob Pope, member of emo band The Get Up Kids
• Ryan Pope (1978– ), member of emo band The Get Up Kids
• Richie Pratt (1943–2015), jazz drummer, professional football player
• Jim Suptic (1977– ), member of emo band The Get Up Kids

Other visual arts

• Grace Bilger (1907–2000), painter

Business

• Jesse Clyde Nichols (1880–1950), real estate developer
• Donald J. Tyson (1930–2011), food industry executive

Politics

National

• Chauncey B. Little (1877–1952), U.S. Representative from Kansas
• Edward C. Little (1858–1924), U.S. Representative from Kansas
• James Kenneth Logan (1929–2018), U.S. federal judge
• Walter Lewis McVey Jr. (1922–2014), U.S. Representative from Kansas
• Vince Snowbarger (1949– ), U.S. Representative from Kansas (1997–1999)

State

• John Anderson Jr. (1917–2014), 36th Governor of Kansas (1961–1965)
• Keith Esau, Kansas state legislator
• Herbert S. Hadley (1872–1927), 32nd Governor of Missouri, chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis
• George H. Hodges (1866–1947), 19th Governor of Kansas
• Julia Lynn (1957– ), Kansas state legislator
• Robert Montgomery, Kansas state legislator
• Robert Olson (1969– ), Kansas state legislator
• Mark Parkinson (1957– ), 45th Governor of Kansas (2009–2011)
• Ron Ryckman Jr., Kansas state legislator
• John St. John (1833–1916), 8th Governor of Kansas (1879–1883), Prohibition Party Presidential candidate (1884)
• Harold Sebring (1898–1968), Florida Supreme Court justice

Local

• Albert I. Beach (1883–1939), 42nd Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri

Sports

American football

• Arland Bruce III (1977– ), wide receiver for the BC Lions
• Don Davis (1972– ), linebacker, coach
• Bryan Shepherd (1991– ), cornerback
• Isaiah Simmons (1998– ), linebacker
• Darren Sproles (1983– ), running back

Baseball

• John Means, Baltimore Orioles pitcher
• Dan Glass (1959–2020 ), Kansas City Royals president
• Claude Hendrix (1889–1944), pitcher
• Dummy Taylor (1875–1958), pitcher

Basketball

• Manute Bol (1962–2010), NBA center, (1985–1994) born in Sudan and lived in Olathe late in his life.
• Willie Cauley-Stein (1993– ) center
• Danielle McCray (1987– ), forward

Other

• Johnny Carver (1995– ), sports author
• Stevana Case (1976– ), professional video gamer
• Steve Fisher (1982– ), snowboarder
• Eric Lynch (1978– ), poker player
• Michael Thomas (1988– ), soccer midfielder

See also

• List of MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers head football coaches
• List of people from Johnson County, Kansas

References