- Dennis Rader
Dennis Lynn Rader (born March 9, 1945) is an American serial killer who murdered at least 10 people in Sedgwick County (in and around Wichita), Kansas, between 1974 and 1991. He was known as the BTK killer (or the BTK strangler), which stands for Bind, Torture and Kill, an apt description of his "modus operandi." Letters were written soon after the killings to police and to local news outlets, …
- Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is a Hall of Fame and Heisman Trophy winning American football running back who spent his entire professional career with the Detroit Lions of the NFL. Sanders is best known for being among the most prolific running backs in NFL history who notoriously cut his career short in its prime, leaving him just short of Walter Payton's all-time rushing record (since broken by Emmitt Smith).
- George Tiller
George Tiller (b. 1941) is a physician in Wichita, Kansas in the United States. He is the medical director of an abortion clinic in Wichita, Women's Health Care Services, which specializes in the provision of late-term procedures. Tiller studied at the University of Kansas School of Medicine from 1963 to 1967. Shortly thereafter, he held a medical internship with United States Navy, and served as flight surgeon in Oakland, California in 1969 and 1970.
- Robert Gates
Robert Michael Gates, born September 25 1943) is currently serving as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense. He took office on December 18 2006. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W. Bush as Director of Central Intelligence. After leaving the CIA, Gates became president of Texas A&M University and was a member of several corporate boards.
- Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Louise Alley (born January 12, 1951) is an American actress known for her role in the TV show "Cheers", where she played Rebecca Howe from 1987-1993, winning an Emmy as the "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series" for 1991. A year later, she won a Golden Globe for her performance in "Cheers" as well. She won an Emmy in 1994 for her role in the TV-drama "David's Mother".
- Jeff Probst
Jeffrey Lee Probst (born November 4, 1962) is a six-time Emmy Award-nominated American television personality, acting as a game show host, executive producer and a reporter. He is best known for his role as the host of the U.S. version of the "Survivor" reality show franchise. Probst won an Emmy award in 2001 for his work on the series.
- Joe Walsh
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh (born November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist and rock musician. He has served stints in two successful bands, James Gang and Eagles. He has also experienced success as a solo artist.
- Nate Robertson
Nathan Daniel "Nate" Robertson, (born September 3, 1977, in Wichita, Kansas) is a left-handed pitcher who currently plays with the Detroit Tigers. He attended Wichita State University and was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the fifth round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his Major League debut on September 7, 2002 for the Marlins, pitching 4 2/3 innings and allowing four earned runs in a 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
- Don Johnson
Donald Wayne "Don" Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor well known for his fame in film and television. Johnson played the lead role of Sonny Crockett in the popular 1980s TV cop series, "Miami Vice". He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, "Nash Bridges".
- Dan Glickman
Daniel Robert "Dan" Glickman (born November 24, 1944) is an American politician. He served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1995 until 2001, prior to which he represented the Fourth Congressional District of Kansas as a Democrat in Congress for 18 years. He is currently the president of the Motion Picture Association of America; he is the first non-Christian to hold the post. He also serves on the board of directors of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
- Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel was an African-American actress. She was the first performer of African descent to ever win an Academy Award. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Mammy in "Gone with the Wind" (1939). McDaniel was also a professional singer, stage actress, radio performer and television star.
- Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers (born May 30, 1943 in Wichita, Kansas), also known as "The Kansas Comet", was a professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears.
- Jim Lehrer
James Charles Lehrer (pronounced) (born May 19, 1934) is an American journalist. He is the news anchor for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" on PBS. Lehrer is also an acclaimed author, writing both non-fiction and fiction which draws on his life experiences and his interests in history and politics.
- Gale Norton
Gale Ann Norton (born March 11, 1954) served as the 48th United States Secretary of the Interior from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. She was the first woman to hold the position.
- Jim Ryun
James Ronald ("Jim") Ryun (born April 29, 1947) is an American former track athlete and politician, who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1997 to 2007, representing the 2nd District in Kansas. In the 2006 election, Ryun was defeated by Democratic challenger Nancy Boyda. Years prior to his political career Jim Ryun had an athletic career that saw him become one of the greatest runners of all time, …
- Darren Dreifort
Darren James Dreifort (born May 3, 1972 in Wichita, Kansas) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher whose career was cut short by numerous injuries. He announced his retirement officially on February 23, 2006 after playing his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the last five under a big money contract he signed before the 2001 season that may be the way he'll be remembered best.
- Marshall Poe
Marshall Tillbrook Poe (born December 29, 1961) is an American historian and the author of many works on early modern Russia (Muscovy). He is also the founder and editor of MemoryArchive, a universal wiki-type archive of contemporary memoirs. Poe graduated from Wichita (Kansas) Southeast High School in 1980. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Grinnell College in 1984 and his Ph.D. in history at the University of California, Berkeley in 1992.
- Susan Torres
Susan Michelle Rollin Torres was an American woman who made headline news all over the world, when she gave birth to a baby girl while brain dead, and on a life support machine.
- Taryn Southern
Taryn Southern (born on July 16, 1985) is best known from DirecTV's "Project MyWorld" (which Southern also executive produced), but she was first introduced to the public in 2004 when she made "American Idol" season three's Top 50. The Wichita, Kansas native has also appeared as a host (Golden Globes - 2007, Young Hollywood Awards - 2006), is a face for Verizon V CAST, and plays the role of Isha in "Senior Skip Day" (2007, produced by George Gallo).
- Lynette Woodard
Lynette Woodard (born August 12, 1959, in Wichita, Kansas) was a women's basketball player who made history by becoming the first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters and who tasted success abroad before finally reaching, at age 38, her dream of playing in an American women's professional basketball league. As a junior at Wichita North High School, Woodard was asked by the school's basketball head coach to join the school's varsity team.
- W. Eugene Smith
William Eugene Smith (1918-1978) was an American photojournalist known for his refusal to compromise professional standards and his brutally vivid World War II photographs. Born in Wichita, Kansas, Smith graduated from Wichita High School North in 1936. He began his career by taking pictures for two local newspapers, the "Eagle" and the "Beacon".
- Caroline Bruce
Caroline Cadman Bruce (born June 9 1986 in Wichita, Kansas) is a former Olympic swimmer from the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games. Since the Olympics, Bruce has been a member of the Stanford University women's swim team, specializing in the breast stroke and individual medley events. Bruce was the 2005 NCAA Champion in the 100 & 200 yard breast stroke events.
- Judy Bell
Judy Bell (born September 23, 1936) is an American amateur golfer and golf administrator. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001 in the Lifetime Achievement category, which honors people who have made an exceptional contribution to the sport in areas outside of tournament wins. Bell was born in Wichita, Kansas and took up golf at the age of ten, winning the girls' division in her first event - in a field of one.
- James Jabara
James Jabara (b. October 10, 1923 - d. November 17, 1966) was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, October 10, 1923. He was of Lebanese American descent and his parents came from Marjayoun, Lebanon. He graduated from Wichita High School North in Wichita, Kansas, in May of 1942, and immediately enlisted as an Aviation Cadet at Fort Riley, Kansas. After attending four flying schools in Texas, he received his pilot's wings and a commission as Second Lieutenant in October, 1943, …
- Mark Parkinson
Mark V. Parkinson (born June 24, 1957) is an American lawyer, businessman, and Democratic politician who is the current Lieutenant Governor of Kansas.
- Dayton Moore
Dayton Moore is the general manager of the Kansas City Royals. He succeeded Allard Baird. A native of Wichita, Kansas, Moore grew up a Royals fan. He claims to have watched the 1985 World Series in Kansas City from I-70. He played baseball at Garden City Community College before graduating from George Mason University in 1989, with an undergraduate degree in Physical Education and Health. Dayton served as an assistant baseball coach at George Mason from 1990 to 1994.
- Rashad Washington
Rashad Washington (born March 15, 1980 in Wichita, Kansas) is an American football player who currently plays safety for the New York Jets. While attending Kansas State University, he played in 49 games (38 on defense and 11 on offense) with 28 starts. On defense, he finished with 195 tackles, three sacks, three fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, three interceptions, and two touchdowns.
- Maurice Evans
Maurice Eugene Evans (born November 8 1978, in Wichita, Kansas) is an American professional basketball player in the NBA currently with the Los Angeles Lakers. A 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) swingman, Evans weighs 220 lb (100 kg). Evans, known for his strong defense and athleticism, played collegiately at Wichita State University for two seasons, but philosophical differences with then coach Randy Smithson caused him to transfer to the University of Texas at Austin.
- Al Corley
Al Corley (born May 22, 1956 in Wichita, Kansas) is an American actor and producer. Corley is best known as the first actor to play Steven Carrington on the soap opera "Dynasty". After that, Corley acted in fourteen movies, then produced five. He was also known as a singer in the 1980s. His 1984 electro-pop single "Square Rooms" became a number one charting hit in France (in 1985), also reaching #6 in Switzerland, #12 in Italy (in 1985), …
- James Earp
James Cooksey Earp (June 28 1841-January 25 1926) was the little known older brother to old west lawman Virgil Earp and lawman/gambler Wyatt Earp.
- Thomas Stoltz Harvey
Dr. Thomas Stoltz Harvey (born October 10 1912) is a pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Albert Einstein in 1955. He kept Einstein's brain after the autopsy, apparently without permission from the Einstein family. The controversy that this provoked cost Harvey his job. In August, 1978, New Jersey Monthly reporter Steven Levy published an article: "I Found Einstein's Brain" based on his interview with Dr. Harvey when he was living in Wichita, Kansas. In 1988, Dr.
- Danny Roew
Danny Roew is an American music video and film director.
- Angel Medina
Angel Medina is an American police officer and former professional wrestler of Puerto Rican extraction. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s and early 2000s under the ring name Angel.
- Adrian Griffin
Adrian Darnell Griffin (born July 4 1974 in Wichita, Kansas) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Chicago Bulls of the NBA.
- Antoine Carr
Antoine Labotte Carr (born July 23, 1961) is a retired 16-year National Basketball Association journeyman player well known for the sunglass shades he wore onto the court. He was nicknamed the Big Dog.
- James Reeb
James Reeb was a white Unitarian minister from Boston, Massachusetts who, while marching for civil rights in Selma, Alabama, was beaten to death by segregationists. He was 38 years old. James Reeb was born in Wichita, Kansas. As a Unitarian minister, Reeb was active in the civil rights movement, and encouraged his parishioners to do the same. With his wife and four children, he lived in poor black neighborhoods where he felt he could do the most good.
- Scott Phillips
Scott Phillips (born 1961) is an American writer of crime fiction in the noir tradition. He was born in Wichita, Kansas, and lived for several years in France, working as a translator and photographer; then in California as a screenwriter, co-writing a 1996 straight-to-video thriller called "Crosscut". His first novel, "The Ice Harvest", was published in 2000, and won the California Book Award, as well as being nominated for the Edgar Award and Hammett Prize, …
- Michael Jarboe Sheehan
Michael Jarboe Sheehan (born July 9, 1939 in Wichita, Kansas) is the current archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe. He was ordained a priest on July 12, 1964 and elevated to bishop of Lubbock on June 17, 1983. He was installed as Archbishop of Santa Fe on September 1993. He was also appointed Apostolic Administrator of Phoenix on June 18, 2003, a post which he resigned on November 25, 2003.
- Norma Smallwood
Norma Descygne Smallwood was 1926's Miss America. Smallwood, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma and student at Oklahoma State University, was the first Native American (Cherokee) to win the crown. She was married twice. Her first marriage, to Thomas Gilcrease (September 3, 1928 - October 3, 1933) produced a daughter, Descygne Gilcrease, who was born in 1929, but the marriage also ended in divorce in 1933.
- Roger Noriega