List of people from Elgin, Illinois

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

Authors and academics

• E.C. "Mike" Alft, historian, author, and former mayor of Elgin
• Nina Burleigh, journalist and author^{[ citation needed ]}
• Paul Flory, chemist; Nobel Prize winner (1974)
• Lloyd Hall, chemist
• Donella Meadows, environmentalist
• Jessica Mink, astronomer; co-discover of the rings around the planet Uranus
• John Platt, computer scientist
• Tom Shales, journalist; Pulitzer Prize winner (1988)
• Carleton Washburne, educator; author^{[ citation needed ]}
• Dwight Smith Young, physicist with the Manhattan Project

Business and invention

• Max Adler, vice-president of Sears & Roebuck; benefactor of Adler Planetarium
• Lawrence B. Hamlin, Hamlin's Wizard Oil purveyor
• Lysander Hamlin, co-originator with John Austen Hamlin of Hamlin's Wizard Oil
• Earl "Madman" Muntz, marketer, car stereo and 4-track cartridge pioneer
• James Roche, chairman of General Motors
• James P. Liautaud, industrialist, inventor and business theorist

Media and arts

• Dan Andriano, musician ^[1]
• BarlowGirl, Christian rock band
• Joe Becker, musician^{[ citation needed ]}
• Bruce Boxleitner, actor
• Josh Caterer, songwriter, musician, singer^{[ citation needed ]}
• Daniel de Marbelle, songwriter who wrote When They Ring Those Golden Bells
• Citizen Way, Christian rock band
• Jim Gaffigan, comedian, actor, and author
• Mitzi Gaynor, actress and entertainer, lived in Elgin
• George Hamlin, opera singer and son of John Austin Hamlin ^[2]
• John Austin Hamlin, magician
• Matt Hoffman, contestant on Big Brother 12
• Charles Ingalls, father of Laura Ingalls Wilder ( Little House on the Prairie ); spent part of his childhood in the nearby Campton Township
• Laurence Kaptain, recording artist; Dean at the College of Music and Dramatic Arts, Louisiana State University
• William LeBaron, playwright and movie producer
• Kevin Martin, musician
• Norman Mayell, musician (Sopwith Camel, Blue Cheer, Norman Greenbaum) ^[3]
• Paleo, born David Strackany, folk singer-songwriter
• Jane Peterson, painter and artist^{[ citation needed ]}
• John Qualen, actor
• Courtney Reed, stage actress, original Princess Jasmine in Aladdin on Broadway
• Marie Sidenius Zendt, singer

Military

• Harry Chamberlin, U.S. Army brigadier general and Olympic medalist in equestrian events ^[4]

Politics and law

• Ray Barnhart, Texas State Representative
• Robert L. Bergman (1948-2013), Illinois State Representative ^[5]
• DeGoy B. Ellis (1876-1949), Illinois state representative and lawyer ^[6]
• Thomas W. Ferry (1843-1845) Acting Vice President, US Senator
• Peter Fitzgerald, US senator (R-IL)
• Barbara Giolitto, Illinois State Representative ^[7]
• Adam Neylon, Wisconsin legislator ^[8]
• Jeanette Ward, member of the Wyoming House of Representatives. She lived in Elgin until moving to Casper, Wyoming in 2021. ^[9]

Sports

• Charlene Barnett (1928-1979), baseball player
• Ko Chandetka (born 1971), bodybuilder
• Earl Britton (1903-1973), football player
• Bethany Goldsmith (1927-2004), baseball player
• Harry Hanson (1896-1966), baseball player
• Hunkey Hines (1867-1928), baseball player
• Tony Kaufmann (1900-1982), baseball player
• Scott Kellar (born 1963), football player
• Ed McDonough (1886-1926), baseball player
• Lou North (1891-1974), baseball player
• Brian Oldfield (born 1945), Olympic shot putter
• David Otunga (born 1980) wrestler
• Erwin Renfer (1891-1957), baseball player
• Flynn Robinson (born 1941), basketball player
• Rick Short (born 1972), baseball player
• Roger Smithberg (born 1966), baseball player
• Ray Whipple (1893-1973), football player

References

1. Althea Legaspi (March 1, 2010). "Alkaline Trio gets back to its roots in Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-06-15. Singer-guitarist Matt Skiba and singer-bassist Dan Andriano took turns on mic ...
2. White, James Terry (ed.) (1924). "Hamlin, George John". The National Cyclopædia of American Biography, Vol. 19, pp. 59–60. James T. White and Company
3. Norman Mayell Autobiography; sopwithcamel.com. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
4. Historical and Pictorial Review, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Cavalry Division. Baton Rouge, LA: The Army and Navy Publishing Company. 1941. p. 27 – via FamilySearch.
5. 'Illinois Blue Book 1977=1998.' Biographical Sketch of Robert L. Bergman, pg. 96
6. 'Illinois Blue Book 1919-1920,' Biographical Sketch of DeGoy B. Ellis, pg. 198-199
7. 'Illinois Blue Book 1993-1994,' Biographical Sketch of Barbara Giolitto, pg. 99
8. 'Wisconsin Blue Book 2013-2014,' Biographical Sketch of Adam Neylon, pg. 85
9. LaChance, Brendan (2022-07-01). "Candidate Questionnaire: Jeanette Ward for House District 57". Oil City News. Retrieved 2023-01-18.