San José has been the home of many notable persons. Persons important to the past can be recognized within the narrative of the city's history. Their associations with the built environment can embody their contributions within the collective memory of the greater community. These associations sometimes are preserved when extending the life of buildings, structures, and places, and is also enabled with the establishment of memorials, exhibits, and the creation of public art.

The City of San José has included language within its Historic Preservation Ordinance that provides guidance on how to consider this form of significance in the landmark designation process, and the National Park Service has developed specific guidelines within National Register Bulletin 32 for use in a broad range of registration activities involving historic properties associated with important personages.

This page is a working list of persons from the past who are or might be considered important personages in the history of San José, as well as many who have already been recognized. In general, living persons are not considered within the city's criteria for establishing historic significance.

The Historic Context Update 2021 project intends to identify persons who should be remembered for their contributions to the city and make that information available within the City's planning program.

To suggest persons who you feel should be added to this list, and to provide some information about that person and any physical aspects of the built environment that may have linkage, please visit the Community Engagement page and use the Contacts list.

• Eliza Donner Houghton, survivor and chronicler of the Donner Party disaster
• Andrew P. Hill, photographer, artist, and founder of Sempervirens Club
• Carrie Stevens Walter, educator and poet, "a woman of the century"
• Inez C. Jackson, founder of African American Community Service Agency
• Ernesto Galarza, Mexican American labor organizer, educator, poet and writer
• Edwin Markham, poet and author of "The Man With a Hoe."
• Thomas Foon Chew, founder of Bayside Cannery
• Al Ruffo (1908-2003), football coach and San Jose's 48th Mayor and first of Italian-American descent.
• Sarah Knox-Goodrich (1825-1903), early local women's rights activist.
• César Chavez (1927-1993), labor leader for farm workers and civil rights activist.
• Iris Chang (1968-2004), journalist and author of The Rape of Nanking.

Additional notable persons

Identified for their contributions to San Jose and its communities 

Andreuccetti, Dorice (1900-1987). Children's ballet dance instructor and promoter of children performances, she was owner of Dorice Andreuccett School of Dance.

Arbegast, Mai Kitazawa. Pioneer landscape architect born and raised in San José.

Arbuckle, Clyde. San Jose's first City Historian.

Arroyo, Cecilia. Health and public administration leader in the Chicano community.

Ayer, Louise Schemmel. First woman to serve as a Santa Clara County supervisor

Bacon, Lucy. California artist known for her California Impressionist oil paintings of florals, landscapes and still lifes.

Bensen, Louise. Founder of Sacret Heart Community Services.

Bethell, Cora. Founding Superintendent of Associated Charities and first Investigator of County Charities Department, to later become the County Social Services Agency.

Bohnett, Lewis D. Attorney, State Assemblyman, and water conservation leader and labor rights advocate.

Bowden, Don. Lincoln High School graduate and the first American to break the 4 minute mile n 1957. After college he helped develop the Tartan track, the first artificial running surface, and was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2008. The Lincoln High track is named in his honor.

Boyer, Mrs. Elizabeth P. Founder of the Garden City Women's Club.

Brand, Henry Mead (1863-1931). Professor of Creative English at San Jose Teacher's College who lived at Linda Vista in East San José, appointed Poet Laureate of California by Act of Legislature March 21, 1929.

Brito, Jack. Political leader and social activist in the Chicano community.

Cassey, Rev. Peter Williams. Organized the first school for San Jose's Black Community in 1861.

Castro, Maria del Carmel .

Chang, Iris. Author of The Rape of Nanking. iris Chang Park in North San José dedicated in her memory.

Chavez, César. American labor leader and civil rights activist.

Cruz, Roberto (1941-2002). Leader in education, a proponent of bilingual education, and believer of Latino excellence in the Bay Area and across the nation. Founder of National Hispanic University.

Darling, Anne (1870-1928). Deputy Superintendent of San José schools for 29 years. Namesake of Anne Darling Elementary School.

Della Maggiore, Sam F. Was the first Italian American elected to the County Board of Supervisors in 1953. A popular local schoolteacher, as supervisor he pushed for increased funding to serve the needs of mentally and physically challenged students as a champion of the disabled.

Eddie Chavez. Welterweight boxer and drew the largest crowd ever at Municipal Stadium in 1950 when he decisioned Maxie Docusen in the first professional bout ever held at the stadium.

Cooper, A. D. M. San José painter and its most successful commercial artist.

DeVincenci, John. Artist and historian of Italian-American San Jose.

Diaz, Arnulfo M. (1927-2015), Plaintiff in Diaz et al vs. San Jose Unified School District et al, charging that defendants, its Superintendent, and members of its Board of Education, have purposefully operated and maintained a segregated public school system in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Dodge, Roxie. Founder of San Jose Day Nursery.

Edwards, Don. U.S. Representative from California 1963–1995.

Ellington, Joyce. Community activist and namesake of the Joyce Ellington Branch Library.

Espinosa, Leonard. Educator and historian of Mexican New Almaden.

Evans, Lee Edward. An American sprinter who went to Overfelt High School and San Jose State University. He won two gold medals in the 1968 Summer Olympics, setting world records in the 400 meters and the 4 × 400 meters relay, both of which stood for 20 and 24 years respectively. Evans co-founded the Olympic Project for Human Rights and was part of the athlete's boycott and the Black Power movement.

Fleming, George. Agriculturalist and inventor for the dried fruit industry.

Foltz, Clara Shortridge. the first woman ever admitted to the bar in California.

Garcia, Mike. Union organizer in the Chicano community.

Gale, Eddie (1942-2020). Acclaimed in 1972 as "San José's Ambassador of Jazz," an accomplished trumpet player and member of the Sun Ra Arkeststra.

Giannini, A.P. Bank founder and acclaimed "Banker of America."

Gonzales, José Manuel. Second and longest serving alcalde during the colonial period and builder of the Gonzales/Peralta Adobe.

Goodrich, Sarah Knox (1825-1903). Local leader in woman's suffrage.

Greathead, Mrs. S. Estelle. San Jose State Teachers College faculty who compiled Story of an Inspiring Past, the history of the college from 1862-1928.

Hall, Frederick. San Jose's first historian.

Hare, Alice. Photographer of the Santa Clara Valley at the turn of the twentieth century.

Harmon, Charles Henry. San José painter.

Hayes, Janet Gray. First woman mayor of a major city in the United States.

Hayes-Chynoweth, Mary. Wisconsin iron ore mine investor who built the Hayes Mansion.

Herrold, Charles. Pioneer of radio transmission.

Howe, Agnes E. First woman elected to office in Santa Clara County in 1918 when she became Superintendent of Santa Clara County Schools. Active in the woman's suffrage movement, she had been a professor history and economics at the San Jose State Normal School for 22 years.

Ishikawa, Dr. Tokio. Historian of Japantown.

Jobs., Steve. Lived in San José.

Jones, Senator Herbert C. Water infrastructure advocate, and historian and chronicler of the State's first legislature.

Kanemoto, Wayne M. Photographer, attorney, and judge in Santa Clara County.

Kikuchi, Yuriko. American dancer and choreographer with Martha Graham Dance Company, born and lived in San José.

Lawrence, Clara Louise. Poet and author of the poem "Valley of Heart's Delight."

Leonard, Joe. Championship motorcycle and race car driver.

Los Tigres del Norte. First recorded in San José in the late 1960s.

Mendoza, Sophia (1934-2015). Activist and social organizer who co-founded United People Arriba as well as the Community Alert Patrol.

Molina, Luis. The only local boxer to have fought in the Olympics (1956). Set box office records in the 1960s at both the Civic Auditorium and Municipal Stadium.

Montoya Sisters, aka Las Hermanas Montoya. Latin music singing group consisting of four sisters; Mercedes, Ofelia, Emilia and Esther who performed worldwide through 1969.

Moss, Theodore A. Santa Clara County's first black plumber, and local leader in civic, fraternal, and religious organizations.

Nurvey, Geraldine L. (1907-1979). Mid-century City Librarian, she brought the San Jose Public Library into the modern era, built nine branches with plans for seven more, a new main branch, started the city's bookmobile, and established the local metropolitan library network.

Okagaki, Kichitaro (1884-1947). Immigrant to the US in 1904. Worked as a news reporter and manager of the Hokubei Mainichi field office and then Shin Sekai. He was the first coach of the Asahi baseball team, Secretary of the Japanese Association, and worked with the Council for Civic Unity helping arrange for hostels for the returning Japanese internees.

Older, Cora. Historian and early preservation advocate.

Overton, Sarah Massey. Woman's Suffragist and local activist leader for Afro-American voters.

Palmer, Lillian. Local artist of the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Pellier, Louis. Introduced the French prune to San José and California.

Pico, Antonio Maria (1808-1869). Californio politician, ranchero and signer of the California Constitution in 1849. Served twice as Alcalde of San José.

Renzel, Ernest (Ernie). Mayor and father of the San José Airport.

Ribbs, Clyde and Ola. Local historians for Black history.

Ribbs, Henry and Alma. Local activists in the Black community Henry Ribbs became Chief Plumbing Inspector for the City of San Jose.

Roeder, Betty B. (Gilland). Head of a major local utility and enabled its survival after the Fairchild toxic spill.

Romero, Josie. Mental health and social services leader in the Chicano community.

Ruffo, Al. Mayor and coach.

Sakauye, Eiichi. Photographer of Heart Mountain, agriculturist and historian.

Salameda, Joe. Italian-American historian of San José.

Sawyer, Eugene T. Writer and historian for Santa Clara County.

Severance, Sarah M. Educator, woman's suffrage advocate and speaker.

Smith, Stanley. Founder of Orchard Supply Hardware as a farmer's co-op.

Sommers, Harriet L. (1877-1972) Electrical contractor. At the Normal School she was first editor-in-chief of the Normal Pennant and first student president. Was a founder of the Community Chest and Children's Aid Society.

Soto, Antonio R. Social activist/leader in the Chicano community and educator.

Starbird, George. Mayor of San Jose and author of The New Metropolis, chronicling San Jose's 30 years of growth beginning during World War II.

Tatsuno, Dave. Merchant and advocate for post-war Japantown.

Taketa, Clark. Entrepreneur, community leader, and "Mayor of Japantown."

Tillman, Pat. NFL football player who enlisted in the Army in the wake of 9/11 and died in Afghanistan as a result of friendly fire.

Villa, José. Social leader/activist in the Chicano community and educator.

Warner, Glen Scobey "Pop (1871-1954)." San Jose State College coach and mentor was instrumental in the evolution of the modern sport. In retirement, he helped develop and promote Pop Warner Little Scholars, a national youth football program.

Williams, Emily (1869-1942). Pioneer woman architect.

Williams, James. Said to be the first Black Man to settle in California from the United States.

Wilson, Susanne. Third woman elected to San Jose City Council and second to Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

Winchester, Sarah. Builder of the Winchester House.

Wing, John Edgar (1878-1963). From Canada, A temperance lecturer and proprietor of California Apiaries on Schiele Avenue in the 1920s. He was the first Western bee keeper to ship in screen cages, and the first to put out bees in the valley's orchards for fertilization.

Young, Carrie F. MD (1828-1911). A leader in Women's rights, she was Editor of the California Agriculturalist and founded the Women's Pacific Coast Journal. After receiving her medical degree, she specialized in and lectured on women's health.