List of people from Little Rock
Encyclopedia
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
(categorized by area in which each person is best known):
Actors
- Frank BonnerFrank BonnerFrank Bonner is an American actor and television director best known for playing sales manager Herb Tarlek on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.-Life and career:...
(born 1942), an actor and television director best known for playing sales manager Herb TarlekHerb TarlekHerb Tarlek is a character on the television situation comedy WKRP in Cincinnati . He was played by actor Frank Bonner...
on the classic TV sitcom WKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
, was born in the city.
- Broncho Billy AndersonBroncho Billy AndersonGilbert M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson was an American actor, writer, film director, and film producer, who is best known as the first star of the Western film genre.-Early life:...
, born in Little Rock, actor, writer, director, and producer.
- Daniel DavisDaniel DavisDaniel Davis is an American stage, screen, and television actor best known for portraying Niles the butler on the popular sitcom The Nanny and his guest appearances as Professor Moriarty on Star Trek: The Next Generation, affecting an upper class English accent for both roles.-Biography:Davis was...
(born 1945), an actor, perhaps best known for his role of Niles the butler, in The Nanny.
- Gil GerardGil GerardGilbert C. "Gil" Gerard is an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Captain William "Buck" Rogers in the 1979-1981 television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.-Early life:...
(born 1943), an American actor born in the city.
- Corin NemecCorin NemecCorin "Corky" Nemec is an American actor. Nemec is known for playing the title character on Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Jonas Quinn on Stargate SG-1, and Harold Lauder in the ABC miniseries The Stand.-Personal life:Nemec's mother was a graphic artist as well as a painter, writer and poet...
(born 1971) an actor who played Parker Lloyd Lewis in the early 1990s television series Parker Lewis Can't LoseParker Lewis Can't LoseParker Lewis Can't Lose is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on FOX from September 1990 to June 1993. During the last season, the series sported the simpler title Parker Lewis. The series was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and was strongly influenced by the feature film Ferris...
and Jonas QuinnJonas QuinnJonas Quinn is a fictional character in the Canadian-American television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
in Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
.
- Mary SteenburgenMary SteenburgenMary Nell Steenburgen is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Lynda Dummar in Jonathan Demme's Melvin and Howard, which earned her an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.-Early life:...
(born 1953), actress.
- George NewbernGeorge NewbernGeorge Young Newbern is an American television and film actor best known for his roles as Bryan MacKenzie in Father of the Bride and its sequel Father of the Bride Part II as well as Danny in Friends...
(born 1964), born in Little Rock, actor ( Adventures in BabysittingAdventures in BabysittingAdventures in Babysitting is a 1987 American comedy film written by David Simkins, directed by Chris Columbus, and starring Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Penelope Ann Miller, Bradley Whitford, and a brief cameo by blues singer/guitarist Albert Collins...
, Father of the BrideFather of the Bride (1991 film)Father of the Bride is a 1991 American comedy film starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, George Newbern, Martin Short, B.D. Wong and Kieran Culkin. It is a remake of the 1950 movie of the same name...
movies, etc.) - Josh LucasJosh LucasJosh Lucas is an American actor. He has appeared in many films, including Glory Road, A Beautiful Mind, and Poseidon.-Early life:...
June 20, 1971, born in Little Rock, actor ( Sweet Home AlabamaSweet Home Alabama (film)Sweet Home Alabama is a 2002 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant and stars Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, and Patrick Dempsey. The film was released on September 27, 2002.-Plot:...
, PoseidonPoseidon (film)Poseidon is a 2006 disaster film directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the third film adaptation of the novel The Poseidon Adventure written by Paul Gallico, and a loose remake of the 1972 film of the same name. It stars Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas and Richard Dreyfuss. It was directed by Wolfgang Petersen...
).
Others in the entertainment industry
- Matt BesserMatt BesserMatthew Gregory "Matt" Besser is an American actor and comedian best known as one of the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe who also had their own show on Comedy Central from 1998-2000....
(born 1967), a comedian, was born in the city.
- Linda Bloodworth-ThomasonLinda Bloodworth-ThomasonLinda Bloodworth-Thomason is an American writer and television producer....
(born 1947), a film and television producer and director best known for the television series Designing WomenDesigning WomenDesigning Women is an American television sitcom that centered on the working and personal lives of four Southern women and one man in an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. It aired on the CBS television network from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993. The show was created by head writer...
. She and her husband, Harry ThomasonHarry ThomasonHarry Z. Thomason, , is an American film and television producer and director, best known for the television series Designing Women. Thomason and his wife, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, are close friends of President Bill Clinton and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and played a major...
, are close friends of Bill and Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
and played a major role in President Clinton's election campaigns.
- John BradenJohn BradenJohn Braden was a writer, producer, and director of motion pictures and television programs, as well as a public advocate against drugs in the movie industry....
(1949–2004), a writer, producer, and director of movies and television programs, was born in the city.
- Jim DickinsonJim DickinsonJames Luther "Jim" Dickinson was an American record producer, pianist, and singer who fronted, among others, the Memphis based band, Mudboy & The Neutrons.- Biography :...
a record producer, pianist and singer born in the city.
- Danielle EvansDanielle EvansDanielle "Dani" Evans is an American fashion model. In May 2006, she won Cycle 6 of America's Next Top Model...
is an American fashion model who won Cycle 6 of UPN's hit show America's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
.
- Tammy GrahamTammy Graham-Track listing:#"I Stopped Looking" – 3:07#"Tell Me Again" – 3:23#"When the Blues and My Baby Collide" – 3:17#"More About Love" – 3:28...
(born 1968), a singer and pianist, born in the city.
- David Gordon GreenDavid Gordon GreenDavid Gordon Green is an American filmmaker. He has directed dramas such as George Washington, All the Real Girls, and Snow Angels, as well as the thriller Undertow, all of which he wrote or co-wrote...
(born 1975), a filmmaker, was born in the city.
- Lee Elhardt HaysLee Elhardt HaysLee Hays , was an American folk-singer and songwriter, best known for singing bass with The Weavers. Throughout his life, he was concerned with overcoming racism, inequality, and violence in society. Hays wrote or co-wrote "Wasn't That a Time?", "If I Had a Hammer, "and "Kisses Sweeter than Wine",...
(1914–1981), a folk-singer and songwriter best known for singing bass with The WeaversThe WeaversThe Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs, and American ballads, and selling millions of records at the height of their...
, was born in the city.
- Al HibblerAl HibblerAlbert George "Al" Hibbler was an American baritone vocalist, who sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra before having several pop hits as a solo artist. Some of his singing is classified as rhythm and blues, but he is best classified as a bridge between R&B and traditional pop music...
(1915–2001), a blind singer who worked eight years with Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
before becoming a soloist with several hits and a civil rights activist in the late 1950s and 1960s, was born in the city.
- Bill HicksBill HicksWilliam Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
(1961–1994), comedian, lived in the city.
- Jon HynesJon HynesJon Hynes is an American classical concert pianist.-Biography:A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Hynes is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he studied with Vitaly Margulis and Natalya Antonova. Hynes spent two years at the Paris Conservatory in France before...
, classical pianist, native of the city.
- Smokie NorfulSmokie NorfulRev. W.R. "Smokie" Norful, Jr. is an American gospel singer and pianist, best known for his 2002 album, I Need You Now and his 2004 release, Nothing Without You, which won a Grammy at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 2004.-Early life:Norful, a minister who...
, a gospel recording artist was born in the city.
- Harry ThomasonHarry ThomasonHarry Z. Thomason, , is an American film and television producer and director, best known for the television series Designing Women. Thomason and his wife, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, are close friends of President Bill Clinton and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and played a major...
(born 1940), a film and television producer and director best known for the television series Designing WomenDesigning WomenDesigning Women is an American television sitcom that centered on the working and personal lives of four Southern women and one man in an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. It aired on the CBS television network from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993. The show was created by head writer...
. Thomason and his wife Linda Bloodworth-ThomasonLinda Bloodworth-ThomasonLinda Bloodworth-Thomason is an American writer and television producer....
are close friends of Bill and Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
and played a major role in President Clinton's election campaigns. He was a Little Rock, Arkansas high school speech teacher and football coach.
Amy Lee
Amy Lee
Amy Lynn Hartzler , best known as Amy Lee, is an American singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist. She is co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Evanescence. She cites influences ranging from classical musicians such as Mozart to modern artists Björk, Tori Amos, Danny Elfman and...
Lead singer of the Rock band Evanescence.
Baseball
- Glenn AbbottGlenn AbbottWilliam Glenn Abbott is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During an 11-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , Seattle Mariners , and the Detroit Tigers...
(born 1951), a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1973–1981 and 1983–1984, was born in the city.
- Bill DickeyBill DickeyWilliam Malcolm Dickey was a Major League Baseball catcher and manager.He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the New York Yankees . During Dickey's playing career, the Yankees went to the World Series nine times, winning eight championships...
(1907–1993), a Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player and manager in the Baseball Hall of Fame after playing his entire career with the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, lived much of his life in the city.
- Randy JacksonRandy Jackson (athlete)Ransom Joseph Jackson is a former American Major League Baseball player for the Chicago Cubs , Dodgers , Cleveland Indians , and ended his career back with the Cubs .-Before Major League Baseball:After a year at the University of Arkansas, he...
, born in Little Rock, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player.
- Kevin McReynoldsKevin McReynoldsWalter Kevin McReynolds is a former Major League Baseball outfielder with a 12-year career from 1983 to 1994...
(born 1959), former outfielder/designated hitter who played for baseball teams including the San Diego PadresSan Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
and New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, was born in the city.
- Brooks RobinsonBrooks RobinsonBrooks Calbert Robinson, Jr. is a former American professional baseball player. He played his entire 23-year major league career for the Baltimore Orioles . Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner", he is generally acclaimed as the greatest defensive third-basemen in major league history...
, born in Little Rock, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Football
- Walt ColemanWalt ColemanWalt Coleman is an American football official in the National Football League since the 1989 NFL season. He wears uniform number 65.- Personal :Coleman resides in Little Rock, Arkansas and is a sixth-generation family operator of Coleman Dairy....
, National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
referee and owner and operator of Coleman Dairy. Coleman is infamous for the playoff game between the Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
which incorporated the "Tuck Rule".
- Steve Foley (born 1975), a professional linebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, is a former resident.
- Ken KavanaughKen KavanaughKen Kavanaugh was an American football player, coach and scout. He played college football at LSU, where he was named Most Valuable Player of the Southeastern Conference in 1939. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1963.After college, Kavanaugh played in the National Football...
(born 1916) was a professional football player, 1940–1950, for the Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
- Darren McFaddenDarren McFaddenDarren McFadden is an American football running back who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League . He played college football for the University of Arkansas from 2005 to 2007...
(born 1987), an American football running back for the Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, was born in the city.
- Lawrence PhillipsLawrence PhillipsLawrence Lamond Phillips is a former professional American football and Canadian football running back. Phillips's trouble with the law and inability to produce in the NFL have led many critics to label him as a bust....
(born 1975), a former professional American football and Canadian football running back, was born in the city.
Other sports
- John KocinskiJohn KocinskiJohn Kocinski is a retired Grand Prix motorcycle road racer whose successes include winning the 1990 250cc World Championship, and the 1997 Superbike World Championship title.-Early years:...
(born 1967), a retired motorcycle road racer who won the 1990 250cc World Championship, and the 1997 World Superbike title, was born in the city.
- Jermain TaylorJermain TaylorJermain Taylor is an American professional boxer and former undisputed middleweight champion. He made his professional boxing debut in 2001 and won his first 25 bouts, which included victories over former champions Raúl Márquez and William Joppy...
(born 1978), the current Undisputed World middleweightMiddleweightMiddleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
boxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion, was born in the city.
- Rashad GanawayRashad GanawayRashad Ganaway is an American boxer in the Lightweight division.-Pro career:He is the Cousin of Mexican boxers James de La Rosa and Juan de la Rosa, through their mothers side. On July 17, 2010 Rashad will be fighting Steve Mincks in Arkansas.-External links:...
(born 1982), a boxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
prospect in the LightweightLightweightLight-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
division, was born in the city.
Writers, journalists
- Margot AdlerMargot AdlerMargot Adler is an author, journalist, lecturer, Wiccan priestess and radio journalist and correspondent for National Public Radio .- Early life :Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Adler grew up mostly in New York City...
, a journalist born in Little Rock.
- Joe Bob BriggsJoe Bob BriggsJohn Irving Bloom , who uses the pseudonym Joe Bob Briggs, is a syndicated American film critic, writer and comic performer.-Early years:...
is a pseudonymPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
and persona of John Irving Bloom (born 1953), a syndicatedPrint syndicationPrint syndication distributes news articles, columns, comic strips and other features to newspapers, magazines and websites. They offer reprint rights and grant permissions to other parties for republishing content of which they own/represent copyrights....
American film criticFilm criticismFilm criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films, individually and collectively. In general, this can be divided into journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, and other popular, mass-media outlets and academic criticism by film scholars that is informed by film theory and...
, writer and actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, was raised in the city.
- Dee BrownDee Brown (novelist)Dorris Alexander "Dee" Brown was an American novelist and historian.His most famous work, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee details some of the violence and oppression suffered by Native Americans at the hands of American expansionism.-Life:Born in Alberta, Louisiana, a sawmill town, Brown grew up in...
(1908–2002), a novelist and historian whose most famous work is Bury My Heart at Wounded KneeBury My Heart at Wounded KneeBury My Heart at Wounded Knee by American writer Dee Brown is a history of Native Americans in the American West in the late nineteenth century. He describes the people's displacement through forced relocations and years of warfare waged by the United States federal government...
, grew up partly in the city.
- Helen Gurley BrownHelen Gurley BrownHelen Gurley Brown , is an author, publisher, and businesswoman. She was editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine for 32 years.-Personal life and career:...
(born 1922), an author, publisher, and businesswoman who was editor-in-chief of CosmopolitanCosmopolitan (magazine)Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
magazine for 32 years, lived in the city.
- John Gould FletcherJohn Gould FletcherJohn Gould Fletcher was an Imagist poet and author. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas to a socially prominent family. After attending Phillips Academy, Andover Fletcher went on to Harvard University from 1903 to 1907, when he dropped out shortly after his father's death.Fletcher lived in...
(1886–1950), a Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning Imagist poet and author, was born in the city.
- Fred Graham (born 1931), chief anchor and managing editor of Court TV, was born in the city.
- E. Lynn HarrisE. Lynn HarrisEverette "E." Lynn Harris was an American author. Openly gay, he was best known for his depictions of African American men who were on the down-low and closeted...
(born 1955), a gay, black author with five novels that have hit the The New York Times Best Seller listNew York Times Best Seller listThe New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
, was raised in Little Rock.
- Charles B. MacDonaldCharles B. MacDonaldThis article refers to Charles B. MacDonald, military historian. For the U.S. golfer, refer to Charles B. Macdonald.Charles B. MacDonald was a former Deputy Chief Historian for the United States Army...
(1922–1990), United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and military historian.
- Robert PalmerRobert Palmer (author/producer)Robert Franklin Palmer Jr. was a 20th century American writer, musicologist, clarinetist, saxophonist, and blues producer...
(born 1945), a journalist, author of books about music and a musician, was born in the city.
- Charles WillefordCharles WillefordCharles Ray Willeford III was an American writer. An author of fiction, poetry, autobiography, and literary criticism, Willeford is best known for his series of novels featuring hardboiled detective Hoke Moseley. The first Hoke Moseley book, Miami Blues , is considered one of its era's most...
(1919–1988) an author of detective novels and other books, was born in the city.
Politics, government, military
- Wayne H. BabbittWayne H. BabbittWayne H. Babbitt was a Republican politician in the U.S. state of Arkansas, who in 1972 became the only member of his party ever to oppose the reelection of entrenched Democratic U.S. Senator John L. McClellan.-Family:...
(1928–1994), veterinarianVeterinarianA veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
, RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician, GOP nominee against U.S. Senator John L. McClellan in 1972.
- Daisy BatesDaisy Bates (civil rights activist)Daisy Lee Gatson Bates was an American civil rights activist, publisher and writer who played a leading role in the Little Rock integration crisis of 1957....
(1914–1999), a civil rights leader, journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, publisher, and authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who lived in the city.
- Roswell BeebeRoswell BeebeRoswell Beebe was an American politician, business executive, and real estate purveyor during the early 19th century. Serving as president of the Cairo and Fulton Railroad Company, Roswell Beebe was an important figure in the early development of Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was elected...
(1795-1856) mayor, alderman, businessman, and early benefactor of the city.
- Len E. BlaylockLen E. BlaylockLen Everette Blaylock, Sr. , is a retired farmer, educator, small businessman, and Republican politician from tiny Nimrod in Perry County in northwestern Arkansas. He was state welfare commissioner under Governor Winthrop Rockefeller, the GOP gubernatorial nominee , the U.S...
, Republican political activist, gubernatorial nominee in 1972, former state party chairman. Lives in Perry County.
- Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, former President of the United States and governor of the state, lived in the city.
- Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
, U.S. Secretary of State, former U.S. Senator from New York, wife of Bill Clinton, former first lady of Arkansas, former first lady in the White House, lived in the city.
- Thomas James ChurchillThomas James ChurchillThomas James Churchill was a Confederate major general during the American Civil War and the 13th Governor of the state of Arkansas.-Early life:...
(1824–1905), a Confederate States of AmericaConfederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
major generalMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and a governor of the state, moved to the city in 1848.
- Ken CoonKen CoonKenneth Lloyd "Ken" Coon, Sr. , is a Little Rock educator, professional psychologist, and counselor who was also a pioneer in the development of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Arkansas. He was the GOP state chairman from 1988—1990...
, Republican Party activist, former gubernatorial candidate, state party chairman and a Little Rock psychologistPsychologistPsychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
and educator.
- Orval Eugene FaubusOrval FaubusOrval Eugene Faubus was the 36th Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1955 to 1967. He is best known for his 1957 stand against the desegregation of Little Rock public schools during the Little Rock Crisis, in which he defied a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court by ordering the...
(1906–1994), a six-term Governor of Arkansas, infamous for his 1957 stand against integration of Little Rock schools in defiance of U.S. Supreme Court rulings. Lived in Conway in later years.
- Carlos HathcockCarlos HathcockCarlos Hathcock was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps...
(1942–1999), a legendary Marine sniper during the Vietnam War.
- Thomas C. HindmanThomas C. HindmanThomas Carmichael Hindman, Jr. was a lawyer, United States Representative from the 1st Congressional District of Arkansas, and a Major General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
(1828–1868), a U.S. Representative representing Arkansas and a Major General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was assassinated in 1868.
- Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, U.S. general, was born in the city.
- Sheffield NelsonSheffield NelsonSheffield E. Nelson is a lawyer, businessman, and politician from Little Rock, Arkansas. Originally a Democrat, Nelson in 1990 ran for governor of Arkansas as a Republican against then governor and future U.S. President Bill Clinton and in 1994 against the Democratic Governor Jim Guy Tucker.Nelson...
, businessman and Republican politician.
- Albert PikeAlbert PikeAlbert Pike was an attorney, Confederate officer, writer, and Freemason. Pike is the only Confederate military officer or figure to be honored with an outdoor statue in Washington, D.C...
(1809–1891) an attorneyLawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, soldier, writer, FreemasonFreemasonryFreemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and the only Confederate militaryConfederate States ArmyThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
officer or figure to be honored with a statue in Washington D.C, lived for a time in Little Rock.
- Wade RathkeWade RathkeWade Rathke is the founder of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and Service Employees International Union Local 100. He was ACORN's chief organizer from its founding in 1970 until he stepped down June 2, 2008...
, the founder and chief organizer of ACORNAcornThe acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
, a nationwide poverty advocacy group for the poor that grew out of efforts he started in Little Rock.
- Pratt C. RemmelPratt C. RemmelPratt Cates Remmel, Sr. , was the only 20th century Republican elected on a partisan ballot to have served as mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas. He was elected to the first of two two-year terms in 1951, was reelected in 1953, and then defeated in 1955 by the Democrat Woodrow Wilson Mann, who like...
(1915–1991), businessman and only Republican mayor of Little Rock in the 20th century; GOP candidate for governor against Orval Faubus in 1954. He was born, lived, and died in Little Rock and is buried in Oaklawn Cemetery.
- John Selden RoaneJohn Selden RoaneJohn Selden Roane was a Confederate Brigadier General during the American Civil War. He also served as the fourth Governor of the State of Arkansas.-Biography:...
(1817–1867) was a Confederate Brigadier General during the American Civil War. He also served as Governor of the State of Arkansas. he died in Pine Bluff, ArkansasPine Bluff, ArkansasPine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
, and is buried at Oaklawn Cemetery in Little Rock.
- Winthrop RockefellerWinthrop RockefellerWinthrop Rockefeller was a politician and philanthropist who served as the first Republican Governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction. He was a third-generation member of the Rockefeller family.-Early life:...
(1912–1973), businessman, philanthropist, and the first Republican governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction and the grandson of John D. RockefellerJohn D. RockefellerJohn Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
, lived in the city and in Conway County.
- Leona TroxellLeona TroxellLeona Anderson Troxell Dodd, known politically as Leona Troxell , was a native New Yorker who was a pioneer in the development of the Republican Party in her adopted state of Arkansas...
(1913–2003), longtime Republican national committeewoman from Arkansas and associate of Winthrop Rockefeller, lived in Rose BudRose Bud, ArkansasRose Bud is a town in White County, Arkansas, in the United States. Tammy Tipton Bomar is the current mayor. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 429...
in White County.
- Carmen Twillie, (19??) lawyer and politician, dean of Douglass College.
Others
- Fulham DaviesFulham DaviesFulham Fairchild Davies, known as Ki Davies , was an Arkansas businessman who in 1923 opened the Merrill Lynch office in Little Rock...
(1890–1973), Merrill LynchMerrill LynchMerrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
broker in Little Rock; kept office intact during Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
- E. Fay Jones, (1921–2004), a noted architect and designer and an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright.
- Frank Pace, Jr. (1912–1988), first president of the Corporation for Public BroadcastingCorporation for Public BroadcastingThe Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a non-profit corporation created by an act of the United States Congress, funded by the United States’ federal government to promote public broadcasting...
, a Secretary of the Army and president of General Dynamics Corporation, was born in the city.
- Scott E. ParazynskiScott E. ParazynskiScott Edward Parazynski, M.D. is an American physician and a former NASA astronaut. A veteran of five Space Shuttle flights and seven spacewalks, Parazynski's latest mission was STS-120 in October, 2007 --- highlighted by a dramatic, unplanned EVA to repair a live solar array...
(born 1961), an astronaut and veteran of four space flights, was born in the city.
- Richard ThalheimerRichard ThalheimerRichard Thalheimer is founder, and former CEO and chairman, of The Sharper Image Corporation.-Early life:Thalheimer's family settled in Arkansas before the American Civil War and started a livery business. Thalheimer was raised in Little Rock. After graduating from Hall High School in Little...
(born 1948), founder, CEO and chairman of the Sharper Image Corporation. Thalheimer is a graduate of Hall High SchoolHall High School (Arkansas)Hall High School, located in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a comprehensive four-year public high school in the Little Rock School District currently enrolling 1,389 students in grades nine through twelve.-History:...
in Little Rock.
In fiction
- Ensign Nellie Forbush in South PacificSouth Pacific (musical)South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
- Lorelei Lee, in Gentlemen Prefer BlondesGentlemen Prefer Blondes (musical)Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a musical with a book by Joseph Fields and Anita Loos, lyrics by Leo Robin, and music by Jule Styne, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Loos...