Charlottesville’s Notable Residents

The natural beauty of the land draws people to Charlottesville, Virginia, while the area’s rich history makes them stay. Over the last three centuries, the Charlottesville-Albemarle area has been home to countless men and women whose names have since been written in American history books.

These individuals have helped make this country the “Land of the Free”, and today, Charlottesville continues to produce individuals who shape the future of America. From the country’s early years, Charlottesville’s own Jefferson and Madison helped to write the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, documents today held sacred to American hearts.

Today, Charlottesville boasts dozens of activists, diplomats, politicians, and scientists who support American progress and fight to protect the rights penned two centuries ago by those who came before us.

Aside from Charlottesville natives, the local University of Virginia produces hundreds of brilliant thinkers each year who readily touch the lives of community members. Though their times here are often brief, their impact never is. Because of the beacon known as Jefferson’s “Academical Village”, Charlottesville has been graced by weighty names from Robert Kennedy to Katie Couric to Tina Fey.

Charlottesville’s distinctive culture inspires and fosters creative minds in every medium and genre. From vaudeville actress Kathleen Clifford to Dave Matthews, namesake of the rock band known locally as DMB, the central Virginia area is home to a variety of talented and diverse individuals readily supported by the active community.