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
Sort By

3,663 notable people

1801 FLYING ACE

Jens Fredrick Larson

1891 - 1981

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1802 POLITICIAN

Frank Welch (American politician)

1835 - 1878

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1803 SCREENWRITER

Joe Rinaldi

1914 - 1974

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1804 ACTOR

Edward Warren

1856 - 1930

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1805 SKATER

Yasmin Siraj

Born 1996

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1806 LAWYER

Peter Rodman

1943 - 2008

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1807 SCULPTOR

William McVey (sculptor)

1905 - 1995

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1808 FOOTBALL

Gerard Cowhig

1921 - 1995

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1809 MALACOLOGIST

Robert Edwards Carter Stearns

1827 - 1909

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1810 ARTIST

Kerry Tribe

Born 1973

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1811 ARTIST

Elisabeth Subrin

Born 1964

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1812 OFFICER

Robert F. McDermott

1920 - 2006

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1813 WRITER

Malcolm Margolin

Born 1940

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1814 PRODUCER

Nancy Glass

Born 1957

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1815 BANK

James Savage (banker)

1784 - 1873

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1816 ETHOLOGIST

Dorothy Cheney (scientist)

1950 - 2018

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1817 PHYSICIST

William E. Caswell

1947 - 2001

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1818 POLITICIAN

Howard Koh

Born 1952

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1819 SECRETARY

Flo Steinberg

1939 - 2017

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1820 BISHOP

Eric Francis MacKenzie

1893 - 1969

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1821 FILM

Danny Draven

Born 1978

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1822 PASTOR

Gordon Hugenberger

Born 1948

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1823 FACULTY

Barron H. Lerner

Born 1960

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1824 AUTHOR

Lucius Manlius Sargent

1786 - 1867

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1825 CHOREOGRAPHER

Joanie Spina

1953 - 2014

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1826 COMPOSER

David Borden

Born 1938

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1827 MILITAR

Edward D. Townsend

1817 - 1893

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1828 PAINTER

Sophie Matisse

Born 1965

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1829 PHYSICIAN

Tracy Putnam

1894 - 1975

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1830 CARTOGRAPHER

Samuel Langdon

1723 - 1797

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1831 HOCKEY

David Cunniff

Born 1970

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1832 SINGER

Eunice Alberts

1927 - 2012

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1833 JOURNALIST

Bill Lichtenstein

Born 1956

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1834 ACTOR

Ella Lola

1883 - 1960

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1835 POLITICIAN

Joseph Wightman

1812 - 1885

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1836 ACADEMIC

Gaetano Lanza

1848 - 1928

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1837 PRIEST

Erastus Otis Haven

1820 - 1881

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1838 MUSIC

Laurence Dreyfus

Born 1952

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1839 POLITICIAN

Grafton D. Cushing

1864 - 1939

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1840 PRODUCER

Rebecca Eaton

Born 1947

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1841 POET

Esta Spalding

Born 1966

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1842 THEOLOGIAN

A. K. M. Adam

Born 1957

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1843 FLYING ACE

David Endicott Putnam

1898 - 1918

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1844 COMPOSER

Julius Chaloff

1892 - 1979

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1845 MINISTER

William Henry Furness

1802 - 1896

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1846 WRITER

Joseph Lee (recreation advocate)

1862 - 1937

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1847 DIPLOMAT

William Jarvis (merchant)

1770 - 1859

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1848 DIPLOMAT

Richard W. Murphy

Born 1929

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1849 SAILOR

Stuart McNay

Born 1981

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1850 THEATRICAL

Arthur Cantor

1920 - 2001

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1851 ARTIST

Antonio Sacre

Born 1968

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1852 LAWYER

Margaret Stock

Born 1962

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1853 THEATRE

Paul Ryan Rudd

1940 - 2010

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1854 POLITICIAN

Elisha Cooke Sr.

1637 - 1715

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1855 RAPPER

Sékou (Rapper)

Born 1971

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1856 FILM

John Gorman (director)

1884 - 1936

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1857 ASTROPHYSICIST

David W. Latham

-

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1858 JOURNALIST

Charles W. Bailey II

1929 - 2012

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1859 BASEBALL

Alex McKinnon (baseball)

1856 - 1887

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1860 ATHLETE

Marilyn King

Born 1949

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1861 FOOTBALL

Bo Oshoniyi

Born 1971

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1862 BASEBALL

Turk Farrell

1934 - 1977

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1863 COMPOSER

Anna Coogan

Born 1981

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1864 EPISCOPAL

Robert Traill Spence Lowell

1816 - 1891

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1865 WRITER

Sonya Sones

Born 1950

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1866 HISTORIAN

William Chafe

Born 1942

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1867 SAILOR

James Hunt (sailor)

Born 1936

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1868 OPERATOR

Emma Nutt

1860 - 1915

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1869 POLICE

John Gibson (police officer)

1956 - 1998

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1870 JOURNALIST

Leah McGrath Goodman

-

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1871 PAINTER

Amy Maria Sacker

1872 - 1965

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1872 ACTOR

Ben Kurland

Born 1984

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1873 MERCHANT

John Perkins Cushing

1787 - 1862

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1874 BANK

James J. Storrow

1864 - 1926

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1875 ENGINEER

Rod Holt

Born 1934

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1876 WRITER

Francis Russell (author)

1910 - 1989

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1877 POLITICIAN

David Parks (politician)

Born 1943

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1878 ENTREPRENEUR

James Pallotta

Born 1958

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1879 PRIEST

William Croswell Doane

1832 - 1913

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1880 BANK

Daniel Sargent Curtis

1825 - 1908

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1881 POET

Charles Sprague (poet)

1791 - 1875

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1882 PAINTER

Henry Botkin

1896 - 1983

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1883 ACTOR

Paul Sparer

1923 - 1999

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1884 ARCHITECT

Nathaniel Jeremiah Bradlee

1829 - 1888

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1885 ARTIST

Nancy Buchanan

Born 1946

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1886 ROWER

Kristin Hedstrom

Born 1986

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1887 PRESENTER

Katie Nolan

Born 1987

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1888 POLITICIAN

John Hynes (politician)

1897 - 1970

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1889 OFFICER

Phil Rasmussen

1918 - 2005

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1890 SPORT

John Allis

Born 1942

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1891 METEOROLOGIST

Robert DeCourcy Ward

1867 - 1931

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1892 WRITER

Blair Lent

1930 - 2009

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1893 PUBLISHER

Oliver Ditson

1811 - 1888

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1894 HOCKEY

John Mulhern

1927 - 2007

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1895 POLITICIAN

Carl McCall

Born 1935

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1896 WRITER

Horace Scudder

1838 - 1902

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1897 PAINTER

David Bowes

Born 1957

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1898 METEOROLOGIST

Robert M. White (meteorologist)

1923 - 2015

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1899 PAINTER

Landon Mackenzie

Born 1954

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1900 SINGER

D. S. Bradford

Born 1982

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1901 NOVELIST

Paul Brodeur

Born 1931

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1902 FOOTBALL

Chris Gamble

Born 1983

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1903 LAWYER

Joseph Henry Beale

1861 - 1943

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1904 POLITICIAN

Carol Ruth Silver

Born 1938

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1905 MILITAR

Henry Burbeck

1754 - 1848

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1906 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Richard Werbner

Born 1937

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1907 FOOTBALL

George C. Adams

1863 - 1900

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1908 ACADEMIC

John William Ward (professor)

1922 - 1985

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1909 PHILANTHROPIST

Paul M. English

Born 1963

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1910 ARTIST

Sylvia Edwards

1937 - 2018

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1911 CHESS

Albert Fox

1881 - 1964

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1912 PRESERVATIONIST

William Sumner Appleton

1874 - 1947

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1913 BASKET

George Hoyt

1883 - 1962

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1914 COMPOSER

Jimmy Earl

Born 1957

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1915 PAINTER

Anne Walker

Born 1933

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1916 ACTOR

Nike Doukas

Born 1958

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1917 MODEL

Teddy Quinlivan

Born 1994

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1918 LAWYER

Prescott F. Hall

1868 - 1921

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1919 POLITICIAN

Linda Dorcena Forry

Born 1973

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1920 MARTIAL ART

Anthony Lapsley

Born 1980

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1921 NOVELIST

Richard Bowes

Born 1944

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1922 BUSINESS

Frederick Gilbert Bourne

1851 - 1919

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1923 JOURNALIST

Liza Featherstone

Born 1969

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1924 DESIGNER

Melvin Johnson

1909 - 1965

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1925 SCHOLAR

Richard Barnet

1929 - 2004

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1926 ACTOR

Jimmy Flynn

Born 1934

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1927 WRITER

John Weiss

1818 - 1879

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1928 TEACHER

Jack Santino

Born 1947

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1929 SINGER

Mieka Pauley

Born 1980

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1930 SINGER

Peg LaCentra

1910 - 1996

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1931 GUITAR

Peter Walker (guitarist)

Born 1937

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1932 CHESS

Alan Trefler

Born 1956

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1933 SUFFRAGETTE

Mary Greenleaf Clement Leavitt

1830 - 1912

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1934 BUSINESS

Ward Nicholas Boylston

1747 - 1828

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1935 ACTOR

Yvonne Jung

Born 1969

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1936 POLITICIAN

Jonathan L. Austin

1748 - 1826

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1937 SWIMMER

Bruce Hunter (swimmer)

1939 - 2018

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1938 BASKET

Bill Collins (cestista)

1953 - 2008

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1939 POLITICIAN

Bill Cole (politician)

Born 1956

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1940 SCULPTOR

Billie Lawless

Born 1950

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1941 COMEDIAN

Josh Wolf (comedian)

Born 1977

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1942 LAWYER

James G. Carr

Born 1940

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1943 CHESS

Max Pavey

1918 - 1957

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1944 CEO

Peter Palandjian

Born 1964

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1945 JOURNALIST

Quincy Howe

1900 - 1977

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1946 RESEARCH

John Pollini

Born 1945

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1947 JOURNALIST

Charles H. Taylor (publisher)

1846 - 1921

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1948 PROFESSOR

Grant Gilmore

1910 - 1982

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1949 ARTIST

Michelle Citron

-

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1950 ARCHITECT

Theophilus P. Chandler Jr.

1845 - 1928

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1951 ACTOR

Brendan Beiser

Born 1970

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1952 HISTORIAN

Holden Furber

1903 - 1993

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1953 JOURNALIST

Charlie Wolf

Born 1959

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1954 OFFICER

James D. Morgan

1810 - 1896

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1955 MATHEMATICIAN

John Benedetto

Born 1939

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1956 WRESTLER

Flip Gordon

Born 1991

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1957 BASEBALL

Ed Sprague Sr.

1945 - 2020

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1958 WRITER

Sarah Smith (writer)

Born 1947

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1959 SCHOLAR

Henry Simmons Frieze

1817 - 1889

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1960 EDUCATOR

Charles Daniel Tenney

1857 - 1930

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1961 JOURNALIST

Walter V. Robinson

Born 1946

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1962 POLITICIAN

Peter E. Costello

1854 - 1935

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1963 TERRORIST

Charles McArther Emmanuel

Born 1977

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1964 SENATE

Jessica Rosenworcel

Born 1971

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1965 JOURNALIST

C. Allen Thorndike Rice

1851 - 1889

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1966 HISTORIAN

Samuel Eliot

1821 - 1898

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1967 ARCHITECT

Edward Clarke Cabot

1818 - 1901

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1968 TRUMPET

Greg Kelley

Born 1973

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1969 COMPOSER

Bertram Shapleigh

1871 - 1940

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1970 PRIEST

Mark E. Brennan

Born 1947

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1971 JOURNALIST

John Fenno

1751 - 1798

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1972 JOURNALIST

Carl Alpert

1913 - 2005

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1973 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Margaret Martonosi

-

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1974 ASTRONOMER

Harold Zirin

1929 - 2012

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1975 MUSIC

Ray Perry

1915 - 1950

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1976 CHEMIST

Richard H. Holm

Born 1933

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1977 WRITER

Deborah Howe

1946 - 1978

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1978 ACTOR

Bernard Robichaud

Born 1960

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1979 POLITICIAN

Charles Edward Adams (politician)

1867 - 1936

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1980 BASEBALL

Shano Collins

1885 - 1955

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1981 JOURNALIST

Kelly Lange

Born 1937

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1982 CHEMIST

Susan Band Horwitz

Born 1937

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1983 BUSINESS

Bob Davis (businessman)

Born 1956

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1984 SCHOLAR

Richard M. Locke

Born 1959

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1985 DANCER

Dianne Walker

Born 1951

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1986 ACTOR

Muriel Rahn

1911 - 1961

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1987 PROFESSOR

Paula Hyman

1946 - 2011

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1988 DIPLOMAT

Ellis Loring Dresel

1865 - 1925

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1989 ACTOR

Leland Benham

1905 - 1976

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1990 PRIEST

Joseph Gaudentius Anderson

1865 - 1927

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1991 OFFICER

John Marston (sailor)

1795 - 1885

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1992 OFFICER

Henry L. Eustis

1819 - 1885

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1993 ARTIST

Letterio Calapai

1902 - 1993

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1994 FOOTBALL

Ron Stone (American football)

Born 1971

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1995 ROWER

Michael di Santo

Born 1989

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1996 FILM

David Riker

Born 1963

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1997 SPORT

Sean McDonough

Born 1962

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1998 LAWYER

David Niles

1888 - 1952

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1999 JOURNALIST

Samuel Adams Drake

1833 - 1905

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2000 POET

Joshua Weiner

Born 1963

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2001 HOCKEY

Ned Havern

Born 1982

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2002 MUSIC

Rose Rosengard Subotnik

Born 1942

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2003 HISTORIAN

George Edward Ellis

1814 - 1894

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2004 NOVELIST

Thomas Russell Sullivan

1849 - 1916

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2005 LAWYER

Ellen Segal Huvelle

Born 1948

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2006 ARCHITECT

Clifton A. Hall

1826 - 1913

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2007 OFFICER

Richard Wainwright (American Civil War naval officer)

1817 - 1862

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2008 ACTOR

Robert Fields

Born 1938

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2009 EDUCATOR

Margaret Darst Corbett

1889 - 1962

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2010 BUSINESS

Vanu Bose

1965 - 2017

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2011 PHOTOGRAPHER

Cervin Robinson

Born 1928

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2012 OFFICER

William A. Worton

1897 - 1973

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2013 DANCER

Dmitre Razgulajevs

Born 1996

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2014 BASKET

Courtney Eldridge

Born 1980

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2015 ACTIVIST

Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney

1824 - 1904

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2016 OFFICER

Thomas Oliver Selfridge

1804 - 1902

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2017 SNOWBOARD

Tyler Jewell

Born 1977

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2018 MATHEMATICIAN

Herbert Gross

1929 - 2020

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2019 LAWYER

Frederick O. Prince

1818 - 1899

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2020 LIBRARIAN

Lucy Toulmin Smith

1838 - 1911

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2021 LIBRARIAN

Arthur Curley

1938 - 1998

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2022 COMEDIAN

Alex Edelman

Born 1989

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2023 PRODUCER

Che Pope

-

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2024 POLITICIAN

Nancy Floreen

Born 1951

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2025 JOURNALIST

Dick Carlson

Born 1941

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2026 SKIPPER

Francis Scully (sailor)

1925 - 1998

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2027 ACTOR

Lorna Thayer

1919 - 2005

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2028 FILM

Dave Krinsky

Born 1963

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2029 BIOGRAPHER

James Elliot Cabot

1821 - 1903

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2030 FILM

Louis de Rochemont

1899 - 1978

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2031 DRAMA

Henry Hewes

1917 - 2006

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2032 OFFICER

Francis J. Higginson

1843 - 1931

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2033 WRITER

Richard R. Peabody

1892 - 1936

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2034 COACH

Fred Whittingham

1939 - 2003

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2035 ACTOR

Gordon Stanley

Born 1951

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2036 POLITICIAN

James F. McNulty Jr.

1925 - 2009

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2037 NEUROSCIENTIST

Robert Livingston (scientist)

1918 - 2002

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2038 ARTIST

Robert Richenburg

1917 - 2006

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2039 NATURALIST

Samuel Kneeland (naturalist)

1821 - 1888

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2040 PRIEST

John Joseph Glynn

1926 - 2004

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2041 ARCHITECT

Constance Adams

1964 - 2018

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2042 CHEMIST

Reatha King

Born 1938

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2043 PRODUCER

Motion Potion

Born 1973

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2044 LAWYER

Ruth Abrams

1930 - 2019

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2045 COMPOSER

Charles Gaynor

1909 - 1975

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2046 WORKER

Belleruth Naparstek

Born 1942

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2047 POLITICIAN

Irene E. Ryan

1909 - 1997

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2048 ARCHITECT

Alfred Browning Parker

1916 - 2011

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2049 BASKET

Goodluck Okonoboh

Born 1994

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2050 ATHLETIC

Ted Vogel

1925 - 2019

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2051 OFFICER

Joseph P. Hoar

Born 1934

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2052 PHOTOGRAPHER

Eileen Quinlan

Born 1972

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2053 LITERARY

Dudley Fitts

1903 - 1968

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2054 WRITER

Arnette Lamb

1947 - 1998

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2055 POET

Julie Kane

Born 1952

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2056 SONGWRITER

David Batteau

Born 1949

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2057 WRITER

Christoph Poschenrieder

Born 1964

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2058 FILM

Manuel Siebenmann

Born 1959

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2059 JOURNALIST

Janet Daley

Born 1944

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2060 CIVIL RIGHTS

Stephen Gill Spottswood

1897 - 1974

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2061 TEACHER

James Vorenberg

1927 - 2000

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2062 MUSIC

Tom van der Geld

Born 1947

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2063 PAINTER

Ethel Isadore Brown

1871 - 1944

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2064 NOVELIST

Sandra Newman

Born 1965

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2065 BANK

Benjamin Knower

1775 - 1839

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2066 ENTREPRENEUR

Howard Deering Johnson

1897 - 1972

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2067 PHYSICIST

Harold Metcalf

Born 1940

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2068 POLITICIAN

Francis E. Kelly

1903 - 1982

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2069 JOURNALIST

Benjamin Russell (journalist)

1761 - 1845

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2070 PHYSICIAN

William P. Murphy Jr.

Born 1923

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2071 CONVICT

John Connolly (FBI)

Born 1940

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2072 ACTOR

Aida Rodriguez

Born 1977

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2073 POLITICIAN

Samuel Davis Wilson

1881 - 1939

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2074 MATHEMATICIAN

Joseph A. Zilber

1923 - 2009

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2075 SINGER

Mya Byrne

Born 1978

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2076 SINGER

Johnny Contardo

Born 1951

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2077 ARTIST

Ellen Thayer Fisher

1847 - 1911

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2078 SINGER

Jacob Bannon

Born 1976

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2079 ACTOR

Maia Reficco

Born 2000

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2080 PAINTER

Samuel Burtis Baker

1882 - 1967

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2081 WRITER

Justin Beckett

Born 1963

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2082 PHYSICIAN

Burt Green Wilder

1841 - 1925

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2083 POLITICIAN

David Zuckerman (politician)

Born 1971

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2084 PSYCHOLOGIST

Richard Solomon (psychologist)

1918 - 1995

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2085 COACH

John Thompson III

Born 1966

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2086 POLITICIAN

Joseph F. Timilty (state senator)

1938 - 2017

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2087 BUSINESS

Russell Sturgis (1805–1887)

1805 - 1887

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2088 ACTOR

Paul O'Keefe

Born 1951

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2089 SPYMASTER

David Henley

1749 - 1823

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2090 DANCER

Loren Galler-Rabinowitz

Born 1986

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2091 POLITICIAN

Michael J. Connolly

Born 1947

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2092 MAFIA

Gennaro Angiulo

1919 - 2009

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2093 FOOTBALL

Darin Jordan

Born 1964

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2094 FILM

Matia Karrell

-

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2095 COACH

Joe Reilly

1880 - 1951

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2096 PRIEST

John R. McNamara

1927 - 2001

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2097 SKATER

Gretchen Donlan

Born 1993

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2098 SPORT

Dave Gettleman

Born 1951

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2099 ACADEMIC

John Nerbonne

Born 1951

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2100 JOURNALIST

Leon Adams

1905 - 1995

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