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

0301 ARTIST

Gil Turner (animator)

1913 - 1967

Preview
0302 ATHLETIC

Dezerea Bryant

Born 1993

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0303 SCHOLAR

Charles Thomas Horngren

1926 - 2011

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0304 BASEBALL

Bobby Marshall

1880 - 1958

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0305 CHEMIST

Donald Hornig

1920 - 2013

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0306 SINGER

Michael Burks

1957 - 2012

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0307 PIANIST

David Hazeltine

Born 1958

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0308 PIANIST

Lynne Arriale

Born 1957

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0309 SPORT

Ernie Johnson Jr.

Born 1956

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0310 FILM

Ernie Gehr

Born 1943

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0311 ACTOR

Ashton Dearholt

1894 - 1942

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0312 ASTRONOMER

Frank K. Edmondson

1912 - 2008

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0313 POLITICIAN

Louise Goff Reece

1898 - 1970

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0314 SKATER

Tom Plant

Born 1957

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0315 PIANIST

Willie Pickens

1931 - 2017

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0316 BASKET

Mark Jones (basketball, born 1975)

Born 1975

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0317 MUSIC

Robert Bonfiglio

Born 1950

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0318 POLITICIAN

Martin J. Schreiber

Born 1939

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0319 SPORT

Kevin Harlan

Born 1960

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0320 TELEVISION

Nick Viall

Born 1980

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0321 FILM

Ralph Wilcox (actor)

Born 1950

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0322 GUITAR

Jeff Hanson

1978 - 2009

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0323 PRIEST

Fabian Bruskewitz

Born 1935

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0324 ACTOR

Bobby Dunn

1890 - 1937

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0325 PAINTER

Susan Stuart Frackelton

1848 - 1932

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0326 BASKET

Timmy Bowers

Born 1982

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0327 FILM

Eric Simonson

Born 1960

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0328 NOVELIST

Pete Fromm

Born 1958

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0329 POET

Horace Gregory

1898 - 1982

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0330 MUSIC

Bunky Green

Born 1935

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0331 ASTRONOMER

Stewart Sharpless

1926 - 2013

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0332 FOOTBALL

Pat Harder

1922 - 1992

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0333 ACTOR

Dick Wessel

1913 - 1965

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0334 BASEBALL

Ken Keltner

1916 - 1991

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0335 POLITICIAN

Mira Ricardel

Born 1960

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0336 SINGER

Davey von Bohlen

Born 1975

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0337 BASEBALL

Paul Wagner

Born 1967

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0338 PAINTER

Marion Wachtel

1875 - 1954

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0339 FILM

Arthur Berthelet

1879 - 1949

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0340 BOTANIST

Alice F. Tryon

1920 - 2009

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0341 SINGER

Ava Max

Born 1994

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0342 POLITICAL

Pete Wagner

Born 1955

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0343 BASKET

Christian Steinmetz

1882 - 1963

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0344 EDUCATOR

Morris Asimow

1906 - 1982

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0345 ATHLETIC

Ken Wiesner

Born 1925

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0346 DIPLOMAT

Loret Miller Ruppe

1936 - 1996

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0347 LAWYER

Charles Soule

-

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0348 LAWYER

LaVern Dilweg

1903 - 1968

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0349 HISTORIAN

Hasia Diner

Born 1946

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0350 ATHLETIC

Jean Driscoll

Born 1966

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0351 SCREENWRITER

Cy Howard

1915 - 1993

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0352 ACTOR

Gerald Hiken

Born 1927

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0353 ARCHAEOLOGIST

John C. Trever

1916 - 2006

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0354 FOOTBALL

Charles Kazlauskas

Born 1982

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0355 ARTIST

George Gessert

Born 1944

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0356 POLITICIAN

Peter G. Torkildsen

Born 1958

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0357 CHEMIST

Isadore Perlman

1915 - 1991

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0358 LAWYER

Vel Phillips

1924 - 2018

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0359 LAWYER

Joseph E. Schmitz

Born 1956

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0360 SINGER

Dale Duesing

Born 1947

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0361 MEDIEVALIST

Roland J. Teske

1934 - 2015

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0362 JUDGE

Richard Dickson Cudahy

1926 - 2015

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0363 LAWYER

Herbert James Hagerman

1871 - 1935

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0364 BASKET

Dick Miller (basketball)

1958 - 2014

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0365 BASKET

Gene Berce

1926 - 2018

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0366 HOCKEY

Tyler Plante

Born 1987

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0367 PRELATE

Alphonse James Schladweiler

1902 - 1996

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0368 PRIEST

Anthony Cekada

1951 - 2020

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0369 WRITER

Kay Kenyon

Born 1956

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0370 GEOGRAPHER

Ronald F. Abler

Born 1939

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0371 SPORT

Brent Emery

Born 1957

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0372 ACTOR

Korra Del Rio

Born 1988

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0373 NOVELIST

Grania Davis

1943 - 2017

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0374 JOURNALIST

Jerry Dunphy

1921 - 2002

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0375 ACTOR

Charlie Finn

Born 1975

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0376 ACTOR

Russell Bassett

1845 - 1918

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0377 BIOCHEMIST

Roy Mackal

1925 - 2013

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0378 BASKET

Jay Guidinger

Born 1969

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0379 ACTOR

Digby Bell

1849 - 1917

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0380 FOOTBALL

Shelby Harris

Born 1991

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0381 FOOTBALL

Red Dunn

1901 - 1957

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0382 FOOTBALL

DeAndre Levy

Born 1987

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0383 BASKET

Deonte Burton (basketball, born 1994)

Born 1994

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0384 MARTIAL ART

Zak Ottow

Born 1986

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0385 BASEBALL

Bruce Weber (basketball)

Born 1956

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0386 CHEMIST

George Rathmann

1927 - 2012

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0387 POLITICIAN

Fred R. Zimmerman

1880 - 1954

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0388 FOOTBALL

Dave Manders

Born 1941

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0389 FOOTBALL

Bob Heinz

Born 1947

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0390 PRIEST

Mark J. Seitz

Born 1954

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0391 PHOTOGRAPHER

Waswo X. Waswo

Born 1953

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0392 DESIGNER

Cyrus Highsmith

Born 1973

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0393 POLITICIAN

Mark Leno

Born 1951

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0394 ACTOR

Gary Imhoff

Born 1952

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0395 ACTOR

Johnny Jacobs

1916 - 1982

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0396 PHOTOGRAPHER

Lejaren Hiller Sr.

1880 - 1969

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0397 ACTOR

William Tubbs

1907 - 1953

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0398 ENFANT

Edna Gladney

1886 - 1961

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0399 ACTOR

Michael Maize

Born 1974

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0400 BIOLOGIST

Juleen Zierath

Born 1961

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0401 PRELATE

David John Malloy

Born 1956

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0402 PHILOSOPHER

Richard A. Cash

Born 1941

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0403 POLITICIAN

Steve Sisolak

Born 1953

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0404 POLITICIAN

John C. Schafer

1893 - 1962

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0405 PRELATE

Charles Asa Schleck

1925 - 2011

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0406 BASKET

Jeff Webb (basketball)

Born 1948

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0407 POLITICIAN

Thaddeus Wasielewski

1904 - 1976

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0408 WRITER

Wendy Shalit

Born 1975

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0409 BASEBALL

Jason Hardtke

Born 1971

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0410 BASKET

Patrick Eddie

Born 1967

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0411 BOTANIST

Lewis Knudson

1884 - 1958

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0412 HOST

Michael Feldman

Born 1949

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0413 ASTROPHYSICIST

Bruce Elmegreen

Born 1950

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0414 PHYSICIST

John Dirk Walecka

Born 1932

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0415 PAINTER

Sylvia Fein

Born 1919

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0416 PAINTER

John Wilde

1919 - 2006

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0417 POET

Emily Ballou

-

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0418 SAXOPHONIST

Frederick Hemke

1935 - 2019

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0419 PRIEST

James Groppi

1930 - 1985

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0420 WRITER

Ellen Raskin

1928 - 1984

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0421 HISTORIAN

Rick Perlstein

Born 1969

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0422 BOXER

Bob Moha

1890 - 1959

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0423 HISTORIAN

Kenneth M. Stampp

1912 - 2009

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0424 POLITICIAN

Ned R. Healy

1905 - 1977

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0425 COMPOSER

Bruce Odland

Born 1952

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0426 LAWYER

John T. Chisholm

Born 1963

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0427 SOCIALITE

Tommy Manville

1894 - 1967

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0428 PRIEST

Raphael Michael Fliss

1930 - 2015

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0429 POLITICIAN

William H. Stafford

1869 - 1957

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0430 LAWYER

John C. Kleczka

1885 - 1959

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0431 ASTRONOMER

George Blumenthal

Born 1945

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0432 FOOTBALL

Randy Dean

Born 1955

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0433 PHYSICIST

Davison Soper

Born 1943

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0434 SPORT

Draelon Burns

Born 1985

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0435 MATHEMATICIAN

Albert Marden

Born 1934

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0436 NOVELIST

John Skipp

Born 1957

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0437 LAWYER

Nicholas S. Zeppos

Born 1954

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0438 FOOTBALL

Lance Kendricks

Born 1988

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0439 PLAYER

Alan Goehring

Born 1962

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0440 JOURNALIST

Bill Weir

Born 1967

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0441 ACTOR

Eddie Garrett

1927 - 2010

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0442 POLITICIAN

Thomas O'Malley (congressman)

1903 - 1979

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0443 CONDUCTOR

Mitchell Ayres

1909 - 1969

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0444 PSYCHOLOGIST

Richard N. Aslin

Born 1949

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0445 ACTOR

Jeana Keough

Born 1955

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0446 SWIMMER

Jerome Steever

1880 - 1957

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0447 SCREENWRITER

Alice D. G. Miller

1894 - 1985

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0448 SINGER

Kurt Neumann (musician)

Born 1961

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0449 WRITER

Flora Haines Loughead

1855 - 1943

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0450 MARTIAL ART

Chico Camus

Born 1985

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0451 HISTORIAN

Athan Theoharis

Born 1936

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0452 ARTIST

Jon Schueler

1916 - 1992

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0453 PAINTER

Joan Arend Kickbush

1926 - 2006

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0454 SPORT

David Samson (baseball)

Born 1968

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0455 LAWYER

Diane S. Sykes

Born 1957

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0456 PHOTOJOURNALIST

Harrison Forman

1904 - 1978

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0457 FILM

Jerry Ziesmer

Born 1939

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0458 PHOTOGRAPHER

Ray Metzker

1931 - 2014

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0459 POET

Jack Anderson (dance critic)

Born 1935

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0460 PLAYER

Brian Devening

Born 1967

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0461 REAL ESTATE

Jerry Speyer

Born 1940

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0462 ENGINEER

Paul Flaherty

1964 - 2006

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0463 JOURNALIST

Neal Ulevich

Born 1946

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0464 DRIVER

Myron Fohr

1912 - 1994

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0465 HISTORIAN

Robert D. Richardson

1934 - 2020

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0466 FOOTBALL

Travis Beckum

Born 1987

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0467 PHOTOGRAPHER

Howard Sochurek

1924 - 1994

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0468 FOOTBALL

Eric Murray (American football)

Born 1994

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0469 COMPOSER

Henry Schoenefeld

1857 - 1936

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0470 ART HISTORIAN

Carl Schuster

1904 - 1969

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0471 POLITICIAN

Lewis D. Thill

1903 - 1975

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0472 POLITICIAN

Lena Taylor

Born 1966

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0473 LAWYER

John C. Shabaz

1931 - 2012

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0474 PAINTER

Frank Enders

1860 - 1921

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0475 BASEBALL

Happy Felsch

1891 - 1964

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0476 MUSIC

Katrina Johansson

-

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0477 WRITER

Mary Mageau

Born 1934

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0478 BASKET

Von McDade

Born 1967

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0479 LIBRARIAN

Adelaide Hasse

1868 - 1953

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0480 WRITER

Robert Kraus

1925 - 2001

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0481 LAWYER

Brad Smith (American lawyer)

Born 1959

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0482 POLITICIAN

Mahlon Mitchell

Born 1977

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0483 ACCORDIONIST

Tommy Gumina

1931 - 2013

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0484 ACTOR

Sidney Fields

1898 - 1975

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0485 SPORT

Leigh Barczewski

Born 1957

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0486 LAWYER

Thomas E. Fairchild

1912 - 2007

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0487 MARTIAL ART

Sean Salmon

Born 1977

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0488 BOXER

Pinky Mitchell

1899 - 1976

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0489 ACTOR

Joseph Graybill

1887 - 1913

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0490 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Adrienne L. Kaeppler

Born 1935

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0491 FOOTBALL

Nick Roach

Born 1985

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0492 POET

Charles Keeler

1871 - 1937

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0493 POLITICIAN

William J. Cary

1865 - 1934

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0494 POLITICIAN

Mandela Barnes

Born 1986

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0495 POLITICIAN

Chris Larson

Born 1980

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0496 PAINTER

William James Aylward

1875 - 1956

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0497 WRITER

Marie Hall Ets

1895 - 1984

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0498 PHYSICIAN

Philip Stieg

Born 1952

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0499 HISTORIAN

Frederick Merk

1887 - 1977

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0500 FILM

Jake Szymanski

Born 1981

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0501 BASEBALL

Mike Krsnich

1931 - 2011

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0502 SKATEBOARD

Greg Lutzka

Born 1984

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0503 SCIENTIST

Robert O. Pihl

Born 1939

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0504 AUTHOR

Bill Milkowski

Born 1954

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0505 COMEDIAN

Johnny Standley

1912 - 1992

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0506 HISTORIAN

Michael Copps

Born 1940

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0507 EXPLORER

Felix Riesenberg

1879 - 1939

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0508 SPORT

Rob Tetzlaff

1935 - 2012

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0509 INVENTOR

Rudolph Hass

1892 - 1952

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0510 FOOTBALL

Irv Comp

1919 - 1989

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0511 JOURNALIST

David Zurawik

Born 1948

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0512 JOURNALIST

Jason Bulmahn

Born 1976

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0513 FOOTBALL

Chuck Mercein

Born 1943

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0514 ARCHITECT

Will Bruder

Born 1946

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0515 ATHLETIC

Butch Woolfolk

Born 1960

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0516 PROFESSOR

Irene Tinker

Born 1927

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0517 OFFICER

Earl E. Stone

1895 - 1989

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0518 MUSIC

Casino Versus Japan

Born 1973

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0519 WRITER

Gina Cerminara

1914 - 1984

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0520 LAWYER

Lynn S. Adelman

Born 1939

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0521 ACTOR

Christa Helm

1949 - 1977

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0522 PERFORMER

Benny Fields

1894 - 1959

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0523 CIVIL SERVICE

Joseph Blatchford

Born 1934

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0524 BASKET

Doug Holcomb

1925 - 2008

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0525 ENTREPRENEUR

Alexander M. Cutler

Born 1951

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0526 SURGEON

Joseph Colt Bloodgood

1867 - 1935

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0527 CONDUCTOR

Ralph Hermann

1914 - 1994

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0528 ACADEMIC

Nevin S. Scrimshaw

1918 - 2013

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0529 MAFIA

Frank Bompensiero

1905 - 1977

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0530 FOOTBALL

Mark Maddox

Born 1968

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0531 ARCHITECT

Carl Koch (architect)

1912 - 1998

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0532 BASEBALL

Ben Heller

Born 1991

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0533 BASEBALL

Jack Taschner

Born 1978

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0534 WRITER

Richard S. Wheeler

1935 - 2019

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0535 JOURNALIST

Robert D. McFadden

Born 1937

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0536 ANNOUNCER

Ray Szmanda

1926 - 2018

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0537 ASTRONAUT

Raja Chari

Born 1977

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0538 ARTIST

Vanessa German

Born 1976

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0539 WRESTLER

Jim Gruenwald

Born 1970

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0540 ACTOR

Jeannie Gaffigan

Born 1970

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0541 ACTOR

George Lee Andrews

Born 1942

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0542 RAPPER

Coo Coo Cal

Born 1970

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0543 FOOTBALL

Karl Kassulke

1941 - 2008

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0544 BOXER

Luís Arias (boxer)

Born 1990

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0545 ACTOR

Joyful Drake

Born 1976

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0546 SKATER

Delbert Lamb

1914 - 2010

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0547 BUSINESS

Kay Koplovitz

Born 1945

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0548 BUSINESS

Arthur Davidson (motorcycling)

1881 - 1950

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0549 PRIEST

William Patrick O'Connor

1886 - 1973

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0550 SINGER

Peter Stampfel

Born 1938

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0551 FOOTBALL

Andy Kirk (soccer)

Born 1977

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0552 ACTOR

Harold Bergman

1920 - 2019

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0553 BASEBALL

Lave Cross

1866 - 1927

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0554 DENTIST

Ben L. Salomon

1914 - 1944

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0555 MAGAZINE

Micah M. White

Born 1982

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0556 JOURNALIST

Robert E. Gilka

1916 - 2013

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0557 MODEL

Chuti Tiu

Born 1970

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0558 ENGINEER

David H. Shepard

1923 - 2007

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0559 POLITICIAN

Everett Colby

1874 - 1940

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0560 SPORT

Casey Andringa

Born 1995

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0561 SPORT

Arike Ogunbowale

Born 1997

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0562 BASEBALL

Joe Randa

Born 1969

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0563 ACTOR

Linda Young

Born 1953

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0564 BASEBALL

Jeff Bridich

Born 1977

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0565 MATHEMATICIAN

Mary Tsingou

Born 1928

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0566 BASEBALL

Todd Frohwirth

1962 - 2017

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0567 FOOTBALL

Eddie Jankowski

1913 - 1996

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0568 OFFICER

Lance Sijan

1942 - 1968

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0569 LAWYER

Rudolph T. Randa

1940 - 2016

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0570 SPORT

Tony Knap

1914 - 2011

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0571 RACER

Ben Carlson

Born 1985

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0572 RADIO

Will Durst

Born 1952

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0573 MUSIC

Mark Durante

Born 1951

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0574 PAINTER

Arthur Thrall

1926 - 2015

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0575 LAWYER

Elmer Winter

1912 - 2009

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0576 POLITICIAN

Joe Sanfelippo

Born 1964

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0577 ACTOR

Jeremy Tardy

Born 1990

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0578 FOOTBALL

Noah Herron

Born 1982

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0579 MUSIC

David Szatmary

Born 1951

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0580 HISTORIAN

Earl F. Ziemke

1922 - 2007

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0581 ENTREPRENEUR

Michael Cudahy (electronics)

Born 1924

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0582 ARTIST

Eli Bornstein

Born 1922

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0583 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Robert J. Beck

Born 1961

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0584 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Nancy Oestreich Lurie

1924 - 2017

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0585 POLITICIAN

Kathleen Falk

Born 1951

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0586 PRIEST

Jeffrey Robert Haines

Born 1958

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0587 JOURNALIST

John Pomfret (journalist)

-

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0588 SPORT

Michael Felger

Born 1969

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0589 ACTOR

Andrea Hall

Born 1947

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0590 ARCHITECT

John Randal McDonald

1922 - 2003

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0591 POLITICIAN

Sandy Pasch

Born 1954

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0592 BASKET

Doug Gottlieb

Born 1976

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0593 MILITAR

Ralph Ignatowski

1926 - 1945

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0594 RADIO

Jim Peck

Born 1943

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0595 RADIO

Rik De Lisle

Born 1947

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0596 COMPOSER

Stuart Rojstaczer

-

Preview
0597 MARTIAL ART

Emmanuel Sanchez

Born 1990

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0598 BASKET

Ed Dancker

1914 - 1991

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0599 FOOTBALL

Lamar Gordon

Born 1980

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0600 PRIEST

Roman Richard Atkielski

1899 - 1969

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