List of people from Peoria, Illinois

The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Peoria, Illinois.

For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Peoria, Illinois.

Authors and academics

 * Caroline Brown Bourland, college professor
 * Dorothy Cannell, mystery author
 * William Lane Craig, Christian apologist
 * Philip José Farmer, science fiction and fantasy author
 * Betty Friedan, feminist author (The Feminine Mystique)
 * Kendall Gott, author and historian
 * Joseph C. Hafele, physicist
 * John Grier Hibben
 * Kent Hovind, Christian creationist; convicted of 58 federal counts involving money fraud
 * Kate Klise, children's book author
 * Dan Simmons, author (Hyperion Cantos series)
 * Morris Kleiner, economist and professor

Business and engineering

 * Bruce Borland, golf course designer for Jack Nicklaus; died in a 1999 plane crash with Hall of Famer Payne Stewart
 * John Coleman, meteorologist and weatherman; founder of The Weather Channel
 * Harry Frazee, owner of Boston Red Sox who traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees
 * Joseph B. Greenhut, merchant
 * Susan G. Komen, namesake of Susan G. Komen for the Cure
 * George D. Sax, entrepreneur; credited with the innovation of drive-through banking

Media and arts

 * Bill Ballance, radio host
 * Mark Staff Brandl, artist
 * Adam Tod Brown, comedian and podcaster
 * Charles Correll, performer (Amos and Andy radio show)
 * Mariclare Costello, actress
 * Lee Garmes, cinematographer
 * Harry Harrison, radio host, disc jockey
 * Teck Holmes, actor, rapper, former Direct Effect host; The Real World: Hawaii cast member
 * Tom Irwin, actor; founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
 * Jim and Marian Jordan, radio performers (Fibber McGee and Molly)
 * Tami Lane, makeup artist; Academy Award winner for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
 * Camryn Manheim, actress
 * Kathryn McGuire, actress
 * James Millhollin, character actor; born in Peoria
 * David Ogden Stiers, actor (Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on M*A*S*H)
 * Angie Ostaszewski, a Tiktoker who promotes relocating to Peoria.
 * Richard Pryor, comedian and actor
 * Cynthia Stone, actress
 * Sander Vanocur, television news journalist
 * Marty Wombacher, writer, photojournalist, blogger

Music

 * Dan Fogelberg, musician
 * Jerry Hadley, opera tenor
 * Bruce Johnston, member of the Beach Boys; born in Peoria, then adopted and moved to Chicago and Los Angeles
 * Julia H. Johnston, Christian songwriter who composed Grace Greater Than All Our Sin
 * Tim Kelley, recipient of Key To The City of Peoria; Grammy Award-winning record producer; half of the production duo Tim & Bob
 * Cristy Lane, singer
 * Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane, lead singer for Spanky and Our Gang; replaced Cass Elliot in The Mamas & the Papas
 * Craig Moore, lead singer and bassist of 1960s garage rock band Gonn; grew up in Peoria
 * Abbie Parker, member of the contemporary Christian music band I Am They
 * Gary Richrath, guitarist from REO Speedwagon; raised in East Peoria
 * Bob Robinson, recipient of Key To The City of Peoria; Grammy Award-winning record producer; half of the production duo Tim & Bob
 * Bart Shatto, featured vocalist with Trans-Siberian Orchestra
 * Fred Stobaugh, 96-year-old widower; wrote a love letter that became the viral video "Oh Sweet Lorraine"
 * Greg X. Volz, lead singer of Christian rock band Petra
 * Richard A. Whiting, composer
 * Mike Somerville, lead guitarist, songwriter for rock band Head East

Bands

 * The Forecast, indie rock band
 * Minsk, metal band
 * Mudvayne, metal band
 * Planes Mistaken for Stars, punk and hardcore band

Philanthropists and activists

 * Lydia Moss Bradley
 * Howard Brown, founder of the National Gay Task Force
 * Janet Glavin, Make-A-Wish Illinois

Medicine

 * Thomas D. Duane, Ophthalmologist who first described valsalva retinopathy in 1972.

Military

 * General Wayne A. Downing, US Special Operations Commander and Joint Special Operations Commander; 75th Ranger Regiment
 * General John M. Shalikashvili, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
 * Edward W. Snedeker
 * Frank Wead, US Navy aviator turned screenwriter; early promoter of US Naval aviation

Politics and law

 * Prescott E. Bloom, Illinois state senator
 * Nancy Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure; Chief of Protocol of the United States; U.S. Ambassador to Hungary
 * Jefferson R. Boulware, Illinois state representative and lawyer
 * Robert L. Burhans, Illinois state legislator and lawyer
 * John Edward Cassidy, Illinois Attorney General
 * Mark Clark, Black Panther; killed in infamous Chicago police raid in 1969
 * Joseph E. Daily, Chief Justice of Illinois Supreme Court
 * William L. Eagleton, US diplomat
 * Sherman W. Eckley, legislator and businessman
 * Susan Fargo, Massachusetts state senator
 * Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll, controversial orator; Illinois Attorney General
 * Garrett D. Kinney, state treasurer
 * Raja Krishnamoorthi, Representative of Illinois's 8th congressional district
 * Ray LaHood, Representative of Illinois's 18th congressional district; Secretary of Transportation under President Obama
 * James B. McCoy, Wisconsin state legislator
 * Robert H. Michel, longest-serving Republican leader of US House of Representatives
 * Robert Dale Morgan, US federal judge and mayor of Peoria
 * Norman H. Purple, Illinois Supreme Court justice and lawyer
 * Don Saltsman, state legislator
 * Aaron Schock, former US Congressman
 * Robert Scholes, state legislator and lawyer
 * Fred J. Schraeder, IIllinois state legislator and businessman
 * Daniel R. Sheen, Illinois state legislator and lawyer
 * David Sills, former mayor of Irvine, California and son-in-law to President Ronald Reagan
 * LeRoy Smallenberger, lawyer, judge, state chairman of Louisiana Republican Party 1960-64
 * Hudson R. Sours, Illinois state legislator
 * Clyde E. Stone, Chief Justice of Illinois Supreme Court
 * Fred J. Tuerk, Illinois state legislator
 * Hubert W. Woodruff, Illinois state legislator and lawyer

Religion

 * Gerald Thomas Bergan, clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
 * Rabbi David Hirsch, Rosh Yeshiva of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, an affiliate of Yeshiva University
 * Julia H. Johnston, Christian songwriter who composed Grace Greater Than All Our Sin
 * William Lane Craig, Christian apologist and philosopher
 * Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, bishop of Rochester and host of The Catholic Hour on radio and Life is Worth Living

Auto racing

 * Irv Hoerr, IMSA sports car racing champion

Baseball

 * Amy Irene Applegren, pitcher and infielder in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
 * Charlie Bartson, pitcher for Chicago Pirates
 * Harry Bay, outfielder for Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Bronchos/Naps
 * Lynn Brenton, pitcher for Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds
 * Ben Caffyn, outfielder for Cleveland Naps
 * Mike Donlin, outfielder for several Major League Baseball teams
 * Dan Dugdale, catcher for Kansas City Cowboys and Washington Senators
 * Elizabeth Farrow, pitcher in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
 * Norwood Gibson, pitcher for Boston Americans
 * Tom Gilles, pitcher for Toronto Blue Jays
 * June Gilmore, outfielder in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
 * Joe Girardi, MLB catcher and manager of New York Yankees, 3-time World Series champion,raised in East Peoria
 * Irene Kerwin, catcher in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, born in Peoria, member of three Halls of Fame
 * Esther Lyman, catcher in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, born in Peoria
 * Chris Mabeus, pitcher for Milwaukee Brewers
 * Zach McAllister, pitcher for Cleveland Indians, raised in Chillicothe, Illinois
 * Zach Monroe, pitcher for New York Yankees
 * Darby O'Brien, outfielder for New York Metropolitans and Brooklyn Bridegrooms/Grooms; born in Peoria
 * Leo Schrall, baseball head coach at Bradley University
 * Allyn Stout, pitcher for St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Giants, and Boston Braves; born in Peoria
 * Lee Thomas, All-Star player for six MLB teams, general manager of Philadelphia Phillies; born in Peoria
 * Jim Thome, first baseman for Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians and other teams; born and raised in Peoria
 * Walter Thornton, outfielder and pitcher for Chicago Cubs
 * Bill Tuttle, center fielder for three MLB teams; born and raised in Cramer, 18 miles west of Peoria
 * Pete Vonachen, owner of Peoria Chiefs minor league club; born and raised in Peoria
 * George Whiteman, outfielder for Boston Americans, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox; World Series champion (1918); born in Peoria
 * Ben Zobrist, 2nd baseman for Chicago Cubs, World Series Champion (2016), voted MVP; born in Peoria

Basketball

 * Acie Earl, power forward selected by Boston Celtics with 19th overall pick in 1993 NBA draft
 * Ray Giacoletti, head coach, University of Utah, Drake, Eastern Washington, North Dakota State
 * AJ Guyton, point guard selected by Chicago Bulls with 32nd overall pick in 2000 NBA draft
 * Charlotte Lewis, 1976 Olympic silver medalist, ISU sports Hall of Fame
 * Shaun Livingston, guard for NBA champion Golden State Warriors, 4th overall pick in 2004 NBA draft
 * Sergio McClain, NBA D-League forward for Asheville Altitude and University of Illinois
 * Carla McGhee, basketball forward, gold medalist at 1996 Summer Olympics
 * Howard Nathan, point guard for Atlanta Hawks
 * Brian Randle, power forward for University of Illinois and Euroleague team Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.
 * Jamar Smith, guard for Euroleague team Limoges CSP
 * J. R. Koch, professional basketball player
 * Dick Versace, head coach for Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers; NBA executive; head coach for Bradley University basketball in Peoria
 * Frank Williams, point guard for University of Illinois, 25th overall pick in 2002 NBA draft

Ice skating

 * Matt Savoie, Olympic figure skater; bronze medalist (2006)

Football
Kendrick Green, offensive guard for Illinois and current center for the Pittsburgh Steelers
 * Darryl Ashmore, offensive tackle for Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins; cousin of Carla McGhee
 * Dick Jauron, NFL defensive back, head coach for Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears
 * Sherrick McManis, cornerback for Chicago Bears
 * Jeff Monken, football head coach for Army
 * Tim Simpson, offensive guard for Pittsburgh Steelers; raised in East Peoria
 * Mike Zimmer, head coach for Minnesota Vikings
 * Eddie Sutter, NFL Linebacker, played for Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Atlanta Falcons, Went to Richwoods Highschool.

Pool

 * Bobby McGrath, pool player

Sports media

 * Jack Brickhouse, broadcaster; radio-TV announcer of the Chicago Cubs
 * Ralph Lawler, broadcaster; radio-TV announcer of the Los Angeles Clippers
 * Jack Quinlan, broadcaster, radio announcer of the Chicago Cubs
 * Lyall Smith, sports columnist, editor and PR director of the Detroit Lions, alumnus of Bradley University
 * Charley Steiner, broadcaster, radio-TV announcer of the Los Angeles Dodgers, alumnus of Bradley University
 * Rick Telander, sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times; panelist on Sportswriters on TV

Tennis

 * Jeff Salzenstein, tennis player

Track

 * Herbert Jamison, sprinter

Swimming

 * Amanda Adkins, swimmer who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics