List of people from Michigan

A list of notable people from the U.S. state of Michigan. Bolding indicates places in Michigan.

Actors, entertainers and filmmakers

Actors

A-E

• Tim Allen, actor best known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement and such movie roles as Disney films, such as The Santa Clause and Toy Story (born in Denver, Colorado, raised in Birmingham)
• Gillian Anderson, actress best known for her role in TV's The X-Files (born in Chicago, moved to Grand Rapids)
• Curtis Armstrong, actor best known for his role of "Booger" in the Revenge of the Nerds movie and its sequels (born in Detroit; raised in Berkley)
• Hare Moto Armstrong, acclaimed Japanese actor known for his comedic role in the series "Moto Racer" in which he plays George, the hyper-active middle aged man on a quest for control of his ID.
• Robert Armstrong, remembered for uttering one of the screen's most famous exit quotes, "'Twas beauty killed the beast", at the end of in the 1933 version of King Kong (born in Saginaw)
• Justin Bartha, actor known for his role in the film National Treasure (2004) (born in West Bloomfield)
• Kristen Bell, TV's Veronica Mars (born in Detroit)
• Elizabeth Berkley, TV (Saved by the Bell) and movie actress (born in Farmington Hills)
• George Bickel, silent film actor (born in Saginaw)
• Selma Blair, actress (born in Southfield)
• Mary Boland, actress (born in Detroit)
• Olivia Brown, actress (born in Livonia)
• Ellen Burstyn, actress, winner and four-time nominee of Academy Award for Best Actress, and a Tony Award winner (born in Detroit)
• David Burtka, Broadway and TV actor (born in Livonia, raised in Canton)
• Timothy Busfield, director and Emmy Award-winning actor, best known for as Danny Concannon on the TV series The West Wing (born in East Lansing)
• Bruce Campbell, actor, writer best known for his roles in The Evil Dead movie series, and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess TV series (born in Royal Oak; raised in Birmingham)
• Larry Joe Campbell, actor best known for his role as "Andy" on the ABC sitcom According to Jim (born in Cadillac)
• Dave Coulier, actor best known for role as "Joey" in TV series Full House (born in Detroit)
• Wally Cox, TV and film actor (born in (Detroit)
• Terry Crews, actor and former football player for the Green Bay Packers (born in Flint, Michigan)
• Jeff Daniels, actor, writer, filmmaker (born in Athens, Georgia, raised in Michigan, long-time resident of Chelsea, Michigan)
• Pam Dawber, actress known as Mindy on ABC's Mork & Mindy (born in Farmington Hills)
• Dana Elcar, TV, film and stage actor (born in Ferndale)
• Chad Everett, actor (born in South Bend, Indiana, raised in Dearborn)

F-K

• Sherilyn Fenn, actress best known as Audrey Horne on the cult TV series Twin Peaks and for her roles such films as Boxing Helena (born in Detroit)
• Henry Gatheright, film and TV actor best known for his roles in L.A. Law and Law & Order (born in Flat Rock)
• Max Gail TV actor best known as Detective Wojciehowicz on Barney Miller (born in Detroit)
• David Alan Grier, comedian and actor (born in Detroit)
• Alexander Joseph Groesbeck Governor and Attorney General of Michigan was born in Warren.
• Stacy Haiduk, actress best-known for her role as Lana Lang on the Superboy television series (born in Grand Rapids)
• Julie Harris, actress and recipient of more Tony Award nominations (10) and wins (5) than any other performer, Academy Award for Best Actress nominee for The Member of the Wedding (born in Grosse Pointe Park)
• Ernie Hudson, actor best known for his role in Ghostbusters (born in Benton Harbor)
• Tom Hulce -- actor, Academy Award for Best Actor nominee for Amadeus, Tony Award nominee for A Few Good Men (born in Whitewater, Wisconsin, raised in Plymouth)
• Kim Hunter -- actress, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress winner for A Streetcar Named Desire (born in Detroit)
• Betty Hutton, actress and singer (born in Battle Creek)
• Brian d'Arcy James, Broadway actor and musician (born in Saginaw)
• Arte Johnson, actor and comedian best known as a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (born in Benton Harbor)
• James Earl Jones, actor best-known for his role as the voice of Darth Vader on Star Wars (born in Mississippi), but raised from age 5 in Michigan.
• Ella Joyce, stage actress (born in Chicago, raised in Detroit)
• Eric Kehoe, musician from the band Duffy.
• Brian Kelly, actor best known as the father in the TV series Flipper (born in Detroit)
• Richard Kiel, actor best known for his role as Jaws in the James Bond movies The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker (born in Detroit)
• Nancy Kovack, 1960s actress and wife of conductor Zubin Mehta (born in Flint)

L-R

• Christine Lahti, Golden Globe and Emmy winning actress best known as Dr. Kate Austin on Chicago Hope (born in Birmingham)
• Piper Laurie, actress and two-time Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nominee for Carrie and Children of a Lesser God (born in Detroit)
• Joan Leslie, actress (born in Detroit)
• Matthew Lillard, actor (born in Lansing)
• William Lucking, actor (born in Vicksburg)
• Lee Majors, actor most noted as The Six Million Dollar Man (born in Wyandotte)
• Chester Marcol, Former NFL placekicker for the Green Bay Packers (born in Poland, lived in Imlay City, currently lives in Dollar Bay)
• Dick Martin, comedian and cohost of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (born in Battle Creek)
• Tim McCoy, actor of Western films (born in Saginaw)
• Tim Meadows, comedian, actor, Saturday Night Live cast member (born in Highland Park)
• Colleen Moore, silent movie era actress (born in Port Huron)
• Harry Morgan, actor best known as Colonel Sherman T. Potter the TV series M*A*S*H (born in Muskegon)
• Michael Moriarty, Emmy Award-winning TV actor (born in Detroit)
• Terry O'Quinn, television actor (born in Newberry)
• Carter Oosterhouse, regular on TLC's Trading Spaces (born in Traverse City)

• George Peppard, film and TV actor (born in Detroit)
• Susan May Pratt, actress (born in East Lansing)
• Richard Quine, actor and director (born in Detroit)
• Gilda Radner, comedian and cast member of Saturday Night Live (born in Detroit)
• Ted Raimi, actor best known for roles in seaQuest DSV and Xena:Warrior Princess (born in Detroit)
• Mary Lynn Rajskub, actress best known as "Chloe O'Brian" on 24 (born in Detroit & raised in Trenton)
• Joyce Randolph, actress best known as "Trixie" on The Honeymooners (born in Detroit)
• Della Reese, actress and singer (born in Detroit)
• Amy Roloff, mother in the reality tv series Little People, Big World
• Jason Robards, Sr., actor (born in Hillsdale)

S-Z

• Ellen Sandweiss, actress (born in Detroit, Michigan)
• George C. Scott, actor, director and producer (born in Wise, Virginia; raised in Detroit)
• Steven Seagal, actor (born in Lansing)
• Tom Selleck, TV and film actor (born in Detroit)
• Grant Show, actor (born in Detroit)
• Douglas Sills. stage actor (born in Detroit; raised in Franklin)
• Sinbad (David Adkins), actor / comedian (born in Benton Harbor)
• Nancy Skinner, radio personality and talk show host (born in Royal Oak)
• Stirling Silliphant, screenwriter and producer (born in Detroit)
• Tom Sizemore, film and TV actor (born in Detroit)
• David Spade, actor and Saturday Night Live cast member (born in Birmingham)
• Elaine Stritch, actress with four Tony Award nominations (born in Detroit)
• George Stults, known for his role as Kevin Kinkirk in 7th Heaven (born in Detroit)
• Geoff Stults, known as Ben Kinkirk in 7th Heaven (born in Detroit)
• William Talman, actor best known for his role as D.A. Hamilton Burger on the TV series Perry Mason (born in Detroit)
• Ray Teal, actor best known as the sheriff on Bonanza but played in 250 movies and 90 television shows (born in Grand Rapids)
• Danny Thomas, actor (born in Deerfield and moved to Detroit)
• Marlo Thomas, actress (born in Detroit)
• Lily Tomlin, actress and comedian, Tony Award winner for The Search for Intelligent Signs of Life in the Universe, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress-nominee for Nashville and Saturday Night Live cast member (born in Detroit)
• Courtney B. Vance, actor best known as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver on NBC's Law & Order (born in Detroit)
• Harvey Vernon, best known for his role as Jasper DeWitt in the television series Carter Country (born in Flint)]
• Robert Wagner, film actor (born in Detroit)
• David Wayne, actor best known for his roles in Adam's Rib, The Andromeda Strain and as the "Mad Hatter" on the 1960s Batman (born in Traverse City, raised in Bloomingdale)
• Tom Welling, actor best known as Clark Kent on the TV series Smallville (born in Putnam Valley, New York, raised in Okemos)
• Billy West, cartoon voice-over actor, best known as Stimpy in Ren and Stimpy (born in Detroit)
• Grace Lee Whitney, actress best known as Yeoman Janice Rand on Star Trek: The Original Series (born in Ann Arbor)
• Don Was, music producer and musician known for his work with Bob Dylan and a host of other veteran artists* Robin Williams, actor, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor winner for Good Will Hunting (born in Chicago, raised in Bloomfield Hills)
• John Witherspoon (born in Detroit)
• Max Wright, actor best known as the father on ALF (born in Detroit)
• Dick York, actor best known as the original Darrin Stephens in television show Bewitched, (lived in Rockford)

Directors, filmmakers, and producers

• Mike Binder, director, screenwriter and actor (born in Birmingham)
• Kerry Conran, screenwriter and director (born in Flint)
• Jerry Bruckheimer, movie and TV producer (born in Detroit)
• Robert J. Flaherty, filmmaker best known his Nanook of the North the first commercially successful documentary film (born in Iron Mountain)
• Francis Ford Coppola, film director, screen writer, publisher and vintner, three-time Academy Award winner for Best Picture, first director to have two films competing for Best Picture at the same time -- The Conversation and (The Godfather, Part II (born in Detroit)
• John Hughes, director and writer of the Brat Pack films (born in Lansing)
• McG, film director (born in Kalamazoo)
• Michael Moore, filmmaker and writer (born in Flint)]
• Sam Raimi, director most known for movies The Evil Dead, Spider-Man, and producing Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys TV series (born in Royal Oak)
• Rich Robins(II), Emmy-winning television producer for Fox and Comedy Central (born in Howell)
• Terry Rossio, screenwriter and film producer (born in Kalamazoo)
• Paul Schrader, film director (born in Grand Rapids)
• Robert Shaye, co-CEO of New Line Cinema (born in Detroit)
• Bill Carruthers Producer Director, Soupy, Press Your Luck, Frank Sinatra, Johhny Cash, Media advisor to Presidents,(Born in Detroit}

Radio and television people

• Byron Allen, comedian, TV talk show host (born in Detroit)
• Sandra Bernhard, comedian (born in Flint)
• Cam Brainard, radio and TV announcer best known as the narrator of Breed All About It on Animal Planet (born in Flint)
• Dave Eddy, radio announcer (born in Albion; moved to Battle Creek)
• Bob Eubanks, game show host most known for The Newlywed Game (born in Flint)
• Thom Hartmann, radio talk show host, broadcaster and author (born in Lansing)
• Casey Kasem, radio personality host of American Top 40 (born in Detroit)
• James Lipton, host of the Bravo cable TV series, Inside the Actors Studio, writer and poet (born in Detroit)
• Greg Mathis, Judge and later TV Judge (born in Detroit)
• Ed McMahon, Tonight Show announcer and sidekick to Johnny Carson (born in Detroit)

Reporters and sportscasters

• Mike Brennan, MITechNews.Com former newspaper reporter turned Internet journalist (born in Grand Rapids)
• Charles Collingwood, CBS television news correspondent (born in Three Rivers)
• Dick Enberg, sportscaster (born in Armada)
• Suzanne Malveaux, CNN news reporter (born in Lansing)
• Rob Otto, Sportsradio 1130 WDFN reporter (born in Cheboygan)
• Amy Robach, MSNBC news anchor (born in Michigan)
• Jay Schadler, ABC television news correspondent (born and raised in St. Joseph)
• Lem Tucker, pioneering African-American two-time Emmy Award-winning news reporter who worked at points for NBC, ABC and CBS (born in Saginaw)

Other

• Edgar Bergen, ventriloquist and actor. (born in Chicago, raised in Decatur)
• John Heffron, comedian and winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing (born in Detroit)
• Jamie Hyneman, film special effects expert on MythBusters television show. (born in Marshall)
• Loretta Long, "Miss Susan" on PBS's Sesame Street (born and raised in Paw Paw)

Architects

• Norman Bel Geddes, architectural industrial designer, aviation designer, and theatrical designer best known for the 1939 New York World's Fair pavilion Futurama he designed for General Motors (born in Adrian)
• Emily Helen Butterfield, Michigan's first female licensed architect, artist and church architecture innovator (born in Algonac)
• Albert Kahn, architect (born in Rhaunen, Germany; moved to Detroit)
• Florence Knoll, minimalist archtitect and furniture designer (born in Saginaw)
• Charles Willard Moore, architect, leader of the humanistic architecture movement (born in Benton Harbor)
• Ralph Rapson, architect best-known for the design of the original Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis (born in Alma)
• Wirt C. Rowland, architect best-known for his design of the Guardian Building (born in Clinton)
• Ossian Cole Simonds, late-19th century landscape architect (born in Grand Rapids)
• Minoru Yamasaki, architect, best known for designing the World Trade Center. (Born in Seattle, later moved to Grand Rapids)

Artists and photographers

• Talbert Abrams, "Father of Aerial Photography" (born in Tekonsha)
• Mathias Alten, impressionist painter from Grand Rapids
• Frederick Stuart Church, 19th Century painter (born in Grand Rapids)
• E. Irving Couse, painter and founding member of the Taos artist colony (born in Saginaw)
• Cynthia Greig, conceptual photographer and co-author of Women in Pants (published by Harry N. Abrams 2003), b. in Detroit, graduated from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor)
• Robert Hopkin, 19th century marine and landscape painter (born in Glasgow, Scotland, moved to Detroit)
• Ian Hornak, Realist Painter (born in Philadelphia, PA and moved to Mount Clemens at age 5; later moved to Detroit)
• Louis James Pesha, pioneering marine photographer (born in Euphemia, Ontario, moved to Marine City)
• Bill Schwab, fine arts photographer born in Detroit
• John Mix Stanley, 19th century painter and portraitist; cofounder of the forerunner to the Detroit Institute of Arts (born in Canandaigua, New York; moved to Detroit)
• Kent Twitchell, muralist and painter (born in Lansing)
• Kurt Wenner, painter (born in Ann Arbor)
• Ezra Winters, muralist (born in Traverse City)

Astronauts and aviation pioneers

• Michael J. Bloomfield, astronaut (raised in Lake Fenton)
• William Boeing, aviation pioneer, founder of Boeing Company (born in Detroit)
• Roger B. Chaffee, astronaut (born in Grand Rapids)
• Edward Heinemann, aircraft designer responsible wholly or in part for 20 major military aircraft, including the A-4 Skyhawk light bomber, the F3D Skyknight night fighter amd theF4D Skyray carrier-based fighter aircraft (born in Saginaw)
• Gregory Jarvis, astronaut and payload specialist -- died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger (born in Detroit)
• Brent W. Jett, astronaut (born in Pontiac)
• Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson, aircraft engineer and aeronautical innovator (born in Ishpeming)
• Iven Carl Kincheloe, Jr., test pilot pioneer (born in Detroit; raised in Cassopolis)
• David Leestma, astronaut (born in Muskegon)
• Jerry M. Linenger, astronaut (born in Eastpointe)
• Charles Lindbergh, pioneer aviator (born in Detroit)
• Jack R. Lousma, astronaut (born in Grand Rapids)
• Nancy Harkness Love, World War II pilot, squadron commander and aviation training pioneer (born in Houghton)
• James McDivitt, astronaut (born in Chicago; moved to Jackson)
• Donald R. McMonagle, astronaut and Manager of Launch Integration at the Kennedy Space Center (born in Flint)
• Philip Orin Parmelee, aviation pioneer trained by the Wright brothers (born in Matherton; raised in Saint Johns)
• Harriet Quimby, aviation pioneer and first US woman to receive a pilot's license (born in Coldwater)
• Ralph Royce, military aviation pioneer who flew the first US military air operation (in 1916 in Mexico), oversaw operational air commands through the 1920-1940s becoming commander of US tactical air forces in Europe after World War II, later became Director of Economic Development for the state of Michigan (born in Marquette)
• Richard A. Searfoss, astronaut (born in Mount Clemens)
• Brewster H. Shaw, Jr., astronaut (born in Cass City)
• Leigh Wade, early aviation pioneer and test pilot (born in Cassopolis)
• Alfred Worden, astronaut (born in Jackson)
• Fred Zinn, World War I aviator and aviation reconnaissance pioneer (born in Battle Creek)

Business leaders and inventors

Automotive industry

• David Dunbar Buick, founder of Buick Motor Company (born in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland; emigrated to Detroit where he founded his company; later moved with his company to Flint)
• Roy D. Chapin, founder of Hudson Motor Car Company and U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Herbert Hoover (born in Lansing)
• Harlow Curtice, CEO and President of General Motors and 1955 TIME magazineMan of the Year (born in Petrieville; raised in Eaton Rapidsand began career in Flint)
• William Davidson, CEO of Guardian Industries, philanthropist and chairman of Palace Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Detroit Pistons of the NBA, the Detroit Shock of the WNBA, and the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL (born in Detroit)
• John De Lorean, automobile industry entrepreneur (born in Detroit)
• Horace Elgin Dodge, automobile manufacturing pioneer (born in Niles)
• John Francis Dodge, automobile manufacturing pioneer (born in Niles)
• William C. Durant, automobile industry pioneer (born in Boston, Massachusetts; moved to Flint and later Pontiac)
• Max M. Fisher, industrialist, philanthropist (born in Pittsburgh; raised in Salem, Ohio; moved as an adult to metro Detroit)
• Edsel Ford auto maker (born in Detroit)
• Henry Ford auto maker (born in Dearborn )
• Henry Ford II auto maker (born in Detroit)
• William Clay Ford auto maker (born in Detroit)
• Max Grabowsky, founder of Rapid Motor Vehicle Company later acquired by General Motors (born in Detroit)
• Bruce Halle, philanthropist and founder of Discount Tire Company - the largest independent tire dealer in North America (born in Springfield, Massachusetts, relocated to Ypsilanti for many years before moving to Arizona)
• Ransom E. Olds - automobile manufacturer; founded Olds Motor Vehicle Company (born in Geneva, Ohio, long-time resident of Lansing)
• Henry M. Leland machinist, inventor, engineer and automotive entrepreneur (with Cadillac) (born in Rutland, Vermont; relocated to Detroit)
• Roger Penske, founder of Penske Corporation and the automobile racing team Penske Racing (born in Shaker Heights, Ohio; moved to Bloomfield Hills)
• Jack Roush, CEO/owner of Roush Racing NASCAR and Chairman of the Board of Roush Enterprises (born in [[Covington, Kentucky; lived for some time in Ypsilanti before moving to Charlotte, North Carolina)
• Andra Rush, CEO of Rush Trucking, the largest Native American-owned business in the United States (born in Oshwegan Mohawk Reserve in Canada; moved to Wayne)
• Lynn Alfred Townsend, President and CEO of Chrysler Corporation from 1961-1966, and its Chairman and CEO from 1967-1975 (born in Flint)
• Preston Tucker, automobile designer, entrepreneur (born in Capac)

Computers, internet and high tech industries

• Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO and first person to become a billionaire based on stock options received as a corporate employee (born in Detroit)
• William Hewlett, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, (born in Ann Arbor)
• Bill Joy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and its former chief scientist (born in rural Michigan)
• Michael Kinsley, founding editor of Slate (born in Detroit)
• Kevin O'Connor, cofounder and CEO of Doubleclick Internet ad serving software company and advertising network (born in Detroit)
• Larry Page, entrepreneur, co-founder of Google search engine (born in Lansing)
• James Von Ehr, nanotechnology pioneer, entrepreneur and founder of Zyvex Corporation (born in Grand Rapids; raised in New Buffalo)

Food and food service industry

• Ben Feigenson, co-founder of Faygo Beverage Company (born in Russia, immigrated to Detroit)
• Perry Feigenson, co-founder of Faygo Beverage Company (born in Russia, immigrated to Detroit)
• Daniel Gerber, Jr., Gerber Products Company baby food company leader (born in Fremont)
• Daniel Gerber, Sr., Gerber Products Company baby food company founder (born in Fremont)
• Mike Ilitch, owner and founder of Little Caesars Pizza, owner of Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers (born in Detroit)
• Will Keith Kellogg, founder of Kellogg Company (born in Battle Creek)
• Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza (born in Ann Arbor)
• David M. Overton, founder and CEO of the Cheesecake Factory, Inc. (born in Detroit)
• C. W. Post, founder of Post Cereals, inventor of Grape-Nuts (born in Springfield, Illinois, moved to Battle Creek)
• Mark Saur, founder of Old Orchard Brands juice company (born in Sparta)
• James Vernor, founder of Vernor's Company and creator of Vernor's Ginger Ale (born in Detroit)

Furniture

• D. J. DePree, founder of Herman Miller office equipment company (raised in Zeeland)
• Max O. DePree, CEO of Herman Miller office equipment company from 1980-1987 where his worker-friendly management techniques resulted in dynamic increases in sales and whose 1989 book Leadership is an Art was published in 10 languages worldwide (born in Zeeland)
• Edward Knabusch, co-founder of La-Z-Boy furniture company (from Monroe)
• Florence Knoll, furniture designer best known for creating the executive table desk, later head of the Hans G. Knoll Furniture Company
• Edwin Shoemaker, co-founder of La-Z-Boy furniture company (from Monroe)
• Peter Martin Wege, founder of Steelcase (from Grand Rapids)

Other business

• James Anthony Bailey, circus showman and cofounder of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus(born in Detroit)
• Don Barden, cable company pioneer and casino investor (born in Detroit)
• Andrew "Andy" Beal, billionaire businessman banking and real estate, founder and chairman of Beal Bank and Beal Aerospace Technologies (born in Lansing)
• George Gough Booth, publisher (from Michigan)
• Louis and Tom Borders, founders of Borders Group bookstores
• John W. Brown, CEO of Stryker Corporation from 1977-2004, transforming it into orthopedic implant and medical product maker leader (born in Tennessee, moved to Kalamazoo)
• Joseph Bruce, co-founder of Psychopathic Records, hip hop singer and professional wrestler (born in Wayne)
• Leo Burnett, advertising firm founder
• Irving T. Bush, business leader, funded Bush House in London and Bush Terminal in Brooklyn
• Richard DeVos, founder of Alticor and former president of Amway (born in Forest Hills in metro Grand Rapids)
• Herbert Henry Dow, inventor and one of the founders of the US chemical industry (born in Belleville, Ontario; moved to Midland)
• Orville Gibson, founder of Gibson Guitar Corporation (born in Chateaugay, New York; moved as an adult to Kalamazoo)
• Daniel Gilbert, financier founder of US' largest online mortgage company Quicken Loans,owner of NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers (from Livonia)
• Arnold Gingrich, founder of Esquire magazine (born in Grand Rapids)
• Berry Gordy, Jr., founder of Motown Records (born in Detroit)
• G. A. Krause, founder of Wolverine World Wide shoe company (from Rockford)
• Sebastian S. Kresge, founder of K-Mart (born in Bald Mountain, Pennsylvania; moved as an adult to Detroit)
• Alex Manoogian, inventor, founder of Masco, philanthropist (born in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire; moved to Detroit)
• Orville D. Merillat, founder of Merillat Kitchens -- later Merillat Industries (born in Salem, Ohio, moved to Adrian as a young man)
• Richard Merillat, entrepreneur, former CEO of Merillat Industries and philanthropist (from Adrian)
• Frank Stanton, early television executive, president of CBS from 1946-1972 (born in Muskegon)
• Dr. Homer Stryker, inventor of the mobile hospital bed and founder of orthopedic implant and medical product maker Stryker Corporation (born in Kalamazoo)
• Jon Lloyd Stryker architect and billionaire co-owner of the Stryker Corp. and grandson of its founder Homer Stryker, founder of Arcus Foundation charity for gay and lesbian issues and great ape conservation (born in Kalamazoo)
• Pat Stryker, billionaire co-owner of the Stryker Corp., owner of Stryker Sonoma vineyards, advocate of bilingual education, and granddaughter of its founder Homer Stryker (born in Kalamazoo; moved to Fort Collins, Colorado)
• Ronda Stryker, billionaire co-owner of the Stryker Corp. and granddaughter of its founder Homer Stryker (born in Kalamazoo)
• William Upjohn, physician and founder of Upjohn pharmaceutical company, later merged with Pharmacia and now owned by Pfizer (born in Richland Township, settled in Kalamazoo)
• Frederick Upton, co-founder of Whirlpool Corporation (born in Battle Creek)
• Louis Upton, co-founder of Whirlpool Corporation (born in Battle Creek)
• Joseph Utsler, co-founder of Psychopathic Records and hip hop singer (born in Wayne
• Jay Van Andel, co-founder of Alticor and Amway (born in Grand Rapids)
• Brad Wardell, President and CEO of Stardock software and computer game company (born in Texas; lives in Michigan)

Cartoonists, illustrators, and animationists

A-L

• T. Casey Brennan, comic book author for Vampirella, Creepy and Eerie (from Ann Arbor)
• J. Scott Campbell, co-founder of the Cliffhanger imprint of Wildstorm Productions best-known as the co-creator of Danger Girl (which was later made into a video game) and Gen¹³(born in East Tawas)
• Dave Coverly, syndicated cartoonist, Speed Bump comic strip (born in Plainwell)
• Robert L. Dickey, 19th and early 20th century cartoonist, creator of the newspaper strips Buckey and His Friends and Buster Bean, and illustrator for Life Magazine (born in Michigan)
• Dave Dorman, science fiction and fantasty illustrator and animationist (born in Michigan)
• David S. Goyer, comic book writer and filmmaker, best known for authoring almost 50 issues of Justice Society of America for DC Comics and comic-based films including The Crow: City of Angels, Dark City, Blade, and Blade II. He both wrote and directed ZigZag and Blade: Trinity as well as being the co-writer and story creator of Batman Begins (born in Ann Arbor)
• Ed Emshwiller, animator, visual artist, and founder of CalArts Computer Animation Lab (born in Lansing)
• Al Jean, creator of The Critic, and writer and voice critic for The Simpsons and Family Guy (born in Farmington Hills)
• Geoff Johns, comic book writer, known primarily for his work with DC Comics (born in Detroit)
• Mike Kasaleh, alternative comic writer and television animationist (born in Detroit)
• Vincent Locke, comic book illustrator, best know for his work on Deadworld and A History of Violence (from metro Detroit area)

M-Z

• Mike Manley, one of the main illustrators of DC Comics's Batman and co-creator of Marvel Comics's Darkhawk (born in Detroit)
• Winsor McCay, pioneer film animator (born in Spring Lake)
• William Messner-Loebs, comic book writer and artist (from Michigan)
• Dan Mishkin, comic book writer, co-creator of Amethyst, Princess of Gem World and Blue Devil
• James O'Barr, creator of the comic book series The Crow (born in Detroit)
• Gary Reed, comic book writer and publisher of Caliber Comics (born in Detroit)
• Jim Starlin, Marvel Comics illustrator and writer (born in Detroit)
• John Henry Striebel, 19th century comic strip pioneer (born in Bertrand)
• Craig Thompson, cartoonist and graphic novelist best known for Blankets (born in Traverse City)
• John Thompson, magazine illustrator, Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame inductee (born in Three Rivers)
• Jerry Van Amerongen, comic strip writer best known for his syndicated comic panel The Neighborhood (born in Grand Rapids)
• Larry Wright, two-time winner of the National Cartoonist Society Editorial Cartoon Award and creator of the comic strips Wright Angles, Motley and Kit 'N' Carlyle (from Allen Park)

Civil rights and suffrage leaders and abolitionists

• Irene Osgood Andrews, woman's rights advocate best known for her writings on the problems of women in industry (born in Big Rapids)
• Leonard Baker, abolitionist, American Congregational minister (born in Detroit)
• Olympia Brown, woman suffrage leader (born in Prairie Ronde)
• Pearl Hart, civil rights advocate and lawyer, activist for gay rights and the rights of immigrants (born in Traverse City)
• Erastus Hussey, abolitionist and leading Underground Railroad stationmaster (from Battle Creek)
• Viola Liuzzo, 1960s white civil rights advocate who was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan (born in California, Pennsylvania; moved to Detroit)
• Malcom X, Civil Rights Leader (born in Omaha, Nebraska; raised in Lansing)
• Katharine Dexter McCormick, biologist, woman suffrage leader & philanthropist (born in Dexter)
• Rosa Parks, civil rights activist (born in Tuskegee, Alabama; moved to Detroit)
• Lawrence (Pun) Plamondon, cofounder of the White Panther Party, activist, and first hippie to be on the FBI's Most Wanted List (adopted and raised in Traverse City, active in Ann Arbor, now living in Barry County)
• Jonathan Walker, abolitionist and subject of John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "Man With The Branded Hand (born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts; settled in Muskegon)

Infamous Michiganders

• Jim Bakker, scandal-ridden televangelist (born in Muskegon)
• Abe Bernstein, Prohibition-era gangster (born in New York; moved to Detroit)
• Ivan Boesky, inside trader (born in Detroit)
• Tony Chebatoris, murderer, bank robber and the only person executed for a crime in Michigan's history
• Father Charles Coughlin, notoriously anti-Semitic, pro-Hitler priest of the interwar years (born in Hamilton, Ontario; moved to Birmingham)
• Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, murderer (and first criminal to be captured with the aid of wireless communication (born in Michigan, caught in England)
• Leon Czolgosz, assassin of President William McKinley (born in Detroit)
• Andrew Kehoe, Bath School disaster bomber
• Jack Kevorkian, physician infamous for assisted suicides (born in Pontiac)
• John List, mass murderer (born in Bay City)
• Matthew Mancuso, child pornographer (born in Detroit)
• John Mitchell, conspiratorial Attorney General during Watergate under President Richard Nixon (born in Detroit)
• Terry Nichols, Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator (born in Michigan)
• The Purple Gang, 1920s organized crime group in Detroit
• Jonathan Schmitz, heterosexual murderer of gay admirerer Scott Amedure after an episode ("Same-Sex Secret Crushes") of the Jenny Jones talk show
• Reed Slatkin, perpetrator of the largest Ponzi scheme in the United States since that conducted by Ponzi himself (born in Detroit)
• Eddie Slovik - last U.S. soldier executed for desertion (born in Detroit, raised in Dearborn)
• Aileen Wuornos, murderer made famous as the subject of the 2003 film "Monster" starring Charlize Theron (born in Rochester

Inventors

• Thomas Edison, inventor, entrepreneur (born in Milan, Ohio; later settled in Port Huron')
• Robert Jarvik, medical inventor (born in Midland)
• Elijah McCoy, steam engine lubricator inventor -- origin of the phrase "the real McCoy" (born in Colchester, Ontario; moved to Ypsilanti)
• Sid Meier, "father of computer gaming", created the groundbreaking computer game Civilization among others (born in Detroit)
• Ephraim Shay, inventor of the Shay locomotive (born in Sherman Township, Huron County, Ohio; moved to Harbor Springs)
• Allan R. Thieme inventor of the "Amigo", the first power-operated vehicle/scooter for individuals with walking limitations (born in Bridgeport)

Labor leaders

• Owen Bieber, labor leader (born in North Dorr, worked in Grand Rapids)
• Douglas A. Fraser, labor leader (born in [[Glasgow, Scotland; raised in Detroit)
• James R. Hoffa, labor leader (born in Indiana, moved to Lake Orion)
• James P. Hoffa, labor leader (born in Detroit)
• Joseph Labadie, labor leader, political activist (born in Paw Paw)
• Walter Reuther, labor leader (born in Wheeling, West Virginia; moved to Detroit; died in Pellston)
• Leonard Woodcock, labor leader (born in Providence, Rhode Island; raised in Detroit)

Military figures

• Christopher C. Augur, commanding officer of the Union Army XXII Corps (ACW) at the Battle of Plains Store in the American Civil War (born in New York, settled in Michigan from which state he led troops in the war)
• Remi A. Balduck, World War II naval hero (born in Detroit)
• Frank Dwight Baldwin, Major General in the US Army, twice awarded the Medal of Honor for his parts in the American Civil War and Indian Wars, also serving in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War (born in Manchester)
• Harry Hill Bandholtz, US Brigadier General in World War I and head of the US Military Mission to Hungary (born in Constantine)
• Joseph Beyrle, only soldier to have served in both the US Army and the Soviet Army in World War II (born in Muskegon)
• Ronald A. Burdo, World War II US Marine hero for whom the high speed transport USS Burdo (APD-133) was named (born in Cheboygan)
• George H. Cannon, first US Marine to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II (born in Webster Groves, Missouri; raised in Detroit)
• Joshua G. Cantor-Stone, crew member of the USS Lexington and Navy Cross recipient (born in Detroit)
• Lewis Cass, Secretary of War under President Andrew Jackson, Secretary of State under President James Buchanan, Brigadier General in the War of 1812, 1848 Democratic Party presidential nominee, governor of Michigan Territory (born in Exeter, New Hampshire; moved to Michigan when appointed governor)
• William R. Charette, Korean War US Navy hospital corpsman who selected the Unknown Soldier of World War II (born in Ludington)
• Ferdinand J. Chesarek, US Army General who served as Comptroller of the Army (born in Calumet)
• John G. Coburn, Four-star general, Commander U.S. Army Materiel Command (born in Ypsilanti)
• George Armstrong Custer, US General -- born in New Rumley, Ohio; moved to Monroe)
• Hugh A. Drum, US General who fought in the Philippine-American War and World War I, later becoming Chief of Staff of the First Army, AEF (born in Fort Brady)
• Sarah Emma Edmundson, Union spy and (famously disguised as a man) soldier ([born in Magaguadavic Settlement, New Brunswick, Canada; moved to Flint)
• Anna Etheridge (aka Michigan Annie), Civil War nurse enlisted with the Michigan 2nd Infantry, active in nearly every major battle of the war, awarded the Kearney Cross for bravery at the Battle of Chancellorsville (born in Wayne County)
• Elon J. Farnsworth, Union Army Cavalry General in the American Civil War, killed at the Battle of Gettysburg (born in Green Oak)
• Aubrey Fitch, US Navy admiral (born in Saint Ignace)
• Douglas Harold Fox, World War II naval hero killed at Guadalcanal (born in Walled Lake)
• Ben Hebard Fuller, Commandant of the Marine Corps (born in Big Rapids)
• Eugen F. George, World War II naval hero (born in Grand Rapids)
• Duane D. Hackney, Vietnam War US Air Force hero (born in Flint)
• Francis P. Hammerberg, United States Navy diver who was awarded the Medal of Honor (born in aDaggett
• Henry Moore Harrington, officer in the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment who died with George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn (born in Albion, New York, but moved as a child to Coldwater
• Thomas C. Hart, US Navy Director of Submarines in World War I, US Navy admiral in World War II and later Senator from Connecticut (born in Davison)
• Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy under Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1936 Republican Vice Presidential candidate and newspaper owner (born in Boston, Massachusetts; moved to Grand Rapids)
• Alexander Macomb, commanding general of the United States Army from 1828-1841 (born in Detroit)
• James Joseph Raby, Rear Admiral, USN (born in Bay City)
• Karl W. Richter, Vietnam era Air Force hero and at 23 became the youngest pilot in that conflict to shoot down a MiG in air-to-air combat, and winner of numerous medals of valor including the Air Force Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross and Purple Heart (born in Holly)
• Dean Rockwell, D-Day hero, coach of the US Greco-Roman wrestling team at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics and Albion College football coach (born in rural Cass County)
• Frederick C. Sherman, World War II US Navy admiral (born in Michigan)
• Oliver Sipple, marine who saved President Gerald Ford's life during a 1975 assassination attempt (born in Detroit)
• Willard J. Smith, United States Coast Guard Commandant (born in Suttons Bay)
• Carl W. Weiss, World War II U.S. Marine Corps hero who was killed in action at Guadalcanal (born in Detroit)
• Donald W. Wolf, World War II U.S. Marine Corps hero who was killed in action at Guadalcanal (born in Hart)

Musicians and composers

Classical

• Joseph Alessi, classical tromboinst (born in Detroit)
• Meredith Arwady, opera mezzo-soprano (born in Kalamazoo)
• Robert Ashley, opera composer (born in Ann Arbor)
• Theodore Baskin, principal oboeist of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (born in Detroit)
• Gwenneth Bean, opera contralto (born in Muskegon)
• William Bolcom, classical pianist and composer, winner of three Grammy Awards and aPultizer Prize in music (born in Seattle; moved to Ann Arbor)
• Chris Bates Carducci, opera baritone [[born in Monroe)
• Maria Ewing, opera mezzo-soprano and soprano (born in Detroit)
• James Hartway, classical composer (born in Detroit)
• Angela Jia Kim, classical pianist (born in East Lansing)
• Evans Mirageas, classical music record producer (for Decca, former artistic advisor to the Boston Symphony and now independent artistic advisor to Cincinnati Opera, Milwaukee Symphony and others (born in Ann Arbor)
• David Ott, classical composer (born in Kalamazoo
• Elizabeth Parcells, opera soprano (born in Detroit; retired in Grosse Pointe Farms)
• Roger Reynolds, composer and a Pulitzer Prize winner in 1989 for Whispers Out of Time (born in Detroit)
• Leo Sowerby, organist, winner of a Pulitzer Prize in music and classical composer of symphonies, choral works and tone poems such as his 1929 Prairie (born in Grand Rapids)
• Thomas Schippers, conductor of the Metropolitan Opera and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (born in Kalamazoo)
• George Shirley, opera singer (born in Indianapolis; raised in Detroit)
• Joseph Silverstein, violinist and concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (born in Detroit)
• Cheryl Studer, opera singer (born in Midland)
• David Weber, classical clarinetist (born in Vilna, Lithuania; raised in Detroit)

Jazz and Blues

• Pepper Adams, jazz baritone saxophonist (born in Highland Park)
• Geri Allen, jazz pianist (born in Detroit)
• Dorothy Ashby, jazz harpist (born in Detroit)
• Anita Baker, jazz and R&B singer (born in Toledo, Ohio; raised in Detroit)
• Marcus Belgrave, jazz trumpeter (born in Detroit)
• Kenny Burrell, jazz guitarist (born in Detroit)
• Donald Byrd, jazz trumpeter (born in Detroit)
• Betty Carter, Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist (born in Flint, Michigan)
• Regina Carter, jazz violinist (born in Detroit)
• James Carter, jazz woodwind player (born in Detroit)
• Ron Carter, jazz bassist and member of the Miles Davis Quintet (born in Ferndale, Michigan)
• Alice Coltrane, jazz keyboardist, harpist and composer (born in Detroit)
• Xavier Davis, jazz pianist (born in Grand Rapids)
• Tommy Flanagan, jazz pianist best known as Ella Fitzgerald's accompanist (born in Detroit)
• Kenny Garrett, jazz saxophonist (born in Detroit)
• Barry Harris, bebop jazz pianist and educator (born in Detroit)
• Joe Henderson, jazz saxophonist (born in Lima, Ohio; moved to Detroit)
• Milt Jackson jazz vibraphonist (born in Detroit)
• Elvin Jones jazz drummer of the hard bop era, part of John Coltrane's quartet (born in Pontiac, Michigan)
• Hank Jones, jazz pianist (born in Vicksburg, Mississippi and grew up in Pontiac)
• Isham Jones, 1920s bandleader, violinist, saxophonist and songwriter (born in Coalton, Ohio, grew up in Saginaw)
• Thad Jones, jazz trumpeter (born in Pontiac)
• Earl Klugh, Grammy Award-winning jazz guitarist (born in Detroit)
• Yusef Lateef, jazz saxophonist and flutist (born in Chattanooga, Tennessee; raised in Detroit)
• Father Norman O'Connor (1921-2003), priest, jazz music aficionado, writer, radio and TV show host (born in Detroit)
• Dave Pike, jazz vibraphonist (born in Detroit)
• Dianne Reeves, jazz vocalist and only person to have won the Grammy Award for "Best Jazz Vocal Performance" three times in a row (born in Detroit)
• Frank Rosolino, jazz trombonist (born in Detroit)
• Sonny Stitt, jazz saxophonist (born in Boston, Massachusetts; raised in Saginaw)
• Art Van Damme, jazz accordionist (born in Norway)
• Sippie Wallace, blues singer (born in Houston, later settled in Detroit)
• Rudy Weidoeft, jazz saxophonist (born in Detroit)

Motown, R&B and Soul

• Florence Ballard, Motown era singer, original lead singer of The Supremes, (born in Rosetta, Mississippi; raised in Detroit)
• Lamont Dozier, Motown era composer, member of Holland-Dozier-Holland ((born in Detroit)
• The Four Tops, Motown era group with two number one hits (formed in Detroit)
• Aretha Franklin, singer known as "The Queen of Soul" (born in Memphis, Tennessee; raised in Detroit)
• Brian Holland, Motown era composer, member of Holland-Dozier-Holland( (born in Detroit)
• Edward Holland, Jr., Motown era composer, member of Holland-Dozier-Holland(born in Detroit)
• Adina Howard, R&B singer (born in Grand Rapids)
• Mable John, first female singer to sign with Berry Gordy (born in Bastrop, Louisiana; raised in Detroit)
• The Jones Girls, R&B Trio (born in Detroit)
• Jr. Walker & the All-Stars, Motown era group whose song "Shotgun" went number one (formed in Battle Creek)
• Suai Kee, singer and songwriter (born in Detroit)
• Bettye LaVette, soul singer (born in Muskegon)
• Barbara Lewis, singer known for hits Baby I'm Yours and Make Me Your Baby (born in South Lyon)
• The Marvelettes, Motown era group whose "Please Mr. Postman" went number one (formed in Inkster)
• Freda Payne, Motown era singer (born in Detroit)
• Martha Reeves, solo R&B singer and lead singer of the Motown group Martha and the Vandellas (born in Eufaula, Alabama; raised in Detroit)
• Smokey Robinson, Motown era singer (born in Detroit)
• Diana Ross, lead singer of The Supremes and solo artist (born in Detroit)
• The Spinners, R&B group (formed in Ferndale)
• The Temptations, Motown group that won three Grammy awards with 14 number one hits (begun in Detroit)
• Edwin Starr, soul music singer, best known for his anti-war number one hit "War" (born in Nashville, Tennessee, raised in Cleveland, Ohio, lived in 'Detroit
• Mary Wells, Motown era singer best known for her song My Guy which hit number one (born in Detroit)
• Kim Weston, Motown and R&B singer (born in Detroit; currently lives in Israel)
• Jackie Wilson, R&B singer (born in Detroit)
• Stevie Wonder, singer, musician, songwriter and winner of 24 Grammy awards (born in Saginaw)
• Philippe Wynne, R&B and gospel singer (born in Detroit)
• LaKisha Jones, R&B and Soul singer who ranked fourth in the sixth season of American Idol (born in Flint)

Rock, Rap and Pop

• Bear vs. Shark (raised in Highland and White Lake)
• Aaliyah, singer and actress (born in Brooklyn, New York; raised in Detroit)
• Gregg Alexander, sinter and songwriter (from Grosse Pointe)
• Hank Ballard, early rock musician best known for The Twist (born in Detroit)
• The Black Dahlia Murder, a deathcore band (begun in Detroit)
• Sonny Bono, singer, record producer and California politician (born in Detroit)
• Donald Brewer, drummer for Grand Funk Railroad (born in Flint)
• Alice Cooper, musician (born in Detroit)
• Eminem, rapper (born in St. Joseph, Missouri; raised in Warren)
• Mark Farner, lead singer of Grand Funk Railroad (born in Flint, Michigan)
• Doug Fieger, lead singer of The Knack and co-writer of "My Sharona" (Detroit, Michigan
• Glenn Frey, founding member of rock band The Eagles (born in Royal Oak)
• Craig Frost, keyboardist (born in Flint, Michigan)
• James Gurley, rock guitarist (born in Detroit)
• Bill Haley, early rock musician most known for his Rock Around the Clock (born in Highland Park)
• Blade Icewood, rapper (born in Detroit)
• Insane Clown Posse - horrorcore rap group (begun in Wayne)
• Maynard James Keenan, frontman of Tool and A Perfect Circle (born in Ravenna, Ohio, raised in Scottville)
• Still Remains, MetalCore band (startedGrand Rapids)
• Anthony Kiedis, lead singer, Red Hot Chili Peppers (born in Grand Rapids)
• Chad Smith, drummer, Red Hot Chili Peppers (raised in in Bloomfield Hills)
• Kid Rock, musician (born in Romeo; raised in Mount Clemens)
• Wayne Kramer, guitarist (born in Detroit)
• Madonna, singer (born in Bay City; raised in Pontiac and Rochester Hills)
• "MC5" - groundbreaking protopunk band (begun in Detroit)
• Jason Newsted, bassist for Metallica (born in Battle Creek)
• Matt Noveskey, bassist for Blue October
• Ted Nugent, musician (born in Detroit)
• Craig Owens, vocalist of the band Chiodos (from Rochester Hills)
• PB Ploy, songwriter, rock violinist (born in Lincoln Park)
• Iggy Pop, rock musician (born in Muskegon)
• Suzi Quatro, singer (born in Detroit)
• The Romantics - New Wave rock band (begun in Detroit)
• Mitch Ryder, rock musician (born in Hamtramck)
• Bob Schneider, Texas-based rock musician and former boyfriend of Sandra Bullock (born in Ypsilanti)
• Bob Seger, rock singer (born in Dearborn ; raised in Ann Arbor)
• Del Shannon, early rock singer and guitarist (born in Coopersville)
• Jim 'Soni' Sonefeld, drummer & percussionist for Hootie & The Blowfish (born in Lansing)
• Sponge, post-grunge band ( formed in Detroit)
• The Stooges, rock band (begun in Ann Arbor)
• Taproot, nu metal band (begun in Ann Arbor)
• "Thought Industry - progressive metal band (begun in Kalamazoo)
• DJ Mahler & MC Joel, of Last 2 Standin' - Hip-Hop Rappers & Producers (raised in Marquette)
• "The Verve Pipe", post-grunge band (formed in East Lansing)
• Uncle Kracker, rock musician (born in Mount Clemens)
• The Von Bondies, indie rock/alternative band (from Detroit)
• Narada Michael Walden, multi-platinum record producer and songwriter (born in Kalamazoo)
• "The White Stripes", minimalist blues-rock duo (begun in Detroit)
• D'arcy Wretzky, bass player for The Smashing Pumpkins (born in South Haven)
• Bedford Drive, Alternative rock band (Begun in Southgate)

Other musicians

• Justin Hicks, Hip-Hop Musician, Ann Arbor
• Johnny Desmond, singer (born in Detroit)
• Patrick Elkins, songwriter, performance artist and puppeteer (born in Grand Rapids)
• Marion Hutton, singer (born in Battle Creek)
• Bernie Krause, pioneer in Moog synthesizers and folk singer with The Weavers (born in Detroit)
• Stephen Lynch, comic musician (born in Abington, Pennsylvania; raised in Saginaw)
• Joseph LoDuca, film score composer (born in Michigan)
• John Lowery, guitarist. Former member of Marilyn Manson (born in Grosse Pointe).
• Geoff Moore, Christian contemporary music Grammy-winning singer and songwriter (born in Michigan)
• Zeena Parkins, avant garde harpist (born in Detroit)
• Suzi Quatro, singer, bassist, and actress (born in Detroit)
• Sycamore Smith, folk singer (born in Marquette)
• Tom Smith, filker, folk musician (lives in Ann Arbor)
• Noel Stookey, better known as "Paul" in Peter, Paul and Mary folk group (born in Birmingham)
• Sufjan Stevens, folk musician (born in Detroit)
• George Winston, Grammy Award-winning new age pianist (born in Michigan)
• Edgar Struble, musical director, vocalist, instrumentalist, composer, worked with Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, The Oak Ridge Boys, Boyz II Men, and many others (grew up in Scottville)

Native American leaders

• Andrew Blackbird, Ottawa leader, historian and negotiator in the Treaty of 1855 (born in Harbor Springs)
• Abraham Burnett, Potawatomi Mission Band leader and, as principal interpreter for the Baptist missionary Isaac McCoy, instrumental in their forced resettlement in the 1830s to Kansas (born in soutwest Michigan)
• Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish(or Bad Bird), Potawatomi chief (from Michigan)
• Mecosta, Potawatomi chief for whom Mecosta County is named (born near present-day Big Rapids)
• Nottawaseepe, Potawatomi chief poisoned by his own people for trying to convince them to accept the forced removal of 1837 (resided in western Michigan)
• John Okemos, Ojibwa chief -- for whom the city of Okemos is named and signer of the Treaty of Saginaw (born on Apple Island in present-day West Bloomfield)
• Simon Pokagon, Potawatomi chief, fluent in Latin, Greek, English and Native American languages, graduate of Oberlin College, poet, folklorist, essayist, public speaker, cited as the most highly educated full blood Native American of the late 19th century, twice visited Abraham Lincoln and smoked a peace pipe with Ulysses S. Grant, it is from Pokagon that Western Michigan's Pokagon Potawatomi take their name (born in Berrien County, settled in Hartland)
• Brad Hewlett, chief who dominated blueberry picking from 1890-1892
• Pontiac, Native American chief and war leader (born near the Detroit River)
• Shavehead, Potawatomi chief and warrior (born in Cass County)
• Shaw-shaw-way-nay-beece, Ojibwa chief and signer of the Treaty of 1855 (born in Isabella County)
• Shingabawassin, Ojibwa chief (born at the mouth of the St. Marys River near Sault Sainte Marie)
• Shoppenagon, Ojibwa chief (born in Indianfields, an Ojibwa village near Grayling)
• Wawatam, Ojibwa chief at Michilimackinac (born near Mackinaw City)
• Wosso (also called Owosso for whom the city of Owosso is named), chief of the Shiawassee band of Ojibwa and signer of the Treaty of Saginaw (born near present-day Owosso)

Political figures

National political figures

• Spencer Abraham, US Senator and United States Secretary of Energy (born in East Lansing)
• Henry B. Brown,US Supreme Court Justice from 1891-1906 and author for the Court of the notorious opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson (born in South Lee, Massachusetts; settled and practiced law in Detroit)
• Jesse Brown, US Secretary of Veterans' Affairs under President Bill Clinton (born in Detroit)
• Wilber Marion Brucker, United States Secretary of the Army and Michigan governor (born in Saginaw)
• Roy D. Chapin,Sr., United States Secretary of Commerce under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (born in Lansing)
• Betty Ford, former First Lady, and advocate of breast cancer early detection and chemical dependency treatment
• Gerald R. Ford, US President (born in Omaha, Nebraska; raised in Grand Rapids)
• Reed E. Hunt, Federal Communications Commission Chairman under President Bill Clinton (born in Ann Arbor)
• Robert McClelland, Governor of Michigan from 1852-1853 and US Secretary of the Interior under President James Buchanan (born in Greencastle, Pennsylvania; settled in Monroe)
• Frank Murphy, Detroit Mayor, Michigan Governor, the last Governor-General of the Philippines and the first High Commissioner of the Philippines, United States Attorney General, and United States Supreme Court Justice
• Rodney E. Slater, U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Bill Clinton (born in Marianna, Arkansas; lived some time in Ypsilanti)
• Margaret Spellings, United States Secretary of Education under President George W. Bush, and co-author of the No Child Left Behind Act
• Gene Sperling, National Economic Advisor to President Bill Clinton (from Ann Arbor)
• Potter Stewart, US Supreme Court justice (born in Jackson, Michigan)
• Edwin F. Uhl, served as Mayor of Grand Rapids, Ambassador to Germany, and Assistant Secretary of State, and for thirteen days in 1895 Acting U.S. Secretary of State (born in Rush, New York, raised in Ypsilanti, moved to Grand Rapids}

Michigan political figures

• Russell A. Alger, Michigan governor and Senator, Secretary of War under President William McKinley during the Spanish American War (born in Lafayette Township in Medina County, Ohio; moved to Grand Rapids)
• Austin Blair, fervently anti-slavery governor of Michigan during the United States Civil War (born in Caroline, New York; settled in Eaton Rapids)
• Prentiss M. Brown, U.S. Senator in the 1930s and later chairman of Detroit Edison Company and chairman of the Mackinac Bridge Authority (born in St. Ignace)
• John Conyers, second-longest serving member of the US House of Representatives (born in Detroit)
• John Dingell, longest serving member of the US House of Representatives (born in Colorado Springs, Colorado; raised in Detroit)
• John Engler, three-term governor of Michigan (born in Mount Pleasant)
• Jennifer Granholm, Michigan governor (born in Vancouver, British Columbia; raised in San Francisco Bay Area in California; Northville resident at time of her election)
• Philip A. Hart, US Senator (born in Bryn Mar, Pennsylvania; moved to Detroit)
• Carl Levin, US Senator (born in Detroit)
• T. John Lesinski, Michigan Lieutenant Governor and judge (born in Detroit)
• Sander M. Levin, US Congressman (born in Detroit)
• Charles E. Potter, U.S. Senator
• Donald W. Riegle, Jr., US Senator
• Dorothy Comstock Riley, Michigan Supreme Court judge, and first Hispanic woman to be elected to the Supreme Court of any state
• George W. Romney, Michigan governor, former chairman of American Motors (born in Chihuahua, Mexico, raised in Salt Lake City, moved to Detroit)
• Mitt Romney, (born in Detroit governor of Massachuetts and 2008 president candidate
• Debbie Stabenow, US Senator (born in Gladwin)
• Arthur H. Vandenberg, US Senator (born in Grand Rapids)
• Howard Wolpe, US Congressman, later appointed by President Bill Clinton as Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region of Africa, then Director of the Africa Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, part of the Smithsonian Institution, (born in Los Angeles, California, settled in Kalamazoo)

Other political figures

• Arthur Brown, U.S. Senator from Utah (born in Kalamazoo)
• Laurie Perry Cookingham, known as the “Dean of City Managers” since serving as City Manager of Kansas City, Missouri for 19 years, a tenure longer than any city manager in any city in the United States (born in Saginaw
• Dr. Royal S. Copeland, U.S. Senator from New York (born in Dexter)
• Thomas Dewey, New York politician, lost presidential race in 1948 (born in Owosso)
• Frank Emerson, Wyoming governor (born in Saginaw)
• Elisha Peyre Ferry, first governor of the Washington Territory and Civil War colonel (born in Monroe)
• Obadiah Gardner, US Senator for Maine (born near Port Huron)
• Tom Hayden, social and political activist, politician (born in Detroit)
• James A. Miner, first chief justice of Utah (born in Marshall)
• Tom Price, Congressman from Georgia (born in Lansing)
• Clarence Eugene Ridley, founder (in 1933) of the Public Administration Service, first director of the International City Managers' Association serving from 1929–56, and municipal services standards developer (born in Armada)
• John Sinclair, political activist, writer, musician (born in Flint)
• Jan Ting, unsuccessful 2006 candidate of U.S. Senate for Delaware (born in Dearborn)

Religious leaders

• Dave Armstrong, Roman Catholic (and former Evangelical Christian apologist and author (born in Detroit)
• Frederic Baraga, Roman Catholic Slovenian American missionary, bishop and Ojibway and Ottawa grammarian (born near Dobrnič (Lower Carniola (Dolenjska)), in present-day Slovenia; settled among the Native American mission at Arbre Croche (now Cross Village, Michigan)
• D. M. Canright, early leader of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (born in Kinderhook)
• D. Stanley Coors, American Bishop of the Methodist Church (born in Pentwater)
• Daniel Dolan, Traditional Catholic bishop (born in Detroit)
• Walter Elliott, 19th century Roman Catholic priest whose writing sparked the Americanism heresy (born in Detroit)
• James Cardinal Hickey, Cardinal for sixteen years and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington (born in Midland)
• Bruce R. McConkie, prominent Apostle and theologian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (born in Ann Arbor)
• Josh McDowell, leading Evangelical Christian apologist and author (born in Battle Creek)
• Wallace Fard Muhammad, founder of Nation of Islam (birthplace debated; moved to Detroit and founded his first mosque there)
• Thomas Gumbleton, Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop (born in Detroit)
• Prophet James F. Jones, founder of the Church of the Universal Triumph, Dominion of God, 1940s abd 1950s with a mass following who preached among other things the wearing of girdles as a means of salvation and prophesied universal immortality in the year 2000 (born in Birmingham, Alabama; moved to Detroit where he founded his church and lived until his death in 1971)
• Henry Churchill King, theologian, president of Oberlin College and seminal figure with the King-Crane Commission on the status of Palestine (born in Hillsdale)
• Baba Rexheb, Moslem leader and mystic, founder of the Bektashi Sufi lodge in Taylor (born in Gjirokastër, Ottoman Empire now Albania; fled to Taylor)
• Edmund Cardinal Szoka, President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State (born in Grand Rapids)
• John A. Trese, priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit (born in St. Clair, Michigan)
• Allen Henry Vigneron, Roman Catholic Bishop of Oakland in California (born in Mount Clemens)
• Geerhardus Vos, Protestant theologian known as the "Father of Reformed Biblical Theology" (born in Heerenveen in the Netherlands; moved at 19 to Grand Rapids)
• Raymond Wargelin, president of Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, executive director of the Suomi Synod Luther League, theology professor at Suomi College, editor-in-chief of Lutheran Counselor magazine, advocate of Finnish-American culture (born in Republic)
• Ellen G. White, founding member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (born in Maine, settled in Battle Creek with husband James)
• James Springer White, founding member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (born in Palmyra, Maine, settled in Battle Creek)
• Rabbi Sherwin Wine, founder of the Society for Humanistic Judaism (born in Detroit)

Scholars

Economists, mathematicians and social scientists

• Henry Carter Adams, economist (born in Davenport, Iowa; moved to Ann Arbor)
• Earl Babbie, sociologist (born in Detroit)
• Bruce Bartlett, economist who, as an advocate of supply-side economics, served as advisor to both Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush (born in Ann Arbor)
• George David Birkhoff, mathematician best known for the ergodic theorem (born in Overisel, Michigan)
• Edward Griffith Begle, mathematician specializing in the field of topology best known for his role as the director of the School Mathematics Study Group, the primary group credited for developing what came to be known as The New Math (born in Saginaw)
• Stanley Dunin, mathematician, aerospace engineer and consultant for the World Bank (born near Konin, Poland; fled to the US during World War II and was raised in Monroe)
• Carol Karp, mathematician and leader in the theory of infinitary logic (born in Forest Grove)
• Eduard Lindeman, educational pioneer (born in St. Clair)
• Tom Morey, mathematician, aerospace engineer, musician and surfing analyst (born in Detroit)
• Michael Porter, economist and author (born in Ann Arbor)
• Jeff Sachs, economist, economic adviser to nations, author, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University(born in Detroit)
• Martha Seger, economist, in 1984 became first woman appointed to a full term on the Federal Reserve Board, Governor of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C. from 1984-1991 (born in Adrian)
• Claude E. Shannon, "father of information theory" (born in Petoskey; raised in Gaylord)
• Theda Skocpol, sociologist and political scientist (born in Detroit
• Stephen Smale, Fields Medal-winning mathematician (born in Flint)

Historians

• Ray Stannard Baker, historian and biographer of President Woodrow Wilson, (born in Lansing)
• Charles Bigelow, print historian, designer MacArthur Foundation Award winner and co-inventor of the Wingding and Lucida pring fonts (born in Detroit)
• Bruce Catton, historian of the US Civil War (born in Petoskey; raised in Benzonia)
• John D'Arms, history of ancient Rome (born in Poughkeepsie, New York, moved to Ann Arbor)
• Natalie Zemon Davis, historian and feminist who pioneered the "new social history" emphasizing anthropology, cultural history and the role of peasants, artisans and common laborers, her 1983 The Return of Martin Guerre

became the foundation of films in both France and the United States (born in Detroit)

• Samuel J. Eldersveld, political scientist at the University of Michigan and former mayor of Ann Arbor (from Ann Arbor)

Philosophers

• Brand Blanshard, Yale University rationalist philosopher (born in Fredericksburg, Ohio; raised in Bay View)
• Voltairine de Cleyre, anarchist philosopher and political activist (born in Leslie)
• William A. Earle, Northwestern University philosopher of existentialism and phenomenology (born in Saginaw)
• Wilfred Sellars, philosopher (born in Ann Arbor)

Scientists

• Werner Emmanuel Bachmann, biochemistry pioneer in steroid synthesis who carried out the first total synthesis of a steroidal hormone, equilenin (born in Detroit)
• Liberty Hyde Bailey, botanist (born in South Haven)
• Bob Bemer, computer scientist (born in Sault Ste. Marie)
• Robert John Braidwood, archaeologist and anthropologist (born in Detroit)
• J. Harlen Bretz, geologist (born in Saranac)
• Lyman James Briggs, engineer, physicist and administrator, best known for heading the Briggs Advisory Committee on Uranium -- widely known as the Uranium Committee or the Advisory Committee (born in Assyria -- near Battle Creek)
• Robert L. Carroll, paleontologist (born in Kalamazoo)
• Douglas Houghton Campbell, botanist (born in Detroit)
• Charles Horton Cooley, one of the founders of sociology (born in Ann Arbor)
• Kazimierz Fajans, chemist (born in Warsaw, Poland, fled Nazi persecution to settle in Ann Arbor)
• David Fairchild, botanist (born in Lansing)
• Robert M. Graham, computer scientist, contributed to Multics (born in Michigan)
• Alfred Hershey, Nobel Prize-winning bacteriologist (born in Owosso)
• Robert E. Horton, "father of hydrology, ecologist and soil scientist (born in Parma)
• Nicholas Hotton III, paleontologist (born in Michigan)
• Douglass Houghton, first state geologist of Michigan (born in Troy, New York; moved to Detroit and major explorer of Keeweenaw County)
• John H. Hubbell, radiation physicist (born in Ann Arbor)
• Edward Israel, astronomer and polar explorer (born in Kalamazoo)

Detroit)

• Alfred V. Kidder, archaeologist (born in Marquette)
• Forest Ray Moulton, astronomer (born in Le Roy, Michigan)
• Wardell Pomeroy, psychologist known for his work on sexual behavior (born in Kalamazoo)
• Paul Rehak, archaeologist born in Ann Arbor
• Jonas Salk [1] Head of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan
• Glenn T. Seaborg, chemist, Nobel prize winner (born in Ishpeming)
• Samuel C. C. Ting, Nobel Prize- winning physicist (born in Ann Arbor)
• James Craig Watson, astronomer (born in Fingal, Ontario; raised in Ann Arbor)
• Thomas Huckle Weller, Nobel Prize winner in medicine (born in Ann Arbor)
• Leslie White, anthropologist and major advocate of neoevolutionism (born in Kansas, moved to Ann Arbor)

Other scholars and researchers

• Alfred Barr, art historian and the founding director of the Museum of Modern Art (born in Detroit)
• Harlan H. Barrows, geographer (born in Armada)
• Benjamin Franklin Bailey, electrical engineer, professor and researcher (born in Sheridan)
• Ellen Dannin, Penn State University law professor and foremost expert in the labor law of New Zealand and the United States (born in Flint)
• Richard Ellmann, literary critic and biographer (born in Highland Park)
• Vernor Finch, geographer, University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and innovator in the cartographic representation of landscapes (born near Tecumseh)
• H. Wiley Hitchcock, musicologist director for the Institute for Studies in American Music and coauthor of the New Grove Dictionary of American Music (born in Detroit)
• George Washington Kirchwey, criminologist and penologist (born in Detroit)
• Emmett Leith, electrical engineering professor and inventor of three-dimensional holography (born in Detroit; moved to Ann Arbor)
• Albert Marckwardt, linguist at the University of Michigan and Princeton University best known for his work on American English and as advisor to several US governmental agencies on language and education (born in Grand Rapids)
• Charles Morey, art historian at Princeton University best known for his work on early Christian art (born in Hastings)
• Lydia Jane Roberts, home economics professor at the University of Chicago, expert in nutrition (born in Hope)
• Richard Seager, archaeologist best known for his excavations of Minoan sites at Mochlos (born in Lansing)
• Ralph Robert Shaw, US Department of Agriculture librarian 1940-1954, founder of Scarecrow Press, compiler of the foremost bibliography of the period of 1801-1819 (born in Detroit)
• Larry Soderquist, Corporate and Securities law expert, novelist, and Vanderbilt professor (born in Ypsilanti)

Sports figures

Baseball

A-L

• Jim Abbott, pitcher famously born with only one hand who played for four major league teams (born in Southfield; raised in Flint, Michigan)
• Billy Ashley outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox (born in Trenton)
• Paul Assenmacher, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians (born in Detroit, played for Aquinas College in Grand Rapids)
• Steve Avery, pitcher for the Atlanta Braves (born in Trenton)
• Neal Ball, early baseball famed for the first unassisted triple play in Major League baseball history (born in Grand Haven)
• Augie Bergamo, outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1940s (born in Detroit)
• Mike Bordick, infielder for the Oakland A's (born in Marquette)
• Dave Borkowski, Houston Astros relief pitch (born in Detroit)
• Steve Boros, infielder, coach, manager of the Oakland Athletics (1983-84) and the San Diego Padres (1986) and farm system official (born in Flint, Michigan)
• Frank Bowerman, early baseball catcher for several teams (born in Romeo, Michigan)
• Bob Buhl, pitcher for Milwaukee Braves, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies (born in Saginaw)
• Greg Cadaret, relief pitcher for several teams (born in Detroit)
• Bill Campbell, pitcher for several teams (born in Highland Park)
• Bernie Carbo, outfielder most remembered for his pinch-hit game-tying three-run homer in the 1975 World Series for the Cincinnati Reds (born in Detroit)
• Eddie Cicotte, early 20th century pitcher primarily with the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox (born in Springwells)
• Tim Crabtree, pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays (born in Jackson)
• Kiki Cuyler, Hall of Famer outfielder for several major league teams (born in Harrisville)
• Jim Essian, catcher and Chicago Cubs manager (born in Detroit)
• Ira Flagstead, outfielder primarily with the Boston Red Sox (born in Montague)
• Jack Fournier, first baseman for several teams, 1924 American League home run leader and 1925 American League leader in walks (born in Au Sable)
• Bill Freehan, five-time Gold Glove-winning catcher for the Detroit Tigers (born in Detroit)
• Michy Harris, Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators and Cleveland Indians pitcher (born in New York, New York; moved to Farmington)
• John Ganzel, early baseball first baseman and manager (born in Kalamazoo)
• Brent Gates, infielder for several teams (born in Grand Rapids)
• Charlie Gehringer (known as 'The Mechanical Man) , second baseman Hall of Famer for the Detroit Tigers (born in Fowlerville)
• Jay Gibbons, Baltimore Orioles outfielder and the batter at the plate in the movie Wedding Crashers (born in Rochester)
• Kirk Gibson, outfielder primarily for the Detroit Tigers (born in Pontiac; raised in Waterford)
• Ted Gray, pitcher for several teams (born in Detroit)
• Bobby Grich, four-time Gold Glove-winning second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels (born in Muskegon)
• Steve Gromek, pitcher and member of the National Polish-American Hall of Fame (born in Hamtramck, Michigan)
• Jeff Hamilton, Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman (born in Flint)
• Charlie Hemphill, early 20th century outfielder primarily with the New York Highlanders and the Saint Louis Browns (born in Greenville)
• Pat Hentgen, Cy Young Award-winning pitcher (born in Detroit)
• Ray Herbert, pitcher and 1963 American League shutout leader (born in Detroit)* Don Hopkins[Oakland A's] [1970s][Benton Harbor]
• Derek Jeter, shortstop for the New York Yankees (born in Pequannock, New Jersey; raised in Kalamazoo)
• Bill Killefer, early 20th century catcher primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs (born in Bloomingdale)
• Red Killefer, early 20th century infielder for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators and Cincinnati Reds (born in Bloomingdale)
• Charley Lau, catcher for the Detroit Tigers and hitting coach for many Major League teams (born in Romulus)
• Ron LeFlore, outfielder for the Detroit Tigers and Montreal Expos; subject of the movie One in a Million(born in Detroit)
• Derek Lowe, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers (born in Dearborn)

M-Z

• Larry MacPhail, Hall of Fame executive who introduced the night game (at Crosley Field in Cincinnati) and served as chief executive of the Reds, Dodgers and Yankees (born in Cass City)
• Charlie Maxwell, left fielder and first baseman primarily for the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers (born in Lawton)
• John Mayberry, first baseman for several major league teams (born in Detroit)
• Hal Newhouser Hall of Fame pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians (born in Detroit)
• Jim Northrup, outfielder primarily for the Detroit Tigers (born in Breckenridge)
• Frank Oberlin, early 20th century pitcher for the Boston Americans and Washington Senators (born in Elsie)
• Fred Olmstead, early 20th century pitcher for the Chicago White Sox (born in Grand Rapids)
• Frank Owen, pitcher with the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox (born in Ypsilanti)
• Tom Paciorek, outfielder and first baseman for several major league teams (born in Detroit)
• Dick Pole, pitcher for Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners and bench coach for the Chicago Cubs (born in Trout Creek)
• J. J. Putz, pitcher for the Seattle Mariners (born in Trenton)
• Phil Regan, pitcher for several major league teams (born in Otsego)
• Merv Rettenmund, San Diego Padres hitting coach and for 13 years outfielder/ third baseman/DH for Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres and California Angels (born in Flint)
• Ed Reulbach, early 20th century pitcher primarily for the Chicago Cubs most famous for his role in the all-Chicago 1906 World Series (born in Detroit)
• Chris Sabo, former N.L. Rookie for the Year third baseman Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles (born in Detroit)
• Ted Simmons, catcher for several major league teams (born in Highland Park)
• John Smoltz, pitcher primarily for the Atlanta Braves, 1996 Cy Young Award winner (born in Lansing)
• Mike Squires Kalamazoo[Chicago White sox]] 1970s
• Tom Tresh, 1962 American League Rookie-of-the-Year, shortstop, primarily with the New York Yankees (born in Detroit)
• Maurice Van Robays, outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1940s (born in Detroit)
• Bob Welch, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics Cy Young Award winner (1990), pitching coach for the 2001 World Series-winning Arizona Diamondbacks and best-selling author
• Tom Yawkey, Hall of Fame owner of the Boston Red Sox during their (failed) World Series in 1946, 1967, and 1975; also served as AL Vice-President (born in Detroit)
• Curt Young, pitcher primarily with the Oakland Athletics and presently pitching coach there (born in Saginaw
• Kevin Young, first baseman in the 1990s primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates (born in Alpena)

Basketball

• Quacy Barnes, WNBA player and assistant coach at Eastern Illinois University (born in Benton Harbor)
• Shane Battier, player for the Memphis Grizzlies (born in Birmingham)
• Dave Bing, basketball player primarily for Detroit Pistons and founder of Bing Steel (born in Washington, D.C.; moved to Detroit)
• P. J. Brown, professional basketball player for several NBA teams (born in Detroit)
• Mateen Cleaves, basketball player for several NBA teams, currently with the Seattle SuperSonics (born in Flint)
• Fred Cofield, NBA player for the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls (born in Ypsilanti)
• Dave DeBusschere, professional basketball Hall of Fame member, played with the Detroit Pistons and the [[New York Knicks; also the youngest coach (at 24)in NBA history (born in Detroit)
• Anna DeForge, WNBA player (born in Iron Mountain)
• Derrick Dial, NBA player for the San Antonio Spurs,Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic (born in Detroit)
• James Enright, Basketball Hall of Fame referee, officiated NCAA tournaments (including Final Four playoffs) and the 1948 and 1952 Olympics (born in Sodus)
• George Gervin, Basketball Hall of Fame member; played for several teams (born in Detroit)
• Darvin Ham, player with the Detroit Pistons and the Philippine Basketball Association team Talk N Text Phone Pals (born in Saginaw)
• Stan Heath, head basketball coach for University of Arkansas Razorbacks (born in Detroit)
• Tom Izzo, men's basketball coach for Michigan State University Spartans (born in Iron Mountain)
• Magic Johnson, basketball Hall of Fame member and entrepreneur (born in Lansing)
• Chris Kaman, NBA player for the Los Angeles Clippers (born in Grand Rapids)
• Grant Long, NBA player for several teams ([born in Wayne)
• John Long, former NBA player for the Detroit Pistons ([[born in Romulus)
• Mark Macon, player for Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons (born in Saginaw)
• Dan Majerle, guard with the Phoenix Suns from 1988 to 2002. (born in Traverse City)
• Terry Mills, former NBA player for the Detroit Pistons (born in Romulus)
• Deanna Nolan, point guard for the Detroit Shock (born in Flint)
• Harlan Page, Basketball Hall of Fame University of Chicago coach (born in Watervliet)
• Morris Peterson, basketball player with the Toronto Raptors (born in Flint)
• Glen Rice, forward for several NBA teams (born in Flint)
• Jason Richardson, the only back to back dunk champion since Michael Jordan currently on the Charlotte Bobcats but also played for the Golden State Warriors (born in Saginaw)
• Dan Roundfield, NBA player of the 1970s and 1980s, known as "Dr. Rounds" (born in Detroit)
• Chet Walker - NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls Benton Harbor)
• Robert Whaley - NBA basketball player (born in Benton Harbor)
• Chris Webber, power forward with the Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons (born in Detroit)

Boxing

• Stephen Thomas,(boxer){born in Detroit,MI later moved to Waterford,Mi
• Muhammed Ali, boxing legend (Born in Louisville, Kentucky, later moved to Berrien Springs.)
• Tracy Byrd, female boxer (born in Flint)
• Eddie Futch, boxing trainer of nine world champion boxers (born in Hillsboro, Mississippi; raised in Detroit)
• Amy Hayes, boxing announcer and fashion model (born in Wyandotte)
• Thomas Hearns (aka "The Hit Man" and Motor City Cobra), Welterweight champion (born in Memphis, Tennessee; moved to Detroit)
• Jackie Kallen, boxing's first female manager (born in Detroit)
• Stanley Ketchel (Stanilas Kiecal, aka "The Michigan Assassin"), Middleweight champion (born in Grand Rapids)
• George Lavigne (aka "Kid Lavigne"), World Lightweight champion of the 1890s (born in Bay City)
• Joe Louis, World Heavyweight champion boxer, the best boxer of all-time. (born in LaFayette, Alabama; moved to Detroit)
• Sugar Ray Robinson, first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times (born in Ailey, Georgia; raised in Detroit)
• Tarick Salmaci, Middleweight boxer (born in Dearborn)
• Emanuel Steward, boxing trainer (born in West Virginia; raised in Detroit)
• Pinklon Thomas, Heavyweight boxing champion (born in Pontiac)
• Ad Wolgast (aka, "The Michigan Wildcat"), early 20th century lightweight boxing champion (born in Cadillac)
• Floyd "Pretty Boy" Mayweather born in Grand Rapids, Mi

Football

• Anthony Adams, defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears (born in Detroit)
• Jason Babin, tackle for the Houston Texans (born in Paw Paw)
• Dan Bazuin, Chicago Bears Defensive End (born in McBain, Michigan)
• Ray Bentley, linebacker primarily with the Buffalo Bills, including their Super Bowl years (born in Grand Rapids
• Jerome Bettis ("The Bus"), running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers (born in Detroit)
• Earl Blaik, coach for United States Military Academy and Dartmouth College (born in Detroit)
• Alfonso Boone, defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs (born in Saginaw)
• Lional Dalton, defensive tackle for several NFL teams, currently with the Houston Texans (born in Detroit)
• John Digiorgio, linebacker for the Buffalo Bills (born in Shelby Township, Michigan)
• Eric Ghiaciuc, center for the Cincinnati Bengals (born in Oxford)
• George Gipp, the "Gipper", Notre Dame football player immortalized in film by Ronald Reagan )(born in Laurium, Michigan)
• Brock Gutierrez, NFL player, primarily for the Detroit Lions (from Charlotte)
• Drew Henson, quarterback with Dallas Cowboys and Rhein Fire of NFL Europe; began as played baseball professionally (born in San Diego, California; raised in Brighton)
• Gary Hogeboom, NFLquarterback for several teams and contestant on the CBS reality TV show Survivor: Guatemala (born in Grand Haven)
• Tory Humphrey, tight end for the Green Bay Packers (born in Saginaw)
• Cullen Jenkins, [[defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers (born in Detroit)
• Kris Jenkins, defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers (born in Ypsilanti)
• Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers wide receiver (born in Kalamazoo)
• Adam Kieft, offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals (from Rockford)
• Craig Krenzel, quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals (born in Sterling Heights)
• Steve Mariucci, head coach for San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions (born in Iron Mountain)
• Earl Morrall, quarterback primarily for the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins (born in Muskegon)
• Craig Morton, quarterback for Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos and New York Giants (born in Flint)
• Muhsin Muhammad, Chicago Bears wide receiver (born in Lansing)
• Jereme Perry, Cleveland Browns cornerback (born in Saginaw)
• Karon Riley, defensive end for the Washington Redskins (born in Detroit)
• Andre Rison, Former NFL Wide Receiver who played for several teams (born in Flint)
• Charles Rogers, Number 2 overall pick of the Detroit Lions who is no longer in the league after drug violations and injuries (born in Saginaw)
• Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos tight end (born in Morenci)
• Stuart Schweigert, Oakland Raiders Safety (born in Saginaw)
• Joe Staley, San Fransisco 49ers Offensive Tackle (born in Rockford)
• Barry Stokes, offensive lineman for several NFL teams, currently with the Detroit Lions (born in Flint)
• Brad Van Pelt, linebacker for several NFL teams (born in Owosso)
• LaMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker (born in Saginaw)

Ice hockey

• Tim Gleason, Defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes, Clawson, Michigan
• Jason Bacashihua, goalie for the Saint Louis Blues, born in Garden City)
• Jim Ballantine, NHL center for several teams (born in Union Lake)
• Dan Bylsma, forward for several NHL teams (born in Grand Haven)
• Jimmy Carson, player for several NHL teams (born in Southfield)
• Shawn Chambers, defenseman for the New Jersey Devils (born in Royal Oak)
• Jim Cummins, hockey player for several NHL teams (born in Dearborn)
• Adam Hall, defenseman for the New York Rangers (born in Kalamazoo, Michigan)
• Derian Hatcher, defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers (born in Sterling Heights)
• Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres goaltender (born in East Lansing)
• Mike Modano, captain of the Dallas Stars (born in Westland)
• Ken Morrow, defenseman for the New York Islanders and member of the Miracle on Ice gold medal hockey team at the Lake Placid, New York 1980 Olympics (born in Flint)
• Lee Norwood, defenseman for several NHL teams including the Detroit Red Wings (born in Trenton)
• Brian Rafalski, defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings and member of the 2002, 2004 and 2006 US Olympic team (born in Dearborn)
• Brian Rolston, hockey player for several NHL teams (born in Flint)
• Tim Thomas, goaltender for the Boston Bruins (born in Flint)
• John Vanbiesbrouck, goaltender for several NHL teams in the 1980s and 1990s (born in Detroit)
• Don Waddell, executive vice president and general manager of the Atlanta Thrashers and former ice hockey defenceman (born in Detroit)
• Doug Weight, 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics team silver medalist and hockey player for several NHL teams, winner of Stanley Cup with Carolina Hurricanes (born in Warren)
• Mike York, forward for the New York Islanders and member of the silver medal-winning Team USA in the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics (born in Waterford
• John Ziegler, NHL President from 1977-1992 (born in Grosse Pointe)
• Mike Knuble, forward for several NHL teams. (Kentwood)

Motorcycle racing

• Leo Anthony., Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee, dirt-bike champion of the 1930s and 1940s (born in Port Huron)
• Ernie Beckman, Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee, three-time National American Motorcycle Association national winner in the 1950s (born in Battle Creek)
• Ted Boody, Jr., Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee, winner of 8 dirt-track national competitions, top-ten ranking from 1981-1986 (born in Lansing)
• Doug Domokos, Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee, 1970s-1980s stunt motorcyclist nicknamed the "Wheelie King" whose wheelie of 145 miles held the record for 8 years (born in Niles)
• Randy Goss, Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee, 2-time National Grand Champion (born in Hartland)
• Oscar Lenz, Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee, endurance motorcycle champion (born in Bay City)
• Dot Robinson, women's motorcycle racing pioneer, co-founder of Motor Maids,Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee (born in Australia; settled in Saginaw, Michigan)
• Earl Robinson, endurance motorcycle champion, husband of Dot Robinson, Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee (born in Saginaw)
• Dal Smilie, American Motorcycle Association director for 35 years, Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee (born in Battle Creek)
• Jay Springsteen, Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee, three-time AMA Grand National Champion (born in Flint)
• Jeff Stanton, leader of the winning US team at the 1991 Motocross des Nations competition in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, team member of the 1989 and 1990 US Motocross des Nations teams, 6-time AMA Motocross and Supercross Champion, Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee (born in Coldwater)

Olympics

• Avery Brundage, International Olympic Committee Chair 1952-72 (born in Detroit)
• Richard Callahan, Olympic figure skating coach (lives in Detroit)
• Henry Carr, double gold medalist in track at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics (born in Detroit)
• Rex Cawley, gold medalist in the 400 meter hurdles -- Tokyo 1964 Olympics (born in Farmington)
• Edward Crook, Jr., gold medalist in middleweight boxing at the Rome 1960 Olympics (born in Detroit)
• Dick Degener, gold medalist in diving Berlin1936 Olympics (born in Birmingham)
• Brian Lee Diemer, bronze medalist in steeplechase at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics (born in Grand Rapids)
• Andre Dirrell, middlewieght boxing bronze medalist at the Athens 2004 Olympics (born in Flint, Michigan)
• Steve Fraser, gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics (born in Hazel Park)
• Alex Izykowski, bronze medalist in 5000 meter relay ice skating at Turin 2006 Olympics (born in Bay City)
• Hayes Jones, gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdles at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics (born in Starkville, Mississippi; raised in Pontiac)
• Karch Kiraly, three time Olympic gold medalist and the only person to win Olympic gold medal in both indoor volleyball (at both the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics and Seoul 1988 Olympics) and in beach volleyball (at the 1996 Nagano Olympics) (born in Jackson, Michigan)
• Shelly Looney, member of the gold medal-winning women's hockey team at the Nagano 1998 Olympics (born in Trenton)
• Steve McCrory, gold medalist for flyweight boxing at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics (born in Detroit)
• Carley Piper, member of the gold medal-winning US Women's 4x200 Swimming Freestyle Relay at the Athens 2004 Olympics (born in Grosse Pointe)
• William Porter, Olympic gold medalist in 110 meter hurdles -- London 1948 Olympics (born in Essex Township)
• Norbert Schemansky, the only weightlifter to win four Olympic medals -- 1948 silver; 1952 gold; 1960 bronze; and 1964 bronze (born in Detroit; resident of Grosse Pointe Farms
• Clark Scholes, Olympic gold medalist in 100 meter freestyle swimming at the Helsinki 1952 Olympics (born in Detroit)
• Lindsay Tarpley, soccer player and member of the gold-medal winning Athens 2004 Olympics team, one of only two college students on the team (she was attending Western Michigan University (born in Madison, Wisconsin, raised in Kalamazoo)
• Eddie Tolan, double Olympic gold medalist in track in both the 100 and 200 meter sprint at the Los Angeles 1932 Olympics, and the first black athlete to win two Olympic gold medals (born in Denver, Colorado; raised in Detroit)
• Peter Vanderkaay, member of the gold medal-winning US Men's 4x200 swimming Freestyle Relay at the Athens 2004 Olympics (born in Rochester)
• Mark Wells, member of the Miracle on Ice gold medal hockey team at the Lake Placid, New York 1980 Olympics (born in Saint Claire Shores)
• Lorenzo Wright, gold medalist in 440-meter relay at the London 1948 Olympics (born in Detroit)
• Wendy Wyland, bronze medalist in platform diving at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics (born in Jackson)
• Sheila Young, skater and first American to win three medals in the winter games -- a bronze, silver and gold -- at the Innsbruck 1976 Winter Olympics (born in Birmingham)

Professional wrestling

• Eric Bischoff, wrestling promoter and former World Championship Wrestling president (born in Detroit)
• Monty Brown, professional wrestler who originally began as a football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills (born in Bridgeport)
• Ed Farhat aka The original Sheik, professional wrestler (born in Lansing)
• Kevin Nash, professional wrestler (born in Detroit)
• Rhino aka Terry Gerin, professional wrestler (born in Detroit)
• Bob Roop, Greco-Roman wrestling participant at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics turned professional wrestler under such names as "The Gladiator" and "The Enforcer" (born in Blacksburg, Virginia; raised in East Lansing)
• Chris Sabin, (aka Josh Harter ) professional wrestler (born in Detroit)
• Sabu, (aka Terry Brunk), professional wrestler (born in Detroit)
• Jimmy Jacobs, (aka Chris Scoville ) professional wrestler (born in Grand Rapids)
• Alex Shelley, professional wrestler (born in Detroit)
• Tank,(aka Tim Swan ) ,professional wrestler (retired)born in Lansing
• Lou Thesz, professional wrestling legend (born in Benat)
• Rob Van Dam

Tennis

• Aaron Krickstein, one-time # 6 ranked tennis player (born in Ann Arbor)
• Susan Mascarin tennis player, winner of the 1980 US Open (born in Detroit)
• Serena Williams, tennis player, winner of eight Grand Slam titles (born in Saginaw)
• Luke Jensen, tennis player, winner of 1993 French Open doubles (born in Grayling)
• Murphy Jensen, tennis player, winner of 1993 French Open doubles (born in Ludington)

Other sports

• Scott Baker, auto racer (born in Holland)
• Tom Bambard, NASCAR driver (born in South Lyon)
• Johnny Benson, NASCAR driver (born in Grand Rapids)
• Pam Bristol Brady, Triple Crown-winning badminton player (born in Flint; moved to Grand Blanc)
• Becky Breisch, 2005 USA Outdoors discus throw champion and 8-time NCAA All American (born in Edwardsburg)
• Walter Burkemo, professional golfer who won the 1953 PGA Championship (born in Detroit)
• Donna Caponi, professional golfer (born in Detroit)
• Tim Fedewa, NASCAR Driver and Spotter (born in Holt)
• Lon Hinkle, professional golfer (born in Flint)
• Gordon Johncock, auto racer (born in Coldwater)
• Jessica Joseph, ice dancer whos was silver and bronze medalist in the 1998 and 2001 US Championships respectively (born in Bloomfield Hills)
• Doug Kalitta, auto racer 1994 USAC National Sprint Car Champion (born in Ypsilanti)
• Julie Krone, jockey and first woman to win the Belmont Stakes, all-time leading female rider by number of victories (born in Benton Harbor)
• Marion Ladewig, bowler, nine-time Bowler of the Year from 1950-1963, first Superior Performance inductee into the Women’s International Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (born in Grand Rapids)
• Alixi Lalas, US National Soccer Hall of Fame soccer great and current general manager of the Los Angeles Galaxy (born in Birmingham)
• Harry Melling, Owner of Melling Automotive, and NASCAR championship team owner of Melling Racing (lived in Jackson, Michigan)
• Lenda Murray, bodybuilder and four-time Ms. Olympia winner (born in Detroit)
• Colette Nelson, bodybuilder (born in Southfield)
• Benny Parsons, NASCAR Winston Cup (now Nextel Cup) champion, TV announcer (lived in Detroit, where he worked at a gas station and drove cabs for his father)
• U. E. Patrick, aka "Pat" Patrick, co-founder of CART Indy car series, owner of Indy-500 winning Patrick Racing (resides and has business in Jackson, Michigan)
• Ken Read, Alpine skier, first North American to win an Alpine skiing World Cup Downhill skiing event -- in 1975 for Canada (born in Ann Arbor)
• Aleta Rzepecki Sill, bowler and first woman bowler to win over $1 million in a year (born in Dearborn])
• David Allen Sill, bowler and respected coach. Coached Aleta Rzepecki Sill to stardom. Inventor of Turbo Grips product, Switch Grip. (born in Detroit, Michigan)
• Michael Tomac, cyclist, bike maker and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee (born in Owosso)
• Kevin Van Dam, professional bass angler, author of angling guide Secrets of a Champion, four time BASS Angler of the Year, and 2002 ESPN Outdoor Sportsman of the Year (born in Kalamazoo)
• Dave Walsh, aka "Walshy" Major League Gaming Halo 2 Professional, Captain of 2005 Halo 2 Champion 4v4 Team Final Boss (born in Grand Rapids)

Writers

Children's book writers

• Verna Aardema, children's book author of many ethnic themed works (Ashanti, Zanzibari, Akamba and Ayutla Mexican sources among others) and winner of the Caldecott Medal for Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears (born in New Era)
• K. A. Applegate, children's and young adult author (including the Animorphs, Remnants and Everworld series; she also write under the pseudonyms Katherine Kendall, L. E. Blair, Pat Polari, Nicholas Stevens, and A.R. Plumb (born in Michigan)
• Christopher Paul Curtis, children's author whose Bud, Not Buddy is the only book to have won both the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King award for best achievement for an African-American writer (born in Flint)
• Laurie Keller, children's book writer and illustrator best known for The Scrambled States of America and Grandpa Gazillion's Number Yard (born in Muskegon)
• Robert Sabuda, children's pop-up book artist and paper engineer (born in Pinckey)
• Jon Scieszka, children's book author best known for his collaboration with illustrator Lane Smith on such books as The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Stories and the Time Warp Trio series (born in Flint)
• Chris Van Allsburg, children's writer, twice winner of the Caldecott Medal for Jumanji and The Polar Express (born in Grand Rapids)
• Aileen Fisher (1906 - 2002) Author of 100+ children's books (born in Iron River)
• Michelle Elizabeth Brown children's book author "Jack With The Curly Tail Episode One: A Home for Jack" (born in Detroit, Michigan)

Fiction writers

• Nelson Algren, winning novelist best known for such books as Never Come Sunday and The Man with the Golden Arm-- which won the 1950 National Book Award (born in Detroit)
• John Edward Ames, Western writer (born in Monroe County)
• Harriette Simpson Arnow, novelist best known for her novels The Dollmaker and Hunter's Horn (born in Wayne County, Kentucky; raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and Detroit; later settled in Ann Arbor)
• Robert Asprin, science fiction and fantasy writer (born in St. Johns)
• Rex Beach, novelist best known for his 1906 novel The Spoilers (born in Atwood)
• John Bellairs, mystery novelist (born in Marshall)
• Martin Bertram, novelist and MUD content author, best known for his medieval novel Vanity of Vanities (born in Lansing; raised in Okemos)
• Jeremy Brown, children's book author (born in Paw Paw
• William C. Cook, master of the 19th century "dime novel" (born in Marshall)
• James Oliver Curwood, novelist and conservationist best known for his novel The Grizzly King (born in Owosso)
• Pete Dexter, novelist and 1988 National Book Award-winner -- for Paris Trout (born in Pontiac)
• Edna Ferber, novelist of such works as Showboat, Saratoga Trunk and the 1925 Pulitzer Prize winner for So Big, playwright and member of the Algonquin Round Table (born in Kalamazoo)
• Jeffrey Eugenides, novelist of such books as The Virgin Suicides and the 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner Middlesex (born in Detroit)
• Dean Garrison, crime fiction author (born in Adrian)
• Donald Goines, "street tradition" novelist best known for his Never Die Alone
• Aaron Hamburger, short story writer and novelist (born in Detroit)
• James Hynes, author of The Wild Colonial Boy and Kings of Infinite Space (born in Okemos)
• Janet Kauffman, novelist best known for Places in the World a Woman Could Walk and poet (born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; moved to Hudson)
• William X. Kienzle, former Catholic priest whose mystery/crime story writer best-known for such books as The Rosary Murders (born in Detroit)
• Elmore Leonard, novelist and screenwriter known for such works among many others as Get Shorty, The Big Bounce and Rum Punch (born in New Orleans; raised in Detroit)
• Thomas McGuane, novelist known for such works as Ninety-Two in the Shade and husband of actress Margot Kidder (born in Wyandotte)
• Terry McMillan, author best known for her Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Disappearing Acts (born in Port Huron)
• Joyce Carol Oates, novelist three times nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the National Book Award -- for them (born in Lockport, New York; lived in metro Detroit and Windsor, Ontario for over decade before moving to Princeton, New Jersey)
• Paul M. Strickler, horror novelist best known for his novel The Calling, set in Boyne City, Michigan (born in Ludington) [2]
• Glendon Swarthout, novelist and short story writer twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, winner of the O. Henry Prize and known for such works as The Shootist, The Homesman and Bells the Beasts & Children (born in Pinckey)
• Miles Hood Swarthout, western writer and son of Glendon Swarthout (born in Ann Arbor)
• John D. Voelker, novelist who wrote under the pen name Robert Traver, best known for his Anatomy of a Murder (born in Ishpeming)

Journalists and nonfiction writers

• Bruce Ableson, inventor of Open Diary, arguably the first online blogging community (born in West Bloomfield)
• Canyon Adams, conservative writer (penname of author whose true name is unknown, living in Saginaw)
• Mitch Albom, nonfiction author, sports writer, and radio talk show host (born in Trenton, New Jersey; moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; lives in metro Detroit)
• Jennifer Eaton Gokmen, literary nonfiction writer best known for international bestseller Tales from the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey (born in Wayne, raised in West Bloomfield, in 1994 moved to Istanbul, Turkey)
• Joel Bakan, legal writer and Canadian lawyer best known for his 2004 book The Corporation which was made into a film the same year and won 25 international awards (born in Lansing)
• Ray Stannard Baker, 19th century muckraking journalist (born in Lansing)
• Jill Carroll, journalist, Iraqi terrorists' kidnap victim (born in Ann Arbor)
• Zev Chafets, journalist and columnist for the New York Daily News, born in Pontiac)
• David Chardavoyne, legal writer known for A Hanging in Detroit (born in Ohio, moved to metro Detroit)
• Paul de Kruif, science writer and microbiologist (born in Zeeland)
• Fred Dustin, early 20th century writer on the American West (born in Glens Falls, New York; settled and died in Saginaw)
• M. F. K. Fisher, food writer (born in Albion)
• Derek Frey the president of the popular magazine for the legalizing of marijuana High Times
• John Grogan, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and author of best-selling memoir Marley and Me (born in Detroit)
• Ben Hamper, journalist and nonfiction writer best known for his memoir Rivethead: Tales From the Assembly Line (born in Flint, Michigan)
• Sheryl James -- 1991 Feature Writing Pulitzer Prize Winner (from Michigan)
• Michael Kinsley, founding editor of Slate, former Crossfire panelist, current columnist for the Washington Post and current American Editor of The Guardian (born in Detroit)
• Paul G. Labadie, journalist and editorial writer for "USA Today" and "The Detroit News" (born in Detroit)
• Elvis Mitchell, New York Times film critic (born in Detroit)
• Isabel Paterson, author best known for her 1943 treatise The God in the Machine; co-founder of American libertarianism (born on Manitoulin Island, Canada; grew up on a rural Upper Peninsula ranch)
• Neal Shine, Detroit Free Press Publisher, (born in Detroit).
• Joseph Sobran, ultra-conservative syndicated columnist (raised in Ypsilanti)
• Helen Thomas, journalist, member of White House Press Corps (born in Winchester, Kentucky; moved to Detroit)
• Michelle Elizabeth Brown journalist, columnist Between The Lines , also writes children's books, poetry and non-fiction (born in Detroit, Michigan)

Playwrights and screenwriters

• Ron Allen, playwright (born in Detroit)
• Ron Milner, playwright (born in Detroit)
• Neil LaBute, playwright, director, screenwriter (born in Detroit)
• Terry Rossio, screenwriter and film producer (born in Kalamazoo)
• Ivan Raimi, screenwriter (born in Detroit)
• Sam Raimi, screenwriter, director, producer (born in Detroit)
• Heather Raffo, playwright, actress (raised in Michigan)
• Randolph Polasek, screenwriter of Hector & Hildy, Distributing Justice, AMMIETOWN, Senior Season(born and raised in Auburn Hills)

Poets

• Richard Emil Braun, poet and Classical translator (born in Detroit)
• John Malcolm Brinnin, poet (born in Halifax Nova Scotia; raised in Detroit, Michigan)
• Hayan Charara, poet (born in Detroit)
• Jim Daniels, poet (born in Detroit)
• Stuart Dybek, poet (born in Chicago, Illinois; lives in Kalamazoo)
• Clayton Eshleman, poet (born in Indianapolis, moved to Ypsilanti)
• Carolyn Forché, poet (born in Detroit)
• Edgar Guest, poet (born in Birmingham, England; moved to Detroit)
• Jim Harrison, poet and novelist (born in Grayling)
• Robert Hayden, poet (born in Detroit; moved to Ann Arbor)
• Conrad Hilberry, poet (born in Ferndale; moved to Kalamazoo)
• Lawrence Joseph, poet (born in Detroit)
• Jane Kenyon, poet (born in Ann Arbor)
• Naomi Long Madgett, poet (born in Norfolk, Virginia, raised in East Orange, New Jersey, moved to Detroit and Ypsilanti)
• Thomas Lynch, poet (born in Detroit)
• John Frederick Nims, poet (born in Muskegon)
• Marge Piercy, poet and novelist (born in Detroit)
• Dudley Randall, poet, Broadside Press founder (born in Detroit)
• John Reinhard, poet (born in Sault Ste. Marie)
• Theodore Roethke, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet (born in Saginaw)
• Richard Tillinghast, poet (born in Memphis, Tennessee, lives in Ann Arbor)
• Nancy Willard, poet, novelist, children's writer and literary critic (born in Ann Arbor)
• Michelle Elizabeth Brown, poet, performance artist, author of Wild Fruit Hidden in Open Spaces Musings in Prose and Poetry (born in Detroit, Michigan)

Other writers

• Wayne Dyer, self-help book writer (born in Detroit)
• James Finn Garner, humorist {born in Dearborn)
• Jerry B. Jenkins, religious writer, "as told to" biographer, romance writer (born in Kalamazoo)
• Ring Lardner, Sr., satirist, short story writer and sports columnist (born in Niles)
• Frank Martin, devotional writer (born in Ypsilanti)
• Peter McWilliams, writer and cannabis legalization advocate (born in Detroit)

Others

• Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a pro-Palestinian organization, the stated mission of which is to resist Israeli occupation using nonviolent tactics, but which is regarded by some as condoning terrorism (born in Detroit)
• Marshall Bailly, philanthropist (born in Paw Paw)
• Harry Blackstone, Sr.-- "The Great Blackstone, magician (born in Chicago, Illinois; settled in Colon -- where his home is preserved as the American Museum of Magic)
• Harry Blackstone, Jr., magician and TV performer (born in Three Rivers)
• Allen S. Browne, co-founder of Kiwanis (from Detroit)
• Ralph Bunche, 1950 Nobel Peace Prize winner; the first ever won by an African American (born in Detroit)
• Christie Brinkley, model (born in Monroe)
• William D. Campbell, major leader in the World Scout Foundation (born in Flint)
• Martin H. Carmody, Depression-era Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus (born in Grand Rapids)
• Daniel Ellsberg, military analyst and political activist best known for gathering the Pentagon Papers (raised in metro Detroit)
• Frederick Carl Frieseke, Impressionist painter (born in Owosso)
• Carole Gist, Miss USA 1990 (born in Detroit)
• Kirsten Haglund, Miss America 2008 (born in Farmington Hills)
• Robert G. Heft, designer of current 50-star American flag (born in Saginaw)
• G. Edward Knapp, forester, forest conservation advocate, member of Georgia House of Representatives (1966-1971), instrumental in mechanization of forestry during labor shortages of World War II (born in Ypsilanti)
• Vince Megna, lawyer, author and primary shaper of the so-called "lemon laws" (born in Iron Mountain)
• Marvin Mitchelson, celebrity divorce attorney (born in Detroit)
• Jerry Mitchell, Tony Award-winning choreographer (born in Paw Paw)
• Kenya Moore, 1993 Miss USA (born in Detroit)
• Joseph C. Prance, co-founder of Kiwanis (from Detroit)
• Terry Rakolta, founder of Americans for Responsible Television (from Bloomfield Hills)
• Greg Raymer, the 2004 World Series of Poker champion (born in Minot, North Dakota; raised in Lansing)
• Norman Shumway, heart transplant pioneer (born in Kalamazoo)
• Anna Sui, fashion designer (born in Detroit)
• Annie Taylor, the first person to go over the Niagara Falls in a barrel (born in Bay City)
• R.J. Thomas, labor leader (born in East Palestine, Ohio; moved to Detroit in his early 20s)
• Ockie Van Schalkwyk, founder of MichiganGamers (born in Pretoria, South Africa, moved to Waterford, Michigan)
• Veronica Webb, model, Revlon spokesperson (born in Detroit)
• Myra Wolfgang, labor leader (born in Montreal, Quebec, moved to Detroit at three and raised there)

See also

• List of Governors of Michigan
• List of United States Senators from Michigan
• List of people from Detroit