Quotes Database

Named Authors

Named authors are listed alphabetically by their first name.

A (27)

• A. Wainwright 1
  Alfred "A." Wainwright (1907-1991) was a prolific British guidebook author and illustrator. He is most well known for his series describing the hills of the English lake district, A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells.
• Abba Eban 3
  Abba Eban (1915-2002) was an Israeli diplomat and scholar. He served as Ambassador to the United States, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• Abby Johnson 2
  Abby Johnson (1980-) is a former abortion facility director who later became a pro-life activist. She founded "And Then There Were None," a charity that helps abortion workers leave the industry.
• Abraham Lincoln 15
  Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the sixteenth U.S. President, the first Republican president, who served from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the nation during the Civil War, and previously served in the Illinois and U.S. legislatures.
• Adlai Stevenson II 8
  Adlai Stevenson II (1900-1965) was an American Democratic politician and diplomat. He served as Illinois governor, two-time presidential nominee, and U.N. Ambassador under Presidents John F. Kennedy (D) and Lyndon Johnson (D).
• Albert Einstein 19
  Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was a German-born American theoretical physicist. His theory of relativity revolutionized our scientific understanding of the universe. He formulated the most famous math equation: E=MC².
• Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 48
  Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008) was a Russian writer, philosopher, dissident, and free speech activist. He is most well known for The Gulag Archipelago, a damning analysis of the Soviet Gulag system.
• Alex Berezow 1
  Alex Berezow (?-) is an American PhD of microbiology who works as a science and medical writer, editor, manager, and data analyst. He was founding editor of RealClearScience.
• Alexander Hamilton 12
  Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) was a Nevis-born American military officer, politician, and founding father. He was an influential Federalist and served as the first Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington (I).
• Alexis de Tocqueville 49
  Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (1805-1859) was a French writer, historian, diplomat, and philosopher. His most well known book, Democracy in America, recounted extensive travels in the early United States.
• Ambrose Bierce 12
  Ambrose Bierce (1842-ca. 1914) was an American writer, journalist, and Civil War veteran. He was known for biting criticism and satire, and for unflinchingly accurate depictions of the horrors of war.
• An Wang 3
  An Wang (1920-1990) was a Chinese American computer engineer, inventor, and businessman. He helped develop magnetic core memory and founded Wang Laboratories, an early electronics, word processing, and computer firm.
• Anaïs Nin 13
  Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell (1903-1977), or Anaïs Nin, was a French-born American writer, novelist, and diarist. She is most well known for salacious journals chronicling her affairs with numerous famous men.
• Anathapindika 1
  Anathapindika (ca. 5th century B.C.), the "Friend of the Orphaned and Destitute," was a merchant patron of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. Buddha discussed the noble truths with him and he reportedly achieved a stage of enlightenment.
• Anatole France 1
  François-Anatole Thibault (1844-1924), who wrote under the pseudonym Anatole France, was a French journalist, poet, and writer.
• Anne Frank 8
  Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank (1929-1945) was a German Jewish writer. She is most well known for her teenage diary describing two years in hiding during Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. She died at 15 in a concentration camp.
• Anthony Esolen 1
  Anthony Esolen (?-) is an American Catholic writer, lecturer, translator, and professor.
• Anthony Oettinger 1
  Anthony Oettinger (1929-2022) was a German-born American computer scientist and linguist. He was influential in the fields of machine translation and machine learning.
• Anthony of Padua 1
  Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was a Portuguese Catholic Franciscan priest known for powerful, holy preaching. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1232, and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946.
• Antony Flew 3
  Antony Flew (1923-2010) was an English professor, philosopher, and writer. For much of his life he was an atheist critic of religious belief. He was later convinced by evidence for intelligent design and became an outspoken deist.
• Aristotle 15
  Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) was a Greek philosopher. His approach to logic, ethics, and inquiry had wide-ranging influence; Aristotelian tradition is an integral part of modern science, Christian theology, and many other fields of study.
• Arnold H. Glasow 1
  Arnold H. Glasow (1905-1998) was an American businessman, publisher, and humorist.
• Arthur Brisbane 1
  Arthur Brisbane (1864-1936) was an American journalist, editor, and real estate investor. He was an advocate of utopian socialism (Fourierism) and influenced the style of modern American newspaper editorials.
• Arthur C. Clarke 1
  Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008) was a British scientist, essayist, futurist, and science fiction writer. He influenced space technology development and is most well known for co-developing 2001: A Space Odyssey.
• Augustine of Hippo 12
  Saint Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430) was a north African Catholic bishop, writer, theologian, and early church father. He had wide-ranging influence, and was declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Boniface VIII in 1298.
• Auron MacIntyre 1
  Auron MacIntyre (?-) is an American conservative writer, podcaster, and lecturer. His works focus on the application of political theory.
• Ayn Rand 13
  Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum (1905-1982), or Ayn Rand, was a Russian-born American writer, novelist, and philosopher. She developed the philosophy of objectivism and is most well known for the novel Atlas Shrugged.

B (7)

• Barry Goldwater 5
  Barry Goldwater (1909-1998) was a U.S. Senator from Arizona, a Republican, serving from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987. He was the Republican nominee for president in 1964.
• Benedict XVI 9
  Pope Benedict XVI (1927-2022), born Joseph Ratzinger, was the 265th supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church. He served from 2005 until his resignation in 2013.
• Benjamin Franklin 8
  Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was an American writer, scientist, diplomat, philosopher, inventor, and founding father. He participated in writing the Declaration of Independence and served as one of America's first ambassadors.
• Bernard Shaw 11
  George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was an Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist. He wrote over sixty plays, the most well known of which are Man and Superman, Pygmalion, and Saint Joan.
• Bertrand Russell 6
  Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was a British mathematician, logician, and philosopher. He is considered one of the founders of analytic philosophy, which emphasizes formal logic and mathematics more than other philosophical methods.
• Blaise Pascal 8
  Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) was a French Catholic mathematician, physicist, and philosopher. He co-invented calculators, contributed to the field of fluid dynamics, and proposed an argument for belief in God now called "Pascal's Wager."
• Bryan Garner 3
  Bryan Garner (1958-) is an American writer, lexicographer, lawyer, and professor. He authored Garner's Modern English Usage and the usage section of the Chicago Manual of Style, and is editor-in-chief of Black's Legal Dictionary.

C (16)

• C.S. Lewis 24
  Clive Staples "C.S." Lewis (1898-1963) was a British Anglican writer, scholar, and theologian. He is most well known for writing the fantasy novel Chronicles of Narnia and the nonfiction Christian apologia Mere Christianity.
• Calvin Coolidge 10
  Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) was the thirtieth U.S. President, a Republican, who served from 1923 to 1929. He was a mayor, state legislator, lieutenant governor, and governor in Massachusetts, and V.P. under Harding (R).
• Carl Sagan 11
  Carl Sagan (1934-1996) was an American scientist, writer, professor, and media figure. He was a science communicator who was most well known for co-writing and presenting the original Cosmos television series on PBS.
• Carveth Read 1
  Carveth Read (1848-1931) was a British philosopher, logician, and professor. He wrote about formal logic and human evolution.
• Casey Chalk 2
  Casey Chalk (?-) is an American Catholic writer and editor who contributes to The New Oxford Review, The Federalist, American Conservative, and Crisis Magazine.
• Catherine of Siena 2
  Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) was an Italian Catholic laywoman, virgin, and theologian. She influenced Catholic piety, was canonized by Pope Pius II in 1461, and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970.
• Cesare Beccaria 1
  Cesare Bonesana di Beccaria, Marquis of Gualdrasco and Villareggio (1738-1794) was an Italian politician, jurist, philosopher, and criminologist. He is considered the father of criminal justice and influenced the U.S. founding fathers.
• Chabrias 1
  Chabrias (ca. 420-357 B.C.) was an Athenian general. He was described by the orator Demosthenes as one of the greatest military leaders of the era.
• Charles L. Wright 1
  Charles L. Wright (?-?) was an American pilot and flight instructor who worked for the L&H Aircraft Company of Hartford, Connecticut.
• Charles Pope 4
  Monsignor Charles Pope (1961-) is an American Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. He is a popular blogger, columnist, and media personality.
• Charles Spurgeon 11
  Reverend Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) was an English Baptist preacher and writer. He was known for his skill as an orator and influenced the Reformed Baptist movement.
• Christopher Browning 1
  Christopher Browning (1944-) is an American historian and professor who studies Nazism and the Holocaust. He is most well known for Ordinary Men, a history of a German reserve police battalion’s activity in occupied Poland.
• Clement of Rome 3
  Pope Saint Clement of Rome (ca. A.D. 35-99) was the fourth supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church, and an early church father. He served from A.D. 88 until his death, likely by martyrdom, in A.D. 99.
• Conan O'Brien 3
  Conan O'Brien (1963-) is an American comedian, writer, producer, talk show host, and podcaster. He is most well known for hosting Late Night With Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show, and Conan.
• Cormac McCarthy 4
  Cormac McCarthy (1933-2023) was an American writer and novelist. He is known for the novels All the Pretty Horses, No Country for Old Men, and The Road.
• Cyprian of Carthage 2
  Saint Cyprian of Carthage (ca. A.D. 210-258) was a North African Catholic bishop, writer, early church father, and martyr. He fought against the heresies of Novatian, who falsely claimed to be pope.

D (13)

• D. Scott Johnson 3
  D. Scott Johnson (1968-) is an American writer and software developer. He is known for the Gemini Gambit series of science fiction novels.
• Dan Quayle 6
  Dan Quayle (1947-) is an American Republican politician. He represented Indiana in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, and served as Vice President under President George Bush (R).
• Daniel Handler 1
  Daniel Handler (1970-) is an American writer, musician, television producer, and novelist who writes under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket. He is most well known for his novel series A Series of Unfortunate Events.
• Dave Barry 8
  Dave Barry (1947-) is an American writer, columnist, and humorist. He is most well known for his weekly humor column that appeared in the Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005.
• David Allen 6
  David Allen (1945-) is an American writer and productivity expert. He is most well known for the book Getting Things Done and the time-management method it describes.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer 4
  Reverend Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian. He vocally opposed the Nazi regime, which later imprisoned him and put him to death.
• Dionysius 1
  Dionysius (ca. A.D. 5th-6th century) is the pseudonym of an anonymous Greek Catholic author and theologian. He wrote pseudepigraphically as "Dionysius the Areopagite," but is believed to be a different, later figure.
• Donald Trump 14
  Donald Trump (1946-) was the forty-fifth U.S. President, a Republican, who served from 2017 to 2021. He owns a business conglomerate, the Trump Organization, and was previously a reality television star.
• Dorothy Parker 2
  Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was an American writer, poet, and playwright. She was a member of the American modernist movement and was also known for her acerbic wit.
• Douglas Adams 2
  Douglas Adams (1952-2001) was a British author, novelist, and humorist. He is most well known for his five-book "trilogy," The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
• Douglas Merrill 1
  Douglas Merrill (1970-) is an American writer, technologist, cognitive scientist, and entrepreneur.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower 1
  Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) was the thirty-fourth U.S. President, a Republican, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II he served as General of the Army and Supreme Allied Commander, leading the allies to victory in Europe.
• Dwight Morrow 1
  Dwight Morrow (1873-1931) was a U.S. Senator from New Jersey, a Republican. serving from 1930 until his death in 1931. He previously served as Ambassador to Mexico. He was also a wealthy businessman and partner at J.P. Morgan.

E (19)

• Edgar Allan Poe 12
  Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American writer. He is is generally considered one of the greats of American literature, and is most well known for macabre tales. He had long-lasting influence on science fiction and horror.
• Edmund Burke 15
  Edmund Burke (1729-1797) was an Irish-born British writer, politician, and philosopher who served as a member of Parliament from 1765 to 1795. He favored Catholic emancipation and sympathized with the American revolution.
• Edward Bernays 10
  Edward Bernays (1891-1995) was an Austrian-born American writer and public relations innovator. He created highly effective P.R. campaigns for businesses and wrote books about influence, propaganda, and mass psychology.
• Elbert Hubbard 27
  Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) was an American writer, artist, satirist, and philosopher. He is known for social critique and humorous truisms.
• Elena Gorokhova 1
  Elena Gorokhova (1955-) is a Russian American writer and professor. She is most well known for her memoir of growing up in the Soviet Union, A Mountain of Crumbs.
• Elie Wiesel 17
  Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) was a Romanian-born American writer and professor. He survived imprisonment in Nazi death camps and, after World War II, became a lifelong advocate for human rights.
• Elizabeth Ann Seton 5
  Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) was an American Catholic educator and founder of the Sisters of Charity of New York. She was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975, becoming the first U.S.-born canonized saint.
• Elon Musk 7
  Elon Musk (1971-) is a South African-born American businessman. He co-founded Zip2, Neuralink, and OpenAI, founded SpaceX, the Boring Company, and xAI, is chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla, and owns X (Twitter).
• Émile Cammaerts 1
  Émile Cammaerts (1878-1953) was a Belgian author, translator, playwright, and professor. He was a war poet during the first World War, and made numerous influential translations of British literature into French.
• Émile Zola 1
  Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (1840-1902) was a French writer, journalist, and playwright. He was an influential member of the "naturalist" literary movement.
• Erasmus 11
  Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (ca. 1466-1536) was a Dutch Christian writer, humorist, satirist, cleric, and theologian. He was an influential leader of the northern renaissance and is a major figure in Dutch and western culture.
• Eric Sevareid 1
  Eric Sevareid (1912-1992) was an author and a radio and television news journalist. He reported for CBS from Europe during World War II and later contributed commentary to CBS Evening News.
• Ernest Rutherford 1
  Baron Ernest Rutherford of Nelson (1871-1937) was a New Zealand scientist and nuclear physicist. He discovered radioactive half-life, differentiated alpha and beta radiation, and performed the first artificial nuclear reaction.
• Ernő Rubik 1
  Ernő Rubik (1944-) is a Hungarian writer, professor, and inventor. He is known for creating mechanical puzzles, the most famous and recognizable of which is the Rubik's Cube.
• Ernst Levy 2
  Ernst Levy (1895-1981) was a Swiss American composer, pianist, conductor, musicologist, and professor.
• Eugene McCarthy 2
  Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005) was a U.S. Senator from Minnesota, a Democrat, serving from 1959 to 1971. He previously served in the U.S. House, and later made several unsuccessful runs for President.
• Evan Thomas 1
  Evan Thomas III (1951-) is an American writer, professor, journalist, and historian. He is most well known for in-depth historical biographies.
• Evelyn Beatrice Hall 4
  Evelyn Beatrice Hall (1868-1956) was a British author who wrote under the pseudonym "Stephen G. Tallentyre." She is most well known for her biography of Voltaire, The Life of Voltaire.
• Ezra Solomon 1
  Ezra Solomon (1920-2002) was a British Burmese-born American economist and professor. He served on the Council of Economic Advisors under President Richard Nixon (R) during the period where the U.S. went off the gold standard.

F (13)

• Finley Peter Dunne 2
  Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) was an American writer, journalist, and humorist. He is most well known for originating the fictional Irish immigrant character "Mr. Dooley" who appeared in Dunne's nationally syndicated sketches.
• Fisher Ames 4
  Fisher Ames (1758-1808) was a U.S. House representative, a Federalist, serving from 1789 to 1797. He was a renowned orator who opposed slavery and supported a strong central government under a republican structure.
• Flannery O'Connor 1
  Mary Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964) was an American Catholic writer, novelist and essayist. She typically wrote in a "southern gothic" style with an emphasis on questions of morality.
• Francis (Pope) 8
  Pope Francis (1936-), born Jorge Bergoglio, is the 266th supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church. He has served since 2013. He is a member of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits.
• Frank Rizzo 1
  Francis "Frank" Rizzo (1920-1991) was an American politician who was the Democratic Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1972 to 1980. He later ran unsuccessfully as a Republican.
• Fred Allen 4
  John Florence Sullivan (1894-1956), who worked under the name Fred Allen, was an American comedian and radio host.
• Fred Brooks 5
  Frederick Phillips "Fred" Brooks Jr. (1931-2022) was an American writer and computer engineer. He was project manager for IBM System/360 mainframes and later wrote the project management book The Mythical Man-Month.
• Fred Thompson 6
  Freddie "Fred" Dalton Thompson (1942-2015) was a U.S. Senator from Tennessee, a Republican, who served from 1994 to 2003. He was also an actor, columnist, and radio personality.
• Frederick Douglass 17
  Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey (ca. 1817-1895), or Frederick Douglass, was an American writer and orator. He escaped slavery and became a leading advocate for abolitionism and civil rights.
• Freeman Dyson 11
  Freeman Dyson (1923-2020) was a British-born American mathematician and theoretical physicist. He was influential in the fields of nuclear physics, quantum theory, and astrophysics.
• Friedrich Nietzsche 8
  Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a German writer and philosopher. He was most well known for his bizarre work of philosophical fiction, Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
• Fulton Sheen 41
  Venerable Fulton John Sheen (1895-1979) was an American Catholic bishop, professor, theologian, and radio and television presenter. He was declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
• Fyodor Dostoevsky 5
  Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) was a Russian writer, novelist, journalist, and essayist. He is widely considered one of the greatest novelists of all time, and is most well known for Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov.

G (15)

• G. Stanley Hall 2
  Granville Stanley Hall (1844-1924) was an American professor and psychologist who was the first president of the American Psychological Association. His research focused primarily on human childhood development.
• G.K. Chesterton 39
  Gilbert Keith "G.K." Chesterton (1874-1936) was a British Catholic writer, critic, and philosopher. He created the fictional priest detective Father Brown and is known for his apologetic books Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man.
• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel 11
  Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) was a German writer, philosopher, and professor. He was a member of the idealist movement and is most well known for the books The Phenomenology of Spirit and The Science of Logic.
• George Mason 9
  George Mason (1725-1792) was an American founding father. He wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, served in the Virginia House of Delegates, and was a delegate from Virginia to the Constitutional Convention.
• George Orwell 6
  Eric Arthur Blair (1903-1950), who wrote under the pseudonym George Orwell, was a British writer, novelist, essayist, and journalist. He is most well known for the anti-totalitarian works Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.
• George Santayana 4
  Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás (1863-1952), or George Santayana, was a Spanish American writer, novelist, essayist, philosopher, and cultural critic.
• George Sutherland 1
  George Sutherland (1862-1942) was a U.S. Supreme Court justice. He was appointed by President Harding (R) in 1922 and served until his retirement in 1938. He had previously represented Utah in the U.S. Congress.
• George W. Bush 9
  George W. Bush (1946-) was the forty-third U.S. President, a Republican, serving from 2001 to 2009. He led the nation during the 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks and the Global War on Terror, and was previously a businessman and Governor of Texas.
• George Washington 11
  George Washington (1732-1799) was the first U.S. President, an independent, serving from 1789 to 1797. He was a businessman, general, and founding father. During the Revolution he commanded the continental army.
• Georges Lemaître 3
  Father Georges Lemaître (1894-1966) was a Belgian Catholic priest, theoretical physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and professor. He was the first to propose an expanding universe and originated the "Big Bang Theory."
• Gerald Ford 2
  Gerald Ford (1913-2006) was the thirty-eighth U.S. President, a Republican, serving from 1974 to 1977. He was previously a U.S. Navy officer, member of the U.S. House from Michigan, and Vice President.
• Gerald Schroeder 4
  Gerald Lawrence Schroeder (1938-) is an American-born Israeli writer, scientist, professor, and Jewish theologian. He proposed a possible parallel between biblical and cosmological creation timelines based on time dilation.
• Gregory of Nazianzus 1
  Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (ca. A.D. 329-390) was a Cappadocian Catholic bishop, orator, philosopher, and theologian. He contributed to our understanding of the Trinity and is acknowledged as a Doctor of the Church.
• Gregory of Nyssa 1
  Saint Gregory of Nyssa (ca. A.D. 335-ca. 394) was a Cappadocian Catholic bishop, theologian, and early church father. He contributed to the Nicene Creed and deepened the church's understanding of the Trinity.
• Gregory the Great 3
  Pope Saint Gregory the Great (ca. A.D. 540-604) was the sixty-fourth supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church, serving from 590 until his death in 604. He was a humble Benedictine, and is acknowledged as a Doctor of the Church.

H (9)

• H. Ward Silver 1
  H. Ward Silver (?-) is an American writer, electrical engineer, teacher, and amateur "ham" radio operator (N0AX). He wrote numerous ham radio books, including the ARRL Handbood, Ham Radio for Dummies, and license study guides.
• H.L. Mencken 12
  Henry Louis "H.L." Mencken (1880-1956) was an American essayist, satirist, journalist, and language scholar. He was most well known for his detailed analysis of American English, The American Language.
• Hannah Arendt 15
  Johanna "Hannah" Arendt (1906-1975) was a German-born American historian, philosopher, and political theorist. She is known for her studies of totalitarianism, including Nazism, and for coining the phrase "the banality of evil."
• Harry S. Truman 18
  Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) was the thirty-third U.S. President, a Democrat, serving from 1945 to 1953. He was president during the World War II allied victories in Europe and the Pacific. He was previously a judge, U.S. Senator from Missouri, and Vice President.
• Henry Ford 12
  Henry Ford (1863-1947) was an American businessman and industrialist. He founded the Ford Motor Company, which revolutionized mass production and made motor vehicles affordable for the masses.
• Henry Steel Olcott 2
  Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907) was an American writer and lawyer who co-founded the Theosophical Society, became a well-known convert to Buddhism, and helped revive Buddhism in Sri Lanka. He wrote The Buddhist Catechism.
• Homero Aridjis 1
  Homero Aridjis (1940-) is a Mexican writer, journalist, novelist, poet, and environmental activist. He served as Mexico's ambassador to the Netherlands, Switzerland, and UNESCO, and as president of the PEN International writers' association.
• Horace 8
  Quintus Horatius "Horace" Flaccus (27-8 B.C.) was a Roman soldier, satirist, and lyric poet who wrote during the time of Rome's transition from a republic to an empire.
• Hugo Black 9
  Hugo Black (1886-1971) was a U.S. Supreme Court justice. He was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) in 1937 and served until retirement in 1971. He had previously represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate.

I (6)

• Ian Fleming 2
  Ian Fleming (1908-1964) was a British journalist and novelist who served in military intelligence during World War II. He is most well known for the James Bond (007) series of spy novels and the children's book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
• Ian Kershaw 1
  Sir Ian Kershaw (1943-) is a British historian and professor. He is most well known for his analyses of the rise of Nazism in Germany, particularly focusing on the indifference of "average" Germans before and during World War II.
• Ibn Warraq 6
  Ibn Warraq (1946-) is the pseudonym of an anonymous Indian- or Pakistani-born British writer. He founded of the Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society and is known for critical analyses of Islam and the Qur'an.
• Ignatius of Antioch 1
  Saint Ignatius of Antioch (ca. A.D. 50-ca. 108) was a Syrian Catholic bishop, writer, and early church father. He was martyred for the faith by Roman authorities, likely by being thrown to wild animals at the Coliseum.
• Irenaeus of Lyons 1
  Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. A.D. 130-ca. 202) was a Greek-born Catholic bishop, theologian, and early church father who evangelized southern France. He was declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Francis in 2022.
• Isaac Asimov 12
  Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was a Russian-born American science fiction writer, professor, and science communicator. He is most well known for novels in the Foundation and I, Robot series.

J (42)

• Jack Handey 30
  Jack Handey (1949-) is an American writer and humorist. He is most well known as a writer on Saturday Night Live. His surreal one-liner "Deep Thoughts" were compiled into books and appeared on SNL between 1991 and 1998.
• James Baldwin 1
  James Arthur Baldwin (1924-1987) was an American writer, novelist, essayist, orator, and activist. He was a leading literary voice of the American civil rights movement, and is most well known for his novel Go Tell It on the Mountain.
• James Burgh 1
  James Burgh (1714-1775) was a British politician and political theorist, a Whig, who advocated for human rights and expanding voting. He was an early proponent of the principle that all political power originates with the people.
• James M. Wallace 1
  James M. Wallace (?-?) from Minneapolis, Minnesota, is credited as the creator of the "Wallace's Two-out-of-Three Theory" quoted in the book The Official Explanations compiled by Paul Dickson.
• James Madison 10
  James Madison (1751-1836) was the fourth U.S. president, a Democratic-Republican, serving from 1809 to 1817. He was a primary author of the U.S. Constitution and previously served as a member of the U.S. House and Secretary of State.
• James Q. Wilson 1
  James Q. Wilson (1931-2012) was an American writer, political scientist, public administration expert, and professor. He co-authored the university textbook American Government and served with numerous boards and think tanks.
• James the Just 5
  James the Just (A.D. ?-62) was an early Christian who is described in scripture as a close relative of Jesus. He was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, and one of his letters, known as the Epistle of James, became part of the Holy Bible.
• Jane Wagner 5
  Jane Wagner (1935-) is an American television, film, and theater writer, director, and producer. She is most well known for her work in collaboration with comedian Lily Tomlin.
• Jean Cocteau 1
  Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (1889-1963) was a French writer, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, and artist. He is considered one of the foremost artists of the twentieth century surrealist movement.
• Jean-Luc Godard 1
  Jean-Luc Godard (1930-2022) was French and Swiss writer, film director, and critic. He was an influential director of the post-World War II era, and is most well known for his films Breathless, Vivre sa vie, and Contempt.
• Jesus Christ 30
  Jesus of Nazareth (ca. 4 B.C.-ca. A.D. 33) is the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, the Messiah or Christ. His followers are called Christians. He died in remittance of our sins, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven.
• Jiddu Krishnamurti 15
  Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) was an Indian writer, philosopher, speaker, and spiritual leader. He was raised in the Theospophical tradition, but later rejected it. He advocated "choiceless awareness."
• Jim Elliot 1
  Philip James "Jim" Elliot (1927-1956) was an American Christian missionary. He was killed by Huaorani warriors in Ecuador while attempting to evangelize the Quechua people as part of "Operation Auca."
• Jim Powell 2
  Jim Powell (?-) is an American writer, historian, and lecturer. He is most well known for nonfiction books about this history of liberty and free markets. He is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C.
• Jimmy Seghers 11
  James M. "Jimmy" Seghers (?-) is an American Catholic writer, teacher, and radio and television personality. He and his wife Michelle founded Totus Tuus Ministries, a Catholic evangelization ministry.
• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1
  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), often known simply as Goethe, was a German writer, poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, and philosopher. He had wide-ranging influence in the development of western literature and political philosophy.
• John Adams 27
  John Adams (1735-1826) was the second U.S. president, a Federalist, serving from 1797 to 1801. He previously served as a judge and diplomat. He was also the first Vice President, serving under President George Washington (I).
• John Basil Barnhill 1
  John Basil Barnhill (1864-1929), who also wrote under the pseudonym John Erwin McCall, was an American writer, lecturer, and journal editor. He was most well known for political commentary and his criticisms of socialism.
• John Brown 4
  John Brown (1800-1859) was an American abolitionist. who advocated the use of violence to end slavery. He fought in "Bleeding Kansas" and led a raid in Harpers Ferry in an attempt to incite a slave rebellion. He was later tried for treason and hanged.
• John Cantius 1
  Saint John Cantius (1390-1473) was a Polish Catholic priest, professor, philosopher, physicist, and theologian who was known for humility, compassion, and generosity. He was canonized by Pope Clement XIII in 1767.
• John Damascene 1
  Saint John Damascene (ca. A.D. 675-749) was an Arab Catholic priest, writer, orator, hymnist, and theologian. He wrote The Fountain of Wisdom, an early theological compendium. He was declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1890.
• John F. Kennedy 7
  John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) was the thirty-fifth U.S. president, a Democrat, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He previously represented Massachusetts in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
• John Gardner 1
  John Gardner (?-?) is quoted in the book Getting Things Done by David Allen.
• John Henry Newman 8
  Saint John Henry Newman (1801-1890) was an English Catholic priest, writer, theologian, and academic. Originally an Anglican, he converted to Catholicism in 1845. He was canonized by Pope Francis in 2019.
• John Leonardi 1
  Saint John Leonardi (1541-1609) was an Italian Catholic priest who founded the Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca and was known for his charity and adherence to church discipline. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1938.
• John Locke 2
  John Locke (1632-1704) was a British writer, political philosopher, and physician. He was one of the preeminent thinkers of the enlightenment era and had major influence on the development of social contract theory and classical liberalism.
• John Marshall 5
  John Marshall (1755-1835) was the fourth U.S. Chief Justice. He was appointed by President John Adams (FD) in 1801 and served until death in 1835. He previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates, U.S. House of Representatives, and as Secretary of State.
• John Maynard Keynes 3
  John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) was an English economist. He originated the school of economic thought now known as the Keynesian economics, which tends to advocate inflationary monetary policies and government interventionism.
• John of the Cross 5
  Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591) was a Spanish Catholic priest of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726 and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1926.
• John Paul II 12
  Pope Saint John Paul II (1920-2005), born Karol Wojtyła, was the 264th supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church. He served from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was canonized in 2014 by Pope Francis.
• John Stark 1
  Major-General John Stark (1728-1822) was a British-born American military officer. He served in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. He came to be known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his service in the Battle of Bennington, Vermont.
• John the Apostle 6
  Saint John the Apostle (ca. A.D. 6-100), or John the Beloved, was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. He wrote four books of the Holy Bible (the Gospel of John, three epistles (letters), and Revelation) and cared for Mary after Christ's ascension.
• John Updike 1
  John Updike (1932-2009) was an American writer, poet, and novelist who is considered one of the great American literary figures. He is most well known for his Run, Rabbit novel series and for numerous works of literary criticism.
• John Vianney 2
  Saint John Vianney (1786-1859), or the Curé d'Ars, was a French Catholic priest. He was dedicated to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) and strong moral teaching. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925.
• John Wesley 6
  Reverend John Wesley (1703-1791) was an English theologian and evangelist. He founded Methodism, which began as a movement within Anglicanism but eventually became its own family of Christian denominations.
• Jonathan Rauch 1
  Jonathan Rauch (1960-) is an American writer and journalist. He is an advocate of political incrementalism and consensus building. He was an advocate for government recognition of same-sex marriage and an apologist for introversion.
• Jonathan Swift 1
  Reverend Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was a English and Irish writer, essayist, satirist, and Anglican priest. Many of his works were originally published anonymously or under pseudonyms. He is most well known for Gulliver's Travels.
• Jordan Peterson 54
  Jordan Peterson (1962-) is a Canadian writer, professor, psychologist, and media figure who studies narrative, meaning, and belief. He is also known for his public lectures on psychology, religion, and self-improvement.
• Josemaría Escrivá 14
  Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás (1902-1975) was a Spanish Catholic priest who founded the Opus Dei movement and espoused the universal call to holiness. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002.
• Joseph Story 1
  Joseph Story (1779-1845) was a U.S. Supreme Court justice. He was appointed by President James Madison (DR) in 1811 and served until his death in 1845. He had previously represented Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• Jules Feiffer 1
  Jules Feiffer (1929-) is an American writer, satirist, playwright, and cartoonist. He is most well known for the comic strip Feiffer which ran in The Village Voice and other newspapers from 1956 to 1997.
• Juvenal 1
  Decimus Junius Juvenalis (ca. A.D. 55-ca. 128), or Juvenal, was a Roman poet most well known for his collection Satires. His work has been a valuable source for historical research into ancient Roman life.

K (0)

• (none)

L (6)

• Lao Tsu 11
  Lao Tsu (ca. 6th-5th century B.C.), or Laozi, born Li Er, was a Chinese philosopher and religious figure. His writings, the Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi, are considered the foundational texts of the Taoist religion.
• Laurence J. Peter 11
  Laurence J. Peter (1919-1990) was a Canadian writer and professor. He is most well known for formulating the "Peter principle," which posits that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to "a level of respective incompetence."
• Lee Child 1
  James Dover Grant (1954-), who writes under the pseudonym Lee Child, is a British writer and novelist. He is most well known for the Jack Reacher series of thriller novels.
• Lee Smolin 5
  Lee Smolin (1955-) is an American writer, professor, and theoretical physicist. He has contributed to the concept of loop quantum gravity and subscribes to an "alternate view" of spacetime known as "temporal naturalism."
• Leo the Great 1
  Pope Saint Leo the Great (ca. A.D. 400-461) was the forty-fifth supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church, serving from 440 until his death in 461. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV in 1754.
• Ludwig von Mises 1
  Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (1881-1973) was an Austrian-born American economist, historian, and sociologist. He was one of the key figures of the "Austrian school" of economics and a persistent advocate of classical liberalism.

M (26)

• Mahatma Gandhi 9
  Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), or Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, political theorist, civil rights activist, and supporter of Indian independence. He was a proponent of the principles of nonviolent resistance.
• Marco Antonio de Dominis 1
  Marco Antonio de Dominis (1560-1624) was a Croatian bishop, scientist, and polemicist. Originally Catholic, then Anglican, then Catholic again, he was eventually condemned for heresy. As a scientist, he contributed to our understanding of light and refraction.
• Marcus Tullius Cicero 1
  Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-7 B.C.) was a Roman politician, writer, and philosopher. He was known for his powerful oratory and for serving as Roman Consul. He opposed Mark Antony and was assassinated under his orders.
• Margaret Thatcher 6
  Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) was a British Conservative politician. She was the first woman Prime Minister, and served in that role from 1979 to 1990. She was previously a member of Parliament, Education Secretary, and opposition leader.
• Marion Barry 1
  Marion Barry (1936-2014) was an American politician, a Democrat, who served multiple terms on the Council of the District of Columbia and as mayor of Washington, DC. He was colloquially known as "mayor for life."
• Mark Rasch 1
  Mark Rasch (1958-) is an American writer, lawyer, professor, and cybersecurity expert. He has been involved in federal cybercrime prosecutions, and served in numerous private-sector technology leadership roles.
• Mark Twain 14
  Samuel Clemens (1835-1910), who wrote under the pseudonym "Mark Twain," was an American writer, lecturer, and humorist. He is most well known for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
• Martin Gabel 1
  Martin Gabel (1911-1986) was an American actor, director, and producer. He acted in numerous films between 1951 and 1980 and frequently appeared as a panelist on the television program What's My Line?
• Martin Luther 8
  Reverend Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German author, professor, and theologian. He was a Catholic priest who broke with the church, initiated the Protestant reformation, and founded the Lutheran movement.
• Martin Luther King Jr. 13
  Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was an American Baptist pastor, philosopher, and activist. He was the preeminent leader of the African American civil rights movement.
• Martin Rees 1
  Martin John Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow (1942-), is a British writer, cosmologist, and astrophysicist. He has contributed to the study of the cosmic microwave background, galaxy formation, and to disproving the steady state theory.
• Mary (Blessed Virgin) 10
  The Blessed Virgin Mary (ca. 18 B.C-ca. A.D. 41) was the wife of Joseph and mother of Jesus. She was chosen by God to be his virgin mother, and has been the most venerated Christian saint since antiquity.
• Mary Pettibone Poole 1
  Mary Pettibone Poole (?-?) was an American writer most well known for her collection of aphorisms, A Glass Eye at a Keyhole.
• Mary Wollstonecraft 14
  Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was a British writer, novelist, and philosopher. She is generally considered to be a founding feminist philosopher, and is most well known for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
• Mattias Desmet 14
  Mattias Desmet (?-) is a Belgian writer, professor, and psychologist. His areas of research include psychological factors of totalitarianism and mass formation psychosis.
• Max Planck 4
  Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck (1858-1947) was a German theoretical physicist. He originated quantum theory, which revolutionized our understanding of the behavior of fundamental particles.
• Maximilian Kolbe 2
  Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe (1894-1941) was a Polish Catholic priest of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, writer, missionary, and dissident who was martyred by the Nazis at the Auschwitz death camp. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1982.
• Maya Angelou 19
  Marguerite Annie Johnson (1928-2014), or Maya Angelou, was an American writer, poet, and civil rights activist. She is most well known for her autobiographical work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
• Melancton Smith 2
  Melancton Smith (1744-1798) was an American businessman and lawyer who served as a delegate from New York to the Continental Congress. He was a prominent theorist and spokesman for the Anti-Federalist movement.
• Melchior Palyi 1
  Melchior Palyi (1892-1970) was a Hungarian-born American economist and professor. He was particularly critical of socialized medicine as a conduit for the erosion of human rights and imposition of totalitarianism.
• Michael Crichton 14
  John Michael Crichton (1942-2008) was an American writer, novelist, and filmmaker. He was most well known for science fiction and "techno-thrillers" including The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park. He also created the television series E.R.
• Mignon McLaughlin 55
  Mignon McLaughlin (1913-1983) was an American writer and journalist. She wrote articles and short stories for women's magazines, but is most well known for her aphorisms collected in the Neurotic's Notebook book series.
• Mike Pence 1
  Mike Pence (1969-) is an American Republican politician. He served as U.S. House member from Indiana, Governor of Indiana, and Vice President under President Donald Trump (R).
• Mike Tyson 1
  Mike Tyson (1966-) is an American professional heavyweight boxer and world champion. He is known for controversial behavior in the ring and his personal life.
• Milton Friedman 35
  Milton Friedman (1912-2006) was an American writer, economist, statistician, and professor who was one of the most influential economists of the twentieth century. He was a leader in the "Chicago school" of economics and a proponent of free markets.
• Moltke the Elder 1
  Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke the Elder (1800-1891) was a Prussian field marshal and military strategist. He was one of the most innovative and influential military figures of the nineteenth century.

N (4)

• Nate Silver 3
  Nathaniel "Nate" Silver (1978-) is an American writer, statistician, and media figure. He is known for developing predictive models for sports events and political elections. He founded FiveThirtyEight.com and now publishes the Silver Bulletin.
• Nicolas Chamfort 15
  Sébastien-Roch Nicolas de Chamfort (1741-1794) was a French writer. He is most well known for his epigrams and aphorisms, and for his Jacobin activities during the French revolution.
• Nikola Tesla 11
  Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was an Austrian-born American inventor, engineer, and futurist. He invented the AC induction motor and had immense influence on the development of AC electric grids, x-ray imaging, and wireless transmission.
• Norman Thomas 6
  Reverend Norman Thomas (1884-1968) was an American Presbyterian minister and socialist orator who stood six times as the Socialist Party candidate for president. He was an advocate for "democratic socialism" and civil rights.

O (5)

• Oliver Wendell Holmes 30
  Oliver Wendell Holmes [Sr.] (1809-1894) was an American writer, physician, poet and professor. He wrote a well-known series of Breakfast-Table essays, and was also an influential medical innovator and reformer.
• Oscar Levant 9
  Oscar Levant (1906-1972) was an American composer, pianist, writer, talk show host, actor, and comedian. He appeared in numerous films, often playing a pianist, and was known for his quick, biting wit.
• Oscar Wilde 7
  Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. He is most well known for his epigrams, the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the play The Importance of Being Earnest.
• Ovid 6
  Publius Ovidius Naso (43 B.C-ca. A.D. 17), or Ovid, was Roman poet. He lived during the reign of Caesar Augustus, and is most remembered for his fifteen-book epic poem Metamorphoses.
• Owen Roberts 3
  Owen Roberts (1875-1955) was an American lawyer and U.S. Supreme Court justice. He was nominated to the court in 1930 by President Herbert Hoover (R) and served until his retirement in 1945.

P (11)

• P.J. O'Rourke 8
  Patrick Jake "P.J." O'Rourke (1947-2022) was an American writer, journalist, and political satirist. He was most well known for his books Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance, and for advocating libertarian political philosophies.
• Patrick Henry 7
  Patrick Henry (1736-1799) was an American founding father, businessman, orator, lawyer, and politician. He served as a Virginia Burgess, a delegate to the Continental Congress, and the first post-colonial Governor of Virginia.
• Paul Krugman 1
  Paul Krugman (1953-) is an American columnist, professor, and economist. He is an advocate for the Keynesian school of economics and left-wing political causes.
• Paul Samuelson 1
  Paul Samuelson (1915-2009) was an American writer, professor, and economist. He was one of the most influential economists of the twentieth century and was considered the originator of the neo-Keynesian school.
• Paul Skousen 9
  Paul Skousen (?-) is an American writer, journalist, and teacher. He is most well known for The Naked Socialist and for editing and preserving writings by his father, W. Cleon Skousen.
• Paul the Apostle 31
  Saint Paul the Apostle (ca. A.D 5-64), born Saul of Tarsus, was a Jewish persecutor of Christians who later converted to Christianity and became one of the most influential early leaders of the church. Many of his letters became part of the Holy Bible.
• Peter Drucker 1
  Peter Drucker (1909-2005) was an Austrian-born American writer, educator, and management consultant. He is regarded as one of the first advocates of management theory as a serious discipline and originated management by objectives.
• Peter Kreeft 45
  Peter Kreeft (1937-) is an American Catholic apologist, philosopher, professor, and theologian. He became Catholic after studying early Christianity. Kreeft has written over eighty books including the Handbook of Christian Apologetics.
• Peter the Apostle 3
  Pope Saint Peter the Apostle (A.D. ?-64), or Simon Peter, born Simeon, was the first supreme pontiff and head of the Catholic Church, serving from the time of Christ until his death in A.D. 64. He was the first Bishop of Rome and wrote two books of the Bible.
• Peter Thiel 1
  Peter Thiel (1967-) is a German-born American lawyer, businessman, and activist. He co-founded PayPal, Palantir, and Founders Fund, and was an early investor in Facebook. He advocates for conservative libertarian political causes.
• Pio of Pietrelcina 1
  Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968), or "Padre Pio," was an Italian Catholic priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and stigmatist who received numerous spiritual gifts. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

Q (0)

• (none)

R (27)

• R. G. Yoho 2
  Robert "R. G." Yoho (?-) is an American author, speaker, radio talk show host, and political commentator. Much of his work focuses on the American west, including the Kellen Malone Western novel series.
• Ralph Waldo Emerson 24
  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was an American writer, essayist, and philosopher. He was part of the transcendentalist movement, a champion of individualism, and an advocate for the abolition of slavery.
• Rand Paul 1
  Randall "Rand" Paul (1963-) is a U.S. Senator from Kentucky, a Republican, who assumed office in 2011. Before his election he was a practicing ophthalmologist.
• Randall Munroe 4
  Randall Munroe (1984-) is an American writer, engineer, and cartoonist. He is most well known for the webcomic xkcd and has written several books, including What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions.
• Raniero Cantalamessa 1
  Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa (1934-) is an Italian Catholic priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, author, and theologian. He has served as Preacher to the Papal Household under Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis.
• Red Smith 1
  Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith (1905-1982) was an American sports columnist. He was most well known for his long-running New York Herald Tribune column Views of Sports, and later work as a freelance writer and with the New York Times.
• René Descartes 4
  René Descartes (1596-1650) was a French scientist and philosopher who did much of his work in the Netherlands and Sweden. He is considered the father of modern western philosophy, and is most well known for the aphorism, "I think, therefore I am."
• Richard Grant White 1
  Richard Grant White (1822-1885) was an American writer, critic, journalist, and lawyer. He was a noted scholar of Shakespeare and of word usage, and served as chief of the U.S. Revenue-Marine (a precursor to the Coast Guard) from 1861 to 1878.
• Richard Henry Lee 2
  Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794) was a U.S. Senator from Virginia, a Democratic-Republican, serving from 1789 to 1792. He was a founding father who attended the Second Continental Congress and proposed the resolution for American independence.
• Richard Swinburne 3
  Richard Swinburne (1934-) is a British writer, professor, and philosopher. He is most well known for promoting philosophical arguments for the existence of God and for his contributions to the philosophies of religion and science.
• Rino Fisichella 2
  Archbishop Salvatore "Rino" Fisichella (1951-) is a Catholic bishop from Italy. He has served as president of the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.
• Rita Mae Brown 1
  Rita Mae Brown (1944-) is an American writer, poet, novelist, and civil rights activist. She is most well known for her autobiographical "coming of age" novel Rubyfruit Jungle, which was notable as one of the early popular portrayals of lesbianism.
• Robert A. Heinlein 2
  Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988) was an American writer, engineer, and futurist. He wrote works of speculative social fiction that were also scientifically accurate "hard" science fiction. He is most well known for the novel Stranger in a Strange Land.
• Robert Anton Wilson 7
  Robert Anton Wilson (1932-2007) was an American writer, futurist, novelist, and psychologist. He wrote science fiction novels and nonfiction books on metaphysics and "quantum psychology." He is most well known for his Illuminatus! novel series.
• Robert Frost 3
  Robert Frost (1874-1963) was an American poet who is generally regarded as one of the great twentieth century literary figures. Much of his poetry focuses on rural life and "ordinary men." He is best known for the poem The Road Not Taken.
• Robert George 13
  Robert P. George (1955-) is an American writer, professor, and philosopher. He founded the Witherspoon Institute and serves as senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and advocates for religious liberty, human rights, and classical values.
• Robert Hutchins 1
  Robert Maynard Hutchins (1899-1977) was an American writer and educational philosopher who served as dean of Yale Law School, and president and later chancellor of the University of Chicago. He supported academic freedom and Socratic dialog.
• Robert Schuller 1
  Reverend Robert Schuller (1926-2015) was an American Christian pastor, author, and media figure. He founded a church that later became the Crystal Cathedral and presented the "Hour of Power" television program.
• Robert Yates 4
  Robert Yates (1738-1801) was an American surveyor, lawyer, and judge. He was a prominent member of the Anti-Federalist movement and Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court.
• Rod Dreher 9
  Raymond "Rod" Dreher (1967-) is an American conservative Christian writer, editor, and commentator. He is most well known for his books The Benedict Option and Live Not By Lies.
• Roger de Rabutin 1
  Count Roger de Rabutin of Bussy (1618-1693), also known as Bussy-Rabutin, was a French libertine, solider, and writer. He is most well known for his Romantic History of the Gauls and the Memoirs of Bussy-Rabutin.
• Roger Sessions 1
  Roger Sessions (1896-1985) was an American composer, professor, and writer. He wrote in the neoclassical and post-romantic styles, and later in the twelve-tone serial style of the Second Viennese School under the influence of Arnold Schoenberg.
• Ronald Reagan 10
  Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) was the fortieth U.S. president, a Republican, serving from 1981 to 1989. He was previously an actor and had served as Governor of California.
• Rosabeth Moss Kanter 1
  Rosabeth Moss Kanter (1943-) is an American sociologist and professor. She is most well known for her books on business management, change management, and "tokenism." Her private-sector clients have included numerous large, successful businesses.
• Rose of Lima 1
  Saint Rose of Lima (1586-1617) was a Peruvian Catholic lay Dominican known for her life of penance and care for the poor. She was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671, becoming the first canonized saint born in the Americas.
• Roy Abraham Varghese 1
  Roy Abraham Varghese (?-) is an author and editor specializing in the "interface of science, philosophy, and religion." He compiled and edited Cosmos, Bios, Theos and co-wrote There Is A God with former atheist Antony Flew.
• Rupert Sheldrake 4
  Alfred Rupert Sheldrake (1942-) is a British writer, biochemist, and parapsychology researcher. He is known for proposing the theory of morphic resonance to help explain some of the mysterious functions of memory and inheritance.

S (19)

• Salman Rushdie 14
  Ahmed Salman Rushdie (1947-) is an Indian-born British American novelist and free-speech activist. He is most well known for The Satanic Verses, a novel some Islamists claimed was “blasphemous” and warranted violent response.
• Salvador Dalí 11
  Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí Doménech (1904-1989), or Salvador Dalí, was a Spanish artist, writer, and critic. He was a member of the surrealist movement and is most well known for the painting The Persistence of Memory, and for his eccentric public persona.
• Samuel Adams 3
  Samuel Adams (1722-1803) was an American founding father, political theorist, and politician. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Governor of Massachusetts.
• Samuel Johnson 2
  Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) was a British writer, poet, playwright, essayist, and critic. He was described by the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history."
• Saul Alinsky 13
  Saul Alinsky (1909-1972) was an American political theorist. He is most well known for developing strategies for community organizing and political activism. His most popular work was Rules for Radicals, a guidebook for grassroots political movements.
• Scott Adams 48
  Scott Adams (1957-) is an American author, commentator, cartoonist, and humorist. He is most well known for the Dilbert comic strip, which satirizes modern "white-collar" work, and for his nonfiction psychological and self-help books.
• Scott Bradford 40
  Scott Bradford (1982-) is an American web developer, writer, and technologist. He writes about politics, elections, fundamental human rights, and Catholic Christianity on his website, Off on a Tangent, which has been online since 1995.
• Scott Hahn 12
  Scott Hahn (1957-) is an American Catholic theologian, apologist, author, speaker, and professor. He began his career as a Protestant Christian, but soon came to realize that Catholicism was most consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
• Seneca the Younger 8
  Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (ca. 4 B.C.-A.D. 65) was a Roman writer, philosopher, and statesman. He was among the most influential writers of the Roman imperial era, an advisor to Emperor Nero, and was a popular figure among early Christians.
• Shang Yang 2
  Gongsun Yang (ca. 390-338 B.C.), or Shang Yang, was a Chinese statesman, chancellor, and reformer. His policies in the Qin state contributed to the unification of China under the Qin dynasty and the installation of the first emperor.
• Sherif Girgis 3
  Sherif Girgis (1986-) is an American writer, attorney, and professor. He teaches at the University of Notre Dame Law School and had previously served as a Supreme Court law clerk. He has written about marriage and freedom of religion.
• Siddhartha Gautama 31
  Siddhartha Gautama (ca. 480-ca. 400 B.C), or the Buddha, was the founder and central figure of Buddhism. He originated the Buddhist religion's Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path.
• Sigmund Freud 3
  Sigismund Schlomo "Sigmund" Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian neurologist and psychologist. He created psychoanalysis and developed influential psychological theories including the unconscious, libido, id, ego, and superego.
• Stacy Trasancos 5
  Stacy Trasancos (?-) is an American Catholic writer, professor, and scientist. She writes primarily about the relationship between science and faith in areas like cosmology and bioethics, and about why modern science flourished in Christian Europe.
• Stephen King 7
  Stephen King (1947-) is an American writer and novelist. He has written more than sixty-five books and two hundred short stories. He is most well known for works in the horror genre, including The Shining, The Stand, and It.
• Steve Jobs 8
  Steve Jobs (1955-2011) was an American technology magnate. He co-founded Apple and co-created the Apple II, Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. He also founded NeXT and was the majority owner of Pixar Animation Studios.
• Steven Jonathan Rummelsburg 1
  Steven Jonathan Rummelsburg (?-) is an American Catholic writer, speaker, and teacher. He writes curricula for the Sophia Institute for Teachers and contributes to the Imaginative Conservative and Crisis Magazine.
• Sydney J. Harris 6
  Sydney J. Harris (1917-1986) was an American writer and journalist. His weekly column appeared in the Chicago Daily News and later in the Chicago Sun-Times, and was syndicated in around 200 newspapers throughout North America.
• Sylvia Plath 5
  Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) was an American writer, poet, and novelist. She advanced the genre of "confessional poetry" and is most well known for The Colossus and Other Poems, Ariel, and The Bell Jar.

T (23)

• Tatyana Falike 1
  Tatyana Falike (?-?) was a prisoner in the Soviet gulag system quoted by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in The Gulag Archipelago.
• Teddy Roosevelt 28
  Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt (1858-1919) was the twenty-sixth U.S. president, a Republican, serving from 1901 to 1909. He previously served as a New York Assemblyman, police commissioner, Asst. Secretary of the Navy, Governor of New York, and Vice President.
• Terence 10
  Publius Terentius Afer (ca. 184-ca.159 B.C.), or Terence, was a Roman playwright. He wrote six comedies that were standard school texts in the western world for centuries and influenced later writers, including Shakespeare.
• Teresa of Ávila 6
  Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) was a Spanish Catholic sister of the Order of Discalced Carmelites most well known for her Way of Perfection. She was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622 and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970.
• Teresa of Calcutta 9
  Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), or "Mother Teresa," was an Albanian Catholic sister of the Missionaries of Charity known for her charitable work with the poor in India. She was canonized by Pope Francis in 2016.
• Tertullian 8
  Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus (ca. A.D. 155-ca. 220), or Tertullian, was a Carthaginian Roman Christian writer and theologian. He was among the earliest Christians to write in the Latin language and was the first to use the term "Trinity."
• Theodore Parker 12
  Reverend Theodore Parker (1810-1860) was an American Unitarian and transcendentalist writer and preacher. He was an influential member of the abolitionist movement.
• Thérèse of Lisieux 4
  Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897), the "Little Flower of Jesus," was a French Catholic sister of the Order of Discalced Carmelites known for her Story of a Soul. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997.
• Thomas à Kempis 8
  Thomas à Kempis (ca. 1380-1471) was a Dutch German Catholic priest and writer. He is most well known for the devotional book The Imitation of Christ, which is history's most read and most translated book after the Bible itself.
• Thomas Aquinas 18
  Saint Thomas Aquinas (ca. 1225-1274) was an Italian Catholic priest of the Dominican order, philosopher, and theologian known for his Summa Theologiae. He was canonized by Pope John XXII in 1323 and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius V in 1567.
• Thomas Carlyle 9
  Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) was a Scottish writer, historian, and philosopher. He was an influential figure in the Victorian era who proposed "Natural Supernaturalism" as a philosophy of religion and the "Great Man" theory as a philosophy of history.
• Thomas Friedman 7
  Thomas Friedman (1953-) is an American writer, commentator, and columnist. He is most well known for his analyses of foreign affairs, global trade, and Middle East politics. He is a champion of free trade and unrestricted immigration.
• Thomas Howard 1
  Thomas Howard (1935-2020) was an American Catholic writer and professor. He was raised in evangelical Protestant Christianity, but later converted to Catholicism and wrote works defending the ancient church traditions abandoned by Protestants.
• Thomas Jefferson 12
  Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was the third U.S. president, a Democratic-Republican, serving from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence and previously served as a diplomat, Secretary of State, and Vice President.
• Thomas More 1
  Saint Thomas More (1478-1535) was an English Catholic lawyer, judge, and statesman. He was martyred by King Henry VIII for refusing to acknowledge him as head of the church. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1935.
• Thomas Oliver 1
  Sir Thomas Oliver (1853-1942) was a Scottish physician and professor. He served as president of the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene, and was especially known for expertise in occupational health and the risks of lead exposure.
• Thomas Paine 1
  Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was a British-born American writer, political philosopher, and founding father. He is most well known for influential pamphlets supporting the American revolution, including Common Sense and The American Crisis.
• Thomas Sowell 53
  Thomas Sowell (1930-) is an American economist, philosopher, commentator, and professor. He advocates for free market capitalism, and his book Basic Economics is essential reading for those who wish to understand how economies work.
• Thurgood Marshall 1
  Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) was a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. He was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson (D) in 1967 and served until retirement in 1991. He was the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court.
• Tom Clancy 4
  Tom Clancy (1947-2013) was an American writer. He is most well known for espionage and military thriller novels, including novels in the "Jack Ryan" series like The Hunt for Red October and Clear and Present Danger.
• Tom Korologos 1
  Tom Korologos (1933-) is an American businessman, Republican political consultant, and diplomat. He served as Ambassador to Belgium under President George W. Bush (R).
• Tom Peters 1
  Thomas J. "Tom" Peters (1942-) is an American writer and management consultant. He is most well known for co-writing In Search of Excellence with Robert Waterman Jr. and writing numerous other books on management.
• Tom Wolfe 3
  Thomas "Tom" Wolfe (1930-2018) was an American writer and journalist. He was associated with the "new journalism" movement of the 1960s and 70s and is most well known for the books The Bonfire of the Vanities and The Right Stuff.

U (1)

• Ulysses S. Grant 5
  Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) was the eighteenth U.S. President, a Republican, serving from 1869 to 1877. During the Civil War he served as Commanding General of the Union Army, leading the Union to victory over the Confederacy.

V (1)

• Vegetius 1
  Publius Vegetius Renatus (ca. A.D. 4th century) was a writer in the late Roman Empire. His two surviving works are the military organization and strategy guide De Re Militari and the veterinary medicine guide Digesta Artis Mulomedicinae.

W (15)

• W. Cleon Skousen 13
  Willard Cleon Skousen (1913-2006) was an American writer known for his Mormon religion and staunch opposition to communism. His most well known works are The Five Thousand Year Leap and The Naked Communist.
• Walt Willis 1
  Walt Willis (1919-1999) was an Irish writer and science fiction fan. He was known for his active participation in the sci-fi "fandom," including authoring "fan fiction" and contributing regular columns to several "fanzines."
• Whittaker Chambers 16
  Jay Vivian "Whittaker" Chambers (1901-1961) was an American anti-communist writer. He was a Soviet spy who became a key source of information about communist infiltration in America. He is most well known for his memoir, Witness.
• Will Rogers 14
  William "Will" Rogers (1879-1935) was an American actor, humorist, and political commentator. He ran a satirical campaign for U.S. president in 1928 and, though he received no electoral votes, he declared victory and immediately resigned on election day.
• William Blackstone 1
  Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780) was a British legal scholar, judge, politician, and professor. He was most well known for in-depth analyses of the principles of English common law, especially his Commentaries on the Laws of England.
• William F. Buckley Jr. 2
  William Frank Buckley Jr. (1925-2008) was an American writer, commentator, and intellectual. He was an influential conservative and libertarian who founded National Review and wrote over fifty books.
• William Faulkner 4
  William Faulkner (1897-1962) was an American writer. He is most well known for stories set in the American south, and is one of the most influential greats of southern literature. His works include the novel The Sound and the Fury.
• William Francis Butler 1
  Sir William Francis Butler (1838-1910) was a British military officer, writer, and adventurer. He served in several British-occupied African territories including modern-day Egypt, Sudan, and South Africa.
• William Grayson 2
  William Grayson (1742-1790) was a U.S. Senator from Virginia, a Democratic-Republican, who served from 1789 until his death in 1790. He previously led a regiment in the Continental Army and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
• William Jennings Bryan 3
  William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and Democratic politician. He was a U.S. House member from Nebraska, Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson (D), and three-time Democratic presidential nominee.
• William O. Douglas 16
  William O. Douglas (1898-1980) was a U.S. Supreme Court justice. He was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt (D) in 1939 and served until retirement in 1975.
• William Shakespeare 1
  William Shakespeare (ca. 1564-1616) was an English writer, playwright, poet, and actor. He wrote some of history's most influential plays and poems, and is widely viewed as the English language's greatest writer.
• Wilson Mizner 2
  Wilson Mizner (1876-1933) was an American playwright and entrepreneur. He wrote the plays Deep Purple and The Greyhound and co-owned the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, California.
• Winston Churchill 14
  Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965), a British Conservative, was Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 and 1951 to 1955. He was the political leader of Britain during World War II, and previously served as a member of Parliament.
• Woodrow Wilson 7
  Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) was the twenty-eighth U.S. president, a Democrat, serving from 1913 to 1921. He led the nation during World War I, and previously served as a university president and Governor of New Jersey.

X (0)

• (none)

Y (1)

• Yogi Berra 4
  Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (1925-2015) was an American baseball player, manager, and coach. He spent most of his career with the New York Yankees and New York Mets, and was known for malapropisms and making pithy but confusing statements.

Z (1)

• Zuby 2
  Nzube Olisaebuka "Zuby" Udezue (1986-) is a British rapper, podcaster, and sociopolitical commentator. He is a critic of identity politics, opposes male participation in female sports, and unofficially holds the British women's deadlift record.

Unnamed Authors

Anonymous or unknown authors are listed in this section.

• Anonymous 37
  Works by unidentified anonymous authors, including unsigned essays and editorials, are listed in this section unless the organization or work warrants a separate listing.
• Unknown 36
  Quotes and sayings that cannot be reliably attributed to an individual or group are categorized in this section. It includes cultural sayings and proverbs whose original authors are lost to history.

Organizations & Documents

Quotes from organizational authors or notable multi-author documents are listed in this section.

• Catholic Church 10
  The Catholic Church is the "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church" of the ancient Christian creeds. It was established by Jesus Christ and is led by successors of Peter. (Official documents with unknown authors are credited to the church.)
• Holy Bible 35
  The Holy Bible is a collection of seventy-three divinely inspired books ratified by the Catholic Church at the Council of Rome in A.D. 382. Scripture passages with anonymous or unknown authors are credited to the Bible itself.
• U.S. Conf. of Catholic Bishops 27
  The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference for the United States. It establishes national liturgical norms and coordinates certain activities between dioceses. Works created by earlier U.S. conferences are also credited here.
• U.S. Constitution 8
  The Constitution of the United States is the nominal "supreme law of the land" of the United States. Its main seven articles came into effect in 1789, and it now includes twenty-seven amendments. The first ten amendments are the Bill of Rights.
• U.S. Dec. of Independence 3
  The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America is the founding document of the United States. It was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, modified by the drafting committee and the full Congress, and adopted on July 4, 1776.
• U.S. Office of Strategic Services 1
  The U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was a foreign intelligence service during World War II. After the war, its evolved into the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
• Universal Dec. of Human Rights 9
  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a document describing the basic rights and freedoms of all human beings. It was created by a United Nations committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt and adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1948.
• World Medical Assn. 1
  The World Medical Association is an international organization comprising many of the world's medical associations. Its members adopted the Declaration of Geneva in 1948, establishing a modern physician's pledge.