39.2868° N, 76.6201° W

BALTIMORE

Most Famous People Born in Baltimore, United States

Notable people
2,329
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1939
Most distinctive
Baseball 7.0×

A port city whose distinctive professions are baseball at seven times the global rate, basketball, and an unusually thick column of officers, novelists, and lawyers — the shape of a Mid-Atlantic city that has always sat at the meeting point of the Navy yard, the courts, and the literary establishment. Frank Zappa, Babe Ruth, Michael Phelps, and Edgar Allan Poe (who died here, not born) all belong to this bench, and the 19th-century tail is heavier than in most American cities its size.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Baltimore during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 245 notable births.

What Baltimore Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Baltimore's biggest profession — 11% of all notables (255).

Baltimore over-indexes on baseball7.0× the global rate.

Baltimore under-produces painter — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Politician255
  2. Actor189
  3. Baseball186
  4. Football149
  5. Basket102
  6. Lawyer88
  7. Writer66
  8. Music54
  1. Baseball1867.0×
  2. Basket1023.5×
  3. Officer422.7×
  4. Novelist232.5×
  5. Lawyer882.2×
  6. Music541.6×
  7. Actor1891.5×
  1. Painter350.6×
  2. Football1490.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Baltimore's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

1700175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Music
  • Other
All2,329
Sort By

Showing 244 of 2,329 notable people

0001 GUITAR

Frank Zappa

1940 - 1993

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0003 WRITER

Tom Clancy

1947 - 2013

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0010 POLITICIAN

Nancy Pelosi

Born 1940

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0014 ACTOR

John Waters

Born 1946

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0016 FILM

Barry Levinson

Born 1942

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0018 ACTOR

Divine (performer)

1945 - 1988

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0025 SINGER

Cass Elliot

1941 - 1974

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0026 ATTORNEY

John R. Bolton

Born 1948

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0030 ACTOR

Dwight Schultz

Born 1947

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0038 POLITICIAN

Ben Cardin

Born 1943

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0060 ARTIST

Bernie Wrightson

1948 - 2017

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0063 PHILOSOPHER

Nancy Fraser

Born 1947

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0066 SINGER

Ric Ocasek

1949 - 2019

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0072 JOURNALIST

Robert M. Parker Jr.

Born 1947

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0077 WRITER

Tom Peters

Born 1942

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0078 ENTREPRENEUR

Jim Rogers

Born 1942

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0085 DRUMMER

Chester Thompson

Born 1948

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0094 WRITER

Joni Eareckson Tada

Born 1949

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0095 ACTOR

Tamara Dobson

1944 - 2006

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0111 ACTOR

Jameson Parker

Born 1947

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0113 ACTOR

Mink Stole

Born 1947

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0117 POET

Joan D. Vinge

Born 1948

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0124 ACTOR

Michael O'Neill (actor)

Born 1947

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0127 ACTOR

Ernie Lively

Born 1947

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0136 NOVELIST

Jack L. Chalker

1944 - 2005

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0137 ONCOLOGIST

Bert Vogelstein

Born 1949

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0140 COMPOSER

Gary Bartz

Born 1940

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0145 POLITICIAN

Dutch Ruppersberger

Born 1946

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0146 PHOTOGRAPHER

Susan Meiselas

Born 1948

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0158 COMPOSER

Christopher Rouse (composer)

1949 - 2019

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0175 SINGER

James Morris (bass-baritone)

Born 1947

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0184 PHOTOGRAPHER

Martha Cooper

Born 1943

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0193 MATHEMATICIAN

Nick Katz

Born 1943

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0199 MUSIC

John Hall (New York politician)

Born 1948

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0205 ACTOR

Michael Tucker (actor)

Born 1945

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0223 POLITICIAN

Kweisi Mfume

Born 1948

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0228 PIANIST

Jessica Williams (musician)

Born 1948

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0245 BIOLOGIST

Simon A. Levin

Born 1941

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0252 SINGER

Greg Kihn

Born 1949

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0255 ACTOR

Cookie Mueller

1949 - 1989

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0258 SINGER

Bob Lind

Born 1942

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0265 ENVIRONMENTALIST

Judi Bari

1949 - 1997

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0281 ACTOR

David Lochary

1944 - 1977

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0286 SCREENWRITER

Ed Burns

Born 1946

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0299 OPERA

John Aler

Born 1949

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0306 POLITICIAN

Paul Trible

Born 1946

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0311 PHILOSOPHER

Elliott Sober

Born 1948

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0331 FOOTBALL

Calvin Hill

Born 1947

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0341 NOVELIST

Thomas F. Monteleone

Born 1946

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0345 ACTOR

John Rothman

Born 1949

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0357 FILM

Don Dohler

1946 - 2006

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0374 COMPOSER

David Michael Frank

Born 1948

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0384 ACTOR

David Brandon (actor)

Born 1940

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0396 DIPLOMAT

Wendy Sherman

Born 1949

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0399 PHILOSOPHER

Robert Ulanowicz

Born 1943

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0405 ACADEMIC

Bill George (academic)

Born 1942

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0407 SONGWRITER

Jay Leonhart

Born 1940

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0418 SINGER

Robbie Basho

1940 - 1986

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0419 BASEBALL

John Schuerholz

Born 1940

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0425 CINEMA

Tim Suhrstedt

Born 1948

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0428 BUSINESS

Lynda Resnick

Born 1944

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0429 ACTOR

André De Shields

Born 1946

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0430 AUTHOR

Jaimy Gordon

Born 1944

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0444 BANK

Robert Hormats

Born 1943

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0466 BIOCHEMIST

John Kappler

Born 1943

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0479 JOURNALIST

Gina Kolata

Born 1948

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0492 FILM

Stephen Bayly

Born 1942

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0493 NOVELIST

Bruce McAllister

Born 1946

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0515 ACTOR

Damon Evans (actor)

Born 1949

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0524 SOCIOLOGIST

Kurt W. Fischer

1943 - 2020

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0545 NOVELIST

Michael Kandel

Born 1941

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0552 WRITER

Mike McQuay

1949 - 1995

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0572 POLITICIAN

Dick Black (politician)

Born 1944

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0577 PHYSICIST

Charles Panati

Born 1943

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0585 POLITICIAN

Philip Sharp (politician)

Born 1942

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0599 WRITER

Mark Monmonier

Born 1943

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0600 SURGEON

Paul Sugarbaker

Born 1941

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0609 AUTHOR

Vashti Murphy McKenzie

Born 1947

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0633 MATHEMATICIAN

Joseph Shalika

1941 - 2010

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0639 PROGRAMMER

Jonathan Sachs

Born 1947

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0640 ENTREPRENEUR

David Rubenstein

Born 1949

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0650 OPERA

Steven Cole (tenor)

Born 1949

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0662 SOCIOLOGIST

James Burk

Born 1948

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0673 LAWYER

Andre M. Davis

Born 1949

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0709 PRIEST

George J. Rassas

Born 1942

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0713 PRIEST

W. Francis Malooly

Born 1944

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0719 ACTOR

Trazana Beverley

Born 1945

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0727 ARTIST

Joyce J. Scott

Born 1948

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0728 POET

Michael Craig Hillmann

Born 1940

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0743 CHAPLAIN

Barry Black

Born 1948

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0777 JOURNALIST

T.R. Reid

Born 1943

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0798 BUSINESS

Reginald Lewis

1942 - 1993

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0799 ART HISTORIAN

Jaroslav Folda

Born 1940

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0802 SKATER

Monty Hoyt

1944 - 1997

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0818 MANAGER

Allison Miner

1949 - 1995

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0827 BASEBALL

Ron Swoboda

Born 1944

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0839 DRAUGHTSWOMAN

John Van Hamersveld

Born 1941

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0848 LAWYER

Kurt Schmoke

Born 1949

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0876 FILM

Steve Yeager (filmmaker)

Born 1948

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0884 POLITICIAN

Michael E. Busch

1947 - 2019

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0893 POLITICIAN

Pat McDonough

Born 1943

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0908 GUITAR

O'Donel Levy

1945 - 2016

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0935 ARTIST

Arlene Raven

1944 - 2006

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0936 PIANIST

Joey Welz

Born 1940

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0941 WRITER

Tony Evans (radio)

Born 1949

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0945 BASEBALL

Joe Klein (baseball executive)

1942 - 2017

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0950 PRIEST

Herbert Bevard

Born 1946

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0954 PAINTER

Robert Richard Hieronimus

Born 1943

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0964 SINGER

Leah Kunkel

Born 1948

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0995 ART HISTORIAN

Nancy Mowll Mathews

Born 1947

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0998 PHILOSOPHER

Timothy Binkley

Born 1943

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0999 ACTOR

Melvin Williams (actor)

1941 - 2015

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1025 PROFESSOR

Brian Copenhaver

Born 1942

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1027 GOVERNMENT

Thomas J. Healey

Born 1942

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1030 BASEBALL

Tom Phoebus

1942 - 2019

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1053 SOCIOLOGIST

Frank Furstenberg

Born 1940

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1070 PIANIST

Harold Ivory Williams

1949 - 2010

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1088 BASEBALL

John Miller (pitcher)

1941 - 2020

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1110 JUDGE

Emily C. Hewitt

Born 1944

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1112 POLITICIAN

Robert R. Neall

Born 1948

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1113 LAWYER

Harris Hartz

Born 1947

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1115 ART HISTORIAN

Craig Harbison

1944 - 2018

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1123 BASEBALL

Geoff Zahn

Born 1945

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1140 FOOTBALL

Charlie Pittman

Born 1948

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1142 FOOTBALL

Nick Rassas

Born 1944

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1152 BASEBALL

Dave Boswell (baseball)

1945 - 2012

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1160 ACTOR

David W. Frank

1949 - 2017

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1161 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Gary Witherspoon

Born 1943

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1164 LAWYER

Frederic N. Smalkin

Born 1946

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1177 POLITICIAN

James N. Robey

Born 1941

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1179 JOURNALIST

Richard Kindleberger

1943 - 2010

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1185 LAWYER

J. Frederick Motz

Born 1942

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1194 ACTIVIST

Thomas Lewis (activist)

1940 - 2008

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1201 POET

Baron Wormser

Born 1948

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1204 POLITICIAN

Larry Young (politician)

Born 1949

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1205 ACTOR

Jean Hill (actress)

1946 - 2013

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1207 BANDLEADER

Janet Lawson

Born 1940

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1239 LAWYER

Benson Everett Legg

Born 1947

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1243 FOOTBALL

Bob Moore (American football)

Born 1949

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1247 LACROSSE

Chip Silverman

1942 - 2008

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1250 ACTOR

George Figgs

Born 1947

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1251 PHOTOGRAPHER

Tony Sweet

Born 1949

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1259 EDITOR

Gary Rosenblatt

Born 1947

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1262 FOOTBALL

Al Albert (soccer)

Born 1949

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1267 JOURNALIST

Jeffrey Frank

Born 1942

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1283 PRELATE

Carl Bean

Born 1944

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1295 MEDIEVALIST

Clifford Flanigan

1941 - 1993

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1302 LAWYER

Richard D. Bennett

Born 1947

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1306 ARTIST

Maureen Connor

Born 1947

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1349 PRODUCER

Margo Lion

1944 - 2020

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1361 ACTOR

Susan Walsh (actress)

1948 - 2009

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1363 MISSING

Beverly Burns

Born 1949

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1367 HISTORIAN

Marcus Merriman

1940 - 2006

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1388 POLITICIAN

Gabrielle LeDoux

Born 1948

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1397 LAWYER

Roger W. Brown

1940 - 2009

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1408 AUTHOR

Michael Tearson

Born 1948

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1449 SINGER

Lesley Miller

Born 1943

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1462 POLITICIAN

Nathaniel T. Oaks

Born 1946

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1463 POLITICIAN

James W. Campbell

Born 1947

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1471 POLITICIAN

Stephen Hartgen

Born 1944

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1473 POLITICIAN

Katie True

Born 1941

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1510 FOOTBALL

George Nock

Born 1946

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1519 POLITICIAN

Elizabeth Bobo

Born 1943

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1535 FINANCIER

Steven Posner

1943 - 2010

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1551 POLITICIAN

Thomas L. Bromwell

Born 1949

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1576 SCULPTOR

Jene Highstein

1942 - 2013

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1578 JOURNALIST

Steve Handelsman

Born 1948

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1584 POLITICIAN

Mauree Gingrich

Born 1946

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1593 POLITICIAN

Wade Kach

Born 1947

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1597 ACTOR

Vincent Peranio

Born 1945

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1598 BASEBALL

Gene Hiser

Born 1948

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1607 PHILOSOPHER

Lawrence Blum

Born 1943

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1615 CONVICT

Emily Harris

Born 1947

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1625 ARMY

H Steven Blum

Born 1946

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1629 POLITICIAN

Edward J. Kasemeyer

Born 1945

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1632 DRIVER

Michael Keyser

Born 1947

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1636 OFFICER

Michael J. Williams

Born 1943

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1644 PHYSICIAN

Duane Alexander

1940 - 2020

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1648 BASKET

Bob Wade (basketball)

Born 1944

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1659 BUSINESS

David I. Saperstein

Born 1940

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1670 CHEMIST

Thomas B. Rauchfuss

Born 1949

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1683 BASEBALL

Tim Nordbrook

Born 1949

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1684 LACROSSE

Bud Beardmore

1940 - 2016

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1692 BASEBALL

Bucky Guth

Born 1947

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1697 ACTOR

Michael Christian (actor)

Born 1943

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1698 LAWYER

William D. Quarles Jr.

Born 1948

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1704 POLITICIAN

Donald P. Hutchinson

Born 1945

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1710 BASEBALL

Marc Bombard

Born 1949

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1718 MEDIA

Jeffrey Escoffier

Born 1942

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1721 BUSINESS

David S. Cordish

Born 1940

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1728 RADIO

Andy Barrie

Born 1945

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1730 POLITICIAN

David A. Clarke

1943 - 1997

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1734 POLITICIAN

Eddie Tallon

Born 1944

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1756 POLITICIAN

John G. Gary

Born 1943

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1781 WRITER

David M. Hoffman

Born 1945

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1785 POLITICIAN

Melvin L. Stukes

Born 1948

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1787 POLITICIAN

Louise Virginia Snodgrass

1942 - 2009

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1792 ACTOR

Thomas J. Hageboeck

1945 - 1996

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1798 POLITICIAN

Joseph C. Boteler III

Born 1949

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1803 OFFICER

Joseph D. Stewart

1942 - 2019

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1804 POLITICIAN

John A. Wilson (politician)

1943 - 1993

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1821 POLITICIAN

Habern W. Freeman

Born 1941

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1837 DANCER

Eugénie Kuffler

Born 1949

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1841 POLITICIAN

James E. DeGrange Sr.

Born 1949

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1879 BUSINESS

Willard Rouse

1942 - 2003

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1894 LAWYER

Peter Trooboff

Born 1942

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1897 FOOTBALL

Mark Kosmos

Born 1945

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1901 POLITICIAN

Ralph M. Hughes

Born 1948

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1941 POLITICIAN

Emil B. Pielke

Born 1942

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1942 ROWER

Kenneth Foote

Born 1948

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1953 FOOTBALL

Harry Olszewski

1946 - 1998

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1955 FOOTBALL

Wayne Mulligan

Born 1947

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1962 JOURNALIST

Arthur L. Jones

1945 - 2006

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1975 PRODUCER

Matthew King Kaufman

Born 1946

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1999 POLITICIAN

Dennis C. McCoy

Born 1942

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2002 POLITICIAN

Scherod C. Barnes

Born 1948

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2010 DEPUTY

Bruce J. Gebhardt

Born 1949

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2024 COACH

Harry Edward Welch Jr.

Born 1945

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2025 THEOLOGIAN

William Marshner

Born 1943

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2043 WRITER

Kathryn Troutman

Born 1947

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2050 DIPLOMAT

Helen Reed-Rowe

Born 1949

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2076 POLITICIAN

George W. Della Jr.

Born 1943

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2077 ENGINEER

Thomas B. Coughlin

Born 1941

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2078 BASEBALL

Roy Heiser

Born 1942

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2087 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jim Sugar

Born 1946

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2091 POLITICIAN

Joseph J. DiBlasi

Born 1946

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2117 NOVELIST

Mary Tabor

Born 1946

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2141 HORSE TRAINER

Richard Small

1945 - 2014

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2155 POLITICIAN

Charlie Norr

Born 1944

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2156 POLITICIAN

James D. Williams (Pennsylvania politician)

1943 - 1985

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2159 ARTIST

Susan Stinsmuehlen-Amend

Born 1948

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2160 POLITICIAN

Harold Stahl

Born 1944

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2163 POLITICIAN

Edwin Bowman

Born 1946

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2179 BIOLOGIST

Lawrence G. Abele

Born 1946

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2188 OFFICER

James G. Howes

Born 1945

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2190 POLITICIAN

Barbara Osborn Kreamer

Born 1948

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2204 PLAYWRIGHT

Stanley Keyes

Born 1948

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2221 RUNNER

Marilyn Bevans

Born 1948

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2238 PRIEST

Orris George Walker

1942 - 2015

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2257 ACADEMIC

George L. Drusano

Born 1949

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2259 BASEBALL

Cecil Perkins

Born 1940

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2264 HISTORIAN

Joan D. Hedrick

Born 1944

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2269 FOOTBALL

Hank Kazmierski

Born 1949

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2299 FOOTBALL

Jim Cox (tight end)

Born 1946

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