Carolina QuotesTHE PEOPLE BEHIND THE WORDS
North Carolina
561 people with documented connections to North Carolina.
A
- Alma AdamsAmerican politician in North Carolina (born 1946)10
- Ryan AdamsAmerican musician (born 1974)57
- Stephanie G. AdamsAmerican engineering and academic administrator6
- Clara Leach Adams-EnderAmerican military officer5
- Saheed AderintoNigerian-American writer and historian5
- James Emman Kwegyir AggreyGold Coast-born intellectual, missionary, and teacher (1875-1927)4
- Peter AgreAmerican chemist, recipient of Nobel Prize in Chemistry2
- Clay AikenAmerican singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer8
- Josef AlbersGerman-American designer, painter, educator and typographer (1888–1976)34
- John Richard AldenAmerican historian2
- Howard E. AldrichAmerican sociologist5
- Kecia AliAmerican scholar of Islam11
- Samuel AlitoAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 200618
- Graham T. AllisonAmerican political scientist (1940-)3
- Angela AlsobrooksAmerican politician and lawyer (born 1971)7
- Mando Alvaradoactor4
- Al-Farouq AminuNigerian-American basketball player8
- Archie Randolph AmmonsAmerican poet (1926–2001)14
- Tori AmosAmerican singer-songwriter (born 1963)44
- John B. AndersonAmerican politician (1922–2017)4
- Maya AngelouAmerican poet, author, and civil rights activist (1928–2014)71
- Kwame Anthony AppiahGhanian-British-American philosopher and writer5
- Val ApplewhiteAmerican politician from North Carolina13
- Bettina ApthekerAmerican political activist, feminist, professor and author9
- Ayana Tamu Holloway ArceAmerican physicist4
- Dan ArielyIsraeli-American professor of psychology and behavioral economics7
- Francis Arinzecatholic cardinal from Nigeria3
- Valerie AshbyAmerican chemist4
- Phoebe AsiyoKenyan politician (1932–2025)2
- Idelber AvelarBrazilian scholar1
B
- Dorothy F. BaileyAmerican politician7
- John BainBritish game commentator (1984-2018)59
- Ella BakerCivil rights organizer raised in Littleton1
- Ella Josephine BakerAfrican-American civil rights and human rights activist (1903–1986)22
- Etta BakerPiedmont blues guitarist and 1991 National Heritage Fellow1
- Lailee BakhtiarAmerican writer3
- Adrian Bardonphilosopher1
- Coleman BarksAmerican poet37
- Henlee Hulix BarnetteAmerican professor of Christian ethics1
- Weston La Barreanthropologist (1911–1996)5
- James Lee BarrettTony Award winner, screenwriter and United States Marine (1929-1989)2
- Karl BarthSwiss Protestant theologian (1886-1968)61
- Ida May Beard5
- Cheri BeasleyAmerican judge, Senate candidate (2022)2
- Lewis White BeckAmerican philosopher (1913-1997)12
- Adrian BejanAmerican thermodynamicist1
- J. Bowyer BellAmerican historian and artist (1931-2003)1
- Doris BergenProfessor and Holocaust historian2
- Megan Mayhew BergmanAmerican writer5
- Cherie K. BerryAmerican politician6
- Thomas BerryAmerican priest (1914–2009)7
- Mary McLeod BethuneAmerican educator and civil rights leader (1875-1955)11
- Doris BettsStatesville-born fiction writer and UNC-Chapel Hill professor1
- Reginald Dwayne BettsAmerican writer4
- Herbert BevardCatholic bishop1
- Helen BevingtonAmerican poet (1906–2001)7
- Lewis BlackAmerican comedian and actor116
- Simon BlackburnEnglish academic philosopher (born 1944)29
- Barbara BlockAmerican marine biologist1
- William R. BoggsConfederate Army general (1829–1911)5
- Ilya Bolotowskyartist (1907-1981)1
- Jay David BolterAmerican academic2
- Daniel BooneAmerican pioneer and frontiersman (1734–1820)6
- Carl BorgmannAmerican educator and chemical engineer (1905–1998)4
- Céline BoutierProfessional golfer2
- George E. P. BoxBritish statistician (1919-2013)14
- William G. Boykinretired US Army general and political official (born 1948)23
- Braxton BraggConfederate Army general (1817–1876)1
- George Freeman BraggAmerican priest2
- Lewis M. Branscombphysicist and science policy advisor13
- David BrinkleyAmerican journalist (1920–2003)3
- David S. BroderAmerican Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist1
- Angie BrooksLiberian diplomat (1928-2007)3
- Fred BrooksAmerican computer scientist (1931–2022); author of The Mythical Man-Month and 'No Silver Bullet' (1986), which distinguished essential from accidental complexity in software engineering21
- Mo BrooksAmerican politician (born 1954)4
- adrienne maree brownwriter63
- Cynthia Stokes BrownAmerican historian (born 1938)1
- Gloristine BrownAmerican politician from North Carolina2
- H. Rap BrownAmerican activist (1943-2025)12
- Tabitha BrownAmerican social media personality and actress5
- William Jennings BryanAmerican politician (1860–1925)45
- Allen BuchananAmerican philosopher1
- Ted BuddUnited States Senator from North Carolina since 20232
- William J. BurnsAmerican diplomat (born 1956)4
- Richard M. BurtonAmerican organizational theorist3
- Harrison ButkerAmerican football player (born 1995)1
- Robert ByrdAmerican politician (1917–2010)2
- Bradley ByrneU.S. Representative2
C
- John CageAmerican avant-garde composer (1912-1992)29
- Bruce Caldwelleconomic historian8
- Joseph CaldwellAmerican mathematician (1773-1835)5
- John W. CampbellAmerican science fiction writer (1910–1971)7
- Aileen CannonColombian-American federal judge (born 1981)1
- Joseph Gurney CannonAmerican politician (1836–1926)7
- Katie Geneva CannonAmerican theologian, first African American woman ordained by the Catawba Presbytery of the Presbyterian church (1950–2018)4
- Orson Scott CardAmerican science fiction novelist (born 1951)407
- Madison CawthornAmerican politician (born 1995)1
- Saxby ChamblissAmerican politician1
- Fred ChappellPoet, novelist and longtime UNC Greensboro creative writing professor1
- Paul ChelimoKenyan-born American long-distance runner2
- Judy ChicagoAmerican artist, author, and teacher (born 1939)5
- Michel Evgenij ChossudovskyCanadian economist and conspiracy theorist24
- Tom CiszekFounder of BOMForge, writing on manufacturing, work and faith16
- Danielle K. CitronAmerican law professor2
- Virginia Clay-CloptonAmerican suffragist (1825–1915)5
- George ClintonAmerican singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer1
- Amal ClooneyLebanese-British-French barrister and human right activist6
- J. ColeAmerican rapper and record producer (born 1985)3
- Johnnetta B. ColeAmerican anthropologist7
- Francis CollinsAmerican geneticist and director of the National Institutes of Health10
- John ColtraneAmerican jazz saxophonist (1926–1967)6
- Luke CombsAmerican country singer3
- Lucius Bunyan Compton5
- Tim CookAmerican business executive, former Apple executive chairman20
- Anna J. CooperAfrican-American author, educator, speaker and scholar (1858–1964)14
- Helene CooperLiberian American journalist3
- Roy CooperAmerican attorney and politician (born 1957)1
- Kizzmekia CorbettAmerican immunologist (1986-)6
- Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess CornwallisBritish general, colonial official, diplomat (1738–1805)2
- Howard CosellAmerican sportscaster (1918-1995)16
- Tressie McMillan CottomAmerican writer, sociologist, and professor12
- Harold CovingtonAmerican neo-Nazi (1953–2018)11
- Jefferson CowieAmerican historian1
- Benjamin CrumpAmerican jurist2
- Merce CunninghamAmerican dancer and choreographer (1919–2009)4
- Ayesha CurryCanadian actress3
- Jabez Lamar Monroe CurryAmerican politician (1825-1903)5
- Sadye CurryAfrican-American gastroenterologist2
D
- Mary DamronAmerican humanitarian and missionary (1954–2024)2
- Charlie DanielsAmerican singer and musician (1936–2020)4
- Jonathan W. DanielsAmerican writer, editor and White House Press Secretary1
- Josephus DanielsAmerican diplomat and newspaper editor (1862–1948)2
- Marjorie DannenfelserAmerican political activist2
- Ingrid DaubechiesBelgian physicist and mathematician5
- John DearCatholic priest from the United States8
- Philip DeFrancoAmerican YouTube personality7
- Hans Georg DehmeltGerman physicist (1922-2017)1
- Martin DempseyChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff15
- Gerardine DeSanctisAmerican organizational theorist3
- Sarah DessenAmerican writer79
- Harmeet DhillonAmerican lawyer2
- A. C. DixonAmerican pastor (1854–1925)1
- Elizabeth DoleAmerican politician1
- Ariel DorfmanChilean writer4
- Robert M. DouglasAmerican judge (1849-1917)1
- Cindy Lee Van DoverAmerican marine biologist4
- David DrakeAmerican author of science fiction and fantasy literature (1945–2023)3
- Charles DrewAmerican surgeon and medical researcher (1904–1950)1
- Charles DukeAmerican engineer, U.S. Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut (born 1935)1
- Andy DuncanAmerican writer13
- Lois DuncanAmerican young-adult and children's writer (1934-2016)12
E
- Sylvia A. EarleAmerican oceanographer77
- Ainehi Edoro-GlinesNigerian writer37
- Elizabeth Edwardsdeceased wife of John Edwards (1949–2010)1
- John EdwardsAmerican politician (born 1953)3
- Bart D. EhrmanAmerican biblical scholar (born 1955)30
- Gertrude B. ElionAmerican biochemist and pharmacologist (1918–1999)3
- Carol EmshwillerAmerican fiction writer (1921-2019)4
- Garrett EppsUS author and legal scholar2
- Charlie ErgenAmerican businessman4
- Sam ErvinUnited States Senator and jurist2
- Anthony M. EsolenAmerican academic (b. 1959)5
- Minnie EvansAfrican American artist (1892-1987)7
F
- Paul FarmerAmerican anthropologist, 1959-20224
- Louis FarrakhanAmerican religious (born 1935), leader of Nation of Islam (since 1981)97
- Lyonel FeiningerGerman-American painter (1871–1956)1
- L. R. Ferebee2
- Lawrence FerlinghettiAmerican artist, writer and activist (1919–2021)4
- Carly FiorinaAmerican businesswoman and politician15
- Stanley FishAmerican literary theorist and lawyer (born 1938)17
- Roberta FlackAmerican singer (1937–2025)5
- Tom Flanaganauthor, academic, and political activist15
- Louise Celia FlemingAfrican-American physician4
- George FloydAfrican American man who was a victim of police violence in the United States, killed by Derek Chauvin4
- Henry FlyntAmerican musician (born 1940)5
- Ben FoldsAmerican musician18
- Shelby FooteAmerican novelist, historian (1916-2005)14
- Virginia FoxxUnited States Representative from North Carolina since 20054
- Louis XVI of FranceKing of France and Navarre from 1774 to 1791, then King of the French from 1791 to 1792 (1754-1793)2
- Samuel T. FrancisAmerican journalist and writer (1947–2005)17
- James FrancoAmerican actor (born 1978)1
- Benjamin FranklinAmerican polymath and statesman (1706–1790)15
- John Hope FranklinAfrican-American historian1
- John H. Freeman(1944-2008) American sociologist and organizational theorist2
- R. Edward FreemanAmerican philosopher (1951-)9
- John R. P. FrenchAmerican social psychologist9
- Douglas P. FryAmerican anthropologist (1953-)7
- Jubal FulksAmerican violinist and university professor2
G
- Zach GalifianakisAmerican actor and comedian30
- GallagherAmerican stand-up comedian3
- Ava GardnerAmerican actress (1922–1990)3
- Melinda GatesAmerican philanthropist2
- Norman GeislerAmerican evangelical theologian (1932-2019)6
- Robert Gibbs28th White House Press Secretary3
- Althea GibsonAmerican tennis player (1927-2003)5
- Dizzy GillespieCheraw-born jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader1
- René GirardFrench historian, literary critic, and philosopher of social science7
- Ryan C. Gordoncomputer programmer13
- Billy GrahamAmerican Baptist evangelist (1918–2018)19
- Moses Grandy2
- Jacquelyn GrantAmerican feminist and theologian6
- Briahna Joy GrayAmerican lawyer & pundit (1985-)11
- Kathryn GraysonAmerican actress and coloratura soprano (1922–2010)2
- Jaki Shelton GreenPoet from Efland; appointed North Carolina poet laureate in 20181
- Nathanael GreeneAmerican general in the American Revolutionary War (1742-1786)15
- Steven M. GreerAmerican ufologist82
- Eric GreitensAmerican politician2
- John GribbinBritish science writer3
- Eliza Ann GrierAfrican-American physician3
- Phillip GriffithsAmerican mathematician (1938-)3
- John GrishamAmerican writer (born 1955)3
- Emmett GroganAmerican anarchist (1944-1978)1
- Walter GropiusGerman-American architect (1883–1969)5
H
- Kimberly HahnAmerican writer2
- Scott HahnAmerican theologian2
- Alex HaleyAmerican biographer, screenwriter, and novelist (1921–1992)18
- Samuel Hall2
- Anthony HamiltonAmerican singer, songwriter, and record producer3
- Mia HammAmerican soccer player4
- Jenny HanAmerican writer (born 1980)11
- Philip HandlerAmerican biochemist and nutritionist (1917–1981)1
- Nikole Hannah-JonesAmerican journalist33
- Michael T. HannanAmerican sociologist of Stanford University12
- William HapperAmerican physicist8
- Leona HarrisPh.D. North Carolina State University 20014
- David Bentley HartAmerican author, Orthodox theologian, and philosopher8
- John HartAmerican author with multiple books and awards8
- Ade HassanBritish businesswoman4
- Stanley HauerwasAmerican theologian11
- Robin HayesAmerican politician1
- Robert Y. HayneAmerican politician (1791–1839)5
- Jesse HelmsAmerican politician (1921–2008)31
- O. HenryAmerican short story writer (1862–1910)36
- Taraji P. HensonAmerican actress (born 1970)3
- DuBose HeywardAmerican novelist, playwright, poet (1885-1940)5
- Oscar HijuelosAmerican novelist (1951–2013)3
- William Woods HoldenNorth Carolina politician (1818-1892)8
- Oliver Wendell HolmesAmerican poet and physician (1809–1894)15
- James Walker HoodAfrican Methodist Episcopal Zion bishop2
- Velma HopkinsAmerican labor organizer17
- George Moses Horton4
- George Moses HortonAmerican writer9
- Harold HotellingAmerican statistician and econometrician (1895-1973)1
- Edgar HuffUnited States Marine1
- Aldous HuxleyEnglish writer and philosopher (1894–1963)277
I
- William Barber IIcivil rights leader from North Carolina38
- Ben Witherington IIIAmerican religion academic6
- Loudon Wainwright IIIAmerican singer-songwriter, humorist, and actor1
- Bob Inglisformer U.S. congressman6
- James IredellJustice on the US Supreme Court7
- Kyrie IrvingAmerican basketball player (born 1992)1
J
- Andrew Jacksonpresident of the United States from 1829 to 183747
- Jesse JacksonAmerican Baptist minister, activist, civil rights leader, politician, and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition (1941–2026)28
- Ben JacobsAmerican political reporter1
- Harriet JacobsAmerican slave, writer, and abolitionist (1815-1897)11
- John S. Jacobs1
- Chavonda Jacobs-YoungAmerican agriculture official10
- Tsitsi Jajipoet and academic5
- Fredric JamesonAmerican academic and literary critic (1934–2024)18
- Randall Jarrellpoet, critic, novelist, essayist (1914–1965)202
- Thomas JeffersonFounding Father, U.S. president from 1801 to 1809 (1743–1826)15
- Sam JenkinsAmerican actress3
- Fara Ashiru JitubohNigerian Techpreneur, Software developer6
- Andrew JohnsonPresident of the United States from 1865 to 186932
- Jack JohnsonAmerican boxer (1878–1946)2
- Jill JohnstonBritish-born American feminist author and cultural critic2
- April Parker JonesAmerican actress1
- Marion JonesAmerican athlete10
- Vernon JonesAmerican politician1
- Michael JordanAmerican basketball player and businessman (born 1963)18
- John T. JostAmerican social psychologist2
- Edward E. David Jr.American engineer1
- Henry Louis Gates, Jr.American literary critic, professor and historian (born 1950)1
- Jack F. Matlock, Jr.American diplomat4
- James W. Dean Jr.American academic administrator9
- John Paton Davies, Jr.American diplomat (1908–1999)1
- Leighton W. Smith, Jr.United States Navy admiral7
- Ralph P. Boas, Jr.American mathematician (1912–1992)2
- Richard A. Oppel Jr.American journalist5
- Thomas Dixon Jr.American Baptist minister, lawyer, politician and white supremacist writer (1864–1946)7
- Peter Joseph JugisCatholic bishop1
K
- Ted KaczynskiAmerican domestic, mathematician and anarchist (1942–2023)56
- Mohsen KadivarIranian philosopher1
- Jerome KaganAmerican psychologist (1929–2021)1
- Gladys Kalema-ZikusokaUgandan scientist14
- Jeffrey KaplanAmerican academic on extremism6
- Kevin Lane KellerAmerican business theorist1
- X. J. KennedyAmerican writer (born 1929)1
- John KesselAmerican writer1
- Sahar KhalifehPalestinian writer12
- Moushira KhattabEgyptian diplomat12
- William R. Kingvice president of the United States from March to April 1853 (1786–1853)1
- Claude R. Kirk36th Governor of Florida (1926–2011)2
- Russell KirkAmerican political theorist, moralist, historian, social critic, literary critic, and writer (1918–1994)20
- Allison KirkbyBritish accountant and business manager2
- Arjo KlamerDutch columnist, economist and politician (born 1953)6
- Ben KlassenAmerican engineer, author and politician (1918-1993)14
- Michael Muhammad KnightAmerican novelist1
- John Komlosacademic99
- Elaine de KooningAmerican painter (1918-1989)18
- Willem de KooningDutch-American abstract expressionist artist (1904–1997)38
- Harold KoontzAmerican business consultant17
- Claudia KoonzAmerican historian4
- Edward M. KorryAmerican politician1
- Mary Robinette KowalAmerican writer and puppeteer5
- Sallie KrawcheckAmerican businesswoman2
- W. John KressAmerican botanist and curator4
- Kevin Michael KruseAmerican historian6
- Cheslie KrystAmerican television correspondent, model, Miss USA 2019 (1991–2022)4
- Mike KrzyzewskiAmerican basketball coach (born 1947)3
- Charles KuraltAmerican journalist, correspondent, news anchor (1934-1997)3
- Donald KuspitAmerican art critic1
- Richard KyankaAmerican Internet personality (1976-2021)2
L
- LadipoeNigerian rapper and singer (born 1985)6
- Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de LafayetteFrench general and politician (1757–1834)7
- George LammingBarbadian novelist, essayist and poet (1927–2022)3
- Joseph LaneAmerican politician and soldier (1801-1881)1
- Lunsford Lane4
- Sidney LanierAmerican musician and poet (1842–1881)16
- Robert LanzaAmerican stem cell researcher (born 1956)3
- Robert LathanAmerican editor and writer; Pulitzer Prize winner1
- Titilope LawoyinNigerian model3
- Jacob LawrenceAfrican American painter and art professor (1917–2000)4
- Sugar Ray LeonardAmerican boxer9
- Gerda LernerAustrian-American women's history scholar (1920-2013)36
- Kurt Zadek LewinGerman-American psychologist (1890-1947)49
- Richard LewontinAmerican evolutionary biologist and mathematician (1929–2021)12
- Maya LinAmerican sculptor and architect (born 1959)23
- Kelly LinkAmerican writer1
- Fritz LondonGerman-American physicist (1900-1954)1
- D. Stephen LongAmerican theologian5
- Allard K. LowensteinAmerican politician1
- Gerd LüdemannGerman biblical scholar (1946–2021)1
M
- Peter MaasAmerican journalist and author (1929-2001)1
- Moms MableyAmerican comedian and actress2
- Nancy MaceAmerican politician (born 1977)5
- Alasdair MacIntyreScottish-American philosopher (1929–2025)22
- Nathaniel MackeyAmerican poet, novelist, anthologist, literary critic and editor (born 1947)5
- Jeff MacNellyAmerican editorial cartoonist (1947–2000)1
- Carolyn MahoneyAmerican mathematician4
- Michael MaloneAmerican screenwriter, novelist (1942–2022)3
- Allen MandelbaumAmerican translator, poet, college teacher3
- Pamela G Marroneentomology researcher (ORCID 0000-0001-5187-2122)5
- Texe MarrsAmerican writer (1944-2019)10
- Tucker MaxAmerican Internet personality; blogger; author32
- Achille MbembeCameroonian philosopher and political scientist (born 1957)8
- Elizabeth W. MburuKenyan theologian (born 1968)1
- Cormac McCarthyAmerican novelist, playwright, and screenwriter (1933–2023)71
- Larry McDonaldAmerican politician (1935-1983)4
- William McDougallBritish psychologist (1871–1938)2
- Deborah L. McGuinnessAmerican computer scientist, professor2
- Erin McKeanAmerican lexicographer and dictionary editor1
- Richard McKennaAmerican writer (1913-1964)9
- Linda McMahonUnited States Secretary of Education since 20252
- Vince McMahonAmerican professional wrestling promoter (born 1945)1
- H. R. McMaster26th United States National Security Advisor2
- William H. McRavenUnited States admiral31
- Mark MeadowsWhite House Chief of Staff from 2020 to 20214
- Julius Melbourn2
- Jeffrey MeldrumAmerican anthropologist1
- Laura Mersini-HoughtonAlbanian cosmologist and theoretical physicist2
- Franklin D. MillerUnited States Army Medal of Honor recipient13
- Stephen MillerAmerican political advisor and Trump administration official (born 1985)19
- Ong Kian MingMalaysian politician1
- Thelonious MonkAmerican jazz pianist and composer (1917–1982)8
- Deane MontgomeryAmerican mathematician (1909–1992)2
- Robert MoogAmerican electronic music pioneer and inventor (1934-2005)1
- Mike MoonAmerican politician2
- Julianne MooreBritish-American actress and author14
- Charles MooseAmerican police officer and writer2
- Michael Hamilton MorganAmerican writer2
- Thomas MortonEnglish playwright5
- Robert MotherwellAmerican abstract expressionist painter, printmaker (1915–1991)43
- MrBeastAmerican YouTuber, media personality and businessman (born 1998)3
- Charity Basaza MulengaUgandan electric engineer6
- Kary MullisAmerican biochemist (1944–2019)4
- Mick Mulvaneyformer Director of the Office of Management and Budget and White House Chief of Staff4
- Pauli MurrayAmerican writer, activist, lawyer and Episcopal priest (1910-1985)3
- Edward R. MurrowAmerican broadcast journalist (1908–1965)58
- Jacqueline MusiitwaUgandan lawyer3
N
- Jennifer C. NashProfessor of Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies3
- Antonio NegriItalian political philosopher (1933–2023)61
- Bree NewsomeAmerican activist35
- Richard Nixonpresident of the United States from 1969 to 1974 (1913–1994)200
- Victoria Chibuogu NnejiNigerian American robotics research scientist5
- Kenneth NolandAmerican artist (1924–2010)29
- Edgar Wilson NyeAmerican journalist and humorist (1850-1896)2
O
P
- Rajendra K. PachauriIndian academic (1940-2020)2
- Al PacinoAmerican actor (born 1940)3
- Nell Irvin PainterAmerican historian14
- Arnold PalmerAmerican golfer (1929–2016)3
- Jonas PateAmerican film director1
- Josh PateScreenwriter, director and producer1
- Laurie L. PattonAmerican indologist1
- Rand PaulUnited States Senator from Kentucky since 201150
- Ron PaulAmerican politician (born 1935)146
- Ken PaxtonAttorney General of Texas since 20155
- Toni PayneNigerian-American soccer player3
- Roger PearsonBritish anthropologist and far-right political organiser1
- Azalia Emma PeetAmerican educator (1887–1973)2
- Walker PercyAmerican philosophical novelist38
- Charles PerrowAmerican sociologist (1925–2019)72
- Marisha PesslAmerican writer2
- Richard PettyStock-car racing champion and founder of Petty’s Garage in Level Cross1
- Enrique PeñalosaColombian politician1
- Lori J PierceAmerican radiation oncologist5
- Mark PilgrimAmerican computer programmer2
- Orrin H. PilkeyAmerican marine geologist (1934–2024)4
- Jon PinedaAmerican writer4
- Robert PinskyAmerican poet, editor, literary critic, academic (born 1940)20
- Nic PizzolattoAmerican writer1
- James K. PolkPresident of the United States from 1845 to 1849 (1795–1849)15
- Minnie Bruce PrattAmerican educator, poet, essayist and theorist (1946–2023)5
- Steven PressfieldAmerican screenwriter and novelist (1943-)33
- Jaime PresslyAmerican actress, model, and producer5
- Reynolds PriceNovelist and longtime Duke University English professor1
- Robert M. PriceAmerican theologian18
- JB PritzkerAmerican businessman and politician (born 1965)9
- Barbara Gardner Proctoradvertising CEO11
Q
R
- James RachelsAmerican philosopher (1941–2003)6
- Walter RaleighEnglish statesman, soldier and writer (1552–1618)15
- Matt Whitaker RansomConfederate Army general, lawyer, politician (1826-1904)1
- Robert RauschenbergAmerican painter and graphic artist (1925–2008)47
- Tom ReganAmerican philosopher (1938–2017)12
- Tanya ReinhartIsraeli journalist and linguist (1943-2007)2
- Hiram Rhodes RevelsAmerican politician (1827-1901)1
- John F. RichardsAmerican historian (1938-2007)1
- Robert D. RichardsonAmerican historian (1934–2020)6
- Joerg Riegerdivinity school scholar5
- Tom RobbinsAmerican writer (1932–2025)145
- Russell RobertsAmerican economist1
- Mark RobinsonAmerican politician (born 1968)16
- Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of RockinghamBritish Prime Minister (1730-1782)9
- Alexander RosenbergAmerican philosopher (born 1946)18
- Helen RowlandAmerican journalist (1875–1950)13
- Robert RuarkAmerican writer (1915-1965)37
- Mary Ellen RudinAmerican mathematician (1924–2013)4
- Alessia RussoEnglish footballer (born 1999)6
S
- Nawal El SaadawiEgyptian feminist writer (1931–2021)46
- Carl SandburgAmerican writer and editor (1878–1967)33
- Terry SanfordNorth Carolina governor, U.S. senator and Duke University president1
- Ralph SantollaAmerican guitarist (1966–2018)3
- Guillermo SapiroUruguayan computer scientist2
- Kshama SawantAmerican politician and economist4
- Nicola ScafettaItalian climatologist1
- Hunter SchaferAmerican actress, model, and LGBTQ activist (born 1998)4
- Nick SearcyAmerican actor2
- David SedarisAmerican author (born 1956)89
- Eve Kosofsky SedgwickAmerican scholar of queer theory (1950-2009)4
- Noam ShazeerAmerican machine learning researcher3
- Hugh Sheltonrecipient of the Purple Heart medal5
- Henry E. Shepherd1
- Miles O Sherrill2
- Lewis ShinerAmerican writer5
- Eric Ken Shinsekiretired United States Army four-star general, seventh United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs4
- Charlie Siffordprofessional golfer (1922–2015)3
- Nina SimoneAmerican singer, songwriter and pianist and civil rights activist (1933–2003)16
- Clint Smithpoet, teacher32
- Jada Pinkett SmithAmerican actress (born 1971)15
- Lee SmithNovelist and retired North Carolina State University English professor1
- Stephen A. SmithAmerican sports journalist3
- Tony SnowAmerican White House Press Secretary (1955-2008)8
- Edward SnowdenAmerican whistleblower and former NSA contractor (born 1983)64
- Thomas SowellAmerican economist, social theorist, political philosopher and author93
- Nicholas SparksAmerican writer and novelist155
- Richard SpencerAmerican journalist and politician (b. 1978)22
- Robert Bruce SpencerAmerican anti-Muslim author (1962-)45
- John Shelby SpongAmerican bishop (1931–2021)13
- Walter P. StacyAmerican judge (1884–1951)1
- Theodoros StamosAmerican artist (1922-1997)1
- Elizabeth StroutAmerican novelist (born 1956)3
- William StyronAmerican novelist and essayist (1925–2006)41
- Caridad SvichAmerican writer (born 1963)4
- Carol M. SwainAmerican political scientist1
- Eric SwalwellAmerican lawyer and politician (born 1980)2
- James H. SweetAmerican historian2
- Imre SzemanCanadian academic (1968–)3
T
- James Taborbiblical scholar3
- André Leon TalleyAmerican journalist (1948-2022)2
- Charles TartAmerican experimental psychologist (1937-)1
- Allen TateAmerican poet, essayist and social commentator (1899–1979)4
- Jack TatumAmerican football player (1948-2010)4
- Hannis TaylorAmerican diplomat, lawyer, and writer1
- James TaylorAmerican singer and guitarist24
- Lawrence TaylorAmerican football player (born 1959)8
- Zephyr TeachoutAmerican academic, political activist and candidate3
- Jerald terHorstAmerican journalist (1922–2010)1
- Namita ThaparIndian entrepreneur and businesswoman12
- TiaCorineAmerican rapper6
- Jacob TobiaAmerican LGBTIQ activist5
- R. A. TorreyAmerican evangelist, pastor, educator, and writer (1856–1928)2
- Georgia Tourassiphysicist, Computing Facility director3
- Charles Hard Townes20th-century American physicist2
- Edolphus TownsAmerican politician1
- John TownsendCanadian clinical psychologist and author (born 1952)30
- Phyllis Triblefeminist biblical scholar from the United States (1932–2025)1
- Lara TrumpAmerican television producer and campaign adviser (born 1982)3
- Jim B. TuckerAmerican psychiatrist1
- Peter TurchinRussian-American complexity scientist86
- Cy TwomblyAmerican painter, sculptor and photographer (1928–2011)17
- Anne TylerAmerican novelist4
V
W
- Aissa WadeSenegalese mathematician3
- Vivek WadhwaAmerican academic8
- Hynden WalchAmerican actress1
- David Walkeroutspoken African-American abolitionist and anti-slavery activist7
- Randall WallaceAmerican filmmaker1
- Kelli WardAmerican politician (born 1969)1
- Bill WarnerAmerican critic of Islam and former physics professor1
- George WashingtonFounding Father and first U.S. president (1732–1799)15
- Marcey WatersAmerican organic chemistry researcher2
- Benjamin Watsongridiron football player1
- Doc WatsonNorth Carolina guitarist and 1988 National Heritage Fellow1
- Haim WatzmanAmerican writer1
- Richard M. WeaverAmerican scholar (1910–1963)104
- David WeberAmerican science fiction and fantasy writer (born 1952)9
- Alex WebsterAmerican football player (1931-2012)15
- Gertrude WeilAmerican suffragist (1879–1971)6
- Manly Wade WellmanAmerican writer (1903-1986)9
- Ida B. WellsAmerican journalist and civil rights activist (1862–1931)29
- Allen WestAmerican politician & military officer (born 1961)39
- John Archibald WheelerAmerican physicist (1911-2008)21
- Sarina WiegmanDutch footballer and manager (born 1969)9
- Eric F. WieschausAmerican geneticist1
- Ken WilberAmerican writer and public speaker49
- David WilcoxAmerican folk musician and singer-songwriter guitarist1
- John WilkesEnglish radical, journalist, and politician (1725–1797)1
- Robert Wilkie10th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs1
- Don WillettUnited States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit3
- Samm-Art WilliamsAmerican playwright and screenwriter3
- Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of WilmingtonPrime Minister of Great Britain1
- Clyde N. WilsonAmerican historian1
- James WilsonJustice on the US Supreme Court (1742-1798)8
- Woodrow Wilson28th President of the United States (1913–1921)161
- Mary Elizabeth WinsteadAmerican actress (born 1984)21
- Thomas WolfeAmerican writer34
- L. Lin WoodAmerican lawyer and conspiracy theorist2
- Judy WoodruffAmerican broadcast journalist3
- Molly WorthenAmerican writer1
- Orville WrightAmerican aviation pioneer (1871–1948)9
- Wilbur WrightAmerican aviation pioneer (1867-1912)6
- R. Lee WrightsAmerican politician (1958–2017)13
- Lotte Wubben-MoyEnglish association football player (born 1999)10