41.8501° N, 87.6499° W

CHICAGO

Most Famous People Born in Chicago, USA

Notable people
7,467
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1940
Most distinctive
Baseball 5.2×

Big shoulders, broad bench. Chicago's notables are spread evenly across actors, politicians, and four major-league sports — the city is the dataset's largest baseball-and-basketball over-index outside the coasts — alongside a deep screenwriter and novelist tradition that gave the world Saul Bellow, David Mamet, and Ben Hecht. No single category dominates the way film does in Los Angeles or Wall Street does in New York, and the music economy alone runs from blues and house to first-wave hip-hop.

Standouts

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 850 notable births.

What Chicago Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is Chicago's biggest profession — 11% of all notables (813).

Chicago over-indexes on baseball 5.2× the global rate.

Chicago under-produces politician — only 0.5× the global rate.

  1. Actor 813 2.0×
  2. Politician 469 0.5×
  3. Football 462 0.6×
  4. Baseball 441 5.2×
  5. Basket 398 4.2×
  6. Music 312 2.9×
  7. Writer 220 0.9×
  8. Singer 207 1.3×
  1. Baseball 441 5.2×
  2. Basket 398 4.2×
  3. Screenwriter 128 3.9×
  4. Novelist 96 3.3×
  5. Music 312 2.9×
  6. Actor 813 2.0×
  7. Film 168 1.8×
  1. Politician 469 0.5×
  2. Football 462 0.6×
  3. Painter 116 0.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1850 1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All7,467
Sort By

Showing 449 of 7,467 notable people

0002 SCREENWRITER

Walt Disney

1901 - 1966

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0024 COMPOSER

Benny Goodman

1909 - 1985

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0035 THEATRE

Vincente Minnelli

1903 - 1986

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0079 SCREENWRITER

Ralph Bellamy

1904 - 1991

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0083 ACTOR

Robert Ryan

1909 - 1973

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0098 ACTIVIST

Saul Alinsky

1909 - 1972

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0108 ACTOR

Robert Young (actor)

1907 - 1998

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0113 DRUMMER

Gene Krupa

1909 - 1973

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0135 JOURNALIST

William L. Shirer

1904 - 1993

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0151 RAPPER

Chief Keef

Born 1908

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0165 POLICE

Eliot Ness

1903 - 1957

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0182 COMEDIAN

Edgar Bergen

1903 - 1978

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0189 COMPOSER

Victor Young

1900 - 1956

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0211 DANCER

Katherine Dunham

1909 - 2006

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0220 PALEONTOLOGIST

George Gaylord Simpson

1902 - 1984

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0250 GANGSTER

Sam Giancana

1908 - 1975

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0294 JUDGE

Arthur Goldberg

1908 - 1990

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0305 SOCIOLOGIST

James Burnham

1905 - 1987

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0309 CRIMINAL

Baby Face Nelson

1908 - 1934

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0344 POLITICIAN

Edward Stettinius Jr.

1900 - 1949

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0390 BIOLOGIST

Vincent du Vigneaud

1901 - 1978

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0399 ACTOR

Mary Philbin

1903 - 1993

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0417 POLITICIAN

Richard J. Daley

1902 - 1976

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0461 PIANIST

Albert Ammons

1907 - 1949

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0468 ARTIST

Lynd Ward

1905 - 1985

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0491 SCREENWRITER

Robert Ardrey

1908 - 1980

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0502 ACTOR

John Ridgely

1909 - 1968

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0507 FILM

Wilfred Jackson

1906 - 1988

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0526 ACTOR

Carla Laemmle

1909 - 2014

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0539 FILM

Hamilton Luske

1903 - 1968

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0542 WRITER

James T. Farrell

1904 - 1979

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0543 ARCHITECT

William Pereira

1909 - 1985

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0547 COMPOSER

Meade Lux Lewis

1905 - 1964

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0549 FILM

Phil Karlson

1908 - 1985

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0557 ACTOR

Mayo Methot

1904 - 1951

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0558 OFFICER

William Sterling Parsons

1901 - 1953

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0561 ACTOR

Alan Curtis (American actor)

1909 - 1953

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0573 WRITER

Brett Halliday

1904 - 1977

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0574 ACTOR

Sue Carol

1906 - 1982

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0594 FILM

Carl Laemmle Jr.

1908 - 1979

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0627 COSTUME DESIGNER

Helen Rose

1904 - 1985

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0629 AUTHOR

John Gunther

1901 - 1970

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0639 CRIMINAL

Tony Accardo

1906 - 1992

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0641 NOVELIST

James Gould Cozzens

1903 - 1978

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0647 NOVELIST

Meyer Levin

1905 - 1981

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0662 EDITOR

Herblock

1909 - 2001

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0664 ARCHITECT

Max Abramovitz

1908 - 2004

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0666 ACTOR

Morey Amsterdam

1908 - 1996

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0667 FILM

Arch Oboler

1909 - 1987

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0680 BANDLEADER

Bud Freeman

1906 - 1991

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0729 POLITICIAN

Otto Kerner Jr.

1908 - 1976

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0743 CARTOONIST

Chic Young

1901 - 1973

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0753 BANDLEADER

Ben Pollack

1903 - 1971

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0765 MUSIC

Muggsy Spanier

1901 - 1967

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0808 WRITER

Craig Rice (author)

1908 - 1957

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0811 HISTORIAN

Perry Miller

1905 - 1963

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0833 THEATRE

Viola Spolin

1906 - 1994

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0836 ACTOR

Barry Kelley

1908 - 1991

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0838 ACTOR

Jay Novello

1904 - 1982

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0841 ENTREPRENEUR

W. Clement Stone

1902 - 2002

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0857 MATHEMATICIAN

Abraham Adrian Albert

1905 - 1972

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0873 FILM

Edward Bernds

1905 - 2000

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0893 PHOTOGRAPHER

Wynn Bullock

1902 - 1975

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0894 SCREENWRITER

Irna Phillips

1901 - 1973

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0896 ACTOR

William Challee

1904 - 1989

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0908 POET

Yvor Winters

1900 - 1968

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0924 SCENOGRAPHER

Hal Pereira

1905 - 1983

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0960 WRITER

Jonathan Latimer

1906 - 1983

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0967 TRUMPET

Jimmy McPartland

1907 - 1991

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0978 ACTOR

John Zaremba

1908 - 1986

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0996 ACTOR

Howard St. John

1905 - 1974

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1005 SWIMMER

Sybil Bauer

1903 - 1927

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1015 HISTORIAN

Robert Roswell Palmer

1909 - 2002

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1026 PHYSICIST

Samuel King Allison

1900 - 1965

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1027 BIOLOGIST

Herbert Copeland

1902 - 1968

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1067 POLITICIAN

Elmer L. Andersen

1909 - 2004

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1095 WRITER

Pat Frank

1908 - 1964

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1112 WRITER

Day Keene

1904 - 1969

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1153 TRACK AND FIELD

William Stevenson (athlete)

1900 - 1985

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1172 ACTOR

Rex Bell

1903 - 1962

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1191 PIANIST

Joe Sullivan

1906 - 1971

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1203 OFFICER

Daniel V. Gallery

1901 - 1977

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1206 PHYSICIST

Richard Duffin

1909 - 1996

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1315 ACTOR

Gavin Muir (American actor)

1900 - 1972

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1351 MUSIC

Joe Marsala

1907 - 1978

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1359 SCREENWRITER

Robert Lord (screenwriter)

1900 - 1976

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1368 HISTORIAN

Sherman Kent

1903 - 1986

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1379 SONGWRITER

Buck Ram

1907 - 1991

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1388 PUBLISHER

Robert St. John

1902 - 2003

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1389 FILM

Harry W. Gerstad

1909 - 2002

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1391 LAWYER

Sidney R. Yates

1909 - 2000

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1394 AUTHOR

Willard Motley

1909 - 1965

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1399 THEOLOGIAN

Harold Ockenga

1905 - 1985

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1427 ACTOR

Gordon Griffith

1907 - 1958

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1450 SCREENWRITER

Larry Clemmons

1906 - 1988

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1473 AUTHOR

Muriel Gardiner

1901 - 1985

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1482 ORNITHOLOGIST

Pierce Brodkorb

1908 - 1992

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1483 ACTOR

Marion Aye

1903 - 1951

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1502 PALAEONTOLOGIST

Norman D. Newell

1909 - 2005

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1509 BASEBALL

Freddie Lindstrom

1905 - 1981

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1533 ACTOR

Edna Marion

1906 - 1957

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1542 PHILOSOPHER

Herrlee G. Creel

1905 - 1994

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1548 BOXER

Jackie Fields

1908 - 1987

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1554 PHILOSOPHES

Mary Jayne Gold

1909 - 1997

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1556 ACTOR

Paul McGrath (actor)

1904 - 1978

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1617 CINEMA

Merritt B. Gerstad

1900 - 1974

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1650 FILM

Virginia Van Upp

1902 - 1970

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1652 JOURNALIST

William Shawn

1907 - 1992

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1653 PAINTER

Margaret Brundage

1900 - 1976

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1668 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Richard Anthony Parker

1905 - 1993

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1696 JOURNALIST

Ferdinand Lundberg

1905 - 1995

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1724 ACTOR

Harriet MacGibbon

1905 - 1987

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1754 MUSIC

Hayes Alvis

1907 - 1972

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1787 ACTOR

June Walker

1900 - 1966

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1802 MATHEMATICIAN

Arnold Ross

1906 - 2002

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1824 FOOTBALL

Jim Crowley

1902 - 1986

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1867 VIOLIN

Leopold Godowsky Jr.

1900 - 1983

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1951 SURGEON

Philip Sandblom

1903 - 2001

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2005 SWIMMER

Ethel Lackie

1907 - 1979

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2028 CHEMIST

Calvin Souther Fuller

1902 - 1994

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2032 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Henry Field (anthropologist)

1902 - 1986

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2041 PSYCHIATRIST

Helen Flanders Dunbar

1902 - 1959

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2061 SCREENWRITER

Claude Binyon

1905 - 1978

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2065 PHILOSOPHER

Maurice Mandelbaum

1908 - 1987

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2073 SCREENWRITER

Dave Breger

1908 - 1970

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2085 FILM

Benedict Bogeaus

1904 - 1968

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2103 PAINTER

Helen Lundeberg

1908 - 1999

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2145 ATHLETIC

Horatio Fitch

1900 - 1985

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2167 BASEBALL

Wally Berger

1905 - 1988

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2187 ILLUSTRATOR

Virginia Frances Sterrett

1900 - 1931

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2213 POLITICIAN

Charles J. Kersten

1902 - 1972

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2220 CHEMIST

George E. Kimball

1906 - 1967

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2229 SCREENWRITER

Arthur T. Horman

1905 - 1964

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2243 ACTOR

Marjorie Kane

1909 - 1992

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2244 PRELATE

Aloysius John Wycislo

1908 - 2005

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2271 CLARINET

Darnell Howard

1905 - 1966

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2274 ATHLETIC

William Droegemueller

1906 - 1987

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2278 PAINTER

Albin Amelin

1902 - 1975

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2295 MUSIC

Wallace Bishop

1906 - 1986

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2297 MUSIC

Walter Dyett

1901 - 1969

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2314 ACTOR

Florence Gilbert

1904 - 1991

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2332 LAWYER

Luis Kutner

1908 - 1993

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2347 MUSIC

Happy Caldwell

1903 - 1978

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2356 PHOTOGRAPHER

Morton Bartlett

1909 - 1992

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2357 FILM

Sam White (film producer)

1906 - 2006

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2409 PUBLISHER

Enid A. Haupt

1906 - 2005

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2428 PRIEST

William Edward Cousins

1902 - 1988

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2444 PAINTER

Lee Godie

1908 - 1994

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2467 BISHOP

Alfredo Méndez-Gonzalez

1907 - 1995

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2468 WRESTLER

Fred Meyer (wrestler)

1900 - 1983

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2472 SOCIOLOGIST

Philip Hauser

1909 - 1994

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2491 WRITER

Alfred Frankenstein

1906 - 1981

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2518 CHEMIST

Oscar K. Rice

1903 - 1978

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2520 SINGER

May Alix

1902 - 1983

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2527 PRIEST

Marshall D. Moran

1906 - 1992

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2548 LAWYER

Edward Rowan Finnegan

1905 - 1971

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2562 SCHOLAR

Jerome Hall

1901 - 1992

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2579 ACTOR

Ed Prentiss

1908 - 1992

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2584 POLITICIAN

Jessica M. Weis

1901 - 1963

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2585 SWIMMER

Ralph Breyer

1904 - 1991

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2590 POLITICIAN

Roland V. Libonati

1900 - 1991

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2599 EDITOR

Vaughn Shoemaker

1902 - 1991

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2607 GEOLOGIST

Richard Foster Flint

1902 - 1976

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2610 ACTOR

Tom D'Andrea

1909 - 1998

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2686 BIBLE

Allen Wikgren

1906 - 1998

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2690 ACTOR

Yvonne Howell

1905 - 2010

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2697 MUSIC

Charlie Spand

1905 - 1958

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2702 FOOTBALL

Luke Johnsos

1905 - 1984

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2717 MUSIC

Quinn Wilson

1906 - 1978

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2736 BUSINESS

Charles Rudolph Walgreen Jr.

1906 - 2007

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2747 FOOTBALL

Robert Halperin

1908 - 1985

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2763 PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Martin Obzina

1905 - 1979

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2771 NOVELIST

Albert Halper

1904 - 1984

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2778 SCREENWRITER

Arthur Sheekman

1901 - 1978

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2788 SWIMMER

Albert Schwartz

1907 - 1986

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2798 ACTOR

Paul Willis (actor)

1901 - 1960

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2805 PREACHER

Torrey Johnson

1909 - 2002

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2809 WRITER

Nelson C. Nye

1907 - 1997

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2819 PLAYER

Maud Rosenbaum

1902 - 1981

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2830 MUSIC

Floyd O'Brien

1904 - 1968

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2856 MYCOLOGIST

Constantine John Alexopoulos

1907 - 1986

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2863 PAINTER

Harry Anderson (artist)

1906 - 1996

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2900 SPORT

Arthur Wirtz

1901 - 1983

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2902 MOBSTER

Vincent Drucci

1901 - 1927

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2941 ACTOR

Shirley Palmer (actress)

1908 - 2000

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2945 ACTOR

David Clarke (actor)

1908 - 2004

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2971 BANDLEADER

Reuben Reeves

1905 - 1975

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2977 PRIEST

Ernest John Primeau

1909 - 1989

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2996 PAINTER

Belle Baranceanu

1902 - 1988

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2997 MUSIC

Marty Marsala

1909 - 1975

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3002 RACER

Rollie Free

1900 - 1984

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3009 VICTIM

Elsie Paroubek

1906 - 1911

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3015 POLITICIAN

James Simpson Jr.

1905 - 1960

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3025 MILITAR

Addison Baker

1907 - 1943

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3033 ACTIVIST

Louise Thompson Patterson

1901 - 1999

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3066 MUSIC

Dolly Jones (trumpeter)

1902 - 1975

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3104 LAWYER

John Abt

1904 - 1991

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3111 POLITICIAN

Victor H. Schiro

1904 - 1992

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3175 SCREENWRITER

Richard Macaulay

1909 - 1969

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3179 ACTOR

Clara Peller

1902 - 1987

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3183 ACTOR

Ruth Miller (actress)

1903 - 1981

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3184 WRESTLER

Jack Riley (American football)

1909 - 1993

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3211 MUSIC

Jim Lanigan

1902 - 1983

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3234 PSYCHOLOGIST

Kenneth Spence

1907 - 1967

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3235 ART HISTORIAN

Alexander Soper

1904 - 1993

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3245 ACTOR

Dave Willock

1909 - 1990

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3294 LIBRARIAN

Regina M. Anderson

1901 - 1993

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3318 PAINTER

Aaron Bohrod

1907 - 1992

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3324 PHILOSOPHER

Charles A. Moore

1901 - 1967

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3332 LAWYER

Elmer Gertz

1906 - 2000

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3374 WRITER

William Troy (educator)

1903 - 1961

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3376 ACTOR

Ray Middleton (actor)

1907 - 1984

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3427 PAINTER

Ethel Spears

1903 - 1974

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3441 WEIGHTLIFTER

Henry Duey

1908 - 1993

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3443 POLITICIAN

Timothy P. Sheehan

1909 - 2000

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3462 PRIEST

Raymond Peter Hillinger

1904 - 1971

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3472 LAWYER

Sidney Korshak

1907 - 1996

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3476 PAINTER

Corinne Michelle West

1908 - 1991

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3478 ANIMATOR

Don Patterson (animator)

1909 - 1998

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3480 INVENTOR

Glenn Allan Millikan

1906 - 1947

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3503 PHILOSOPHER

John Daniel Wild

1902 - 1972

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3516 MISSING

Feliksas Vaitkus

1907 - 1956

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3536 OFFICER

William O. Gallery

1904 - 1981

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3541 ACTOR

Romola Remus

1900 - 1987

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3548 BASEBALL

Dick Bartell

1907 - 1995

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3556 SCIENTIST

Faber Birren

1900 - 1988

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3586 PAINTER

Andrene Kauffman

1905 - 1993

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3606 POLITICIAN

Archibald Carey Jr.

1908 - 1981

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3614 SPORT

Bob Elson

1904 - 1981

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3623 SCREENWRITER

Catherine Turney

1906 - 1998

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3651 MILITAR

Henry Ringling North

1909 - 1993

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3677 PRIEST

Donald Martin Carroll

1909 - 2002

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3721 FENCER

Frank Righeimer

1909 - 1998

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3736 PRIEST

William Aloysius O'Connor

1903 - 1983

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3738 LAWYER

George Hugo Boldt

1903 - 1984

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3752 LITERARY

Philip Kolb

1907 - 1992

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3757 BASEBALL

Ossie Bluege

1900 - 1985

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3761 PRIEST

Gilbert V. Hartke

1907 - 1986

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3765 CONDUCTOR

Eugene Linden (conductor)

1902 - 1983

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3805 RABBI

Maurice Eisendrath

1902 - 1973

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3823 PHYSICIAN

Roger O. Egeberg

1902 - 1997

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3834 SCREENWRITER

Russell Malmgren

1905 - 1982

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3845 MUSIC

Crawford Wethington

1904 - 1994

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3880 FOOTBALL

Art Folz

1903 - 1965

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3882 HISTORIAN

Gertrude Prokosch Kurath

1903 - 1992

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3894 ACTOR

Eadie Adams

1907 - 1983

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3898 LITERARY

F. W. Dupee

1904 - 1979

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3917 LAWYER

Ernest Samuels

1903 - 1996

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3944 SWIMMER

Dick Howell

1903 - 1967

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3960 MILITAR

Charles D. Palmer

1902 - 1999

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3988 EDITOR

William Targ

1907 - 1999

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4004 PSYCHOLOGIST

George W. Crane

1901 - 1995

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4007 BUSINESS

Catherine T. MacArthur

1908 - 1981

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4012 BASKET

Philip Brownstein

1906 - 1999

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4018 DRIVER

Billy Arnold (racing driver)

1905 - 1976

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4034 NATURALIST

Walter A. Weber

1906 - 1979

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4050 BASEBALL

Snipe Hansen

1907 - 1978

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4053 ACTOR

Irene Dalton

1901 - 1934

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4061 ACTOR

Elspeth Eric

1907 - 1993

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4066 BANDLEADER

Al Trace

1900 - 1993

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4091 BASKET

Eddie Kotal

1902 - 1973

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4108 BASEBALL

Phil Weintraub

1907 - 1987

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4125 BASEBALL

Raymond Wolf

1904 - 1979

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4132 DECORATOR

Lyle Reifsnider

1901 - 1980

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4134 BASEBALL

Bruce Campbell (baseball)

1909 - 1995

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4139 TEACHER

Leona Baumgartner

1902 - 1991

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4142 RACE CAR

Jimmy Snyder (racing driver)

1909 - 1939

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4148 BASEBALL

Marty McManus

1900 - 1966

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4169 LAWYER

Whitney North Seymour

1901 - 1983

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4171 ARTIST

Robert Jay Wolff

1905 - 1978

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4179 COMPOSER

Irene Britton Smith

1907 - 1999

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4189 JOURNALIST

Ned Calmer

1907 - 1986

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4203 GOLF

Johnny Dawson

1902 - 1986

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4267 PAINTER

John Stephan

1906 - 1995

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4292 EDITOR

Bob Atwood

1907 - 1997

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4296 PRODUCER

Jack Kapp

1901 - 1949

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4335 WIFE OF

Eleanor "Sis" Daley

1907 - 2003

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4353 WRITER

Jane Thayer

1904 - 2005

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4364 MOBSTER

Sam Battaglia

1908 - 1973

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4404 WRITER

A.H.Z. Carr

1902 - 1971

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4446 ILLUSTRATOR

H. Charles McBarron Jr.

1902 - 1992

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4489 RESEARCH

Frank R. Mayo

1908 - 1987

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4493 LAWYER

Richard Bevan Austin

1901 - 1977

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4495 LAWYER

William Joseph Lynch

1908 - 1976

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4496 EDITOR

Vlasta Vraz

1900 - 1989

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4521 MUSIC

Cortelia Clark

1907 - 1969

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4525 PAINTER

Emily Muir

1904 - 2003

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4551 MILITAR

Francis William Farrell

1900 - 1981

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4575 SPORT

James D. Norris

1906 - 1966

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4583 JOURNALIST

Clarence John Boettiger

1900 - 1950

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4590 SCULPTOR

Lenore Thomas Straus

1909 - 1988

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4604 BASEBALL

Bob Weiland

1905 - 1988

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4607 MILITAR

Emerson C. Itschner

1903 - 1995

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4631 LAWYER

William Joseph Campbell

1905 - 1988

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4634 MUSIC

Richard McPartland

1905 - 1957

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4659 FOOTBALL

Dick Stahlman

1902 - 1970

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4679 BASEBALL

Ed Taylor (infielder)

1901 - 1992

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4759 COMPOSER

Dorothy James

1901 - 1982

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4762 OFFICER

Einar Axel Malmstrom

1907 - 1954

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4765 FILM

Stuart E. McGowan

1904 - 1999

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