This is a list of notable people born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of St. Joseph, Missouri.
Don Alt (1916–1988), Iowa state representative and businessman; born in St. Joseph. Charles S. L. Baker (1859–1926), African American businessman and inventor, lived in St. Joseph. Kay Barnes (b. 1938), mayor of Kansas City 1999–2007 Dwayne Blakley (b. 1979), football player, born in St. Joseph. Ryan Bradley (b. 1983), figure skater Norbert Brodine, cinematographer Byron Browne, baseball player Charles Francis Buddy, bishop, attended Christian Brothers School (now George Bode Middle School) Rob Calloway, boxer Harold F. Cherniss, historian of ancient Greece and Plato scholar at Princeton Walter Cronkite, iconic television journalist, born in St. Joseph; his father was a dentist there Paul Crouch, founder of Trinity Broadcasting Network Katherine Kennicott Davis, composer of "The Little Drummer Boy" Eminem, rapper and songwriter, born in St. Joseph Eugene Field, popular poet in his day, worked for the St. Joseph Gazette and wrote a famous poem about Lover's Lane, St. Joseph Harold K. Forsen, Nuclear physicist Ralph D. Foster, broadcasting pioneer Betty Garrett, actress, known for On the Town and Laverne & Shirley, born in St. Joseph Elijah Gates, State Treasurer of Missouri Anthony Glise, guitarist Jody Hamilton, wrestler Larry Hamilton, wrestler Fred Harman, artist, drew the Red Ryder cartoons and worked with Walt Disney, born in St. Joseph and worked at Artcrafts Engraving Company in St. Joseph Coleman Hawkins, jazz saxophonist Shere Hite, sex educator Edie Huggins, television journalist Bela M. Hughes (1817–1903), pioneer, born in Kentucky, was in the 1850s and 1860s a prominent St. Joseph lawyer William Hyde (1836–1898), journalist Lucie Fulton Isaacs, writer, philanthropist, suffragist Jesse James, iconic outlaw, murdered in St. Joseph Kagney Linn Karter, porn actress Henry Krug, founded Krug Packing Company, the Saint Joseph Stockyards, the German-American Bank, The Hotel Robidoux, gave Krug Park to the City Brian McDonald, writer Jeff Morris, actor, known for The Blues Brothers, born in St. Joseph Timothy Omundson, actor Mary Alicia Owen, Missouri folklorist Isaac Parker, judge Travis Partridge, football player Forrest E. Peden, decorated World War II soldier Benjamin F. Peery, physicist, astronomer and professor, and the second African American person to earn a doctorate in astronomy Tom Pendergast, political boss Seraphine Eppstein Pisko, executive secretary of the Denver Jewish Hospital Frank Posegate, mayor of St. Joseph LeRoy Prinz, choreographer and film director Arthur Pryor, trombonist Randy Railsback, member of the Missouri House of Representatives Sid Rogell, Hollywood producer Nellie Tayloe Ross, first woman elected governor of a U.S. state; governor of Wyoming from 1925 to 1927 Martin Rucker, football player Martin T. Rucker, politician Mike Rucker, football player Jay Sarno, hotel mogul, founder of Caesars Palace Bill Snyder, Kansas State football coach Eddie Timanus, Jeopardy! champion, won five times in 1999 despite being blind Steve Walsh, musician of band Kansas Ruth Warrick, actress, known for Citizen Kane and All My Children, born in St. Joseph James H. Webb, U.S. Senator from Virginia, born in St. Joseph Silas Woodson (1819–1896), 21st Governor of Missouri, born in Kentucky, was in the 19th century a prominent St. Joseph lawyer Huston Wyeth, industrialist Jane Wyman, Oscar–winning actress and first wife of Ronald Reagan, born in St. Joseph Delmer J. Yoakum (1915–1996), artist Olive Young, born in St. Joseph; actress and blues singer; was silent–films movie star in China but typecasting hurt her in Hollywood. Orson L. Crandall, Naval Officer, Navy Master Diver, Medal of Honor recipient