I may perhaps be interpreting the question too narrowly.

I was trying to take it from the perspective of regional self-identification, and was attempting to marry my Yorkshireman grandfather and librarian mother (Wilde) with my Okie roots (Guthrie). If the question was simply meant as "What cultural figures do you like," it would yield a bigger list and different discussion.

I think it is self-flattery in a sense to list either of those gentlemen because it seems to impart a certain similarity, and I've not the genius of either of them.

That said, I will amend my list and also add Thomas Jefferson into the stirabout. Again, it feels self-flattering to mention him as well.