List of people from Indiana
This is a list of some famous people who were born or lived in Indiana.
Founders and pioneers
- Johnny Appleseed, missionary (Fort Wayne)
- Squire Boone, frontiersman, (Laconia)
- Jonathan Jennings, first Governor of Indiana
- Dennis Pennington, first speaker of the house in Indiana, Corydon, Indiana, also built the first capitol building. (Lanesville)
- Spier Spencer, militia leader who died in the Battle of Tippecanoe
Military
- Jeremy Michael Boorda, Admiral, Chief of Naval Operations, (South Bend)
- Ambrose Burnside, General in the Civil War, sideburns are named after him (Liberty)
- George Rogers Clark, man who conquered Indiana for the United States, (Clarksville)
- William Grose, Civil War General, (New Castle)
- Walter Bedell Smith, General, U.S. Army, chief of staff to General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Indianapolis)
- John Poindexter, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy, National Security Adviser to President Ronald Reagan, figure in the Iran-Contra affair, (Odon)
- Raymond Ames Spruance, Admiral, U.S. Navy, Flagship Commander USS Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
- Lew Wallace, General in the Civil War (Crawfordsville)
- Samuel Woodfill, most decorated American soldier in World War I, (Jefferson County)
- David M. Shoup, Medal of Honor recipient, 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps (Battle Ground, Indiana)
Politicians and activists
- Frank J. Anderson, Marion County Sheriff (Indianapolis)
- Birch Bayh, former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate (Terre Haute)
- Evan Bayh, U.S. Senator and former Governor of Indiana (Shirkieville)
- Albert J. Beveridge, U.S. Senator of Indiana (Indianapolis)
- Otis R. Bowen, Governor of Indiana and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Roger D. Branigin, Governor of Indiana and 1968 candidate for President. (Franklin)
- Jesse D. Bright, U.S Senator and President Pro Tempore of the Senate (Madison)
- George Washington Buckner, U.S. minister to Liberia, 1913–1915, (Evansville)
- Earl Butz, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (Albion)
- Maria Cantwell, U.S. Congresswoman and U.S. Senator (Indianapolis)
- Homer E. Capehart, businessman and U.S. Senator (Algiers)
- James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence under President Barack Obama (Fort Wayne)
- Benjamin V. Cohen - a key figure in the administrations of presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman (Muncie)
- Schuyler Colfax, U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives, U.S. Vice President (South Bend)
- John Wesley Davis, U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives (Carlisle)
- Eugene V. Debs, labor and political leader (Terre Haute)
- William Hayden English, U.S. Congressman and Vice Presidential Candidate (Lexington)
- Charles W. Fairbanks, U.S. Senator and Vice President of the United States (Indianapolis)
- John W. Foster, U.S. Secretary of State (Evansville)
- Walter Q. Gresham, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Postmaster General, Secretary of State (Lanesville)
- Charles A. Halleck, U.S. Congressman (Rensselaer)
- Lee H. Hamilton, U.S. Congressman (Bloomington)
- Clifford Hardin, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (Knightstown)
- Benjamin Harrison, U.S. President
- William Henry Harrison, U.S. President and Governor of Indiana Territory
- Richard Hatcher, Gary Mayor (Gary)
- John Hay, U.S. Secretary of State (Salem)
- Will H. Hays, U.S. Postmaster General (Sullivan)
- Thomas A. Hendricks, U.S. Senator and Vice President (Indianapolis)
- Louis McHenry Howe, close political advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Indianapolis)
- Jonathan Jennings, First congressional representative from the Indiana Territory and early abolitionist (Vincennes)
- Cleve Jones, Gay/Human rights activist, created the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt (West Lafayette)
- Michael C. Kerr, U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives (New Albany)
- Ron Klain, Chief of Staff to Vice President Joe Biden (Indianapolis)
- Abraham Lincoln, 16th President, lived in Indiana from ages 7–21 (Spencer County)
- Richard Lugar, U.S. Senator and former Mayor of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
- Thomas R. Marshall, U.S. Vice President (North Manchester)
- Edward Ralph May, only delegate to the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850 to support African American suffrage (Angola)
- Hugh McCulloch, US. Secretary of the Treasury (Fort Wayne)
- William H.H. Miller, U.S. Attorney General (Indianapolis)
- Sherman Minton, U.S. Senator and Supreme Court Justice
- Oliver P. Morton, Governor of Indiana (Centerville)
- Harry S. New, U.S. Postmaster General (Indianapolis)
- Mike Pence, US Congressman (Columbus)
- Dennis Pennington, State Senator and early abolitionist (Central Barren)
- Bart Peterson, former Mayor of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
- John Poindexter, National Security Advisor under President Ronald Reagan (Washington)
- Dan Quayle, former U.S. Senator and U.S. Vice President (Indianapolis)
- John Rarick, former U.S. Representative from Louisiana
- John Roberts, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice (Long Beach)
- William Ruckelshaus, former U.S. Director of the F.B.I. and Deputy Attorney General.
- Caleb Blood Smith, U.S. Secretary of the Interior (Indianapolis)
- Ted Stevens, U.S. Senator from Alaska (Indianapolis)
- John Palmer Usher, U.S. Secretary of the Interior (Terre Haute)
- Mark Warner, current U.S. Senator for Virginia, former Governor of Virginia (Indianapolis)
- Gary Webb, Journalist (Indianapolis)
- Ryan White, AIDS activist (Kokomo)
- Claude R. Wickard, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (Camden)
- Wendell Willkie, 1940 Republican presidential nominee (Elwood)
Native American leaders
- Pacanne, an influential Miami chief and businessman
- Leopold Pokagon, Potawatomi chief for whom Pokagon State Park is named
- Simon Pokagon, Potawatomi chief, author, son of Leopold
- Little Turtle, Miami chief, leader of Native American forces in St. Clair's Defeat, the worst American loss during the Indian Wars
- Metea, Potawatomi chief from northeast Indiana
- Young Tobacco, Piankeshaw chief who supported the United States in the American Revolution
Entertainment
Film and theatre
- Lillian Albertson, actress, producer (Noblesville)
- Leon Ames, actor (Portland)
- Arija Bareikis, actress (Bloomington)
- Rhonda Bates, actress (Evansville)
- Anne Baxter, actress (Michigan City)
- Billie Bennett, actress (Evansville)
- Abraham Benrubi, actor (Bloomington)
- Monte Blue, actor, (Indianapolis)
- Avery Brooks, actor, (Evansville)
- Ezra Buzzington, actor, (Muncie)
- David Canary, actor (Elwood)
- Ann Christy, actress (Logansport)
- Embeth Davidtz, actress (Lafayette)
- James Dean, actor (Fairmount)
- Major Dodge, actor, producer, model, (New Albany)
- Heather Douglas, actress, (New Albany)
- Louise Dresser, actress (Evansville)
- Irene Dunne, actress, (Madison)
- Louise Fazenda, actress (Lafayette)
- Jenna Fischer, actress, (Fort Wayne)
- Ken Foree, actor, (Indianapolis)
- Vivica A. Fox actress (Indianapolis)
- Brendan Fraser, actor, (Indianapolis)
- Dolores Fuller, actress (South Bend)
- Maude Turner Gordon, actress, (Franklin)
- Sid Grauman, impresario (Indianapolis)
- Phil Harris, actor (Linton)
- Doug Jones, actor (Indianapolis)
- Greg Kinnear, actor (Logansport)
- Anita King, actress (Michigan City)
- Elmo Lincoln, actor (Rochester)
- Sarah Litzsinger, actress, (Indianapolis)
- Jake Lloyd, actor, (Carmel)
- Carole Lombard, actress, (Fort Wayne)
- Shelley Long, actress, (Fort Wayne)
- Marjorie Main, actress (Acton)
- Karl Malden, actor, (Gary)
- Randy McDowell, actor, (Warsaw)
- John McMartin, actor, (Warsaw)
- Steve McQueen, actor, (Beech Grove and Indianapolis)
- Michael Michele, actress, (Evansville)
- Ryan Murphy, writer, director (Indianapolis)
- Dean Norris, actor, (South Bend)
- Tommy O'Haver, director, screenwriter (Carmel)
- Sydney Pollack, actor, producer, director, (Lafayette)
- James Rebhorn, actor, (Anderson)
- Michael Rosenbaum, actor, (Newburgh)
- Jake Short, actor, (Indianapolis)
- Liz Stauber, actress, (Indianapolis)
- Valeska Suratt, actress, (Owensville)
- Max Terhune, actor, (Anderson)
- Alice Terry, actress, (Vincennes)
- Twyla Tharp, dancer (Portland)
- Forrest Tucker, actor, (Plainfield)
- Clifton Webb, actor, (Indianapolis)
- Dreya Weber, actress, (Bloomington)
- Isiah Whitlock, Jr., actor, (South Bend)
- Jo Anne Worley, actress, (Lowell)
- Mason Hough, comedian, actor, (Mishawaka)
Comedians
- Mike Epps, comedian (Gary)
- Michael Essany, comedian (Valparaiso)
- Jim Gaffigan, comedian (Chesterton)
- David Letterman, comedian (Indianapolis)
- Buddy Lewis, comedian (Gary)
- Dan Nainan, comedian (Bloomington)
- Herb Shriner, comedian (Fort Wayne)
- Red Skelton, comedian (Vincennes)
- Brad Stine, comedian (Bremen)
Musicians
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- Steve Allee, jazz musician and composer (Indianapolis)
- DJ Ashba, lead guitarist of Sixx:A.M. (Monticello)
- Joshua Bell, violinist (Bloomington)
- Scrapper Blackwell Blues Legend, writer of the earliest version of Sweet Home Chicago (Indianapolis)
- Jeremy Camp singer (Lafayette)
- Hoagy Carmichael, songwriter (Bloomington)
- Leroy Carr, blues pianist and songwriter (Indianapolis)
- Randy Carr, singer, songwriter, producer (Columbus)
- Kyle Cook, Matchbox Twenty guitarist (Frankfort)
- Paul Dresser, songwriter (Terre Haute)
- Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, singer, producer (Indianapolis)
- Janie Fricke, singer (South Whitley)
- Bill Gaither, singer (Alexandria)
- Danny Gaither, gospel singer (Alexandria)
- Gloria Gaither, songwriter (Alexandria)
- Crystal Gayle, singer (Wabash)
- Krystal Harris, pianist, singer-songwriter (Anderson)
- Bobby Helms, singer (Bloomington)
- John Hiatt, singer, songwriter (Indianapolis)
- Shannon Hoon, Blind Melon singer (Lafayette)
- Janet Jackson, singer, dancer, songwriter (Gary)
- La Toya Jackson, singer-songwriter, musician (Gary)
- Michael Jackson, singer, dancer, songwriter (Gary)
- Jane Jarvis, jazz pianist (Vincennes)
- Denny Jiosa, jazz guitarist/composer (Huntington)
- JJ Johnson, jazz trombonist (Indianapolis)
- Adam Lambert, singer-songwriter, American Idol Runner-Up (Indianapolis)
- Mick Mars (real name Robert Deal), Mötley Crüe lead guitarist (Terre Haute)
- Kym Mazelle, singer (Gary)
- Ryan McCombs, singer (Dunkirk, Indiana)*
- Jon McLaughlin, singer-songwriter (Anderson, Indiana)
- John Mellencamp, singer, songwriter, musician (Seymour)
- Luke Menard, singer, musician (Crawfordsville, Indiana)
- Wes Montgomery, jazz guitarist (Indianapolis)
- Rich Mullins, Christian Contemporary Artist (Richmond)
- Ken Navarro, jazz guitarist (Lafayette)
- Amanda Overmyer singer, American Idol (season 7) finalist (Camden)
- Amanda Perez R&B artist, singer, songwriter, producer (Fort Wayne)
- Cole Porter, songwriter (Peru)
- Ned Rorem, composer (Richmond)
- Axl Rose, Guns N' Roses singer (Lafayette)
- David Lee Roth, Van Halen singer (Bloomington)
- Connie Smith, singer (Elkhart)
- Izzy Stradlin, Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist (Lafayette)
- Henry Lee Summer, singer (Elwood)
- Steve Wariner, singer (Noblesville, Indiana)
- Deniece Williams, singer (Gary, Indiana)
Musical groups
- The Ataris
- Blind Melon
- Days of the New
- Doppelganger
- The Elms
- Emanuel
- Haste The Day
- Hoosier Hot Shots
- Iced Earth
- The Jackson 5
- Margot and the Nuclear So and So's
- Mock Orange
- Murder by Death
- The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
- Umphrey's McGee
- Virgin Millionaires
- The Why Store
- Wright Brothers Band
- The Four Freshmen
- Straight No Chaser
Television
- Nicole Anderson, actress (Rochester)
- Arija Bareikis, actress (Bloomington)
- Julia Barr, actor (Fort Wayne)
- James Best, actor (Corydon, Indiana)
- Kyle Bornheimer, actor (Mishawaka)
- John Bromfield, actor (South Bend)
- Avery Brooks, actor (Evansville)
- Dan Butler, actor (Fort Wayne)
- Jose Pablo Cantillo, actor (Terre Haute)
- Terri Conn, actress (Bloomington)
- Nancy Criss, producer, director (Elkhart)
- Mary Jane Croft actress (Muncie)
- Scatman Crothers, actor (Terre Haute)
- Joyce DeWitt, actress (Speedway)
- Polly Draper, actress (Gary)
- Chad Everett, actor (South Bend)
- Bianca Ferguson, actress (Gary)
- Jenna Fischer, actress (Fort Wayne)
- Dolores Fuller, actress (South Bend)
- Will Geer, actor (Frankfort)
- Ron Glass, actor (Evansville)
- Florence Henderson, actress (Dale)
- Drake Hogestyn, actor (Fort Wayne)
- Jamie Hyneman, MythBusters host (Columbus)
- Anissa Jones, actress (West Lafayette)
- Kennedy, 1990s MTV VJ (Indianapolis)
- Adam Kennedy, actor, author, painter (Otterbein)
- Brook Kerr, actress (Indianapolis)
- Michael King, Emmy-winning TV producer, political commentator (Gary)
- Steve Kroft, journalist and correspondent for 60 Minutes (Kokomo)
- David Letterman, late night entertainer (Indianapolis)
- Shelley Long, actress (Fort Wayne)
- Karl Malden, actor (Gary)
- Claire Malis, actress (Gary)
- Patrick McVey, actor (Fort Wayne)
- Julie McWhirter, voice actress (Indianapolis)
- Tammy Lynn Michaels, actress (Lafayette)
- Dylan Minnette, teen actor (Evansville)
- Alvy Moore, actor (Vincennes) and (Terre Haute)
- Jane Pauley, news anchor (Indianapolis)
- Nancy Priddy, actress (South Bend)
- Madelyn Pugh, writer (I Love Lucy) (Indianapolis)
- Sarah Purcell, talk show host, game show host (Richmond)
- Michael Rosenbaum, actor (Newburgh)
- Carly Schroeder, actress (Valparaiso)
- Tavis Smiley, talk show host on PBS and NPR (Kokomo)
- David Shuster, reporter (Bloomington)
- Casey Stegall, correspondent (Evansville)
- Marc Summers, Double Dare host (Indianapolis)
- Trista Sutter, reality TV star (Indianapolis)
- Vincent Ventresca, actor (Indianapolis)
- Kristina Wagner, actress (Indianapolis)
- Michael Warren, actor (South Bend)
- Jama Williamson, actress (Evansville)
- Dick York, actor (Fort Wayne)
Modeling
- AJ Alexander, model, Playboy Playmate (Evansville)
- Bridget Bobel, beauty queen, Miss Indiana 2006 (Peru)
- Pamela Bryant, model, Playboy Playmate (Indianapolis)
- Kaitlyn Christopher, beauty queen, Miss Indiana 2005 (Kokomo)
- June Cochran, model, Playboy Playmate (Indianapolis)
- Jami Ferrell, model, Playboy Playmate (Muncie)
- Danelle Folta, model, Playboy Playmate (Hammond)
- Brandy Grace, model, (Munster)
- Hanna Hilton, model, Penthouse Pet (Brookville)
- Heather Kuzmich, America's Next Top Model finalist (Valparaiso)
- Stephanie Larimore, model, Playboy Playmate (Fort Wayne)
- Brittany Mason, model, Miss Indiana 2008 (Anderson)
- Karen McDougal, fitness model, Playboy Playmate (Merrillville)
- Nicole Rash, model, Miss Indiana 2007 (South Bend)
- Jami Stallings, beauty queen (Evansville)
- Katie Stam, Miss America 2009 (Seymour)
- Heather Stohler, Calvin Klein model (Zelenéfield)
- Marjorie Wallace, model and 1973 Miss World (Indianapolis)
Sports
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- William "Dick the Bruiser" Afflis, football player and professional wrestler (Indianapolis)
- Steve Alford, basketball player (New Castle)
- John Andretti, racer (Indianapolis)
- Damon Bailey, basketball player (Heltonville)
- Alison Bales, basketball player (Indianapolis)
- Clint Barmes, baseball player (Vincennes)
- Danny "the Damaja" Basham, professional wrestler (Seymour)
- Damarcus Beasley, soccer player (Fort Wayne)
- Larry Bird, basketball player (French Lick)
- Blaine Bishop, football player (Indianapolis)
- Tim Bogar, baseball player (Indianapolis)
- Phil Bradley, baseball player (Bloomington)
- Donald Brashear, hockey player (Bedford)
- Eric Bruntlett, baseball player (Lafayette)
- Donie Bush, baseball player (Indianapolis)
- Max Carey, baseball player (Terre Haute)
- Rodney Carney, basketball player (Indianapolis)
- Jamey Carroll, baseball player (Evansville)
- Calbert Cheaney, basketball player (Evansville)
- Mark Clayton, football player (Indianapolis)
- Roosevelt Colvin, football player (Indianapolis)
- Mike Conley, Jr., basketball player (Indianapolis)
- Lou Criger, baseball player (Elkhart)
- George Crowe, baseball player (Whiteland)
- Nig Cuppy, baseball player (Logansport)
- Chad Curtis, baseball player (Marion)
- Jay Cutler, football player (Santa Claus)
- Len Dawson, football player (West Lafayette)
- Mike DeBord, football coach (Muncie)
- Ken Dilger, football player (Lincoln City)
- Terry Dischinger, basketball player (Terre Haute)
- Katie Douglas, WNBA player (Indianapolis)
- Carl Erskine, baseball player (Anderson)
- Trai Essex, Football player (Fort Wayne)
- Jason Fabini, football player (Fort Wayne)
- Charlie Finley, MLB owner of Kansas City/Oakland A's, NHL owner Oakland/California Seals, ABA owner Memphis Pros/Tams (LaPorte)
- Mick Foley, professional wrestler (Bloomington)
- Jake Fox, baseball player (Beech Grove)
- Ford Frick, writer and Commissioner of Major League Baseball (Wawaka)
- Bob Friend, baseball player (West Lafayette)
- Justin Gage, football player (Indianapolis)
- Bill Garrett (William Leon Garrett), basketball player (Shelbyville)
- Katie Gearlds, basketball player (Beach Grove)
- Jeff George, football player (Indianapolis)
- Eric Gordon, basketball player (Indianapolis)
- Bob Griese, football player (Evansville)
- Rex Grossman, football player (Bloomington)
- Luke Harangody, basketball player (Schererville)
- Corey Harris, football player (Indianapolis)
- Del Harris, basketball coach (Plainfield)
- Gordon Hayward, basketball player (Brownsburg)
- Aaron Heilman, baseball player (Logansport)
- Alan Henderson, basketball player (Indianapolis)
- Billy Herman, baseball player (New Albany)
- Mark Herrmann, football player (Carmel)
- George Hill, basketball player (Indianapolis)
- Tony Hinkle, basketball coach (inventor of orange basketball) (Logansport)
- Gil Hodges, baseball player (Princeton)
- Tony Hulman, owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Terre Haute)
- Tommy Hunter, baseball player (Indianapolis)
- Kenny Irwin, racer, (Indianapolis)
- Tommy John, baseball player (Terra Haute)
- Alex Karras, football player (Gary)
- Dustin Keller, football player (Lafayette)
- Shawn Kemp, basketball player (Elkhart)
- Mel Kenyon, midget car racer (Lebanon)
- Jeff King, baseball player (Marion)
- Steve Kinser, 20 time World of Oultlaws Sprint Car Champion (Bloomington)
- Mathias Kiwanuka, football player (Indianapolis)
- Chuck Klein, baseball player (Indianapolis)
- Ward Lambert, basketball coach (West Lafayette)
- Don Larsen, baseball player (Michigan City)
- Don Lash, long-distance runner (Bluffton and Auburn)
- Courtney Lee, basketball player (Indianapolis)
- Adam Lind, baseball player (Muncie)
- Kenny Lofton, baseball player (East Chicago)
- Justin Masterson, baseball player (Fort Wayne)
- Don Mattingly, baseball player (Evansville)
- Sean May, basketball player (Bloomington)
- Brad Maynard, football player (Tipton)
- Walter McCarty, basketball player (Evansville)
- Lloyd McClendon, baseball player (Gary)
- George McGinnis, basketball player (Indianapolis)
- Josh McRoberts, basketball player (Carmel)
- John Mengelt, basketball player (Elwood)
- Brad Miller, basketball player (Kendallville)
- Rick Mirer, football quarterback (Goshen)
- Brandon Moore, football player (Gary)
- Devin Moore, football player (Indianapolis)
- Rick Mount, basketball player (Lebanon)
- Stretch Murphy, basketball player (Marion)
- Ryan Newman, racer (South Bend)
- Greg Oden, basketball player (Indianapolis)
- Elmer Oliphant, football player (Washington)
- Mike Phipps, football player (Columbus)
- Dan Plesac, baseball player (Gary)
- Jason Pociask, football player (Indianapolis)
- Bernard Pollard, football player (Fort Wayne)
- Gregg Popovich, basketball coach (East Chicago)
- Tony Raines, racer (LaPorte)
- Aron Ralston, mountain climber (Indianapolis)
- Zach Randolph, basketball player (Marion)
- Ron Reed, baseball and basketball player (LaPorte)
- Jason Repko, baseball player (East Chicago)
- Sam Rice, baseball player (Morocco)
- Oscar Robertson, basketball player (Indianapolis)
- Glenn Robinson, basketball player (Gary)
- Courtney Roby, football player (Indianapolis)
- Scott Rolen, baseball player (Jasper)
- Edd Roush, baseball player (Oakland City)
- Jeff Samardzija baseball player (Valparaiso)
- Everett Scott, baseball player (Bluffton)
- Scott Skiles, basketball player (Plymouth)
- Anthony Spencer, football player (Fort Wayne)
- Tony Stewart, racer (Columbus)
- Hank Stram, football coach (Gary)
- David Stremme, racer (South Bend)
- Dan Stryzinski, football player (Vincennes)
- Eric Stults, baseball player (Argos)
- Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman, wresting valet (Gary)
- Charles "Chuck" Taylor, basketball player, sports shoe pioneer (Brown County)
- Marshall "Major" Taylor, cyclist (Indianapolis)
- Jeff Teague, basketball player (Indianapolis)
- Walt Terrell, baseball player (Jeffersonville)
- Sam Thompson, baseball player (Danville)
- Dickie Thon, baseball player (South Bend)
- Cory Wade, baseball player (Indianapolis)
- Steve Weatherford, football player (Crown Point)
- Bonzi Wells basketball player (Muncie)
- Stephanie White, former WNBA player (Williamsport)
- Cy Williams, baseball player (Wadena)
- Eugene Wilson, football player (Merrillville)
- John Wooden, basketball player and coach (Martinsville)
- Mike Woodson, basketball player and head coach (Indianapolis)
- Rod Woodson, football player and television analyst (Fort Wayne)
- Tony Zale, boxer (Gary)
- Rollie Zeider, baseball player (Hoover and Auburn)
- Fuzzy Zoeller, golfer (New Albany)
- Shanna Zolman, WNBA player (Syracuse)
- Ultimate Warrior, WWE Wrestler (Crawfordsville)
- Mike Neal, football player (Merrillville)
Business
- Madam C.J. Walker, businesswoman (Indianapolis)
- Bill Blass, fashion designer (Fort Wayne)
- Steve Bellamy, sports and media businessman
- Charles G. Conn, manufacturer of band instruments (Elkhart)
- Steve Ells, Founder and CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill (Indianapolis)
- Michael L. Eskew, former CEO of UPS (Vincennes)
- Carl G. Fisher, founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Prestolite (Indianapolis)
- Richard Jordan Gatling, inventor of gatling gun (Indianapolis)
- Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC (Henryville)
- Jared Fogle, spokesperson of Subway (Indianapolis)
- Halston, fashion designer (Evansville)
- Norman Norell, fashion designer (Noblesville)
- Orville Redenbacher, businessman (Valparaiso, Indiana)
- Alvah Curtis Roebuck, co-founder of Sears, Roebuck and Company (Lafayette)
- John Schnatter, founder and CEO of Papa John's Pizza (Jeffersonville)
Education
- Enoch Albert Bryan, President, Vincennes University and Washington State University (Bloomington)
- Ray Ginger, Harvard professor in American labor history and economic history; target of the House Committee on Unamerican Activities, ending his academic career. (Greencastle) and (Indianapolis).
Art and literature
- George Ade, author and journalist, (Kentland)
- J. Ottis Adams, artist (Indianapolis)
- Radley Balko, journalist, blogger (Greenfield)
- Charles A. Beard, historian (Knightstown)
- Albert J. Beveridge, historian (Indianapolis)
- Allan Bloom, philosopher, classicist, and academic (Indianapolis)
- Norman Bridwell, author (Kokomo)
- Meg Cabot, author (Bloomington)
- Jared Carter, poet (Elwood)
- William Merritt Chase, painter, (Nineveh, Johnson County)
- Will Cuppy, humorist (Auburn)
- Jim Davis, cartoonist (Fairmount)
- Lloyd C. Douglas, author, (Monroeville)
- Theodore Dreiser, author (Terre Haute)
- Marilyn Durham, author (Evansville)
- William Forsyth (artist), artist (Indianapolis)
- Art Green, painter (member of The Hairy Who)
- John Green, author, (Indianapolis)
- Richard Gruelle, artist (Indianapolis)
- Christine Howser, author
- Kin Hubbard, humorist, writer, cartoonist (Indianapolis)
- Robert Indiana, artist (New Castle)
- Ross Lockridge, Jr., author (Bloomington)
- Bubba the Love Sponge, radio personality (Warsaw)
- John T. McCutcheon, cartoonist (Lafayette)
- Bruce Nauman, artist (Fort Wayne)
- Meredith Nicholson, author (Crawfordsville)
- Bill Peet, author, Disney artist, and Caldecott Honor recipient (Grandview)
- Edith Pfau, painter, sculptor, art educator (Jasper)
- Ernie Pyle, newsman, legendary war correspondent during World War II (Dana)
- E. A. Richardson, poet, first Poet Laureate of Indiana. (Pike County)
- James Whitcomb Riley, poet (Greenfield)
- William Edouard Scott, artist (Indianapolis)
- Zerna Sharp, author and educator (Frankfort)
- Will Shortz, editor of The New York Times crossword puzzle and host of the puzzle segment on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Sunday (Crawfordsville)
- David Smith, Abstract Expressionist sculptor (Decatur)
- Otto Stark, artist (Indianapolis)
- T. C. Steele, artist (Indianapolis)
- Gene Stratton Porter, author (Wabash County)
- Booth Tarkington, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Alice Adams, Seventeen, and The Magnificent Ambersons (Indianapolis)
- James Alexander Thom,author, Indianapolis, Brown County
- Gilbert R. Tredway, historian (Jasper)
- Kurt Vonnegut, author (Indianapolis)
- Lew Wallace, author (Crawfordsville)
- J.N. Williamson, author (Noblesville)
- Marguerite Young, poet, author, and critic. (Indianapolis, Indiana)
- Amy Spindler, American journalist (Michigan City) The New York Times Magazine.
Science and medicine
- Gordon Allport, psychologist, one of the founding figures of personality psychology (Montezuma)
- Philip Warren Anderson, Nobel Prize in Physics (Indianapolis)
- Herbert C. Brown, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (West Lafayette)
- James Bert Garner, chemist, inventor of the gas mask (Lebanon)
- Colonel Eli Lilly, founder of Eli Lilly (Indianapolis)
- Goethe Link, surgeon (Indianapolis)
- Elwood Haynes, Inventor of stainless steel (Kokomo)
- C. Francis Jenkins, inventor of the motion picture projector and television (Richmond)
- Salvador E. Luria, Nobel Prize in Medicine (Bloomington)
- Edward Mills Purcell, Nobel Prize in Physics (West Lafayette)
- Ben Roy Mottelson, Nobel Prize in Physics (West Lafayette)
- Hermann Joseph Muller, Nobel Prize in Medicine (Bloomington)
- Paul A. Samuelson, first American to win the Nobel Prize in Economics (Gary)
- Julian Schwinger, Nobel Prize in Physics (West Lafayette)
- Vernon Smith, Nobel Prize in Economics (West Lafayette)
- Lewis Terman, psychologist, inventor of the Stanford-Binet I.Q. test and pioneer in educational psychology (Johnson County)
- Harold Urey, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (Walkerton)
- James D. Watson, Nobel Prize in Medicine (Bloomington)
Aviation and space
- Joseph P. Allen, astronaut (Crawfordsville)
- Frank Borman, astronaut (Gary)
- Kenneth Bowersox, astronaut (Bedford)
- Mark N. Brown, astronaut (Valparaiso)
- Amelia Earhart, pioneer woman aviator (West Lafayette)
- Anthony England, astronaut (Indianapolis)
- Gus Grissom, astronaut (Mitchell)
- Jerry Ross, astronaut (Crown Point)
- David Wolf, astronaut (Indianapolis)
- Charles D. Walker, astronaut (Bedford)
- Wilbur Wright, Inventor (Millville)
Martial artists
- Robert Bowles, An American Karate teacher, 10th Degree black belt in Shuri-ryu karate (Fort Wayne)
- Chris Lytle, UFC Fighter (Indianapolis)
- Joe Morris, Founder of Morris Martial Arts Academy, USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Writer, instructor, instructional videos (Rising Sun)
- Bill Wallace, World Karate Champion, Actor, Author (Muncie)
Notorious and infamous Indiana
- Michael Alig, founding member of Club Kids, murderer (South Bend)
- Lowell Amos, murderer, (Anderson)
- Sam Bass, train robber (Mitchell)
- John Dillinger, bank robber (Indianapolis)
- Belle Gunness, serial killer (La Porte)
- Jimmy Hoffa, labor-union leader (Brazil)
- Jim Jones, cult founder/leader (Richmond)
- Tony Kiritsis, hostage-taker (Indianapolis)
- Sylvia Likens, murder victim (Indianapolis)
- Madge Oberholtzer, murder victim (Clay City)
- Reno Brothers, murderers, committed the first three peacetime train robberies in U.S. history (Rockford)
- Shanda Sharer, murder victim (New Albany)
- D.C. Stephenson, Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, convicted murderer and rapist (Evansville)
