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[]

• Lee Archambault, astronaut
• A. O. L. Atkin, mathematician^{[citation needed]}
• Dmitri Borgmann, logologist^{[citation needed]}
• Wallace Broecker, geochemist^[1]
• Jeannette Howard Foster, born here 1895, librarian and professor^[2]
• Percy Julian, chemist
• Joseph Kerwin, astronaut
• Vera Pless, mathematician^[3]
• Carl Rogers, psychologist, author and researcher
• Bruce Schneier, cryptographer^{[citation needed]}
• John Robert Schrieffer, physicist
• John C. Slater, pioneer in quantum theory
• Susan Subak, environmental scientist and author ^[4]
• Chad Trujillo, astronomer
• Edward Wagenknecht, educator and author

Arts and culture[]

Architecture[]

• Thomas H. Beeby, architect
• Marion Mahony Griffin, architect
• Walter Burley Griffin, architect
• Louis Sauer, architect
• John Van Bergen, architect
• Frank Lloyd Wright, architect and writer

Dance[]

• Heléne Alexopoulos, ballet dancer
• Doris Humphrey, choreographer and dancer

Illustrating[]

• Gene Ha, comic book artist
• Chris Ware, cartoonist
• Rick Yager, cartoonist

Painting and sculpture[]

• Leslie Erganian, painter
• Mary Agnes Yerkes, Impressionist painter

Photography[]

• Bruce Davidson, photographer
• Esther Henderson, photographer

Writing[]

• 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, author (For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Old Man and the Sea)
• Leicester Hemingway, writer; younger brother of Ernest Hemingway
• 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
• Carol Shields, author
• Charles Simic, fifteenth Poet Laureate of the United States
• Marjorie Vincent, 1991 Miss America

Crime[]

• Joseph Aiuppa, mafia crime boss^{[citation needed]}
• Armando Fosco, alleged member of the Chicago Outfit^[6]
• Sam Giancana, mafia crime boss
• Tony Spilotro, alleged mafia enforcer

Business[]

• 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, founder of McDonald's
• Richard Sears, founder of Sears, catalogue innovator
• Robert Wahl, two-time All-American and former president of Valmont Industries

Media[]

Acting and comedy[]

• William Bishop, actor
• Dan Castellaneta, actor and voice of cartoon character Homer Simpson
• Anna Chlumsky, actress (My Girl, Veep)^[8]
• Johnny Galecki, actor (The Big Bang Theory, Roseanne, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation)
• Mason Gamble, actor (Dennis the Menace, Rushmore)
• Kathy Griffin, comedian
• 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)
• Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, actress (Scarface, The Color of Money)
• Amy Morton, actress (Chicago P.D.)
• Lois Nettleton, actress
• Bob Newhart, comedian and actor (The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart)
• Kate Norby, actress (The Devil's Rejects)
• Busy Philipps, actress (Dawson's Creek)
• Cecily Strong, actress, comedian (Saturday Night Live)
• Judy Tenuta, comedian
• Betty White, actress (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls)

Directing and producing[]

• John Avildsen, film director (Rocky, The Karate Kid)
• Steve James, documentary filmmaker ^[9]
• George Schaefer, television director (Hallmark Hall of Fame)
• John Sturges, filmmaker (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape)

Journalism[]

• Tavi Gevinson, fashion blogger^[10]
• Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me!
• 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

Military[]

• William J. Cullerton, flying ace during World War II, host of Great Outdoors on WGN Radio until 1999^[11]
• Milo Smith Hascall, Union general in the Civil War

Music[]

• Lane Brody, musician
• Daws Butler, voice artist of animated characters including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound
• Jon Deak, bassist and composer with the New York Philharmonic^{[citation needed]}
• Rev. William R. Emerson, formerly R&B singer Billy "The Kid" Emerson
• 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, rapper; attended Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park^[12]
• 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^[13]

Politics and law[]

• Henry W. Austin, Illinois state legislator and businessman^[14]
• David Axelrod, political strategist and former White House official
• Ralph H. Barger, Illinois state legislator^[15]
• Bruce Barton, author and advertising pioneer; congressman from New York (1937–1940)
• Redd Griffin, Illinois state legislator (1980–1982)^[16]
• 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
• Pat Quinn, 41st Governor of Illinois
• Phil Radford, environmental, clean energy and democracy leader; Executive Director of Greenpeace USA; raised in Oak Park^[17]
• Leland Rayson, Illinois state legislator and lawyer^[18]
• Walter J. Reum, Illinois state legislator and lawyer^[19]
• Gerald W. Shea, Illinois state legislator^[20]
• Greg Zito, Illinois state legislator^[21]

Religion[]

• William Eugene Blackstone, 19th-century evangelical Christian and Zionist; lived in Oak Park
• Edward Egan, retired Roman Catholic Cardinal Archbishop of the Diocese of New York [City]
• 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[]

Baseball[]

• 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[]

• 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^[22]
• Evan Turner, guard and small forward for the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Portland Trail Blazers^[23]
• Norm Van Lier, point guard for the Chicago Bulls; sports radio personality^{[citation needed]}

Football[]

• 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, halfback for Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, 1953 Heisman Trophy winner
• 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[]

• Joe Corvo, defenseman for several NHL teams

Ice skating[]

• Emery Lehman (born 1996), Olympic speed skater

Rowing[]

• Carol Feeney, Olympic rower; silver medalist

Wrestling[]

• Ellis Coleman, Olympic wrestler; alumnus of Oak Park and River Forest High School

References[]