List of people from Danville, Kentucky


These noted people were born, raised or lived for a significant period of time in the city of Danville, Kentucky.
NameNoted for
Michael F. Adamsb. 1948President of the University of Georgia
Mary Hunt Affleck1847–1932American agrarian poet from Texas and a Confederate advocate
Sophia Alcorn1883–1967Educator; invented the Tadoma method of communication with people who are deaf and blind
William Anderson1826–1861U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Joshua Fry Bell1811–1870U.S. Representative, Kentucky Secretary of State; namesake of Bell County, Kentucky
James G. Birney1792–1857Abolitionist, politician and jurist
James M. Birney1817–1888Publisher and U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands
William Birney1819–1907Professor, Union Army general during the American Civil War, attorney and author
Jeremiah Boyle1818–1871Lawyer, abolitionist, and brigadier general during the American Civil War
John Boyle1774–1834U.S. federal judge and U.S. Representative; namesake of Boyle County, Kentucky
John C. Breckinridge1821–1875U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky, Vice President of the United States, U.S. presidential candidate, Confederate States Secretary of War
Robert Breckinridge1800–1871Kentucky politician and Presbyterian minister
Neal Brownb. 1980College football coach and former player
Samuel D. Burchard1812–1891Clergyman
Michael Burnsb. 1947Historian and actor
Jewel Carmen1897–1984Silent film actress
William Chrisman1822–1897Businessman and banker
James Clemens, Jr.1791–1878Businessman and banker
George B. Crittenden1812–1880Career Army officer who served in the Black Hawk War, the Army of the Republic of Texas, the Mexican–American War, and the Confederate States Army in the American Civil War
Joseph Daveiss1774–1811Lawyer and soldier
Todd Duncan1903–1998Baritone opera singer and actor
Milton J. Durham1824–1911Representative from Kentucky
Monroe Edwards1808–1847Slave trader, forger, swindler
John Fetterman1920–1975Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter
John Baptiste Ford1811–1903Industrialist and founder of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company
Harry Frankel1888–1948Minstrel performer and vaudevillian, "Singin' Sam, the Barbasol Man"
Helen Fisher Frye1918–2014Educator and civil rights activist
Speed S. Fry1817–1892Lawyer, judge, and U.S. Army officer during the Mexican–American War and American Civil War
William Arthur Ganfield1873–1940Educator
Alfred Goodrich Garr1875–1944Pentecostal Evangelist
Jordan Gayb. 1990American football player
Hart Goodloe1875–1954Surgeon in the First World War
Ashley Gorleyb. 1969Songwriter and producer
Lewis W. Green1806–1863Presbyterian minister and educator
Willis Green1818-1893U.s. Representative
Christopher Greenup1750–1818U.S. Representative and Governor of Kentucky
Viola Rowe Gross1921–2012Teacher, businesswoman, clubwoman, and author
Aaron Harding1805–1875U.S. Representative from Kentucky
John Marshall Harlan1833–1911U.S. Supreme Court Justice, "The Great Dissenter"
Larnelle Harrisb. 1947Gospel singer, songwriter and recording artist
Harvey Helm1865–1919U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Robby HensonFilm director and screenwriter
William R. Higgins1945–1990U.S. Marine Corps colonel captured and killed in 1988 while on a UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
Edward W. Hoch1849–1925Governor of Kansas
Jesse Lynch Holman1784–1842Indiana lawyer, politician, jurist, novelist, poet, city planner, and preacher
Dennis Johnsonb. 1979Football player
Elizabeth Topham Kennanb. 1938Academic, president of Mount Holyoke College
James Kerr1790–1850Politician in Missouri and Texas who was active in establishing the Republic of Texas
John Kincaid1791–1873U.S. Representative from Kentucky
J. Proctor Knott1830–1911U.S. Representative from Kentucky and Governor of Kentucky
Travis Leffewb. 1983Football player
Robert P. Letcher1788–1861U.S. Representative, diplomat, and Governor of Kentucky
Pierce Lively1921–2016U.S. federal judge
James Logan1791–1859Arkansas pioneer
Susan Shelby Magoffin1827–1855Diarist
Sara W. Mahan1870–1966Progressive era social reformer, early Democratic Party member
Maurice Manningb. 1966Poet
Jim Marshallb. 1937Football player
Claude Matthews1845–1898Governor of Indiana
Charles McDowell, Jr.1926–2010Political writer and television panelist
Ephraim McDowell1771–1830Physician, first to successfully remove an ovarian tumor
Samuel McDowell1735–1817Soldier and early political leader in Kentucky
John Gaines Miller1812–1856U.S. Representative from Missouri
E. Belle Mitchell1848–1942Educator and abolitionist
Eddie Montgomeryb. 1963Country music artist
John Michael Montgomeryb. 1965Country music artist
Lottie Moon1840–1912Missionary to China
John Norvell1789–1850Newspaper editor and U.S. Senator from Michigan
Theodore O'Hara1820–1867Poet and soldier
William Owsley1782–1862Associate justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals; Governor of Kentucky
Don Phelps1924–1982Professional American football player
Stephen Rolfe Powell1951–2019Glass artist
Scott Pruittb. 1968Oklahoma Attorney General
James E. Rogers Jr.1947–2018President and CEO of Duke Energy
Joe Rue1898–1984Major League Baseball umpire
Willis Russell1803–1852Emancipated slave of Revolutionary War veteran Robert Craddock, founder of first school in Danville for African-American children
Alfred Ryors1812–1858President of Indiana University, Ohio University; professor at Centre College
Hugh L. Scott1853–1934Superintendent of West Point, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army in World War I
Isaac Shelby1750–1826First and fifth Governor of Kentucky
Jonathan Shellb. 1987Kentucky politician
Thomas A. Spragens1917–2006Educator, president of Centre College
King Swope1893–1961U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Albert G. Talbott1808–1887Kentucky politician
John G. Talbot1844–1870U.S. Navy officer
Albert G. Talbott1808–1887U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Jacob Tammeb. 1985Football player
Josh Teaterb. 1979Professional golfer
Charles Stewart Todd1791–1871U.S. Army officer and U.S. Ambassador to Russia
Thomas Todd1765–1826U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Trey D.Songwriter and composer, born Keith McGuffey
Frank X Walkerb. 1961Kentucky's first African-American Poet Laureate
DeWitt Weaverb. 1939Professional golfer
Reed N. Weisiger1838–1908Texas State Senator, Confederate cavalry officer
Fess Williams1894–1975Jazz musician
Phil Woolpert1915–1987College basketball coach
Craig Yeastb. 1976American and Canadian football player