The following is a list of notable people who were born in, lived in or are associated with the city of Bartow, Florida.
Entertainment
- Jaime Faith Edmondson, Playboy Playmate, born in Bartow
- Matt West, born in Bartow
Government and politics
- Charles O. Andrews, U.S. Senator from 1938–1946; attended the South Florida Military Institute in Bartow
- Frank Clark, former Bartow City attorney, U.S. Representative for the 2nd District 1905-1925
- Stephen H. Grimes, former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice
- Katherine Harris, former U.S. Congressman, Florida 13th District; Florida's Secretary of State during the controversial Florida Recount of 2000
- Spessard Holland, 28th Florida governor and U.S. senator; author of the 24th amendment to the Constitution of the United States
- Jack Latvala, Member of Florida Senate. Candidate for governor, 2018.
- Adam Putnam, former U.S. Congressman, Florida Secretary of Agriculture and candidate for Governor 2018, CEO of Ducks Unlimited.
- Jacob Summerlin, the "King of the Crackers", first baby born in Florida after it was ceded from Spain to the United States; founder of both Bartow and Orlando, Florida
Military
- Albert H. Blanding, general
- J. Adrian Jackson, Rear Admiral U.S. Navy
- Evander McIvor Law, Confederate general during American Civil War
- James Van Fleet, general during the Korean War
Sports
- Johnny Burnett, MLB player for the Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Browns 1927–1935
- Darryl Carlton, NFL player (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), born in Bartow June 24, 1953
- Desmond Clark, NFL player (Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears), born in Bartow April 20, 1977
- Marcus Floyd, NFL player, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers, born in Bartow Oct 12, 1978
- Kenneth Gant, born in Bartow April 18, 1967
- Adarius Glanton, NFL player
- Torrian Gray, NFL player (Minnesota Vikings), born in Bartow March 18, 1974
- Alonzo Highsmith, NFL player, born in Bartow
- Ray Lewis, NFL linebacker (Baltimore Ravens), born in Bartow May 15, 1975
- Tracy McGrady, NBA player (Atlanta Hawks), born in Bartow May 24, 1979
- Jason Odom, former NFL player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1996-1999; graduated from Bartow High School
- Ken Riley, born in Bartow August 6, 1947; former Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback with the Cincinnati Bengals.
- James Roberson, NFL football player, born in Bartow
- Sam Silas, NFL football player for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers 1964-1970, born in Homeland in 1940, graduated from Union Academy
- Jerry Simmons, NFL offensive tackle 1965-1974; graduated from Union Academy
- Theron Smith, NBA player (Charlotte Bobcats), born in Bartow Oct 3, 1980
- James "Bubba" Stewart, born in Bartow; the world's foremost Supercrosser
- Adarius Taylor, NFL Linebacker, born in Bartow
- Keydrick Vincent, NFL player (Baltimore Ravens), born in Bartow Apr 13, 1978
- Rick Wilson, NASCAR driver
Other
- Robert McGrady Blackburn, Methodist bishop
- Armando Gutierrez, banker, owner of WQXM, spokesman for family of Elian Gonzalez
- Marshall Ledbetter, photographer, psychedelics enthusiast, iconoclast and unconventional protester, born in Bartow
- Nelson Serrano, infamous murderer
- Charlie Smith, famous centenarian, claimed to be the oldest person in American history (137)
- Ossian Sweet, Detroit physician best known for the Sweet Trials, defended by Clarence Darrow; born and raised in Bartow
- Michael Tomasello, developmental psychologist and anthropologist, National Academy of Sciences
References
- "Jaime Faith Edmondson From The Amazing Race in Playboy". daemonstv.com. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
- "Jaime Faith Edmondson". IMDb. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
- "ANDREWS, Charles Oscar". congress.gov. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
- "CLARK, Frank, (1860 – 1936)". U.S. Congress. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
- "Justice Stephen H. Grimes". Florida Supreme Court. Archived from the original on 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
- "Women in Congress:Katherine Harris". house.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-10-07. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- "A Guide to the Spessard L. Holland Papers". University of Florida. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- "Latvala, a possible governor candidate, has Bartow ties". Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
- "Congressman Adam H. Putnam". Congressional Website of Adam Putnam. Archived from the original on 2010-09-24. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
- "History of Bartow High School". Bartow High School Website. Archived from the original on 2007-12-21. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
- "The Great Floridians 2000 Program". myflorida's history website. Archived from the original on 2010-10-31. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
- "Polk County Hall of Fame". Polk County School Board. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
- "Evander Law". History Channel. Archived from the original on 2012-09-28. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- "Desmond Clark @ databasefootball.com". databasefootball.com. Archived from the original on 2010-09-19. Retrieved 2010-09-28.
- "Torrian Gray @ databasefootball.com". databasefootball.com. Archived from the original on 2011-05-15. Retrieved 2010-09-28.
- "Alonzo Highsmith NFL Bio". NFL. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
- "Ray Lewis NFL Bio". NFL. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
- "Tracy McGrady, basketball-reference.com". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
- Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Jason Odom. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
- ^ "Polk's Former Pros Have No Regrets". The Ledger. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- "Tampa Bay's All Century Team Nominees". Tampa Bay Online. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- "James Stewart Bio". Motorcycle USA. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- "Keydrick Vincent at pro football reference". profootballreference.com. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
- "Where is ... Rick Wilson?". NASCAR.com. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- "Robert M. Blackburn, 1919-2002". Virginia Conference United Methodist Church. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
- "Gerontology: Secret of Long Life". Time Magazine. 1967-07-14. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
- "Sweet, Ossian (1895-1960)". blackpast.org. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
- "Newsletter 1-2010". Humboldt Foundation. Retrieved 2010-10-08.