List of people from Wilmette, Illinois

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

Academics and scientists

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Ezekiel Emanuel		1957		Oncologist; developer of The Medical Directive: health policy adviser to the federal government
Roger Myerson		March 29, 1951		2007 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics co-winner		[1]

Acting and modeling

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Ralph Bellamy		June 17, 1904	November 29, 1991	Academy Award-nominated actor	Grew up in Wilmette	[2] [3] [4]
Beck Bennett		October 1, 1984		Actor, Saturday Night Live cast member	Born in Wilmette
Neal Brennan		October 19, 1973		Comedian, writer, director, producer, actor	Lived in Wilmette as a child between 1978 and 1986	[5]
Brian Doyle-Murray		October 31, 1945		Actor	Grew up in Wilmette
Peter Fox				Actor	Born in Wilmette
Charlton Heston		October 4, 1923	April 5, 2008	Academy Award-winning actor	Born in Wilmette	[4] [6]
Seana Kofoed		August 13, 1970		Actress	Born in Wilmette
Virginia Madsen		September 11, 1961		Academy Award-nominated actress		[7] [8]
Crystal McCahill		December 18, 1983		Model; Playboy Playmate of the Month		[9]
Bill Murray		September 21, 1950		Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated actor and comedian. Recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.	Grew up in Wilmette
Joel Murray		April 17, 1963		Actor	Born in Wilmette
Hugh O'Brian		April 19, 1925	September 5, 2016	Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor	Lived in Wilmette	[4] [10]
Ann-Margret Olsson		April 28, 1941		Actress and entertainer, winner of five Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy Award, nominated for two Academy Awards, two Grammys and a SAG Award	Lived in Wilmette	[4]
Kevin Quinn		May 21, 1997		Actor	Grew up in Wilmette	[11]
Jeri Ryan		February 22, 1968		American actress best known for her role as the Borg drone, Seven of Nine, in Star Trek: Voyager, lived in Wilmette	Lived in Wilmette	[7]
Frazier Thomas		June 13, 1918	April 3, 1985	Chicago children's television personality, best known for Garfield Goose and Friends	Lived in Wilmette	[4]
Nico Tortorella		July 30, 1988		Model and actor	Born in Wilmette	[12] [13]
Rainn Wilson		January 20, 1966		Emmy-nominated and SAG Award-winning actor; best known for role as Dwight Schrute on The Office .		[7]

Architects

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Jens Jensen		September 13, 1860	October 1, 1951	Landscape architect. Served as the superintendent of the Chicago Park District	Lived in Wilmette	[4] [14]
Benjamin Marshall		May 5, 1874	June 19, 1940	Designed such buildings as the Drake Hotel	Lived in Wilmette	[15]
Carol Ross Barney		1949		Principal architect at Ross Barney Architects	Lived in Wilmette	[16]

Business

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
James Crown		June 25, 1953		Businessman, son of Lester Crown and brother of Susan Crown, president of Henry Crown and Company, director of JPMorgan Chase, General Dynamics and Sara Lee Corporation, managing partner of Aspen Skiing Company	Grew up in Wilmette	[17]
Lester Crown		June 7, 1925		Billionaire businessman, son of industrialist Henry Crown, father of James and Susan Crown	Lives in Wilmette	[18] [19] [20]
Susan Crown		1958		Businesswoman, daughter of Lester Crown and sister of James Crown, chairman and founder of Susan Crown Exchange (SCE), chairman and CEO of Owl Creek Partners, chairman of Crown Family Philanthropies and partner of Henry Crown & Co., executive at Illinois Tool Works, board member of Northern Trust Corporation, vice-chair of Rush University Medical Center, former Fellow of Yale Corporation and board member of Baxter International	Grew up in Wilmette	[17]
Ari Emanuel		March 29, 1961		Co-founder of Endeavor Talent Agency	Grew up in Wilmette
Christie Hefner		November 8, 1952		Former CEO of Playboy, daughter of Hugh Hefner	Born in Wilmette	[4] [7]
James L. Kraft		December 11, 1874	February 16, 1953	Founder of Kraft Foods Inc	Lived in Wilmette	[21]
Cary Kochman		April 1965		Co-head of Global Mergers and Acquisitions Group at Citigroup, head of Chicago Citi office	Lives in Wilmette	[22]
Tony Rezko		1955		Restaurateur, political fundraiser convicted of fraud	Lived in Wilmette	[23]
Laura Ricketts		December 15, 1967		Co-owner of Chicago Cubs; board member of Lambda Legal and Housing Opportunities for Women organization; daughter of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts	Lives in Wilmette	[24] [25]
Thomas S. Ricketts		May 23, 1963		Co-owner and chairman of Chicago Cubs; CEO of Incapital; director of TD Ameritrade Holding Company; son of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts	Lives in Wilmette	[18] [24] [25]

Chefs

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Charlie Trotter		September 8, 1959	November 5, 2013	Chef and restaurant-owner	Born in Wilmette	[4] [26]

Music

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Casey Abrams		February 12, 1991		Singer and musician; finalist on American Idol season 10	Lived in Wilmette; attended McKenzie Elementary School
Kristine Flaherty (a.k.a. K.Flay)		June 30, 1985		Rapper	Born in Wilmette
Robbie Fulks		March 25, 1963		Alt-country singer and musician	Moved to Wilmette from Lindenhurst in 2005	[27]
Sinéad O'Connor		December 8, 1966	July 26, 2023	Singer-songwriter	Lived in Wilmette for several months in 2016	[28] [29]
Matt Walker		May 1969		Drummer for Filter, The Smashing Pumpkins and Morrissey		[30]
Wendy Warner				Celloist	Lived in Wilmette	[31]
Pete Wentz		June 5, 1979		Bassist and primary lyricist for the band Fall Out Boy	Grew up in Wilmette	[4] [7]

Photography

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Vivian Maier		February 1, 1926	April 21, 2009	Street photographer	Lived as a nanny in Wilmette from 1989 until 1993	[32]

Politics

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Esther Dunshee Bower		September 1879	October 13, 1962	lawyer, co-founder of Illinois League of Women Voters; worked almost 20 years for the state's Women's Jury Bill (1939)	Lived in Wilmette from 1880s to 1950s	[33]
Michael Cabonargi		January 29, 1971		Commissioner of Cook County Board of Review from the 2nd district since 2011	Lives in Wilmette	[34]
Rahm Emanuel		November 29, 1959		55th mayor of Chicago; White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama; senior advisor to President Bill Clinton, Democratic Caucus Chairman of the House of Representatives; Ambassador to Japan under President Joe Biden	Grew up in Wilmette	[7]
Roger Keats		August 12, 1948		Former member of the Illinois House of Representatives	Lived in Wilmette	[35]
Dean A. Pinkert		June 5, 1956		Served as a member of the International Trade Commission from 2007 until 2015	Grew up in Wilmette
Todd Ricketts		September 23, 1969		Finance Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Was originally named by Donald Trump for nomination as the Deputy Secretary of Commerce but withdrew, unable to satisfy the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. Ricketts is a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs; owner of the shuttered Higher Gear Bike Shops chain; CEO of Ending Spending Super PAC; member of the World Bicycle Relief board of directors; son of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts.	Lives in Wilmette	[18] [24] [25] [36] [37]
Michael S. Rogers		October 31, 1959		Former commander of the United States Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency	Grew up in Wilmette	[38]
Jack Ryan		October 6, 1959		Candidate for the United States Senate	Grew up in Wilmette
Dan Seals		June 19, 1971		Candidate for the United States House of Representatives	Lives in Wilmette
Sargent Shriver		November 9, 1915	January 18, 2011	General manager of the Merchandise Mart; first head of the Peace Corps; vice presidential nominee for George McGovern's presidential campaign	Lived in Wilmette

Sports

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Jack Brickhouse		January 24, 1917	August 6, 1998	Sportscaster for the Chicago Cubs	Lived in Wilmette	[4] [39]
Grant Golden		August 21, 1929	December 15, 2018	Tennis player	Born in Wilmette	[40]
Barry Horowitz		March 24, 1960		Wrestler with WWE
Jamie Schroeder		September 9, 1981		Olympic rower		[41]
Mike Huff		August 11, 1963		Major League Baseball player	Grew up in Wilmette	[42]
Bob Skelton		June 25, 1903	June 25, 1977	Gold medalist Olympic swimmer	Born in Wilmette
Charlie Tilson		December 22, 1992		Major League Baseball player	Born in Wilmette
Alexander K. Whybrow (a.k.a. Larry Sweeney)		February 18, 1981	April 11, 2011	Wrestler and manager
Tommy Wingels		April 12, 1988		Center in National Hockey League	Grew up in Wilmette	[43]

Writing and journalism

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Julia Allison		February 28, 1981		Columnist	Born in Wilmette
Mal Bellairs		November 9, 1919	July 12, 2010	Radio personality	Lived in Wilmette	[44]
Robert Casey		March 14, 1890	December 5, 1962	Newspaper journalist	Lived in Wilmette	[45]
Jamie Gilson		July 4, 1933	February 11, 2020	Author	Lived in Wilmette
Edward Gorey		February 22, 1925	April 15, 2000	Writer/ illustrator	Grew up in Wilmette	[4]
Chester Gould		November 20, 1900	May 11, 1985	Cartoonist; creator of Dick Tracy	Lived in Wilmette	[4] [46] [47] [48]
Blair Kamin				Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic for Chicago Tribune	Lives in Wilmette	[18] [49]
Linda MacLennan		May 25, 1956		Television news anchor and reporter (longtime personality on WBBM-TV)	Lived in Wilmette	[18] [50]
Brant Miller		February 8, 1950		Chief meteorologist at WMAQ-TV	Lives in Wilmette	[18]
Marianne Murciano				Co-hosted Fox Thing in the Morning on WFLD	Lives in Wilmette	[18]
Jonathan Nolan		Jun 6, 1976		British-American author and screenwriter
Dana Olsen				Screenwriter	Lives in Wilmette
Ian Punnett		March 3, 1960		Radio broadcaster	Born in Wilmette
Bob Sirott		August 9, 1949		Radio broadcaster on WLS-AM, television news anchor	Lives in Wilmette	[18]
Clark Weber		Nov 24, 1930	Mar 7, 2020	Radio broadcaster	Lives in Wilmette	[18] [51]
Donovan Webster		January 13, 1959		Best-selling and award-winning journalist, author, film-maker, and humanitarian	Grew up in Wilmette
Paul O. Zelinsky		1953		Best-selling children's author/illustrator	Grew up in Wilmette	[52]

Other

Name	Image	Birth	Death	Known for	Association	Reference
Stephen Baltz		January 9, 1949	December 17, 1960	Sole survivor of the 1960 New York air disaster until dying a day later	Born and lived in Wilmette
H. H. Holmes		May 16, 1861	May 7, 1896	Serial killer	Lived in Wilmette	[53]
Antoine Ouilmette		1760	December 1, 1841	Fur trader who was among the earliest settlers of Chicago	Lived in Wilmette and is a member of the town's namesake family

References

1. Leavitt, Irv (October 18, 2007). "Nobel Prize winner stays on task". Wilmette Life. Pioneer Press/Sun-Times Media Group.
2. "Ralph Bellamy Dies; Veteran Actor Won Fame for F.D.R. Role". Los Angeles Times . November 30, 1991. Retrieved June 1, 2017. Back in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, he was expelled from high school in his senior year for smoking under the stage.
3. Cohen, George (November 30, 1967). "TV Today: Went from New Trier High School to Role in Chautauqua Play". Chicago Tribune.
4. Ingram, Bruce (June 27, 2016). "Get on board for trolley tour of Wilmette celebrity homes". www.chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
5. "Neal Brennan talks about his influences, writing race-sensitive material and the state of contemporary comedy". IFC.com. November 30, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
6. Heston, Charlton: In The Arena, Simon & Schuster, 1995. ISBN   0-684-80394-1.
7. Matt Pais (August 20, 2008). "Wilson's local roots". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
8. Smith-Sloman, Christy (March 2014). "Wilmette, Illinois Hometown Charm Close to the Windy City". www.chicagocooperator.com. Chicago Cooperator. Retrieved June 1, 2017. A number of high profile personalities hail from Wilmette including Chicago's current mayor Rahm Emanuel, Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, actor Rainn Wilson, musician Pete Wentz and Playboy CEO Christie Hefner. Its hometown charm might just make you want to call it your hometown too.
9. "Playboy's Crystal McCahill: Miss May goes to court on DUI charge". Chicago Tribune. March 20, 2009. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
10. Jacoby, John (September 12, 2016). "A Word From The (Former) President: Hall of Fame (Hugh O'Brian)". www.wilmettebeacon.com. Wilmette Beacon (22nd Century Media). Retrieved June 5, 2017. Former Wilmette resident Hugh O'Brian, who died on Sept. 5, was a man whose philanthropic achievements arguably outshine his stellar acting career. He's best known for playing the title role in the popular ABC-TV series, "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955 to 1961).
11. Sotonoff, Jamie; Gire, Dann (January 19, 2016). "For Disney star from Wilmette, business comes first in showbiz". Daily Herald . Arlington Heights, Illinois . Retrieved April 22, 2016.
12. "Nico Tortorella". imdb. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
13. Curt Wagner (February 17, 2013). "Nico Tortorella is killing it in 'The Following". redeye Chicago. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
14. Fawcett, Adrienne (March 25, 2016). "Lecture: Jens Jensen". www.jwcdaily.com. JWC Media. Retrieved June 5, 2017. Jens Jensen, who lived in Wilmette for many years
15. Castle, George (February 2, 2012). "The Great Depression Doomed Wilmette's Most Eccentric Mansion". patch.com. Patch. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
16. Black, Lisa (August 18, 2005). "For trip back in time, road pavers pick brick". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 5, 2017. Chicago architect Carol Ross Barney, who specializes in modern design and prefers sleek lines and shapes, lives on another block of Linden that has been restored to brick.
17. Noyes, Susan B. (December 13, 2013). "The Power of Business: Lester Crown Prioritizes Philanthropy". www.makeitbetter.net. Make It Better. Retrieved June 1, 2017. while raising seven children in Wilmette with his wife, Renee.
18. Skolnik, Lisa (April 1, 2010). "Neighborhood Tour: Wilmette". www.michiganavemag.com. Michigan Avenue Magazine. Retrieved June 1, 2017. NEIGHBORS Cheryl Berman, Blair Kamin, Dennis Chookaszian, Hamilton Chang, Todd Ricketts, Tom Ricketts, Lester Crown, Brant Miller, Susan Noyes, Jennifer Woolford, Mark Falanga, Joanie Bayhack, Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano, Meredith and Jonathan Sinclair, Linda MacLennan
19. Kusel, Robert F. (2017). "Defiant Requiem". www.chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 1, 2017. Renee and Lester Crown of Wilmette
20. "Crown family". Forbes . n.d. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
21. "James L. Kraft in the 1940 Census". www.archives.com. archives.com. n.d. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
22. "Rahm Emanuel: The Unreformed, Reformer, Part One". stoneformayor.com. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Kochman, Cary Wilmette, IL
23. Rodkin, Dennis (September 27, 2010). "Citadel Executive Is the New Owner of Rezko's Former Home". Chicago Magazine . Chicago: Tribune Publishing . Retrieved April 23, 2016. The 30-room Wilmette mansion where the now-imprisoned political wheeler-dealer Tony Rezko
24. Rodkin, Dennis (February 23, 2016). "Cubs chairman building home on Wilmette lakefront". Chicago Business. Crain's Chicago Business . Retrieved May 31, 2016. Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts is building a home on Wilmette's lakefront less than a mile north of the one his sister Laura built a few years ago. Ricketts and his wife, Cecelia, have owned a home in Wilmette since at least 1997, according to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. They are behind a venture that bought a site on Michigan Avenue in Wilmette for $7 million in August 2013, according to people familiar with the property. Through a family spokesman, Tom Ricketts declined to comment. He became the chairman of the Cubs after a family group, including Tom, Todd and Laura Ricketts, bought the team in 2009. He is also CEO of a Chicago investment bank Incapital, which he founded in 1999.............Slightly south of the site, on Sheridan Road in Wilmette, Laura Ricketts and her wife, Brooke Skinner, live in a mansion built on a lakefront parcel near the Bahai'i Temple that Laura bought in 2010 for $6.5 million.
25. Rodkin, Dennis (May 23, 2012). "Laura Ricketts Plans New Mansion on Wilmette Lakefront". Chicago Magazine. Chicago . Retrieved May 31, 2016. Laura Ricketts, a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, and her partner, Heidi Grathouse, have filed plans with the Village of Wilmette for a new mansion to be built on the 1.2-acre lakefront site they bought two years ago.......Two Ricketts brothers, Tom and Todd, live within six blocks of the lakefront site in Wilmette; their homes are at opposite ends of the same block, though neither is more than one-third the size of what their sister has on the boards.
26. Grimes, William (November 5, 2013). "Charlie Trotter Dies at 54; Chef Made Chicago a Must". The New York Times.
27. Fulks, Robbie (February 22, 2011). "robbie and nora on the north shore-a". robbiefulks.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
28. Kaufman, Gil (May 17, 2016). "Sinead O'Connor Pens Vicious Open Letter to Ex Husband". Billboard. Billboard . Retrieved May 31, 2016. That same day, O'Connor reportedly left the Wilmette area on a bicycle and could not be found as of Monday morning, at which point an unidentified caller contacted police about her well-being. A music industry source told the Chicago Tribune that O'Connor had been living in Wilmette since late February, performing at a few low-key local shows.
29. "Singer Sinead O'Connor found safe, according to Wilmette police". Chicago Tribune. Chicago Tribune. May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016. Rebecca Cain, who lives on an east Wilmette block in the area where O'Connor reportedly was staying, said Monday afternoon that she didn't know how long the singer had been living nearby but that she had occasionally seen O'Connor out walking. A music industry source who asked not to be named said O'Connor has been living in Wilmette since at least late February. She last performed in the area March 4 at Metro with Sons of the Silent Age in a David Bowie tribute concert, singing "Sorrow" and "Life on Mars" to the accompaniment of a Chicago band.
30. "Index of articles". Wilmette Life . Retrieved August 9, 2013.
31. Delacoma, Wynne (July 11, 2001). "Wilmette native builds a career of note". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
32. O'Donnell, Nora (December 14, 2010). "The Life and Work of Street Photographer Vivian Maier". www.chicagomag.com. Chicago Magazine . Retrieved June 5, 2017. From 1989 to 1993, Maier cared for the disabled daughter of Federico Bayleander in his Wilmette home
33. IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law (January 1, 1902). "Esther Dunshee Bower". Girls Want to Study Law: 100 Years of Women Graduates.
34. "Mike Cabonargi: Candidate profile". Daily Herald. February 11, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
35. Rodkin, Dennis (March 28, 2011). "Cook County Republican Bound for Texas Sells in Wilmette". Chicago magazine. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
36. Johnson, Eliana; Nussbaum, Matthew (November 24, 2016). "Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts likely deputy commerce secretary". politico.com. Politico. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
37. @realDonaldTrump (November 30, 2016). "'President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate Steven Mnuchin, Wilbur Ross & Todd Ricketts'" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
38. "Director of the National Security Agency: Who Is Michael Rogers?". www.allgov.com. allgov.com. May 5, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2017. Rogers, 54, was born in Chicago and grew up in the suburb of Wilmette
39. Pick, Grant (August 14, 2013). "The Other Brickhouse". www.chicagoreader.com. Chicago Reader . Retrieved June 1, 2017. By the early 1950s Jack was on television, his reputation growing, and the family had moved to Wilmette
40. "Biddeford Daily Journal Archives, Aug 25, 1956, p. 6". August 25, 1956.
41. "08.30.04". CNN. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012.
42. "Meet Mike Huff, Wilmette native and retired White Sox outfielder". www.wilmette.com. Village of Wilmette. 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
43. Dorfman, Daniel I. (May 27, 2013). "Wilmette's Tommy Wingels Reflects On NHL Debut". www.patch.com. Patch Media . Retrieved June 1, 2017. Hockey player Tommy Wingels, who grew up in Wilmette
44. Eldeib, Duaa (July 13, 2010). "Chicago radio personality Mal Bellairs". www.chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 13, 2010. In 1969, Mr. Bellairs left WBBM and his Wilmette home and moved his family to Woodstock
45. "Robert Casey, Newsman and Author, Dies". www.archives.chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. December 5, 1962. Retrieved June 5, 2017. Robert J. Casey, noted Chicago newspaperman and author, died yesterday in St. Francis hospital, Evanston. Mr. Casey, who lived at 934 Linden av., Wilmette
46. Pietrzyk, Richard (n.d.). "Wilmette House". www.dicktracymuseum.com. Dick Tracy Museum. Retrieved June 5, 2017. the house in Wilmette where Gould started his married life and his classic detective was created.
47. Jacoby, John (November 5, 2016). "Local Hall of Fame: Chester Gould". www.wilmettebeacon.com. Beacon Press. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
48. Gould O'Connell, Jean (2007). Chester Gould: A Daughter's Biography of the Creator of Dick Tracy. McFarland.
49. Sweet, David (March 13, 2015). "Critic Builds a Pulitzer-Worthy Career". jwcdaily.com. JWC Daily. Retrieved May 25, 2017. Over squash bisque and a good-sized hamburger, the Wilmette resident talks about
50. "Sunday Breakfast: Former News Anchor Thriving …". Daily North Shore.
51. Zorn, Eric (March 25, 1997). "Walker Stepping On Club's Toes In Age-bias Protest". www.chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 1, 2017. Radio Advertising Consultants President Clark Weber, himself a Wilmette senior,
52. "Paul Zelinsky". www.paulzelinsky.com. Paul Zelinsky. n.d. Retrieved May 25, 2017. Paul O. Zelinsky grew up in Wilmette, Illinois
53. Schechter, Harold (1994). Depraved: The Definitive True Story of H. H. Holmes, Whose Grotesque Crimes Shattered Turn-of-the-Century Chicago. New York City, U.S.: Pocket Books. ISBN   9780671025441. OCLC   607738864, 223220639.