Top 10 Indianapolis, Indiana Celebrities

Indianapolis, Indiana may not have a glamorous reputation as a hotbed of culture, and we're about as far from the Hollywood hustle and the East Coast bustle as you can get, but that doesn't mean there haven't been a few well-known Hoosiers out there leaving their marks on the nation and the world. From entertainers to politicians to athletes, Indianapolis natives have been making names for themselves since news travelled by pony. The one ground rule for this list is that the person had to have been born and/or raised in central Indiana. So, with apologies to the Presidents Harrisons for their late arrivals, here are ten of the most noteworthy famous people from Indianapolis.

David Letterman

Dave has been the one constant on the late night entertainment scene since his show debuted in 1982. Though his political views and unsettled personal life have stolen some thunder in recent years, Letterman's dry wit and intolerant quipping represent much of the heartland's sensibilities.

Oscar Robertson
Simply one of the greatest college and professional basketball players of all time, "The Big O" was born in Tennessee but was raised in the segregated housing projects of Indianapolis. Robertson helped turn Crispus Attucks High School into a legendary local basketball powerhouse before moving on to bigger and better things.

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds

"Babyface" is probably the most commercially viable musician to ever come out of Indianapolis. His smooth sounds and, well, babyface helped propel him up the charts and to soundtrack success.

Jane Pauley

Like Letterman, Pauley started her TV career in the Indianapolis market before working her way up to the highest rungs of the NBC News ladder. Also like Dave, her onscreen persona screams of her Midwest upbringing.

Kurt Vonnegut

Born and raised in Indy, Vonnegut lived a difficult early life, including the suicide of his mother and his service in World War II that included a stint as a Prisoner of War. All of the early strife shaped him into one of America's most influential writers.

Dan Quayle

He may have been perceived as a buffoon, but much of that image has faded in the wake of the truly "brilliant" politicians who have followed him. Quayle is Indiana through-and-through, and his influence can be seen all over the State, from publishing houses to the halls of DePauw University.

Joyce DeWitt

This pick is a bit self-indulgent, but almost ANYONE who was watching TV in the 1970s had to have a soft spot in his heart for little Janet Wood, the grounded florist on Three's Company.

John Dillinger

One of Indy's more dastardly claims to fame, Dillinger left a trail of bank-robbing terror across the Midwest unlike any other during the 1930s. Dillinger was gunned down when he was only 31, but the hard life left him with a 50-year-old countenance.

Albert von Tilzer

You may not know the name, but you know the opus: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".

James Whitcomb Riley

Indiana's State Poet for the ages, Riley left children with countless literary wonders and fathered "Little Orphant Annie" for the rest of us.

Any way you cut it, that's quite an eclectic list. Whether famous or infamous, all of these Indianapolis folks undeniably changed the world for better or for worse. There are scores more who definitely also qualify as famous Hoosiers, but these are ten of the biggest names to ever emerge from the Circle City.