39.9292° N, 75.2300° W

PHILADELPHIA

Most Famous People Born in Philadelphia, United States

Notable people
5,575
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1928
Most distinctive
Baseball 6.0×

The original American capital, then the capital of nothing in particular, then a sports town. Philadelphia's notables run thick through the 18th century — lawyers, philanthropists, financiers — and then settle into a long, steady output of baseball players, basketball players, jazz bandleaders, and character actors. The city has one of the highest shares of notables in organized labor of the early 20th century and one of the deepest benches of soul singers of the late 20th.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 556 notable births.

What Philadelphia Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Philadelphia's biggest profession — 9% of all notables (482).

Philadelphia over-indexes on baseball6.0× the global rate.

Philadelphia under-produces football — only 0.4× the global rate.

  1. Politician482
  2. Actor414
  3. Baseball383
  4. Basket260
  5. Football251
  6. Music206
  7. Lawyer185
  8. Singer161
  1. Baseball3836.0×
  2. Basket2603.7×
  3. Boxer723.3×
  4. Rower572.8×
  5. Music2062.6×
  6. Officer842.3×
  7. Lawyer1851.9×
  8. Film1131.6×
  1. Football2510.4×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1700175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Science
  • Writing
  • Other
All5,575
Sort By

5,575 notable people

3601 SINGER

Mister G (children's performer)

Born 1967

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3602 RACECAR

Spencer Wishart

1889 - 1914

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3603 FOOTBALL

Jordan Morgan (American football)

Born 1994

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3604 BANK

Anthony Joseph Drexel Jr.

1864 - 1934

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3605 BASKET

George W. Hoskins

1864 - 1958

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3606 BASEBALL

Bill Sweeney (pitcher)

1858 - 1903

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3607 POLITICIAN

Al Taubenberger

Born 1953

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3608 PHOTOGRAPHER

James P. Blair

Born 1931

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3609 PLAYWRIGHT

Thomas Godfrey (writer)

1736 - 1763

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3610 PAEDIATRICIAN

Frank Oski

1932 - 1996

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3611 ACTOR

Sal Ponti

1935 - 1988

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3612 BASEBALL

Ralph Mattis

1890 - 1960

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3613 HISTORIAN

John F. Benton

1931 - 1988

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3614 AUTHOR

George Anastasia

Born 1948

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3615 POLITICIAN

Alexander Starne

1813 - 1886

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3616 FOOTBALL

Maurice Stovall

Born 1985

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3617 MATHEMATICIAN

Dorothy Walcott Weeks

1893 - 1990

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3618 ATTORNEY

William J. Campbell (Illinois politician)

1850 - 1896

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3619 SINGER

Bas Sheva

1925 - 1960

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3620 FOOTBALL

Durham Smythe

Born 1995

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3621 FOOTBALL

Trevor Guyton

Born 1990

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3622 DIPLOMAT

Steven J. Green

Born 1945

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3623 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Charles Lagrand

1920 - 2004

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3624 POLITICIAN

Tom Houghton

-

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3625 ART DIRECTOR

William Craig Smith

1918 - 1986

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3626 JOURNALIST

Ukee Washington

Born 1958

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3627 MINISTER

Howard Malcom

1799 - 1879

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3628 BUSINESS

Charles Guth

1877 - 1948

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3629 DIPLOMAT

Wilton Blancké

1908 - 1971

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3630 POLITICIAN

Maria Quiñones-Sanchez

Born 1968

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3631 PLAYER

Alexandra Riley (Tennisspielerin)

Born 1991

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3632 WRITER

Aubertine Woodward Moore

1841 - 1929

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3633 CHEMIST

Peter Dirck Keyser

1835 - 1897

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3634 COMEDIAN

Annie Lederman

-

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3635 BASKET

Frank Dobson (American football)

1885 - 1959

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3636 BANK

Catherine Austin Fitts

Born 1950

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3637 BASKET

Maureece Rice

Born 1984

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3638 BALLET

Bessie Clayton

1875 - 1948

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3639 LAWYER

Jonathan Shurberg

1963 - 2017

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3640 SINGER

Rick DeJesus

Born 1983

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3641 ACTOR

Big Jay Oakerson

Born 1977

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3642 BASEBALL

John Brown (baseball)

1876 - 1908

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3643 COMPOSER

Richard Nanes

1941 - 2009

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3644 INVENTOR

John H. B. Latrobe

1803 - 1891

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3645 PAINTER

Lewis Edward Herzog

1868 - 1943

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3646 ASSYRIOLOGIST

Joan Goodnick Westenholz

1943 - 2013

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3647 PAINTER

John E. Dowell Jr.

Born 1941

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3648 WRESTLER

Nick Berk

Born 1980

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3649 FILM

B. F. Zeidman

1896 - 1970

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3650 COMPOSER

Greg O'Connor

Born 1967

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3651 FOOTBALL

Jullian Taylor

Born 1995

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3652 WRITER

Marcia Levin

1918 - 2006

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3653 FOOTBALL

Jim Knowles (American football)

Born 1965

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3654 POLITICIAN

Troy Singleton

Born 1973

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3655 PRIEST

Leighton Coleman

1837 - 1907

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3656 ACTOR

Jennifer Sciole

Born 1979

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3657 MUSIC

David Chackler

Born 1945

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3658 BASKET

Tom Sealy

1921 - 2000

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3659 FOOTBALL

Dick Christy

1935 - 1966

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3660 POLITICIAN

Michael Driscoll (Pennsylvania politician)

Born 1960

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3661 COMMUNICATION

Larry Cohen (union leader)

-

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3662 POLITICIAN

John James Sweeney

Born 1927

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3663 DRIVER

Bob Grossman

1923 - 2002

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3664 BASEBALL

George Bausewine

1869 - 1947

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3665 BASEBALL

Dan Coogan

1875 - 1942

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3666 ASTRONOMER

Maud Darwin

1861 - 1947

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3667 ARTIST

Ben Wilson (American artist)

1913 - 2001

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3668 SOLDIER

Leon Bass

1925 - 2015

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3669 POLITICIAN

James Irvine (Pennsylvania)

1735 - 1819

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3670 PRIEST

Lawrence Frederik Schott

1907 - 1963

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3671 ARMY

Michael Crescenz

1949 - 1968

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3672 COACH

Dean Demopoulos

Born 1954

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3673 BASEBALL

Bill Hinchman

1883 - 1963

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3674 LINGUIST

Kenneth Naylor

1937 - 1992

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3675 COMPOSER

Scott A. Wyatt

Born 1951

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3676 ACTOR

Julian McCullough

Born 1979

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3677 BASEBALL

Rip Egan

1871 - 1950

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3678 FOOTBALL

Eddie Bell (halfback)

1931 - 2009

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3679 BIOINFORMATICIAN

Warren Lyford DeLano

1972 - 2009

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3680 LAWYER

Henry E. Petersen

1921 - 1991

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3681 LINGUIST

Leigh Lisker

1918 - 2006

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3682 BASEBALL

Buster Narum

1940 - 2004

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3683 ACTOR

Shari Albert

Born 1971

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3684 SKATER

Adriana DeSanctis

Born 1988

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3685 OFFICER

T.A.M. Craven

1893 - 1972

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3686 MILITAR

Alexander Zatonski

1915 - 1941

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3687 POLITICIAN

John How

1813 - 1885

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3688 FOOTBALL

Tom Gilmore (American football)

Born 1964

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3689 PSYCHOLOGIST

Dan Landis

Born 1936

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3690 SCULPTOR

Helene Brandt

1936 - 2013

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3691 ENGINEER

B. N. Wilson

1874 - 1948

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3692 ACTOR

Henrietta Baker Chanfrau

1837 - 1909

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3693 POLITICIAN

Bill Adolph

Born 1949

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3694 POLITICIAN

Francis Lynch

1920 - 1993

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3695 POLITICIAN

Lois Wolk

Born 1946

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3696 ARTIST

Cornbread (graffiti artist)

Born 1953

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3697 POLITICIAN

Fred H. Madden

Born 1954

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3698 ARTIST

E Boyd

1903 - 1974

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3699 ACTOR

Laurence Haddon

1922 - 2013

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3700 PSYCHOLOGIST

Florence Denmark

Born 1932

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3701 CARTOONIST

Walter Hoban

1890 - 1939

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3702 ACTOR

Ruby Hoffman

1886 - 1973

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3703 POLITICIAN

John R. Leopold

Born 1943

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3704 FENCER

Larry Anastasi

Born 1934

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3705 ATHLETIC

Reds Bassman

1913 - 2010

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3706 JOURNALIST

Charles Cist (editor)

1792 - 1868

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3707 HANDBALL

Harry Winkler (handballer)

Born 1945

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3708 PAINTER

Helen Bershad

Born 1934

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3709 NASCAR

Bobby Norfleet

Born 1958

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3710 JUDGE

Edward King (jurist)

1794 - 1873

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3711 SWIMMER

Frank Leskaj

Born 1971

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3712 FOOTBALL

Florian Kempf

Born 1956

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3713 ENGINEER

David H. Geiger

1935 - 1989

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3714 FENCER

Tyrone Simmons

Born 1949

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3715 ARTIST

Lisa Sigal

Born 1962

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3716 PAINTER

Cheryl Goldsleger

Born 1951

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3717 JAVELIN THROWER

Anthony Hall (athlete)

Born 1950

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3718 COMEDIAN

Lotus Weinstock

1943 - 1997

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3719 ASTRONOMER

Sarah Lee Lippincott

1920 - 2019

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3720 JOURNALIST

Phil Jasner

1942 - 2010

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3721 POLITICIAN

Rosita Youngblood

Born 1946

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3722 ZOOLOGIST

Richard W. Thorington

1937 - 2017

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3723 CARTOONIST

Ted Slampyak

Born 1965

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3724 ACTOR

Helen Raymond

1878 - 1965

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3725 POLITICIAN

Michael H. O'Brien

1954 - 2018

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3726 SAXOPHONIST

George Bishop (Musiker)

1947 - 2005

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3727 ENGINEER

M. Robert Aaron

1922 - 2007

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3728 POET

David Harris Ebenbach

Born 1972

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3729 ACTOR

Clayton Prince

Born 1965

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3730 SKATER

Alexandria Riordan

Born 1990

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3731 REPORTER

Baruch Shemtov

Born 1987

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3732 FILM

Oscar Lerman

1919 - 1992

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3733 JUDO

Nick Kossor

Born 1986

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3734 RAILROAD

James McCrea

1848 - 1913

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3735 ACTIVIST

Marley Dias

Born 2005

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3736 ARTIST

Matthue Roth

Born 1978

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3737 ACTOR

Camillia Sanes

-

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3738 ACTOR

Dominic Comperatore

Born 1969

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3739 SCREENWRITER

Jack Thomas Smith

Born 1969

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3740 SCREENWRITER

Monica Beletsky

-

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3741 WRITER

Henry Armitt Brown

1844 - 1878

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3742 FOOTBALL

Paul Dunn (American football)

Born 1960

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3743 BASEBALL

Phenomenal Smith

1864 - 1952

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3744 BUSINESS

Dick Molpus

Born 1949

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3745 POLITICIAN

Edwin Erickson

1938 - 2019

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3746 POLITICIAN

Alan Robbins

Born 1943

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3747 ACTOR

Jarrod Spector

Born 1981

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3748 ROWER

Paul McDowell (rower)

1905 - 1962

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3749 ACTOR

Michael Cornacchia

Born 1975

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3750 ACTOR

Charles Brandt

1862 - 1924

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3751 ARTIST

Ce Roser

Born 1930

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3752 FOOTBALL

Dan Antoniuk

Born 1981

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3753 ACTOR

Ed McCready

1930 - 2002

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3754 SWIMMER

Eleanor Uhl

1902 - 1981

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3755 CIVIL RIGHTS

Gloria Casarez

1971 - 2014

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3756 FILM

Frank Richardson (director)

1898 - 1962

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3757 ACTOR

Hugh J. Ward

1871 - 1941

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3758 BASKET

Erv Staggs

1948 - 2012

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3759 HEBRAIST

Samuel H. Turner

1790 - 1861

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3760 ACTRESS

Celia Logan

1837 - 1904

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3761 BASKET

Aaric Murray

Born 1989

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3762 BROTHER

Robert Schieler

Born 1950

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3763 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Merwin Crawford Young

1931 - 2020

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3764 COMPOSER

Celeste de Longpré Heckscher

1860 - 1928

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3765 MILITAR

Shannon Meehan

-

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3766 PRODUCER

Joe Wissert

-

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3767 FOOTBALL

Chuck Weber

1930 - 2017

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3768 BASEBALL

Joe Berry (second baseman)

1894 - 1976

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3769 ARTIST

Sylvia Wald

1915 - 2011

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3770 GUITAR

Teddy Walters

1920 - 1947

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3771 CINEMA

Jonathan Brown (Kameramann)

Born 1970

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3772 TEACHER

Armin Tehrany

-

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3773 AUTHOR

Harry Bischoff Weiss

1883 - 1972

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3774 PRODUCER

Joe Isgro

Born 1948

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3775 PHYSICIAN

Benjamin H. Rand

1827 - 1883

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3776 BOXER

Miguel Jiménez (boxer)

Born 1970

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3777 ACTOR

Margaret Lawrence (actress)

1889 - 1929

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3778 BASEBALL

Hardie Henderson

1862 - 1903

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3779 MARTIAL ART

Tim Carpenter (fighter)

Born 1980

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3780 LAWYER

William H. Ginsburg

1943 - 2013

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3781 MUSIC

Mark Kramer (jazz pianist)

Born 1945

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3782 FOOTBALL

Charles Way

Born 1972

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3783 JUDGE

Mary A. McLaughlin

Born 1946

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3784 NAVY

Thomas Cripps

1840 - 1906

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3785 ORIENTALIST

Harold Rhode

Born 1949

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3786 INVENTOR

Samuel R. Scottron

1841 - 1908

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3787 ARCHITECT

Oscar Wenderoth

1871 - 1938

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3788 LAWYER

Albert Branson Maris

1893 - 1989

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3789 MERCHANT

Cyrus Leopold Sulzberger

1858 - 1932

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3790 BIOLOGIST

Madge Macklin

1893 - 1962

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3791 BASEBALL

John Callahan (catcher)

1878 - 1952

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3792 ACTOR

Fritzi Burr

1924 - 2003

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3793 MUSIC

Chappie Willett

1907 - 1976

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3794 LAWYER

William Swain Lee

Born 1935

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3795 BASKET

Byron W. Dickson

1875 - 1930

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3796 SPORT

Christopher Díaz (boxer)

Born 1994

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3797 PAINTER

Paul Rickert

Born 1947

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3798 CRICKET

Charles Winter (Philadelphia cricketer)

1890 - 1969

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3799 BUSINESS

Charles E. Haldeman

Born 1948

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3800 POLITICIAN

Terry C. Burton

Born 1956

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3801 FENCER

Paul Makler Sr.

Born 1920

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3802 FOOTBALL

Rich Owens

Born 1972

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3803 FOOTBALL

Anthony Walters (American football)

Born 1988

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3804 BUSINESS

Ron Kass

1935 - 1986

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3805 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Donald E. Stokes

1927 - 1997

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3806 BASEBALL

Vaughn Eshelman

1969 - 2018

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3807 NEUROLOGIST

Graeme Hammond

1858 - 1944

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3808 FOOTBALL

Russell Carter

Born 1962

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3809 POLITICIAN

Tom Quigley

Born 1961

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3810 PAINTER

Jim Morphesis

Born 1948

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3811 FOOTBALL

Deion Barnes

Born 1993

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3812 FOOTBALL

John Michels (guard)

1931 - 2019

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3813 CHEMIST

Bruce E. Maryanoff

Born 1947

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3814 SINGER

Carly Robyn Green

-

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3815 OPERA

Robin Johannsen

-

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3816 FOOTBALL

Chris Conlin

Born 1965

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3817 ACTOR

Wheaton Chambers

1887 - 1958

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3818 BASKET

Rasheed Brokenborough

Born 1976

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3819 ARTIST

Peter Mortimer (filmmaker)

Born 1974

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3820 MUSIC

James W. Pulley

1936 - 2008

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3821 POLITICIAN

George Connell (mayor)

1871 - 1955

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3822 PHYSICIAN

Thomas Sadler Roberts

1858 - 1946

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3823 TELEVISIÓN

Megan Massacre

Born 1985

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3824 BASEBALL

Chick Fulmer

1851 - 1940

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3825 LAWYER

Joseph James Farnan Jr.

Born 1945

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3826 POLITICIAN

Thomas W. Druce

Born 1961

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3827 ACTOR

Roberta Jonay

1921 - 1976

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3828 METEOROLOGIST

Joel Myers

-

Preview
3829 OFFICER

Allan McLane

1746 - 1829

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3830 BUSINESS

Francis I. Gowen

1855 - 1927

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3831 ACTOR

Paul E. Burns

1881 - 1967

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3832 OFFICER

Walter Atlee Edwards

1886 - 1928

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3833 POLITICIAN

John Hare Powel

1786 - 1856

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3834 MERCHANT

Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge

1860 - 1932

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3835 CINEMA

John Biddle (yachting cinematographer)

1925 - 2008

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3836 WRITER

John Baltadonis

1921 - 1998

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3837 POLITICIAN

Richard Griffith (general)

1814 - 1862

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3838 SINGER

Elida Morris

1886 - 1977

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3839 SOLDIER

George Benjamin Jr.

1919 - 1944

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3840 FOOTBALL

Shawn Wooden

Born 1973

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3841 BASKET

Edward Bennis

Born 1885

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3842 JUDGE

Robert von Moschzisker

1870 - 1939

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3843 COACH

Punk Berryman

1893 - 1988

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3844 DIPLOMAT

Camillo Gonsalves

Born 1972

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3845 COMPOSER

Tyrone Brown

Born 1940

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3846 RABBI

Henry Samuel Morais

1860 - 1924

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3847 ACADEMIC

James Clark (college president)

1812 - 1874

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3848 BASKET

Joel Salvi

Born 1978

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3849 LAWYER

John W. Lord Jr.

1901 - 1972

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3850 PHILANTHROPIST

William B. Guggenheim

1868 - 1941

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3851 FOOTBALL

Taj Sangara

Born 1992

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3852 BASEBALL

Charlie Householder

1854 - 1913

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3853 ACTOR

Raven Hart

Born 1977

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3854 LAWYER

Lee Solomon

Born 1954

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3855 FOOTBALL

John Tracey

1933 - 1978

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3856 MATHEMATICIAN

John Howard Redfield

1879 - 1944

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3857 FOOTBALL

Ollie Dobbins

Born 1941

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3858 EDUCATOR

Noah K. Davis

1830 - 1910

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3859 OFFICER

John Kennedy Barton

1853 - 1921

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3860 WRITER

J. C. Amberchele

Born 1940

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3861 BASEBALL

Mike DiFelice

Born 1969

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3862 POLITICIAN

Jack Gargan (politician)

1930 - 2018

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3863 BASEBALL

Billy Earle

1867 - 1946

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3864 TEACHER

Eleanor Ragsdale

1926 - 1998

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3865 NOVELIST

Alexander M. Phillips

1907 - 1991

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3866 POLITICAL

Richard Roberts (pharmaceutical executive)

Born 1957

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3867 PIANIST

Benny Payne

1907 - 1986

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3868 ARTIST

Russell T. Gordon

1936 - 2013

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3869 ACTOR

James Carroll (actor)

1956 - 2016

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3870 CHEMIST

Evan C. Horning

1916 - 1993

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3871 FENCER

Roland Wommack

1936 - 2018

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3872 POLITICIAN

Maria Donatucci

Born 1954

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3873 JOURNALIST

Donna Ladd

Born 1961

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3874 SURGEON

Irving L. Lichtenstein

1920 - 2000

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3875 ORNITHOLOGIST

Jackson Miles Abbott

1920 - 1988

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3876 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Charles Katz

Born 1927

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3877 BASEBALL

Mike McGeary

1847 - 1916

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3878 WRITER

Lucy Hamilton Hooper

1835 - 1893

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3879 FOOTBALL

Dennis Norman

Born 1980

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3880 SPORT

David Montgomery (baseball)

1946 - 2019

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3881 BASEBALL

Buddy Harris

Born 1948

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3882 COMPOSER

Allen Sapp (composer)

1922 - 1999

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3883 ATHLETIC

George Guida

1924 - 2015

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3884 MOBSTER

Andrew Thomas DelGiorno

Born 1940

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3885 SKATER

Mark Vaillant

Born 1989

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3886 BUSINESS

Raymond G. Perelman

1917 - 2019

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3887 ACTOR

Brooke Lewis

Born 1975

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3888 WRITER

Marion Couthouy Smith

1853 - 1931

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3889 SOCIALITE

Barclay Harding Warburton II

1898 - 1936

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3890 BASEBALL

Jake Virtue

1865 - 1943

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3891 ARCHITECT

Arthur Byne

1883 - 1935

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3892 WRITER

Gillian Roberts

Born 1939

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3893 PUBLISHER

Irvin J. Borowsky

1924 - 2014

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3894 LIBRARIAN

Jean Chandler Smith

1918 - 1999

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3895 ARTIST

Bonnie MacLean

1939 - 2020

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3896 FOOTBALL

Alvin Mitchell (defensive back)

Born 1943

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3897 POLITICIAN

Ralph Remington

Born 1963

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3898 POLITICIAN

Joan Specter

Born 1934

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3899 POLITICIAN

Darrell L. Clarke

Born 1940

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3900 PAEDIATRICIAN

Earl Bradley

Born 1953

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