List of Americans with Welsh ancestry

List

Entertainment

*Joe E. Brown (born 1892) actor, maternal grandfather Evan Evans.
*Tom Cruise (born 1962) film star [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/iconsofwales/sites/content/pages/tom_cruise.shtml] "We're about to prove that Tom Cruise is a Welshman. A mission impossible, you might think, but you'd be wrong. Cruise, best known for talking into the mobile phones of strangers at film premieres, has deep roots in Wales. His great great grandfather Dylan Henry Mapother emigrated from Flint in North Wales to Louisville in Kentucky in 1850, at the age of 16. Tom's real name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, and many generations of Mapothers have lived in Wales. Nicole Kidman's ex was surprised to learn of his Welsh ancestry, which he discovered in a January 2004 episode of the US TV show Inside The Actor's Studio, which reveals family trees of the rich and famous."]
*Bette Davis (1908–1989) two-time Academy Award-winning actress of stage, screen and television [ [http://www.famouswelsh.com/01_actors/profiles/Bette_Davis.shtml] "Bette Davis, just one of the many famous Welsh actors... Bette Davis has Welsh connections from here father Harlow Davies whose family hail from Wales. She even visited Wales when in Britain acting to trace her family roots"]
*Donny Osmond (born 1957) half of the brother-sister singing act "Donny & Marie". Traced his ancestry back to Merthyr Tydfil. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/sites/merthyr/pages/donnyosmond.shtml Donny Osmond Coming Home] from the BBC]
*Tommy Lee (born 1963) drummer for hard rock/heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. Ex-husband of Pamela Anderson
*Bill Evans (1929–1980), jazz pianist
*Glenn Ford (1916–2006)' film actor [ [http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:s8fDp_xpRxEJ:www.walesbooks.com/wb_book4.htm+%22Glenn+Ford%22+Welsh&hl=en&gl=ca&ct=clnk&cd=7] mentioned as one of "100 Welsh Stars"]
*Andy Griffith television, stage and film actor
*Osgood Perkins (May 16, 1892 - September 21, 1937) was an American actor.
*Anthony Perkins (1932–1992), Academy Award-nominated stage and screen actor
*Blake Lewis (born 1981), "American Idol" contestant and singer [ [http://www.blakelewisfans.org/interview.html] blakelewisfans.org: "I was wondering, what is your heritage?Blake: Welsh, German, and Irish. I'm a mutt."]
*D. W. Griffith (1875–1948) early film director [ [http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/yourwales/stdavids/tm_objectid=13998928&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=bush-praises-role-of-welsh-in-us-history-on-st-david-s-day-name_page.html Bush praises role of Welsh in US history on St David's Day - icWales ] ]
*Bob Hope (1903–2003) actor/comedian [ [http://www.usembassy.org.uk/wales/stdvd2005.html] "Welsh Americans have helped settle the American frontier, build our cities, and defend our liberty... to the sharp wit of Bob Hope"]
*Isham Jones (1894–1956) songwriter, Big Band era orchestra leader, former coal miner
*Sir Anthony Hopkins (born 1937), Academy-Award winning film/stage actor [ [http://www.britannica.com/ebi/article-9311727] "classically trained and highly regarded Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins" [http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2001/02.15/hastyhopkins.html] "Later, at a brief press conference, Hopkins, who was born in Wales, was asked why he recently became an American citizen. "I've lived here some years. I feel at home in America. I suppose it was a pretty bold decision, but America has been very generous to me. There was a bit of an outburst in the British press. I was branded as some sort of turncoat, but so be it.""]
*Harold Lloyd (1893-1971), actor [ [http://www.alphadragondesign.com/final_project/pages/others/harold.html Paternal great-grandparents were from Wales] ]
*Myrna Loy (1905–1993) actress [ [http://www.hiraethcelticgoods.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1729] included in the book "100 Great Welsh Women" [http://silentladies.com/BLoy.html] "Although she is of Scotch and Welsh descent, she has been accused of being Egyptian, Chinese, Eurasian and other nationalities."]
*Ray Milland (1905–1986), actor [ [http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9372151/Ray-Milland] "Welsh-born U.S. actor."]
*Susan Sarandon (born 1946), Oscar-winning actress
*Nick Carter (born 1980), member of the Backstreet Boys
*Tiffani Thiessen (born 1974), actress
*Seth MacFarlane, comic writer and actor.
*Treat Williams, actor
*Gena Rowlands, actress
*Dean Cain, actor
*Kelly Clarkson, singer
*Bob Lewis (born 1947), co-founder of the musical group Devo
*Juliette Lewis, actress and singer [ [http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/juliette_lewis/biography.php] "She often refers to her Welsh ancestry."]

Literature

*Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951) novelist/playwright
*Jack London (1876–1916) author [ [http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0830206.html] "The illegitimate son of an astrologer and a Welsh farm girl"]
*Edgar Lee Masters (1868–1950) poet/biographer/dramatist
*Ogden Nash (1902–1971) wrote clever humorous poetry
*Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896) abolitionist/writer

Politics

*John Adams- President of the United States, Vice President of the United States (1735-1826)
*John Quincy Adams - President of the United States, 8th Secretary of State (1767–1848) [http://www.back2wales.com/welshamerican.html] Listed as one of several "Welsh-American Presidents"]
*Cassius Marcellus Clay (1810–1903) abolitionist
*Calvin Coolidge - twenty-ninth Vice President (1921–1923) and thirtieth President of the United States (1923–1929)
*James J. Davis (1873–1947), U.S. Secretary of Labor and U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania [ [http://www.appaltree.net/aba/education/historical/ironworks/ironworks1.htm] "James J. Davis, a Welsh-born puddler who served as US Secretary of Labor from 1921–1930"]
*Jefferson Davis (1808–1889) - soldier, politician, and first and only President of the Confederate States (1862–1865) [http://www.idahowelshsociety.org/welshamerican.htm] mentioned as several people who were "Welsh" or "Welsh American"]
*William Floyd - United States Declaration of Independence signatory [http://www.britainusa.com/consular/articles_show_nt1.asp?i=34008&L1=34000&L2=34008&a=36368] "Of the four New York signatories, three were Welsh; Lewis Morris, Francis Lewis and William Floyd."]
*Button Gwinnett - United States Declaration of Independence signatory [ [http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1966/2/1966_2_28.shtml AmericanHeritage.com / WHO’S GOT BUTTON’S BONES? ] ]
*Charles Evans Hughes - Governor of New York [mentioned as one of several "Welsh Americans" at [http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Sr-Z/Welsh-Americans.html] , [http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/lhr/24.1/henretta.html] "The only child of a pious American Baptist mother and an immigrant Welsh minister"]
*Thomas Jefferson - 3rd President of the United States, 1st Secretary of States [ [http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/hst/northamerican/ThomasJefferson/chap12.html] "His father's name was Peter Jefferson. His ancestors were Welsh people."]
*Robert E. Lee - Confederate general [ [http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Sr-Z/Welsh-Americans.html] "Robert E. Lee... also were Welsh Americans..."]
*Francis Lewis - United States Declaration of Independence signatory
*Abraham Lincoln - 16th President of the United States
*James Madison - 4th President of the United States
*John Marshall - statesman, Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court
*James Monroe (1758–1831) fifth president of the US
*Lewis Morris - United States Declaration of Independence signatory
*Robert Morris - United States Declaration of Independence signatory
*William Penn (1644–1718) Founder of Pennsylvania
*Thomas Rees (unknown dates) US Congressman, parents/grandparents from Wales
*Daniel Webster (1782–1852) United States Senator and Secretary of State [mentioned as one of several Welsh-Americans here [http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Sr-Z/Welsh-Americans.html] ]
*Thomas Wynne (1627–1691) - Physician to William Penn and speaker of the first Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly [ [http://members.aol.com/lunetta595/drthomas/drtwelsh.htm] Wynne Family history]
*Hillary Rodham Clinton (born 1947) Democratic U.S. Senator, former First Lady, Presidential candidate. [ [http://www.wales.gov.uk/assemblydata/390999540003C90C00000BBC00000000.html#Anerchiad%20gan%20Ei%20Ardderchowgrwydd%20Mr%20Philip%20Lader,%20Llysgennad%20Unol%20Daleithiau%20AmericaAddress%20by%20His%20Excellency%20Mr%20Philip%20Lader,%20Ambassador%20of%20the%20United%20States%20of%20America Official Report of the Welsh Assembly 06/07/99] ]

Industrial and business

* David Thomas ( [http://www.welshdragon.net/resources/Historical/wales_timeline2.shtml]
*Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel - Tennessee-born founder of Jack Daniel's whiskey
*Bob Evans (restaurateur) (1918–2007) founder of Bob Evans Restaurants
*Howard Stringer (born 1942) businessman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Corporation [ [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9403594] "Welsh-born Howard Stringer"]
*J. P. Morgan (1837–1913) banker
*William Fargo (1818–1881) pioneer expressman
*Howard Hughes (1905–1976) pioneering American aviator, engineer, industrialist, and film producer

Other

*Daniel Boone (1734–1820) American pioneer [http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Sr-Z/Welsh-Americans.html] "Meriwether Lewis himself was Welsh American, as was frontiersman Daniel Boone" [http://www.danielboonehomestead.org/calendar.htm] "Daniel Boone’s mother, Sarah Morgan, was a member of a Welsh family that came to Pennsylvania in 1683 and later settled in Gwynedd"]
*Evan Ellis (1972-) Promoter of Welsh Global Awareness
*Lewis Evans (1700–1756) colonial surveyor and geographer [ [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/NLWjournals.html GENUKI: National Library of Wales journals ] ]
*Cowboy Morgan Evans (1903-1969) Texas Rancher, 1928 World Series Rodeo Bulldogging champion, and competition Bull rider, Oil production Roughneck, drilling foreman, and oilman.
*Oliver Evans (1755–1819) inventor [ [http://www.britannia.com/celtic/wales/facts/facts5.html] "A Welsh-American invented the first automobile"]
*Murray Humphreys (1899–1965) Chicago mobster, chief political and labor racketeer in the Chicago Outfit during Prohibition [ [http://www.bookfinder.com/dir/i/No_Gangster_More_Bold-Murray_Humphreys,_the_Welsh_Political_Genius_Who/0340263873/] "No Gangster More Bold: Murray Humphreys, the Welsh Political Genius Who Corrupted America"]
*George Jones (1811–1891) 'New-York Daily Times co-founder
*John L. Lewis (1880–1969) organized labor union leader
*Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) explorer [ [http://www.inn-california.com/articles/biographic/meriwetherlewis.html] "His great grandfather, Robert Lewis, a Welsh officer in the British Army... The Meriwether family was also Welsh, well connected, and land-rich with sizable holdings near Charlottesville. Lucy's father was a respected friend of Thomas Jefferson."]
*Daniel Morgan (1736-1802) Brigadier General in the American Revolution in the Contiental Army. Served in the United Sates House of Representatives representing Virginia.
*William Farrand Prosser (1834–1911) Union Colonel in the American Civil War. Served in the United States House of Representatives representing Tennessee
*Isaac Shelby (1750–1826) soldier and the first Governor of Kentucky [ [http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Sr-Z/Welsh-Americans.html] "General Isaac Shelby (born in 1750), a Maryland-born Welsh American"]
*Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904) journalist/explorer
*Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) one of the most prominent and influential architects of the first half of the 20th century [ [http://www.geocities.com/soho/1469/flw_life.html] "Frank Lloyd Wright was of Welsh ethnic heritage"]
*Elihu Yale (1649–1721) first benefactor of Yale University [ [http://www.wrecsam.com/yale.html] "Elihu Yale - The Great Welsh American"]
*Colonel Donald Roderick Perkins (1927 - 2004) active member of the American Legion; the American Military Institute; the Army War College Foundation; the Reserve Officers Association; the Retired Officers Association; the Augustan Society; the Company of Military Historians; the Council on America’s Military Past; the Historical Society of the Militia and National Guard; the International Chivalric Institute; and the Military History Society of the Southwest; member of the Saint David's Welsh-American Society; the National Guard Association of the United States; the National Trust for Historic Preservation; New England Historical and Genealogical Society; and the New Mexico Historical Society
*Jesse James, cowboy/outlaw.

References