41.7866° N, 71.5578° W

PROVIDENCE

Most Famous People Born in Providence, United States

Notable people
736
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1927
Most distinctive
Bank 5.8×

Providence's Bank bench is what's left of the old Rhode Island mercantile and textile fortunes that built Federal Hill and the Brown family empire, with a Lawyer class drawn from the same patrician pipeline. The Baseball count reaches back to the Providence Grays of the 1880s, while a modern RISD-and-Brown creative vein runs through the Music and Screenwriter lines — Damien Chazelle and a thick seam of film composers.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 86 notable births.

What Providence Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Providence's biggest profession — 16% of all notables (116).

Providence over-indexes on bank5.8× the global rate.

Providence under-produces football — only 0.3× the global rate.

  1. Politician116
  2. Lawyer54
  3. Actor50
  4. Baseball39
  5. Football22
  6. Music20
  7. Writer17
  8. Painter17
  1. Bank75.8×
  2. Baseball394.7×
  3. Lawyer544.2×
  4. Boxer82.7×
  5. Officer112.3×
  6. Screenwriter72.2×
  7. Diplomat92.1×
  8. Music201.9×
  1. Football220.3×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1700175018001850190019502000
  • Politics & Law
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Writing
  • Music
  • Science
  • Other
All736
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736 notable people

0301 POLITICIAN

Charles J. Fogarty

Born 1955

Preview
0302 POLITICIAN

Elijah Babbitt

1795 - 1887

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0303 BOXER

Kali Reis

Born 1986

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0304 HOCKEY

Paul Guay

Born 1963

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0305 WRITER

Sylvester Mowry

1830 - 1871

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0306 PAINTER

Eugene Kingman

1909 - 1975

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0307 WRITER

David Kessler (writer)

Born 1959

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0308 PHYSICIAN

William B. Greenough III

Born 1932

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0309 BOXER

Joey Archibald

1914 - 1998

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0310 OFFICER

Harold G. Bowen Sr.

1883 - 1965

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0311 POLITICIAN

William S. Flynn

1885 - 1966

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0312 ILLUSTRATOR

Tom Adams (illustrator)

1926 - 2019

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0313 FOOTBALL

Steve Furness

1950 - 2000

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0314 ACTOR

Paul Michael

1927 - 2011

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0315 HOCKEY

Gerald Kilmartin

1927 - 1970

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0316 METEOROLOGIST

Hurd Curtis Willett

1903 - 1992

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0317 COMPOSER

David Snow (composer)

Born 1954

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0318 SWIMMER

Clara LaMore

Born 1926

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0319 LAWYER

Frank Caprio (judge)

Born 1936

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0320 POLITICIAN

Deedee Corradini

1944 - 2015

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0321 POLITICIAN

Richard Jackson Jr.

1764 - 1838

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0322 PHILOSOPHER

James Francis Ross

1931 - 2010

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0323 BOXER

Harold Gomes

Born 1933

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0324 MUSIC

Eddie Zack

1922 - 2002

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0325 BOTANIST

George Thurber

1821 - 1890

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0326 JUDGE

Lucien Cardin

1919 - 1988

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0327 LAWYER

Caleb Baker

1762 - 1849

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0328 JUDGE

David O. Carter

Born 1944

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0329 LAWYER

Brendan Sullivan

Born 1942

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0330 MUSIC

Bruce Gertz

Born 1952

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0331 POLITICAL

Pat LaMarche

Born 1960

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0332 LAWYER

Bernard Jackvony

Born 1945

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0333 SURGEON

Kevin R. Stone

Born 1955

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0334 ARCHITECT

Chester Holmes Aldrich

1871 - 1940

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0335 JOURNALIST

Arlene Croce

Born 1934

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0336 JOURNALIST

Mildred Aldrich

1853 - 1928

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0337 ACTOR

Sammy White (actor)

1894 - 1960

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0338 POLITICIAN

William Walaska

1946 - 2017

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0339 LAWYER

George B. Francis

1883 - 1967

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0340 POLITICIAN

Arthur W. Dennis

1846 - 1920

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0341 LAWYER

William Donnison Ford

1779 - 1833

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0342 LAWYER

John Lynch (Pennsylvania)

1843 - 1910

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0343 SINGER

Theo Martins

Born 1987

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0344 POLITICIAN

Clarence G. Burton

1886 - 1982

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0345 BOXER

Matt Godfrey

Born 1981

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0346 POLITICIAN

Richard A. Licht

Born 1948

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0347 POLITICIAN

Thomas R. DiLuglio

Born 1931

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0348 AUTHOR

Robert Ellis Smith

1940 - 2018

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0349 PHYSICIAN

Rita Charon

Born 1949

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0350 ACTOR

Sam Daly

Born 1984

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0351 JOURNALIST

Mark Ebner

Born 1959

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0352 LAWYER

Paul J. Barbadoro

Born 1955

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0353 NOVELIST

David Plante

Born 1940

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0354 CONDUCTOR

Charles Ansbacher

1942 - 2010

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0355 FOOTBALL

Joe Osmanski

1917 - 1993

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0356 ARTISTE

Gavin Russom

Born 1974

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0357 MILITAR

George Andrews (adjutant general)

1850 - 1928

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0358 COLLECTOR

John Nicholas Brown I

1861 - 1900

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0359 LYRICIST

Gordon Clifford (lyricist)

1902 - 1968

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0360 ENTREPRENEUR

William Hamlin

1772 - 1869

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0361 ARTIST

Stuart Sherman (artist)

1945 - 2001

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0362 MARTIAL ART

Andre Soukhamthath

Born 1988

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0363 SKIER

Martha Rockwell

Born 1944

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0364 POLITICIAN

Frank T. Caprio

Born 1966

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0365 PHYSICIAN

Solomon Drowne

1753 - 1834

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0366 SAILOR

Louisa Chafee

Born 1991

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0367 OFFICER

William Henry Allen

1784 - 1813

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0368 PRIEST

William Stevens Perry

1832 - 1898

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0369 MUSIC

Brad Barr

Born 1975

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0370 POLITICIAN

Thomas A. Doyle (mayor)

1827 - 1886

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0371 MAGIC

Walter Irving Scott

1895 - 1995

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0372 WRITER

Aaron Fricke

Born 1962

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0373 POLITICIAN

Giovanni Folcarelli

1926 - 1982

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0374 MILITAR

Leon J. LaPorte

Born 1946

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0375 BANK

David Nason

Born 1970

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0376 LAWYER

Albert Gorton Greene

1802 - 1868

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0377 RADIO

Angelo Cataldi

Born 1951

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0378 TEACHER

Barbara Henry

Born 1932

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0379 PHILOLOGIST

Eleanor Winsor Leach

1937 - 2018

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0380 JOURNALIST

Mary Cantwell

1930 - 2000

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0381 POLITICIAN

Joseph McNamara (Rhode Island politician)

Born 1950

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0382 COMEDIAN

Tom Cotter (comedian)

Born 1963

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0383 ACADEMIC

Harvey N. Davis

1881 - 1952

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0384 POET

Timothy Donnelly

Born 1969

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0385 EDUCATOR

Sarah Elizabeth Doyle

1830 - 1922

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0386 JUDO

Alex Ottiano

Born 1976

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0387 NOVELIST

Susan Wilson

Born 1951

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0388 FILM

Michael Langan

Born 1984

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0389 PRIEST

Ernest Bertrand Boland

Born 1925

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0390 BASEBALL

Ed Daily

1862 - 1891

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0391 POLITICIAN

Nicholas Mattiello

Born 1963

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0392 DIPLOMAT

James Goodby

Born 1929

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0393 SWIMMER

John Higgins (swimmer)

1916 - 2004

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0394 THEOLOGIAN

Job Scott

1751 - 1793

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0395 PRIEST

Francis Xavier Roque

1928 - 2019

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0396 LAWYER

Arlene Violet

Born 1943

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0397 POET

Mildred Barker

1897 - 1990

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0398 LAWYER

Patrick Lynch (Rhode Island attorney general)

Born 1965

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0399 HOCKEY

Tim Regan (ice hockey)

Born 1949

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0400 SINGER

Paul Geremia

Born 1944

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0401 THEOLOGIAN

Edwards Amasa Park

1808 - 1900

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0402 SOLDIER

Israel Angell

1740 - 1832

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0403 MUSIC

Reuben Phillips (musician)

1920 - 1974

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0404 POLITICIAN

Peter Palumbo (politician)

Born 1961

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0405 WORKER

Seth Luther

1795 - 1863

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0406 PAINTER

Marcus Waterman

1834 - 1914

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0407 OFFICER

Godfrey Chevalier

1889 - 1922

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0408 PAINTER

Charles De Wolf Brownell

1822 - 1909

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0409 EDITOR

Paul Allen (editor)

1775 - 1826

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0410 ENVIRONMENTALIST

Dorothy Stowe

1920 - 2010

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0411 ACTOR

Edwin R. Phillips

1872 - 1915

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0412 COLLECTOR

Lucy Aldrich

1869 - 1955

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0413 PHILOLOGIST

Morris H. Morgan

1859 - 1910

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0414 MUSIC

John Dwyer (musician)

Born 1974

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0415 POLITICIAN

Raymond Gallison

Born 1952

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0416 FOOTBALL

Pard Pearce

1896 - 1974

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0417 POLITICAL

Tad Devine

Born 1955

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0418 COMPOSER

Mike Renzi

Born 1946

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0419 PAINTER

Maxwell Mays

1918 - 2009

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0420 GANGSTER

Raymond Patriarca Jr.

Born 1945

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0421 POLITICIAN

Joshua Miller (politician)

Born 1954

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0422 MUSIC

Dick Meldonian

1930 - 2017

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0423 THEORIST

Anne Marie Schleiner

Born 1970

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0424 ACTOR

Ida James

1920 - 1986

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0425 SCREENWRITER

Anthony Cipriano

Born 1975

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0426 BASEBALL

Andy Coakley

1882 - 1963

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0427 POLITICIAN

Michael McCaffrey

Born 1963

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0428 DIPLOMAT

Frederick Irving

1921 - 2016

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0429 ACADEMIC

Simon Ostrach

1923 - 2017

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0430 MUSIC

Frank Paparelli

1917 - 1973

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0431 WRITER

Peter Pezzelli

Born 1959

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0432 POLITICIAN

Michael Chippendale

Born 1969

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0433 MILITAR

Lyman W.V. Kennon

1858 - 1918

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0434 PAINTER

John Edward Costigan

1888 - 1972

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0435 LAWYER

Ann Aldrich

1927 - 2010

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0436 POLITICIAN

Daniel Owen (Rhode Island)

1732 - 1812

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0437 ROWER

Anders Weiss

Born 1992

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0438 IMMUNOLOGIST

Merrill Chase

1905 - 2004

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0439 ARCHITECT

Ira Rakatansky

1919 - 2014

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0440 ENVIRONMENTALIST

Irving Stowe

1915 - 1974

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0441 ENTREPRENEUR

Bill Godbout

1939 - 2018

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0442 MUSIC

Eric Paul

Born 1974

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0443 EDITOR

Edwin Monroe Bacon

1844 - 1916

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0444 BANK

Charles K. Gifford

Born 1942

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0445 GOLF

Brad Adamonis

Born 1973

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0446 SONGWRITER

Samuel N. Mitchell

1846 - 1905

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0447 COMPOSER

Bruce MacCombie

1943 - 2012

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0448 BOTANIST

Jane Boit Patten

1869 - 1964

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0449 ACTOR

Les Damon

1908 - 1962

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0450 BOXER

Gary Balletto

Born 1975

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0451 ACTOR

Dorothy Lovett

1915 - 1998

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0452 POLITICIAN

John DeSimone

Born 1960

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0453 PHILOLOGIST

Barbara P. McCarthy

1904 - 1988

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0454 BACTERIOLOGIST

Frederic Poole Gorham

1871 - 1933

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0455 JUDO

Katelyn Bouyssou

Born 1994

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0456 WRITER

Goold Brown

1791 - 1857

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0457 FOOTBALL

Ryan Maduro

Born 1986

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0458 POLITICIAN

Frank Ciccone

Born 1947

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0459 POLITICIAN

Robert Jacquard

Born 1958

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0460 PAINTER

Frederic Whitaker

1891 - 1980

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0461 ACTOR

Matt McCarthy (comedian)

Born 1979

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0462 PROFESSOR

Allen W. Phillips

1922 - 2011

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0463 PHILANTHROPIST

Harold Brown (Rhode Island)

1863 - 1900

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0464 POLITICIAN

Michael Marcello

Born 1968

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0465 ILLUSTRATOR

Augustus Hoppin

1828 - 1896

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0466 FOOTBALL

Al Del Greco

Born 1962

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0467 BANK

Robert Hale Ives Goddard

1837 - 1916

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0468 WRESTLER

Knuckles Nelson

Born 1963

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0469 ASTRONOMER

Peter McCullough

Born 1964

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0470 FOOTBALL

Nico Colaluca

Born 1986

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0471 PAINTER

Maggie Siner

-

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0472 PRIEST

George Burgess (bishop)

1809 - 1866

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0473 THEATRE

Howard Fine

Born 1958

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0474 GOLF

Bob Eastwood

Born 1946

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0475 WRITER

Frederick William Thomas (writer)

1806 - 1866

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0476 MUSIC

Gavin Rayna Russom

Born 1974

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0477 POLITICIAN

Maryellen Goodwin

Born 1964

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0478 POLITICIAN

Dominick J. Ruggerio

Born 1948

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0479 COMIC

Keith Champagne

Born 1970

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0480 FILM

George R. Batcheller

1892 - 1938

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0481 ARTIST

D Prosper

-

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0482 POLITICIAN

Mary Pat Clarke

Born 1941

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0483 NURSE

Soenghyang

Born 1948

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0484 MARTIAL ART

Sean Soriano

Born 1989

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0485 PHILOLOGIST

Charles E. Bennett (scholar)

1858 - 1921

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0486 TELEVISION

Leila Feinstein

Born 1972

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0487 PAINTER

Herbert Fink

1921 - 2006

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0488 POLITICIAN

Daniel Da Ponte

Born 1978

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0489 BUSINESS

Richard Gingras

Born 1952

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0490 POLITICIAN

Paul Fogarty

Born 1957

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0491 ENGINEER

Frank E. Winsor

1870 - 1939

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0492 WRITER

Jean McGarry

Born 1948

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0493 POLITICIAN

Aldo Tatangelo

1913 - 2008

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0494 POLITICIAN

Paul Jabour

Born 1956

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0495 LAWYER

John J. McConnell Jr.

Born 1958

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0496 LAWYER

John Pitman (judge)

1785 - 1864

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0497 STUNT

Steve Trotter

Born 1962

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0498 BASEBALL

Tom Lovett

1863 - 1928

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0499 SCREENWRITER

Daniel Farrands

Born 1969

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0500 WRITER

James Mason Hoppin

1820 - 1906

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0501 POLITICIAN

Gary Lambert (politician)

Born 1959

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0502 BASEBALL

Ray Jarvis (baseball)

1946 - 2020

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0503 ATTORNEY

Annette Nazareth

Born 1956

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0504 POLITICIAN

Thomas C. Slater

1945 - 2009

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0505 POLITICIAN

Walter R. Danforth

1787 - 1861

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0506 FOOTBALL

Bill Sandeman

Born 1942

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0507 POLITICIAN

Thomas M. Burgess

1806 - 1856

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0508 POLITICIAN

Frank Lombardi

-

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0509 DEPUTY

Joseph Whipple Jr.

1687 - 1750

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0510 BASEBALL

Scott Stratton

1869 - 1939

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0511 PLAYER

Harry Cicma

Born 1982

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0512 POLITICIAN

Thomas Winfield

Born 1963

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0513 SCIENTIST

John Osborne Austin

1849 - 1918

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0514 JUDGE

Joseph A. Bevilacqua Sr.

1918 - 1989

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0515 WRITER

Elizabeth Pepper

1923 - 2005

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0516 PROSTITUTE

Richard Holcomb

Born 1976

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0517 ACTOR

Harry Clark (actor)

1910 - 1956

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0518 POLITICIAN

Elaine Coderre

Born 1947

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0519 BASEBALL

Pat Duff

1875 - 1925

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0520 OCEANOGRAPHER

Harry Bryden

Born 1946

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0521 FILM

Donald Kushner

Born 1945

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0522 BASEBALL

Joe Mulvey

1858 - 1928

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0523 COMPOSER

Henry Lodge (musicien)

1885 - 1933

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0524 LAWYER

Joseph R. Paolino Jr.

Born 1955

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0525 POLITICIAN

Thomas Palangio

Born 1962

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0526 OFFICER

Edgar Chandler (minister)

1904 - 1988

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0527 LAWYER

Joe Cavanagh

Born 1948

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0528 FOOTBALL

Paul Briggs (American football)

1920 - 2011

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0529 SINGER

Steve Nardella

Born 1948

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0530 ACTIVIST

Maurice Davis

1921 - 1993

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0531 ACTOR

Zoë Chao

-

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0532 DEPUTY

Daniel Abbott

1682 - 1760

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0533 ARCHITECT

Frank W. Angell

1852 - 1943

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0534 PASTOR

Rolf McPherson

1913 - 2009

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0535 OFFICER

Joseph Pope Balch

1822 - 1872

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0536 BANK

Henry Rodman Barker

1841 - 1901

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0537 GOLF

Patrick Sheehan (golfer)

Born 1969

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0538 LAWYER

William P. Robinson III

-

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0539 ACTOR

Ruth Shepley

1892 - 1951

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0540 ACADEMIC

Joseph Clark Hoppin

1870 - 1925

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0541 SCHOLAR

Cedric Whitman

1916 - 1979

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0542 BASEBALL

John Flynn (baseball)

1883 - 1935

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0543 POLITICIAN

Robert Q. Crane

1926 - 2018

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0544 OFFICER

George Lippitt Andrews

1828 - 1920

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0545 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Louis B. Mendelsohn

-

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0546 RADIO

George Lovejoy Rockwell

1889 - 1978

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0547 BASEBALL

Art Quirk

1938 - 2014

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0548 BASEBALL

Fabio Milano

Born 1977

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0549 POLITICIAN

Joe Polisena

Born 1954

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0550 SPORT

Hope Goddard Iselin

1868 - 1970

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0551 PLAYER

Russ Ekeblad

1946 - 2018

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0552 ENTREPRENEUR

Everett M. "Busy" Arnold

1899 - 1974

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0553 POLITICIAN

Eileen S. Naughton

Born 1945

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0554 FINANCIER

Bradley S. Jacobs

Born 1956

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0555 POLITICIAN

Deb Ruggiero

Born 1958

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0556 PHOTOGRAPHER

Kalliope Amorphous

Born 1978

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0557 LAWYER

Herbert F. DeSimone

1929 - 2013

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0558 SINGER

Eden White

Born 1970

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0559 PSYCHOLOGIST

Carol Fowler

Born 1949

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0560 FOOTBALL

Isaac Angking

Born 2000

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0561 GANGSTER

Gerard Ouimette

1940 - 2015

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0562 FOOTBALL

Ray Monaco

1918 - 2002

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0563 ACTOR

Jack Andreozzi

Born 1939

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0564 MATHEMATICIAN

Robert I. Jewett

Born 1937

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0565 FINANCIER

Jonathan M. Nelson

Born 1956

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0566 MILITAR

John Baca

Born 1949

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0567 LAWYER

Mary M. Lisi

Born 1950

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0568 POLICE

Derrick Levasseur

Born 1984

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0569 POLITICIAN

Joe Trillo

Born 1943

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0570 ACTOR

Steven McElroy

Born 1966

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0571 SWIMMER

Tammy Hazleton

Born 1947

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0572 PAINTER

Walter Francis Brown

1853 - 1929

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0573 POLITICIAN

Sherry Appleton

Born 1942

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0574 MARINE

Harry Kizirian

1925 - 2002

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0575 POLITICIAN

Leanna Brown

1935 - 2016

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0576 POET

Jeanpaul Ferro

Born 1967

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0577 POLITICIAN

Ryan W. Pearson

Born 1988

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0578 MYCOLOGIST

Margaret Church

1889 - 1976

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0579 CEO

Curtis Carlson

Born 1945

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0580 LAWYER

Edward McEntee

1906 - 1981

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0581 FOOTBALL

Earl Audet

1921 - 2002

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0582 BASKET

Jonathan McClark

Born 1977

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0583 SKATER

Colin Grafton

Born 1991

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0584 JOURNALIST

Sylvia Poggioli

Born 1946

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0585 SERIAL KILLER

Stephen Morin

1951 - 1985

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0586 LAWYER

Gilbert V. Indeglia

Born 1941

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0587 FILM

Tara Hurley

Born 1976

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0588 LAWYER

Francis Flaherty (judge)

Born 1947

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0589 MISSING

Steven Leath

Born 1957

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0590 LAWYER

John Power Knowles

1808 - 1887

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0591 OFFICER

Edward A. Gisburne

1892 - 1955

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0592 BASKET

Joe Zabilski

1917 - 2002

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0593 POLITICIAN

Steven M. Costantino

Born 1957

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0594 PHOTOGRAPHER

Gail Thacker

Born 1959

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0595 ACTOR

Mark Morettini

Born 1962

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0596 LAWYER

Edward P. Gallogly

1919 - 1995

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0597 ARCHITECT

D. Thomas Russillo

1902 - 1980

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0598 BASEBALL

Billy Kinloch

1874 - 1931

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0599 BUSINESS

Louis F. Menage

1850 - 1924

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0600 COACH

Bill MacDermott

1936 - 2016

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