This is a list of notable Czech Americans.
Many people on this list are not ethnically Czech but rather born in Bohemian/Moravian territory, of German and/or Jewish extraction.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Czech American or must have references showing they are Czech American and are notable.
Business Fred Figner, Bohemiam-born entrepreneur with North-American citizenship, coming from a Jewish family, pioneer of music recording in Brazil and South America, pioneer of record manufacturing, a great trader of writing machines in Brazil, a spiritist writer and supporter of Alan Kardec's religion/philosophy and a great philanthropist. Ray Kroc,Ray Kroc, in: CzechmateDiary founder of McDonald Empire Jon Ledecky, co-owner of the New York Islanders Sigmund Mandl, Jewish-Moravian immigrant, founded Husky Wrench Company in Wisconsin in 1924 Thomas Pritzker, chairman of Hyatt and member of the Pritzker family Donald Trump Jr., son of Donald and Ivana, co-trustee of The Trump Organization with Eric Eric Trump, son of Donald and Ivana, co-trustee of The Trump Organization with Donald Jr. Ivana Trump, Moravia-born businesswoman, former model, ex-wife of Donald Trump Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald and Ivana
Creative writing Miles J. Breuer, trained as physician, an early science fiction writer James Thomas Flexner, of Bohemian ancestry, one of American foremost men of letters, especially noted for his four-volume Biography of George Washington Patricia Hampl, writer; one of the founding members of the Loft Literary Center Arnost Lustig, notable writer of the Holocaust Frederic Prokosch, novelist and poet Joanie Holzer Schirm, writer, Global Ebook Award Winner, Best Biography 2013, Czech WWII stories, Father was Czech-American physician Charles Sealsfield (pseudonym of Karl Anton Postl), author of romantic novels with American backgrounds and travelogues. Clifford Donald Simak, American science fiction writer Nicholas Sparks, internationally bestselling American novelist and screenwriter Joseph Wechsberg, free-lance writer associated with the New Yorker magazine Franz Werfel, famous novelist, playwright, and poet, known especially for his novel, Song of Bernadette
Dramatic art Karen Black, actress Adrien Brody, film actor. His maternal grandmother was of Czech Jewish background. Anna Chlumsky, actress Frank Daniel, film producer, writer, director and first dean of the American Film Institute Don DeFore, actor Miloš Forman, film director Brendan Fraser, actor Karl Freund, cinematographer and director Bruce Glover, film actor (of part Czech descent) Crispin Glover, film producer, writer, director and actor, both parents of part Czech descent Fanny Janauschek, famed character actress, who became famous acting in great Shakespearean parts and other famous parts Jim Jarmusch, independent filmmaker January Jones, actress Ashton Kutcher, motion picture actor, of 5/8 Czech descent Cloris Leachman Actress Francis Lederer, born Prague, Czechoslovakia, actor, leading man in Hollywood from 1933, after European stage and film experience. Ryan Lee, actor Karl Malden, Czech mother, an actor, whose career that spanned more than seven decades, he performed in such classic films as A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Jay Manuel, creative director Donna Murphy, actress Brandon Novak, motivational speaker, author, reality star, skateboarder Eva Novak, born St. Louis, Missouri, of Bohemian ancestry, an actress, a silent screen lady; she starred as Tom Mix's love interest in ten of his westerns, including "Sky High" and "Trailin" Jane Novak, born St. Louis, Missouri, of Bohemian ancestry, an actress; the celebrated blond beauty and a leading lady to such stars as W. S. Hart, Tom Mix, Harold Lloyd, Hobart Bosworth, W. D. Taylor, Charles Ray, etc. Kim Novak, motion picture actress Nancy Novotny, voice actress and radio personali Ivan Passer, film director Paulina Porizkova, actress and supermodel (featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition) Craig Pospisil, playwright Antonio Sabato Jr., actor and model Walter Slezak, film actor Maelcum Soul (1940–1986), bartender, artist's model, and actress Sissy Spacek, actress, her father was of Czech origin Rip Torn, film actor, first cousin of Sissy Spacek (mother of Czech descent) Edgar G. Ulmer, cult film director, born in Olomouc George Voskovec, actor, writer Tom Wopat, actor Blanche Yurka (orig, Jurka), of Czech immigrant father, an American theatre and film actress until the late 1960s. In addition to her many stage roles, including Queen Gertrude opposite John Barrymore's Hamlet, she was also a director and playwright William Zabka, actor, producer, screenwriter, and martial artist Winter Ave Zoli, actress and model
Exploration Eugene Cernan, of Czech mother, astronaut; was last man of Apollo to leave his footprints on the moon. Jim Lovell, astronaut; was command module pilot of Apollo 8, man's first flight around the moon.
Government and politics Madeleine Albright,Madeleine Albright in: Washington Post born in Prague, former U.S. Secretary of State John J. Babka, U.S. Representative from Ohio Walter S. Baring Jr., U.S. Representative of Nevada Richard BassettRichard Basset in: CS America-US LegislatorsRichard Basset in: Bio Guide at Congress.gov desc. of Augustine Herman, signer of the US constitution. James Asheton Bayard (III),James Asheton Bayard III in: CS America-US LegislatorsJames Asheton Bayard III in: Bio Guide at Congress.gov desc. of Augustine Herman, an American lawyer who served as U.S. Senator from Delaware. Richard Henry Bayard,Richard Henry Bayard in: CS America-US LegislatorsRichard Henry Bayard in: Bio Guide at Congress.gov desc. of Augustine Herman, an American lawyer, a member of the Whig Party who served as the first Mayor of Wilmington, Chief Justice of the Delaware Superior Court, and as U.S. Senator from Delaware. Thomas Francis Bayard Sr.,Thomas Francis Bayard, Sr. in: CS America-US LegislatorsThomas Francis Bayard, Sr. in: Bio Guide at Congress.gov desc. of Augustine Herman, an American lawyer who served three terms as U.S. Senator from Delaware, and as U.S. Secretary of State, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Thomas F. Bayard Jr.,Thomas Francis Bayard, Jr. in: CS America-US LegislatorsThomas Francis Bayard, Jr. in: Bio Guide at Congress.gov desc. of Augustine Herman, served two terms as U.S. Senator from Delaware Mark Begich, United States senator from Alaska from 2009 to 2015 George H. Bender, United States senator Karl A. Brabenec, parents both born in Czechoslovakia, New York State Assemblyman, 98th District Dan Benishek (born 1952), American physician; serving as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 1st congressional district (R-MI) Anton CermakAnton Cermak in: Graveyards IL was the Mayor of Chicago, Illinois Roman HruskaRoman Hruska in: CS America-US LegislatorsRoman Hruska in: Bio Guide at Congress.gov was Senator from Nebraska Darrell Issa, U.S. representative for California's 49th congressional district John Kasich (born 1952), former United States Representative and the 69th and former Governor of Ohio Charles Jonas, 16th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin Otto Kerner Jr., 33rd Governor of Illinois John Forbes Kerry,John Kerry in: Czech radio-ArticlesJohn Kerry in: Research by Miloslav Rechcigl, Jr. John Kerry in: Research by William Addams ReitwiesnerWikipedia-Horni BenesovJohn Kerry in: Research by Felix Gundacker 68th United States Secretary of State and the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election Cllr. August Klecka, editor of the Telegraf and first Czech-American elected to the Baltimore City Council (parents from Nehodiv and Kvášňovice) Kris Kobach, Secretary of State of Kansas, serving since 2011 Thomas F. Konop, U.S. Representative of Wisconsin Andrej Lisanik, leader of the National Renaissance Party (United States) Deborah R. Malac (born 1955), United States Ambassador to Uganda from 2016 to 2020 Joe Manchin, senior United States senator from West Virginia Anthony MichalekAnthony Michalek in: Bio Guide at Congress.govAnthony Michalek in: CS America-US Legislators was member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Chicago, Illinois Robert J. Mrazek,Robert Mrazek in: Bio Guide at Congress.gov U.S. Representative of New York's 3rd district. (5th cousin twice removed of August Klecka) Edmund Jennings Randolph,Edmund Jennings Randolph in: CS America-US LegislatorsEdmund Jennings Randolph in: Bio Guide at Congress.gov desc. of Augustine Herman, an American attorney, the seventh Governor of Virginia, the second Secretary of State, and the first US Attorney General. Adolph J. SabathAdolph J. Sabath in: Bio Guide at Congress.govAdolph J. Sabath in: CS America-US Legislators was member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Chicago, Illinois Steve Sisolak, Governor of Nevada Harold StassenA Nation Divided: The 1968 Presidential Campaign By Darcy G. Richardson page 219 25th governor of Minnesota from 1939 to 1943 Karl Stefan, U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik, U.S. Representative from New York Judy Baar Topinka,Judy Baar Topinka in: AFOCR-Biographies former Illinois State Treasurer, Illinois Comptroller General, and Chair of the Illinois Republican Party. Robert VanasekRobert Vanasek in: LEG State MN Minnesota politician and a former member and Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Ron Mottl, U.S. Representative from Ohio Charles Vanik, U.S. Representative from Ohio Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin and 2016 candidate for President of the United States Caspar WeinbergerCaspar Weinberger in: of Bohemian ancestry on his father's side, politician, vice president and general counsel of Bechtel Corporation, and Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan from January 21, 1981, until November 23, 1987.
Humanities and social sciences Francis Dvornik, Moravia-born, authority on Byzantine history, Slavic history and civilization. Saul Friedländer, Prague-born, award-winning historian, currently a professor of history at UCLA. Ales Hrdlicka, founder of American physical anthropology. Paul Felix Lazarsfeld, of Moravian ancestry, founder of modern empirical sociology. Richard Neustadt, of Bohemian ancestry, political scientist at Harvard; first director of J.F. Kennedy Inst. of Politics. Beardsley Ruml, of Czech immigrant father, economist, devised plan to collect taxes at their source by means of a payroll deduction system, on a pay as you go basis. Joseph Alois Schumpeter, Moravia-born, notable economist at Harvard University. Jan Švejnar, Prague-born, notable economist. Frank William Taussig, of Czech ancestry, economist and educator, credited with creating the foundations of modern trade theory. Vlasta Vraz, of Czech ancestry, worked for Czech war relief and other Czech causes in Prague and US René Wellek, of Czech father, founder of literary criticism and comparative literature. Max Wertheimer, Czech-born psychologist who was one of the founders of Gestalt psychology.
Law Louis D. Brandeis, son of Czech immigrant, Justice of US Supreme Court. Paul Freund, of Bohemian ancestry, lawyer; professor of law at Harvard University; authority on public law and understanding the Supreme Court. Hans Kelsen, Prague-born jurist and legal philosopher; one of the most important legal scholars of the 20th century. James F. Matousek, an American lawyer born to Czech immigrants. John Roberts, Chief Justice of US Supreme Court.
Music Ric Ocasek, singer-songwriter, leader of The Cars, member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and record producer for Weezer, Bad Brains, and Nada Surf. Jan Balatka, conductor, founder of the Milwaukee Musical Society Jerry Cantrell, guitarist, singer-songwriter of the Seattle-based Alice in Chains