List of people from Oak Park, Illinois

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.jpg[[Lee Archambault]] (b. 1960), astronaut
 * A. O. L. Atkin (1925–2008), mathematician
 * Dmitri Borgmann (1927–1985), logologist
 * Wallace Broecker (1931–2019), geochemist
 * Jeannette Howard Foster (1895–1981),  librarian and professor, born in Oak Park
 * 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
 * Carl Rogers (1902–1987), psychologist, author and researcher
 * Bruce Schneier (b. 1963), cryptographer
 * John Robert Schrieffer (1931–2019), physicist
 * John C. Slater (1900–1976), pioneer in quantum theory
 * Susan Subak, environmental scientist and author
 * Chad Trujillo (b. 1973), astronomer
 * Edward Wagenknecht (1900–2004), educator and author

Architecture

 * 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

 * 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)
 * 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
 * ErnestHemingway.jpg[[Ernest Hemingway]], author (For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Old Man and the Sea)
 * 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
 * Claire Lombardo, author
 * 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
 * William Wondriska, children's author and illustrator

Music

 * Matt B, singer-songwriter
 * GAWNE, rapper, singer, and songwriter
 * Eleanor Friedberger, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
 * Matthew Friedberger, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist

Crime

 * Armandofoscosenior1.jpg[[Armando Fosco]], alleged member of the Chicago Outfit
 * Sam Giancana, mafia crime boss
 * Tony Spilotro, alleged mafia enforcer

Business

 * Allan Cox, author and business leader
 * James Dewar, baker; inventor of the Twinkie
 * Donald F. Duncan, Sr., parking meter and Yo-yo manufacturer
 * Ray kroc 1976.jpg[[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

Acting and comedy

 * William Bishop, actor
 * Daws Butler, voice artist of animated characters including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound
 * Dan Castellaneta cropped.jpg[[Dan Castellaneta]], actor and voice of cartoon character Homer Simpson
 * Anna Chlumsky, 2013.jpg[[Anna Chlumsky]], actress (My Girl, Veep)
 * Johnny Galecki, actor (The Big Bang Theory, Roseanne, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation)
 * Mason Gamble, actor (Dennis the Menace, Rushmore)
 * Kathy Griffin at 2014 Daytime Emmys (14539526732).jpg[[Kathy Griffin]], actress and 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)
 * 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
 * Comedian Bob Newhart.jpg[[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 (1989 cropped).jpg[[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
 * David Loughery, film producer (Flashback, Lakeview Terrace)
 * George Schaefer, television director (Hallmark Hall of Fame)
 * John Sturges, filmmaker (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape)

Journalism

 * Tavi Gevinson, fashion blogger
 * Kyle-cassidy-peter-sagal-1.jpg[[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
 * Marjorie Vincent, 1991 Miss America, journalist

Military

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

Music

 * Lane Brody, musician
 * Jon Deak, bassist and composer with the New York Philharmonic
 * 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 Midtown.jpg[[Ludacris]], rapper; attended Emerson Junior High School in Oak Park
 * 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

Politics and law

 * Theresa Amato, Nader 2000 and Nader 2004 national presidential campaign manager
 * Henry W. Austin, Illinois state legislator and businessman
 * David Axelrod, political strategist and former White House official
 * Ralph H. Barger, Illinois state legislator
 * Bruce Barton, author and advertising pioneer; congressman from New York (1937–1940)
 * Redd Griffin, Illinois state legislator (1980–1982)
 * 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
 * Leland Rayson, Illinois state legislator and lawyer
 * Walter J. Reum, Illinois state legislator and lawyer
 * Gerald W. Shea, Illinois state legislator
 * John D. Tomlinson, Minnesota state legislator and businessman
 * Greg Zito, Illinois state legislator

Religion

 * William Eugene Blackstone, 19th-century evangelical Christian and Zionist; lived in Oak Park
 * EdwardEgan Cardinal NY.jpg[[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)

Baseball

 * Dick Bertell, catcher for Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants
 * Art Bramhall, third baseman for Philadelphia Phillies
 * 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
 * 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
 * Evan Turner, guard and small forward for the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Portland Trail Blazers
 * Norm Van Lier, point guard for the Chicago Bulls; sports radio personality

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
 * Jlattner.jpg[[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
Cathy Kelley American journalist, television host, model and actress currently signed to WWE, working as a backstage interviewer on the SmackDown brand.
 * Ellis Coleman 2013.jpg[[Ellis Coleman]], Olympic wrestler; alumnus of Oak Park and River Forest High School