Noah Puckerman

As a Californian, I would be hard pressed to tell you about famous Californians. I know my state history, in a fourth grade report kind of way, and I know there's a reason Richard Nixon's presidential library is in the Golden State. But big states don't keep track of their native sons. There is too much, there are too many to enumerate or remember. Big states, I always thought, found themselves inundated by so many points of pride they all kind of blended together into a general satisfied glow.

Not so in other places. For instance, did you know John Wayne was an Iowan? Ditto Herbert Hoover. Ashton Kutcher and Elijah Wood still are. We could go on, of course. Not forever, but a few more. Maybe enough to change how you think of Iowa.

Texas is a big state, and Dallas is a big city in it—second biggest city in the state, in fact, and the ninth biggest city nationwide. Which is perhaps why no one brings up famous natives to bolster the overall reputation of the joint. Perhaps they should.

I have it on good authority that I may be the only person I know who still watches the TV show Glee. So it may not mean much to mention that Mark Salling, the actor who plays Noah Puckerman, was born in Dallas. Not to worry: those of us in need of a city pride shot-in-the-arm, Dallas style, need not stop there. Lance Armstrong is one of ours. Likewise, Norah Jones. Aaron Spelling. Luke and Owen Wilson. Usher. Melinda Gates and Robin Wright were both born in Dallas. Bonnie and Clyde are just from nearby, so we don't feel responsible for their hooliganism. But if you were wondering who can lay claim to the singular Vanilla Ice, it's definitely us.