List of people from Bennington, Vermont explained

The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Bennington, Vermont.

Artists and entertainers

• Pamela Blair, actress, singer and dancer (Val in the musical A Chorus Line); born in Bennington
• Henry Brant, composer, awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music (2002); taught at Bennington College
• Carleton Carpenter, actor (Summer Stock); born in Bennington
• Helen Frankenthaler, painter; attended Bennington College
• Robert Frost, poet, four time Pulitzer Prize winner; lived and buried in Bennington
• Cynthia Gibb, actress and former model (Suzi on Search for Tomorrow); born in Bennington
• Milford Graves, free jazz drummer, percussion musician; instructor at Bennington College
• Miles Hyman, author and illustrator
• Stanley Edgar Hyman, literary critic; instructor at Bennington College
• Shirley Jackson, novelist and short story writer, author of ‘’The Lottery’’. Wife of Stanley Edgar Hyman; lived in Bennington
• Jamaica Kincaid, novelist (Lucy); lived in Bennington
• Ray Magliozzi, co-host of NPR's weekly radio show, Car Talk; taught science in Bennington
• Bernard Malamud, novelist and short story writer; taught at Bennington College
• Jules Olitski, painter; taught at Bennington College (1963–1967)
• Mary Oliver, poet; lived in Bennington
• Beverley Owen, actress; lived and died in Bennington
• Allen Shawn, composer; instructor at Bennington College
• David Smith, sculptor
• R. John Wright, doll designer and maker; lives in Bennington

Professionals

• Ethan Allen, soldier, author, philosopher, land speculator and businessman ^[1]
• Hiram Bingham, missionary
• William L. Burke, professor
• Edward Hamlin Everett, founder of the Bennington Museum
• Lydia Mary Fay (1804–1878), missionary, educator, writer, and translator
• Nathaniel Fillmore, farmer and father of President Millard Fillmore
• James Fisk Jr., financier
• Simon Fraser, fur trader and explorer
• Daniel Williams Harmon, fur trader and diarist
• Anthony Haswell, printer, journalist and free speech champion
• Herbert William Heinrich, industrial safety pioneer
• Horace Chapin Henry, businessman and art gallery founder
• Alfred Lebbeus Loomis, physician
• Alexander Nemerov, art historian
• Trenor W. Park, lawyer, businessman, politician and philanthropist
• Isaac G. Perry, architect
• Henry W. Putnam, inventor, manufacturer, businessman and philanthropist
• John Spargo, author, historian and socialist intellectual
• John F. Winslow, industrialist and college president

Military

• Reginald W. Buzzell, U.S. Army brigadier general, resided in Bennington^[2]
• David Fay, participant in the Battle of Bennington during the American Revolution, Adjutant General of the Vermont Militia during the War of 1812, Judge of the Vermont Supreme Court
• David Robinson, major general in the state militia and U.S. Marshal for Vermont
• Seth Warner, officer in the Green Mountain Boys

Murderers

• Mary Rogers, murderer^[3]
• Elizabeth Van Valkenburgh, murderer^[4]

Law

• Orion M. Barber, U.S. federal judge^[5]
• Samuel H. Blackmer, Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court^[6]
• Charles Dewey Day, superior court judge in Canada
• John Fassett Jr., Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court^[7]
• David Fay, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court^[8]
• Jonas Fay, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court^[8]
• James Stuart Holden, federal judge^[9]
• Pierpoint Isham, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court^[10]
• John Robinson, US Marshal for Vermont^[11]

Politics

• Howard E. Armstrong, Secretary of State of Vermont^[12]
• Peter J. Brady, member of the Vermont House of Representatives^[13]
• Elijah Brush, second mayor of Detroit, Michigan^[14]
• T. Garry Buckley, lieutenant governor of Vermont^[15]
• Brian Campion, member of the Vermont Senate^[16]
• Nathan Clark, speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives^[17]
• Timothy R. Corcoran, member of the Vermont House of Representatives and Bennington town clerk^[18]
• Timothy Corcoran II, member of the Vermont House of Representatives^[19]
• Charles Hial Darling, Assistant Secretary of the Navy^[20]
• Joseph Fay, Secretary of State of Vermont^[17]
• Abraham B. Gardner, lieutenant governor of Vermont^[21]
• Hiland Hall, U.S. congressman, Governor of Vermont^[22]
• Emory S. Harris, US Marshal for Vermont^[23]
• Robert E. Healy, member of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court^[24]
• Albert Krawczyk, member of the Vermont House of Representatives^{[18] [25]}
• Frederick S. Lovell, Wisconsin state legislator, and Union Army officer in the American Civil War^[26]
• John G. McCullough, governor of Vermont^[27]
• Orsamus Cook Merrill, U.S. congressman^[28]
• Joseph Naper, member of the Illinois House of Representatives and founder of Naperville, Illinois^[29]
• Jesse O. Norton, U.S. congressman^[30]
• Paul Offner, educator and Wisconsin state legislator^[31]
• Jonathan Robinson, US senator^[32]
• Moses Robinson, U.S. senator and Governor of Vermont prior to statehood^[33]
• Richard W. Sears, member of the Vermont Senate^[34]
• Mark Shepard, member of the Vermont Senate^[35]
• Benjamin Swift, U.S. senator^[36]
• Isaac Tichenor, jurist, U.S. senator and the 5th Governor of Vermont^[37]
• David S. Walbridge, U.S. congressman^[38]
• Stephen K. Williams, member of the New York State Senate^[39]
• William Henry Wills, governor of Vermont^[40]
• Ralph G. Wright, Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives^[41]

Sports

• Peter Graves, Olympic announcer and cross-country ski coach for Harvard University^[42]
• Andrew Newell, Olympic cross country skier^[43]
• Betsy Shaw, Olympic snowboarder^[44]

Notes and References

1. Willard Sterne Randall, "Ethan Allen: His Life and Times, (New York, London: W. W. Norton and Company, 2011) 253.
2. News: January 23, 1959 . Gen. Buzzell Dead at 64 . . Bennington, VT . 1 . Newspapers.com.
3. Web site: Mary Rogers Brings the Capital Punishment Wars to Vermont . New England Historical Society.com . 4 November 2015 . New England Historical Society . Stonington, ME . December 30, 2019.
4. Web site: Van Valkenburgh, Elizabeth (1799–1846) . Encyclopedia.com . . Farmington Hills, MI . December 30, 2019.
5. News: March 29, 1930 . Orion M. Barber Dies, Prominent Jurist . . New York, NY . subscription . 19.
6. Book: Stone, Arthur F. . 1929 . The Vermont of Today, with its Historic Background, Attractions and People . III . 71 . New York, NY . Lewis Historical Publishing Company . .
7. Book: Walton, E. P. . 1874 . Records of the Council of Safety and Governor and Council of the State of Vermont . 2 . Montpelier, VT . J. & J. M. Poland . 1 . Eliakim Persons Walton . Google Books.
8. Book: Fay, Orlin Prentice . 1898 . Fay Genealogy: John Fay of Marlborough and His Descendants . Cleveland, OH . J. B. Savage . 9780598972743 . Google Books.
9. Book: Armstrong, Howard E. . 1955 . Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual . Montpelier, VT . Vermont Secretary of State . 595=596 . Howard E. Armstrong . Google Books.
10. Book: Aldrich, Lewis Cass . 1889 . History of Bennington County, Vt. . Syracuse, NY . D. Mason & Co. . 539–541 . .
11. News: April 30, 1917 . Twice Appointed by President Cleveland: John Robinson, Who Died at Home Here Saturday Afternoon . . Bennington, VT . 1 . . .
12. Book: Myrick, Rawson C. . 1929 . State of Vermont Legislative Directory . Montpelier, VT . Vermont Secretary of State . 506.
13. News: Goswami . Neal P. . February 27, 2013 . Former state rep Peter Brady seeks Select Board seat . . Bennington, VT.
14. Book: Burton . Clarence M. . 1922 . The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922 . II . Detroit, MI . The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company . 1361 . Internet Archive.
15. News: May 25, 2012 . Obituary, T. Garry Buckley . . Bennington, VT . Legacy.com.
16. News: Legislative Biography, Brian Campion . VT Digger . Montpelier, VT . December 30, 2019.
17. Book: Hall, Hiland . 1868 . The History of Vermont from the Discovery to its Admission into the Union in 1791 . 459 . Albany, NY . Joel Munsell . Internet Archive.
18. News: Keese . Susan . November 7, 2014 . Bennington Mourns Longtime Town Clerk Tim Corcoran . Vermont Public Radio . Colchester, VT.
19. News: Damon . Edward . August 5, 2016 . Primary: Four candidates seek two seats in Bennington 2-1 District . . Pittsfield, MA.
20. Forbes . Charles S. . December 1901 . Vermonters Abroad: Charles H. Darling . The Vermonter . VII . St. Albans, VT . C. S. Forbes . 9 . HathiTrust.
21. News: November 25, 1881 . Abraham B. Gardner: Death of a Distinguished Vermonter . . Brattleboro, VT . 2 . Newspapers.com.
22. Web site: Hall, Hiland, (1795-1885). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. October 27, 2012.
23. Book: Dodge, Prentiss Cutler . 1912 . Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography . Burlington, VT . Ullery Publishing Company . 213 . . .
24. News: November 18, 1946 . Robert E. Healy Dies, SEC Commissioner . Philadelphia Inquirer . Philadelphia, PA . subscription . . 11 . .
25. News: Goswami . Neal . November 1, 2006 . Progressive aiming for the House . . Bennington, VT.
26. Web site: American Civil War General Officers Index, Entry for Frederick Solon Lovell . Ancestry.com . Ancestry.com LLC . Lehi, UT . subscription . December 30, 2019.
27. Web site: Biography, John Griffith McCullough . NGA.org . National Governors Association . Washington, DC . December 30, 2019.
28. Web site: Merrill, Orsamus Cook, (1775-1865). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. October 27, 2012.
29. Web site: Joseph Naper Statue; Statue Facts . Naper Homestead . Naper Settlement . Naperville, IL . December 30, 2019.
30. Web site: Norton, Jesse Olds, (1812-1875). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. October 27, 2012.
31. Web site: Term: Offner, Paul 1942. Wisconsin historical Society. October 27, 2012.
32. Web site: Robinson, Jonathan, (1756-1819). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. October 27, 2012.
33. Web site: Robinson, Moses, (1741-1813). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. October 27, 2012.
34. News: Legislative Biography, Dick Sears . VT Digger . Montpelier, VT . December 30, 2019.
35. News: October 27, 2008 . Shepard launches write-in campaign against Welch . The Sun . Elizabethtown, NY.
36. Web site: Swift, Benjamin, (1781-1847). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. October 27, 2012.
37. Web site: Tichenor, Isaac, (1754 - 1838). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. October 27, 2012.
38. Web site: Walbridge, David Safford, (1802-1868). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. October 27, 2012.
39. Book: Harlow . S. R. . Boone . H. H. . 1867 . Life Sketches of the State Officers, Senators, and Members of the Assembly of the State of New York . Albany, NY . Weed, Parsons and Company . 164.
40. Web site: Biography, William H. Wills . NGA.org . National Governors Association . Washington, DC . December 30, 2019.
41. Web site: Biography, Ralph G. Wright . Vermont Folklife Center.org . Vermont Folklife Center . Middlebury, VT . December 30, 2019.
42. News: Wertlieb . Mitch . Bodette . Melody . February 3, 2014 . Vermonter Heads To Eighth Olympics As Ski Broadcaster . Vermont Public Radio . Colchester, VT.
43. News: Smith . Geoffrey . October 27, 2014 . Olympian Andy Newell discusses the past, what comes next . . Bennington, VT.
44. Web site: 1998 Olympic Athlete Bios: Snowboarder Betsy Shaw. 2020-06-19. www.mountainzone.com.