40.4418° N, 80.0008° W

PITTSBURGH

Most Famous People Born in Pittsburgh, United States

Notable people
2,110
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1938
Most distinctive
Baseball 6.2×

A steel city with an unusually literary bench — novelists, screenwriters, and musicians at the top, the legacy of Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh — alongside the expected baseball and basketball shelves. Pittsburgh's most famous son is Andy Warhol, with Gene Kelly, Gertrude Stein, Martha Graham, and Mary Cassatt a few shelves down; the philanthropic tradition is what happens when the Mellons, Fricks, and Carnegies all live on the same hill.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 233 notable births.

What Pittsburgh Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Football is Pittsburgh's biggest profession — 11% of all notables (242).

Pittsburgh over-indexes on baseball6.2× the global rate.

Pittsburgh under-produces painter — only 0.7× the global rate.

  1. Football242
  2. Politician193
  3. Actor176
  4. Baseball148
  5. Lawyer72
  6. Basket69
  7. Music64
  8. Writer52
  1. Baseball1486.2×
  2. Novelist253.0×
  3. Basket692.6×
  4. Screenwriter232.5×
  5. Officer302.2×
  6. Music642.1×
  7. Lawyer722.0×
  8. Business361.7×
  1. Painter370.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All2,110
Sort By

Showing 233 of 2,110 notable people

0010 GUITAR

George Benson

Born 1943

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0025 ARTIST

Tom Savini

Born 1946

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0031 PLAYWRIGHT

August Wilson

1945 - 2005

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0060 OFFICER

Michael Hayden (general)

Born 1945

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0072 POET

Annie Dillard

Born 1945

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0090 ACTOR

Ed O'Ross

Born 1949

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0093 ACTOR

Judith O'Dea

Born 1945

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0096 BIOLOGIST

Robert Weinberg

Born 1942

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0100 SONGWRITER

Syreeta Wright

1946 - 2004

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0104 PRIEST

Donald Wuerl

Born 1940

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0122 PSYCHOLOGIST

Sandra Bem

1944 - 2014

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0133 SINGER

Eric Andersen

Born 1943

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0158 CHEMIST

Stephen J. Lippard

Born 1940

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0165 ACTOR

Jennifer Darling

Born 1946

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0167 WRITER

Robert Munsch

Born 1945

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0173 POLITICIAN

Bob Filner

Born 1942

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0188 ACTOR

Lori Williams

Born 1946

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0203 ACTOR

Russell Streiner

Born 1940

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0210 SCREENWRITER

John Harrison (director)

Born 1948

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0237 ACTOR

Patti Deutsch

1943 - 2017

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0243 ACTOR

John Davidson (entertainer)

Born 1941

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0252 ACTOR

Richard LeParmentier

1946 - 2013

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0255 ACTOR

Judith McConnell

Born 1944

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0260 MATHEMATICIAN

Jeffrey Lagarias

Born 1949

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0266 PRODUCER

Russ Kunkel

Born 1948

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0267 MUSIC

Larry Junstrom

1949 - 2019

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0274 WRESTLER

Johnny Valiant

1946 - 2018

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0281 ACTOR

Joe Flaherty

Born 1941

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0307 MATHEMATICS

William Dunham (mathematician)

Born 1947

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0309 ACTOR

Frank DiLeo

1947 - 2011

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0312 COMEDIAN

Twink Caplan

Born 1947

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0317 MUSIC

Jimmy Ponder

1946 - 2013

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0323 LAWYER

John Roll

1947 - 2011

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0326 PLAYER

Carole Caldwell Graebner

1943 - 2008

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0334 ARTIST

Mel Bochner

Born 1940

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0339 JOURNALIST

Howard Fineman

Born 1948

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0348 POLITICIAN

Betsy McCaughey

Born 1948

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0354 THEOLOGIAN

Daniel A. Helminiak

Born 1942

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0359 FOOTBALL

Mercury Morris

Born 1947

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0403 PRIEST

Thomas Joseph Tobin

Born 1948

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0408 ASTRONAUT

Terry Hart

Born 1946

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0445 HISTORIAN

Ronald H. Spector

Born 1943

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0449 MUSIC

Roger Humphries

Born 1944

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0455 ACTOR

Judith Ridley

Born 1946

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0462 BASEBALL

Art Howe

Born 1946

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0465 ACTOR

Kiel Martin

1944 - 1990

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0472 MUSIC

Joe Grushecky

Born 1948

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0475 BASKET

Calvin Fowler

1940 - 2013

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0484 NOVELIST

Barbara Neely

1941 - 2020

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0495 PAINTER

Peter Young (artist)

Born 1940

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0496 ACTOR

John Amplas

Born 1949

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0500 BASEBALL

Sam McDowell

Born 1942

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0503 BASKET

Eddie Biedenbach

Born 1945

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0509 ASTRONOMER

J. Richard Fisher

Born 1943

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0513 ACTOR

Henry Polic II

1945 - 2013

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0527 ACADEMIC

Peter Molnar (geophysicist)

Born 1943

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0529 PAINTER

Richard Rappaport

Born 1944

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0531 MUSIC

Buzzy Linhart

1943 - 2020

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0535 AUTHOR

William F. Schulz

Born 1949

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0557 BASKET

Ken Durrett

1948 - 2001

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0591 NOVELIST

Iris Rainer Dart

Born 1944

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0618 MUSIC

Mickey Bass

Born 1943

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0630 FOOTBALL

Tony Liscio

1940 - 2017

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0637 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

James H. Morris

Born 1941

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0644 BIOLOGIST

Anita Roberts

1942 - 2006

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0660 COMPOSER

David Liptak

Born 1949

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0665 BASEBALL

Glenn Beckert

1940 - 2020

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0677 AUTHOR

John DeChancie

Born 1946

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0678 ACTOR

Pamela Payton-Wright

1941 - 2019

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0689 MATHEMATICIAN

Robert Miller Hardt

Born 1945

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0697 MUSIC

Allen Blairman

Born 1940

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0709 BASKET

Greg Howard (basketball)

Born 1948

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0723 ENVIRONMENTALIST

Charlene Spretnak

Born 1946

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0747 WRITER

Lee Gutkind

Born 1945

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0767 BASKET

Dick Bennett

Born 1943

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0773 LIBRARIAN

Judith Krug

1940 - 2009

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0775 MUSIC

Ernie Hawkins

Born 1947

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0785 ECONOMIST

Robert E. Forsythe

Born 1949

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0788 POLITICIAN

Thomas J. Murphy Jr.

Born 1944

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0789 BASKET

Moe Barr

Born 1944

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0792 LAWYER

D. Michael Fisher

Born 1944

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0822 COMPOSER

Richard Rudolph

Born 1946

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0842 SONGWRITER

Esteban (musician)

Born 1948

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0843 COMPOSER

Don Freund

Born 1947

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0848 NEWS PRESENTER

Chuck Scarborough

Born 1943

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0857 WRITER

Will Hobbs

Born 1947

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0858 KILLER

Lawrence Bittaker

1940 - 2019

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0860 SCIENTIST

Sylvia Edlund

1945 - 2014

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0862 WRITER

Bill Strickland

Born 1947

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0878 SINGER

Vivian Reed (musical theatre actress)

Born 1947

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0887 ACTOR

Lenora Nemetz

Born 1949

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0899 MUSIC

Christy Baron

Born 1949

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0913 POET

James Deahl

Born 1945

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0919 PRODUCER

Dino Fekaris

Born 1945

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0928 PHYSICIST

Norman Christ

Born 1943

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0929 WRITER

Philip Furia

1943 - 2019

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0941 BIOMEDICAL

Alois Langer

Born 1945

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0943 FINANCIER

Charles Brandes

Born 1943

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0953 HISTORIAN

Sara Alpern

Born 1942

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0961 WRITER

William Margolis

1944 - 2004

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0962 BUSINESS

Herbert M. Allison

1943 - 2013

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0980 FOOTBALL

Joe Bugel

1940 - 2020

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0983 WEIGHTLIFTER

Russell Knipp

1942 - 2006

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0992 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

David P. Dobkin

Born 1948

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1000 MUSIC

Robert K. Oermann

Born 1947

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1007 WRITER

George A. Burk

Born 1941

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1020 JUDGE

Susan J. Crawford

Born 1947

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1024 BIOLOGIST

John Heuser

Born 1942

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1026 LAWYER

David McKeague

Born 1946

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1047 FOOTBALL

Jack Maitland

Born 1948

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1050 HISTORIAN

Robert Somerville

Born 1940

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1051 FOOTBALL

Francis Peay

1944 - 2013

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1052 FOOTBALL

Jim Wilson (wrestler)

1942 - 2009

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1062 SCHOLAR

Raymond Winbush

Born 1948

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1080 PLAYER

Bob Stupak

1942 - 2009

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1085 ACTOR

Mel Novak

Born 1942

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1088 JOURNALIST

Bill Tush

Born 1948

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1096 SOCIOLOGIST

Shelton H. Davis

1942 - 2010

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1099 LAWYER

Max Baer (judge)

Born 1947

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1103 FILM

James Ursini

Born 1947

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1105 POLITICIAN

Sandra M. Pihos

Born 1946

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1108 NOVELIST

Gay Courter

Born 1944

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1111 ARTIST

Guy Diehl

Born 1949

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1112 MATHEMATICIAN

Jerome Goldstein

Born 1941

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1121 CONVICT

John Brennan Crutchley

1946 - 2002

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1129 LAWYER

Larry Lucchino

Born 1945

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1135 SCULPTOR

Linda Fleming

Born 1945

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1143 NOVELIST

Edward Cline

Born 1946

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1145 RESTAURATEUR

B. Smith

1949 - 2020

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1147 FOOTBALL

Jim Simon

Born 1940

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1158 PRIEST

William Fey

Born 1942

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1165 FOOTBALL

Jim Flanigan Sr.

Born 1945

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1195 POLITICIAN

Patti Anne Lodge

Born 1942

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1200 SPORT

Dennis Creehan

Born 1949

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1204 PHOTOGRAPHER

Kathy Grove

Born 1948

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1208 LAWYER

Paul Reiber

Born 1947

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1217 BASEBALL

Paul Schaal

1943 - 2017

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1218 LAWYER

Carol Los Mansmann

1942 - 2002

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1250 WRESTLER

Donna Christanello

1942 - 2011

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1253 WRITER

Elizabeth Neff Walker

Born 1944

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1256 JUDGE

Kenneth Francis Ripple

Born 1943

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1305 FOOTBALL

Paul Martha

Born 1942

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1308 GOLF

Kathy Ahern

1949 - 1996

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1309 LAWYER

Arthur J. Schwab

Born 1946

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1312 FOOTBALL

Bucky Pope

Born 1941

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1313 MARINE

William D. Morgan

1947 - 1969

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1315 MARKETING

Arch G. Woodside

Born 1943

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1319 NOVELIST

Ginjer Buchanan

Born 1944

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1320 POLITICIAN

Jim Brewster

Born 1947

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1343 RABBI

Barbara Aiello

Born 1947

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1350 WRITER

Mary Lowenthal Felstiner

Born 1941

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1352 POLITICIAN

Erroll Davis

Born 1944

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1360 ASTRONOMER

Karl W. Kamper

1941 - 1998

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1364 LAWYER

Jay Waldman

1944 - 2003

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1379 ARTIST

Malcolm Cochran

Born 1948

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1383 REPRESENTATIVE

Harry Readshaw

Born 1941

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1388 RADIO

Fritz Coleman

Born 1948

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1401 LAWYER

Thomas Scott (Florida judge)

Born 1948

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1427 POLITICIAN

Frank Smizik

Born 1944

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1428 CARTOONIST

Phil Frank

1943 - 2007

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1443 SONGWRITER

Chuck Pyle

1945 - 2015

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1447 FITNESS

Joan Carter

Born 1943

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1463 GEOLOGIST

Judith McKenzie

Born 1942

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1469 FOOTBALL

Dan Darragh

Born 1946

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1477 FOOTBALL

Roger Kochman

Born 1941

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1487 COMPOSER

David Berlin

Born 1943

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1490 MUSIC

Bill Lowe

Born 1946

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1493 BASEBALL

Don Shaw (baseball)

Born 1944

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1501 POLITICIAN

Frank Gigliotti

1942 - 2011

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1514 BASEBALL

Bob O'Brien

Born 1949

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1515 FLAUTIST

Bonita Boyd

Born 1949

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1525 LAWYER

Terrence F. McVerry

Born 1943

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1527 EXECUTIVE

Walter Arnheim

Born 1944

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1529 FOOTBALL

Bill Muir

Born 1942

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1530 BASEBALL

Tom Satriano

Born 1940

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1532 ARCHITECT

Louis D. Astorino

Born 1948

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1547 POLITICIAN

Michael Dawida

Born 1949

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1555 ECOLOGIST

Thomas Edward Lacher junior

Born 1949

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1558 BUSINESS

Wally Rhines

Born 1946

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1561 FOOTBALL

Jon Henderson

Born 1944

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1564 JUDGE

Edward J. Damich

Born 1948

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1588 FOOTBALL

Ralph Heck

Born 1941

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1597 LAWYER

Frank Donatelli

Born 1949

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1620 LAWYER

David W. Sweet

Born 1948

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1634 FOOTBALL

Hubie Bryant

Born 1946

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1657 MILITAR

Norman Marous

Born 1943

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1699 MATHEMATICIAN

Melvin Currie

Born 1948

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1702 MARINE

William R. Prom

1948 - 1969

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1721 REPORTER

John Steigerwald

Born 1948

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1728 ACTOR

William Tokarsky

Born 1948

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1738 POLITICIAN

Terry Van Horne

1946 - 2012

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1743 MUSIC

Jack Wright

Born 1942

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1745 BUSINESS

James F. Rothenberg

1946 - 2015

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1747 LAWYER

Michael T. Joyce

Born 1949

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1751 ARTIST

William Kolakoski

1944 - 1997

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1770 POLITICIAN

Michael P. Schaefer

1946 - 2013

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1771 SCHOLAR

Walter Harrison (university administrator)

Born 1946

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1778 POLITICIAN

William Russell Robinson

1942 - 2020

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1781 ARTIST

Jerry Harris

1945 - 2016

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1799 CYCLIST

Ken Kifer

1945 - 2003

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1806 COACH

Milan Vooletich

1941 - 2006

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1811 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Joseph G. Brimmeier

Born 1948

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1836 SURGEON

Larry Lemak

Born 1943

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1856 LAWYER

Bernard McGinley

Born 1946

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1862 TRADE UNION

Edward W. Rodzwicz

Born 1946

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1890 POLITICIAN

Robert F. Frazier

Born 1949

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1891 SURGEON

G. Michael Deeb

Born 1949

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1895 POLITICIAN

Thomas Tangretti

Born 1946

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1896 INVENTOR

Nathan Schulhof

Born 1949

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1897 BASEBALL

Guy Conti

Born 1942

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1906 POLITICIAN

James B. Kelly

Born 1941

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1913 CONGRESS

William J. Whalen III

1940 - 2006

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1916 POLITICIAN

Jay R. Wells

Born 1940

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1929 EXECUTIVE

Richard Rompala

Born 1947

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1935 BUSINESS

Edward P. Evans

1942 - 2010

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1943 ACTIVIST

Anne Pride

1942 - 1990

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1944 POLITICIAN

Joseph Rhodes Jr.

1947 - 2013

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1952 DESIGNER

Meredith Davis

Born 1948

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1958 WRITER

Ronald Caplan

Born 1945

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1962 POLITICIAN

Leonard Sweeney

Born 1943

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1966 NOVELIST

Charles Nelson (writer)

Born 1942

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1988 POLITICIAN

George F. Pott Jr.

1943 - 2001

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1995 FOOTBALL

William Tornabene

Born 1942

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2001 POLITICIAN

Don Hahnfeldt

1944 - 2017

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2004 POLITICIAN

Robert Horgos

Born 1948

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2010 ACADEMIC

Richard Kneedler

Born 1943

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2031 ARTIST

Robert Sands (artist)

Born 1943

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2037 POLITICIAN

Howard Forman

Born 1946

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2040 MUSIC

Madeleine Yayodele Nelson

1948 - 2018

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2083 LIBRARIAN

Patricia Barnett

Born 1942

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2089 OFFICER

Edward D. Sheafer Jr.

1940 - 2016

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2091 POLITICIAN

Kathy Parker

Born 1943

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2093 JOURNALIST

Paul Blair

1942 - 2011

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