This list of Swiss Americans includes original immigrants who obtained American citizenship, and their American descendants.
To be included in this list, subjects must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Swiss American or must have references showing they are Swiss Americans and are notable.
Pioneers J. Presper Eckert (1919–1995), computer pioneer, co-designed the ENIAC Peter Luginbill (1818–1886), born in France as the son of Mennonite parents exiled from the Emmental, early settler in Indiana and founder of the city of Berne John Sutter (1803–1880), born in Germany of a Swiss father, Californian famous for his association with the California Gold Rush (in that gold was discovered by James W. Marshall in Sutter's Mill) and for establishing Sutter's Fort in an area that would later become the capital of California, Sacramento "German-born Swiss pioneer settler and colonizer in California; the discovery of gold on his land in 1848 precipitated the California Gold Rush." John Augustus Sutter, Jr. (1826–1897), his son, a U.S. Consul to Acapulco, Mexico and the founder and planner of the City of Sacramento, California Theobald (Diebold) von Erlach (1541–1565), first Swiss person known to have settled in North America. Wright brothers, aviation pioneers, mother of partial Swiss descent Louis Chevrolet, co-founder of Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911 John Joachim Zubly (1724–1781) of St. Gallen, pastor, planter, and statesman during the American RevolutionNew Georgia Encyclopedia: John J. Zubly (1724-1781)
List by occupation Business Robert Abplanalp (1922–2003), businessman, inventor of the aerosol valve Steve Ballmer (born 1956), businessman and CEO of Microsoft Corporation Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919), industrialist and art patron, once known as "America's most hated man". as per CNBC one of the "Worst American CEOs of All Time". "Portfolio's Worst American CEOs of All Time." CNBC.com April 30, 2009. Meyer Guggenheim (1828–1905), statesman, patriarch of Guggenheim family "Meyer, though a native speaker of German, was Swiss-German." Simon Guggenheim (1867–1941), businessman, politician, and philanthropist Steve Jobs (1955–2011), information technology entrepreneur and inventor Milton Hershey (1857–1945), confectioner, philanthropist, and founder of The Hershey Chocolate Company Otto Frederick Hunziker (1873–1959), pioneer in the American and international dairy industry S. S. Kresge (1867–1966), merchant, philanthropist and founder of the S. S. Kresge Company, now Sears Holdings Corporation. Robert Lutz (born 1932), General Motors Vice Chairman of Product Development and Chairman of GM North America, the world's largest automaker "The legendary Swiss manager has been tasked with bringing fresh momentum to the sputtering engine of the world's largest automobile group." Mark Spitznagel (born 1971), hedge fund manager James G. Sterchi (1867–1932), furniture store magnate Bruce Tognazzini (born 1945), usability consultant in partnership the Nielsen Norman Group Albert Lee Ueltschi (1917–2012), considered the father of modern flight training and was the founder of FlightSafety
Arts and entertainment Actors and directors René Murat Auberjonois (1940–2019), film actor Theda Bara (1885–1955), silent film actress and sex symbol Wallace Beery (1885–1949), film actor Berry Berenson (1948–2001), photographer, actress, and model, mother of part Swiss descent Marisa Berenson (born 1947), actress and model Amy Brenneman (born 1964), film and TV actress, father of part Swiss descent Jeff Bridges (born 1949), actor, singer, and producer Yul Brynner (1920–1985), actor, father of part Swiss descent James Caviezel (born 1968), film actor, paternal grandfather of Swiss descent Emily Deschanel (born 1976), actress, director, and producer Billie Dove (1903–1997), film actress Robert Downey Jr. (born 1965), actor, mother of partial Swiss descent Jon Hall (1915–1979), actor, Swiss father Nina Hartley (born 1959), porn actress and director David Hayter (born 1969), actor and voice actor Tyler Hoechlin (born 1987), film actor, father of part Swiss descent Melia Kreiling (born 1990), actress Q'Orianka Kilcher (born 1990), singer and actress, of part Swiss descent "The actress, who's Alaskan/Swiss on her mother's side, was born in Schweigmatt, Germany." Taylor Lautner (born 1992), actor Karina Lombard (born 1969), actress George Lucas (born 1944), film director, of part Swiss descent "His father had mainly Swiss and British roots." Bridget Marquardt (born 1975), model, actress Victor Mature (1913–1999), film actorSwiss Roots: Film Nick Offerman (born 1970), actor, writer, comedian, and professional carpenter Jodi Ann Paterson (born 1975), model, actress and former beauty queen Michelle Pfeiffer (born 1958), film actress, maternal grandfather of Swiss descent "...and my mother is Swiss and Swede." Ryan Potter (born 1995), actor, mother of part Swiss descent Chris Pratt (born 1979), actor Ben Pronsky (born 1978), voice actor Kelly Rohrbach (born 1990), model and actress Ryan Seacrest (born 1974), television and radio host, television producer, and entrepreneur, of part Swiss descent August Schellenberg (1936–2013), actor Liev Schreiber (born 1967), film actor, father of part Swiss descent Meryl Streep (born 1949), film actress, father of part Swiss descent Evelyn Ward (1923–2012), actress Paul Walker (1973–2013), actor William Wyler (1902–1981), film director "Born Willi Wyler ... to a Swiss father and a German mother" Darryl F. Zanuck (1902–1979), film producer and director Renée Zellweger (born 1969), film actress, Swiss-born fatherSwiss Roots: Renee Zellweger Denis Ooi, actor, Swiss-British-United States citizen
Visual artists Scott Indermaur, photographer Herbert Matter (1907–1984), photographer and graphic designer Adolfo Müller-Ury (1862–1947), portrait and impressionistic still-life painter Jeremiah Theus (1716–1774) of Chur, painter
John Hafen (1856-1910), artist
Writers and publicists Fernand Auberjonois (1910–2004), journalist, foreign correspondent of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Toledo Bladetoledoblade.com - Blade's man in Europe brought world to Toledo Lisa Brennan-Jobs (born 1978), writer, daughter of Steve Jobs William F. Buckley Jr. (1925–2008), writer Henry J. Eyring, author, educator, president of Brigham Young University-Idaho Sofia Samatar (born 1971), poet and writer Mona Simpson (born 1957), novelist Wendy Watson Nelson, Canadian-American, author, lecturer, educator, associate professor at University of Calgary Tessa Gräfin von Walderdorff (born 1994), writer and socialite Eudora Alice Welty (1909–2001), writer; ancestry can be traced to Emmental Valley of Switzerland; Swiss ancestral name Wälti
Musicians Melissa Auf der Maur (born 1972), singer Leon Botstein (born 1946), conductor Rudolph Ganz (1877–1972), pianist, conductor and composer Edna Indermaur (1892–1985), singer Yung Gravy (born 1996), rapper, songwriter and producer Jewel (born 1974), singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and authorSwiss Roots: Jewel Kilcher Cyndi Lauper (born 1953), singer-songwriter and actress Karina Lombard (born 1969), singer and actress Madonna (born 1958), singer and actress Elvis Perkins (born 1976), singer-songwriter Tom Petty (1950–2017), singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and actor Dee Snider (born 1955), singer-songwriter Tina Turner (1939–2023), singer-songwriter and actress (relinquished U.S. citizenship in 2013) Eddie Vedder (born 1964), singer-songwriter and musician Adam Yauch "MCA" (1964–2012), rapper, bass player, filmmaker, and founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys
Other Mary Katherine Campbell (1905–1990), only Miss America winner to hold beauty title twice, 1922 & 1923; mother was of partial Swiss ancestry Gary Gygax (1938–2008), writer and game designer, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons Sid Meier (born 1954), prominent video game programmer and designer of the video game series Civilization
Law and politics Governors and presidents Anthony Brown (born 1961), Lieutenant Governor of Maryland Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), President of the United States Herbert Hoover (1874–1964), President of the United States Madeleine Kunin (1985–1991), Governor of Vermont Robert B. Meyner (1908–1990), Governor of New Jersey Barack Obama (born 1961), President of the United States (distant ancestors) Emanuel L. Philipp (1861–1925), Governor of Wisconsin "Swiss ancestry." Gretchen Whitmer (born 1971), Governor of Michigan
Congressmembers and senators James L. Buckley (1923–2023), Senator from New York Albert Gallatin (1761–1849), U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Senator of Pennsylvania, diplomat James William Good (1866–1929), Congressman Iowa Herbert Hoover Jr. (1903–1960), Under Secretary of State Amy Klobuchar (born 1960), Senator from Minnesota James S. Negley (1826–1901), Congressman Pennsylvania Robert Portman (born 1955), Senator from Ohiohttp://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/startseite/Ein_amerikanischer_Freund_der_Schweiz.xml?siteSect=106&sid=5650313&cKey=1112621165000&ty=st Benjamin F. Welty (1870–1962), Congressman from Allen County, Ohio; ancestry traced back to Emmental Valley, Switzerland; Swiss ancestral name Wälti
Other Warren E. Burger (1907–1995), Chief Justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986 "Ethnicity Swiss/German" Tucker Carlson (born 1969), political commentator and talk show host August Claessens (1885–1954), politician, best known as one of the five New York Assemblymen Albert Gallatin (1761–1849), politician, ethnologist, linguist, founder of New York University, diplomat, and United States Secretary of the Treasury "Born to an aristocratic Swiss family, Albert Gallatin (1761-1849) emigrated from Switzerland to America in 1780." Arthur L. Gilliom (1886–1968), Indiana Attorney General from 1925 to 1929 Fred Iklé (1924–2011), Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Thomas M. Honan (1867–1932), Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives (from 1908 to 1910) and Indiana Attorney General (from 1911 to 1915) J. Edgar Hoover (1935–1972), first Director of the FBI Madeline Kunin (born 1933), U.S. Ambassador to Liechtenstein (1997–1999), U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland (1996–1999), U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education (1993–1996), Lieutenant Governor of Vermont (1979–1983), Vermont State Representative (1973–1979) Wally Schirra (1923–2007), astronaut, only person to fly in all of America's first three space programs (Mercury, Gemini and Apollo) Joseph A. Shakspeare (1837–1896), politician, elected mayor of New Orleans from 1880 to 1882 Samuel F. Snively (1859–1952), Mayor of Duluth, Minnesota "Swiss and German ancestry." Peter Staub (1827–1904), Mayor of Knoxville, TennesseeRobert Parkinson, Peter Staub. Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2002. Retrieved: 5 August 2010. Mike Thompson (born 1951), California House of Representatives Peter Urscheler (born 1983), Mayor of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania; first-generation American born to a Swiss father and Filipina mother. William Wirt (1772–1834), author and statesman who is credited with turning the position of United States Attorney General into one of influence; Swiss father. mentioned as one of several "Swiss Americans" Henry Wisner (1720–1790), patriot leader during the American Revolution and New York representative in the Continental Congress. Dan Zumbach (born 1960), Iowa Senator John D. Imboden (born 1823), Virginia state legislator Rui Xu (born 1989), Kansas state legislator
Military Henry Bouquet, prominent Army officer in the French and Indian War and Pontiac's War "Bouqet as a free born Switzer..." Edward Walter Eberle (1864–1929), admiral in the United States Navy, served as Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy and third Chief of Naval OperationsMueller Science - Specialities: Switzerland