Our favorite Americans from the CatholicVote and Zeale staff

Every Fourth of July is special in the U.S.. This year, however, Independence Day carries added significance as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of its founding. The milestone offers an opportunity not only to reflect on the ideals that shaped the American experiment, but also to consider what continues to sustain it two and a half centuries later. After all, a nation is more than its history, institutions, and borders. It is ultimately a collection of individual men and women making daily decisions and taking ordinary actions that, together, help build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities. 

In light of this, we asked the CatholicVote and Zeale staff, “Who is your favorite American, famous or unknown, deceased or living?” From “America’s pastor” Billy Graham to Hollywood great John Wayne and the beloved President Ronald Reagan, there is no shortage of great Americans to be grateful for this Independence Day. Keep reading to see our list of favorite Americans. We hope you are inspired to learn more about these and the countless other Americans whose individual lives have collectively given the world the greatest nation. 

• Government officials
• President Abraham Lincoln
• President Ronald Reagan
• Justice William Rehnquist
• President Teddy Roosevelt (whose Presidential Library opens on July 4, 2026)
• Justice Antonin Scalia
• Justice Clarence Thomas
• Vice President J.D. Vance
• President George Washington
• Faith leaders
• Sister Thea Bowman
• Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke
• St. Frances Cabrini 
• Fr. Vincent Capodanno
• Servant of God Dorothy Day
• Cardinal Timothy Dolan
• St. Katharine Drexel
• Billy Graham
• Ven. Fr. Emil Kapaun
• Ven. Mother Mary Lange 
• Venerable Servant of God Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, O.P. (also known as Mother Mary Alphonsa)
• Pope Leo XIV
• Cardinal John Joseph O’Connor
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
• Ven. (soon-to-be Blessed!) Archbishop Fulton Sheen
• St. Kateri Tekakwitha 
• Ven. Fr. Augustus Tolton
• Ven. Pierre Toussaint
• Political leaders
• Abigail Adams
• Pat Buchanan
• William F. Buckley, Jr. 
• Nathanael Greene
• Charlie Kirk
• Michael Knowles
• Rush Limbaugh
• Phyllis Schlafly
• Cultural icons
• Kobe Bryant
• Caitlin Clark
• Toby Keith
• Dolly Parton
• Philip Rivers
• Babe Ruth
• John Wayne 

True greatness

For many of us, our truly favorite Americans are the moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, friends, neighbors, pastors, or teachers who have loved, taught, and mentored us. These are the people who taught us the true greatness of America, and instilled in us the love for God, family, and country that we are privileged to dedicate our own lives to preserving even today. So, to all the American heroes, known and unknown, across 250 years of this great American experiment, thank you, God bless you, and God bless these United States.