Famous West Virginians

FAMOUS WEST VIRGINIANS

Chuck Yeager: Made the first “faster than sound” air flight on October 14, 1947

John McBride: Pilot of Challenger Space Shuttle in 1985 and shuttle commander for a future flight.

David Selby: Actor

Don Knotts: Actor

Soupy Sales: Comedian

Joanna Dru: Actress

Toney Brown: Host of public television’s “Tony Brown’s Journal” the nation’s longest running and top Ranked black affairs series.

Vincent Price: Actor, The original “The Fly”

Peter Marshall: Actor, hosted Hollywood Squares

Chicatta Ferrell: Actress

Joanne Phlug: Actress

Kathy Mattea: Country Music Star

Charlie McCoy: Country Music Star

Pearl Buck: Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning author born in Hillsboro, WV

Mary Lou Retton: Olympic gold medal winner in gymnastics in the 1984 Olympics.

Jerry West: NBA Hall of Fame, President of LA Lakers and was a member of 1960 WVU National Champion runner up team.

Sam Sneed: Championship golfer

Curt Warner: Running Back for Seattle Seahawks

Lew Burdette: Former pitcher of Milwaukee Braves.

Rod Thorn: Former WVU basketball player, General Manager of Chicago Bulls, now NBA VP.

“Hot” “Rod” Hunley: WVU basketball player, now radio announcer for Utah Jazz.

George Brett: Baseball player for Kansas City Royals

Lonnie Warwick: Retired pro football player

Dennis Harrah: Retired pro football player (Rams)

Carl Lee: Plays pro football for Minnesota Vikings.

Sam Huff: Hall of Fame Linebacker. Now VP Marketing for Marriott Corporation.

Dick Clark: American Bandstand.

Lil Jimmy Dickens: Country Music star.