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 198 of 2,168 notable people

0004 FILM

Wes Craven

1939 - 2015

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0010 SCREENWRITER

Harlan Ellison

1934 - 2018

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0014 SINGER

Joel Grey

Born 1932

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0022 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Fredric Jameson

Born 1934

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0027 ACTOR

Majel Barrett

1932 - 2008

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0029 ACTOR

Keir Dullea

Born 1936

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0032 COMEDIAN

Fred Willard

1939 - 2020

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0035 COMICS

Harvey Pekar

1939 - 2010

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0039 ACTOR

Bill Cobbs

Born 1934

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0043 MANSLAUGHTER

Don King (boxing promoter)

Born 1931

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0044 SAXOPHONIST

Albert Ayler

1936 - 1970

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0060 POLITICIAN

George Voinovich

1936 - 2016

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0071 SCREENWRITER

Corey Allen

1934 - 2010

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0073 FILM

Phil Donahue

Born 1935

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0078 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Rudolph Rummel

1932 - 2014

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0079 SINGER

Fred Neil

1936 - 2001

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0091 BIOLOGIST

Judah Folkman

1933 - 2008

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0094 ACTOR

Greg Morris

1933 - 1996

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0116 FOOTBALL

Chuck Noll

1932 - 2014

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0119 CHEMIST

Richard Zare

Born 1939

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0126 ACTOR

Jack Riley (actor)

1935 - 2016

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0144 MUSIC

Utah Phillips

1935 - 2008

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0156 JOURNALIST

Larry Speakes

1939 - 2014

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0184 POLITICIAN

Dick Celeste

Born 1937

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0200 LINGUIST

Jean Berko Gleason

Born 1931

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0224 NURSE

Marjory Gordon

1931 - 2015

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0229 PRODUCER

Tommy LiPuma

1936 - 2017

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0230 WRITER

William Bayer

Born 1939

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0246 BUSINESS

Muriel Siebert

1932 - 2013

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0250 ENTREPRENEUR

Charles Geschke

Born 1939

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0256 WEIGHTLIFTER

Charles Vinci

1933 - 2018

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0273 ENTREPRENEUR

Ronald Wayne

Born 1934

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0274 CHEMIST

Michael E. Phelps

Born 1939

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0290 PSYCHOLOGIST

Irving Gottesman

1930 - 2016

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0291 POLITICIAN

Mickey Edwards

Born 1937

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0301 COMPOSER

Bobby Bradford

Born 1934

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0303 MUSIC

Lyle Ritz

1930 - 2017

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0316 MUSIC

Bill Hardman

1933 - 1990

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0326 PIANIST

Irwin Gage

1939 - 2018

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0327 DIPLOMAT

Michael Armacost

Born 1937

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0333 PIANIST

Bobby Few

Born 1935

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0347 INVENTOR

Bob Widlar

1937 - 1991

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0349 LINGUIST

Michael E. Krauss

1934 - 2019

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0350 CHEMIST

Paul von Ragué Schleyer

1930 - 2014

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0353 POLITICIAN

Thomas P. Salmon

Born 1932

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0368 SINGER

Johnny Carroll

1937 - 1995

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0374 PHILOSOPHER

Ronald Giere

1938 - 2020

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0389 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Barbara Myerhoff

1935 - 1985

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0392 MUSIC

Nancy Holloway

1932 - 2019

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0402 NOVELIST

Alix Kates Shulman

Born 1932

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0412 MUSIC

Thomas Binkley

1931 - 1995

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0420 FILM

Robert Abel (animator)

1937 - 2001

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0422 MAGAZINE

Mario Casilli

1931 - 2002

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0435 BOXER

Nate Brooks

1933 - 2020

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0465 LAWYER

Charles Ruff

1939 - 2000

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0479 ACTOR

Virginia Leith

1932 - 2019

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0486 ART HISTORIAN

Bruce Cole

1938 - 2018

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0492 HISTORIAN

Thomas F. Glick

Born 1939

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0493 ACTOR

Lloyd Battista

Born 1937

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0509 PRIEST

Dorothy Kazel

1939 - 1980

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0532 ACTOR

Ruth Maleczech

1939 - 2013

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0539 MATHEMATICIAN

Richard M. Dudley

1938 - 2020

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0546 ENGINEER

Sally Shlaer

1938 - 1998

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0557 CONDUCTOR

Leslie Adams (composer)

Born 1932

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0573 MUSIC

Bob Cunningham (musician)

1934 - 2017

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0579 FOOTBALL

Billy Vessels

1931 - 2001

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0585 ECONOMIST

Peter Kenen

1932 - 2012

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0614 HISTORIAN

Eugene N. Borza

Born 1935

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0620 FILM

Paul Krasny

1935 - 2001

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0633 SOCIOLOGIST

Glen Elder (sociologist)

Born 1934

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0634 COLLECTOR

Peter B. Lewis

1933 - 2013

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0639 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Roy Wagner

1938 - 2018

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0653 COLUMNIST

Dick Feagler

1938 - 2018

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0660 MUSIC

Buzz Gardner

1931 - 2004

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0664 MOBSTER

Danny Greene

1933 - 1977

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0677 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Ronald H. Chilcote

Born 1935

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0679 PRIEST

Alexander James Quinn

1932 - 2013

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0687 MATHEMATICIAN

Paul Schupp

Born 1937

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0700 POLITICIAN

Ronald M. Mottl

Born 1934

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0735 MUSIC

Rick Kiefer

Born 1939

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0736 POLITICIAN

James V. Stanton

Born 1932

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0738 BUSINESS

John Koskinen

Born 1939

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0742 BISHOP

Anthony Pilla

Born 1932

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0752 ROWER

Robert Morey (rower)

1936 - 2019

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0756 MUSIC

Bill Crofut

1935 - 1999

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0759 BUSINESS

Gordon Gund

Born 1939

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0761 ACTOR

Maeve McGuire

Born 1937

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0770 BUSINESS

Nick Mileti

Born 1931

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0772 LINGUIST

Edward Klima

1931 - 2008

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0781 PRIEST

Roger William Gries

Born 1937

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0796 ACTOR

Peter Bergman (comedian)

1939 - 2012

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0804 PHILOSOPHER

Ronald H. Nash

1936 - 2006

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0814 JOURNALIST

Marlene Sanders

1931 - 2015

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0851 BASEBALL

Jim Frey

1931 - 2020

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0863 HISTORIAN

Stanley Kutler

1934 - 2015

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0905 AGRONOMIST

Jonathan Gressel

Born 1936

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0906 WRESTLER

Peter Blair (wrestler)

1932 - 1994

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0958 TEACHER

John C. Sawhill

1936 - 2000

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0974 JOURNALIST

Bill Beutel

1930 - 2006

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0975 ART HISTORIAN

Anne Hollander

1930 - 2014

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0979 CERAMIST

Howard Kottler

1930 - 1989

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0988 MUSIC

Bunk Gardner

Born 1933

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0997 COLLECTOR

Agnes Gund

Born 1938

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0998 LAWYER

James Robertson (judge)

1938 - 2019

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1012 LAWYER

Paul Ramon Matia

Born 1937

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1059 CORRESPONDENT

Jack Perkins (reporter)

1933 - 2019

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1071 PUBLISHER

John Bryan (journalist)

1934 - 2007

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1082 BUSINESS

George Gund III

1937 - 2013

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1094 FOOTBALL

Bob Ptacek

Born 1937

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1104 POLITICIAN

Peter L. Cashman

Born 1936

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1130 ACADEMIC

George Hillocks Jr.

1934 - 2014

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1153 SCREENWRITER

Jack Hanrahan

1933 - 2008

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1158 ARTIST

Gary Burden

1933 - 2018

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1160 TROMBONIST

Mel Wanzo

1930 - 2005

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1178 POLITICIAN

Norm Sanders

Born 1932

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1205 FLAUTIST

Thomas Nyfenger

1936 - 1990

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1221 INVENTOR

Ronald A. Katz

Born 1936

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1234 COMPOSER

Charles Boone (composer)

Born 1939

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1238 THEOLOGIAN

Richard Cartwright Austin

Born 1934

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1240 SON

Bob Jones III

Born 1939

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1242 BIBLE

Baruch A. Levine

Born 1930

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1249 SCHOLAR

David Bivin

Born 1939

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1250 DESIGNER

Jerry Hirshberg

1939 - 2019

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1258 POLITICIAN

Donna Pope

Born 1931

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1264 FOOTBALL

Don McIlhenny

Born 1934

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1267 POET

Rose Mary Prosen

1931 - 2008

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1286 BASEBALL

Earl Averill Jr.

1931 - 2015

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1298 HOST

Gene London

1931 - 2020

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1303 SPORT

Steven Hromjak

Born 1930

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1324 LAWYER

Herbert Theodore Milburn

1931 - 2016

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1331 GERMANIST

Jeffrey L. Sammons

Born 1936

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1347 ACTOR

Linda Porter (actress)

1933 - 2019

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1353 SINGER

Arlene Saunders

1935 - 2020

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1369 PHYSICIST

James B. Anderson

Born 1935

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1376 OPERA

Gerald Humel

1931 - 2005

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1386 BASEBALL

Ray Semproch

Born 1931

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1391 FOOTBALL

Roger Davis (American football)

Born 1938

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1397 FOOTBALL

Tony Discenzo

1936 - 2007

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1410 FOOTBALL

Joe Campanella

1930 - 1967

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1433 ARTIST

Marcia Gygli King

1931 - 2011

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1447 BASEBALL

Billy Consolo

1934 - 2008

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1452 PHILOSOPHER

Edward W. Crosby

Born 1932

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1462 ENTREPRENEUR

Victor Samuelson

Born 1937

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1468 RESEARCH

J. Frederick Grassle

1939 - 2018

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1516 FOOTBALL

Dick Brubaker

Born 1932

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1528 CHEMIST

Seymour H. Mauskopf

Born 1938

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1534 SCULPTOR

George Greenamyer

Born 1939

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1561 MUSIC

Carol Britto

1935 - 2012

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1571 POLITICIAN

Odilia Dank

1938 - 2013

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1578 FOOTBALL

Ed Voytek

1935 - 2016

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1581 FOOTBALL

Sam Palumbo

Born 1932

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1590 FOOTBALL

Don Lawrence (American football)

Born 1937

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1600 POLITICIAN

John C. Buechner

1934 - 2018

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1625 BUSINESS

Joe Ryan (politician)

1936 - 2016

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1631 FOOTBALL

Frank Kuchta

1936 - 2017

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1641 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Alex Michalos

Born 1935

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1648 FOOTBALL

Joe Barbee

1933 - 1969

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1767 LAWYER

James Celebrezze

Born 1938

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1769 COMPOSER

Raphael Grinage

1931 - 1993

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1776 NURSE

Judy Robson

Born 1939

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1785 ACTOR

Terrence Currier

Born 1934

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1794 POLITICIAN

Michael Dively

Born 1938

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1795 ORNITHOLOGIST

John Seddon Weske

Born 1936

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1801 POLITICIAN

Patrick Sweeney (politician)

1939 - 2020

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1803 FOOTBALL

Joe Cannavino

Born 1935

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1808 FOOTBALL

Stan Sczurek

Born 1937

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1823 BROADCAST

Jack Reynolds (broadcaster)

1937 - 2008

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1843 BOTANIST

Robert William Cruden

Born 1936

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1852 BUSINESS

Dave Gold

1932 - 2013

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1866 FOOTBALL

Dick Walker (American football)

Born 1933

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1868 SPORT

Dan Coughlin (sportscaster)

Born 1938

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1884 BASEBALL

Hal Trosky Jr.

1936 - 2012

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1893 FOOTBALL

Lum Snyder

1930 - 1985

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1905 FOOTBALL

Ed Baker (American football coach)

Born 1931

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1910 FOOTBALL

George Sefcik

1939 - 2016

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1913 LOBBYIST

Dan Amstutz

1932 - 2006

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1934 BUSINESS

Mel Wasserman

1932 - 2002

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1945 COMPOSER

John Gummoe

Born 1938

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1963 OFFICER

John A. Shaud

Born 1933

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1967 POLITICIAN

William W. Taft

Born 1932

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1995 POLITICIAN

Rocco Colonna

1933 - 2011

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1997 PHYSICIAN

Mary Ellen Wohl

Born 1932

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1999 NEUROSCIENTIST

JacSue Kehoe

1935 - 2019

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2003 POLITICIAN

George Mastics

1931 - 2018

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2024 LINGUIST

Frank Otto (academic)

1936 - 2017

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2034 POLITICIAN

Jerome Stano

1932 - 2011

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2055 ADMIRAL

N. Ronald Thunman

Born 1932

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2068 FOOTBALL

Frank Mestnik

Born 1938

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2076 HISTORIAN

Sallyann Amdur Sack

Born 1936

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2082 FOOTBALL

Bob Barrett (American football)

Born 1935

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2088 ACTOR

Dagne Crane

Born 1936

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2093 FOOTBALL

Gene Selawski

1935 - 1993

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2107 BASEBALL

Wally Shannon

1933 - 1992

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2122 PRIEST

Nancy Ledins

1932 - 2017

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2132 MATHEMATICIAN

James K. Knowles

1931 - 2009

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2135 BASEBALL

Ernest Westfield

Born 1939

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2143 ARMY

Robert M. Elton

Born 1932

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2148 POLITICIAN

Jan Evans

1937 - 2000

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