List of people from Oakland, California

This is a listing of famous and notable people who were either born in, or have lived in, Oakland, California.

Entertainment

*Mahershalalhashbaz Ali – actor
*Eddie Anderson – actor
*Max Baer, Jr. – actor, film director
*Pamela Blake – actress
*True Boardman – silent film actor
*Connie Cezon – actress
*Buster Crabbe – actor
*T. D. Crittenden – silent film actor
*Robert Culp – actor
*Mark Curry – actor/comedian
*Walter DeLeon – screenwriter
*Rockmond Dunbar – actor, mixed-media artist
*Michael Earl – puppeteer who characterized Mr. Snuffleupagus on Sesame Street
*Clint Eastwood – actor, Academy Award-winning film producer and director
*Lyndsy Fonseca – actress
*Sumner Getchell – actor
*Michael A. Goorjian – actor and filmmaker
*R. Henry Grey – silent film actor
*Khamani Griffin – child actor
*Mark Hamill – actor
*Tom Hanks – Academy Award-winning actor, raised in Oakland
*Susan Seaforth Hayes – actor
*Joseph Jackson – talent manager
*Ted Lange – actor
*Brandon Lee (son of Bruce Lee) – actor, born in Oakland
*Bruce Lee – actor, martial artist
*Caryl Lincoln – actress
*Dakin Matthews – actor
*Russ Meyer – film director
*Jefferson Moffitt – screenwriter, film director
*Shemar Moore – actor, model
*Mitch Mullany – actor
*Laura Oakley – silent film actress
*Dorothy Revier – silent film actress, dancer
*Cherie Roberts – adult model, photographer
*George Stevens – Academy Award-winning film director
*Ethel Grey Terry – silent film actress
*Jo Van Fleet – actor
*Mills Watson – actor
*Will Wright – game designer credited with SimCity and The Sims
*Daniel Wu – actor

Artists and designers

*Garry Knox Bennett – woodworker, metalworker, furniture maker, artist
*Henry Doane – landscape painter, commercial artist
*Walter J. Mathews – architect, designed the First Unitarian Church of Oakland
*Bernard Maybeck – architect
*Julia Morgan – architect, raised and buried in Oakland
*Willis O'Brien – animator
*Nathan Oliveira – painter, printmaker, sculptor, professor
*Lisa Quinn – artist, author, designer
*Galen Rowell – photographer
*Flo Oy Wong – installation artist
*Wendy Yoshimura – artist

Athletes

*Jon Barry – basketball player, television sports analyst
*Charlie Beamon – baseball pitcher
*Charlie Beamon, Jr. – baseball first baseman and designated hitter
*Davone Bess – football player
*Will Blackwell – football player
*Marlin Briscoe – football player
*John Brodie – football player, sportscaster
*Don Budge – tennis player
*Glenn Burke – baseball player
*Antonio Davis – basketball player
*Steve DeBerg – football quarterback
*Dennis Eckersley – baseball player
*Manny Fernandez – football defensive lineman
*Greg Foster – basketball player, born and raised in Oakland
*Brad Gilbert, former tennis player and tennis coach
*Drew Gooden – basketball player
*Rickey Henderson – baseball player
*Steve Hosey – baseball player
*Al Hrabosky also known as the "Mad Hungarian" – baseball pitcher, color commentator
*Brian Johnson – baseball player
*Robert Jordan – football player
*Bobby Kemp – football safety
*Jason Kidd – basketball player, raised in Oakland
*Tony Lema – golfer
*Ernie Lombardi – baseball catcher and Hall of Famer
*Cookie Lavagetto – baseball third baseman, manager, coach
*Terrell Lowery – baseball player
*Lorenzo Lynch – retired football player
*Marshawn Lynch – football player
*Eddie McGah – baseball catcher, minority owner of the Oakland Raiders
*Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell – streetball player, convicted for armed robbery
*Joe Morgan – baseball player
*Kirk Morrison – football player
*Gary Payton – basketball player, born and raised in Oakland
*Gary Pettis – baseball center fielder and coach
*Paul Pierce – basketball player
*Vada Pinson – baseball center fielder and coach
*Leon Powe – basketball player
*John Ralston – football linebacker and coach
*Isiah Rider – basketball player
*Chris Roberson – baseball player
*Jimmy Rollins – baseball player
*Bill Russell – basketball player
*Brian Shaw – basketball player
*Fred Silva – football official
*Dave Stewart – baseball player
*Jim Tobin – baseball pitcher
*Marviel Underwood – football player
*Langston Walker – football player
*Andre Ward – boxer
*George Wells – professional wrestler
*Bill Werle – left-handed baseball pitcher
*Archie Williams – runner
*Dontrelle Willis – baseball player
*Frank Robinson – baseball player
*Drew Gooden – basketball player
*Bill Lester – professional racer and former NASCAR driver

Leaders (activists and politicians)

*Richard Aoki – activist
*William P. Baker – politician
*Sonny Barger – founder of the Hells Angels motorcycle club
*Jerry Brown – politician, former governor of California and mayor of Oakland
*Albert E. Carter – politician
*Frank Chu – eccentric street protester
*William Clark, Jr. – diplomat, ambassador
*Angela Davis – activist, former member of Black Panthers
*C. L. Dellums – organizer and leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
*Ron Dellums – politician, former U.S. Congressman and Representative, mayor of Oakland
*Warren B. English – Confederate war veteran, politician, realtor
*Heather Fargo – politician, mayor of Sacramento, California
*Marcus Foster – educator, the first African-American Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District
*Elihu Harris – politician, former mayor of Oakland
*Kamala Harris – politician, District Attorney for San Francisco
*Fred Korematsu – Japanese-American who fought forced internment, testing the law in Korematsu v. United States
*Joseph R. Knowland – former U.S. Representative and former owner of "Oakland Tribune", cremated in Oakland
*Barbara Lee – U.S. Representative
*Charles Goodall Lee – dentist, civic leader, benefactor of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance
*Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee – activist, first Chinese-American woman voter in the US
*Edwin Meese III – former United States Attorney General
*Victor H. Metcalf – politician, attorney, banker
*Jessica Mitford – writer, activist, former Communist
*Paul Montauk – Communist politician and two-time candidate for Oakland mayor
*Nancy Nadel – member of the Oakland City Council
*Huey P. Newton – activist, co-founder of Black Panthers
*Pat Parker – black lesbian poet and activist
*Ed Rosenthal – horticulturist, publisher, activist for the legalization of marijuana
*John A. Russo – Oakland city attorney, former city councilman
*Bobby Seale – activist, co-founder of Black Panthers
*Robert Treuhaft – activist for labor and leftist causes, attorney, writer
*Lionel J. Wilson – politician, first African-American mayor of Oakland

Military

*Bud Anderson – USAF (served 1942-1972) fighter pilot and commander, a triple ace who retired at the rank of colonel
*Jeremiah C. Sullivan – American Civil War general in the Union Army and staff member of Ulysses S. Grant, buried in Oakland
* Rossell O'Brien – American Civil War veteran, started the custom of standing and removing one's hat during the National anthem, buried in Oakland

Musicians, composers and dancers

*3X Krazy – male rap group
*Billie Joe Armstrong – musician, lead vocalist for rock band Green Day
*Tim Armstrong – musician
*Gaylord Birch – musician
*Carla Bley – composer, musician
*Mike Botts – studio musician, drummer for rock band Bread
*Peter Buck – musician
*Emilio Castillo – musician, founding member of Tower of Power
*Mike Clark – musician
*Cold Blood – rock, soul, jazz band
*Keyshia Cole – Grammy Award-nominated R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, born and raised in Oakland
*Del tha Funkee Homosapien – musician
*Digital Underground – rap group
*Rose Ann Dimalanta – musician
*Mike Dirnt – musician, bassist for rock band Green Day
*Mac Dre – rapper, born in Oakland, raised in Vallejo
*Isadora Duncan – dancer
*E-A-Ski – rapper, record producer
*En Vogue – Grammy Award-nominated female R&B singing group, originated from Oakland in 1990
*Pete Escovedo – musician, born in Oakland
*Sheila E. – musician, born in Oakland
*Robb Flynn – musician best known as lead guitarist and vocalist for Machine Head
*Michael Franti – musician
*Fred Frith – improvisational musician, guitarist, composer, professor of music
*David Garibaldi – musician, member of Tower of Power
*Mic Gillette – musician, founding member of Tower of Power
*Goapele – soul and R&B singer
*Larry Graham – musician
*Jeff Hanneman – guitarist for rock band Slayer
*MC Hammer – musician, born in Oakland
*Davey Havok – musician, lead singer for AFI
*Hieroglyphics – rap group, originated from Oakland
*Earl Hines – jazz pianist
*John Lee Hooker – musician
*Paul Jackson – musician
*Stephan Jenkins – musician in Third Eye Blind
*Henry Kaiser – musician, grandson of Henry J. Kaiser
*Keak da Sneak – musician
*Kid 606 – musician
*Stephen "Doc" Kupka – musician, founding member of Tower of Power
*Pep Love – rapper
*The Lovemakers – pop band
*The Luniz – rap duo
*Michael Manring – bassist, born in D.C, lives in Oakland
*Tony Martin – singer, actor
*Mary Mary – gospel duo
*Seagram Miller – rapper
*Mistah F.A.B. – rapper
*David Murray – musician
*Andy Narell – musician, lived in Oakland in the 1960s
*Holly Near – singer, teacher, activist
*Numskull – rapper
*Nutt-So – rapper
*Ray Obiedo – musician
*Marty Paich – pianist, composer, arranger, producer, director, conductor
*Harry Partch – composer
*Phesto – rapper, producer
*The Pointer Sisters – Grammy Award-winning R&B singing group
*Richie Rich – rapper
*Francis Rocco Prestia – musician
*Perri "Pebbles" Reid – singer-songwriter, manager of TLC
*Cynthia Robinson – musician
*Raphael Saadiq – musician
*Pharoah Sanders – musician
*Sharon Shore – ballet dancer, model
*Dave Smallen – musician, lead vocalist of Street to Nowhere
*J Stalin – rapper
*Bill Summers – musician
*The Team – rap group
*Too Short – rapper, born in Los Angeles, lived in Oakland from 1980–1994
*Tony! Toni! Toné! – male R&B singing group
*Tupac Shakur – rapper, songwriter, poet, actor, activist, lived in Oakland from 1988-1991
*Freddie Stone – musician
*Rose Stone – musician
*R. Prophet – rapper, former member of Nappy Roots
*San Quinn – rapper, born in Oakland, raised in San Francisco
*Shock G – rapper
*Sly Stone – musician
*Souls of Mischief – rap group
*Calvin E. Simmons – symphony orchestra conductor, namesake of Calvin Simmons Theatre
*Bill Summers – musician
*Tower of Power – band; formed and based in Oakland
*Tre Cool – musician, drummer for rock band Green Day
*Freddie Washington – musician
*Lenny Williams – musician, early member of Tower of Power
*Yukmouth – rapper
*Ernestine Stodelle (née Henoch); modern dancer, author

Industrialists

*Anthony Chabot – entrepreneur, father of hydraulic mining, namesake of Chabot Space & Science Center, Lake Chabot, and Chabot College, buried in Oakland
*Charles Crocker – railroad tycoon, buried in Oakland
*Domingo Ghirardelli – founder of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company based in San Francisco, buried in Oakland
*Ken Hofmann – former owner of the Oakland Athletics
*Henry J. Kaiser – entrepreneur, businessman, founder of Kaiser Permanente and Kaiser Family Foundation, buried in Oakland
*Francis Marion Smith also known as "Borax" Smith – miner, business magnate

Physicians

*Samuel Merritt – practiced in San Francisco, namesake of Merritt College, Merritt Hospital, and Lake Merritt, buried in Oakland

Religious leaders

*David Berg – controversial cult leader, founder of Children of God
*Yusuf Bey – controversial Black Muslim activist
*Mose Durst – author, educator, former president of the Unification Church
*James Ishmael Ford – Zen Buddhist priest and Unitarian Universalist minister
*Ray Frank – female Jewish leader
*Judah Leon Magnes – prominent Reform rabbi
*Bebe Patten – evangelist and founder of Patten University
*Clarence Richard Silva – Catholic bishop from Oakland, current Bishop of Honolulu
*Richard B. Stamps – anthropologist, archeologist, president of the Taipei Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
*Allen Henry Vigneron – Catholic bishop, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland

cientists and inventors

*Fernando J. Corbató – computer scientist
*Frederick Cottrell – inventor
*Kim Eric Drexler – engineer, molecular nanotechnology theorist
*Frank Epperson – popsicle inventor
*Alexei Filippenko – astrophysicist, professor of astronomy
*Ansel Franklin Hall – first park naturalist for Yosemite National Park, first Chief Forester for the National Park Service
*Stanley Miller – chemist

Writers and poets

*Daniel Alarcon – writer, currently resides in Oakland
*Catherine Asaro – writer
*Chauncey Bailey – journalist assassinated by an agent of Your Black Muslim Bakery
*Delilah L. Beasley – first African-American columnist to be published in a major newspaper
*Anthony Boucher – writer
*Jon Carroll – columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle
*Frank Chin – writer
*Daniel Clowes – comic book writer, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, currently resides in Oakland
*Robert Duncan – poet
*Maxine Hong Kingston – writer, currently resides in Oakland
*Sidney Howard – Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Academy Award-winning screenwriter
*Jack London – writer, raised in Oakland, namesake of Jack London Square
*Rod McKuen – poet, composer, singer
*Joaquin Miller – poet, lived in Oakland from 1886-1913
*Stephen Morse – poet, publisher
*Jess Mowry – writer
*Frank Norris – author, buried in Oakland
*Suzetta Perkins – author
*Ishmael Reed – writer, currently resides in Oakland
*Jason Shiga – author, cartoonist, puzzle designer
*Jan Steckel – poet, writer, bisexual activist
*Alex Steffen – writer, born in Oakland
*Gertrude Stein – writer
*Amy Tan – writer, born in Oakland
*Li Keng Wong – writer
*Nellie Wong – poet and activist, born in Oakland
*Shawn Wong – writer, English professor
*William Wong – writer, columnist, born in Oakland
*Helen Zia – writer, journalist, and activist, currently resides in Oakland

Criminals

*Felix Mitchell – notorious drug lord and gang leader of the 1970s and early 1980s
*Hans Reiser – computer programmer, owner of Namesys, convicted of murdering his wife

ee also

*List of mayors of Oakland, California