List of people from Grand Rapids, Michigan Contents Artists and artisans Business, industry, academic and labor figures Entertainment figures Government officials, politicians and activists Military figures Musicians and bands Religious figures Serial killers Sports figures Writers, novelists, poets and journalists References External links Navigation menu"Frederick Stuart Church: Holiday Illustrations from the Horst Collection""Grand Rapids History & Special Collections"the original"Fashion whiz Daniel Vosovic returns home to promote new book""History of the Bissell Carpet Sweeper""Richard DeVos""Anthony J. Diekema""Movie theater may return to downtown GR"the original"Hank & Doug Meijer""Syncbak Powers CBS All Access OTT Service""Historical Background""Biography Jay Van Andel"the original"Biography""Taylor Lautner Biography""Andy Richter Biography""Grand Rapids native Reed Timmer leads viewers into the eye of a tornado on 'Storm Chasers'""Mayors of Grand Rapids, Michigan""Congressman Vern Ehlers Announces Retirement"the original"A Common Man on an Uncommon Climb""Mayor George Heartwell"the original"Henry, Paul B.""Land to Run for Governor""John H. Logie"the original"Index to Politicians""Working Her Fingers to the Bone: Agnes Nestor's Story""Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg / Vandenberg Center""Former U.S. Congressman Guy Vander Jagt Dies"the original"Index to Politicians""The Honorable Martha L. Walters""Roger B. Chaffee""Al Green: Biography""La Dispute: Profile""Whirlwind Heat Profile Apple iTunes""Albrey Battle""Grand Rapids native Allie Dragoo wins stage 1 at Tour of Utah""Rick Kreuger""Mayweather dancing with success in and out of ring""Sparky's Total Athlete Factory"the original"Dathan Ritzenhein"the original"Jared Veldheer""Casper Wells Stats"https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wisneja01.shtml"The late Gary Bond, friend and mentor""Chris Van Allsburg Biography"
People from Grand Rapids, MichiganLists of people from MichiganLists of people by city in the United States
The following is a list of notable people associated with Grand Rapids, Michigan. These people were born or lived in Grand Rapids.
Contents
1 Artists and artisans
2 Business, industry, academic and labor figures
3 Entertainment figures
4 Government officials, politicians and activists
5 Military figures
6 Musicians and bands
7 Religious figures
8 Serial killers
9 Sports figures
10 Writers, novelists, poets and journalists
11 References
12 External links
Artists and artisans
Mathias Alten — impressionist painter
Jeffrey Brown — comic book artist
Frederick Stuart Church — illustrator[1]
Paul Collins — painter[2]
Dirk Gringhuis — illustrator
Daniel Vosovic — clothing designer[3]
Business, industry, academic and labor figures
Clayton Allen — entrepreneur
Steve Belkin — founder and chairman of Trans National Group
Hattie Beverly — teacher
Owen Bieber — president of United Auto Workers
Anna Sutherland Bissell — chief executive officer of Bissell[4]
Charles Sumner Burch — editor of Grand Rapids Evening Press
Mary de Young — professor of sociology; author
Dick DeVos — chief executive officer of Amway
Richard DeVos — co-founder of Amway[5]
Keith DeVries — archaeologist
Anthony Diekema — former president of Calvin College[6]
Jewell James Ebers — transistor-theory electrical engineer
Gerald Rudolff Ford — businessman; chairman of Kent County Republican Committee; stepfather of Gerald Ford
Arnold Gingrich — founder of Esquire magazine
James Hackett — businessman; Steelcase, Ford Motor Company
John A. Hannah — president of Michigan State College
H. Wayne Huizenga — entrepreneur
Hugh Newell Jacobsen — Modernist architect
Jack Loeks — movie theater entrepreneur[7]
Kenneth Marin — professor of economics; member of White House Consumer Advisory Council
Frank Edward McGurrin — inventor of touch typing
M. Peter McPherson — president of Michigan State University; chairman of Dow Jones
Doug Meijer — co-chairman of supermarket Meijer[8]
Hank Meijer — co-chairman and CEO of supermarket Meijer[8]
Agnes Nestor — labor leader
John Pease — professor of sociology
Jack Perry — founder of Syncbak, invented technology to replicate broadcast TV on the Internet[9]
Marshall Purnell — president of American Institute of Architects
John Herman Randall, Jr. — professor of philosophy
Lynn Rogers — biologist
Charles Ryskamp — professor at Princeton and museum director
Henry F. Schaefer, III — professor of chemistry
L. William Seidman — economist and financial commentator
Ossian Cole Simonds — landscape designer
Carl J. Strikwerda — President of Elizabethtown College
Mel Trotter — rescue mission director[10]
Jay Van Andel — co-founder of Amway[11]
Robert J. Vanderbei — Princeton University professor
John Philip Wernette — President of the University of New Mexico
Roger Wilkins — civil rights leader and professor
Entertainment figures
Gillian Anderson — television and film actress[12]
Ford Beebe — film director
Otto Brower — film director
James T. Callahan — film and television actor
Horace B. Carpenter — film actor and director
Jim Cash — screenwriter
Riley Chamberlin — silent film actor
Rex Cherryman — stage and film actor
Shawn Christian — television and film actor
Wanda Cochran — soprano
DeBarge - singing group
Toni Jo Abbenante Farmer — Miss Michigan 1967
Steven Ford — television and film actor
Stephen Goosson — film set designer
Lorna Gray — film actress
Al Green — singer
Stacey Haiduk — television actress
Thom Hartmann — radio personality
Adam Herz — screenwriter and producer
Jimmy Jacobs — professional wrestler
Matt Keeslar — television and film actor
Lisa Kelly — ice road trucker
James Kirkwood, Sr. — film actor and director
Eric Allan Kramer — television, film and stage actor
Taylor Lautner — television and film actor[13]
Victor Lundberg — radio personality
C. Cameron Macauley — filmmaker
Violet MacMillan — vaudeville, stage and silent film actress
Kevin Matthews — radio personality
Ryan O'Reilly — professional wrestler
Wally Phillips — radio personality
Don Quinn — comedy writer and cartoonist
Andy Richter — television and film actor[14]
Leonard Schrader — screenwriter and director
Paul Schrader — screenwriter and director
Richard Shoberg — television actor
Jackie Swanson — television and film actress
Ray Teal — television and film actor
Reed Timmer — storm chaser and meteorologist[15]
Jess Walton — television actress
Elizabeth Wilson — stage, television and film actress
Dick York — television, stage, radio and film actor
Ginger Zee — ABC News meteorologist
Kim Zimmer — television and stage actress
Government officials, politicians and activists
Russell A. Alger — Governor of Michigan; U.S. Secretary of War
John Ball — pioneer; member of the Michigan State Legislature
Charles E. Belknap — Union Army Captain; U.S. Congressman
Harvey Hollister Bundy — Special Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of War
Charles C. Comstock — U.S. Congressman from Michigan; mayor of Grand Rapids[16]
Robert Danhof — jurist
Betsy DeVos — United States Secretary of Education
Vern Ehlers — U.S. Congressman from Michigan[17]
Betty Ford — 37th First Lady of the United States[18]
Gerald R. Ford — 38th President of the United States[18]
Wilder D. Foster — U.S. Congressman from Michigan; mayor of Grand Rapids[16]
George Heartwell — Mayor of Grand Rapids[16][19]
Paul B. Henry — U.S. Congressman from Michigan[20]
Rick Hill — U.S. Congressman from Montana
Julius Houseman — U.S. Congressman from Michigan; mayor of Grand Rapids[16]
Bartel J. Jonkman — U.S. Congressman from Michigan
Frank Knox — U.S. Secretary of the Navy; vice presidential candidate in the 1936 U.S. Presidential election
Terri Lynn Land — Michigan Secretary of State[21]
John H. Logie — Mayor of Grand Rapids[16][22]
Frederick Henry Mueller — U.S. Secretary of Commerce[23]
Agnes Nestor — women's suffrage and workers' rights activist[24]
Lyman Parks — Mayor of Grand Rapids
Michael Sak — Michigan State Representative
Harold S. Sawyer — U.S. Congressman from Michigan
Peter F. Secchia — U.S. Ambassador to Italy
William Alden Smith — U.S. Senator from Michigan
K. William Stinson — U.S. Congressman from Washington
Edwin F. Sweet — U.S. Congressman from Michigan; mayor of Grand Rapids[16]
Jerald terHorst — press secretary under President Gerald Ford
Edwin F. Uhl — U.S. Assistant Secretary of State ; mayor of Grand Rapids[16]
Arthur H. Vandenberg — 88th President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate[25]
Guy Vander Jagt — U.S. Congressman from Michigan[26]
Richard VanderVeen — U.S. Congressman from Michigan[27]
Martha Lee Walters — 98th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court[28]
Military figures
Roger Chaffee — NASA astronaut; U.S. Navy lieutenant commander[29]
Keith Clark — U.S. Army bugler who played "Taps" at the funeral of President John F. Kennedy
Arthur B. Engel — U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral
Benjamin F. Engel — U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral
Eugene F. George — U.S. Navy sailor and Navy Cross recipient
Scott S. Haraburda — U.S. Army Colonel and president of the Indiana Society of Professional Engineers[30]
Jack R. Lousma — NASA astronaut and U.S. Marine Corps colonel
John C. Sjogren — U.S. Army Staff Sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient
Stephen A. Turcotte — U.S. Navy Rear Admiral
Dirk J. Vlug — U.S. Army Private First Class and Medal of Honor recipient
Musicians and bands
Ralston Bowles — folk musician
Mary Canberg — violinist
Jeffrey Daniel — member of R&B group Shalamar
Xavier Davis — jazz pianist
DeBarge — R&B/soul group
Dennis "Fergie" Frederiksen — vocalist (formerly of Toto)
Al Green — R&B/soul singer[31]
Bob Hay — member of the Squalls
Adina Howard — R&B singer
Charlie Huhn — frontman for Foghat
Maynard James Keenan — lead singer of Tool
Anthony Kiedis — lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
La the Darkman — hip hop artist affiliated with Wu-Tang Clan
La Dispute — post-hardcore group[32]
Kevin Max — member of dc Talk
Ken Medema — Christian musician
John W. Peterson — Christian songwriter
Mustard Plug — ska punk group
Pop Evil — hard rock band
Marvin Sapp — gospel singer
Del Shannon — rock & roll musician
Sleeping with Sirens — pop-rock band
Leo Sowerby — composer and musician
Still Remains — metalcore group
Casey Stratton — pop/rock musician
Sam Stryke — composer and pianist
Whirlwind Heat — alternative rock group[33]
Willie the Kid — rapper
Jason Wood — lead singer of It Dies Today
Religious figures
Rob Bell — founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church; author
Martin H. Carmody — Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus
M. R. DeHaan — Bible teacher, founder of the Radio Bible Class
Robert C. Gage — pastor of Wealthy Street Baptist Church and author
Michael Gallagher — Bishop of Grand Rapids
Francis J. Haas — Bishop of Grand Rapids
Edward D. Kelly — Bishop of Grand Rapids
Isaac McCoy — Baptist missionary
Joseph Crescent McKinney — Auxiliary Bishop of Grand Rapids
Joseph G. Pinten — Bishop of Grand Rapids
Charles Salatka — Archbishop of Oklahoma City
Robert Sirico — co-founder of the Acton Institute
Edmund Szoka — President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
Serial killers
- Gwendolyn Graham and Cathy Wood
Sports figures
Vince Agnew — NFL player
George Andrie — NFL player
Dan Archer — NFL player
Paul Assenmacher — MLB player
Jim Avery — NFL player
John Barnum — PGA Tour golfer
Terry Barr — NFL player
Albrey Battle — gridiron football player[34]
Johnny Benson — NASCAR driver
Ray Bentley — NFL player
Harry Berrios — baseball player
Devin Booker — NBA player
Jim Boylen — NBA assistant coach
Cameron Bradfield — NFL player
David Brandt — NFL player
Carlton Brewster — NFL player
Kelly Butler — NFL player
Geno Carlisle — basketball player
Bill Cutler — baseball executive
Chuck DeShane — NFL player
Al DeVormer — MLB player
Mark Dewey — MLB player
Brian Diemer — track and field athlete
Mike Donald — PGA Tour golfer
Allie Dragoo -—professional cyclist[35]
Jim Dreyer — ultramarathon athlete
Mike Dumas — NFL player
Katie Feenstra — Women's National Basketball Association player
Julius Franks — All-American college football player
Brent Gates — MLB player
Luke Glendening — NHL player
Paul G. Goebel — NFL player; naval officer; mayor of Grand Rapids
Paul Grasmanis — NFL player
Ben Handlogten — NBA player
David Harris — NFL player
Gary Hogeboom — NFL player
Marilyn Jenkins — All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
Josh Kalis — skateboarder
Chris Kaman — NBA player
Stanley Ketchel — middleweight boxer
Mike Knuble — NHL player
Rick Kreuger — Major League Baseball player[36]
Marion Ladewig — bowler
Doc Lavan — MLB player
Pete Lee — Olympic and world champion wrestler
Bob Lurtsema — NFL player
Buster Mathis, Jr. — heavyweight boxer
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. — welterweight boxer[37]
Floyd Mayweather, Sr. — welterweight boxer
Jeff Mayweather — super featherweight boxer
Roger Mayweather — welterweight boxer
Sparky McEwen — football player[38]
Pete Mead — middleweight boxer
Greg Meyer — distance runner
Rick Miller — MLB player
Terna Nande — NFL player
Drew Neitzel — professional basketball player
Jim Pace — NFL player
Wally Pipp — Major League Baseball player
Peter Quillin — middleweight boxer
John Rienstra — NFL player
Rueben Riley — NFL player
Dathan Ritzenhein — distance runner[39]
Rocky Rosema - NFL player
Dave Rozema — MLB player
Doris Satterfield — All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
Betsy Snite — Olympic skiing silver medalist
Joe Soboleski — NFL player
Mickey Stanley — MLB player
Matt Steigenga — NBA player
Frank Steketee — All-American college football player
Lou Stringer — MLB player
James Toney — heavyweight boxer
Tony Tucker — heavyweight boxer
John Vander Wal — MLB player
Loy Vaught — NBA player
Jared Veldheer — NFL player[40]
Dave Walsh — professional gamer
Casper Wells — MLB player[41]
Jack Wisner — MLB player[42]
Writers, novelists, poets and journalists
Max Apple — short story writer, novelist and screenwriter
Anne W. Armstrong — novelist
Andrew Britton — novelist
Robert Forrest Burgess — outdoors writer and photographer
Peter De Vries — editor and novelist
Meindert DeJong — children's author
Arnold Gingrich — founder of Esquire magazine
LZ Granderson — sports writer[43]
Harold King — author and journalist
Lloyd Kropp — novelist, composer and educator
Robie Macauley — novelist, literary critic and educator
Patrick Maher — novelist
Harold Matson — literary agent
Ander Monson — novelist and poet
Bich Minh Nguyen — novelist and nonfiction writer
Mary Jo Salter — poet
Gary Schmidt — children's writer of nonfiction books and young adult novels
Watson Spoelstra — sportswriter
Michael Talbot — science writer
Chris Van Allsburg — children's author and illustrator[44]
Stewart Edward White — author
References
^ "Frederick Stuart Church: Holiday Illustrations from the Horst Collection". Traditional Fine Arts Organization. Retrieved April 3, 2010..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output .citation qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-maintdisplay:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ "Grand Rapids History & Special Collections" (PDF). Grand Rapids Public Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 13, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
^ "Fashion whiz Daniel Vosovic returns home to promote new book". The Grand Rapids Press. November 28, 2008. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
^ "History of the Bissell Carpet Sweeper". Kent County Michigan Genweb Project. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
^ "Richard DeVos". Forbes. Forbes. September 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
^ "Anthony J. Diekema". Calvin College. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
^ "Movie theater may return to downtown GR". Grand Rapids: WOOD-TV. April 11, 2012. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
^ ab "Hank & Doug Meijer". Forbes. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
^ "Syncbak Powers CBS All Access OTT Service" TVNewsCheck' '2014-10-16'
^ "Historical Background". Billy Graham Center. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
^ "Biography Jay Van Andel". Alticor. Archived from the original on March 16, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
^ "Biography". The Official Gillian Anderson Website. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
^ "Taylor Lautner Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
^ "Andy Richter Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
^ Recker, Rachael (October 18, 2009). "Grand Rapids native Reed Timmer leads viewers into the eye of a tornado on 'Storm Chasers'". The Grand Rapids Press. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
^ abcdefg "Mayors of Grand Rapids, Michigan". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
^ "Congressman Vern Ehlers Announces Retirement". February 10, 2010. Archived from the original on March 4, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
^ ab "A Common Man on an Uncommon Climb" (PDF). The New York Times. August 19, 1976. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
^ "Mayor George Heartwell". City of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
^ "Henry, Paul B." Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
^ "Land to Run for Governor". Lansing, MI: WILX-TV. Associated Press. February 19, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
^ "John H. Logie". Warner Norcross & Judd LLP. Archived from the original on March 23, 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
^ "Index to Politicians". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
^ "Working Her Fingers to the Bone: Agnes Nestor's Story". History Matters. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
^ "Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg / Vandenberg Center". The Michigan Historical Marker Web Site. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
^ "Former U.S. Congressman Guy Vander Jagt Dies". Hope College Office of Public Relations. June 22, 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
^ "Index to Politicians". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
^ "The Honorable Martha L. Walters". Oregon Judicial Department. 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
^ "Roger B. Chaffee". Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. 1997. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
^ Haraburda, Scott S. (2013). Christian Controversies: Seeking the Truth. Meaningful Publications. pp. 50–53, 103, 221, 226. ISBN 978-0-9886072-0-0.
^ "Al Green: Biography". Retrieved February 27, 2008.
^ "La Dispute: Profile". AbsolutePunk.net Archived on archive.is. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
^ "Whirlwind Heat Profile Apple iTunes".
^ "Albrey Battle". all-xfl.com. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
^ Wallner, Peter J. "Grand Rapids native Allie Dragoo wins stage 1 at Tour of Utah", The Grand Rapids Press, August 4, 2015. Accessed May 19, 2017. "Allie Dragoo, a Grand Rapids native who attended East Grand Rapids High School, won stage 1 of the two-day Tour of Utah Women's Edition: Criterium Classic on Tuesday."
^ "Rick Kreuger". baseball.com. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ Johnson, Chuck (December 6, 2007). "Mayweather dancing with success in and out of ring". USA Today. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
^ "Sparky's Total Athlete Factory". sparkystotalathletefactory.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
^ "Dathan Ritzenhein". U.S. Olympic Athletes. United States Olympic Committee. 2009. Archived from the original on March 8, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
^ "Jared Veldheer". NFL. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
^ "Casper Wells Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 6, 2012.*
^ https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wisneja01.shtml. Missing or empty|title=(help)
^ Granderson, LZ (May 14, 2010). "The late Gary Bond, friend and mentor". ESPN. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
^ "Chris Van Allsburg Biography". Chris Van Allsburg. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
External links
Media related to People from Grand Rapids, Michigan at Wikimedia Commons
Media related to People from Grand Rapids, Michigan at Wikimedia CommonsLists of people by city in the United States, Lists of people from Michigan, Michigan, People from Grand RapidsUncategorized
