29.9548° N, 90.0749° W

NEW ORLEANS

Most Famous People Born in New Orleans, United States

Notable people
1,804
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1943
Most distinctive
Bandleader 45.7×

The birthplace of jazz, and the numbers make it obvious. New Orleans's distinctive professions are bandleaders, rappers, and musicians at concentrations unmatched by any other city in the dataset — the statistical footprint of Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Fats Domino, Louis Prima, and the Marsalis family all growing up within a few streetcar stops of each other, with Lil Wayne and Master P extending the line into hip-hop. Baseball and basketball round out the sporting bench, and Truman Capote, Anne Rice, and Lillian Hellman hold down the literary side.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 198 notable births.

What New Orleans Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Football is New Orleans's biggest profession — 13% of all notables (233).

New Orleans over-indexes on bandleader45.7× the global rate.

New Orleans under-produces painter — only 0.5× the global rate.

  1. Football233
  2. Music175
  3. Actor133
  4. Politician125
  5. Singer94
  6. Lawyer94
  7. Basket80
  8. Baseball77
  1. Bandleader2345.7×
  2. Rapper2814.2×
  3. Music1756.8×
  4. Baseball773.8×
  5. Basket803.5×
  6. Lawyer943.0×
  7. Singer942.5×
  1. Painter250.5×
  2. Politician1250.6×
  3. Writer400.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Music
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Other
All1,804
Sort By

Showing 198 of 1,804 notable people

0006 WRITER

Anne Rice

Born 1941

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0022 ACTOR

Carl Weathers

Born 1948

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0025 SINGER

Dr. John

1940 - 2019

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0027 ACTOR

John Larroquette

Born 1947

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0038 SINGER

Aaron Neville

Born 1941

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0046 ACTOR

Grace Zabriskie

Born 1941

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0053 SINGER

Angélica María

Born 1944

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0058 SCIENCE

Ken Thompson

Born 1943

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0063 ACTOR

Penelope Spheeris

Born 1945

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0071 FILM

Godfrey Reggio

Born 1940

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0072 ACTOR

Richard Simmons

Born 1948

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0097 POLITICIAN

Al Green (politician)

Born 1947

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0106 SINGER

Merry Clayton

Born 1948

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0129 ACTOR

Harold Sylvester

Born 1949

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0143 CINEMA

Allen Daviau

1942 - 2020

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0169 PHOTOGRAPHER

Henry Butler

1949 - 2018

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0202 BASEBALL

Rusty Staub

1944 - 2018

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0203 SINGER

Grandpa Elliott

Born 1945

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0209 MUSIC

Bill Summers (musician)

Born 1948

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0230 BIOLOGIST

Dickson Despommier

Born 1940

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0243 PREACHER

Jesse Duplantis

Born 1949

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0256 SINGER

Jean Knight

Born 1943

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0259 PRODUCER

Don Ohlmeyer

1945 - 2017

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0277 SINGER

Walter "Wolfman" Washington

Born 1943

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0279 JOURNALIST

Bryant Gumbel

Born 1948

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0285 SINGER

George Porter Jr.

Born 1947

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0289 DRUMMER

Ziggy Modeliste

Born 1948

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0293 MUSIC

Al McKay

Born 1948

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0300 JOURNALIST

Cokie Roberts

1943 - 2019

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0321 ACTOR

Larry Shue

1946 - 1985

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0327 SCREENWRITER

Victor Miller (writer)

Born 1940

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0334 ACTOR

Cheryl Holdridge

1944 - 2009

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0342 PRIEST

Gregory Michael Aymond

Born 1949

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0374 POLITICIAN

John Howard Dalton

Born 1941

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0380 MUSIC

Noah Howard

1943 - 2010

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0383 SONGWRITER

Leo Nocentelli

Born 1946

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0395 MUSIC

Willie Tee

1944 - 2007

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0400 LINGUIST

Joan Bybee

Born 1945

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0408 BASKET

Jim King (basketball, born 1943)

Born 1943

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0416 POLITICIAN

Richard Baker (U.S. politician)

Born 1948

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0418 ATHLETIC

Thomas Hill (athlete)

Born 1949

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0420 SPORT

Greg Gumbel

Born 1946

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0421 ACTOR

Ronnie Barron

1943 - 1997

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0428 WRESTLER

Sonny King (wrestler)

Born 1945

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0447 ACTOR

Tom Ligon

Born 1940

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0465 HELLENIST

Stanley Lombardo

Born 1943

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0468 SINGER

Barbara George

1942 - 2006

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0470 SINGER

Luther Kent

Born 1948

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0475 MUSIC

Clint Houston

1946 - 2000

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0480 MODEL

China Lee

Born 1942

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0491 MUSIC

Walter Payton (musician)

1942 - 2010

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0493 FOOTBALL

Jerrel Wilson

1941 - 2005

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0513 PROFESSOR

Robert C. Clark

Born 1944

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0538 MUSIC

Lillian Boutté

Born 1949

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0562 SINGER

Marva Wright

1948 - 2010

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0576 HISTORIAN

Michael L. Kurtz

Born 1941

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0589 FOOTBALL

Isiah Robertson

1949 - 2018

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0604 SINGER

Claudette Rogers Robinson

Born 1942

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0608 ROWER

Stanley Cwiklinski

Born 1943

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0612 MUSIC

Stanton Davis

Born 1945

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0623 PLAYER

Paul Clark (poker player)

1947 - 2015

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0629 BASKET

John Arthurs

Born 1947

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0639 NOVELIST

Patrick H. Adkins

1948 - 2015

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0646 PRIEST

Thomas John Rodi

Born 1949

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0669 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Adolph L. Reed Jr.

Born 1947

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0670 ACTOR

Timothy Meyers

1945 - 1989

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0682 MUSIC

James N. Black

1940 - 1988

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0687 SINGER

Deacon John Moore

Born 1941

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0697 THEATRE

Vernel Bagneris

Born 1949

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0737 ACTOR

Janee Michelle

Born 1946

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0752 SINGER

King Floyd

1945 - 2006

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0783 PAINTER

John T. Scott

1940 - 2007

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0788 SINGER

Monk Boudreaux

Born 1941

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0796 MUSIC

Earl Turbinton

1941 - 2007

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0808 FOOTBALL

Rich Jackson

Born 1941

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0816 WRITER

Dick Lochte

Born 1944

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0825 ACTOR

Marshall Colt

Born 1948

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0850 PRODUCER

Quint Davis

Born 1947

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0853 POET

Dara Wier

Born 1949

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0854 ARTIST

Jan Aronson

Born 1949

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0869 WRITER

Sandra Miesel

Born 1941

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0877 POLITICIAN

Robert Ford (politician)

Born 1948

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0878 SINGER

Tami Lynn

1942 - 2020

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0879 ACTOR

Marilyn Joi

Born 1945

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0880 PHYSICIST

Gary S. Grest

Born 1949

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0886 LAWYER

Thomas Hale Boggs Jr.

1940 - 2014

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0888 SCHOLAR

Robin Kornman

1947 - 2007

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0892 PAINTER

Willie Birch

Born 1943

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0893 PERCUSSIONIST

Alfred "Uganda" Roberts

1943 - 2020

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0896 POLITICIAN

Geraldine Thompson

Born 1948

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0904 MUSIC

Gregg Stafford

Born 1947

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0908 DRUMMER

David Lee (drummer)

Born 1941

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0913 OFFICER

Charles B. DeBellevue

Born 1945

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0927 WRITER

Kalamu ya Salaam

Born 1947

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0930 ACTOR

Shirley Prestia

1947 - 2011

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0931 DRUMMER

Mickey McGee

Born 1947

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0932 PAINTER

Henry Casselli

Born 1946

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0936 LAWYER

Thomas Porteous

Born 1946

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0946 LAWYER

Carl Barbier

Born 1944

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0956 COACH

Greg Blache

Born 1949

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0965 POLITICIAN

Sidney Barthelemy

Born 1942

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0978 TRUMPET

Warren Luening

1941 - 2012

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0985 SAILOR

George Friedrichs

1940 - 1991

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1000 ENGINEER

Thomas Causey

Born 1949

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1001 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Felton Earls

Born 1942

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1013 ACTIVIST

Herman Wallace

1941 - 2013

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1019 JUDGE

Mary Ann Vial Lemmon

Born 1941

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1021 POET

Brod Bagert

Born 1947

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1022 LAWYER

Jim Donelon

Born 1944

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1025 WRITER

Marcel Montecino

1945 - 1998

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1027 BASKET

Don Maestri

Born 1946

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1045 ACTIVIST

Caroline Hunter

Born 1946

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1052 LAWYER

Bernette Joshua Johnson

Born 1943

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1055 PAINTER

Rachel Berman

1946 - 2014

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1058 PRIEST

Eduardo Dougherty

Born 1941

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1067 LAWYER

Rob Couhig

Born 1949

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1070 DANCER

Sir Lady Java

Born 1943

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1072 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Edmond Keller

Born 1942

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1083 FOOTBALL

Jubilee Dunbar

Born 1949

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1103 DESIGNER

Johnny Dodd

1941 - 1991

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1109 POLITICIAN

Jeffrion L. Aubry

Born 1948

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1111 JOURNALIST

Andy Sperandeo

1944 - 2015

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1113 LAWYER

Ben Bagert

Born 1944

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1117 FOOTBALL

Honor Jackson

Born 1948

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1122 MUSIC

John Brunious

1940 - 2008

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1123 HISTORIAN

Daniel L. Haulman

Born 1949

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1124 CAMPAIGN

Arturo Muñoz (intelligence)

Born 1949

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1125 LAWYER

Elizabeth Weaver

1941 - 2015

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1133 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Shelly Errington

Born 1944

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1134 BUSINESS

Gayle Benson

Born 1947

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1167 ACTOR

Joy N. Houck Jr.

1942 - 2003

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1172 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Pearl T. Robinson

Born 1945

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1177 FOOTBALL

Dee Martin

Born 1949

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1181 POLITICIAN

Diana Bajoie

Born 1948

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1188 LAWYER

Stanwood Duval

Born 1942

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1189 LAWYER

Dee D. Drell

Born 1947

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1190 POLITICIAN

Jack Donahue (politician)

Born 1944

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1199 COLUMNIST

Mike Dunne (journalist)

1949 - 2007

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1210 REPUBLICAN

Bryan Wagner

1943 - 2018

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1213 BUSINESS

Roger F. Villere Jr.

Born 1949

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1216 POLITICIAN

M. David Stirling

Born 1941

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1238 FOOTBALL

Al Jenkins (American football)

Born 1946

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1255 BUSINESS

John F. Schwegmann

Born 1945

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1261 LAWYER

Henry Braden

1944 - 2013

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1276 JOURNALIST

Andrea Roane

Born 1949

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1278 WRITER

Chris Wiltz

Born 1948

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1280 FOOTBALL

Archie Sutton

1941 - 2015

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1286 POLITICIAN

Steve Theriot

Born 1946

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1292 SOCIOLOGIST

John S. Butler

Born 1947

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1298 DIPLOMAT

Robert J. Dieter

Born 1946

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1306 LAWYER

Lane Carson

Born 1947

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1309 CIVIL RIGHTS

George Raymond Jr.

1943 - 1973

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1311 POLITICIAN

Sharon Wylie

Born 1949

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1323 LAWYER

deLesseps Morrison Jr.

1944 - 1996

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1332 FOOTBALL

Gary Lewis (running back)

1942 - 1986

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1335 POLITICIAN

Shirley D. Bowler

Born 1949

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1337 FOOTBALL

Al Dodd

1945 - 1987

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1352 FOOTBALL

Alvin Haymond

Born 1942

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1354 POLITICIAN

Pete Livermore

1941 - 2014

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1367 POLITICIAN

Robert Bobb

Born 1945

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1371 POLITICIAN

Sherman Copelin

Born 1943

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1378 SPORT

Gene Sykes

Born 1942

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1389 PHILATELIST

Peter Feltus

1942 - 2012

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1390 POLITICIAN

Reginald J. Brown

1940 - 2005

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1398 POLITICIAN

Nita Hutter

Born 1949

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1406 LAWYER

Pat Screen

1943 - 1994

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1408 INVESTMENT

Harold Doley

Born 1947

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1441 FOOTBALL

Frank Cornish Jr.

Born 1944

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1445 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Peter J. Fos

Born 1949

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1451 BASEBALL

Barry Raziano

Born 1947

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1452 MILITAR

Raymond M. Clausen Jr.

1947 - 2004

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1457 FOOTBALL

Alden Roche

Born 1944

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1480 POLITICIAN

Linda Hunt Williams

Born 1948

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1501 ARTIST

Michele Wrightson

1941 - 2015

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1526 FILM

Edward C. Kurtz junior

1946 - 2013

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1527 BASEBALL

Al Montreuil

1943 - 2008

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1572 BUSINESS

Louie J. Roussel III

Born 1946

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1580 PROFESSOR

Malcolm Casadaban

1949 - 2009

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1582 FOOTBALL

Coleman Zeno

Born 1946

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1598 SINGER

Ruth Falcon

1942 - 2020

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1608 ARCHITECT

Paul S. Devrouax

1942 - 2010

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1624 HORSE TRAINER

Frank L. Brothers

Born 1946

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1627 BASEBALL

Gerry Schoen

Born 1947

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1643 BOXEADOR

John Rankin

Born 1941

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1646 DIPLOMAT

Donald Ensenat

Born 1946

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1647 ARMY

Larry J. Dodgen

1949 - 2010

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1652 BASKET

Grant Simmons

Born 1943

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1670 SINGER

Jerry Byrne (singer)

1941 - 2010

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1695 ARTIST

Dr. Charles Smith

Born 1940

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1701 OFFICER

Brenda Hatfield

Born 1943

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1705 BIOLOGIST

Donald Boesch

Born 1945

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1712 BASKET

Paul Landreaux

1943 - 2016

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1751 LAWYER

Arthur Morrell (politician)

Born 1943

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1761 SINGER

Thais St Julien

1945 - 2019

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1768 FOOTBALL

Ray Hester

1949 - 1977

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1775 POLITICAL

Larry Bagneris Jr.

Born 1946

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1785 POLITICIAN

Johnny Jackson Jr.

1943 - 2018

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1799 DIPLOMAT

Carl Cundiff

Born 1941

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