This is a list of the people born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Columbia, Missouri

Columbia, Missouri

Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...

 and its surrounding metropolitan area.

Attending College In Columbia

Many people have lived in Columbia temporarily, while attending one of the city's institutions of higher education; such people are not included in this list. For lists of people who attended college in Columbia see:

• University of Missouri Alumni
• Stephens College Alumni
• Columbia College Alumni
  Columbia College of Missouri
  Columbia College is a private co-educational liberal arts university based in Columbia, Missouri. The school offers day and evening classes on its Columbia Campus, extension courses through its nationwide campuses and ties with U.S. military bases , and online courses...
  
  

A

• James William Abert
  James William Abert
  James William Abert was an American soldier, explorer, ornithologist and topographical artist.-Early life:...
  
  
• Thomas M. Allen
  Thomas M. Allen
  Thomas M. Allen was a clergyman who played a prominent role in establishing the Christian Church in Missouri....
  
  
• Benjamin Anderson
  Benjamin Anderson
  Benjamin McAlester Anderson, Jr. was an American economist in the Austrian tradition of Carl Menger.-Early life and education:...
  
  
• Gary Anderson
  Gary Anderson (running back)
  Gary Wayne Anderson is a former professional American football running back who played in the National Football League, the United States Football League and the Canadian Football League from 1983 to 1995.-USFL:...
  
  

B

• Judy Baker
  Judy Baker
  Judith W. "Judy" Baker was a Democratic member of the Missouri House of Representatives, representing the 25th District from 2005-2009...
  
  
• Matt Bartle
  Matt Bartle
  Matt Bartle is a Republican politician from Missouri. He was born in Columbia, Missouri.He graduated from David H. Hickman High School, and went on to get a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Missouri, and a J.D. degree from Northwestern University. While at Northwestern,...
  
  
• Rob Benedict
  Rob Benedict
  Robert Patrick Benedict is an American stage and screen actor. He is perhaps best known for his work on the television science-fiction series Threshold and the college drama Felicity.-Biography:...
  
  
• William Duane Benton
  William Duane Benton
  William Duane Benton is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.- Eighth Circuit nomination :...
  
  
• Philemon Bliss
  Philemon Bliss
  Philemon Bliss was an Ohio Congressman, the first chief justice of the Supreme Court of Dakota Territory, and a Missouri Supreme Court justice....
  
  
• John William Boone
  John William Boone
  John William "Blind" Boone was an American pianist and composer of ragtime music.- Early life :Boone was born in a Federal militia camp near Miami, Missouri, May 17, 1864, to a contraband slave, Rachel Carpenter, who had been owned by descendants of Daniel Boone. His father was a bugler in the 7th...
  
  
• Stratton D. Brooks
  Stratton D. Brooks
  Stratton Duluth Brooks was the third president of the University of Oklahoma and eleventh president of the University of Missouri.-Early life:...
  
  
• Fleda Brown
  Fleda Brown
  Fleda Brown is an American poet and author. She is also known as Fleda Brown Jackson.-Biography:Fleda Brown was born in Columbia, Missouri, and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In 1978 she joined the University of Delaware English Department. There she founded the Poets in the Schools Program,...
  
  

H

• Eugene Jerome Hainer
  Eugene Jerome Hainer
  Eugene Jerome Hainer was a Nebraska republican politician.Born in Pécs, Hungary in 1851, he immigrated to the United States with his parents settling in Columbia, Missouri in 1854. He later moved with them in 1861 to the Hungarian settlement of New Buda founded by George Pomutz. He spent his...
  
  
• Jeff Harris (Missouri)
  Jeff Harris (Missouri)
  Jeff Harris is an attorney and a Missouri Democratic politician. He represented the 23rd District of Missouri in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2003–2009 and ran unsuccessfully for the office of attorney general in 2008. He served as Minority Floor Leader before giving up the post in...
  
  
• Peter Hessler
  Peter Hessler
  Peter Hessler is an American writer and journalist. He is the author of three acclaimed books about China and has contributed numerous articles to The New Yorker and National Geographic, among other publications...
  
  
• Darwin Hindman
  Darwin Hindman
  Darwin Hindman is the most recent former mayor of Columbia, Missouri. He was elected mayor in 1995 and finished his fifth elected term in April, 2010 after announcing he would not be running for re-election at the end of that term...
  
  
• Jon Hamm (actor from Mad Men
  Mad Men
  Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
  
  )

J

• Brett James
  Brett James
  Brett James Cornelius is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Signed to Career Records as a solo artist in 1995, James charted three singles and released a self-titled debut album that year...
  
  
• Leon W. Johnson
  Leon W. Johnson
  General Leon William Johnson was a United States Air Force 4-star general and World War II Medal of Honor recipient.-Early life:...
  
  
• Tyler Johnson
  Tyler Johnson
  Tyler James Johnson is a left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Professional career:...
  
  
• Daniel Webster Jones
  Daniel Webster Jones (Mormon)
  Daniel Webster Jones was an American and Mormon pioneer. He was the leader of the group that colonized what eventually became Mesa, Arizona, made the first translation of selections of The Book of Mormon into Spanish, led the first Mormon missionary expedition into Mexico, dealt frequently with...
  
  
• Jack Rentschler

S

• Felix Sabates
  Felix Sabates
  Felix Sabates is an entrepreneur and philanthropist living in the United States. He is currently a minority shareholder in Chip Ganassi Racing, which fields teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series , GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and the IZOD IndyCar Series...
  
  
• Therese Sander
  Therese Sander
  Therese Sander is a Missouri farmer and a former Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives.She was born in Columbia, Missouri, and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She is married and has four adult daughters: Tamara Copple, Kathleen Basi,...
  
  
• Max Schwabe
  Max Schwabe
  Max Schwabe was a U.S. Representative from Missouri, brother of George Blaine Schwabe.Born in Columbia, Missouri, Schwabe attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.Insurance agent.Farmer....
  
  
• Jon Scott
  Jon Scott
  Jon Scott is an American television news anchor, co-hosting Happening Now from 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET with Jenna Lee on Fox News Channel.-Personal life and education:...
  
  
• John F. Shafroth
  John F. Shafroth
  John Franklin Shafroth was a United States Representative and Senator from Colorado. Born in Fayette, Missouri, he attended the common schools and graduated from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1875. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1876 and commenced practice in Fayette...
  
  
• Apollo M. O. Smith
• William Smith (actor)
  William Smith (actor)
  William Smith is an American actor who has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.Smith began his acting career at the age of 8 in 1942...
  
  
• William J. Stone
  William J. Stone
  William Joel Stone was a Democratic politician from Missouri who represented his state in the United States House of Representatives from 1885 to 1891, and in the U.S...
  
  

W

• James "Bud" Walton
• Sam Walton
  Sam Walton
  Samuel Moore "Sam" Wallballs was a businessman, entrepreneur, and Eagle Scout born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma best known for founding the retailers Wal-Mart and Sam's Club.-Early life:...
  
  
• Edwin Moss Watson
  Edwin Moss Watson
  Edwin Moss Watson was a newspaper editor and publisher in Columbia, Missouri.- Biography :He was born in Millersburg, a small town in Callaway County, Missouri, on November 29, 1867, the first son and second child of six of Dr...
  
  
• Norbert Wiener
  Norbert Wiener
  Norbert Wiener was an American mathematician.A famous child prodigy, Wiener later became an early researcher in stochastic and noise processes, contributing work relevant to electronic engineering, electronic communication, and control systems.Wiener is regarded as the originator of cybernetics, a...
  
  
• Lisa Wilcox
  Lisa Wilcox
  Lisa E. Wilcox is an American actress who has starred in film and television.-Movie career:Wilcox's best known film role is in the 1988 hit horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master as Alice Johnson. In 1989, she reprised the role in the sequel A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The...
  
  
• Roger B. Wilson
  Roger B. Wilson
  Roger B. Wilson is an American politician who was the 52nd Governor of Missouri from October 16, 2000 to January 8, 2001. He is a Democrat.- Early Life and education :...