List of people from Waukegan, Illinois

The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Waukegan, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Waukegan, Illinois.

Artists and performers

 * Harrison Bankhead, jazz double bassist
 * Jack Benny, comedian, actor, iconic radio and television personality
 * Landis Blair, artist (The Hunting Accident, From Here to Eternity.)
 * David Clennon, actor (Thirtysomething)
 * J. Campbell Cory, cartoonist
 * Steve DiGiorgio, musician
 * Greg Drasler, artist
 * Lee England Jr., violinist, composer, producer, singer
 * Neil Flynn, actor (Scrubs, The Middle)
 * Jon Michael Hill, actor (Detroit 1-8-7, Superior Donuts)
 * Jason Kao Hwang, violinist and composer
 * Mickey Kuhn, film actor of 1930s-1950s
 * Norm Magnusson, artist, actor
 * Justin Mentell, actor
 * Joshua Mallett, musician
 * Lori Peters, musician and former drummer of Skillet (band)
 * Jerry Orbach, actor (Law & Order, Dirty Dancing)
 * Adam Pearce ("Scrap Iron"), professional wrestler for Ring of Honor and the National Wrestling Alliance and producer for World Wrestling Entertainment.
 * Bryan W. Simon, film and stage director, Along for the Ride, I'm No Dummy, Jay Johnson: The Two & Only!, Stage Two Theatre Company
 * Marvin Smith, drummer on The Tonight Show
 * Greg and Colin Strause, directors and visual effects supervisors of Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem and Skyline.
 * Brian Van Holt, actor

Journalism and writing

 * Diane Ackerman, author and naturalist
 * Jim Bittermann, senior correspondent for CNN
 * Eleanor Taylor Bland, crime fiction author
 * Ray Bradbury, author, iconic science-fiction writer, wrote about 1920's Waukegan as "Green Town" in many of his novels and short stories
 * James Grippando, New York Times best-selling novelist
 * Isadore Gilbert Jeffery (1840-1919), poet, lyricist
 * Ward Just, writer
 * Kim Stanley Robinson, science-fiction writer; born in Waukegan in 1952

Criminal justice

 * Juan Rivera, wrongfully convicted of the 1992 murder of Holly Staker in Waukegan
 * Alton Coleman, serial killer

Politicians and law

 * Jack E. Bairstow, Illinois legislator
 * Reuben W. Coon, Illinois state senator
 * Robert E. Coulson, Illinois legislator, lawyer, and mayor of Waukegan
 * Elisha P. Ferry, first mayor of Waukegan, first governor of state of Washington
 * Vic Kohring, Alaska legislator
 * Thomas J. Moran, Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court
 * Kim Olson, military officer and political candidate
 * Charles E. Redman, United States ambassador to Sweden and Germany

Baseball

 * Gary Bennett, catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers
 * Jarvis Brown, outfielder for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles
 * Johnny Dickshot, outfielder for with Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants and Chicago White Sox
 * Eric Eckenstahler, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers
 * Jay Hook, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets (winning pitcher in the first ever victory for the New York Mets)
 * Bill Krueger, pitcher for eight MLB teams
 * Ernie Krueger, was the catcher for the Brooklyn Robins in the "longest game in baseball history"–27 innings.
 * Jerry Kutzler, pitcher for the Chicago White Sox
 * Doc Oberlander, pitcher for the Cleveland Blues
 * Bob O'Farrell, catcher for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants, World Series champion, National League MVP and manager
 * Ed Sedar, first base coach for the Milwaukee Brewers
 * Scott Stahoviak, first baseman for the Minnesota Twins
 * Jigger Statz, outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, New York Giants, Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn Robins
 * Brian Traxler, first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers
 * Renae Youngberg, third basewoman in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

Basketball

 * Shawn Marion, small and power forward for the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and Dallas Mavericks
 * Billy McKinney, retired professional basketball player and former radio broadcaster
 * Jerome Whitehead, center and power forward for several NBA teams

Football

 * Otto Graham, award-winning quarterback for the Cleveland Browns
 * Brian Schwenke current offensive lineman for the New England Patriots, born in Waukegan
 * Michael Turner, running back for the Atlanta Falcons
 * Mike Wagner, safety with the Pittsburgh Steelers; four time Super Bowl champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV)

Motorsports

 * John Morton, Champion Trans Am Series driver
 * Ted Musgrave, American former stock car racing driver

Other

 * Rick Bay, served as head wrestling coach for Michigan (1970–74), and was later a college athletic director and professional sports executive

Other

 * Richard E. Bush (1924–2004), Master Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and awardee of the Medal of Honor as a corporal for heroism on Okinawa during World War II. He resided in Waukegan in 1999.
 * Althea Warren, president of the American Library Association, 1943–44