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

2,168 notable people

0301 COMPOSER

Bobby Bradford

Born 1934

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0302 BASEBALL

Elmer Gedeon

1917 - 1944

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0303 MUSIC

Lyle Ritz

1930 - 2017

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0304 COMPOSER

Jerry Marotta

Born 1956

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0305 PHYSICIST

Lincoln Wolfenstein

1923 - 2015

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0306 SCREENWRITER

Todhunter Ballard

1903 - 1980

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0307 WRITER

Tony Abbott (author)

Born 1952

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0308 ARTIST

Renée Green

Born 1959

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0309 CHEMIST

Harry George Drickamer

1918 - 2002

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0310 FOOTBALL

Bob Brown (offensive lineman)

Born 1941

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0311 FOOTBALL

London Fletcher

Born 1975

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0312 ATHLETIC

Jessica Beard

Born 1989

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0313 ACTOR

Mel Stewart

1929 - 2002

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0314 POLITICIAN

George H. Bender

1896 - 1961

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0315 AUTHOR

Richard Montanari

Born 1952

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0316 MUSIC

Bill Hardman

1933 - 1990

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0317 BASKET

David Lighty

Born 1988

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0318 MUSIC

Sean Levert

1968 - 2008

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0319 NOVELIST

R. A. MacAvoy

Born 1949

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0320 FOOTBALL

Aqib Talib

Born 1986

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0321 BASKET

Scott Roth

Born 1963

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0322 WRITER

Marilyn Nelson

Born 1946

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0323 CONDUCTOR

Jiggs Whigham

Born 1943

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0324 SCREENWRITER

Marc Andreyko

Born 1970

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0325 FOOTBALL

Matt Lampson

Born 1989

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0326 PIANIST

Irwin Gage

1939 - 2018

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0327 DIPLOMAT

Michael Armacost

Born 1937

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0328 ACTOR

Denny Dillon

Born 1951

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0329 KILLER

Anthony Sowell

Born 1959

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0330 GOLF

Jason Dufner

Born 1977

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0331 ACTOR

Chuck Cooper (actor)

Born 1954

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0332 PHILOSOPHER

Germain Grisez

1929 - 2018

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0333 PIANIST

Bobby Few

Born 1935

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0334 SPRINT

Thomas Jefferson (athlete)

Born 1962

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0335 FOOTBALL

Ted Ginn Jr.

Born 1985

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0336 BASEBALL

Derek Dietrich

Born 1989

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0337 MUSIC

Shelly Berg

Born 1955

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0338 BASEBALL

Josh Hancock

1978 - 2007

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0339 FOOTBALL

Elvis Grbac

Born 1970

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0340 FOOTBALL

Najee Goode

Born 1989

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0341 WRITER

Robert Dean Frisbie

1896 - 1948

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0342 WRESTLER

Ryan Nemeth

Born 1984

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0343 HISTORIAN

Constance Rourke

1885 - 1941

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0344 POLITICIAN

Ron Klein

Born 1957

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0345 FILM

Todd Lieberman

Born 1973

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0346 BASKET

Clark Kellogg

Born 1961

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0347 INVENTOR

Bob Widlar

1937 - 1991

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0348 BASKET

Jantel Lavender

Born 1988

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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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0351 MUSIC

Baby Dee

Born 1953

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0352 WRITER

Ian Frazier

Born 1951

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0353 POLITICIAN

Thomas P. Salmon

Born 1932

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0354 BIOLOGIST

Harvey Lodish

Born 1941

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0355 SCENOGRAPHER

Walter M. Scott

1906 - 1989

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0356 ANIMATOR

Ed Benedict

1912 - 2006

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0357 SCREENWRITER

D. M. Marshman Jr.

1922 - 2015

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0358 BASKET

Neal Walk

1948 - 2015

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0359 RUNNER

Madeline Manning

Born 1948

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0360 MATHEMATICIAN

Mina Rees

1902 - 1997

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0361 MATHEMATICIAN

David Schweickart

Born 1942

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0362 MUSIC

Tony Fox Sales

Born 1951

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0363 FOOTBALL

Anthony Gonzalez

Born 1984

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0364 SCULPTOR

Dorothy Dehner

1901 - 1994

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0365 BASKET

Vincent Yarbrough

Born 1981

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0366 PHILOSOPHER

Paul Copan

Born 1962

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0367 FOOTBALL

Jason Kelce

Born 1987

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0368 SINGER

Johnny Carroll

1937 - 1995

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0369 MATHEMATICIAN

James Eells

1926 - 2007

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0370 SINGER

Jeffrey Hatrix

Born 1963

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0371 AUTHOR

Thomas P. Cullinan

1919 - 1995

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0372 PHOTOGRAPHER

Allen Ruppersberg

Born 1944

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0373 WRITER

Brad Stone (journalist)

Born 1971

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0374 PHILOSOPHER

Ronald Giere

1938 - 2020

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0375 MUSIC

Freddie Webster

1916 - 1947

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0376 BOXER

Frank Moran

1887 - 1967

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0377 LAWYER

Kingsley A. Taft

1903 - 1970

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0378 POLITICIAN

Frances P. Bolton

1885 - 1977

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0379 SINGER

Peter Laughner

1952 - 1977

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0380 MARTIAL ART

Mac Danzig

Born 1980

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0381 ART DIRECTOR

Ted Haworth

1917 - 1993

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0382 TRADER

Bully Hayes

1829 - 1877

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0383 LAWYER

Frank H. Wu

Born 1967

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0384 ACTOR

Harry Woods (actor)

1889 - 1968

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0385 MUSIC

Sean Beavan

-

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0386 DESIGNER

Bill Mitchell (automobile designer)

1912 - 1988

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0387 FOOTBALL

Donte Whitner

Born 1985

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0388 POLITICIAN

Tony Perkins (politician)

Born 1963

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0389 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Barbara Myerhoff

1935 - 1985

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0390 NOVELIST

Alice Muriel Williamson

1869 - 1933

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0391 BASEBALL

Ryan Feierabend

Born 1985

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0392 MUSIC

Nancy Holloway

1932 - 2019

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0393 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Susan L. Graham

Born 1942

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0394 ACTOR

Amber Lee Connors

Born 1991

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0395 FOOTBALL

Tom Mack

Born 1943

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0396 ACTOR

Tony Pope

1947 - 2004

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0397 AUTHOR

John Freeman (author)

Born 1974

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0398 BASKET

Darnell Mee

Born 1971

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0399 ACTOR

Frank Beal

1862 - 1934

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0400 SCREENWRITER

Antwone Fisher

Born 1959

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0401 MATHEMATICIAN

Richard S. Varga

Born 1928

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0402 NOVELIST

Alix Kates Shulman

Born 1932

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0403 HISTORIAN

Robert Hugh Ferrell

1921 - 2018

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0404 RAPPER

Charles Hamilton (rapper)

Born 1987

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0405 POLITICIAN

Ruth Hanna McCormick

1880 - 1944

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0406 ASTRONAUT

G. David Low

1956 - 2008

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0407 BASEBALL

Mickey Hatcher

Born 1955

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0408 JOURNALIST

Robert W. McChesney

Born 1952

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0409 BASKET

Eric Riley

Born 1970

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0410 ACTOR

Vivian Dandridge

1921 - 1991

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0411 PLAYWRIGHT

Eugene Walter (playwright)

1874 - 1941

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0412 MUSIC

Thomas Binkley

1931 - 1995

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0413 SWIMMER

Matt McLean

Born 1988

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0414 BOXER

Johnny Kilbane

1889 - 1957

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0415 RABBI

Elmer Berger (rabbi)

1908 - 1996

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0416 ACTOR

Mark Hentemann

Born 1969

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0417 WRITER

Steven J. Rosen

Born 1955

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0418 NAVY

David Sinton Ingalls

1899 - 1985

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0419 ACTOR

Josh Robert Thompson

Born 1975

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0420 FILM

Robert Abel (animator)

1937 - 2001

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0421 ZOOLOGIST

William Keith Brooks

1848 - 1908

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0422 MAGAZINE

Mario Casilli

1931 - 2002

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0423 BASKET

Ruben Patterson

Born 1975

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0424 ASTRONOMER

Carl Keenan Seyfert

1911 - 1960

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0425 HOCKEY

John Albert (ice hockey)

Born 1989

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0426 POLITICIAN

Dennis E. Eckart

Born 1950

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0427 RESTAURATEUR

Michael Symon

Born 1969

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0428 INVENTOR

Samuel W. Alderson

1914 - 2005

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0429 LAWYER

Carl Stokes

1927 - 1996

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0430 POLITICIAN

Thomas A. Burke

1898 - 1971

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0431 GYMNAST

Edward Hennig

1879 - 1960

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0432 PSYCHOLOGIST

Robert F. Mager

1923 - 2020

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0433 ACTOR

Judyann Elder

Born 1948

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0434 JOURNALIST

Egmont Arens

1889 - 1966

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0435 BOXER

Nate Brooks

1933 - 2020

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0436 BASEBALL

Gary Glover

Born 1976

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0437 ACTOR

Jazsmin Lewis

Born 1976

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0438 CHEMIST

Louis E. Brus

Born 1943

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0439 FILM

Johnnie Keyes

1940 - 2018

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0440 FILM

Jack Harvey (director)

1881 - 1954

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0441 SCREENWRITER

T. S. Cook

1947 - 2013

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0442 ASTRONAUT

Carl E. Walz

Born 1955

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0443 PAINTER

Michael Cartellone

Born 1962

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0444 COMPOSER

Bill Fontana

Born 1947

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0445 PHILOSOPHER

Stanley Rosen

1929 - 2014

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0446 ACTOR

George Buza

Born 1949

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0447 ASTRONAUT

Gregory J. Harbaugh

Born 1956

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0448 FILM

Peter Tewksbury

1923 - 2003

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0449 PLAYWRIGHT

Jerome Lawrence

1915 - 2004

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0450 ARTIST

Carl Fallberg

1915 - 1996

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0451 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Mary Kenneth Keller

1913 - 1985

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0452 RABBI

Sally Priesand

Born 1946

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0453 ACTOR

Anthony Chisholm (actor)

1943 - 2020

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0454 WRITER

Sharon Draper

Born 1948

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0455 PAINTER

Max Bohm

1868 - 1923

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0456 CHEMIST

William Merriam Burton

1865 - 1954

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0457 BOXER

Louis Laurie

1917 - 2002

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0458 FOOTBALL

Jim Mandich

1948 - 2011

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0459 FILM

Nicole Marie Lenz

Born 1980

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0460 DRUMMER

Kevin Valentine

Born 1956

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0461 BASKET

Tom Boerwinkle

1945 - 2013

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0462 POLITICIAN

Mary Rose Oakar

Born 1940

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0463 ACTOR

Donald Buka

1920 - 2009

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0464 MUSIC

Anthony Burger

1961 - 2006

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0465 LAWYER

Charles Ruff

1939 - 2000

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0466 ACTOR

Marianne McAndrew

Born 1942

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0467 SCHOLAR

Wayne G. Hammond

Born 1953

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0468 HOCKEY

David Ellett

Born 1964

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0469 AUTHOR

James Renner

Born 1978

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0470 COMPOSER

Curtis Roads

Born 1951

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0471 ACADEMIC

Thomas G. Palaima

Born 1951

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0472 POLITICIAN

Harry L. Davis

1878 - 1950

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0473 RAPPER

Wish Bone

Born 1975

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0474 ROCK

Chandra Levy

1977 - 2002

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0475 TRADE UNION

Jackie Presser

1926 - 1988

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0476 MUSIC

Donald Ayler

1942 - 2007

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0477 PHYSICIST

Ross Gunn

1897 - 1966

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0478 SCREENWRITER

B. M. Bower

1871 - 1940

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0479 ACTOR

Virginia Leith

1932 - 2019

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0480 REPUBLICAN

Thomas J. Herbert

1894 - 1974

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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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0483 PHILANTHROPIST

Edward Harkness

1874 - 1940

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0484 COMPOSER

Hale Smith

1925 - 2009

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0485 BASEBALL

Jason Grimsley

Born 1967

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0486 ART HISTORIAN

Bruce Cole

1938 - 2018

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0487 POET

Samuel Loveman

1887 - 1976

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0488 SINGER

Raz-B

Born 1985

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0489 ACTOR

Dan Yeager

Born 1965

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0490 SINGER

Sonny Geraci

1947 - 2017

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0491 SONGWRITER

King Chip

Born 1986

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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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0494 SINGER

Ernest Ball

1878 - 1927

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0495 FOOTBALL

Mike Michalske

1903 - 1983

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0496 BOXER

Lew Jenkins

1916 - 1981

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0497 ACTOR

Air Force Amy

Born 1974

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0498 ACADEMIC

Chip Lord

Born 1944

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0499 ACTOR

Murray Salem

1950 - 1998

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0500 WRITER

Stanton Glantz

Born 1946

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0501 FOOTBALL

Bob Golic

Born 1957

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0502 ECONOMIST

David Cutler

Born 1965

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0503 FOOTBALL

Shane Matthews

Born 1970

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0504 HOCKEY

Aris Brimanis

Born 1972

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0505 ARCHITECT

Martin Roche

1853 - 1927

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0506 BASEBALL

Matt Guerrier

Born 1978

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0507 ASTRONAUT

Mary Ellen Weber

Born 1962

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0508 COMPOSER

Clare Grundman

1913 - 1996

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0509 PRIEST

Dorothy Kazel

1939 - 1980

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0510 HEADMISTRESS

Jean Harris

1923 - 2012

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0511 AUTHOR

Lois Wyse

1926 - 2007

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0512 BASEBALL

Mike Easler

Born 1950

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0513 MUSIC

Shelly West

Born 1958

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0514 POLITICIAN

Mary Jo Kilroy

Born 1949

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0515 CONDUCTOR

John Stepan Zamecnik

1872 - 1953

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0516 ARCHITECT

George M. White

1920 - 2011

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0517 OFFICER

Kenneth D. Cameron

Born 1949

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0518 SINGER

Arnold McCuller

Born 1950

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0519 CINEMA

Peter Lyons Collister

Born 1956

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0520 FOOTBALL

Tom Tupa

Born 1966

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0521 POLITICIAN

Robert J. Bulkley

1880 - 1965

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0522 ACTOR

Virginia Patton

Born 1926

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0523 FINANCIER

Ralph Austin Bard

1884 - 1975

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0524 DESIGNER

Dan Friedman (graphic designer)

1945 - 1995

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0525 ACTOR

Scott Newman (actor)

1950 - 1978

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0526 ECONOMIST

Fred Reichheld

Born 1952

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0527 SCREENWRITER

Ann Elder

Born 1942

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0528 BIOCHEMIST

Paul Zamecnik

1912 - 2009

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0529 ACTOR

Jerry Hausner

1909 - 1993

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0530 FILM

Oscar Rudolph

1911 - 1991

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0531 NOVELIST

Alfred Henry Lewis

1855 - 1914

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0532 ACTOR

Ruth Maleczech

1939 - 2013

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0533 BASEBALL

Urban Shocker

1890 - 1928

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0534 PLAYER

Camille Benjamin

Born 1966

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0535 MUSIC

John Bell (musician)

Born 1962

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0536 GEOLOGIST

Hatten Yoder

1921 - 2003

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0537 POET

Thylias Moss

Born 1954

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0538 NOVELIST

Elwood Reid

Born 1966

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0539 MATHEMATICIAN

Richard M. Dudley

1938 - 2020

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0540 SINGER

Danny Vaughn

Born 1961

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0541 BASKET

Steve Logan

Born 1980

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0542 ACTOR

Sherry Alberoni

Born 1946

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0543 SURGEON

John Charles Cutler

1915 - 2003

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0544 ENGINEER

John Howard Dellinger

1886 - 1962

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0545 SPORT

Terry Pluto

Born 1955

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0546 ENGINEER

Sally Shlaer

1938 - 1998

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0547 PRIEST

Jonathan Morris (priest)

Born 1972

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0548 PAINTER

Charles Biederman

1906 - 2004

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0549 NOVELIST

Vance Bourjaily

1922 - 2010

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0550 SPORT

Mark Zupan (athlete)

Born 1975

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0551 HOCKEY

Ian Moran

Born 1972

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0552 ACTOR

S. John Launer

1919 - 2006

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0553 HISTORIAN

Robert M. Citino

Born 1958

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0554 ACTOR

Julianne Buescher

Born 1965

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0555 SWIMMER

Diana Munz

Born 1982

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0556 SINGER

Cheri Dennis

Born 1979

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0557 CONDUCTOR

Leslie Adams (composer)

Born 1932

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0558 FOOTBALL

Keelin Winters

Born 1988

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0559 LYRICIST

Kevin Prufer

Born 1969

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0560 BASKET

Harry Davis (basketball)

Born 1957

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0561 AUTHOR

Jeffrey Carver

Born 1949

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0562 FOOTBALL

Avery Williamson

Born 1991

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0563 COMPOSER

Dave Malloy

Born 1976

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0564 GOLF

Daria Pratt

1859 - 1938

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0565 PHYSICIAN

Joseph O'Dwyer

1841 - 1898

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0566 BASKET

Jim Smith (basketball, born 1958)

Born 1958

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0567 BASEBALL

Brad Goldberg

Born 1990

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0568 FOOTBALL

Eric Rowe

Born 1992

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0569 FOOTBALL

Brad Stuver

Born 1991

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0570 LAWYER

Nancy-Ann DeParle

Born 1956

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0571 BASKET

Vonda Ward

Born 1973

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0572 BOXER

Ray Austin (boxer)

Born 1970

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0573 MUSIC

Bob Cunningham (musician)

1934 - 2017

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0574 PSYCHOLOGIST

Theodore R. Sarbin

1911 - 2005

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0575 BOXER

Mickey Bey

Born 1983

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0576 PLAYER

Leslie Allen (tennis)

Born 1957

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0577 MODEL

Jennifer Lyn Jackson

1969 - 2010

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0578 FOOTBALL

John Hicks (American football)

1951 - 2016

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0579 FOOTBALL

Billy Vessels

1931 - 2001

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0580 LAWYER

Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr.

1941 - 2003

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0581 PAINTER

April Gornik

Born 1953

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0582 ACTOR

Sean Grandillo

Born 1992

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0583 SPORT

Jim Bush

1926 - 2017

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0584 PSYCHIATRIST

David Oliver Cauldwell

1897 - 1959

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0585 ECONOMIST

Peter Kenen

1932 - 2012

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0586 PATHOLOGIST

Frank Burr Mallory

1862 - 1941

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0587 PLAYWRIGHT

Rajiv Joseph

Born 1974

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0588 CARTOONIST

Dave Sheridan (cartoonist)

1943 - 1982

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0589 SHOT PUTTER

Kevin Toth

Born 1967

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0590 BUSINESS

Morton Mandel

1921 - 2019

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0591 MUSIC

Harvey Sachs

Born 1946

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0592 MINISTER

Rod Parsley

Born 1957

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0593 ACTOR

Joseph Bova

1924 - 2006

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0594 BASKET

Lawrence Boston

Born 1956

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0595 SINGER

Mark S. Doss

Born 1957

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0596 FOOTBALL

John Banaszak

Born 1950

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0597 WRITER

Bhakti Tirtha Swami

1950 - 2005

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0598 SINGER

Megan McCauley

Born 1988

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0599 POLITICIAN

Joseph H. Outhwaite

1841 - 1907

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0600 HISTORIAN

Sidney Fine (historian)

1920 - 2009

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