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 850 of 7,467 notable people

4803 POLITICIAN

Mary Nolan (politician)

Born 1954

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4806 MUSIC

Angela Brown

Born 1953

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4815 WRITER

Barrie Jean Borich

Born 1959

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4824 ACTOR

Meg Wittner

Born 1950

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4826 ACTOR

Jeff Austin (acteur)

Born 1954

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4830 COMPOSER

Robert Ian Winstin

1959 - 2010

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4842 PLAYWRIGHT

Tim Toyama

Born 1952

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4847 ARTIST

Tom Torluemke

Born 1959

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4852 COMEDIAN

John Caponera

Born 1959

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4853 NOVELIST

Steve Fiffer

Born 1950

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4868 SINGER

Deitra Farr

Born 1957

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4876 FILM

Alile Sharon Larkin

Born 1953

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4877 FOOTBALL

Marc May

Born 1956

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4884 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Minyon Moore

Born 1958

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4885 LAWYER

Louis B. Butler

Born 1952

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4897 GAME

Terry K. Amthor

Born 1958

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4900 BASEBALL

Jim Crawford (baseball)

Born 1950

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4915 SPORT

Robert Vehe

Born 1953

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4926 CIVIL RIGHTS

David Oaks

Born 1955

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4938 COMPOSER

Timothy J. Tobias

1952 - 2006

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4942 SENTENCED

Alicia Rodríguez (FALN)

Born 1953

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4961 MILITAR

Rosanne Bailey

1950 - 2016

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4964 PULITZER

Jack Higgins (cartoonist)

Born 1954

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4980 POET

Thax Douglas

Born 1957

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4981 FOOTBALL

John Skibinski

Born 1955

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4984 LAWYER

Brian Cogan

Born 1954

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4985 SINGER

Carlos Johnson (blues musician)

Born 1953

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4986 FOOTBALL

Larry Canada

Born 1954

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4994 MEDICAL

Kim A. Williams

Born 1955

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5020 POLITICIAN

Yvonne Brown

1952 - 2012

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5036 DIPLOMAT

Ian C. Kelly

Born 1953

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5039 FOOTBALL

Bill Callahan (American football)

Born 1956

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5044 ACTOR

Mark Arnott

Born 1950

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5047 WRITER

Evelyn C. White

Born 1954

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5049 BASEBALL

Doe Boyland

Born 1955

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5058 ENTREPRENEUR

Henry Engelhardt

Born 1958

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5086 PAINTER

Roberto Juarez (artist)

Born 1952

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5090 POLITICIAN

Marty Block

Born 1950

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5105 NURSE

Margaret Callahan

Born 1952

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5108 PIANIST

Jim Baker (Musiker)

Born 1950

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5121 POLITICIAN

Roderick Wright (politician)

Born 1952

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5161 LAWYER

Gary M. Polland

Born 1950

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5167 MUSIC

Mike Smith (jazz saxophonist)

Born 1957

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5175 ROCK

Lee Abrams

Born 1952

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5177 POLITICAL

Bill Hillsman

Born 1953

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5188 POLITICIAN

Dave Syverson

Born 1957

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5231 FOOTBALL

Theotis Brown

Born 1957

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5249 SINGER

Harry Dennis (musician)

Born 1956

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5258 POLITICIAN

Joe Zakas

Born 1950

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5259 COMPOSER

Andy Hill (American music producer)

Born 1951

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5270 CURLER

Joni Cotten

Born 1953

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5272 POLITICIAN

Skip Rimsza

Born 1955

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5295 POLITICIAN

Gayle McLaughlin

Born 1952

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5299 BASEBALL

Kevin Hickey

1956 - 2012

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5301 JOURNALIST

Cyndy Brucato

Born 1951

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5304 LAWYER

Suzanne Nora Johnson

Born 1957

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5306 POLITICIAN

James DeLeo

Born 1951

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5318 MUSIC

Jean Shy

Born 1950

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5332 BASEBALL

Greg Biagini

1952 - 2003

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5347 PLAYER

Russ Rose

Born 1953

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5354 POLITICIAN

Jeffrey Schoenberg

Born 1959

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5359 PSYCHOLOGIST

Howard Nusbaum

Born 1954

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5364 HOCKEY

Joe Augustine

Born 1955

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5379 ACTOR

Jeff McCracken

Born 1952

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5387 MUSIC

Jim Kahr

Born 1952

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5394 TEACHER

Richard W. Lariviere

Born 1950

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5397 BASEBALL

Alan Hargesheimer

Born 1954

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5405 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Louise K. Goeser

Born 1953

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5407 MUSIC

Bobby Rangell

Born 1958

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5438 POLITICIAN

Robert Bacon (Iowa politician)

Born 1955

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5450 CONVICT

Thomas Martin Thompson

1955 - 1989

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5454 ACTOR

Robert Krimmer

Born 1953

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5461 SPORT

Paul Olden

Born 1953

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5464 ACTOR

Janet Zarish

Born 1954

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5498 FOOTBALL

Steve Baumgartner

Born 1951

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5506 ACTIVIST

Phill Wilson

Born 1956

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5523 CHEMIST

Steven Zimmerman

Born 1957

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5536 BUSINESS

Michael Kempner

Born 1958

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5547 WRITER

Joseph A. Tunzi

Born 1953

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5571 PHYSICIAN

Myron S. Cohen

Born 1950

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5585 AUTHOR

A. R. Morlan

1958 - 2016

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5601 SERIAL KILLER

Jeffrey Rignall

1952 - 2000

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5624 BASEBALL

Larry Murray (baseball)

Born 1953

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5632 ACTOR

Richard Cotovsky

Born 1954

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5635 WRESTLER

Larry Cameron

1952 - 1993

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5645 PHILOSOPHER

Lynne Karen Deutsch

1956 - 2004

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5646 WRESTLER

Super Maxx

Born 1959

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5652 ASTRONOMER

Stefi Baum

Born 1958

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5661 FOOTBALL

Greg Westbrooks

Born 1953

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5691 PRODUCER

Gust Tsilis

Born 1956

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5724 BUSINESS

John McDonough (sports executive)

Born 1953

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5725 SCREENWRITER

Judd Parkin

Born 1952

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5729 HOCKEY

Steve Richmond

Born 1959

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5732 SPORT

Bill White (bobsleigh)

Born 1959

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5741 POLITICIAN

Laura Knaperek

1955 - 2016

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5756 PHYSICIST

Dana Z. Anderson

Born 1953

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5757 BILLIONAIRE

John Pritzker

Born 1953

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5762 LAWYER

Judith C. Herrera

Born 1954

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5782 ENGINEER

James J. Coleman

Born 1950

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5788 ZOOLOGIST

Julian Kerbis Peterhans

Born 1952

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5799 CRITIC

Dean Richards (reporter)

Born 1954

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5803 OFFICER

Carol M. Pottenger

Born 1955

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5806 ACADEMIC

Steven Vertovec

Born 1957

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5835 GAME

Stewart Kosoy

Born 1950

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5839 VIDEO GAME

Scott Murphy (video game designer)

Born 1954

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5862 BASEBALL

Mike Rowland (baseball)

Born 1953

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5866 JOURNALIST

Andrea Cambern

Born 1959

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5867 FOOTBALL

Ken Dunek

Born 1957

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5871 PHOTOGRAPHER

Suzanne Pastor

Born 1952

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5888 POLITICIAN

Michael C. Murphy (Michigan politician)

1952 - 2014

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5910 ADVERTISING

Ginna Marston

Born 1958

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5919 LAWYER

Phillip S. Figa

1951 - 2008

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5940 WRITER

Richard Chwedyk

Born 1955

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5945 POLITICIAN

Susie Sadlowski Garza

Born 1959

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5959 RABBI

Jack Moline

Born 1952

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5965 POLITICIAN

John Morroni

1955 - 2018

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5984 HOCKEY

Tom Machowski

Born 1953

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5994 MUSIC

Alex Carlin

Born 1957

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5997 DRUMMER

Vincent Davis

Born 1957

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6022 WRESTLER

Eli the Eliminator

Born 1958

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6023 COMPOSER

William Holab

Born 1958

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6030 HOCKEY

Tim O'Connell

Born 1953

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6056 ACTOR

George Spell

Born 1958

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6070 TRAVELER

Jeff Seidel

Born 1957

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6073 POLITICIAN

Angelo Saviano

Born 1958

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6076 SPORT

Bruce Drennan

Born 1950

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6087 SUPERINTENDENT

Eddie T. Johnson

Born 1959

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6099 RADIO

John Williams (radio personality)

Born 1959

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6135 FOOTBALL

Tom Hicks (American football)

Born 1952

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6145 LINGUIST

Julie Tetel Andresen

Born 1950

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6146 WORKER

Matthew O. Howard

1956 - 2018

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6178 BASEBALL

Tom Bruno

Born 1953

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6192 MUSIC

Brian Grice

1956 - 2010

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6194 SPORT

William C. Rhoden

Born 1950

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6212 HOST

Joseph Tkach Jr.

Born 1951

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6248 BOTANIST

Michael John Donoghue

Born 1952

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6259 POLITICIAN

Rich Bradley

Born 1955

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6260 EXPLORER

Steve Elkins

Born 1951

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6261 BASKET

Ken Dancy

Born 1958

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6265 SCREENWRITER

Daniel Therriault

Born 1953

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6277 POLITICIAN

Robert S. Molaro

1950 - 2020

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6291 BASEBALL

Craig Stuart Gerber

Born 1959

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6306 CELLIST

Felix Wurman

1958 - 2009

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6309 PAINTER

Dennis Wojtkiewicz

Born 1956

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6317 CHEF

Carrie Nahabedian

Born 1958

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6319 FILMMAKER

John Block (filmmaker)

Born 1951

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6339 HISTORIAN

Beryl Satter

Born 1959

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6352 LAWYER

Joseph Cari Jr.

Born 1952

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6363 FOOTBALL

Leo Kulinczenko

Born 1954

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6364 FOOTBALL

Dave Shelton

Born 1956

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6365 COMPOSER

James Signorile

Born 1952

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6366 POLITICIAN

Kevin A. McCarthy

Born 1950

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6387 TRAVELER

Skip Novak

Born 1952

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6394 MUSIC

Angus Thomas

Born 1955

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6400 POLITICIAN

Thomas Dixon (politician)

Born 1951

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6404 THEATRE

Marty Pottenger

Born 1952

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6418 MUSIC

Stuart Curtis

1954 - 2012

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6420 NEUROSCIENTIST

Pedro Antonio Valdes-Sosa

Born 1950

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6422 MUSIC

Bill Ruppert

Born 1954

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6428 MUSIC

Jol Dantzig

Born 1952

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6429 RÄUBER

Jeffrey Erickson

1958 - 1992

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6430 POLITICIAN

Phillip Jackson

1950 - 2018

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6437 BASKET

Tom Schuberth

Born 1957

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6442 FOOTBALL

Kurt Kuykendall

Born 1952

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6447 BUSINESS

Andrew Filipowski

Born 1950

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6451 CHEMIST

Bruce E. Bursten

Born 1954

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6467 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Arvydas Petras Žygas

1958 - 2011

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6470 FOOTBALL

Greg Dubinetz

1954 - 1982

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6471 OFFICER

Peter H. Daly (U.S. Navy)

Born 1955

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6496 MUSIC

Jim Cooper (Jazzmusiker)

Born 1951

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6497 COMPOSER

Mark Panick

Born 1956

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6502 FOOTBALL

Dave Finzer

Born 1959

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6512 SCREENWRITER

Peter S. Seaman

Born 1951

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6565 BANK

William Broeksmit

1955 - 2014

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6578 JUMPER

Katie Monahan-Prudent

Born 1954

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6580 POLITICIAN

James Laski

Born 1954

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6606 POLITICIAN

Michael R. Zalewski

Born 1956

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6619 POLITICIAN

Joseph M. Lyons

Born 1951

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6626 MUSIC

Jose Valdes

Born 1957

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6632 POLITICIAN

Robert Moak

Born 1958

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6639 BUSINESS

Jorge Canahuati Larach

Born 1956

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6641 SPORT

Val Belmonte

Born 1951

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6647 FOOTBALL

Deac Sanders

Born 1950

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6648 CHOREOGRAPHER

David Dorfman (choreographer)

Born 1956

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6710 SECRETARY

D. Cameron Findlay

Born 1959

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6731 LAWYER

Patricia A. Shiu

Born 1958

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6737 COACH

Steve Johnson (American football, born 1956)

Born 1956

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6738 LAWYER

Tom Tuohy (attorney)

Born 1957

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6750 BASEBALL

Ed Plank

Born 1952

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6766 FOOTBALL

Guy Murdock

Born 1950

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6767 HANDBALL

Michael Lenard

Born 1955

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6768 SINGER

Yvonne Gage

Born 1959

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6769 BASEBALL

Mike Young (cricket)

Born 1955

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6794 MUSIC

Jo Ann Garrett

Born 1954

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6807 SONGWRITER

Angela Spivey

Born 1959

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6809 POLITICIAN

Richard Bandstra

Born 1950

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6817 WRITER

Andra Medea

Born 1953

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6823 JOURNALIST

Beauty Turner

1957 - 2008

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6827 BUSINESS

Bill Zender

Born 1955

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6829 LAWYER

Kelly McDowell

1952 - 2017

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6834 SECRETARY

Georges C. Benjamin

Born 1952

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6837 POLITICIAN

Jay Kahn

Born 1950

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6844 FOOTBALL

David Petway

Born 1955

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6845 FOOTBALL

Peter Mannos

Born 1954

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6851 PHYSICIAN

Ronald Davis (physician)

1956 - 2008

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6853 ARMY

Barry Swanson

Born 1950

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6860 PROFESSOR

Kevin Karplus

Born 1954

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6881 ARTIST

Harvey Goldman

Born 1951

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6882 POLITICIAN

Clem Balanoff

Born 1953

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6908 FOOTBALL

Charlie Fajkus

Born 1957

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6915 COMPOSER

Regina Harris Baiocchi

Born 1956

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6919 SINGER

Eric Tagg

Born 1953

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6923 TEACHING

Glenn D. Lid

Born 1957

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6938 BANK

Joseph E. Hasten

1952 - 2011

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6953 SPORT

Leonard Drake

1954 - 2010

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6955 POLITICIAN

Belle Wheelan

Born 1951

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6956 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Thomas E. Hogan

Born 1959

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6959 PRODUCER

Vincent Wilburn

Born 1958

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6979 TRUMPET

Boney Fields

Born 1958

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6988 MUSIC

L.B. 'Kyle' Keilman

Born 1951

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6998 PAINTER

William Kincaid

Born 1957

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7005 JUDGE

Kathryn A. Oberly

Born 1950

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7013 FOOTBALL

Randy Clark (American football)

Born 1957

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7027 PAINTER

Lin Evola

Born 1950

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7028 FENCER

Mike McCahey

Born 1954

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7031 ROWER

David Sawyer (rower)

1951 - 2019

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7040 RACER

Kent Stotz

Born 1958

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7051 BASEBALL

Pat Rooney

Born 1957

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7056 COACH

Darrell Knoch

Born 1954

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7060 HANDBALL

Gregory Morava

Born 1959

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7098 FOOTBALL

John Hennessy (American football)

Born 1955

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7131 SPORT

Eugene Lenti

Born 1957

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7140 MUSIC

Ike Levin

Born 1950

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7151 PAINTER

Barbara Grad

Born 1950

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7163 FILM

David Davidson (film director)

Born 1953

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7175 FOOTBALL

Mark Simanton

Born 1958

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7176 BUSINESS

Peter Abruzzo

Born 1957

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7214 SKATER

Gary Jonland

Born 1952

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7216 FOOTBALL

Bill Mishalow

Born 1952

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7217 EDUCATION

Linda Polach

Born 1951

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7245 FOOTBALL

Nick Owcharuk

Born 1955

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7255 ACADEMIC

Henry W. McGee

Born 1953

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7276 ARTIST

Che Baraka

Born 1953

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7301 FOOTBALL

Boris Shlapak

Born 1950

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7362 SINGER

Lil' Ed

Born 1955

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7365 JOCKEY

Chicago (Künstler)

Born 1951

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7393 CHEMIST

Cherlynlavaughn Bradley

1951 - 2014

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7411 BANK

Sue Harnett

Born 1956

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7435 ASTRONOMER

Dave Jurasevich

Born 1950

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7452 BADMINTON

Bruce Pontow

Born 1952

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