Literature · 1918–1994
Russell Kirkpolitical theorist, historian, man of letters, novelistAuthor of The Conservative Mind, a founding text of postwar American conservatism, born and raised in the metro Detroit railroad town of Plymouth.DETROIT / A living lexicon / ¼
Famous Detroiters
People who were born here, moved here or built their careers in Detroit: musicians, carmakers, athletes, writers, inventors, civil-rights leaders and a few notorious names. With their dates, their Detroit story and the places where they lived, worked and played, closed ones included.
- 1,949 famous people
- 516 Detroit places
- 19 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
8 people
Clear filtersLiterature · 1918–1994Russell Kirkpolitical theorist, historian, man of letters, novelistAuthor of The Conservative Mind, a founding text of postwar American conservatism, born and raised in the metro Detroit railroad town of Plymouth.
Sports · 1927–2019
Red Kellyice hockey defenceman, politician, coachHall of Fame defenceman who won four Stanley Cups with Detroit in the 1950s, part of the most decorated career of any player never to suit up for the Montreal Canadiens.
Politics · born 1970Kwame Kilpatrickpolitician, former mayor of DetroitDetroit-born politician who became the city's youngest mayor at 31 in 2002, but resigned in 2008 after a corruption scandal and later served federal prison time before a 2021 commutation.
Politics · 1945–2025Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrickteacher, politicianDetroit schoolteacher who served 18 years in the Michigan House and 14 in Congress (1997–2011), chaired the Congressional Black Caucus and was the mother of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Law · 1924–2021Frank J. Kelleylawyer, Michigan attorney generalDetroit-born lawyer nicknamed 'the Eternal General,' who served as Michigan's attorney general for 37 years (1961–1999) and pioneered state consumer protection.
Politics · 1895–1971Harry Kellylawyer, governor of Michigan, state Supreme Court justiceOne-legged World War I hero and Detroit lawyer who governed Michigan during the 'Arsenal of Democracy' years (1943–1947) and later sat on the state Supreme Court.
Science & invention · 1825–1911
Herman Kieferphysician, civic leader, diplomatGerman revolutionary of 1848 who fled to Detroit, practiced medicine there for six decades, led German-American civic life and gave his name to the city's public health hospital.
Politics · 1786–1859Jonathan Kearsleyarmy officer, federal land official, mayor of DetroitWar of 1812 veteran who lost a leg at Chippawa, came to Detroit in 1819 as the federal receiver of public money and was twice mayor (1826 and 1829).The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own. Famous people's places among the sights ↗
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