37.9074° N, 121.0764° W

OAKLAND

Most Famous People Born in Oakland, United States

Notable people
1,016
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1949
Most distinctive
Rapper 23.4×

The Rapper bench here runs at better than twenty-three times the global baseline — Too $hort, MC Hammer, and the entire Bay Area hyphy lineage compressed into one line of the panel, a regional rap dialect invented the way New Orleans invented jazz. The deep Baseball count is the other Oakland story, the A's dynasty years and the West Oakland sandlots that produced Rickey Henderson, while the outsized Artist bench still runs on Black Panther-era visual culture.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 138 notable births.

What Oakland Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Football is Oakland's biggest profession — 12% of all notables (118).

Oakland over-indexes on rapper23.4× the global rate.

Oakland under-produces politician — only 0.4× the global rate.

  1. Football118
  2. Baseball102
  3. Actor85
  4. Basket52
  5. Politician50
  6. Music47
  7. Singer35
  8. Artist35
  1. Rapper2623.4×
  2. Baseball1028.8×
  3. Basket524.1×
  4. Artist353.4×
  5. Music473.2×
  6. Novelist112.7×
  7. Film241.9×
  8. Lawyer321.8×
  1. Politician500.4×
  2. Writer230.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

18001825185018751900192519501975
  • Sports
  • Music
  • Film & TV
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Other
All1,016
Sort By

1,016 notable people

0301 COMPOSER

Tony Reflex

Born 1963

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0302 OFFICER

Harry W. Hill

1890 - 1971

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0303 BASKET

Zach Andrews

Born 1985

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0304 BASKET

Don Lofgran

1928 - 1976

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0305 RAPPER

Rayven Justice

Born 1991

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0306 ACTOR

Caryl Lincoln

1903 - 1983

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0307 FILM

Yoon Sung-hyun

Born 1982

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0308 PHYSICIST

Clyde Wiegand

1915 - 1996

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0309 WRITER

Jamison Green

Born 1948

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0310 PLAYER

Frank Kovacs

1919 - 1990

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0311 POLITICIAN

Libby Schaaf

Born 1965

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0312 POLITICIAN

Jack Z. Anderson

1904 - 1981

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0313 PLAYER

Tom Edlefsen

Born 1941

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0314 SCREENWRITER

Walter DeLeon

1884 - 1947

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0315 AUTHOR

David Bach (author)

Born 1966

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0316 BANDLEADER

Art Hickman

1886 - 1930

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0317 ROWER

David Turner (rower)

1923 - 2015

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0318 NOVELIST

Richard Lange

Born 1961

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0319 HOCKEY

Roy Sommer

Born 1957

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0320 CHEMIST

Dean Burk

1904 - 1988

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0321 ROWER

Winslow Hall (rower)

1912 - 1995

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0322 MATHEMATICIAN

David R. Morrison (mathematician)

Born 1955

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0323 BASEBALL

Chris Roberson (baseball)

Born 1979

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0324 PLAYWRIGHT

Olwen Wymark

1932 - 2013

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0325 CARTOONIST

Jason Shiga

Born 1976

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0326 PAINTER

Denny Dent

1948 - 2004

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0327 ANALYST

William P. Baker

Born 1940

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0328 SPORT

Kevin Olekaibe

Born 1992

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0329 DESIGNER

Candice Cuoco

Born 1988

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0330 ARTIST

Edith Hamlin

1902 - 1992

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0331 PIANIST

Bill Pursell

1926 - 2020

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0332 ATHLETE

Uhunoma Osazuwa

Born 1987

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0333 PAINTER

Gene Kloss

1903 - 1996

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0334 POET

Daniel Moore (poet)

1940 - 2016

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0335 ACTOR

Ben Chapman (actor)

1928 - 2008

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0336 LAWYER

Bill Lockyer

Born 1941

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0337 ASTROPHYSICIST

Daniel M. Popper

1913 - 1999

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0338 BASEBALL

Brian Johnson (catcher)

Born 1968

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0339 MOUNTAINEER

Allen Steck

Born 1926

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0340 ACTOR

Sally Phipps

1911 - 1978

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0341 GOVERNOR

Ford Quint Elvidge

1892 - 1980

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0342 FOOTBALL

Manny Fernandez (American football)

Born 1946

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0343 BANDLEADER

Anson Weeks

1896 - 1969

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0344 POLICE

Anthony Bottom

Born 1951

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0345 BASEBALL

Tim Ireland

Born 1953

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0346 MATHEMATICIAN

David Gieseker

Born 1943

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0347 FILM

Herman C. Raymaker

1893 - 1944

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0348 PAEDIATRICIAN

David Weyhe Smith

1926 - 1981

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0349 MODEL

Florence Wysinger Allen

1913 - 1997

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0350 FILM

Nnegest Likké

Born 1970

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0351 BASEBALL

Lars Anderson (baseball)

Born 1987

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0352 SINGER

Cassidy Haley

Born 1980

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0353 FOOTBALL

Charles Leno Jr.

Born 1991

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0354 BASEBALL

Marty Keough

Born 1935

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0355 BASKET

Joe Ellis (basketball)

Born 1944

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0356 SCHOLAR

Robert Harvey (literary theorist)

Born 1951

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0357 WRITER

Toshio Mori

1910 - 1980

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0358 BANDLEADER

Jake Porter

1916 - 1993

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0359 DRIVER

Ed Elisian

1926 - 1959

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0360 FOOTBALL

Mike Pritchard

Born 1969

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0361 PIANIST

Michele Rosewoman

Born 1953

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0362 CONDUCTOR

Howard Mitchell

1911 - 1988

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0363 LAWYER

Howard Lincoln

Born 1940

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0364 SINGER

Paige Haley

Born 1966

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0365 FOOTBALL

Takkarist McKinley

Born 1995

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0366 ENTOMOLOGIST

Earle Gorton Linsley

1910 - 2000

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0367 SINGER

Kevin Cadogan

Born 1970

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0368 BOTANIST

Helen Sharsmith

1905 - 1982

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0369 PLAYER

Jim McManus (tennis)

1940 - 2011

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0370 BANK

Charles R. Morris

Born 1940

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0371 MATHEMATICIAN

William G. Bade

1924 - 2012

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0372 FOOTBALL

Mike Sherrard

Born 1963

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0373 SINGER

Verne Langdon

1941 - 2011

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0374 POLITICIAN

Carina Vance Mafla

Born 1977

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0375 BASKET

Ayinde Ubaka

Born 1985

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0376 BANJOIST

Mike Pingitore

1888 - 1952

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0377 ROWER

Hubert A. Caldwell

1907 - 1972

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0378 ROWER

Ian Turner (rower)

1925 - 2010

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0379 RAPPER

Clyde Carson

Born 1982

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0380 STYLIST

Tameka Foster

Born 1966

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0381 POLITICIAN

John J. Allen Jr.

1899 - 1995

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0382 ACTOR

T. D. Crittenden

1878 - 1938

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0383 RAPPER

Kamaiyah

Born 1995

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0384 BASKET

Odis Allison

Born 1949

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0385 NOVELIST

Michael Conner

Born 1951

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0386 MUSIC

Pooh-Man

Born 1971

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0387 SINGER

Adrienne Cooper

1946 - 2011

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0388 BASEBALL

Mike Young (baseball)

Born 1960

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0389 FOOTBALL

Lorenzo Lynch

Born 1963

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0390 POLITICIAN

John F. Baldwin Jr.

1915 - 1966

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0391 ACADEMIC

Bobby Fong

1950 - 2014

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0392 ROWER

Kathleen Bertko

Born 1983

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0393 HOCKEY

Lee Norwood

Born 1960

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0394 SPORT

Matt Vasgersian

Born 1967

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0395 PRIEST

John Stephen Cummins

Born 1928

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0396 BASKET

Alexis Gray-Lawson

Born 1987

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0397 SINGER

Brenda Boykin

Born 1957

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0398 LAWYER

Jay Bybee

Born 1953

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0399 COACH

John Ralston (American football)

1927 - 2019

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0400 DIPLOMAT

William Clark Jr. (diplomat)

1930 - 2008

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0401 PLAYER

Norman Cleaveland

1901 - 1997

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0402 FILM

Aaron Woolfolk

Born 1969

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0403 BASKET

Ron Howard (American football)

Born 1951

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0404 BIOCHEMIST

Horace Barker

1907 - 2000

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0405 ARTIST

Warrington Colescott

1921 - 2018

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0406 DRUMMER

Dave Mello

Born 1969

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0407 POLITICIAN

Brian Moore (political activist)

Born 1943

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0408 ACTOR

Alvin Sanders

Born 1952

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0409 ACTOR

Eugenia Clinchard

1904 - 1989

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0410 SONGWRITER

John McEuen

Born 1945

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0411 ARTIST

George Earl Ortman

1926 - 2015

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0412 SPORT

Steven Woznick

Born 1949

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0413 LAWYER

Clyde Doyle

1887 - 1963

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0414 RUNNER

William Garcia

1877 - 1951

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0415 POLITICIAN

Wally George

1931 - 2003

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0416 ACADEMIC

Richard Doell

1923 - 2008

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0417 ACTOR

David Lim (actor)

Born 1983

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0418 FOOTBALL

Roy Riegels

1908 - 1993

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0419 STATISTICIAN

Tukufu Zuberi

Born 1959

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0420 ACTOR

Marjorie Eaton

1901 - 1986

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0421 MUSIC

Brittany Brooks

Born 1985

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0422 BASEBALL

Monte Pearson

1908 - 1978

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0423 FILM

Marv Newland

Born 1947

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0424 BASEBALL

Joe Abreu

1913 - 1993

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0425 FOOTBALL

Marvel Smith

Born 1978

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0426 FILM

Lynn Breedlove

Born 1965

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0427 RAPPER

San Quinn

Born 1977

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0428 SWIMMER

Peter Rocca

Born 1957

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0429 BASEBALL

Andy Carey

1931 - 2011

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0430 RAPPER

The Grouch (rapper)

Born 1975

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0431 BROADCAST

Howard Dully

Born 1948

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0432 JUDGE

Raymond C. Fisher

1939 - 2020

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0433 CARVER

Mark Lindquist

Born 1949

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0434 PHOTOGRAPHER

Steven F. Arnold

1943 - 1994

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0435 WRITER

Alex Steffen

Born 1968

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0436 POLITICIAN

Daniel Wells Jr.

1808 - 1902

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0437 WRITER

Carl Potts

Born 1952

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0438 WRESTLER

George Wells (wrestler)

Born 1947

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0439 ARTIST

Howard Brodie

1915 - 2010

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0440 FOOTBALL

Marviel Underwood

Born 1982

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0441 ARTIST

Frank Tenney Johnson

1874 - 1939

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0442 ARTIST

Tracey Snelling

Born 1970

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0443 AUTHOR

Debbi Fields

Born 1956

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0444 SCREENWRITER

Jefferson Moffitt

1887 - 1954

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0445 POET

Nellie Wong

Born 1934

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0446 JOURNALIST

Gerald Nachman

1938 - 2018

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0447 PATHOLOGIST

Eduard Miloslavić

1884 - 1952

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0448 LAWYER

Edward M. Chen

Born 1953

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0449 RUNNER

James Robinson (runner)

Born 1954

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0450 ACTOR

John Larkin (actor, born 1912)

1912 - 1965

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0451 ZOOLOGIST

Carl B. Koford

1915 - 1979

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0452 SENATOR

Nicholas C. Petris

1923 - 2013

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0453 RAPPER

Stevie Joe

-

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0454 POLITICIAN

Sharon Percy Rockefeller

Born 1944

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0455 FOOTBALL

Langston Walker

Born 1979

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0456 MOTION PICTURE

Kirk Francis

Born 1947

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0457 FILMMAKER

Craig Baldwin

Born 1952

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0458 FOOTBALL

Eric Norwood

Born 1988

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0459 RAPPER

Lateef the Truthspeaker

Born 1974

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0460 MATHEMATICIAN

Gabriel Carroll

Born 1982

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0461 PAINTER

George Post (painter)

1906 - 1997

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0462 BASKET

Dominic Artis

Born 1993

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0463 WRITER

Nada Gordon

Born 1964

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0464 MODEL

Rebecca Ann King

Born 1950

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0465 PRIEST

James Keller

1900 - 1977

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0466 ARTIST

Tony DeLap

1927 - 2019

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0467 FOOTBALL

Shaun Williams (American football)

Born 1976

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0468 CHEF

Walter Scheib

1954 - 2015

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0469 BODYBUILDER

Clarence Ross

1923 - 2008

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0470 POLITICIAN

Heather Fargo

Born 1952

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0471 ARTIST

Deanna Bowen

Born 1969

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0472 RAPPER

Baby DC

Born 1986

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0473 ACTIVIST

Ken Rutherford (political scientist)

Born 1962

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0474 BIOGRAPHER

Megan Marshall

Born 1954

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0475 AUTHOR

Stan Monteith

1929 - 2014

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0476 BOTANIST

Homer John Scoggan

1911 - 1986

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0477 ROWER

Geoffrey Picard

1943 - 2002

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0478 POLITICIAN

Mike Eng

Born 1946

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0479 BASEBALL

Shooty Babitt

Born 1959

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0480 ATHLETIC

Peter Clentzos

1909 - 2006

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0481 BIOCHEMIST

David Hogness

1925 - 2019

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0482 SWIMMER

Nancy Simons

Born 1938

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0483 PUPPETEER

Michael Earl (puppeteer)

1959 - 2015

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0484 BASEBALL

Chris Cannizzaro

1938 - 2016

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0485 ECONOMIST

Martha Olney

Born 1956

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0486 HISTORIAN

Phyllis Ackerman

1893 - 1977

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0487 ACTOR

Sumner Getchell

1906 - 1990

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0488 WRITER

Keith Robertson (writer)

1914 - 1991

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0489 PAINTER

Grace Clements (artist)

1905 - 1969

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0490 RAPPER

R. Prophet

Born 1977

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0491 JOURNALIST

Jason Snell

Born 1970

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0492 COLUMNIST

Chauncey Bailey

1949 - 2007

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0493 FOOTBALL

Bryan Caldwell

1960 - 2015

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0494 LAWYER

John Lansdale Jr.

1912 - 2003

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0495 AUTHOR

Patricia Bragg

Born 1929

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0496 MODEL

Cherie Roberts

Born 1978

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0497 BASEBALL

Dennis Bennett (baseball)

1939 - 2012

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0498 DIVER

Patsy Elsener

1929 - 2019

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0499 RAPPER

Shady Nate

Born 1988

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0500 FOOTBALL

Gerris Wilkinson

Born 1983

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0501 BASEBALL

Jarrad Page

Born 1984

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0502 ACTOR

Jess Osuna

1933 - 2011

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0503 CARTOONIST

Marty Links

1917 - 2008

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0504 WRITER

Carol Buckley

Born 1954

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0505 ATHLETE

Greg Losey

1950 - 2002

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0506 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

David P. Anderson

Born 1955

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0507 BASEBALL

Cookie Lavagetto

1912 - 1990

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0508 PRINTMAKER

Margo Humphrey

Born 1942

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0509 ILLUSTRATOR

J. Otto Seibold

Born 1960

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0510 MUSIC

John Milton Ward IV

1917 - 2011

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0511 ACTOR

Mai Tai Sing

1923 - 2018

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0512 FOOTBALL

Ethan Westbrooks

Born 1990

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0513 PSYCHOLOGIST

Edmund Sanford

1859 - 1924

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0514 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Wendell Phillips (Archäologe)

1925 - 1975

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0515 ENTREPRENEUR

Joel Makower

Born 1952

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0516 BASEBALL

Jeff Frye

Born 1966

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0517 WRITER

James Ishmael Ford

Born 1948

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0518 LAWYER

Charles Stetson Wheeler

1863 - 1923

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0519 PLAYER

Linda Siegel (tennis)

Born 1961

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0520 BASEBALL

Al Hrabosky

Born 1949

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0521 BASEBALL

Rick Rodriguez

Born 1960

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0522 POLITICIAN

Denise Juneau

Born 1967

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0523 ACTOR

Harry Mainhall

1886 - 1931

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0524 PODCASTER

William Haynes (comedian)

Born 1993

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0525 BASEBALL

Jim Tobin

1912 - 1969

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0526 BASEBALL

Irish Meusel

1893 - 1963

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0527 CARICATURIST

Kate Carew

1869 - 1961

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0528 ACTOR

John Sheehan (actor)

1885 - 1952

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0529 ADMIRAL

Henry Arnold Karo

1903 - 1986

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0530 NOVELIST

Jeffrey Scott Savage

Born 1963

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0531 ARTIST

Fred Uhl Ball

1945 - 1985

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0532 ARTIST

Pete Millar

1929 - 2003

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0533 COMPOSER

Elinor Armer

Born 1939

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0534 BASEBALL

Lew Fonseca

1899 - 1989

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0535 EXPLORER

Joseph Nisbet LeConte

1870 - 1950

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0536 TELEVISION

Natalie Nunn

Born 1984

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0537 RAPPER

Phesto

Born 1974

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0538 LAWYER

Richard C. Tallman

Born 1953

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0539 BASEBALL

Bo McLaughlin

Born 1953

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0540 FOOTBALL

MacArthur Lane

1942 - 2019

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0541 RAPPER

Numskull

Born 1975

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0542 SINGER

Nils Frykdahl

-

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0543 WRITER

Delbert Baker

Born 1953

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0544 FOOTBALL

Kevin King (American football)

Born 1995

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0545 PAINTER

Christine Rosamond

1947 - 1994

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0546 BOTANIST

Dennis E. Breedlove

1939 - 2012

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0547 PAINTER

Guy Colwell

Born 1945

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0548 CARTOONIST

Richard Sala

1959 - 2020

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0549 ENGINEER

Stephen Bechtel Jr.

Born 1925

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0550 JOURNALIST

Danyel Smith

Born 1965

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0551 MUSIC

Zinky Cohn

1908 - 1952

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0552 BASEBALL

Don Ferrarese

Born 1929

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0553 BASKET

John Sharper

Born 1984

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0554 BASEBALL

Rodney Williams (wide receiver)

Born 1973

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0555 FOOTBALL

Chris Henry (running back)

Born 1985

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0556 DIPLOMAT

Nicholas A. Veliotes

Born 1928

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0557 ACADEMIC

Karl Harrington Potter

Born 1927

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0558 SINGER

Sunshine Becker

Born 1972

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0559 DANCER

Caitlin Mallory

Born 1987

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0560 BASKET

Amisha Carter

Born 1982

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0561 FOOTBALL

Derrick Gardner (American football)

Born 1977

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0562 BASEBALL

Rich Nye

Born 1944

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0563 LAWYER

Dorothy McCullough Lee

1901 - 1981

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0564 FOOTBALL

Jarrod Pughsley

Born 1990

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0565 WRITER

Carol Field

1940 - 2017

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0566 BASEBALL

Bill Werle

1920 - 2010

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0567 KARATE

Amanda Bell

Born 1988

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0568 ACTOR

Laura Oakley

1879 - 1957

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0569 PRODUCER

Matt Rad

-

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0570 PRIEST

Nicholas C. Dattilo

1932 - 2004

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0571 PLAYWRIGHT

Marcus Gardley

Born 1977

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0572 ACTOR

Lita Chevret

1908 - 2001

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0573 DESIGNER

Dexter Simmons

Born 1983

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0574 POLITICIAN

Maxine Moul

Born 1947

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0575 SINGER

Ron Thompson (blues guitarist)

1953 - 2020

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0576 NOVELIST

Phyllis Ann Karr

Born 1944

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0577 AIR FORCE

Michelle Manhart

Born 1976

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0578 JOURNALIST

Peter Alexander (journalist)

Born 1976

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0579 SINGER

Adrian Marcel

Born 1990

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0580 BASKET

Austin Nichols (basket-ball, 1982)

Born 1982

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0581 SINGER

Harmonica Shah

Born 1946

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0582 MUSIC

Francis Farewell Starlite

Born 1981

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0583 BASEBALL

Dave Hengel

Born 1961

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0584 POET

Rosalie Moore

1910 - 2001

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0585 BASKET

Jon Ferguson

Born 1949

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0586 ACTOR

Bree Walker

Born 1953

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0587 POLITICIAN

Vincent Orange

Born 1957

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0588 BASEBALL

Warren Brusstar

Born 1952

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0589 BASEBALL

Ray Kremer

1893 - 1965

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0590 SCREENWRITER

Andrew Bennison

1886 - 1942

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0591 BUSINESS

Charles M. White

1891 - 1977

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0592 REPUBLICAN

Bill Emmerson

Born 1945

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0593 FOOTBALL

Gordon Gravelle

Born 1949

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0594 PLAYER

Francois Viljoen

Born 1981

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0595 POLO

Arthur Austin (water polo)

1902 - 1962

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0596 PHOTOGRAPHER

Homer Page

1918 - 1985

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0597 RAPPER

Philthy Rich

Born 1983

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0598 DESIGNER

Michael Vanderbyl

Born 1947

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0599 OFFICER

Duncan McNabb

Born 1952

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0600 FOOTBALL

DiAndre Campbell

Born 1991

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