List of people from Pasadena, California

This is a list of notable people from Pasadena, California.

Academia

• Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize physicist, Caltech professor, raconteur
• J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967), Caltech professor and later overseer of the Manhattan Project
• Murray Gell-Mann (1929-2019), Nobel Prize physicist, Caltech
• George Ellery Hale (1868-1938), astrophysicist, Caltech professor, founder Mount Wilson Observatory
• Edwin Hubble, astronomer, namesake for the Hubble Space Telescope, Caltech professor
• Todd M. Hutton, American medical academic and psychiatrist.
• F.O. Matthiessen (1902-1950), Rhodes Scholar, Harvard professor
• Robert A. Millikan (1868-1953), Nobel Prize physicist
• Brian Stoltz (b. 1970), Professor of organic chemistry at Caltech
• George Olah, Nobel Prize chemist, professor University of Southern California
• Linus Pauling, Nobel Prize-winning chemist, peace activist, Caltech
• Roger Revelle (1909-1991), founder of University of California, San Diego, father of concept of global warming
• William Shockley (1910-1989), Nobel Prize physicist, Caltech professor, inventor of the transistor
• Kip Thorne, Nobel Prize physicist for his contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves, professor, Feynman theoretical physicist, Caltech

Artists and designers

• Benjamin Chambers Brown, artist
• Howell Chambers Brown, artist
• Sigrid Burton, artist and painter
• Edward Cucuel, impressionistic painter
• Rafa Esparza, performance artist
• Eva Scott Fényes, watercolor artist
• A.B. Frost (1851-1928), American illustrator and painter
• Elmer Grey, architect
• Tom Jancar, contemporary art dealer Jancar Kuhlenschmidt Gallery
• Hugo Markl, artist, curator and creative director based in New York
• Jane Mulfinger, conceptual artist and educator
• R. Kenton Nelson, painter.
• Stan Sakai, cartoonist best known as creator of Usagi Yojimbo series
• Adele Watson, painter and lithographer

Film and television

This is a partial list of actors, actresses, comedians, film producers, filmmakers, and television personalities.

• Kelly Asbury, film director, writer, illustrator, voice actor
• Meredith Baxter, actress
• Walt Becker, film director
• Summer Bishil, actress
• Whitney Blake, actress, director and producer
• Betty Brosmer, bodybuilder, model
• Sophia Bush, actress, TV series One Tree Hill and Chicago P.D., 82nd Rose Queen for 111th Tournament of Roses Parade (2000)
• Stephen Cannell, author, television and film producer
• Lily Collins, hollywood film actress
• Christy Canyon, pornographic actress
• Cari Champion, former moderator, ESPN First Take
• Jimmy Dore, comedian
• Michael Dorn, actor
• Cullen Douglas, actor, director, playwright
• Arthur Duncan, tap dancer
• Mary Beth Evans, actress
• Sally Field, two-time Academy Award-winning actress.
• W.C. Fields, comedian, actor, juggler and writer; died in Pasadena.
• Stan Freberg, comedian, satirist, recording artist.
• Harry Hamlin, actor
• Michelle Horn, actress
• Bret Iwan, fourth voice of Mickey Mouse
• Tamala Jones, actress
• Jane Lillig, actress
• Matthew Lillard, actor
• Kate Linder, actress
• Joel McCrea, actor
• Richard Moll, actor
• George Nader, actor
• Drew Pinsky, doctor and radio/TV personality
• Chris Pontius, actor/TV personality
• Karen Price, actress
• Kathleen Quinlan, actress
• Robert Reed, actor, best known as Mike Brady in The Brady Bunch television series
• George Reeves, actor, best known as star of television series Adventures of Superman; attended Pasadena Junior College.
• Christian Serratos, actress
• Jamey Sheridan, actor
• John Singleton, film director
• Kathleen Sullivan, television personality
• Charles Walters, film director
• Wil Wheaton, actor, writer
• Jaleel White, actor, producer, writer

Music

This is a partial list of musicians, song writers singers, and band members.

• Steve Albini, producer and engineer
• Jon B., Grammy-nominated R&B singer-songwriter.
• Hodgy Beats, rapper
• Rodney Benford, member of new jack swing group Troop, attended Pasadena High School
• Phoebe Bridgers, singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• Daniel Brummel, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter for Ozma (band)
• Dâm-Funk, musician
• Jed the Fish, award-winning disc jockey who hosted the weekday afternoon drive slot on KROQ-FM in Los Angeles
• John "Jon Jon" Harreld, member of new jack swing group Troop, attended Pasadena High School
• Pete Jolly, jazz pianist
• Teena Marie, singer-songwriter, music producer
• Emil Dechebal Mătăsăreanu, electrical engineer and bank robber who is known for being one of the two men who initiated the North Hollywood Shootout, attended Pasadena High School
• Allen McNeil, member of new jack swing group Troop, attended Pasadena High School
• David Lee Roth, a lead singer for Van Halen, attended John Muir High School
• Steve "Random" Russell, member of new jack swing group Troop, attended Pasadena High School
• Ruwanga Samath, record producer, attended John Muir High School
• Alina Smith, musician
• Phil Spector, music producer
• Alex Van Halen, drummer for Van Halen, attended Pasadena High School
• Eddie Van Halen, lead guitarist for Van Halen, attended Pasadena High School
• Reggie Warren, member of new jack swing group Troop, attended Pasadena High School
• Marc Yu, child music prodigy on piano and viola

Politicians

This is a partial list of politicians and judges.

• Lance Ito, judge, Los Angeles Superior Court
• Henry Markham (1840-1934), lawyer, politician, 18th governor of California. Resident of Pasadena.
• Bill Paparian, attorney, veterans' advocate and Mayor of Pasadena.
• Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico
• James Roosevelt, U.S. Congressman, son of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• Mimi Walters, businesswoman and U.S. Congresswoman

Sports

• Stacey Augmon, basketball player
• Myles Bryant, professional football player
• Susie Maxwell Berning, pro golfer
• May Sutton Bundy (1886–1975), first American to win Wimbledon tennis singles title
• Jeff Cirillo, MLB player for six teams
• Michael Cooper, NBA player for Los Angeles Lakers, coach
• Lillian Copeland (1904–1964), Olympic discus champion; set world records in discus, javelin, and shot put
• Tyler Dorsey (born 1996), Greek–American basketball player in the Greek Basketball League playing for Olympiacos
• Darrell Evans, MLB player
• Missy Franklin, swimmer, 5-time Olympic gold medalist
• Kristy Hawkins, IFBB professional bodybuilder
• Mary Ann Hawkins, surfer, swimmer and stunt double
• Charles Frederick Holder, inventor of big-game fishing and a founder of Pasadena's Tournament of Roses
• Ally Lemos, soccer player
• Chris McAlister, professional football player
• James McAlister, professional football player
• Mo Martin, LPGA golfer, 2014 British Open champion
• Inger Miller, track and field sprint athlete
• George Murdoch, WWE wrestler
• Tracy Murray, NBA Player
• Chris Pettit, MLB outfielder
• Durell Price, UCLA fullback
• Jackie Robinson, civil rights icon and Hall of Fame baseball player
• Mack Robinson, Olympic athlete, brother of Jackie Robinson
• Don Ross, Major League Baseball player
• Ashley Sanchez, soccer player for the United States
• Mark Smith, MLB player for five teams
• Stan Smith, professional tennis player, namesake of Stan Smith Tennis Shoe
• Brett Sterling, professional ice hockey player
• Brian Teacher, Australian Open tennis champion
• Lester Towns, professional football player
• Chase Utley, baseball player, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Peter Vagenas, soccer player
• Jacque Vaughn, professional basketball player and former head coach of the Brooklyn Nets
• Avery Williams, running back for the Atlanta Falcons
• Matt Young, MLB player for Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians.
• Jeff Yurak, MLB player for Milwaukee Brewers

Alice Brown, Olympic Sprinter 1980 (Boycott), 1984 and 1988

Writers and journalists

• Carlton Beals (1893–1979), journalist
• Julie Berry, children's author
• Octavia Butler, award-winning science-fiction writer
• Otis Chandler, publisher, Los Angeles Times
• Justin Chapman, journalist, author, actor
• Julia Child, celebrated author and television chef
• Andre Coleman, Award-winning journalist and screenwriter
• Nahshon Dion, Award-winning creative non-fiction writer
• Winifred Starr Dobyns, author of California Gardens (1931)
• Harriet Doerr, author, winner of the National Book Award
• David Ebershoff, writer
• Paul Fussell, critic and historian
• Mary Catherine Judd, educator, author, peace activist
• TJ Kirk, commentator and author
• Kathryn Le Veque, author
• Ottessa Moshfegh, author

Others

• G. Vernon Bennett, Los Angeles City Council member, 1935–49
• Owen Brown (abolitionist) (1824–1889), son of John Brown, along with his brother Jason, his sister Ruth Brown Thompson, a teacher, and her husband
• Frederick Russell Burnham (1861–1947), celebrated scout and inspiration for the Boy Scouts
• Howard Burnham (1870–1917), mining engineer and spy
• Jeanne C. Smith Carr, educator, author
• Sheryl Cooper, dancer, dance instructor, and wife of the singer Alice Cooper
• Steve Crocker, internet engineer, member of the Internet Hall of Fame
• Gregory C. Horn, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral
• Myron Hunt, architect of Rose Bowl
• Howard W. Hunter, 14th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Joseph J. Jacobs, engineer and founder of Jacobs Engineering Group
• Lucy Jones, seismologist
• Florence E. Kollock (1848–1925), Universalist minister and lecturer
• Jack Parsons, rocket scientist and occultist
• George F. Regas, rector of All Saints Episcopal Church 1967–1995, noted critic of U.S. involvement in Vietnam war as well as many other policy issues
• Ellen Browning Scripps, heiress, publisher, philanthropist
• Alvin Simon, restaurateur who revitalized Old Pasadena
• Sirhan Sirhan, resident of Pasadena at the time of assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy
• John Patten Story, U.S. Army major general
• Bertha L. Turner caterer, cookbook author, and community leader in Pasadena; active within the National Federation of Colored Women
• John Van De Kamp, attorney general of California
• Duong Van Minh, exiled president of South Vietnam
• Fawn Weaver is an American entrepreneur and author, and co-founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey.
• William Wrigley Jr., founder of Wrigley Chewing Gum, former owner of Chicago Cubs

See also

References