List of people from Oak Park, Illinois
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The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Oak Park, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Oak Park, Illinois.
Academics and sciences[edit]
Lee Archambault - A. O. L. Atkin (1925–2008), mathematician[citation needed]
- Dmitri Borgmann (1927–1985), logologist[citation needed]
- Wallace Broecker (1931–2019), geochemist[1]
- Jeannette Howard Foster (1895–1981), librarian and professor, born in Oak Park[2]
- Emil Frei (1924–2014), oncologist
- Percy Julian (1899–1975), chemist
- Joseph Kerwin (b. 1932), astronaut
- Edith Merritt McKee (1918–2006), American geologist
- Vera Pless (1931–2020), mathematician[3]
- Carl Rogers (1902–1987), psychologist, author and researcher
- Bruce Schneier (b. 1963), cryptographer[citation needed]
- John Robert Schrieffer (1931–2019), physicist
- John C. Slater (1900–1976), pioneer in quantum theory
- Susan Subak, environmental scientist and author [4]
- Chad Trujillo (b. 1973), astronomer
- Edward Wagenknecht (1900–2004), educator and author
Arts and culture[edit]
Architecture[edit]
- Thomas H. Beeby, architect
- Marion Mahony Griffin, architect
- Walter Burley Griffin, architect
- E.E. Roberts, architect
- Louis Sauer, architect
- John Van Bergen, architect
- Frank Lloyd Wright, architect and writer
Dance[edit]
- Heléne Alexopoulos, ballet dancer
- Doris Humphrey, choreographer and dancer
Illustrating[edit]
- Gene Ha, comic book artist
- Chris Ware, cartoonist
- Rick Yager, cartoonist
Painting and sculpture[edit]
- Leslie Erganian, painter
- Mary Agnes Yerkes, Impressionist painter
Photography[edit]
- Bruce Davidson, photographer
- Esther Henderson, photographer
Writing[edit]
- Yashar Ali, journalist
- Jacob M. Appel, author of Einstein's Beach House (lived in Oak Park, 1997–2004)[5]
- Richard Bach, writer (Jonathan Livingston Seagull)
- Bruce Barton, author of best-selling book The Man Nobody Knows
- Edgar Rice Burroughs, author, creator of Tarzan and John Carter of Mars
- Kenneth Fearing, poet and author (The Big Clock)
- Jane Hamilton, author The Book of Ruth
Ernest Hemingway - Leicester Hemingway, writer; younger brother of Ernest Hemingway
- Kara Jackson, poet, musician
- Tymoteusz Karpowicz, poet and playwright
- Agnes Newton Keith, writer
- E. E. Knight, writer
- John Frush Knox, memoirist
- Alex Kotlowitz, journalist and writer
- Steven Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics
- Charles MacArthur, journalist and film-writer
- Caroline Myss, author
- Edith Nash, writer
- Sandra Novack, author
- Jerry Saltz, art critic
- Carol Shields, author
- Charles Simic, fifteenth Poet Laureate of the United States
- Frances Hodges White, children's author
Music[edit]
Crime[edit]
Armando Fosco - Sam Giancana, mafia crime boss
- Tony Spilotro, alleged mafia enforcer
Business[edit]
- Allan Cox, author and business leader
- James Dewar, baker; inventor of the Twinkie[7]
- Donald F. Duncan, Sr., parking meter and Yo-yo manufacturer
Ray Kroc - Richard Sears, founder of Sears, catalogue innovator
- Robert Wahl, two-time All-American and former president of Valmont Industries
Media[edit]
Acting and comedy[edit]
- William Bishop, actor
- Daws Butler, voice artist of animated characters including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound
Dan Castellaneta 
Anna Chlumsky - Johnny Galecki, actor (The Big Bang Theory, Roseanne, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation)
- Mason Gamble, actor (Dennis the Menace, Rushmore)
Kathy Griffin - Julie Haydon, actress
- Thomas Lennon, actor and screenwriter
- Ted Levine, actor (The Silence of the Lambs, Monk)
- Deanna Lund, actress (Land of the Giants)
- John Mahoney, actor (Eight Men Out, Frasier, Atlantis: The Lost Empire)
- Sally Mansfield, actress (Rocky Jones, Space Ranger)
- Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, actress (Scarface, The Color of Money)
- Amy Morton, actress (Chicago P.D.)
- Lois Nettleton, actress
Bob Newhart - Kate Norby, actress (The Devil's Rejects)
- Busy Philipps, actress (Dawson's Creek)
- Cecily Strong, actress, comedian (Saturday Night Live)
- Judy Tenuta, comedian
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Directing and producing[edit]
- John Avildsen, film director (Rocky, The Karate Kid)
- Steve James, documentary filmmaker [10]
- George Schaefer, television director (Hallmark Hall of Fame)
- John Sturges, filmmaker (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape)
Journalism[edit]
- Tavi Gevinson, fashion blogger[11]
Peter Sagal - Gene Sherman, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter
- Alfred Henry Spink, founder of The Sporting News, lived and died in Oak Park
- Hannah Storm, television personality and sportscaster
- Dorothy Thompson, journalist
- Marjorie Vincent, 1991 Miss America, journalist
Military[edit]
- William J. Cullerton, flying ace during World War II, host of Great Outdoors on WGN Radio until 1999[12]
- Milo Smith Hascall, Union general in the Civil War
Music[edit]
- Lane Brody, musician
- Jon Deak, bassist and composer with the New York Philharmonic[citation needed]
- Billy "The Kid" Emerson, R&B and rock 'n' roll singer
- Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger of the indie rock band The Fiery Furnaces
- Bud Herseth, principal trumpet with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; charter member Trumpet Hall of Fame
- Mia Joy, American indie rock musician
Ludacris - Marc Okubo, guitarist of heavy metal band Veil of Maya
- Martin Pearlman, classical musician and composer
- Landon Pigg, singer-songwriter
- Felix Wurman, classical cellist and composer[14]
Politics and law[edit]
- Theresa Amato, Nader 2000 and Nader 2004 national presidential campaign manager[15]
- Henry W. Austin, Illinois state legislator and businessman[16]
- David Axelrod, political strategist and former White House official
- Ralph H. Barger, Illinois state legislator[17]
- Bruce Barton, author and advertising pioneer; congressman from New York (1937–1940)
- Redd Griffin, Illinois state legislator (1980–1982)[18]
- John Frush Knox, clerk to United States Supreme Court Justice James Clark McReynolds; memoirist
- Eric D. Miller, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Dick Murphy, 33rd Mayor of San Diego
- Pat Quinn, 41st Governor of Illinois
- Phil Radford, environmental activist; Executive Director of Greenpeace USA; raised in Oak Park[19]
- Leland Rayson, Illinois state legislator and lawyer[20]
- Walter J. Reum, Illinois state legislator and lawyer[21]
- Gerald W. Shea, Illinois state legislator[22]
- John D. Tomlinson, Minnesota state legislator and businessman[23]
- Greg Zito, Illinois state legislator[24]
Religion[edit]
- William Eugene Blackstone, 19th-century evangelical Christian and Zionist; lived in Oak Park
Edward Egan - Louis Francescon, missionary and pioneer of the Italian Pentecostal Movement; lived and died in Oak Park
- Andrew Greeley, Catholic priest and author; born in Oak Park (1928)
Sports[edit]
Baseball[edit]
- Dick Bertell, catcher for Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants
- Art Bramhall, third baseman for Philadelphia Phillies[citation needed]
- Shirley Danz, outfielder with All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
- Jim Dorsey, pitcher for California Angels and Boston Red Sox
- Tony Fiore, pitcher for Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Minnesota Twins
- Justin Huisman, relief pitcher for Kansas City Royals[citation needed]
- Sean Lawrence, pitcher for Pittsburgh Pirates
- Lee Pfund, pitcher for Brooklyn Dodgers
- Johnny Rigney, pitcher and general manager for the Chicago White Sox
- Brian Schlitter, pitcher for Chicago Cubs
- John Sevcik, catcher for Minnesota Twins
- Ben Shelton, outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates
- Marv Staehle, second baseman for Chicago White Sox, Montréal Expos and Atlanta Braves
- Craig Stimac, catcher for San Diego Padres
- Bill Stoneman, pitcher for California Angels, Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos, general manager of Angels
- Joe Tinker, Hall of Fame shortstop for Chicago Orphans/Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Chi-Feds/Whales
- Mike York, pitcher for Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians
Basketball[edit]
- Ashraf Amaya, forward for the Washington Bullets, Vancouver Grizzlies, and several international teams
- Gabe Levin (born 1994), American-Israeli basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Corey Maggette, small forward and shooting guard for five NBA teams
- Jimmy Rodgers, head coach, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics
- Iman Shumpert, guard for the 2016 NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers[25]
- Evan Turner, guard and small forward for the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Portland Trail Blazers[26]
- Norm Van Lier, point guard for the Chicago Bulls; sports radio personality[citation needed]
Football[edit]
- Andy Frederick, offensive lineman, played for Super Bowl championship teams of Chicago Bears
- Eric Kumerow, linebacker for the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys
Johnny Lattner - Milt McColl, linebacker for San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders
- Mike Shanahan, head coach for the Los Angeles Raiders, Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins; three-time Super Bowl winner
- Marques Sullivan, NFL offensive lineman with the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants and New England Patriots
- George Trafton, Hall of Fame center for the Chicago Bears
- Bob Zuppke, head football coach, University of Illinois
Ice hockey[edit]
Ice skating[edit]
- Emery Lehman (born 1996), Olympic speed skater
Rowing[edit]
- Carol Feeney, Olympic rower; silver medalist[27]
Wrestling[edit]
Ellis Coleman
Cathy Kelley American journalist, television host, model and actress currently signed to WWE, working as a backstage interviewer on the SmackDown brand.
References[edit]
- ^ "Oral History Transcript — Dr. Wallace Broecker". www.aip.org. American Institute of Physics. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
- ^ Alan F. Hickman. "Gay and Lesbian Movement aka: LGBT Movement". www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net. The Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ "Vera Pless". Chicago Tribune. March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
- ^ Bridge, Nick (2019-09-17). "How to live a 5-ton life". Oak Park. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
- ^ Phoning Home: Essays, University of South Carolina Press, 2014
- ^ "Federal Bureau of Investigation files on Ross Prio". Retrieved 2015-01-20.
- ^ Biemer, John. "Delicious discovery: Mr. Twinkie slept here". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ Stuart, Laura (February 11, 2021) [January 4, 2005]. "Anna Chlumsky: Act II, Local child star decides to give acting a grown-up try". Wednesday Journal. Oak Park, Illinois. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ "Golden Girls star Betty White dies aged 99". the Guardian. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ Dean, Terry (May 22, 2015). "'Hoop Dreams' filmmaker producing doc about race, achievement at OPRF". Oak Leaves. Retrieved October 31, 2021 – via Chicago Tribune.
Filmmaker and Oak Park resident Steve James, who produced 1994's "Hoop Dreams" and 2012's "The Interrupters,"
- ^ Schulman, Michael (July 29, 2012). "The Oracle of Girl World". The New York Times. No. July 29, 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
- ^ Megan, Graydon (2013-01-16). "William Cullerton, 1923-2013 WWII pilot, entrepreneur, radio host and well-known outdoorsman championed conservation". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
- ^ Anonymous (November 9, 2007). "Ludacris revels in holiday spirit". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ^ Lotus, Jean (November 2014). "Albuquerque cellists honor late Oak Park native Felix Wurman". Oak Park. Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forrest. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ "Nader in Oak Park". 11 February 2021.
- ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1921-1922,' Biographical Sketch of Henry W. Austin, pg. 156-157
- ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1989-1990,' Biographical Sketch of Ralph H. Barger, pg. 82
- ^ Ken Trainor (2012-11-20). "Remembering Redd". Wednesday Journal. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
- ^ "Oak Park and River Forest High School Tradition of Excellence Past Award Recipients". Oak Park and River Forest High School. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
- ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1975-1976,' Biographical Sketch of Leland Rayson, pg. 88
- ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1961-1962,' Biographical Sketch of Walter J. Reum, pg. 236-237
- ^ Valiukenas, Barb (June 1976). "Gerald W. Shea". Illinois Issues. Vol. 2, no. 6. Springfield, Illinois: Sangamon State University. p. 8. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
- ^ Minnesota Legislators: Past & Present-John D. Tomlinson
- ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1989-1990,' Biographical Sketch of Greg Zito, pg. 89
- ^ Ryan, Shannon (2010-03-21). "Just like old times for Turner and Shumpert". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "Evan Turner | Philadelphia 76ers". NBA.com.
- ^ "Olympedia – Carol Feeney". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
