List of people from Peoria, Illinois

Last updated April 09, 2025

The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in 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.^[1]
Richard Pryor, comedian and actor
Cynthia Stone, actress
Sander Vanocur, television news journalist
Marty Wombacher, writer, photojournalist, blogger

Music

Jon Daker, singer and star of the early viral YouTube video "My Name is Jon Daker"
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
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.^[2]

Military

General Wayne A. Downing, US Special Operations Commander and Joint Special Operations Commander; 75th Ranger Regiment^{[ citation needed ]}
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^[3]
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^[4]
Robert L. Burhans, Illinois state legislator and lawyer^[5]
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^[6]
Susan Fargo, Massachusetts state senator^[7]
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^[8]
Aaron Schock, former US Congressman
Robert Scholes, state legislator and lawyer
Fred J. Schraeder, Illinois state legislator and businessman^[9]
Daniel R. Sheen, Illinois state legislator and lawyer^[10]
David Sills, former mayor of Irvine, California and son-in-law to President Ronald Reagan
Hudson R. Sours, Illinois state legislator
Clyde E. Stone, Chief Justice of Illinois Supreme Court
Fred J. Tuerk, Illinois state legislator^[11]
Hubert W. Woodruff, Illinois state legislator and lawyer^[12]
Nikki Budzinski, Representative of Illinois's 13th congressional district

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
Henry J. Messing, rabbi
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, bishop of Rochester and host of The Catholic Hour on radio and Life is Worth Living

Sports

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

Football

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
Kendrick Green, offensive guard for Illinois and current center for the Pittsburgh Steelers

Eddie Sutter, NFL Linebacker, played for Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Atlanta Falcons, Went to Richwoods Highschool.

Ice skating

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

Pool

Bobby McGrath, pool player

Soccer

Vince Cicciarelli, midfielder and forward ^[13]

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

References

↑ Kodé, Anna (March 29, 2023). "How a TikToker Brought Hundreds of Transplants to a Midwestern City". The New York Times . ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved April 4, 2023.
↑ "Obituary for Thomas D. Duane Duane (Aged 75)". The Daily Item. June 25, 1993. p. 13.
↑ 'Illinois Blue Book 1985-1986,' Biographical Sketch of Prescott E. Bloom, pg. 110
↑ 'Illinois Blue Book 1903-1904,' Biographical Sketch of Jefferson R. Boulware, pg. 365
↑ 'Illinois Blue Book 1963-1964,' Biographical Sketch of Robert L. Burhans, pg. 290-291
↑ 'Illinois Blue Book 1927-1928, Biographical Sketch of Sherman W. Eckley, pg. 246
↑ 'Public Officials of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 2009-2010,' William F. Welch/Steven T. James-editors, Biographical Sketch of Susan C. Fargo, pg. 52
↑ 'Illinois Blue Book 1995–1996,' Biographical Sketch of Donald L. Saltsman, pg. 109
↑ 'Illinois Blue Book 1981-1982,' Biographical Sketch of Fred J. Schraeder, pg. 162
↑ 'Illinois Blue Book 1905-1906,' Biographical Sketch of Daniel R. Sheen, pg. 270-271
↑ 'Illinois Blue Book 1988-1989,' Biographical sketch of Fred J. Tuerk, pg. 110
↑ 'Illinois Blue Book 1959-1960, Biographical Sketch of Hubert W, Woodruff, pg. 174-175
↑ "Vincent Cicciarelli". Columbus Crew . Retrieved April 8, 2025.

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[:0-1] Kodé, Anna (March 29, 2023). "How a TikToker Brought Hundreds of Transplants to a Midwestern City". The New York Times . ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved April 4, 2023.

[2] "Obituary for Thomas D. Duane Duane (Aged 75)". The Daily Item. June 25, 1993. p. 13.

[3] 'Illinois Blue Book 1985-1986,' Biographical Sketch of Prescott E. Bloom, pg. 110

[4] 'Illinois Blue Book 1903-1904,' Biographical Sketch of Jefferson R. Boulware, pg. 365

[5] 'Illinois Blue Book 1963-1964,' Biographical Sketch of Robert L. Burhans, pg. 290-291

[6] 'Illinois Blue Book 1927-1928, Biographical Sketch of Sherman W. Eckley, pg. 246

[7] 'Public Officials of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 2009-2010,' William F. Welch/Steven T. James-editors, Biographical Sketch of Susan C. Fargo, pg. 52

[8] 'Illinois Blue Book 1995–1996,' Biographical Sketch of Donald L. Saltsman, pg. 109

[9] 'Illinois Blue Book 1981-1982,' Biographical Sketch of Fred J. Schraeder, pg. 162

[10] 'Illinois Blue Book 1905-1906,' Biographical Sketch of Daniel R. Sheen, pg. 270-271

[11] 'Illinois Blue Book 1988-1989,' Biographical sketch of Fred J. Tuerk, pg. 110

[12] 'Illinois Blue Book 1959-1960, Biographical Sketch of Hubert W, Woodruff, pg. 174-175

[13] "Vincent Cicciarelli". Columbus Crew . Retrieved April 8, 2025.

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