Born here
52
notable people
Best known
Carole Lombard
in 64 Wikipedia languages
First
1800
George Washington Whistler
Most common field
Sports
20 people
Also called it home
5
notable residents
What stands out about Fort Wayne’s famous people ★ What stands out · The best known Born in Fort Wayne First, Carole Lombard (64 languages), then Jenna Fischer (40) and DaMarcus Beasley (39).
#1 Film, TV & Stage Carole Lombard 1908–1942 American actress
#2 Film, TV & Stage Jenna Fischer born 1974 American actress
#3 Sports DaMarcus Beasley born 1982 American soccer player
Known for What Fort Wayne is known for The field furthest above the usual share is performers, at 2.2 times.
Sports 20 people 38%about usual Film, TV & Stage 11 people 21%2.2× usual Writing & Arts 7 people 13%1.3× usual Science & Medicine 6 people 12%1.9× usual Politics & Law 5 people 10%below usual Notable 2 people 4% Music 1 person 2%below usual The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
Through the years When Fort Wayne’s famous people were born More were born in the 1970s than in any other decade: 8.
A new nation Mills & railroads The American century Today 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 Dick York Jenna Fischer Shelley Long Sports Film, TV & Stage Writing & Arts Science & Medicine Politics & Law Notable Music
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone Everyone else born in Fort Wayne A further 49 follow, born between 1800 and 2000.
All · 49 Politics & Law · 5 Sports · 19 Music · 1 Film, TV & Stage · 9 Writing & Arts · 7 Science & Medicine · 6 Notable · 2
Any time A new nation · 2 Mills & railroads · 8 The American century · 25 Today · 14
Shelley Long born 1949 American actress and comedian
BN Bruce Nauman born 1941 American sculptor and performance artist
Dick York 1928–1992 American radio, stage, film, and television actor
George Jean Nathan 1882–1958 American drama critic and magazine editor
JH John Henry Holland 1929–2015 US university professor ,American scientist
Lloy Ball born 1972 American volleyball player
James R. Clapper born 1941 US government official
Miles Plumlee born 1988 American basketball player
RR Robert Rusler born 1965 American actor
Matt Vogel born 1957 American swimmer
DT Deshaun Thomas born 1991 American basketball player
DH Drake Hogestyn 1953–2024 American actor
Drake Batherson born 1998 American-born Canadian professional ice hockey player
EB Eric Bruskotter born 1966 American actor
Willis Carto 1926–2015 American activist
Ben Quayle born 1976 American politician
Jon Fitch born 1978 American mixed martial artist
BB Bill Blass 1922–2002 American fashion designer
Herm Schaefer 1918–1980 American basketball player-coach
Kyle Macy born 1957 American basketball player-coach
Patricia Lockwood born 1982 American poet, author
Patrick McVey 1910–1973 American actor
Rod Woodson born 1965 American football player and coach
George Washington Whistler 1800–1849 Railroad engineer;
JI Jessie Bates III born 1997 American football player
Julia Barr born 1949 American actress
RA Robert Adair 1924–2020 Physicist and author
AW Akil Watts born 2000 American soccer player
CB Canyon Barry born 1994 American basketball player
JN John F. Noll 1875–1956 Catholic archbishop
MS Mark Simpson born 1961 American basketball player
BR Bill Roberts 1925–2016 American basketball player
CK Carl Clarence Kiess 1887–1967 Astronomer
DG Dan Godfread born 1967 American basketball player
ES Ernest Gottlieb Sihler 1853–1942 American classical philologist
JB Jamar Beasley born 1979 American soccer player
SA Scott Armstrong 1913–1997 American basketball player
CS Charlie Savage born 1975 American journalist
CC Constance Cumbey 1944–2025 American lawyer, activist and writer
DS Don Sleet 1938–1986 American musician
EW Eric Wedge born 1968 American baseball player and manager
JW Jamin Winans born 1977 American filmmaker and composer
LS Lamar Smith born 1970 American football player
LT Lyn Thomas 1929–2004 American stage, television and film actress
VA Virginia Axline 1911–1988 Psychologist/one of the pioneers: Play Therapy
DB Don Beery 1920–2016 American basketball player
JN Joan Nesbit born 1962 American athletics competitor
MH Mitch Harper born 1956 American politician
RB Robert Frank Borkenstein 1912–2002 American police officer, inventor
No one matches both filters.
Show all 49 A chosen home Also called Fort Wayne home 5 notable people born elsewhere made the town home, Stephen King the best known.
SK Stephen King born 1947 American novelist and writer
Dave Thomas 1932–2002 American restaurant owner and philanthropist
GB Glenn Berggoetz born 1966 Director. actor, Producer
KM Kekla Magoon born 1980 American author
AL Anthony Lapsley born 1980 American mixed martial arts fighter
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Did you grow up with someone famous from Fort Wayne? → Who should be on this list but isn’t? → Next door Famous people from the towns next door The fullest list close by belongs to New Haven, with 2.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Fort Wayne and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.
Photo credits (23) Carole Lombard: Metro-Goldwy-Mayer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Jenna Fischer: TDKR Chicago 101, CC BY-SA 4.0 , Wikimedia Commons DaMarcus Beasley: Hefebreo, CC BY 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons Shelley Long: TwinsofSedona, CC BY-SA 4.0 , Wikimedia Commons Dick York: McDermott Company, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons George Jean Nathan: Ben Pinchot, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Lloy Ball: Ronneyjunior, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons James R. Clapper: Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Miles Plumlee: LUIS BLANCO, CC BY 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons Matt Vogel: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Drake Batherson: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons Willis Carto: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Ben Quayle: U.S. House of Representatives, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Jon Fitch: The Doppelganger, CC BY-SA 3.0 , Wikimedia Commons Herm Schaefer: Bowman Gum, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Kyle Macy: flickr user Paaat., CC BY-SA 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons Patricia Lockwood: Student member of Kelly Writers House, not individually credited; cropped and edited in Photoshop by User:Blz 2049, CC BY 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons Patrick McVey: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Rod Woodson: Susan Sterner, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons George Washington Whistler: Henry Inman, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Julia Barr: ABC, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Dave Thomas: John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons Bubbles Hargrave: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons