5 Notable People From Cheyenne
Well, we do not have anyone that is extremely famous from Cheyenne, but we do have some notable people from our great town. From actors to scientists—here is our list of five notable people that either were born or lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Curt Gowdy
This gentleman’s name popped right out for me when I saw it. Curt Gowdy (1919-2006) was an American Sportscaster who was born in Green River but moved to Cheyenne when he was 6. Gowdy went to the University of Wyoming where he was on the basketball and tennis teams. He graduated in 1942 with a degree in business statistics. In November of 1942, Gowdy made his broadcasting debut in Cheyenne calling a 6-man football game.
Gowdy was well-known for being the "voice" of the Boston Red Sox in the 1950's and 60's. Among the Boston Red Sox, he has covered 16 World Series, 12 Rose Bowls, 7 Olympic Games and 8 Super Bowls. He has also won 4 Emmy’s and was inducted in to the American Sportscaster’s Hall of Fame in 1985 and also the in the media wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Mildred Harris
Mildred Harris (1901-1944) was born in Cheyenne in November of 1901. She began her career as a child actress at the young age of 11. Some of the movies she was known for were: The Drummer of the 8th (1913), The Magic Cloak (1914), The Fog (1923) and The Power of the Press (1928). She has a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for her incredible work. Harris is portrayed by Milla Jovovich in the movie Chaplin in 1992.
Harris married Charles Chaplin when she was 17 and he was 29. They had a child who unfortunately lived a very short life. She ended up splitting from Chaplin and began an affair with the Prince of Wales. Harris had an unexpected death due to pneumonia in 1944 and was laid to rest in Los Angeles, California.
James Johnson
James Johnson was born in February of 1987 in Cheyenne. He attended Cheyenne East High School and then went to Wake Forest where he earned basketball honors. He finished second in the 2008 ACC Rookie of the year and the next season he helped his team rank #1 with a 2405 record. In 2009 he declared his eligibility for the 2009 NBA draft. He was drafted 16th overall in the 2009 draft by the Chicago Bulls. In February of this year, he got traded to the Toronto Raptors where he is currently starting.
Patricia MacLachlan
Patricia MacLachlan was born in March of 1938 In Cheyenne. MacLachlan is a bestselling children’s author best known for her book, Sarah, Plain and Tall, which won a Newbery Medal in 1986. This book was later turned into a TV movie starring Glenn Close and Christopher Walken. Some of her other books include: Through Grandpa’s Eyes, Mama One Mama Two, Journey, The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt, Baby, Edward’s Eyes and True Girt: A Christmas Story. She now lives in Massachusetts with her husband and most recently worked on two books with her daughter Emily, Bittle and Painting the Wind.
William Kane
William Kane (1932-2008) was a physicist for Corning Inc. He held patents in crystallography and heat-sensing technology which led to the manufacturing of fiber optics. He ended up becoming the Corning representative for the use of fiber optics in communications.
Kane was an active skier and sportsman and eventually moved to Cheyenne. Here, he was a member of Rotary International and served in fraternal and professional associations. In 2008, Kane died of a lengthy illness and his memorial service was held at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church here in Cheyenne.
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