Famous Montanans
Updated: August 31, 2020
Montana's rugged country and frontier spirit have produced some wonderfully unique and colorful personalities. Jeannette Rankin, was the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; C.M. Russell, was a famous Western artist who captured the old west on canvas and modern-day paleontologist Jack Horner discovered a nest of Maiasaurs. Check out these, and other famous Montanans.
ARTS
- Brad Bird animator/director
- Evelyn Cameron - photographer
- Monte Dolack artist
- Bud Luckey - Pixar animator and cartoonist
- David Lynch - director
- Stan Lynde - cartoonist
- Edgar S. Paxson - artist
- Kevin Red Star - artist
- Charles M. Russell - artist
- Michael Smuin - choreographer
- Peter Voulkos - ceramic artist
- Discover more Montana artists on Wikipedia.
ACTORS
- Dirk Benedict - TV actor
- Robert Bray - actor
- Dana Carvey - actor/comedian
- Carroll O'Connor - actor
- Gary Cooper- movie actor
- Patrick Duffy - TV actor
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Broadway and TV actor
- Myrna Loy - movie actress
- Christopher Lloyd
- George Montgomery - movie actor
- Martha Raye - Movie actor singer
- J.K. Simmons - actor
- Kathlyn Williams - Actress
- Michelle Williams TV and movie actress
- Discover more Montana actors on Wikipedia.
- Discover more Montana actresses on Wikipedia.
MUSICIANS
- Eden Atwood jazz singer
- Jeff Ament- Rock musician
- Judith Blegen - opera soprano
- Taylor Gordon vaudeville performer/concert singer
- Colin Meloy- singer/songwriter
- Charley Pride - country and western singer
- Chan Romero - rock and roll performer
- Find even more famous Montana entertainers on Wikipedia.
LITERATURE
- Mary Clearman Blew - author; poet
- Grace Stone Coates - author; poet
- Ivan Doig - author
- A.B. Guthrie, Jr. - author
- Joseph Kinsey Howard - author
- Richard Hugo - poet
- Will James - author
- Dorothy M. Johnson - author
- William Kitteredge - author; poet
- Frank Bird Linderman author
- Norman Maclean - author
- Deirdre McNamer author
- William DArcy McNickle author
- Tom McGuane - author
- Christopher Paolini - author
- James Welch - Native American author
- Find even more Montana authors on Wikipedia.
SCIENCES
- James E. Atwater - multidisciplinary physical scientist
- John Doull - (toxicologist)
- Jules P. Harrell - professor of psychology
- Maurice Hilleman - microbiologist (mumps vaccine)
- John R. Horner - dinosaur paleontologist
- Howard Ricketts - disease scientist
- Ann Linnea Sandberg - immunologist
- Brian Schmidt - astrophysicist
- Lester Thurow - economist
- Harold C. Urey - Nobel Prize - winning scientist
MEDIA
- Chet Huntley - TV newsman
- Brent Musburger - TV sports announcer
SPORTS
- Eric Bergoust- Olympic Gold medalist ski aerialist
- Phil Jackson NBA coach
- Levi Leipheimer- Bicycle Racer
- Alex Lowe- Mountaineer
- Larry Krystkowiak - NBA basketball player
- Ryan Leaf NFL quarterback
- Dave McNally - baseball player
- John Misha Petkevich - Olympic figure skater
- Mike Ramos - Olympic decathlete
- Lones Wigger - Olympic marksman
- Dan Mortensen - World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider
- Troy Anderson - Linebacker for Atlanta Falcons
- Discover even more Montana Athletes on Wikipedia.
POLITICIANS
- Greg Gianforte - Montana Governor, 2021 - present
- Ella Haskell - Montana's first female lawyer and first female candidate for state attorney general in the U.S., 1892
- Mike Mansfield - U.S. Senator 1953 - 1977; ambassador 1977 - 1988
- Lee Metcalf - U.S. Senator, 1961 - 1978
- Jeannette Rankin - first woman in the U.S. House, 1916 - 1918 and 1940 - 1942
- Brian Schweitzer - Former Montana Governor, 2005 - 2013
- Thomas J. Walsh - U.S. Senator, 1913 - 1933
- Burton K. Wheeler - U.S. Senator, 1923 -1947
OTHER
- Marcus Daly - entrepreneur
- Evel Knievel
- Katie Blair - Miss Teen USA 2006
- Tony Boyle - labor leader
- William A. Clark - entrepreneur
- Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow - historian
- Plenty Coups - Crow leader
- Greg Mortenson - Humanitarian, author
- Henry Plummer - sheriff; outlaw
- Robert Yellowtail- Crow Reservation leader
- Shep - The faithful sheep dog.
Did we miss any famous Montanans?
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Updated: August 31, 2020