The people listed below were all born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Northampton, Massachusetts.
Notable people
Artists
Leonard Baskin, sculptor, illustrator, print-maker, writer, and teacher at local colleges
Economists
Herbert Gintis, economist Andrew Zimbalist, prominent sports economist; father of Jeff and Michael Zimbalist
Educators
Carol T. Christ, former president of Smith College and Victorian literature scholar Anna Cheney Edwards, 19th-century professor at Mount Holyoke College Hannah Lyman (1816–1871), first female principal of Vassar College
Film and television
Michael Brooks, political commentator, author Mary-Ellis Bunim, television producer and co-creator of MTV's The Real World and Road Rules Paul Johnson Calderon, socialite, heir, and television personality best known for co-starring on The CW's High Society John Carpenter, first top-prize winner on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Julia Child, chef, culinary educator, host of The French Chef (1968–1978), co-author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961), and OSS agent during WWII Galaxy Craze, actress and author known for bestselling novel By the Shore Rachel Maddow, radio personality, MSNBC television host, and liberal political commentator David Pakman, television and radio personality, nationally syndicated progressive talk show host, liberal political commentator William Powell, actor Liza Snyder, actress (Yes, Dear; Pay It Forward) Talisa Soto, actress Jeff Zimbalist, documentary filmmaker and Tribeca Film Festival award winner
Government and law
Ebenezer Allen, soldier, pioneer, and member of the Vermont General Assembly; born in Northampton Christine Chandler, attorney and member of the New Mexico House of Representatives Calvin Coolidge, served as mayor of Northampton before becoming the 48th governor of Massachusetts and the 30th president of the United States Nancy Flavin, politician who represented the 2nd Hampshire District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives 1993–2003 Jonathan Hunt (1738–1808), early Vermont pioneer, landowner, officeholder, born in Northampton Bernie Juskiewicz, businessman and Vermont state representative Shem Kellogg, member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Henry W. Lord, U.S. congressman Britt K. Slabinski, served as a SEAL with the United States Navy
Music industry
Chris Collingwood, lead singer of the band Fountains of Wayne Kim Gordon, of the band Sonic Youth Jason Loewenstein, singer and songwriter Thurston Moore, of the band Sonic Youth Nerissa Nields, folk musician, author, and member of the band The Nields Zoel Parenteau, composer of Broadway musicals Kim Rosen, Grammy-nominated audio mastering engineer
Reformers
Sylvester Graham, advocate of vegetarianism and namesake of the graham cracker Sojourner Truth, African-American abolitionist and orator
Religion
Jonathan Edwards, 18th-century Congregational theologian, philosopher, leader of First Great Awakening and local pastor John Strong, 17th-century English-born New England colonist, politician, Puritan church leader; one of the founders of Windsor, Connecticut and Northampton, Massachusetts
Sports
Ryan Leonard, professional hockey player for the Washington Capitals Stu Miller, Major League Baseball pitcher Tim Petrovic, professional golfer Gabrielle Thomas, track and field sprinter and Olympic gold medalist Willy Workman (born 1990), American-Israeli basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israeli Basketball Premier League William Yorzyk, gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic swimmer
Writers
Robert Horace Baker (1883–1964), author of Astronomy, born in Northampton Jeanne Birdsall, children's author, best known for her debut novel, The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy William Cullen Bryant, 19th-century author and newspaper editor Augusten Burroughs, author; his bestseller Running with Scissors describes his strange childhood in Northampton George Washington Cable, author and reformer; lived in Northampton 1885–1915 Paul Johnson Calderon, journalist, best known for his work with Deuxmoi.com, The Pro 411 Eric Carle, children's book author and illustrator Lydia Maria Child, author of the Thanksgiving poem "Over the River and through the Woods" Kevin Eastman, comic book artist and writer, co-published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics with Peter Laird in their Northampton studio Jonathan Harr, author of A Civil Action Jeph Jacques, creator of the webcomic Questionable Content Tracy Kidder, author (while he was not born in Northampton, his 1999 book "Home Town" is a profile of the city, and his 1993 "Old Friends" takes place at Linda Manor in Northampton) Michael Klare, author, professor and defense correspondent for The Nation Jarrett J. Krosoczka, children's book and graphic novel writer, published Hey, Kiddo and Sunshine, memoirs of his life growing up in Worcester, MA Peter Laird, comic book artist and writer, co-published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics with Kevin Eastman in their Northampton studio Elinor Lipman, author Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies Cynthia Propper Seton, novelist Kurt Vonnegut, satirist, novelist, known for works like Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle Ocean Vuong, poet, essayist, and author of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous Peter Wild, poet, author, and professor of English at the University of Arizona Mo Willems, popular children's book author
Others
Albert Francis Blakeslee (1874–1954), botanist, died in Northampton Tom Friedman, conceptual sculptor John Stoddard, president of the Georgia Historical Society William Dwight Whitney, linguist
References