42.3449° N, 71.0753° W

BOSTON

Most Famous People Born in Boston, United States

Notable people
3,663
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1926
Most distinctive
Novelist 3.5×

America's oldest civic intelligentsia. Boston's notables are unusually concentrated in the 1700s and 1800s by American standards, and the distinctive shelves still read like a Yankee almanac — novelists, lawyers, military officers, mathematicians, and diplomats, the trades of a city where Harvard, the State House, and the Old North Church share a few square miles. The modern half tilts more conventionally toward Red Sox baseball, actors, and a deep college-bred music scene.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 348 notable births.

What Boston Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is Boston's biggest profession — 9% of all notables (314).

Boston over-indexes on novelist3.5× the global rate.

Boston under-produces football — only 0.2× the global rate.

  1. Actor314
  2. Politician312
  3. Writer149
  4. Lawyer135
  5. Baseball110
  6. Painter106
  7. Music102
  8. Football87
  1. Novelist503.5×
  2. Baseball1102.6×
  3. Officer632.6×
  4. Mathematician452.5×
  5. Lawyer1352.1×
  6. Music1021.9×
  7. Diplomat371.7×
  8. Actor3141.6×
  1. Football870.2×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

16501700175018001850190019502000
  • Politics & Law
  • Sports
  • Writing
  • Film & TV
  • Science
  • Music
  • Other
All3,663
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3,663 notable people

1501 PIANIST

Lowell Davidson

1941 - 1990

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1502 ACTOR

Eliza Biscaccianti

1824 - 1896

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1503 ANARCHIST

Philip Grosser

1890 - 1933

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1504 HOCKEY

Tim Taylor (ice hockey coach)

1942 - 2013

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1505 POET

Robert Dana

1929 - 2010

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1506 WORKER

Abby May

1800 - 1877

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1507 PAINTER

Wendy Artin

Born 1963

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1508 WRITER

Charles K. Tuckerman

1827 - 1896

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1509 OFFICER

Joseph Warren Revere (general)

1812 - 1880

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1510 POLITICIAN

Peter A. Garland

1923 - 2005

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1511 MERCHANT

Thomas O. Larkin

1802 - 1858

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1512 POLITICIAN

Skip Bafalis

Born 1929

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1513 BASEBALL

Al Pierotti

1895 - 1964

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1514 PSYCHIATRIST

Mark Goulston

Born 1948

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1515 TRANSLATOR

Peter Theroux

Born 1956

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1516 WRITER

P. T. Deutermann

Born 1941

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1517 ATHLETE

John J. McNamara (author)

1932 - 1986

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1518 HORNIST

Stefan de Leval Jezierski

Born 1954

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1519 LOGICIAN

Richard Jeffrey

1926 - 2002

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1520 JUMPER

Peter Wylde

Born 1965

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1521 SKIER

Warren Cummings Smith

Born 1992

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1522 ARCHITECT

Matthew Sullivan

1868 - 1948

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1523 BASKET

Grady O'Malley

Born 1948

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1524 GEOLOGIST

Alfred Church Lane

1863 - 1948

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1525 POLITICIAN

Kathy Davis

Born 1956

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1526 PAINTER

Gretchen Woodman Rogers

1881 - 1967

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1527 JOURNALIST

B. Ruby Rich

Born 1948

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1528 ACTOR

Julie Nathanson

Born 1975

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1529 PHOTOGRAPHER

Deborah Copaken

Born 1966

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1530 MUSIC

Arnold Ross (musician)

1921 - 2000

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1531 MUSIC

David Wilczewski

1952 - 2009

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1532 BALLET

Sarah Lamb

Born 1980

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1533 ACTOR

Alex Wexo

-

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1534 WRITER

Beverly Swerling

1949 - 2018

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1535 PRIVATEER

George Robert Twelves Hewes

1742 - 1840

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1536 POLITICIAN

William Phillips Jr.

1750 - 1827

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1537 COLLECTOR

John Wilmerding

Born 1938

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1538 ENTREPRENEUR

Roger Wheeler (businessman)

1926 - 1981

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1539 BOTANIST

Laurence J. Dorr

Born 1953

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1540 COMPOSER

Frederic Woodman Root

1846 - 1916

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1541 RAPPER

M-Dot

Born 1984

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1542 SCIENTIST

Harry Rowen

1925 - 2015

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1543 BUSINESS

George Fabyan

1867 - 1936

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1544 SINGER

Lizé Santana

Born 1980

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1545 ACTOR

Mariska Aldrich

1881 - 1965

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1546 SKATER

Valentine Bialas

1903 - 1965

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1547 WRITER

Nancy Hale

1908 - 1988

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1548 ACTOR

John Kelly (actor)

1901 - 1947

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1549 MUSIC

Mark Erelli

Born 1974

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1550 SCREENWRITER

Alan Trustman

Born 1930

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1551 GUITAR

Clint Conley

-

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1552 ACTOR

John Snyder (actor)

Born 1950

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1553 POLITICIAN

Jonathan Jackson (politician)

1743 - 1810

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1554 GOLF

James Driscoll

Born 1977

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1555 SURGEON

George Howard Monks

1853 - 1933

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1556 ECONOMIST

Harald Malmgren

Born 1935

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1557 ROWER

Elliot Hovey

Born 1983

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1558 ACTOR

G. P. Huntley

1868 - 1927

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1559 RAILROAD

Charles Russell Lowell

1835 - 1864

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1560 DERMATOLOGIST

John T. Bowen

1857 - 1940

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1561 SKATER

Dan Weinstein (speed skater)

Born 1981

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1562 ARTIST

Benjamin F. Nutting

1803 - 1887

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1563 ENTREPRENEUR

Robert Zildjian

1923 - 2013

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1564 FOOTBALL

Joe Nash

Born 1960

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1565 PRODUCER

Zelda Fichandler

1924 - 2016

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1566 JOURNALIST

Stephen Budiansky

Born 1957

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1567 LITERARY

Robert Polito

Born 1951

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1568 WRITER

Maud Howe Elliott

1854 - 1948

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1569 LAWYER

Robert Grant (novelist)

1852 - 1940

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1570 HOCKEY

Tim Sweeney (ice hockey)

Born 1967

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1571 AEROSPACE

Arthur Emmons Raymond

1899 - 1999

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1572 JOURNALIST

Arthur Woods

1870 - 1942

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1573 POLITICIAN

Philip Levine (politician)

Born 1962

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1574 FOOTBALL

Kassim Osgood

Born 1980

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1575 GRANDMOTHER

John Quincy

1689 - 1767

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1576 ACTOR

Jamie Denbo

Born 1973

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1577 ENTREPRENEUR

Frank Blake

Born 1949

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1578 BLOGGER

Jason Nash

Born 1973

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1579 ENGINEER

Thomas Willis Pratt

1812 - 1875

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1580 WRITER

Christine Frederick

1883 - 1970

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1581 WRITER

Chris Kilham

Born 1952

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1582 PLAYWRIGHT

Emily Mann (director)

Born 1952

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1583 LAWYER

Walter R. Mansfield

1911 - 1987

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1584 NOBLE

James Greenleaf

1765 - 1843

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1585 ARCHITECT

Guy Lowell

1870 - 1927

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1586 DIPLOMAT

Francis J. Ricciardone Jr.

Born 1951

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1587 DESIGNER

Jenna Lyons

Born 1969

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1588 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Daniel S. Weld

Born 1960

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1589 ACTOR

Alexandra Neil

Born 1955

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1590 SCIENTIST

Daniel Yankelovich

1924 - 2017

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1591 PAINTER

Burnell Poole

1884 - 1933

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1592 LAWYER

John G. Heyburn II

1948 - 2015

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1593 MUSIC

Lawrence Berk

1908 - 1995

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1594 PSYCHIATRIST

David Viscott

1938 - 1996

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1595 ATHLETIC

James Henigan

1892 - 1950

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1596 WRITER

Andrea Kalin

-

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1597 JUDGE

Timothy B. Dyk

Born 1937

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1598 SKATER

Mark Mitchell (American figure skater)

Born 1968

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1599 POLITICAL

Eric Fehrnstrom

Born 1961

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1600 COMPOSER

Amos Elkana

Born 1967

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1601 LAWYER

Patricia J. Williams

Born 1951

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1602 ACTOR

Patricia Knight

1915 - 2004

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1603 SINGER

Kate Taylor

Born 1949

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1604 ACTOR

Virginia Belmont

1921 - 2014

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1605 HOCKEY

Mike Collins (ice hockey)

Born 1990

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1606 MINISTER

James Freeman (clergyman)

1759 - 1835

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1607 INVENTOR

Edward A. Calahan

1838 - 1912

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1608 TECHNICIAN

Alfred Charles Hobbs

1812 - 1891

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1609 ACTOR

Julie Goldman

-

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1610 ARCHITECT

William G. Preston

1842 - 1910

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1611 MINISTER

William Bentley

1759 - 1819

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1612 PHOTOGRAPHER

Carol Beckwith

Born 1945

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1613 BASEBALL

Chris Dwyer

Born 1988

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1614 FILM

Craig Ross Jr.

-

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1615 ACTOR

Edward Fletcher

Born 1970

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1616 ZOOLOGIST

John Thayer (ornithologist)

1862 - 1949

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1617 WRITER

Jess Nevins

Born 1966

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1618 PAINTER

Isaiah Thomas (publisher)

1749 - 1831

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1619 POLO

Robert Gould Shaw II

1872 - 1930

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1620 EXPLORER

Darby Field

1610 - 1649

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1621 ACADEMIC

Edith Philips

1892 - 1983

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1622 ACTOR

Vail Bloom

Born 1982

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1623 PAINTER

Makoto Fujimura

Born 1960

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1624 PSYCHOLOGIST

Nathan Azrin

1930 - 2013

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1625 PRIEST

William Lawrence (bishop)

1850 - 1941

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1626 SCREENWRITER

Erna Lazarus

1903 - 2006

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1627 ACTOR

Benjamin John Parrillo

Born 1969

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1628 PHILOSOPHER

Geoffrey Sayre-McCord

Born 1956

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1629 COMPOSER

Alice Parker

Born 1925

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1630 LITERARY

Brenda Wineapple

Born 1949

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1631 HISTORIAN

Adeline Pond Adams

1859 - 1948

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1632 ACTOR

Mike Schwartz

-

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1633 BOXER

William "Honey" Mellody

1884 - 1919

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1634 POLITICIAN

Frederick Stevens (American politician)

1861 - 1923

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1635 HOSTESS

Dorothy Quincy

1747 - 1830

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1636 POLITICIAN

John F. Collins

1919 - 1995

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1637 PAINTER

Phil Hale

Born 1963

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1638 SOLDIER

Robert Rheault

1925 - 2013

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1639 LAWYER

John Lowell (judge, 1865–1884)

1824 - 1897

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1640 LAWYER

Miles Crowley

1859 - 1921

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1641 MATHEMATICIAN

Arnold S. Shapiro

1921 - 1962

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1642 JOURNALIST

Jeffrey Brown (journalist)

Born 1956

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1643 POET

Judy Malloy

Born 1942

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1644 MUSIC

Deborah Sasson

Born 1959

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1645 SINGER

Heidi Berry

Born 1958

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1646 BUSINESS

Gotham Chopra

Born 1975

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1647 FOOTBALL

Tom McHale (American football)

1963 - 2008

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1648 SINGER

Michael Africk

Born 1975

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1649 ACTOR

Ronald Hunter

1943 - 2013

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1650 BOTANIST

Randy Wayne (biologist)

Born 1955

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1651 BANK

Henry P. Kidder

1823 - 1886

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1652 MUSIC

Carl Frederick Tandberg

1910 - 1988

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1653 WRITER

Eliza Lee Cabot Follen

1787 - 1860

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1654 ACTOR

Ned Dowd

Born 1950

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1655 SINGER

Eileen Rose

Born 1965

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1656 AUTHOR

Howard Bryant

Born 1968

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1657 LAWYER

Gregory G. Katsas

Born 1964

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1658 POET

Alan Shapiro

Born 1952

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1659 ACTOR

Karyn Bryant

Born 1968

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1660 PAINTER

William Parsons Winchester Dana

1833 - 1927

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1661 NOVELIST

Emilie Loring

1864 - 1951

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1662 ECONOMIST

David Galenson

Born 1951

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1663 WRITER

Mary Stolz

1920 - 2006

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1664 SINGER

Robbin Thompson

1949 - 2015

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1665 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Stanley Zdonik

-

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1666 HISTORIAN

Dexter Perkins

1889 - 1984

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1667 ACTOR

Leone Lane

1908 - 1993

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1668 ROWER

Anne Warner (rower)

Born 1954

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1669 SCREENWRITER

Timothy Dowling

Born 1973

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1670 CURLER

Korey Dropkin

Born 1995

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1671 WRITER

Allen Zadoff

Born 1950

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1672 ACTOR

Kiara Muhammad

Born 1998

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1673 AUTHOR

Jane Turell

1708 - 1735

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1674 CLERGY

Charles Chauncy (1705–1787)

1705 - 1787

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1675 MINISTER

Joseph Tuckerman

1778 - 1840

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1676 STAGE

C. Z. Guest

1920 - 2003

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1677 POLITICIAN

Marilinda Garcia

Born 1983

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1678 WRITER

Robert Sidney Bowen

1900 - 1977

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1679 WRITER

Chris Lynch

Born 1962

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1680 POLITICIAN

Frederic W. Lincoln Jr. (politician)

1817 - 1898

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1681 CARDIOLOGIST

Jonathan L. Halperin

Born 1949

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1682 COACH

Jack Hagerty

1903 - 1982

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1683 OFFICER

John Rous

1702 - 1760

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1684 ACTIVIST

Grace Hutchins

1885 - 1969

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1685 ENVIRONMENTALIST

Marjorie Harris Carr

1915 - 1998

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1686 ACTOR

Mario Roccuzzo

Born 1940

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1687 ZOOLOGIST

William G. Binney

1833 - 1909

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1688 MUSIC

Dale Resteghini

Born 1968

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1689 REFORMER

Franklin W. Smith

1826 - 1911

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1690 CLERGY

Timothy Cutler

1684 - 1765

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1691 ACTOR

Nancy Pimental

Born 1965

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1692 ACTOR

Andrew Bowen

Born 1972

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1693 FILM

Kate Davis (director)

Born 1960

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1694 PSYCHOLOGIST

Sara Wilford

Born 1932

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1695 POET

Karl Kirchwey

Born 1956

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1696 FOOTBALL

Michael Cox (running back)

Born 1988

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1697 ACADEMIC

Isabelle Raubitschek

1914 - 1988

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1698 BOTANIST

Eloise Gerry

1885 - 1970

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1699 LINGUIST

Stanford Luce

1923 - 2007

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1700 JUDGE

Stephen A. Higginson

Born 1961

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1701 SONGWRITER

Anna Adams Gordon

1853 - 1931

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1702 CARTOONIST

Sarah Glidden

Born 1980

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1703 JOURNALIST

Benjamin Edes

1732 - 1803

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1704 ARTIST

Sonya Rapoport

1923 - 2015

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1705 ACTOR

David Shiner (clown)

Born 1953

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1706 PHYSICIST

George A. Keyworth II

1939 - 2017

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1707 ENTOMOLOGIST

Allan Frost Archer

1908 - 1994

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1708 OFFICER

Thomas J.C. Amory

1828 - 1864

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1709 ORGANIST

Berj Zamkochian

1929 - 2004

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1710 PHOTOGRAPHER

David Plowden

Born 1932

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1711 POLITICIAN

Rodolfo Padilla Sunseri

Born 1960

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1712 FOOTBALL

Barry Brown (American football)

Born 1943

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1713 SOCIOLOGIST

Dorothy Nelkin

1933 - 2003

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1714 LAWYER

Richard S. Cohen

1937 - 1998

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1715 LAWYER

Robert M. O'Neil

1934 - 2018

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1716 WRITER

Larry Ruttman

Born 1931

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1717 ART HISTORIAN

Frederick Hartt

1914 - 1991

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1718 PAINTER

Sears Gallagher

1869 - 1955

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1719 PHOTOJOURNALIST

Bettye Lane

1930 - 2012

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1720 MARTIAL ART

Josh Grispi

Born 1988

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1721 PLAYWRIGHT

Marita Bonner

1899 - 1972

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1722 NOVELIST

Robert Rimmer

1917 - 2001

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1723 CLARINETIST

Jonathan Cohler

Born 1959

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1724 POLITICIAN

Charles J. McCarthy

1861 - 1929

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1725 LIEUTENANT

Charles Fessenden Morse

1839 - 1926

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1726 ACTOR

Fay Davis

1872 - 1945

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1727 LAWYER

Lisa Monaco

Born 1968

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1728 LAWYER

Marc Rotenberg

Born 1960

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1729 SHOT PUTTER

Bruce Pirnie

Born 1942

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1730 PHILOSOPHER

Anna Brackett

1836 - 1911

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1731 CARTOONIST

Liz Prince

Born 1981

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1732 COMPOSER

Gerard Alessandrini

Born 1953

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1733 EPIDEMIOLOGIST

Philip J. Landrigan

Born 1942

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1734 WRITER

Mary Traill Spence Lowell Putnam

1810 - 1898

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1735 DIPLOMAT

Sarah Sewall

Born 1961

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1736 SKATER

Michael Botticelli (figure skater)

Born 1959

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1737 ARTIST

Theodore R. Davis

1840 - 1894

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1738 PHYSICIST

Steven Kivelson

Born 1954

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1739 ACTOR

Ant (comedian)

Born 1967

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1740 FOOTBALL

Frank Jacobsson

1930 - 2017

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1741 OLYMPIC

Peter Dean (sailor)

Born 1951

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1742 PHYSICIAN

Timothy Johnson (medical journalist)

Born 1936

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1743 MISSING

Jonathan B. Tucker

1954 - 2011

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1744 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Sally Price

Born 1943

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1745 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Mary Cabot Wheelwright

1878 - 1958

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1746 OFFICER

John C. Cremony

1815 - 1879

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1747 PLAYER

Matthew Pollock

Born 1990

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1748 POLITICIAN

John M. Bowers

1772 - 1846

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1749 CHEMIST

Frank Stillinger

Born 1934

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1750 PRIEST

Lawrence Joseph Riley

1914 - 2001

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1751 SHOOTER

Arthur Corbin Gould

1850 - 1903

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1752 ACTOR

Joseph Hart (entertainer)

1861 - 1921

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1753 SCREENWRITER

Stephanie Braxton

Born 1944

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1754 WRITER

Charles R. Codman

1893 - 1956

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1755 THEOLOGIAN

Barry Hollowell

1948 - 2016

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1756 ACADEMIC

Edith Fishtine Helman

1905 - 1994

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1757 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Abraham M. Halpern

1914 - 1985

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1758 HISTORIAN

John Callender (clergyman)

1706 - 1748

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1759 CHEMIST

Christopher C. Cummins

Born 1966

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1760 POLITICIAN

Josiah Quincy Jr.

1802 - 1882

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1761 JUDGE

Alan David Lourie

Born 1935

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1762 ACTOR

George Aiken (playwright)

1830 - 1876

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1763 FOOTBALL

Al Carmichael

1928 - 2019

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1764 MATHEMATICIAN

Wilfred Kaplan

1915 - 2007

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1765 ART HISTORIAN

Elizabeth A. T. Smith

Born 1958

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1766 PAINTER

Frederic Crowninshield

1845 - 1918

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1767 POLITICIAN

Charles Hale

1831 - 1882

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1768 SKATER

Aimee Buchanan

Born 1993

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1769 ATHLETIC

Dede Griesbauer

Born 1970

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1770 PAINTER

Harriet Hallowell

1873 - 1943

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1771 SCULPTOR

Thomas Ridgeway Gould

1818 - 1881

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1772 INVESTOR

Quincy Adams Shaw

1825 - 1908

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1773 NOVELIST

Lucretia Peabody Hale

1820 - 1900

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1774 ARCHITECT

Charles Edward Pratt

1911 - 1996

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1775 MURDER

Josie Mansfield

1847 - 1931

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1776 JOURNALIST

James Jackson Jarves

1818 - 1888

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1777 CHESS

John Peters (chess player)

Born 1951

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1778 HAMMER THROWER

Bob Backus

1926 - 1999

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1779 NOVELIST

Tom Kratman

Born 1956

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1780 ART DIRECTOR

Tom Jung

Born 1942

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1781 COACH

Red Gendron

Born 1957

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1782 SKATER

J. Lester Madden

1909 - 1984

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1783 PRIEST

John Patrick Boles

1930 - 2014

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1784 WIFE OF

Aurelia Plath

1906 - 1994

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1785 WRITER

Percy Jewett Burrell

1877 - 1964

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1786 ROWER

Richard Kennelly

Born 1965

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1787 LAWYER

Mark L. Wolf

Born 1946

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1788 ACTOR

Damian O'Flynn

1907 - 1982

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1789 BUSINESS

Thomas Melvill (American patriot)

1751 - 1832

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1790 NOVELIST

Roland Merullo

Born 1953

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1791 PHYSICIST

Donald H. Weingarten

Born 1945

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1792 COMPOSER

Matthew Aucoin

Born 1990

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1793 ACTOR

Joel Perez

-

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1794 PRIEST

Charles Chapman Grafton

1830 - 1912

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1795 LAWYER

Jonathan Sewall

1729 - 1796

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1796 ROWER

Jack Rusher

Born 1967

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1797 SUFFRAGETTE

Fanny Garrison Villard

1844 - 1928

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1798 JOURNALIST

John Rennie (editor)

Born 1959

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1799 TEACHER

Thomas Dwight

1843 - 1911

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1800 NAVAL

Joshua Loring

1716 - 1781

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