41.2568° N, 81.8815° W

CLEVELAND

Most Famous People Born in Cleveland, United States

Notable people
2,168
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1942
Most distinctive
Baseball 6.3×

A Great Lakes industrial city whose distinctive professions are baseball at six times the global rate, novelists, screenwriters, music, and basketball — the shape of a postwar industrial city that built a deep entertainment-and-letters bench out of its working-class neighbourhoods. Halle Berry, Henry Mancini, Jerry Siegel (who invented Superman here with Joe Shuster), and Tracy Chapman all belong to this bench. The 19th-century tail is thin; the city was essentially built by the oil and steel booms of the 1890s.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 303 notable births.

What Cleveland Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Football is Cleveland's biggest profession — 10% of all notables (226).

Cleveland over-indexes on baseball6.3× the global rate.

Cleveland under-produces politician — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Football226
  2. Actor171
  3. Politician163
  4. Baseball156
  5. Music81
  6. Basket66
  7. Lawyer61
  8. Singer57
  1. Baseball1566.3×
  2. Novelist293.4×
  3. Screenwriter293.1×
  4. Music812.6×
  5. Basket662.4×
  6. Business452.1×
  7. Artist381.7×
  8. Film451.7×
  1. Politician1630.6×
  2. Writer480.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

18251850187519001925195019752000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Politics & Law
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All2,168
Sort By

Showing 218 of 2,168 notable people

0003 COMPOSER

Henry Mancini

1924 - 1994

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0006 ACTOR

Hal Holbrook

Born 1925

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0007 OFFICER

Jim Lovell

Born 1928

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0011 ACTOR

Dorothy Dandridge

1923 - 1965

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0017 ACTRESS

Ruby Dee

1922 - 2014

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0023 MUSIC

Screamin' Jay Hawkins

1929 - 2000

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0055 PHYSICIST

Donald A. Glaser

1926 - 2013

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0056 ACTOR

Jack Weston

1924 - 1996

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0076 SINGER

Jimmy Scott

1925 - 2014

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0081 SOCIOLOGIST

James G. March

1928 - 2018

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0083 ACTOR

Franklin Cover

1928 - 2006

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0084 SPRINT

Harrison Dillard

1923 - 2019

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0099 ACTOR

Gene Reynolds

1923 - 2020

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0109 PAINTER

Nancy Spero

1926 - 2009

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0111 PSYCHIATRIST

William Glasser

1925 - 2013

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0114 SCREENWRITER

Ernest Tidyman

1928 - 1984

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0117 PENCILLER

Ross Andru

1927 - 1993

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0127 FILM

Ross Hunter

1920 - 1996

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0131 FILM

Dede Allen

1923 - 2010

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0133 ACTOR

Dorothy Hart

1922 - 2004

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0140 POET

Richard Howard

Born 1929

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0142 ACTOR

LaWanda Page

1920 - 2002

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0146 POLITICIAN

Louis Stokes

1925 - 2015

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0176 PHYSICIST

Richard Garwin

Born 1928

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0181 CONVICT

Sam Sheppard

1923 - 1970

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0186 REBEL

William Alexander Morgan

1928 - 1961

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0195 TRUMPET

Benny Bailey

1925 - 2005

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0197 JUMPER

William Steinkraus

1925 - 2017

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0222 GOVERNMENT

James Thomas Lynn

1927 - 2010

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0223 BALLET

Glen Tetley

1926 - 2007

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0227 ACTOR

Charles Gordone

1925 - 1995

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0232 PHYSICIST

Henry Stapp

Born 1928

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0234 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Melford Spiro

1920 - 2014

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0247 BOXER

Joey Maxim

1922 - 2001

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0258 ACTOR

Kaye Ballard

1925 - 2019

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0259 ACTOR

Dick Latessa

1929 - 2016

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0261 BIOLOGIST

Thomas D. Brock

Born 1926

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0266 ACTOR

Marge Redmond

1924 - 2020

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0270 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Ray Solomonoff

1926 - 2009

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0289 FILM

Anthony Spinelli

1927 - 2000

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0298 WRITER

Bernard Rimland

1928 - 2006

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0305 PHYSICIST

Lincoln Wolfenstein

1923 - 2015

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0313 ACTOR

Mel Stewart

1929 - 2002

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0332 PHILOSOPHER

Germain Grisez

1929 - 2018

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0357 SCREENWRITER

D. M. Marshman Jr.

1922 - 2015

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0369 MATHEMATICIAN

James Eells

1926 - 2007

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0401 MATHEMATICIAN

Richard S. Varga

Born 1928

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0403 HISTORIAN

Robert Hugh Ferrell

1921 - 2018

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0410 ACTOR

Vivian Dandridge

1921 - 1991

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0429 LAWYER

Carl Stokes

1927 - 1996

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0432 PSYCHOLOGIST

Robert F. Mager

1923 - 2020

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0445 PHILOSOPHER

Stanley Rosen

1929 - 2014

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0448 FILM

Peter Tewksbury

1923 - 2003

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0463 ACTOR

Donald Buka

1920 - 2009

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0475 TRADE UNION

Jackie Presser

1926 - 1988

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0481 ACTOR

Larry Roberts (actor)

1926 - 1992

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0482 MUSIC

Mildred Miller

Born 1924

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0484 COMPOSER

Hale Smith

1925 - 2009

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0510 HEADMISTRESS

Jean Harris

1923 - 2012

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0511 AUTHOR

Lois Wyse

1926 - 2007

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0516 ARCHITECT

George M. White

1920 - 2011

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0522 ACTOR

Virginia Patton

Born 1926

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0536 GEOLOGIST

Hatten Yoder

1921 - 2003

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0549 NOVELIST

Vance Bourjaily

1922 - 2010

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0583 SPORT

Jim Bush

1926 - 2017

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0590 BUSINESS

Morton Mandel

1921 - 2019

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0593 ACTOR

Joseph Bova

1924 - 2006

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0600 HISTORIAN

Sidney Fine (historian)

1920 - 2009

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0605 PSYCHIATRIST

Willard Gaylin

Born 1925

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0623 NOVELIST

Herbert Gold

Born 1924

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0635 FOOTBALL

Don McCafferty

1921 - 1974

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0642 CONDUCTOR

Theodore Bloomfield

1923 - 1998

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0644 POLITICIAN

Harriett Woods

1927 - 2007

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0647 SINGER

Wynona Carr

1924 - 1976

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0648 OFFICER

James F. Calvert

1920 - 2009

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0668 SCREENWRITER

David Freeman (screenwriter)

Born 1926

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0676 MUSIC

Bill DeArango

1921 - 2005

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0686 MATHEMATICIAN

George Springer (mathematician)

1924 - 2019

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0691 COXSWAIN

Charles Manring

1929 - 1991

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0694 BASKET

Dee Gibson

1923 - 2003

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0698 POLITICIAN

Robert E. Sweeney

1924 - 2007

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0706 MUSIC

Barkin' Bill Smith

1928 - 2000

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0741 CONDUCTOR

Vincent La Selva

1929 - 2017

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0753 MOBSTER

Peter Milano

1925 - 2012

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0789 PRIEST

Anthony Edward Pevec

1925 - 2014

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0795 MUSIC

Annette Warren

Born 1922

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0799 PIANIST

Ernie Freeman

1922 - 1981

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0810 DIPLOMAT

Milton A. Wolf

1924 - 2005

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0822 MUSIC

Fats Heard

1923 - 1987

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0825 ARTIST

Brother Blue

1921 - 2009

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0828 MUSIC

Sonya Monosoff

Born 1927

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0829 BUSINESS

Charles Dolan

Born 1926

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0841 NOVELIST

Barbara Faith

1921 - 1995

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0842 PHYSIOLOGIST

Gerald D. Aurbach

1927 - 1991

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0844 BASKET

Hank Lefkowitz

1923 - 2007

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0855 FOOTBALL

John Prchlik

1925 - 2003

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0856 JOURNALIST

Sander Vanocur

1928 - 2019

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0858 CHEMIST

Jeanette Grasselli Brown

Born 1928

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0876 PRIEST

Gilbert Sheldon (Bishop of Steubenville)

Born 1926

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0884 PHOTOGRAPHER

Hal Roth

1927 - 2008

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0901 OFFICER

Arthur J. Jackson

1924 - 2017

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0910 FOOTBALL

Walt Yowarsky

1928 - 2014

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0918 ARTIST

George Fett

1920 - 1989

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0919 BANDLEADER

Joe Cabot

1921 - 2016

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0929 FOOTBALL

Jim Martin (American football)

1924 - 2002

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0935 BIOLOGIST

Gerald Soffen

1926 - 2000

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0946 BASEBALL

Al Aber

1927 - 1993

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0965 WRITER

Arlene Mosel

1921 - 1996

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0992 ARCHITECT

Graham Gund

Born 1922

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1000 SCREENWRITER

David Shaber

1929 - 1999

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1003 HISTORIAN

Phillip Shriver

1922 - 2011

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1015 ACADEMIC

Ralph Lewis Knowles

Born 1928

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1019 PHYSICIAN

Sidney Katz

1924 - 2012

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1029 COMPOSER

James K. Randall

1929 - 2014

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1030 ASTROPHYSICIST

David Layzer

1925 - 2019

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1039 JOURNALIST

Donal Henahan

1921 - 2012

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1045 PAINTER

Frank Herbert Mason

1921 - 2009

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1074 DETECTIVE

Ladimir Kwiatkowski

1928 - 1994

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1079 LAWYER

Geoffrey C. Hazard Jr.

1929 - 2018

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1084 CONDUCTOR

Sidney Harth

1925 - 2011

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1090 DIPLOMAT

Patricia M. Byrne

1925 - 2007

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1097 MUSIC

Grace Hoffman

1925 - 2008

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1106 PSYCHOLOGIST

Tom Cornsweet

1929 - 2017

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1112 FOOTBALL

Chet Mutryn

1921 - 1995

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1115 FOOTBALL

Cliff Lewis (quarterback)

1923 - 2002

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1142 LAWYER

Creighton Miller

1922 - 2002

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1164 HISTORIAN

Paul W. Schroeder

Born 1927

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1167 RABBI

Balfour Brickner

1926 - 2005

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1175 PHILOSOPHER

Howard Kahane

1928 - 2001

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1212 FOOTBALL

Robert Kolesar

1921 - 2004

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1226 COACH

William M. Moore

1926 - 2013

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1227 JOURNALIST

Paul Gapp

1928 - 1992

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1229 GLIDING

Paul Blanchard

1923 - 2011

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1230 MILITAR

John R. Towle

1924 - 1944

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1248 ART CRITIC

Eleanor Munro

Born 1928

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1256 SINGER

Terry Timmons

1927 - 1970

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1281 CHESS

Edgar D. Holladay

1925 - 2003

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1293 PAINTER

Shirley Aley Campbell

1925 - 2018

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1299 FOOTBALL

Dick Brown (Canadian football)

1926 - 2000

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1304 FILM

Rick Reinert

1925 - 2018

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1309 BASEBALL

Moe Savransky

Born 1929

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1323 TEACHER

Edward Diller

1925 - 1985

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1325 MILITAR

Joseph G. Clemons

1928 - 2018

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1326 ACTOR

Ralston Hill

1927 - 1996

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1329 LAWYER

Robert B. Krupansky

1921 - 2004

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1344 ARTIST

Harold Zisla

1925 - 2016

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1363 ATHLETIC

Bob Ufer

1920 - 1981

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1379 WRITER

Robert Obojski

Born 1929

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1382 BASEBALL

Al Widmar

1925 - 2005

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1384 COACH

Jim Pittman

1925 - 1971

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1393 ACTOR

William M. Kramer

1920 - 2004

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1400 MODEL

Madelon Mason

1925 - 2011

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1402 PROFESSOR

William Goffman

1924 - 2000

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1403 JOURNALIST

Henry Trewhitt

1927 - 2003

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1408 SPORT

Ed Sustersic

1922 - 1967

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1418 BASEBALL

Bob Kelly (baseball)

Born 1927

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1435 LAWYER

David Dudley Dowd Jr.

1929 - 2016

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1438 BASEBALL

Hank Riebe

1921 - 2001

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1439 SPORT

Eddie Prokop

1922 - 1955

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1448 RADIO

Milton Metz

1921 - 2017

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1482 SCREENWRITER

Terry Ryan (screenwriter)

1922 - 2001

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1488 CHEMIST

Homer Jacobson

Born 1922

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1501 ACTOR

Herb Ellis (actor)

1921 - 2018

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1507 LAWYER

John Michael Manos

1922 - 2006

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1508 POLITICIAN

James P. Gleason

1921 - 2008

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1517 ARCHITECT

John deKoven Hill

1920 - 1996

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1542 COMPOSER

Emil Cadkin

Born 1920

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1548 OPERA

Raymond Wolansky

1926 - 1998

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1550 BUSINESS

Reuben Sturman

1924 - 1997

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1551 MUSIC

Adel Heinrich

Born 1926

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1553 ACADEMIC

Daniel Burrill Ray

Born 1928

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1565 SINGER

Raoul Abdul

1929 - 2010

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1575 POLITICIAN

Frank Pokorny

1923 - 1999

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1577 SCIENTIST

Robert L. Folk

1925 - 2018

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1595 LAWYER

George E. Woods

1923 - 2007

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1597 LAWYER

Carmen Milano

1929 - 2006

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1602 POET

Russell Atkins

Born 1926

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1607 POLITICIAN

Thomas Lothian

1928 - 2015

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1643 ACTIVIST

Virginia Fraser

1928 - 2011

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1657 FOOTBALL

Joe Prokop (halfback)

1921 - 1995

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1678 FOOTBALL

Ed Ecker

1923 - 1990

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1702 BUSINESS

Vincent Marotta

1924 - 2015

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1727 OPTICIAN

John F. Gregory

1927 - 2009

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1751 LAWYER

Blanche Krupansky

1925 - 2008

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1755 BASEBALL

Paul O'Dea

1920 - 1978

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1757 ENTREPRENEUR

Samuel Glazer

1923 - 2012

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1780 SCIENTIST

Amasa Stone Bishop

1921 - 1997

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1800 OFFICER

Ernest Bankey

1920 - 2009

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1810 JOURNALIST

James L. Greenfield

Born 1924

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1811 BASEBALL

Joe Szekely

1925 - 1995

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1828 FILM

Sam Manners

1921 - 2012

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1839 POLITICIAN

Irene Smart

1921 - 2017

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1845 FOOTBALL

Steve Ruzich

1927 - 1991

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1850 CHOREOGRAPHER

Charles Moore (dancer)

1928 - 1986

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1858 SPORT

Jimmy Florian

1923 - 1999

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1887 SURGEON

Herbert E. Warden

1920 - 2002

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1897 ENGINEER

Edmund Abel

1921 - 2014

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1899 BUSINESS

Allard Roen

1921 - 2008

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1911 FOOTBALL

Jim Monachino

Born 1929

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1932 ATTORNEY

Stanley Tolliver

1925 - 2011

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1935 ROWER

Ralph Stephan

1928 - 2018

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1976 MUSIC

Fred Sharp

1922 - 2005

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1978 LAWYER

Henry Curtis Meanor

1929 - 2008

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2012 POLITICIAN

Margaret Dennison

1920 - 2010

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2017 POLITICIAN

Francine Panehal

1925 - 2002

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2029 BASEBALL

Bill Bonness

1923 - 1977

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2042 POLITICIAN

Robert J. Corts

1920 - 2013

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2043 POLITICIAN

Clyde Middleton

1928 - 2019

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2053 MILITAR

Elliott C. Cutler Jr.

1920 - 2007

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2070 POLITICIAN

Donald Nowack

1924 - 2008

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2072 MUSIC

Ed Reed (Musiker)

Born 1929

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2111 BASEBALL

Hank Ruszkowski

1925 - 2000

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2125 POLITICIAN

Richard Perchlik

1928 - 1988

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2128 POLITICIAN

Ray Rottas

1927 - 2011

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2137 ECONOMIST

Pat Collier Frank

Born 1929

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2159 GOLF

Harold Paddock Jr.

1920 - 2000

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2165 MATHEMATICIAN

Robert Ellis (mathematician)

1926 - 2013

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2167 GEOLOGIST

Eugene Szmuc

1927 - 1976

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