List of Famous people born in Texas, United States of America

Denton Arthur Cooley was an American heart and cardiothoracic surgeon famous for performing the first implantation of a total artificial heart. Cooley was also the founder and surgeon in-chief of The Texas Heart Institute, chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at clinical partner Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, consultant in Cardiovascular Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital and a clinical professor of Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Jonathan Jay Pollard is a former intelligence analyst for the United States government. In 1987, as part of a plea agreement, Pollard pleaded guilty to spying for and providing top-secret classified information to Israel. He was sentenced to life in prison for violations of the Espionage Act, making him the only American to receive a life sentence for passing classified information to an ally of the U.S.

Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Texas, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Myron L. Rolle is a Bahamian American neurosurgery resident and retired football safety. He played college football at Florida State, and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He attended the Florida State University College of Medicine and is a neurosurgery resident at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital.

Joaquin Castro is an American Democratic politician who has served in the United States House of Representatives for Texas' 20th congressional district since 2013. The district includes just over half of his native San Antonio, Texas, as well as some of its nearby suburbs. From 2003 to 2013, Castro was a member of the Texas House of Representatives for the 125th district. While in the Texas state legislature, Castro served as vice-chair of the Higher Education Committee and was a member of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee. He also previously served on other committees, such as County Affairs, Border & International Affairs, and Juvenile Justice & Family Issues.

Kendrick Le'Dale Perkins is an American former professional basketball center. He entered the NBA directly out of high school and played for the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New Orleans Pelicans, winning the NBA Championship in 2008 with the Celtics. Perkins is now an NBA analyst for ESPN and other networks.

Ikemefuna Chinedum "IK" Enemkpali is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana Tech.

Kenneth Winston Starr is an American lawyer who served as a United States circuit judge and 39th solicitor general of the United States. He is best known for heading an investigation of members of the Clinton administration, known as the Whitewater controversy.

Emmanuel Chinedum Acho is a former linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) and is currently working as an analyst for Fox Sports 1. He played college football at Texas and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is also an activist who hosts the weekly web show Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.

James Otto Richardson was an admiral in the United States Navy who served from 1902 to 1947. As Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (CinCUS), he protested the redeployment of the Pacific portion of the fleet forward to Pearl Harbor since he believed that a forward defense was neither practical nor useful and that the Pacific Fleet would be the logical first target in the event of war with Japan since it was vulnerable to air and torpedo attacks. He was relieved of command in February 1941. His concerns proved justified during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor only ten months later.