43.0497° N, 87.9501° W

MILWAUKEE

Most Famous People Born in Milwaukee, United States

Notable people
1,210
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1940
Most distinctive
Baseball 5.0×

Milwaukee's bench leans hard on mid-century brains and beer-league sport: a thick Baseball and Basket cohort traces back to the Braves-then-Brewers years and Marquette's old basketball powerhouse, while an outsized Lawyer class reflects the Gilded Age German-American legal scene that eventually sent a chief justice to the Supreme Court. The quieter Film vein belongs to the studio-era screenwriters and directors who filtered up through Chicago on their way to Hollywood.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 140 notable births.

What Milwaukee Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Milwaukee's biggest profession — 12% of all notables (148).

Milwaukee over-indexes on baseball5.0× the global rate.

  1. Politician148
  2. Football111
  3. Actor82
  4. Baseball69
  5. Lawyer69
  6. Basket62
  7. Writer31
  8. Film29
  1. Baseball695.0×
  2. Basket624.1×
  3. Lawyer693.3×
  4. Officer182.3×
  5. Film291.9×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1850187519001925195019752000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Science
  • Writing
  • Music
  • Other
All1,210
Sort By

1,210 notable people

0001 ACTOR

Spencer Tracy

1900 - 1967

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0002 ACTOR

Gene Wilder

1933 - 2016

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0003 MATHEMATICIAN

Donald Knuth

Born 1938

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0004 ECONOMIST

Herbert A. Simon

1916 - 2001

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0005 SINGER

Al Jarreau

1940 - 2017

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0006 ACTOR

Heather Graham

Born 1970

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0007 HISTORIAN

George F. Kennan

1904 - 2005

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0008 JUDGE

William Rehnquist

1924 - 2005

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0009 ACTOR

Jane Kaczmarek

Born 1955

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0010 KILLER

Jeffrey Dahmer

1960 - 1994

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0011 ACTOR

Charlotte Rae

1926 - 2018

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0012 FOOTBALL

Colin Kaepernick

Born 1987

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0013 ACTOR

Rachel Brosnahan

Born 1990

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0014 SCREENWRITER

Dan Harmon

Born 1973

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0015 CONDUCTOR

Woody Herman

1913 - 1987

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0016 ACTOR

Pat O'Brien (actor)

1899 - 1983

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0017 ACTOR

David Giuntoli

Born 1980

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0018 POLITICIAN

Jim Risch

Born 1943

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0019 WRITER

Peter Straub

Born 1943

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0020 WRITER

Neale Donald Walsch

Born 1943

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0021 FILM

David Zucker (director)

Born 1947

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0022 FILM

John Ridley

Born 1965

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0023 BASEBALL

Bob Uecker

Born 1935

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0024 GUITAR

Steve Miller (musician)

Born 1943

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0025 PHYSICIST

David J. Wineland

Born 1944

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0026 FILM

Jerry Zucker

Born 1950

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0027 ACTOR

Eric Szmanda

Born 1975

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0028 PSYCHOLOGIST

Robert Cialdini

Born 1945

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0029 STATESMAN

Lawrence Eagleburger

1930 - 2011

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0030 SCIENCE

Cordwainer Smith

1913 - 1966

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0031 ACTOR

Judy Tyler

1932 - 1957

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0032 JOURNALIST

Jeremy Scahill

Born 1974

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0033 ACTOR

Nancy Olson

Born 1928

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0034 NOVELIST

Jack Finney

1911 - 1995

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0035 MUSIC

Andy Hurley

Born 1980

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0036 STOCKBROKER

Chris Gardner

Born 1954

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0037 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Ronald Inglehart

Born 1934

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0038 BIOCHEMIST

Thomas A. Steitz

1940 - 2018

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0039 SINGER

Tank (American singer)

Born 1976

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0040 REPRESENTATIVE

Les Aspin

1938 - 1995

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0041 ACTOR

Brad Rowe (actor)

Born 1970

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0042 SINGER

Leland Sklar

Born 1947

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0043 ACTOR

Paul Shenar

1936 - 1989

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0044 FILM

David Lowery (director)

Born 1980

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0045 GUITAR

Daryl Stuermer

Born 1952

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0046 CHOREOGRAPHER

John Neumeier

Born 1939

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0047 FILM

Brittany Andrews

Born 1973

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0048 ACTOR

Alfred Lunt

1892 - 1977

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0049 OFFICER

Hoyt Vandenberg

1899 - 1954

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0050 SINGER

Julia Holter

Born 1984

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0051 COMPOSER

Herbert Stothart

1885 - 1949

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0052 FILM

George Tillman Jr.

Born 1969

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0053 WRESTLER

Candice Michelle

Born 1978

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0054 POLITICIAN

Herb Kohl

Born 1935

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0055 ACTOR

Jacob Latimore

Born 1996

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0056 PSYCHOLOGIST

Neal E. Miller

1909 - 2002

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0057 PRODUCER

Jerry Harrison

Born 1949

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0058 WRESTLER

Austin Aries

Born 1978

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0059 SOCIOLOGIST

Jeffrey C. Alexander

Born 1947

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0060 FILM

Michael Schultz

Born 1938

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0061 BASEBALL

Al Simmons

1902 - 1956

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0062 ACTOR

Lamont Bentley

1973 - 2005

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0063 ACTOR

Pamela Britton

1923 - 1974

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0064 ACTOR

Eduard Franz

1902 - 1983

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0065 WRITER

Mildred Harnack

1902 - 1943

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0066 SCREENWRITER

Abner Biberman

1909 - 1977

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0067 BUSINESS

Walter Annenberg

1908 - 2002

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0068 ACTOR

Kelly McCreary

Born 1981

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0069 SINGER

Danny Gokey

Born 1980

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0070 BASEBALL

Bud Selig

Born 1934

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0071 ACTOR

Ray "Crash" Corrigan

1902 - 1976

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0072 FILM

Richard Schickel

1933 - 2017

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0073 SPRINT

Alvin Kraenzlein

1876 - 1928

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0074 PSYCHOLOGIST

Floyd Henry Allport

1890 - 1979

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0075 MUSIC

Glenn Yarbrough

1930 - 2016

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0076 COMPOSER

Heinz Roemheld

1901 - 1985

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0077 POLITICIAN

Pete Stark

1931 - 2020

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0078 FILM

James Benning (film director)

Born 1942

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0079 FILM

Walter Grauman

1922 - 2015

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0080 ACTOR

Amy Pietz

Born 1969

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0081 ACTOR

Alia Janine

Born 1978

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0082 DIPLOMAT

Robert Daniel Murphy

1894 - 1978

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0083 BASKET

Devin Harris

Born 1983

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0084 BASKET

Kevon Looney

Born 1996

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0085 ENTOMOLOGIST

William Morton Wheeler

1865 - 1937

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0086 ARTIST

Sadie Benning

Born 1973

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0087 POLITICIAN

Glenn Grothman

Born 1955

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0088 POLITICIAN

Bob Kasten

Born 1942

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0089 THERAPIST

Steve de Shazer

1940 - 2005

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0090 PRELATE

Aloisius Joseph Muench

1889 - 1962

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0091 ACTRESS

Paris Berelc

Born 1998

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0092 BASKET

Dwight Buycks

Born 1989

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0093 LAWYER

David Fromkin

1932 - 2017

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0094 BASKET

Diamond Stone

Born 1997

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0095 FILM

Joseph Anthony

1912 - 1993

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0096 ENGINEER

Lloyd Berkner

1905 - 1967

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0097 FOOTBALL

Matt Polster

Born 1993

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0098 ACTOR

Aidra Fox

Born 1995

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0099 BASKET

Vander Blue

Born 1992

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0100 ACTOR

Robert Easton (actor)

1930 - 2011

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0101 AUTHOR

Donn F. Draeger

1922 - 1982

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0102 PHOTOGRAPHER

Dickey Chapelle

1919 - 1965

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0103 WRITER

Marguerite Henry

1902 - 1997

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0104 MUSIC

Gordon Gano

Born 1963

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0105 HOCKEY

Alex Galchenyuk

Born 1994

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0106 MARTIAL ART

Rose Namajunas

Born 1992

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0107 PLAYER

Tim Smyczek

Born 1987

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0108 AUTHOR

Mark Dice

Born 1977

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0109 CRIMINAL

Arthur Bremer

Born 1950

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0110 FILM

Tom Cross (film editor)

-

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0111 BASKET

Diante Garrett

Born 1988

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0112 POLITICIAN

John G. Schmitz

1930 - 2001

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0113 COMPOSER

Otto Luening

1900 - 1996

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0114 COMPOSER

Michael Torke

Born 1961

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0115 ATHLETIC

Kenny Harrison

Born 1965

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0116 PSYCHIATRIST

Abraham J. Twerski

Born 1930

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0117 WRITER

Jack Ritchie

1922 - 1983

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0118 AUTHOR

Raymond A. Palmer

1910 - 1977

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0119 ACTOR

Chip Zien

Born 1947

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0120 ACTOR

Aimee Graham

Born 1971

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0121 SINGER

James Chance

Born 1956

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0122 MARTIAL ART

Anthony Pettis

Born 1987

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0123 BASKET

Marcus Landry

Born 1985

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0124 PRELATE

Albert Gregory Meyer

1903 - 1965

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0125 ACTOR

Marc Alaimo

Born 1942

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0126 TRACK AND FIELD

Andre Phillips

Born 1959

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0127 PLAYER

Frank Parker

1916 - 1997

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0128 MATHEMATICIAN

R. Tyrrell Rockafellar

Born 1935

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0129 BASKET

Latrell Sprewell

Born 1970

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0130 POLITICIAN

Lee S. Dreyfus

1926 - 2008

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0131 SCREENWRITER

William Bast

1931 - 2015

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0132 POLICE

Bernardine Dohrn

Born 1942

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0133 PHILOSOPHER

Marjorie Grene

1910 - 2009

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0134 HOCKEY

Drew Stafford

Born 1985

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0135 DESIGNER

Morris Fuller Benton

1872 - 1948

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0136 PAINTER

Carl von Marr

1858 - 1936

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0137 ACTOR

Greg Eagles

Born 1970

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0138 PROFESSOR

Edwin N. Lightfoot

1925 - 2017

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0139 POLITICIAN

Bart Stupak

Born 1952

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0140 BASKET

Anthony Carter

Born 1975

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0141 BIOLOGIST

Daniel H. Janzen

Born 1939

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0142 DESIGNER

Brooks Stevens

1911 - 1995

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0143 LAW

David Clarke (sheriff)

Born 1956

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0144 POLITICIAN

Wilbur J. Cohen

1913 - 1987

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0145 ASTRONAUT

Leroy Chiao

Born 1960

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0146 CRIMINOLOGIST

George L. Kelling

1935 - 2019

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0147 ENGINEER

William S. Harley

1880 - 1943

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0148 ACTOR

Salome Jens

Born 1935

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0149 ACTOR

Deidre Hall

Born 1947

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0150 FILM

Don Weis

1922 - 2000

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0151 LAWYER

Abner Mikva

1926 - 2016

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0152 SCULPTOR

Richard Lippold

1915 - 2002

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0153 COMPOSER

Herschel Burke Gilbert

1918 - 2003

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0154 SCREENWRITER

Sean Hood

Born 1966

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0155 JUMPER

Beezie Madden

Born 1963

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0156 PLAYER

Barbara Jordan (tennis)

Born 1957

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0157 SCREENWRITER

William Berke

1903 - 1958

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0158 BASKET

Fred Brown (basketball)

Born 1948

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0159 ACTOR

Robert Emmett O'Connor

1885 - 1962

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0160 POLITICIAN

Clement J. Zablocki

1912 - 1983

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0161 ACTOR

Kato Kaelin

Born 1959

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0162 MUSIC

Carl Allen (drummer)

Born 1961

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0163 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Bertell Ollman

Born 1935

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0164 NATURALIST

Dean Amadon

1912 - 2003

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0165 SKATER

Dede Barry

Born 1972

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0166 LAWYER

Newton N. Minow

Born 1926

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0167 FOOTBALL

Tom Dempsey

1947 - 2020

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0168 BASKET

Tony Mitchell (basketball, born 1992)

Born 1992

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0169 CHOREOGRAPHER

Eugene Loring

1911 - 1982

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0170 ACTOR

Scott Jaeck

Born 1954

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0171 BASKET

Carl Landry

Born 1983

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0172 RADIO

Tom Snyder

1936 - 2007

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0173 BASKET

Terry Porter

Born 1963

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0174 BASEBALL

Mark Grudzielanek

Born 1970

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0175 CARDIOLOGIST

David J. Skorton

Born 1949

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0176 BASKET

Rodney Buford

Born 1977

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0177 BASKET

Chris Mihm

Born 1979

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0178 COMPOSER

Leslie Lemke

Born 1952

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0179 FILM

Marsha Garces Williams

Born 1956

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0180 ENGINEER

Ernst Guillemin

1898 - 1970

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0181 MODEL

Lauren Anderson (model)

Born 1980

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0182 SPORT

Jim Ochowicz

Born 1951

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0183 SINGER

Trixie Mattel

Born 1989

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0184 BASKET

Mike Wilks (basketball)

Born 1979

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0185 NOVELIST

Bruce Bethke

Born 1955

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0186 ACTOR

Daniel Quinn (actor)

1956 - 2015

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0187 POLITICIAN

Gary Lauck

Born 1953

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0188 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Thomas E. Mann

Born 1944

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0189 PRODUCER

Howie Epstein

1955 - 2003

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0190 POLITICIAN

Tom Barrett (Wisconsin politician)

Born 1953

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0191 ATHLETIC

Judi Brown

Born 1961

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0192 RAPPER

K Camp

Born 1990

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0193 PROGRAMMER

Phil Katz

1962 - 2000

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0194 ACTOR

Anthony Crivello

Born 1955

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0195 POLITICIAN

Matthias Koehl

1935 - 2014

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0196 ACTOR

Gus Mercurio

1928 - 2010

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0197 CONDUCTOR

Daron Hagen

Born 1961

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0198 BASEBALL

Jay Schroeder

Born 1961

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0199 FILM

Leigh Slawner

Born 1972

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0200 BASKET

Wayne Tinkle

Born 1966

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0201 ACTOR

Marie Eline

1902 - 1981

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0202 EPISCOPAL

Richard Nelson Bolles

1927 - 2017

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0203 COMPOSER

Kent Kennan

1913 - 2003

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0204 JOURNALIST

Elizabeth Jordan

1865 - 1947

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0205 HOCKEY

Hudson Fasching

Born 1995

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0206 POLITICIAN

Jerry Kleczka

1943 - 2017

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0207 FOOTBALL

Brandon Brooks (American football)

Born 1989

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0208 BASKET

Don Kojis

Born 1939

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0209 BASEBALL

Tony Kubek

Born 1935

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0210 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Sol Tax

1907 - 1995

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0211 PSYCHIATRIST

David R. Hawkins

1927 - 2012

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0212 BASKET

Jamil Wilson

Born 1990

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0213 POLITICIAN

John L. Mitchell

1842 - 1904

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0214 FILM

Will Ryder

-

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0215 CHEMIST

Hermann Irving Schlesinger

1882 - 1960

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0216 WRITER

William Campbell Gault

1910 - 1995

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0217 ACTOR

Ben Bard

1893 - 1974

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0218 BUSINESS

Thomas Shaughnessy, 1st Baron Shaughnessy

1853 - 1923

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0219 BASKET

Trey McKinney-Jones

Born 1990

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0220 MUSIC

Jackie Cain

1928 - 2014

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0221 DIPLOMAT

Ronald Asmus

1957 - 2011

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0222 COMPOSER

Bernhard Kaun

1899 - 1980

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0223 PRODUCER

Jack Rieley

1942 - 2015

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0224 SONGWRITER

Glenn Kaiser

Born 1953

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0225 FILM

Theodore Wharton

1875 - 1931

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0226 SONGWRITER

Nic Nac

Born 1981

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0227 BASKET

Elgin Cook

Born 1993

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0228 NUTRITIONIST

Francis Gano Benedict

1870 - 1957

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0229 PRIEST

James Michael Harvey

Born 1949

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0230 MUSIC

Brian Ritchie

Born 1960

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0231 BASKET

Lavelle Felton

1979 - 2009

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0232 JOURNALIST

Kay Rush

Born 1961

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0233 SCENOGRAPHER

Victor A. Gangelin

1899 - 1967

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0234 WRESTLER

Dennis Hall

Born 1971

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0235 ACTOR

Louise Lester

1867 - 1952

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0236 MARTIAL ART

Rick Roufus

Born 1966

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0237 MUSIC

Eric Leeds

Born 1952

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0238 BASKET

Charlie Westbrook

Born 1989

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0239 POLITICIAN

Rebecca Kleefisch

Born 1975

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0240 MARTIAL ART

Sergio Pettis

Born 1993

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0241 ARCHITECT

David Adler (architect)

1882 - 1949

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0242 SINGER

Gene Puerling

1929 - 2008

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0243 POLITICIAN

Henry S. Reuss

1912 - 2002

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0244 BASKET

Armintie Price

Born 1985

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0245 CONVICT

Christopher Scarver

Born 1969

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0246 DIPLOMAT

Paul Samuel Reinsch

1869 - 1923

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0247 WEIGHTLIFTER

Oscar Osthoff

1883 - 1950

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0248 MUSIC

Howard Wales

-

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0249 CONVICT

Laurie Bembenek

1958 - 2010

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0250 POLITICIAN

Scott L. Klug

Born 1953

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0251 MATHEMATICIAN

H. J. Ryser

1923 - 1985

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0252 PHILOSOPHER

William Lycan

Born 1945

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0253 BASKET

Kurt Nimphius

Born 1958

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0254 PRIEST

Reginald Foster (Latinist)

Born 1939

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0255 FOOTBALL

Leslie Osborne

Born 1983

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0256 SCREENWRITER

Erik Jendresen

-

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0257 HISTORIAN

David Schoenbaum

Born 1935

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0258 SOCIOLOGIST

Michael Schudson

Born 1946

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0259 BASKET

Jameel McKay

Born 1992

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0260 POLITICIAN

Frank Zeidler

1912 - 2006

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0261 MUSIC

Eddie Allen (jazz musician)

Born 1957

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0262 ACTOR

Jeff Doucette

Born 1947

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0263 RUNNER

Arlie Schardt

1895 - 1980

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0264 ACTOR

Peter Palmer (actor)

Born 1931

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0265 SOCIOLOGIST

Gordon Zahn

1918 - 2007

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0266 BUSINESS

J. Ogden Armour

1863 - 1927

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0267 MUSIC

Ralph Votapek

Born 1939

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0268 POLITICAL

Marcus Raskin

1934 - 2017

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0269 SCREENWRITER

Joseph McBride (writer)

Born 1947

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0270 SPORT

Mari Holden

Born 1971

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0271 MUSIC

Greg Koch (musician)

Born 1966

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0272 MUSIC

Ted Kirkpatrick

Born 1960

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0273 CONDUCTOR

David Snell (composer)

1897 - 1967

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0274 ACTOR

Melissa Jacobs

Born 1981

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0275 JOURNALIST

Patricia Wells

Born 1946

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0276 RELIGIOUS

Jayapataka Swami

Born 1949

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0277 SENATE

Leah Vukmir

Born 1958

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0278 NOVELIST

Ann Maxwell

Born 1944

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0279 FOOTBALL

Jimmy Banks

1964 - 2019

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0280 BIOCHEMIST

Richard Scheller

Born 1953

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0281 ACADEMIC

Bruce Herschensohn

Born 1932

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0282 SCREENWRITER

Herschel Weingrod

Born 1947

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0283 ANIMATOR

Don Towsley (animator)

1912 - 1986

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0284 FILM

Niels Mueller

Born 1961

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0285 JOURNALIST

H. V. Kaltenborn

1878 - 1965

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0286 ACTOR

Kristen Meadows

Born 1957

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0287 ENGINEER

George Harold Brown

1908 - 1987

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0288 COLUMNIST

John Crosby (media critic)

1912 - 1991

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0289 ACTIVIST

Lou Sullivan

1951 - 1991

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0290 INVESTMENT

James Chanos

Born 1958

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0291 HISTORIAN

John V. Tolan

Born 1959

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0292 FOOTBALL

Andrew Stadler

Born 1988

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0293 POLITICIAN

Randy Bryce

Born 1964

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0294 SINGER

Speech (rapper)

Born 1968

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0295 FOOTBALL

Michael Bennett (running back)

Born 1978

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0296 DIPLOMAT

John Cudahy

1887 - 1943

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0297 PERCUSSIONIST

Tim Davis (musician)

1943 - 1988

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0298 PHOTOGRAPHER

Carlos Cortez

1923 - 2005

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0299 HISTORIAN

John E. Murdoch

1927 - 2010

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0300 FILM

Peter Schneider (film executive)

Born 1951

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