- Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942) is a retired American boxer and former three-time World Heavyweight Champion and winner of an Olympic gold medal. In 1999, Ali was crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by "Sports Illustrated" and the BBC. Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr., who was named for the 19th century abolitionist and politician Cassius Clay.
- Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino takes the same proven methods that have earned him and his teams legendary status in the NCAA to give you a plan of attack for achieving extraordinary success in your own life. Pitino's ten-step plan isn't for quitters or for people looking for the easy road to success. But neither is it for the superstar talents or those with a Midas touch who expect their luck to hold forever. "Success Is a Choice" is for anyone who is serious about making dreams reality.
- York
York (c. 1770– March 1831) was the only one of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to serve without choice in the matter: he was William Clark's slave, having been inherited from Clark's father. He was about the same age as Clark and had been his companion from childhood, as was common in the South at the time. The journals present him as a large, strong man, who carried a gun and shared the duties and risks of the expedition in full.
- Michael Bush
Michael Bush (born June 16, 1984, in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American football running back player for the Oakland Raiders. He attended the University of Louisville for college. He is listed at 6'1.375" and 243 lbs.
- George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was the preeminent American military leader on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. Clark was one of the great American military heroes, hailed as the conqueror of the Northwest Territory at the apex of his fame. His younger brother William was one of the leaders of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
- Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author. He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting in which the reporters involve themselves in the action to such a degree that they become the central figure of the story itself.
- Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 - July 9, 1850) was an American military leader and the twelfth President of the United States. Known as "Old Rough and Ready," Taylor had a 40-year military career in the U.S. Army, serving in the War of 1812, Black Hawk War, and Second Seminole War after achieving fame while leading U.S. troops to victory at several critical battles of the Mexican-American War. A Southern slaveholder who opposed the spread of slavery to the territories, …
- Rajon Rondo
Rajon Pierre Rondo (born February 22, 1986 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. He played for two years at the University of Kentucky before declaring for the 2006 NBA Draft. He was selected 21st overall by the Phoenix Suns, then traded to Boston. Rondo is known for his fast offensive pace and tremendous defensive abilities.
- Derek Anderson
Derek Lamont Anderson (born July 18, 1974 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Bobcats. Anderson is a graduate of Doss High School and was a Kentucky All-Star. Anderson played college basketball at the Ohio State University and the University of Kentucky. In 1996, Anderson helped the University of Kentucky win the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship as part of a team that featured seven future NBA players.
- Denny Crum
Denzil E. "Denny" Crum (born March 2, 1937 in San Fernando, California) is a former college men's basketball coach. He is well-known for coaching the University of Louisville between 1971 and 2001, compiling a 675-295 record. He guided Louisville to two NCAA championships (1980, 1986). Prior to coaching at Louisville Crum served as an assistant to John Wooden at his alma mater, UCLA.
- Squire Boone
Squire Boone Jr. was an American pioneer and brother of Daniel Boone. In 1780, he founded the first settlement in Shelby County, Kentucky. The tenth of twelve children, Squire Boone was born to Squire Boone Sr. and his wife Sarah Boone in Berks County, Pennsylvania at the Daniel Boone Homestead. Although overshadowed by his famous brother, Squire Boone was well-known in his day. In 1759, his family returned from the Yadkin River valley in North Carolina to Pennsylvania, …
- John Patrick
John Patrick was an American playwright and screenwriter. Born John Patrick Goggan in Louisville, Kentucky, his parents soon abandoned him and he spent a delinquent youth in foster homes and boarding schools. At age 19, he secured a job as an announcer at KPO Radio in San Francisco, California, marrying Mildred Legaye in 1925. He wrote over one thousand scripts for the "Cecil and Sally Show" broadcast by NBC between 1929 and 1933.
- Larry Birkhead
Larry E. Birkhead (born 22 January 1973) is an American entertainment photojournalist who was in a custody battle with Anna Nicole Smith. Birkhead is a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and currently resides in Burbank, California. Birkhead is a 1991 graduate of Doss High School in Louisville, and has a twin brother, Lewis, as well as a sister Angela Johnson who lives in Myrtle Beach and half-sister Judy, whose mother is Ruth Denham, in KY. His mother is Nancy, …
- Steve Pence
Stephen B. Pence (born in Louisville, Kentucky on December 22, 1953) is Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He took office with fellow Republican Ernie Fletcher in December 2003. Pence received BS (1976) and MBA (1978) degrees from Eastern Kentucky University, and a law degree from the University of Kentucky in 1981. After law school, Pence worked as an assistant attorney general of Kentucky from 1981-1982.
- Diane Sawyer
Lila Diane Sawyer is a television journalist for the U.S. network ABC News and co-anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America," along with Robin Roberts. In 2001 she was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by "Ladies Home Journal".
- Sherman Minton
Sherman Minton, (October 20, 1890-April 9, 1965) was a Democratic United States Senator from Indiana and an associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
- Todd Wellemeyer
Todd Allen Wellemeyer (born August 30, 1978 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is primarily used in long relief, but has been a starting pitcher in the minor leagues. A graduate of Bellarmine University, he is the only Chicago Cub to earn a save in his major league debut, earning it by striking out three batters in order against Milwaukee after 17 innings of play.
- Howard Schnellenberger
Howard Schnellenberger (born March 16, 1934) is an American football coach at both the professional and college level. He is currently married to Mrs. Beverlee Schnellenberger and is head coach of Florida Atlantic University. He previously held head coaching positions with the University of Oklahoma, University of Louisville, University of Miami, and the Baltimore Colts. He has also worked extensively as an assistant coach at the college and pro levels, …
- James Speed
James Speed (March 11, 1812 - June 25, 1887) was an American lawyer, politician and professor. He was born in Jefferson County, Kentucky, to Judge John Speed and his second wife Lucy Gilmer Fry. He graduated from St. Joseph's College in Kentucky, studied law at Transylvania University and was admitted to the bar at Louisville, in 1833. He joined the Whig Party and became a strong opponent of slavery. In 1847 Speed was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives.
- R. Albert Mohler Jr.
R. Albert Mohler, Jr. (born October 19, 1959) is the current president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, the ninth person to hold that position. Mohler is also the host of The Albert Mohler Program a nationwide radio show which is described on its website as being "devoted to engaging contemporary culture with the biblical truth." He also maintains a web site, where podcasts of the program, articles and essays, …
- Jimmy Ellis
James Albert "Jimmy" Ellis (born February 24, 1940) was a boxer from Louisville, Kentucky. He held the WBA Heavyweight title from 1968 to 1970. As an amateur, he was trained by Joe Elsby Martin, Sr., at Louisville's Columbia Gym. He turned professional, as a middleweight, in 1961. Early in his career, he was trained and managed by Bud Bruner. With Bruner, he compiled a record of 15-5 (5 KOs), and was ranked #10 in the world as a middleweight.
- Paul Hornung
Paul Vernon Hornung (born December 23, 1935 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a former all-around athlete who played college basketball but is best known as an American football player. He was an outstanding athlete at Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget High School in Louisville (now closed), having lettered 4 years each in football, basketball and baseball. He was recruited by Bear Bryant to go to Kentucky but chose Notre Dame instead.
- Wendell Berry
Wendell Berry (born August 5, 1934, Henry County, Kentucky) is an American man of letters, academic, cultural and economic critic, and farmer. He is a prolific author of novels, short stories, poems, and essays. He is also an elected member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers.
- Fuzzy Zoeller
Frank Urban "Fuzzy" Zoeller, Jr. (born November 11, 1951) is a professional golfer. He was born in New Albany, Indiana. He attended the University of Houston and turned professional in 1973. In 1979 Zoeller became one of only three golfers to have won The Masters in his first appearance in the event. The other two were the winners of the first two Masters, Horton Smith and Gene Sarazen.
- Henry Watterson
Henry Watterson (February 16 1840-December 22 1921) was a United States journalist who founded the "Louisville Courier-Journal". Born in Washington, D.C., the son of Harvey Magee Watterson, a journalist and Congressman, Watterson became a newspaper reporter early in his life. He fought for the Confederate States of America under General Nathan B. Forrest during the American Civil War, and edited a pro-Confederate newspaper, …
- Phil Simms
Phillip Martin Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) with the number seven selection overall in the 1979 NFL Draft. Simms played his entire professional career with the Giants and was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Super Bowl XXI, …
- D. W. Griffith
David Llewelyn Wark "D.W." Griffith (January 22, 1875 - July 23, 1948) was an American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial 1915 film "The Birth of a Nation".
- Bob Edwards
Robert Alan Edwards (born May 16, 1947 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an award-winning American public radio broadcaster. He was the first broadcaster with a large national following to join the field of satellite radio. Edwards is the host of "The Bob Edwards Show" on XM Satellite Radio and "Bob Edwards Weekend" distributed by Public Radio International to nearly a hundred public radio stations.
- Dan Uggla
Daniel Cooley Uggla (born March 11, 1980 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Florida Marlins. Uggla finished third in the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year voting behind teammate Hanley Ramirez and Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals. (His last name means "owl" in Swedish, and he in fact descends from the untitled branch of a Swedish noble family.)
- Heather French
Heather Renee French (born 1974 in Augusta, Kentucky) won the title of Miss America in 2000, continuing a tradition of dominance by Southern contestants in the Miss America pageant. She is a 1992 graduate of Mason County High School. After becoming Miss America, French became an advocate for homeless veterans. She founded the Heather French Foundation for Veterans and remains its executive director. She won the Purple Heart Recognition Award for her efforts in 2002.
- Louis Brandeis
Louis Dembitz Brandeis was an American litigator, Supreme Court Justice, advocate of privacy, and developer of the Brandeis Brief. In addition, he helped lead the American Zionist movement. Justice Brandeis was appointed by Woodrow Wilson to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1916 (sworn-in on June 5), and served until 1939.
- Pee Wee Reese
Harold Henry "Pee Wee" Reese (July 23 1918 - August 14 1999) was an American professional baseball player who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1940 to 1958. Reese was a ten-time All Star shortstop who contributed to seven league championships for Brooklyn. Reese was a strong supporter of the first black Major League Baseball player, Jackie Robinson. He refused to sign a petition that threatened a boycott if Robinson joined the team.
- Jim Cornette
James ("Jim") Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. Cornette is the former "Commissioner" of Ring of Honor and current "Management Director" of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
- Chris Burke
Christopher Allen Burke (born March 11, 1980 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a Major League Baseball player for the Houston Astros. He hit the series-winning walk-off home run that ended Game 4 of the 2005 National League Division Series, the longest playoff game in major league postseason history, against the Atlanta Braves' Joey Devine. The game took 18 innings to play in 5 hours 50 minutes.
- Marcus Green
Marcus Green (born September 27, 1983) is an American football player who currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks. He was originally an undrafted free agent by the New York Giants after the 2006 NFL Draft.
- Michael Williams
Michael Williams is an American author. He is known for his "Dragonlance" novels. Williams was born and lives in Louisville, Kentucky. He has lived in Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Ireland and England. In 1988 his first novel, "Weasel's Luck", was published. Currently, Williams teaches creative writing at the University of Louisville.
- Greg Page
Greg Page (born October 25, 1958) was an American boxer. He was the World Boxing Association Heavyweight champion from 1984 to 1985. His professional record after his retirement in 2001 was 58-17-1 with 48 Knockouts.
- Sue Grafton
Sue Taylor Grafton (born April 24, 1940 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA) is a contemporary American author of detective novels.
- Scott Padgett
Scott Anthony Padgett is an American professional basketball player formerly with NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He is currently playing for CB Granada in the Spanish ACB.
- Ed Hamilton
Ed Hamilton (born February 12, 1947) is an American sculptor living in Louisville, Kentucky. Hamilton specializes in public art. His most famous work is "The Spirit of Freedom," a memorial to black Civil War veterans that stands in the Shaw neighborhood near Howard University in Washington, D.C. Hamilton has also done monuments dedicated to Booker T. Washington, Joe Louis, York (William Clark's manservant on the Lewis and Clark Expedition), …