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 206 of 2,110 notable people

0023 COMEDIAN

Dennis Miller

Born 1953

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0036 BUSINESS

Mark Cuban

Born 1958

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0037 BIOCHEMIST

Frances Arnold

Born 1956

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0038 ACTOR

Bill Nunn

1953 - 2016

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0050 ACTOR

Kevin Peter Hall

1955 - 1991

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0055 THEATRE

Peter Sellars

Born 1957

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0080 POLITICIAN

Tom Vilsack

Born 1950

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0112 ARTIST

Jim Shooter

Born 1951

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0123 GUITAR

Richard Lloyd (guitarist)

Born 1951

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0126 ORGANIST

Scott Ross (harpsichordist)

1951 - 1989

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0152 WRITER

Jeff Grubb

Born 1957

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0168 ECONOMIST

Robert Costanza

Born 1950

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0190 BUSINESS

Jeffrey Skilling

Born 1953

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0195 NOVELIST

Jerry Stahl

Born 1953

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0196 SCREENWRITER

Carl Macek

1951 - 2010

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0221 WRITER

Megan McDonald

Born 1959

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0227 ACTOR

Lori Cardille

Born 1954

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0231 FILM

Rowdy Herrington

Born 1951

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0239 BASEBALL

Buddy Bell

Born 1951

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0251 EDUCATION

John Hagelin

Born 1954

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0254 FILM

Steven M. Rales

Born 1951

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0262 MUSIC

Paul O'Dette

Born 1954

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0278 FOOTBALL

Randy White (American football)

Born 1953

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0318 MATHEMATICIAN

James Demmel

Born 1955

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0319 RADIO

Frank Gaffney

Born 1953

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0325 DRIVER

Chip Ganassi

Born 1958

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0327 DRUMMER

Bobby Blotzer

Born 1958

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0331 ACTOR

Harvey Friedman (actor)

Born 1959

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0335 BASKET

Maurice Lucas

1952 - 2010

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0346 ACTOR

James Widdoes

Born 1953

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0382 PRIEST

Bernard Hebda

Born 1959

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0400 MUSIC

Steve Nelson (vibraphonist)

Born 1954

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0433 CHOREOGRAPHER

Abby Lee Miller

Born 1950

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0440 ACTRESS

Lorelei King

Born 1953

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0443 MATHEMATICIAN

Joseph S. B. Mitchell

Born 1959

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0460 MANAGER

David Tepper

Born 1957

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0463 SCHOLAR

Raven Grimassi

1951 - 2019

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0468 FOOTBALL

Jim Haslett

Born 1955

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0489 POET

Mary Ruefle

Born 1952

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0518 MUSIC

Jimmy Thackery

Born 1953

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0530 BUSINESS

Phebe Novakovic

Born 1957

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0541 ART HISTORIAN

Joseph Koerner

Born 1958

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0543 FOOTBALL

Brian Baldinger

Born 1959

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0549 LAWYER

Paul McNulty

Born 1958

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0563 ACTOR

Kyra Schon

Born 1957

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0568 BUSINESS

Patricia A. Woertz

Born 1953

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0569 MANAGER

Susan Arnold

Born 1954

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0589 ACTOR

Caitlin Clarke

1952 - 2004

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0594 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Aaron Friedberg

Born 1956

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0605 BASKET

Ron Carter (basketball)

Born 1956

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0610 AUTHOR

Keith Donohue (novelist)

Born 1959

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0621 PRIEST

Edward J. Burns

Born 1957

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0628 BASKET

Mel Bennett

Born 1955

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0646 ACTOR

Lisa Emery

Born 1956

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0662 MUSIC

Bryan Bassett

Born 1954

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0672 DIVER

Richard Rydze

Born 1950

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0687 ART HISTORIAN

James S. Snyder

Born 1952

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0699 SONGWRITER

Jules Shear

Born 1952

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0710 WRITER

Ivan Misner

Born 1956

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0715 COMPOSER

Nancy Galbraith

Born 1951

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0716 NOVELIST

Andrea Hairston

Born 1952

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0722 FINANCIER

Stanley Druckenmiller

Born 1953

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0724 ECONOMIST

Douglas Holtz-Eakin

Born 1958

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0726 SINGER

Tawatha Agee

Born 1954

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0732 BASKET

Sam Clancy

Born 1958

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0750 TRADUCTRICE

Erika Abrams

Born 1952

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0755 ASTRONOMER

Robert S. McMillan (astronomer)

Born 1950

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0783 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Larry Merlo

Born 1956

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0800 ACTOR

Camden Toy

Born 1957

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0815 WRITER

Jeanne Marie Laskas

Born 1958

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0820 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

John Graham (policy analyst)

Born 1956

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0826 ARTIST

Ken Feingold

Born 1952

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0833 COMPOSER

Margot Rose

Born 1956

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0835 BILLIONAIRE

Mitchell Rales

Born 1956

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0836 SCREENWRITER

Steve Cuden

Born 1955

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0838 FOOTBALL

Chuck Fusina

Born 1957

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0846 POET

Lucie Brock-Broido

1956 - 2018

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0847 POLITICIAN

Bob Cranmer

Born 1956

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0886 PAINTER

Chuck Connelly

Born 1955

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0909 SCREENWRITER

David Kirkpatrick (producer)

Born 1951

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0925 POET

Susan Wheeler

Born 1955

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0945 COMMUNICATION

Victoria Clarke

Born 1959

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0950 SURGEON

Sandra Welner

1958 - 2001

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0958 POLITICIAN

Dom Costa

Born 1951

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0959 ECONOMIST

Edward B. Montgomery

Born 1955

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0971 WRITER

Greg Taylor (author)

Born 1951

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0978 BASEBALL

Bob Adams (first baseman)

Born 1952

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0979 POET

Joseph Bathanti

Born 1953

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0985 RACER

Erik Buell

Born 1950

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0986 LAWYER

Timothy K. Lewis

Born 1954

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0997 POLITICIAN

Jay Costa

Born 1957

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0999 LAWYER

Deborah L. Cook

Born 1952

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1003 POLITICIAN

Bill DeWeese

Born 1950

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1019 NOVELIST

Jewell Parker Rhodes

Born 1954

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1044 ACADEMIC

Ken Gormley (academic)

Born 1955

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1057 GENETICIST

Richard A. Young

Born 1954

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1061 MAGIC

Paul Gertner

Born 1953

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1063 COACH

Danny Smith (coach)

Born 1953

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1070 PAINTER

James Michalopoulos

Born 1953

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1071 ARTIST

James Dupree

Born 1950

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1073 DIPLOMAT

George A. Krol

Born 1956

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1083 PIANIST

John Rink

Born 1957

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1102 NOVELIST

Heather Terrell

Born 1951

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1110 PAINTER

Dean Mitchell

Born 1957

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1115 POLITICIAN

Dan Frankel

Born 1956

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1128 WRITER

Paula Martinac

Born 1954

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1130 ACTOR

Deborah Geffner

Born 1952

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1133 POET

Jan Beatty

Born 1952

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1139 ENTOMOLOGIST

David G. Heckel

Born 1953

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1141 JOURNALIST

Faith Daniels

Born 1957

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1152 FOOTBALL

David Logan (American football)

1956 - 1999

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1157 EDUCATION

Julieanna Richardson

Born 1954

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1159 LAWYER

Debra Cafaro

Born 1957

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1197 POLITICIAN

Joseph Markosek

Born 1950

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1201 PRIEST

Donald Francis Lippert

Born 1957

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1214 BUSINESS

Bob Froehlich

Born 1953

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1215 COACH

Rip Scherer

Born 1952

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1222 FOOTBALL

Steve Craig

Born 1951

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1225 SCULPTOR

Ralph Helmick

Born 1952

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1227 ACTOR

Gerald Anthony

1951 - 2004

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1234 PRODUCER

Janice Burgess

Born 1954

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1242 CHEMIST

Donna Blackmond

Born 1958

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1243 CERAMIST

Jody Mussoff

Born 1952

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1254 EXECUTIVE

Rich Fitzgerald

Born 1959

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1257 BASEBALL

Chip Lang

Born 1952

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1282 CRIMINOLOGIST

Joan Petersilia

1951 - 2019

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1285 PHOTOGRAPHER

Joan Marcus

Born 1953

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1288 FOOTBALL

John Babinecz

Born 1950

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1291 HISTORIAN

Raymond G. Stokes

Born 1956

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1297 ENTREPRENEUR

John P. Surma

Born 1954

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1314 SCULPTOR

Daphné Corregan

Born 1954

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1336 GOLF

Jim Simons (golfer)

1950 - 2005

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1347 ACTOR

John Gilbert Barrett

Born 1952

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1365 DANCER

Darcel Leonard Wynne

Born 1951

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1397 POLITICIAN

Garrett Richter

Born 1950

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1400 POET

Cecilia Woloch

Born 1956

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1415 ACADEMIC

John N. Thompson

Born 1951

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1416 POLITICIAN

Wayne D. Fontana

Born 1950

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1422 FILM

Lisa Katselas

Born 1959

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1457 LAWYER

Art Rooney II

Born 1952

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1461 LAWYER

David S. Cercone

Born 1952

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1473 JOURNALIST

Jay Mariotti

Born 1959

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1481 FOOTBALL

Bill Troup

1951 - 2013

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1491 ACTOR

Rick Rockwell

Born 1956

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1499 JUDGE

Elspeth B. Cypher

Born 1959

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1508 FOOTBALL

Craig Walls

Born 1958

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1513 SPORT

Kevin Colbert

Born 1957

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1517 ENTREPRENEUR

Mark DeSantis (businessman)

Born 1959

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1550 LAWYER

Mary Jane Bowes

Born 1954

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1562 GAMBLER

Bill Benter

Born 1957

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1571 GOLF

Mike Nicolette

Born 1956

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1596 EDUCATION

J. Keith Motley

Born 1956

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1610 OFFICER

Kenneth W. Hunzeker

Born 1952

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1615 CHEF

L. Timothy Ryan

Born 1958

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1616 NAVY

Barbara S. Pope

Born 1951

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1623 COMEDIAN

Jim Krenn

Born 1959

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1625 POLITICIAN

Ralph Kaiser

Born 1950

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1628 FOOTBALL

Bryant Salter

Born 1950

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1631 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Lisa Hook

Born 1958

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1637 POLITICIAN

Benoît Drèze

Born 1957

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1639 OFFICER

Harry E. Miller Jr.

Born 1958

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1640 JUDGE

Margaret Bartley

Born 1959

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1641 POLITICIAN

Thomas E. Flaherty

Born 1950

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1643 HOCKEY

Gerry O'Flaherty

Born 1950

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1679 POLITICIAN

David Mayernik

Born 1952

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1680 FOOTBALL

Mike Barnes (American football)

Born 1950

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1682 GENETICIST

William R. Jacobs Jr.

Born 1955

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1684 BASKET

Jim Bolla

Born 1952

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1690 FOOTBALL

Rich Lackner

Born 1956

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1692 JOURNALIST

Marty Griffin (journalist)

Born 1959

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1696 OFFICER

James W. Houck

Born 1958

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1697 BALLET

Brian Bullard

Born 1953

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1719 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jeffrey Gusky

Born 1953

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1730 ARTIST

Walter Steding

Born 1953

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1732 MILITAR

Regina McDonald

Born 1950

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1737 POLITICIAN

Randy Laverty

Born 1953

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1757 PLAYER

Danny Seemiller

Born 1954

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1776 COMPOSER

Cynthia Cozette Lee

Born 1953

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1827 JOURNALIST

Tom Squitieri

Born 1953

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1835 LAWYER

Philip A. Miscimarra

Born 1956

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1837 COACH

Kirk Talley (American football)

Born 1959

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1840 FOOTBALL

George Reihner

Born 1955

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1852 AIKIDO

Ellis Amdur

Born 1952

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1871 POLITICIAN

Frank Pistella

Born 1951

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1893 POLITICIAN

George Till

Born 1952

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1900 POLITICIAN

Stephen Grabowski

Born 1952

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1911 POLITICIAN

David B. Mitchell (police officer)

Born 1950

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1917 SPORT

Cathy Hamblin

Born 1953

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1921 POLITICIAN

Kenneth Jadlowiec

Born 1951

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1925 RESEARCH

James Falk

Born 1954

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1933 CEO

David Thornburgh

Born 1958

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1940 ROWER

Catherine Menges

Born 1952

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1959 POLITICIAN

John B. Hunt

Born 1956

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1964 ROWER

Bill Lang (rower)

Born 1956

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1999 MUSIC

Scott Earl Holman

Born 1954

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2011 RACE CAR

Rick Miaskiewicz

Born 1953

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2012 BASEBALL

Bob Veselic

1955 - 1995

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2025 NOVELIST

Anna Monardo

Born 1956

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2033 HORSE TRAINER

Timothy F. Ritchey

Born 1951

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2035 FOOTBALL

Ken Long

Born 1953

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2039 FOOTBALL

Frank Bucci

Born 1956

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2059 ACADEMIC

Charlene R. Nunley

Born 1950

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2075 SPORT

Neal Brendel

Born 1954

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2079 CONDUCTOR

James Bates (conductor)

1952 - 2014

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2098 FOOTBALL

Al Simpson

Born 1951

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2103 GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Rick Valicenti

Born 1951

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