He died October 5, 2011.
Famous Lutherans List
Famous Living Lutherans
Here is a list of “Famous Living Lutherans” compiled from various sources. Those listed are ELCA members, unless noted otherwise. This list is accurate to the best of our knowledge. Please send your additions and/or corrections to michelle.daniels@elca.org Updated March 2008.
Politics
U.S. Representatives: Michele Bachmann (WELS), Lois Capps, John R. Carter, Norman Dicks, Stephanie Herseth, Darlene Hooley, Ron Kind (WELS), Tom Latham, Zoe Lofgren, Collin Peterson, Thomas Petri, Dave Reichert (LCMS), John Shimkus (LCMS), Bill Shuster, Tim Walz.
U.S. Senators:
Sherrod Brown, Byron Dorgan, Ernest F. "Fritz" Hollings, Tim Johnson and Nikki G. Setzler
Nane Annan, wife of former UN Secretary General Koffe Annan
Douglas K. Bereuter – former US House, now head of the Asia Foundation
Bob Bergland, former US Secretary of Agriculture
John Bolton, US Ambassador to the United Nations
William Dannemeyer, former US House of Representatives (LCMS)
Tim Goeglein, special assistant to President Bush and Deputy Director of
Public Liaison (LCMS)
Steve Gunderson, former US House of Representatives, now known as an author
Gaylord T. Gunhus. former chief of chaplains for the U.S. Army
John Hamre, former deputy director, US Department of Defense
Donald Hodel, former US Secretary of Energy and Interior
John E. Jones III, judge, US District Court, Pennsylvania (ELCA)
Judge Dan Joy, New York State
Thomas S. Kleppe, former US Interior Secretary
Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr., Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
Cynthia Lummis, Treasurer, Wyoming (LCMS)
John Marty, Minnesota State Senator
Ed Meese, former US Attorney General
Mark Neumann, former US House of Representative (WELS)
Tim Penny, former US House of Representatives
Dale Sandstrom, Justice, North Dakota Supreme Court
Sports
Shane Battier, Memphis Grizzlies NBA
Kim Bauer, Womens PGA Golfer (WELS)
Tom Brady, New England Patriots quarterback
Matt Bullard, Houston Rockets
Karyn Bye, US Women’s Hockey Olympic Team
Dan Califf, San Jose Earthquakes (soccer)
Dom Capers, Houston Texans coach
Bill Cartwright, former Chicago Bulls coach
Chris DeMarco, PGA golfer
Morgan Ensberg, Houston Astros baseball (LCMS)
Darin Erstad, Los Angeles Angels
Phil Hansen, former Buffalo Bills defensive end
Elrod Hendricks, former Baltimore Orioles catcher
Tony Kubek, former NY Yankee (WELS)
Michael Jackson, former Seattle Seahawks & Washington Huskies football
Dale Jarrett, NASCAR driver
Ned Jarrett, NASCAR commentator & retired NASCAR driver
Calle Johansson, Washington Capitals (hockey)
Janet Lynn, Olympic skater
Madeline Manning Mims, former Olympic athlete, current Olympic chaplain
Scott Madson, Soloflex ads (LCMS)
Carmelo Martinez, professional baseball player
Luis Matos, Baltimore Orioles baseball player
Paul Molitor, Baseball Hall of Fame
Andy North, PGA Golfer, former US Open champion (LCMS)
Gregg Olson, retired professional baseball player
Lute Olson, University of Arizona basketball coach
Hank Peters, former general manager of the Orioles and Indians (LCMS)
Brian Propp, NHL (ELCIC)
Paul Reuschel, former Chicago Cub
Rick Reuschel, former Chicago Cub
John Scheirholz, general manager, Atlanta Braves
Jerry Seeman, head NFL referee
Richard Steele, referee
Terry Steinbach, Minnesota Twins baseball (WELS)
Gary Suter, NHL
John Vambiesbrouck, Philadelphia Flyers goalie, NHL (LCMS)
Duffy Waldorf, professional golfer
Bruce Weber, coach, University of Illinois basketball
Jim Wilson, former Chicago White Sox
Mark Wilson, PGA Tour player (ELCA)
Dave Winfield, Baseball Hall of Fame
John Zimmerman, professional skater
Television News and Sports
Troy Aikman, FOX Sports, former NFL player
Emily Akin, NBC news, Houston
John Bachman, WHO TV, Des Moines, Iowa
Dick Bremer (LCMS), Minnesota Twins TV announcer
Jack Cafferty, CNN anchor
Gretchen Carlson, FOX news (former Miss America)
Mary Hart, "Entertainment Tonight" host
Jim Henderson, radio announcer
Joel Hochmuth (WELS), former CNN reporter
Donna Kelley, CNN anchor
Verne Lundquist, CBS sports
Ann Martin, KABC-TV (L.A.), news anchor
Lisa Malosky, NBC Sports
Cliff Michaelson, WCSH TV, Portland, Maine
Mike Miller, Milwaukee TV news
Pat O’Brien, former "Access Hollywood" host, now “ The Insider” host
Dane Placko, FOX news, Chicago
Dick Reeves, CBS radio news anchor, retired
Jane Robelot, CBS news
Christine Romans, CNN anchor
Orion Samuelson, WGN TV and radio
Flip Saunders, NBA head coach, Detroit Pistons.
John Scott, NBC news (LCMS)
Susan Spencer, CBS news
Ron Steele, KWWL-TV, Waterloo, Iowa
Michelle TaFoya, CBS sports
Bill Whitney, CBS radio news
Paul Yeager, KWQC-TV news, Quad Cities
Actors/Entertainers/Musicians/Film Industry Folks
Erika Alezander, actor ("Bill Cosby Show")
Loni Anderson, actor
Brice Beckham, actor, Wooley Owens on “Mr. Belvedere”
Beverly Benda, soprano
Beau & Jeff Bridges, actors (entire Bridges family are active Lutherans)
Dana Carvey, comedian and actor
Gary Cole, actor, “Brady Bunch” films
Brandy Dejongh, actor (LCMS)
Justino Diaz, opera singer
Fred Durst, singer and actor
Kirsten Dunst, actor
Rusty Edwards, composer
Kurt Elling, jazz musician
Paul "Ace" Frehley, rock musician "KISS" (LCMS)
Janie Fricke, country music star
Michael Gesme, Conductor of Bend Oregon Symphony Orchestra
Annabeth Gish, actor, "The X Files"
Jerry Hadley, opera tenor
Don Hahn, Disney film producer
Hilary Hahn, young violinist
Patti Hansen, actor and model
David Hasselhoff, actor/producer, "Baywatch"
Marty Haugen, composer
Adolph Herseth, retired Chicago Symphony lead trumpeter
Felicity Huffman, actor “Desperate Housewives”
William Hurt, actor
Marta Casals Istomin, cellist
Craig Hella Johnson, singer, music director
Kris Kristofferson, singer/actor
Gary Lewis, musician "Gary Lewis and the Playboys"
Lyle Lovett, singer (LCMS)
William H. Macy, actor
Paul Manz, organist
Kurt Masur, former conductor, New York Philharmonic
Ron Maxwell, film producer ("Gettysburg")
Peter & Jim Mayer, Jimmy Buffet band
John Mellencamp, musician and singer (LCMS?)
Kirsten Nelson, actor, “The West Wing” & “Pysch”
Thomas Ian Nicholas, actor
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (attended a Lutheran day school)
Ann-Margaret (Olson), actor (LCMS)
Christopher Orr, actor, "The Mighty Ducks" movies (WELS)
Ivaan David Ortiz, film director
Ivan Gonzalo Ortiz, film producer
Michael Peterson, country music star
Frances Williams Preston, president and CEO of Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI)
James Rebhorn, actor ("The Game," "Fatal Attraction," "Seinfeld")
Andy Richter, former "Late Night with Conan O’Brien" co-host
David Rupprecht, actor, game show host (WELS)
Paul Schrader, film director and screenwriter
Elke Sommer, actor
Kevin Sorbo, actor, "Hercules" and Andromeda
David Soul, actor, "Starsky & Hutch"
Rick Steves, PBS travel host, travel author
Sally Struthers, actor - “All in the Family” and “Gillmore Girls”
Liv Ullman, actor
Stephen Werner, rock drummer
Roger Williams, pianist
Bruce Willis, actor
John Woo, film director ("Windtalkers" among many others)
John Ylvisaker, singer and composer ("Borning Cry")
Steve Zahn, actor "Sahara" and “Out of Sight” (LCMS)
Authors, Artists and Scholars
Gerald Barney, Millennium Institute, Washington, D.C.
Paul Bouman, composer
Warrin Bennis, author on leadership
Peter Berger, sociologist
Robert Bly, poet and author “Iron John”
Sandra Bowden, artist (LCMS)
Herbert Brokering, author
Rita Mae Brown, author "Bingo" and "Rubyfruit Jungle"
Jill Alexander Essbaum, poet
Jean Garton (LCMS), author of "Who Broke the Baby?"
Richard Hillert, composer
Bill Holm, poet
Edna Hong, author
Howard Hong, author
Ichabod, independent blogger
Marta Istomin, director, Pablo Casals Foundation
Cecile Johnson, watercolorist
Betina Krahn, author
Gary Larsen, cartoonist "The Far Side"
Jean LemMon, former editor, "Better Homes & Gardens"
George Lindbeck, scholar/author
Betty Mahmoody (WELS), author of "Not Without My Daughter"
Paul Maier, author (LCMS)
Janet Letnes Martin, author
Martin Marty, church historian
Cindy McTee, composer
Francisco Molina, poet
Alexandra Nechita, artist
Larry Rasmussen, Union Seminary, New York, ethicist
Jose David Rodriguez, author
Carl Schalk, composer
Peter Schieckele, composer, musician
David E. Schrader, Executive Director, American Philosophical Association, Newark, Delaware
Bob Sylwester, author, pioneer in brain-based learning (LCMS)
Walter Wangerin Jr., author/speaker
James Wind, Alban Institute
Karl A. Ylvisaker, artist (WELS)
Harriett Ziegenhais, composer
Science, Military, Business, Beauty, etc.
Linda Ahlers, Dayton Hudson, President, department store division
Bradbury Anderson, CEO, Best Buy
Gerald Barney, the Millenium Institute
Linda Bartlett, president "Lutherans for Life" (LCMS)
David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World
Mary Beth Blegen, 1996 Teacher of the Year
Norman E. Borlaug, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal for his work in agricultural science.
Don Branderstein, astronaut
Tom Buis, President, National Farmers Union
Robert Cade, inventor of Gatorade (LMCS)
Doris Christopher, CEO, the Pampered Chef
Lt.General Roger DeKok, Air Force Space Command
William Foege, former executive director, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta
Ron Gangelhoff, Chicago Cutlery Company founder
Bryan Holderby, US Navy Chief of Chaplains (1996 – 2000)
Steve Jobs, Apple Computer co-founder (LCMS)
Michael Johns, health care executive
Rebecca O. Kendall (Gass), retired Eli Lily VP & general counsel
James M. Kilts, CEO, Gillette
Grant Krafft, scientist (Alzheimer’s research)
Ed Kruse, CEO, Blue Bell Creameries, Inc.
Victor Langford, US Army General & chaplain
Judith Larson, scientist
Mark Lee, former astronaut
John Moellering, US Army General, former West Point commandant (LCMS)
Don Muchow (LCMS), former Navy chief of chaplains (1992 – 1996)
George "Pinky" Nelson, former astronaut
Marilyn Carlson Nelson, CEO, Carlson Companies
Paul Olson, President, National Farmers Organization
Ardath Rodale, CEO Rodale Press
Carolyn Sapp, former Miss America
Alfred Schwan, CEO, Schwan Foods (WELS)
Norman Schwarzkopf, US Army General
Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation
Diane (Baum) Thormodsgard, President of Corporate Trust Div. at U.S. Bank
Ross Trower, former Navy chaplain chief
General John Vessey, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (LCMS)
Jeff Williams, astronaut
***
Joe Abrahamson has left a new comment on your post "Famous Lutherans":
Greg,
Too funny if the reference
"Ichabod, independent blogger"
means you!!! And without the parenthetical qualification of membership, the ELCA is claiming you as their own!!
Of all the stupid ironies.
I guess that shows us how reliable the rest of the list probably is.
My name isn't on the list. So, I know two things. 1) I'm not a famous Lutheran, and 2) The ELCA doesn't consider me a member. Well, yet, I suppose. I'll try to avoid both.
Wishing you the best,
Joe A.
***
GJ - Joe, I have to admit scratching my name in the wet cement. I could not resist. I wondered if anyone would notice. Diablo saw it right away. So did AnonyMouse, squeaking away as expected, from the dives and cheap bars of Appleton, Wisconsin, drunk capital of America.
