List of people from the Lehigh Valley explained

The following is a list of notable people who were born, or have lived a significant portion of their lives, in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.

Authors, journalists, playwrights, and poets

• Christian Bauman, novelist
• Stephen Vincent Benét, former Pulitzer Prize-winning author and poet
• Charles Bierbauer, former University of South Carolina dean and former CNN correspondent
• John Birmelin, former Pennsylvania German language poet and playwright
• Clair Blank, author, Beverly Gray series of books
• Katherine Boehret, former Wall Street Journal technology journalist
• Jen Bryant, poet and author
• Solomon DeLong (pen name Obediah Grouthomel), former Pennsylvania German newspaper columnist
• Michael Flynn, science fiction author
• Matthew Giobbi, author
• H.D., former writer and modernist poet
• Alfred Hassler, former journalist and author
• Carmen Maria Machado, short story author and essayist
• Francis March, former academic and founder of comparative linguistics in Old English
• Randall Munroe, writer, XKCD comic series
• Sandra Novack, novelist
• Alix Olson, spoken word artist
• Michael Pocalyko, business executive and financial novelist
• Marci Shore, author and historian
• Elsie Singmaster, former author
• Jennifer Storm, author, Blackout Girl: Growing Up and Drying Out in America and Leave the Light On
• Lauren Weisberger, author, The Devil Wears Prada

Business and politics

• Roy Afflerbach, lobbyist and former Allentown mayor
• William F. Andrews, former Florida State Representative
• James Soloman Biery, former member of Congress
• Joseph Force Crater, former New York State Supreme Court justice
• James B. Cunningham, former U.S. ambassador to Israel and Afghanistan
• Charlie Dent, former member of Congress
• Charles L. Gerlach, former member of Congress
• Fred B. Gernerd, former member of Congress
• Rick Glazier, former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
• Murray H. Goodman, former real estate developer^[1]
• Eugene Grace, former industrialist and president of Bethlehem Steel
• Erskine Hazard, co-founder of Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, Lehigh Canal, and Lehigh Crane Iron Company
• David W. Hess, member of New Hampshire House of Representatives
• Lee Iacocca, former chairman of Chrysler
• Michael Johns, healthcare executive and former White House presidential speechwriter
• John Kline, former member of Congress
• Marcus C. L. Kline, former member of Congress
• Fred Ewing Lewis, former member of Congress
• Norton Lewis Lichtenwalner, former member of Congress
• John E. McGlade, former chairman, chief executive officer and president of Air Products
• Peter Newhard, former member of Congress
• Andrew Horatio Reeder, former governor of Kansas
• Donald L. Ritter, former member of Congress
• James Ritter, former member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
• Charles M. Schwab, former president, Bethlehem Steel
• Samuel Sitgreaves, former U.S. commissioner to Great Britain and former member of Congress
• Richard A. Snelling, former governor of Vermont
• George Taylor, Founding Father and Second Continental Congress delegate who signed Declaration of Independence
• Susan Wild, member of Congress, Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district

Film, television, and stage

• Lisa Ann, adult film actress
• Alexandra Chando, actress, As the World Turns
• Jack Coleman, television actor, Dynasty, Heroes, The Office, and Castle
• Dane DeHaan, television and film actor, In Treatment, Chronicle, A Cure for Wellness, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
• Devon, adult film actress
• Omar Doom, actor, Inglourious Basterds
• Oakes Fegley, actor, The Goldfinch
• Winslow Fegley, actor, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
• Jonathan Frakes, actor,
• Mel Harris, actress, Thirtysomething
• Althea Henley, former actress
• Tim Heidecker, actor and comedian, Adult Swim's Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
• Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock"), actor, former professional wrestler^[2]
• Daniel Dae Kim, actor, Lost
• Gelsey Kirkland, ballerina
• Carson Kressley, fashion consultant, Bravo's Queer Eye
• Christopher Lennertz, film, television, and video game music composer, Alvin and the Chipmunks and Supernatural
• William Marchant, former playwright and screenwriter
• Michael McDonald, costume designer and 2009 Tony Award and Drama Desk nominee for Hair
• Kristen McMenamy, fashion model
• Kate Micucci, actress, comedian, artist, and singer-songwriter
• Lara Jill Miller, voice actress, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee
• Aimee Mullins, model and actress
• Robert Newhard, former cinematographer
• Sally Jessy Raphael, former television talk show host
• Daniel Roebuck, actor, Lost
• Amanda Seyfried, model and actress, Mean Girls Big Love, Mama Mia!, and Les Misérables
• Sheetal Sheth, actress, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World
• Dana Snyder, voice actor, Aqua Teen Hunger Force
• Sarah Strohmeyer, novelist and creator of Bubbles Yablonsky
• Andrea Tantaros, political analyst and commentator
• Christine Taylor, actress
• Jonathan Taylor Thomas, actor, Home Improvement^[3]
• David Zippel, Tony-award-winning lyricist, City of Angels

Music

• Rick Braun, smooth jazz trumpet player^[4]
• Lillian Briggs, former rockabilly musician
• Howard J. Buss, contemporary classical music composer
• Leon Carr, former Broadway composer and television advertising songwriter
• Jimmy DeGrasso, heavy metal drummer, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper Band, Megadeth, Dokken, and Ratt
• Walt Groller, Grammy-nominated polka musician
• George Hrab, rock and funk musician
• Keith Jarrett, jazz musician
• Steve Kimock, rock musician
• Ludwig Lenel, former organist and composer
• Lil Peep, former rapper
• Albertus L. Meyers, former music conductor, Allentown Band
• Mulgrew Miller, jazz pianist
• Farley Parkenfarker, keyboardist
• Mike Portnoy, progressive metal drummer^[5]
• Thom Schuyler, country music singer and songwriter
• Shadow Gallery, progressive metal band
• Melissa VanFleet, alternative metal singer, songwriter, and musician
• Donald Voorhees, former Emmy-nominated orchestra conductor
• Jordan White, rock musician
• Stephanie Woodling, opera singer

Religion

• Frank Buchman, founder of the Oxford Group and the Moral Re-Armament religious movement
• Tim Keller, former Christian pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church and author, The Reason for God
• Nathan Homer Knorr, former religious leader and third president of Jehovah's Witnesses

Science

• David Bader, director, Institute of Data Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and professor
• Michael Behe, biochemist at Lehigh University and intelligent design proponent
• James McKeen Cattell, first U.S. psychology professor
• Richard Diehl, archaeologist and Mesoamerica scholar
• Edwin Drake, former oil driller
• Terry Hart, former Space Shuttle Challenger astronaut
• Aaron D. O'Connell, created the world's first quantum machine
• Beth Shapiro, evolutionary molecular biologist, University of California, Santa Cruz
• Walter O. Snelling, former chemist and explosives expert who discovered propane

Sports

Collegiate sports

• Chuck Amato, former head college football coach, North Carolina State
• Steve Aponavicius, former placekicker and all-time Boston College Eagles football scoring leader
• Parke H. Davis, former college football coach, Amherst, Lafayette, and Wisconsin
• Jordan Oliver, two-time NCAA national wrestling champion and Bellator MMA fighter

Major League Baseball (MLB)

• Slim Emmerich, former professional baseball player, New York Giants
• Bob Heffner, former professional baseball player, Boston Red Sox, California Angels, and Cleveland Indians
• Gary Lavelle, former professional baseball player, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, and Toronto Blue Jays
• John Meister, former professional baseball player, New York Metropolitans
• Jeff Mutis, former professional baseball player, Cleveland Indians and Florida Marlins
• Jimmie Schaffer, former professional baseball player, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals
• Dave Schneck, former professional baseball player, New York Mets
• Brian Schneider, former professional baseball player, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals
• Curt Simmons, former professional baseball player, California Angels, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals

National Basketball Association (NBA)

• Pete Carril, former professional and collegiate basketball coach, Sacramento Kings and Princeton University
• Aaron Gray, former professional basketball player, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Hornets, Sacramento Kings, and Toronto Raptors
• Tyrese Martin, professional basketball player, Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League
• Brant Weidner, former professional basketball player, San Antonio Spurs
• Bob Weiss, former professional basketball player and head coach of four NBA teams

National Football League (NFL)

• Saquon Barkley, professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles
• Chuck Bednarik, former professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles, and 1967 Pro Football Hall of Fame member
• Keith Dorney, former professional football player, Detroit Lions
• Jahan Dotson, professional football player, Washington Commanders^{[6] [7]}
• Dan Koppen, former professional football player, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots
• Noel LaMontagne, former professional football player, Cleveland Browns
• Jonathan Linton, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills
• Ed McCaffrey, former professional football player, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers
• Joe Milinichik, former professional football player, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams, and San Diego Chargers
• Matt Millen, former professional football player, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins, former president and general manager, Detroit Lions, and broadcaster on NFL on Fox
• Andre Reed, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, and 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
• Larry Seiple, former professional football player, Miami Dolphins
• John Spagnola, former professional football player, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks
• Tony Stewart, former professional football player, Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders, and Philadelphia Eagles
• Kevin White, former professional football player, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and San Francisco 49ers
• Kyzir White, professional football player, Arizona Cardinals^[8]
• Andre Williams, former professional football player, New York Giants
• Joe Wolf, former professional football player, Arizona Cardinals
• Walt Zirinsky, former professional football player who won 1945 national championship with Cleveland Rams

Olympic athletes

• Joe Kovacs, silver medalist, shot put, 2016 Summer Olympics and 2020 Summer Olympics
• Thomas Litz, former figure skater, 1964 Winter Olympics
• Kristen Maloney, former gymnastics medalist, 2000 Summer Olympics
• Marty Nothstein, 2000 Summer Olympics gold medal winner, track cycling
• Cheryl Van Kuren, former Olympic field hockey player
• Bobby Weaver, 1984 Summer Olympics gold medal winner, freestyle wrestling
• Cindy Werley, former 1996 Summer Olympics field hockey player

Professional boxing

• Larry Holmes, former boxing heavyweight champion who fought under nickname "The Easton Assassin"

Professional golf

• Jim Booros, former PGA Tour professional golfer

Professional racing

• Jeff Andretti, former professional race car driver
• John Andretti, former professional race car driver, NASCAR and IndyCar Series
• Mario Andretti, former professional race car driver
• Michael Andretti, professional racing team owner, former professional race car driver
• Sage Karam, professional racing driver^[9]
• Eddie Sachs, former United States Auto Club race car driver

Professional soccer

• Francesco Caruso, former professional soccer player, Harrisburg City Islanders and Otago United
• Jason Yeisley, former professional soccer player, Dallas FC

Professional tennis

• Varvara Lepchenko, professional tennis player

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

• Afa Anoa'i Jr., former WWE professional wrestler known as Manu
• Billy Kidman, former professional wrestler
• Brian Knobbs, former professional wrestler
• Jerry Sags, former professional wrestler

Other sports

• Ian "Rocky" Butler, former professional football player, Canadian Football League
• George Daniel, former commissioner, National Lacrosse League
• Michelle M. Marciniak, former women's college basketball coach, South Carolina, and former professional basketball player, WNBA's Portland Fire and Seattle Storm
• Billy Packer, former CBS Sports basketball analyst
• Zach Rey, amateur wrestler who competed in the 2015 World Wrestling Championships
• Ian Riccaboni, author, host of Ring of Honor Wrestling
• Matt Riddle, professional UFC mixed martial fighter
• Theo Tran, professional poker player
  • Dave Van Horne, former professional baseball broadcaster, Florida Marlins and Montreal Expos Dan Yochum, former professional football player, Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Eskimos

Visual arts

• John E. Berninger, former Pennsylvania impressionist landscape painter and first Allentown Art Museum curator
• Mark Beyer, comic book artist
• Chakaia Booker, sculptor
• Karl Buesgen, former landscape painter and Pennsylvania impressionist
• Mario Dal Fabbro, furniture designer, sculptor, and author
• Don Dixon, astronomical artist
• Peter Alfred Gross, former landscape painter
• Ella Sophonisba Hergesheimer, former illustrator, painter, and printmaker
• Herman Leonard, former photographer noted for jazz portraits
• Arlington Nelson Lindenmuth, former landscape and portrait painter and photographer
• Antonio Salemme, former sculptor and painter
• Grover Simcox, former illustrator
• Gary Mark Smith, street photographer
• Karl Stirner, former sculptor
• Boris Vallejo, fantasy artist^[10]
• Orlando Gray Wales, former landscape painter and Pennsylvania impressionist

Others

• Stephen Barrett, psychiatrist and webmaster, Quackwatch^[11]
• Karen Bausman, architect
• Thom Browne, fashion designer^[12]
• Frank Reed Horton, founder of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity
• Sarah Knauss, supercentenarian recognized as the "world's oldest person" by Guinness World Records from April 16, 1998, until her death at age 119 in 1999
• Harvey Miguel Robinson, serial killer
• Ryo Tokita, artist
• Charles A. Wikoff, the most senior ranking U.S. Army officer killed in the Spanish–American War

External links

• "Famous People from the Lehigh Valley", The Morning Call, August 18, 2006
• "Lehigh Valley Pop Culture Connections" at Discover Lehigh Valley, January 2, 2023

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Goodman Company - A History of Shopping Center Excellence.
2. Web site: The Rock gives Bethlehem a shout out in his HBO series. lehighvalleylive.com. Sara K. Satullo For. 2017-07-25. lehighvalleylive. en. 2020-01-24.
3. Web site: BETHLEHEM GIRL GETS WISH TO MEET TEEN SITCOM STAR * DREAM COME TRUE ENABLES KRISTEN LISICKY TO HANG OUT WITH JONATHAN TAYLOR THOMAS.. Call. KATHLEEN PARRISH, The Morning. themorningcall.com. 31 October 1996 . en-US. 2020-01-24.
4. Web site: Rick Braun: bio . 2008-06-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080224104937/http://www.rickbraun.com/bio.htm . 2008-02-24 . dead .
5. Web site: Next to None: a Lehigh Valley prog metal band on the rise. Howell. Dave. mcall.com. 23 October 2015 . 2020-01-24.
6. Web site: Penn State WR Jahan Dotson returning for 2021 season. 2021-12-28. Lions247. en-US.
7. Web site: Miller. Stephen. Star wide receiver Jahan Dotson returning to Nazareth High School football team. 2021-12-28. mcall.com. 24 June 2017 .
8. https://www.wfmz.com/sports/eagles-sign-former-emmaus-standout-kyzir-white-to-one-year-deal/article_9af0ff44-ad49-11ec-bdb3-774912d51174.html "Eagles sign former Emmaus standout Kyzir White to one-year deal,"
9. https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/2020/08/andrettis-stellar-buildup-to-indy-500-dissipates-on-race-day.html "Andretti’s stellar buildup to Indy 500 dissipates on race day"
10. Web site: Renowned artists Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell are grounded in fantasy. Call. Tim Higgins, Special to The Morning. themorningcall.com. 7 July 2012 . en-US. 2020-01-24.
11. News: Ann . Wlazelek . Allentown critic of quacks moves to 'milder winters' . . June 13, 2007 . September 25, 2014.
12. Web site: Designer Thom Browne, a native of Allentown, says his goal is building business, not trends. 23 March 2013.