List of people from Monroe, Louisiana
This is a list of people from Monroe, Louisiana and includes notable persons who were born in and/or have lived in Monroe, Louisiana, United States. For a list of people who have studied at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, see List of University of Louisiana at Monroe alumni.
Actors and entertainers
[edit]- Kevin Griffin, singer, songwriter and guitarist of Better Than Ezra
- Clay Jordan, contestant on Survivor: Thailand
- Valerie Mason, September 2008 Playboy Playmate
- Mighty Sam McClain, soul blues singer and songwriter
- Mantan Moreland, actor and comic of the 1930s and 1940s
- Jesse Pearson, actor and screenwriter; died in Monroe in 1979
- Parker Posey, film actress
- Monti Sharp, film and soap opera actor
- Susan Ward, film and soap opera actress
Businesspeople
[edit]- Samuel B. Fuller (1905–1988), entrepreneur and journalist, founder of Fuller Products Company
- Collett E. Woolman (1889–1966), an original director and founder of Delta Air Service
Journalists
[edit]- Frank McGee, television journalist
Musicians
[edit]- Fred Anderson, jazz saxophonist and club owner
- Hamid Drake, jazz drummer and percussionist
- Doug Duffey, singer, songwriter, pianist, bandleader, music arranger, record producer, music publisher, poet, diarist, photographer and visual artist
- Carl Fontana, jazz trombonist
- Kevin Griffin, lead singer of Better Than Ezra
- Andy Griggs, country music singer
- Ivory Joe Hunter, rhythm and blues musician[1]: 293
- Rickey Minor, music director, composer, music producer, and music director and bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- Webb Pierce, country musician[1]: 274
- Frank Ticheli, composer, conductor, Professor Emeritus of Music at University of Southern California
Politicians
[edit]- Edwards Barham, former member of the Louisiana State Senate from Morehouse Parish
- William Denis Brown III (1931–2012), attorney, businessman, and state senator, floor leader in first term of Governor Edwin Washington Edwards[2]
- William Derwood Cann Jr. (1919–2010), World War II lieutenant colonel; interim mayor of Monroe 1978–1979[3]
- Donnie Copeland (born 1961), Pentecostal pastor in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, 2015 to 2017, born in Monroe[4]
- James L. Dennis (born 1936), Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Jimmy Dimos, former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives and retired judge
- William C. Feazel (1895–1965), interim U.S. Senator in 1948; member of the Louisiana House of Representatives 1932–1936; father-in-law of Shady R. Wall
- W. L. "Jack" Howard (1911–1994), former mayor of Monroe and owner with his brother, Alton Hardy Howard of the former Howard Brothers Discount Stores
- Marcus Hunter (born 1979), member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 17 in Ouachita Parish
- Vance McAllister, businessman and U.S. representative elected in Louisiana's 5th congressional district special election, 2013
- Newt V. Mills, U.S. representative from Louisiana's 5th congressional district 1937–1943; resided in Monroe
- Jay Morris, state representative from Ouachita and Morehouse parishes, 2012–
- Huey P. Newton (1942–1989) co-founder of the Black Panther Party, born in Monroe
- James A. Noe, short-term governor of Louisiana in 1936; founder of WNOE and KNOE radio and TV stations
- Abe E. Pierce III (1934–2021), mayor of Monroe 1996–2000, first African American in the position; Ouachita Parish educator
- Robert E. Powell (1923–1997), mayor of Monroe 1979–1996
- Melvin Rambin (1941–2001), mayor of Monroe 2000–2001, only Republican in the position since Reconstruction; banker in Baton Rouge and Monroe; interred in Baton Rouge
- Frank Spooner, oil and natural gas producer and Republican politician, moved to Monroe in 1967[5]
- Jeff R. Thompson, former insurance agent in Monroe; state representative from Bossier Parish; incoming 26th Judicial District Court judge
- J. Robert Wooley (born 1953), Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance, 2000–2006; spent his high school and college years in Monroe[6]
Athletes
[edit]- Brian Bateman, PGA golfer, 2007 Buick Open winner[7]
- Benoit Benjamin, NBA center for the Cleveland Cavaliers[8]
- Bubby Brister, Denver Broncos quarterback[9]
- Ronnie Coleman, retired professional bodybuilder; former middle linebacker Grambling State University
- John David Crow, late coach of the ULM Warhawks; professional football player
- LaceDarius Dunn, basketball guard with Bnei HaSharon in Israel[10]
- Billy Joe DuPree, tight end for the Dallas Cowboys[11]
- Chuck Finley, MLB All-Star pitcher, California Angels, Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Cardinals; ex-spouse of Tawny Kitaen[12]
- Ralph Garr, All-Star MLB outfielder[13]
- Larry Gordon, football player
- James Harris, NFL quarterback
- Gerrod Henderson, basketball player for the Anwil Włocławek 2007–09
- Tyree Hollins, football player
- Cardia Jackson, Louisiana–Monroe Warhawk and Green Bay Packers linebacker
- Bradie James, LSU and Dallas Cowboys linebacker[14]
- Shawn King, ULM/LSU and Carolina Panthers defensive end[15]
- Lynn McGlothen, MLB pitcher
- Paul Millsap, power forward for Louisiana Tech University and the Atlanta Hawks[16]
- Rudy Niswanger, LSU and Kansas City Chiefs center[17]
- Cassidy O'Reilly, professional wrestler, WWE TNA
- Joe Profit, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints running back[18]
- Phil Robertson, quarterback for Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
- Johnny Robinson, LSU and Kansas City Chiefs safety
- Barry Rubin (born 1957), Head Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League
- Bill Russell, NBA center for the Boston Celtics), Basketball Hall of Famer
- Ben Sheets, MLB All-Star Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics and Atlanta Braves pitcher; played at NLU, now ULM[19]
- Cam Sims, Alabama and wide receiver for Las Vegas Raiders
- Storm Warren (born 1988), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Sammy White, football player, GSU and Offensive Rookie of Year receiver for Minnesota Vikings
- Andrew Whitworth, LSU and Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle
- Jonathan Wilhite, Auburn and New England Patriots cornerback
- Aeneas Williams, St. Louis Rams free safety
- Pat Williams, NFL defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings
- Ralph Williams, gridiron football player
- Don Wilson, MLB pitcher for the Houston Astros[20]
- Larry Wright, GSU and NBA guard for the Washington Bullets
Writers
[edit]- Harry W. Addison, writer and humorist
- Dixon Hearne, writer and poet
- Speed Lamkin, novelist and playwright
Others
[edit]- Guy Banister, career employee of the FBI and private investigator; alleged co-conspirator in assassination of John F. Kennedy
- James E. Cofer, president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe 2002–2010
- Bruce M. Davis, Manson family member serving life sentence for murder
- Robert Pershing Foster, MD, a subject of Isabel Wilkerson's book The Warmth of Other Suns
- W. C. Friley, Baptist clergyman; second president of Louisiana College; pastor in Monroe in the early 1880s
- Hugh H. Goodwin, vice admiral in the United States Navy
- Marguerite Littman, American-British socialite and HIV/AIDS activist
- Rowena Spencer, MD; first female pediatric surgeon
- Marc Swayze, comic book writer and illustrator
- Emily H. Vokes, malacologist and Tulane University professor
- A. Wilberforce Williams (1865–1940), African American physician, teacher, and journalist; born in Monroe and raised on a plantation[21]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Tom Aswell (April 22, 2013). Louisiana Rocks!: The True Genesis of Rock and Roll. Pelican Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4556-0783-9.
- ^ "William Denis Brown, III". Monroe News-Star, March 9, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
- ^ "William Derwood Cann, Jr". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, July 14, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ^ "Donnie Copeland's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ "Otto Passman, Jerry Huckaby, and Frank Spooner: The Louisiana Fifth Congressional District Election of 1976", Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association, LIV No. 3 (Summer 2013), p. 346
- ^ "Mike Hasten, "Louisiana insurance commissioner's race Wooley turns temporary job into a mission", November 7, 2003". capitolwatch.reallouisiana.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
- ^ PGA TOUR, Inc. (2010). "PGATOUR.com – Brian Bateman's Official Profile". Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ Sports Reference LLC (2010). "Benoit Benjamin NBA & ABA Statistics". Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ NFL Enterprises LLC (2010). "Bubby Brister". Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ LaceDarius Dunn (November 16, 2009). "LaceDarius Dunn Profile – Baylor Bears Official Athletic Site". BaylorBears.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ "Billy Joe DuPree". National Football League. 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "Chuck Finley Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
- ^ "Ralph Garr Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights". Major League Baseball. 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ Dallas Cowboys (2010). "DallasCowboys.com – Official Site of the Dallas Cowboys". Archived from the original on October 3, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ NFL Enterprises LLC (2010). "Shawn King". Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ NBA Media Ventures, LLC (2010). "NBA.com : Paul Millsap Bio Page". Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network. Archived from the original on May 15, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "Kansas City Chiefs: Rudy Niswanger". 2010. Archived from the original on March 15, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ NFL Enterprises, LLC (2010). "Joe Profit". Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ Oakland Athletics (2010). "Ben Sheets Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights". MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "Don Wilson stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ^ Richardson, Clement (1919). "A. Wilberforce Williams, M.D.". The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race. National Publishing Company. p. 150.