These are people who were born in, are living in, have lived in, or who have died in Tucson or the surrounding area.
| Name | Date | Born in Tucson | Lives in or has lived in Tucson | Died in Tucson | Occupation |
| Abbey, Edward | 1927-1989 | X | American writer, environmentalist | ||
| Acaba, Joseph | 1967- | x | Astronaut | ||
| Ai | 1947-2010 | X | American writer | ||
| Allen, Rupert Clyde | 1927-2008 | X | American writer | ||
| Allen, Rex | 1924-1999 | X | Actor, singer, songwriter | ||
| Ameche, Jim | 1915-1983 | X | Radio performer | ||
| Angier, Bradford | 1910-1997 | X | American writer | ||
| Apache Kid | 1868?-1894? | X | First Sergeant of Scouts, U.S. Army | ||
| Arthur, Karl | 1952- | X | American writer | ||
| Baldwin, Gordon C. | 1908-1983 | X | American writer | ||
| Baldwin, Stephen | 1966- | X | Actor | ||
| Bates, Mario Doniel | 1973- | X | Professional football player | ||
| Bates, Michael | 1969- | X | Professional football player | ||
| Baylor, Byrd | 1924-2021 | x | American writer | ||
| Behan, John Harris | 1845-1912 | X | Lawman, cowboy | ||
| Bennett, Michael | 1943-1987 | X | Dancer | ||
| Bieber, Hailey Rhode (née Baldwin) | 1996 | X | Model | ||
| Bok, Bart Jan | 1906-1983 | X | Astronomer, educator, and author | ||
| Bonanno, Joseph "Joey Bananas" | 1905-2002 | X | Businessman, alleged mafia crime family head | ||
| Bordes, Francois | 1919-1981 | X | Archeologist, educator, and author | ||
| Borman, Frank | 1928- | X | Astronaut | ||
| Bowden, Charles | 1945-2014 | X | American writer, journalist | ||
| Bowers, Janice Emily | 1950- | X | American writer | ||
| Bradbury, Ray | 1920-2012 | X | American writer | ||
| Bradley, Donald A. | 1925-1974 | X | Scientific researcher, astrologer, and writer | ||
| Brown, Joseph Paul Summers (J.P.S.) | 1930-2021 | X | American writer | ||
| Burke, Brooke | 1971 | X | TV personality | ||
| Burns, Joey | 1968 | X | Musician, Calexico | ||
| Caldwell, Erskine | 1903-1987 | X | American writer | ||
| Calkins, Dick | 1895-1962 | X | Cartoonist | ||
| Carmona, Richard Henry | 1949- | X | Physician, police officer, public health official | ||
| Case, Neko | 1970 | x | Musician, The New Pornographers | ||
| Chafee, Judy | 1932-1998 | x | Architect | ||
| Cliburn, Van | 1934-2013 | X | American pianist | ||
| Clinton, Larry | 1909-1985 | X | Bandleader | ||
| DeConcini, Dennis Webster | 1937- | X | American politician | ||
| DeFer, Kaylee | 1986- | X | Actor | ||
| DeGrazia, Ted (Ettore) | 1909-1982 | X | Artist | ||
| Deming, Alison Hawthorne | 1946- | X | American writer, poet | ||
| Denver, John | 1943-1997 | X | American singer | ||
| Doss, Helen Grigsby | 1918-2013 | X | English writer | ||
| Douglass, Andrew Ellicott | 1867-1962 | X | Astronomer, dendrochronologist | ||
| Eden, Barbara | 1931- | X | Actor | ||
| Eder, Linda | 1961- | X | Singer | ||
| Elliot, Sean Michael | 1968- | X | Professional basketball player | ||
| Fife, John | X | Human Rights Activist (Sanctuary Movement, No More Deaths) | |||
| Fitch, Steve | 1949- | X | Photographer | ||
| Fontana, Bernard Lee | 1931-2016 | X | American writer | ||
| Franken, Rose (Dorothy) | 1895?-1988 | X | American writer | ||
| Freyse, William | 1899-1969 | X | Cartoonist | ||
| Giffords, Gabrielle "Gabby" | 1970- | X | U.S. Congressional representative, activist, writer | ||
| Gordon, Gordon | 1906-2002 | X | American writer | ||
| Gordon, Mildred | 1912-1979 | X | Editor, screenwriter, and author | ||
| Gorin, Igor | 1908-1982 | X | Composer, singer, and actor | ||
| Gould, Laurence McKinley | 1896-1995 | X | Explorer, educator | ||
| Gray, Genevieve Stuck | 1920-1995 | X | American writer | ||
| Gurney, J. Eric | 1910-1992 | X | Canadian cartoonist, illustrator, and writer | ||
| Guthrie, Savannah | 1971- | X | TV personality, journalist | ||
| Harris, Sean Eugene | 1972- | X | Professional football player | ||
| Haury, Emil Walter | 1904-1992 | X | Archaeologist, anthropologist, educator, and writer | ||
| Hindman, Earl | 1942-2003 | X | Actor | ||
| Hubka, Betty (Josephine Morgan) | 1924-2013 | X | American writer | ||
| Ingalls, Jeremy | 1911-2000 | X | American writer | ||
| Iserson, Kenneth Victor | 1949- | X | American writer, physician | ||
| Jaastad, Henry | 1895-1954 | X | Architect, Mayor of Tucson | ||
| Jance, Judith Ann | 1944- | X | American writer | ||
| Jernigan, Gisela Evelyn | 1948- | X | American writer | ||
| Joessler, Josias | 1895-1954 | X | Architect | ||
| Johnson, Enid | 1892-1969 | X | American writer | ||
| Johnson, Horace | 1893-1964 | X | Composer | ||
| Kay, Ulysses Simpson | 1917-1995 | X | Composer | ||
| Keaton, Diane | 1946- | X | Actor | ||
| Kelly, Mark | 1964- | X | American astronaut | ||
| Kennedy, Daniel | 1983- | X | Actor | ||
| Kerr, Steve | 1965- | X | Basketball coach | ||
| Kingsolver, Barbara | 1955- | X | Writer, novelist | ||
| Kinnear, Greg | 1964- | X | TV personality | ||
| Krutch, Joseph Wood | 1893-1970 | X | American critic | ||
| Kuykendall, Ralph Simpson | 1885-1963 | X | American historian | ||
| Lewi, William Grant, II | 1902-1951 | X | American writer, astrologer | ||
| Levy, David H. | 1948- | X | Writer, astronomer | ||
| Lowden, Frank Orren | 1861-1943 | X | American politician | ||
| Lowell, Susan | 1950- | X | Mexican writer | ||
| Martin, Patricia Preciado | 1939- | X | American writer | ||
| Marvin, Lee | 1924-1987 | X | American actor | ||
| McCartney, Linda | 1941-1998 | X | American photographer (wife of Beatle Paul McCartney) | ||
| McCartney, Sir Paul | 1942- | X | Vocalist, songwriter, composer, bass player, poet, ex-Beatle) | ||
| McNulty, James Francis Jr. | 1925-2009 | X | U.S. Congressional representative | ||
| Merrill, James | 1926-1995 | X | America poet | ||
| Mettler, Barbara | 1907-2002 | X | Dancer, educator, filmmaker, writer | ||
| Mitchell, John James | 1846-1898 | X | Congressional Medal of Honor recipient | ||
| Momaday, N. Scott | 1934- | X | American writer, novelist, poet | ||
| Norstad, Lauris | 1907-1988 | X | Military officer | ||
| Nye, Nelson Coral | 1907-1997 | X | American writer | ||
| Oberman, Heiko Augustinus | 1930-2001 | X | Dutch writer | ||
| Olson, Lute | 1934-2020 | X | Basketball Coach, University of Arizona | ||
| Orlen, Steve | 1942-2010 | X | American writer, poet | ||
| Owens, James Cl "Jesse" | 1913-1980 | X | American track and field athlete, Medal of Freedom recipient | ||
| Pardo, Dominick "Don" | 1918-2014 | X | Radio and television broadcaster, actor | ||
| Pegler, James Westbrook | 1894-1969 | X | American journalist | ||
| Pettit, Donald | 1955 | X | Astronaut | ||
| Ptacek, Rainer | 1951-1997 | X | Musician | ||
| Rivera-Ashford, Roni Capin | X | Author | |||
| Roemer, William F. Jr. | 1926-1996 | X | American writer | ||
| Ronstadt, Linda | 1946- | X | Singer | ||
| Sanger, Margaret | 1879-1966 | X | American women's rights activist | ||
| Schellie, Don | 1932-1993 | X | American writer | ||
| Scholder, Fritz | 1937-2005 | X | Artist, painter | ||
| Schottland, Charles Irwin | 1906-1995 | X | American government official | ||
| Schuur, Diane | 1953- | X | Jazz musician | ||
| Shandling, Gary | 1949-2016 | X | Comedian, TV personality | ||
| Sharmat, Marjoie Weinman | 1928-2019 | X | American writer | ||
| Shelton, Richard | 1933- | X | American writer, poet | ||
| Smallens, Alexander | 1889-1972 | X | Musical conductor | ||
| Smith, Lowell Herbert | 1892-1945 | X | Aviator | ||
| Sonnichsen, C.L. | 1901-1991 | X | American writer | ||
| Sontag, Susan | 1933-2004 | X | American writer | ||
| Speare, Elizabeth George | 1908-1994 | X | American writer | ||
| Story, Ronald D. | 1946- | X | American writer | ||
| Strug, Kerri | 1977- | X | American gymnast | ||
| Tate, Velma | 1913-1997 | X | American writer | ||
| Thomas, Eric Jason | 1964- | X | Professional football player | ||
| Udall, Morris "Mo" King | 1922-1998 | X | American politician | ||
| Udall, Stewart Lee | 1920-2010 | X | American politician | ||
| Vicker, Ray | 1917-2000 | X | Journalist, author | ||
| Weil, Andrew | 1942- | X | American writer, physician | ||
| Wells, Catherine | 1952- | X | American writer | ||
| Wilder, Janos | 1954- | X | Chef, restaurateur | ||
| Wright, Harold Bell | 1872-1944 | X | American writer | ||
| Zepeda, Ofelia | 1954- | X | American writer, poet, linguist |
See also: Authors with Tucson Connections, opens a new window
Sources:
Various Newspaper articles from Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Citizen, and Newspapers.com.
Almanac of Famous People.
Gale Biography Resource Center (database.) (Most of these people can be found in the Gale Biography Resource Center.)
"Vaya Con Dios, Tucson." Arizona Daily Star. May 9, 2004. Page B7.
Henry, Bonnie "Celebrities flocked to Old Pueblo, opens a new window" Arizona Daily Star. May 2, 2010.
"Brief Biography | Barbara Kingsolver, opens a new window." Barbara Kingsolver | The Authorized Site.
Edward Abbey Author Page, opens a new window | Amazon.com: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle.
"Ai, opens a new window" | Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More.
Duggan, Mark. "A Visit With Byrd Baylor." | Arizona Public Media.
"Richard H. Carmona, opens a new window." | NNDB: Tracking the entire world.
"Dennis DeConcini, opens a new window" | U.S. Congress Votes Database - The Washington Post.
"Alison Hawthorne Deming, opens a new window" | PoetryFoundation.org.
Barbara Eden News, Barbara Eden Bio and Photos, opens a new window| TVGuide.com." TV Guide, TV Listings, Online Videos, Entertainment News and Celebrity News | TVGuide.com
Linda Eder | Music Videos, Songs, News, Photos, and Lyrics | MTV.com (web page no longer exists)
John James Mitchell (1846 - 1898) - Find A Grave Memorial, opens a new window. | Find A Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records.
Find A Grave - Holy Hope Cemetery & Mausoleum. Famous Burial Locations, opens a new window | Find A Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records.
Limberis, Chris. "News & Opinion: Rock Ranch." Tucson Weekly. May 26, 1998.
"Stephen Baldwin: His Famous Family, Faith and a Film Adaptation., opens a new window" RisenMagazine.com
Find the information you need by calling the library's Infoline at 520-791-4010 or by sending your question to Ask a Librarian.
