List of people from Bridgeport, Connecticut
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of notable people associated with Bridgeport, Connecticut who achieved great public distinction, listed in the category for which they are best known.
Athletes
Baseball players
These baseball players were born in or lived in the city:[1]
- Howard Baker, Major League baseball player[2]
- Cornelius "Neal" Ball, credited with the first unassisted triple play in the major leagues[3]
- George Bryant, MLB player for Detroit Wolverines[4]
- George "Kiddo" Davis, who in the 1933 World Series against the Washington Senators had 7 hits in 19 at-bats, and batted .368, helping the New York Giants win the championship[5]
- Rob Dibble, pitcher for Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers[6]
- Angel Echevarria, played in National League for Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs[7]
- Ray Keating, pitched for the New York Highlanders, New York Yankees, and Boston Braves[8]
- Kurt Kepshire, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals[9]
- Charles Nagy, pitcher for Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres, pitched in the 1995 and 1997 World Series[10]
- Tricky Nichols, pitcher for the Boston Red Caps, St. Louis Brown Stockings, Providence Grays, Worcester Ruby Legs and Baltimore Orioles[11]
- Jim O'Rourke, first player to be credited with a hit and single in a professional baseball game[12]
- Ed Rowen, 19th-century baseball player for the Boston Red Caps and Philadelphia Athletics[13]
- Dan Shannon, played second base for the Louisville Colonels and the Philadelphia Quakers, and second base and shortstop for the New York Giants and the Washington Senators[14]
- Ed Wojna, pitcher for the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians[15]
Basketball players
- Courtney Alexander, played three seasons in the NBA and is currently an assistant coach of the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League[16]
- John Bagley, played for eleven seasons in the NBA[17]
- Walter Luckett, star high school and college player in the 1970s
- Wes Matthews, played ten seasons in the NBA
- Frank Oleynick, played two years for NBA in Seattle[18]
- Charles D. Smith, University of Pittsburgh and New York Knicks
- Chris Smith, University of Connecticut and Minnesota Timberwolves[19]
- Harper Williams, basketball player[20]
Football players
- Kevin Belcher, NFL player[21]
- Keith Dudzinski, college football player and coach
- Tony Elliott, played six seasons in the NFL
- Nick Giaquinto, played four seasons in the NFL[22]
- Ching Hammill, football player[23]
- Mike L. Jones, NFL player for Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks[24]
- Alex Joseph, pro football player
Soccer players
- Alyssa Naeher, goalkeeper for the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and United States women's national soccer team (USWNT)[25]
Hockey players
- Julie Chu, three-time Olympic ice hockey medalist[26]
Tennis players
- Sidney Wood, tennis player, won at Wimbledon in 1931, reached Davis Cup finals in 1934[27]
Boxers
- Jack Delaney, world light heavyweight boxing champion[28]
Business people
- Kenton Clarke, founder of Computer Consulting Associates International Inc.[29]
- Fred DeLuca, founder of Subway[30]
- George Gilman, founder of the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company[31]
- Edwin H. Land, founder of Polaroid Corporation[32]
- James Murren (born 1961), banker
- Nathaniel Wheeler, manufacturer of Wheeler & Wilson; state legislator
- Vincent Zarrilli, founder of The Pot Shop
Entertainers, artists, writers
- Emma Dunning Banks (1856–1931), actress, dramatic reader, teacher, and writer[33]
- P.T. Barnum, circus owner, entrepreneur and mayor of Bridgeport[34]
- Madeline Blair, prostitute and naval stowaway
- Robert O. Bowen, novelist
- Al Capp, cartoonist, creator of comic strip Li'l Abner[35]
- Adriana Caselotti, voice of Snow White[36]
- Adger Cowans, fine arts photographer and abstract painter[37]
- Perry DeAngelis, co-founder and executive director of NESS, co-founder of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
- Sally Haley, artist and painter[38]
- Maureen Howard, author[39]
- Walt Kelly, cartoonist, creator of Pogo[40]
- Larry Kramer, playwright and gay rights activist, writer of The Normal Heart[41]
- Roy Neuberger, art collector and donor[42]
- Charles Schnee, screenwriter and film producer[43]
- Jim Shepard, author[44]
- Cyndy Szekeres, children's book author and illustrator
- General Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton), performer, little person[45]
Actors
- Richard Belzer, actor and comedian who once worked as a reporter for the Connecticut Post
- Alexandra Breckenridge, actress[46]
- Adriana Caselotti, actress[36]
- Bob Crane, actor known for his lead role in Hogan's Heroes; radio host on WICC-AM in Bridgeport, 1950–1955
- Brian Dennehy, actor[47]
- John Forrest, actor
- Arline Judge, actress
- John Mitchum, actor
- Robert Mitchum, actor[48]
- Tony Musante, actor
- Kevin Nealon, comedian and actor[49]
- John Ratzenberger, actor known for role of Cliff Clavin in TV series Cheers[50]
- Bill Smitrovich, actor[51]
- Deborah Walley, actress
- Michael Jai White, actor[52]
Musicians
- Art Baron, jazz trombonist[53]
- Mimi Benzell, Metropolitan Opera soprano
- Joseph Celli, oboist
- Fanny Crosby, composer of more than 8,000 Christian hymns; lived here for the last fifteen years of her life; buried in the Mountain Grove Cemetery[54]
- Vernon Dalhart, singer-songwriter[55]
- Jessica Delfino, musician, comedian
- Jin Hi Kim, geomungo player and composer[56]
- Deon Kipping, gospel singer[57]
- Paul Leka, singer-songwriter, composer, member of band Steam, known for "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"[58]
- Angus Maclise, experimental musician and poet, founding member of The Velvet Underground
- John Mayer, singer-songwriter, born in Bridgeport, largely grew up in neighboring Fairfield[59]
- Peter McCann, singer-songwriter, "Do You Wanna Make Love", "Right Time of the Night"
- Syesha Mercado, singer, actress and American Idol contestant
- Justin Quiles, singer, songwriter
- Lou "Boulder" Richards, guitarist (Hatebreed)
- Vinnie Vincent, guitarist (KISS)
Musical groups
- The Alternate Routes (2002–present), rock band
- Hatebreed (1994–present), metallic hardcore band[60]
- Last Common Ancestor (2018–present), punk grunge band
- The Skinny Boys, 1980s rap group
- Steam, late 1960s pop band
- The Stepkids (2009–present), psych soul band
- Youthful Praise (2001–present), gospel choir[61]
- The Zambonis (1991–present), hockey rock
Government service
- David H. Burr, cartographer[62]
- Robert E. De Forest, mayor, congressman
- Paul Gottfried, former professor of Elizabethtown College
- Robert A. Hurley (1895–1968), Connecticut governor (first Roman Catholic to hold that office in Connecticut)[63]
- Leonard Mastroni (1949–2020), Kansas state representative and judge
- Anita McBride, chief of staff to the First Lady of the United States, 2005–2009
- Jasper McLevy (1933–1957), mayor
- Margaret E. Morton (1924–2012), first African American woman to serve in the Connecticut General Assembly[64]
- Mae Schmidle, Connecticut state representative
- William Shaler, U.S. consul in Mexico, Algiers and Havana
- James C. Shannon (1896–1980), Connecticut governor[65]
- Christopher Shays, Fourth District congressman
- Samuel Simons (1792–1847), United States representative from Connecticut
Inventors
- William Higinbotham, worked on the nuclear bomb, created one of the first video games Tennis for Two
- Harvey Hubbell, inventor of the electric plug and the pull-chain light socket
- Lewis Latimer, inventor
- Charles F. Ritchel, inventor
- Gustave Whitehead, inventor
Medical
- Alfred Fones, dentist credited with founding the profession of dental hygiene in 1906
- Augustus Huggins Abernathy, obstetric physician and former member of the City Board of Health during 1870's.
Military
- David Hawley, Naval commander and privateer during the American Revolution
- Raymond Jacobs, claimed to be in photo of first flag raised on Iwo Jima in World War II
- Henry A. Mucci, led the raid that rescued survivors of the Bataan Death March in World War II
Religious
- Edward Egan, former Roman Catholic bishop of Bridgeport, later became the cardinal archbishop of New York
Other
- Victoria Leigh Soto, born in Bridgeport, school teacher, victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, died at age 27
See also
- List of people from Connecticut
- List of people from Brookfield, Connecticut
- List of people from Darien, Connecticut
- List of people from Greenwich, Connecticut
- List of people from Hartford, Connecticut
- List of people from New Canaan, Connecticut
- List of people from New Haven, Connecticut
- List of people from Norwalk, Connecticut
- List of people from Redding, Connecticut
- List of people from Ridgefield, Connecticut
- List of people from Stamford, Connecticut
- List of people from Westport, Connecticut
