List of people from Bloomington, Illinois

Last updated

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

Contents

Academics and writing

NameImageBirthDeathKnown forAssociationReference
Kate Charles 1950Mystery writer
Eyestone, Lura Lura Eyestone, 1918.jpg Oct 14, 1872Mar 9, 1965EducatorBorn in Bloomington
Elbert Hubbard Elbert Hubbard - Project Gutenberg eText 12933.jpg Jun 19, 1856May 7, 1915EssayistBorn in Bloomington
Frederic W. Goudy Frederick W. Goudy by Arnold Genthe 1924.jpg Mar 8, 1865May 11, 1947TypographerBorn in Bloomington
Gertrude Hull Gertrude Hull 1898.jpg Nov 16, 1866Mar 22, 1947TeacherBorn in Bloomington
John Wesley Powell John Wesley Powell at National Portrait Gallery IMG 4439.JPG Mar 24, 1834Sep 23, 1902Naturalist [1]
Wilson Tucker Wilsontucker.jpg Nov 23, 1914Oct 6, 2006Author
Curtis White Author, novelist, essayist, and theorist[ citation needed ]

Business and engineering

NameImageBirthDeathKnown forAssociationReference
George J. Mecherle Jun 7, 1877Mar 10, 1951Founder of State Farm InsuranceLived and died in Bloomington
Marc W. Miller 1947Award-winning game designerLives in Bloomington
Verne Winchell Oct 30, 1915Nov 26, 2002Founder of Winchell's DonutsBorn in Bloomington

Media and arts

NameImageBirthDeathKnown forAssociationReference
Wally Bishop Aug 17, 1905Jan 15, 1982Cartoonist; grew up in Bloomington
Ryan BlissDigital artist; founder of Digital Blasphemy
Tim Bradstreet 10.18.09TimBradstreetByLuigiNovi.jpg Feb 16, 1967Eisner Award-nominated artist and illustratorGraduated BHS, Class of 1985[ citation needed ]
David S. Broder Sep 11, 1929Mar 9, 2011Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalistWorked for Pantagraph newspaper in Bloomington
Sidney Smith

Sidney Smith (cartoonist) portrait circa 1912.jpg

Feb 13, 1877Oct 20, 1935Million-dollar "Chicago Tribune" cartoonist of The GumpsWorked for The Sunday Eye newspaper in Bloomington
John Campbell Jul 7, 1955Jazz pianistBorn in Bloomington
Joel Higgins Joel Higgins 1976.JPG Sep 28, 1943Actor (Edward W. Stratton, III on Silver Spoons )Born in Bloomington
Pawnee Bill Feb 14, 1860Feb 3, 1942Wild West showmanBorn in Bloomington
Pokey LaFarge Pokey LaFarge 2012 - Reutlingen.JPG June 26, 1983Musician and songwriter focusing on the American roots genre Born in Bloomington
Cleo Madison Mar 26, 1883Mar 11, 1964Silent-film actress and directorBorn in Bloomington
Frederic Remington Frederic Remington.jpg Oct 4, 1861Dec 26, 1909Artist and sculptor of the Old WestLived in Bloomington
Paul Rhymer 1905Oct 26, 1964Scriptwriter and humorist, creator of Vic and Sade Grew up in Bloomington
McLean Stevenson McLean Stevenson Henry Blake MASH 1972.JPG Nov 14, 1927Feb 15, 1996Actor (Henry Blake on M*A*S*H )Grew up in Bloomington area
Kathleen McClellan Kathleenheadshot1.jpg Apr 28, 1970Actress, Former Miss Illinois Teen USA in 1988Grew up in Bloomington
Dawn Upshaw Jul 17, 1960Singer[ citation needed ]

Fictional

NameImageBirthDeathKnown forAssociationReference
Henry Blake McLean Stevenson Henry Blake MASH 1972.JPG Character on the TV show M*A*S*H

Military

NameImageBirthDeathKnown forAssociationReference
Sharon K.G. Dunbar Maj. Gen. Sharon K.G. Dunbar.JPG Jul 12, 1960US Air Force major general – graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in the 3rd class to accept females; commanded Air Force Basic Military Training; first female to command the Air Force District of Washington; highest ranking Korean-American general in the Air Force.Raised in Bloomington
Ralph Eaton Aug 5, 1898May 1, 1986US Army brigadier general – graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point; WWII Chief of Staff 82nd Airborne Division, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit.Born in Bloomington
James Harbord James Harbord.jpg Mar 21, 1866Aug 20, 1947US Army general in World War IBorn in Bloomington
Marie Meyer (espionage) Apr 7, 1897Dec 1969US linguist who worked on Venona projectRaised in Bloomington
William Orme Feb 17, 1832Sep 13, 1866Union Army general in the Civil War Lived in Bloomington later half of life
James I. Poynter Poynter JI.jpg Dec 1, 1916Nov 4, 1950US Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient for actions at The Battle of Chosin Reservoir in Korean War Born in Bloomington
Sidney S. Wade Sidney S. Wade.jpg Sep 30, 1909Nov 24, 2002US Marine Corps major general who commanded Marine Forces during 1958 Lebanon crisis Born in Bloomington

Politics

NameImageBirthDeathKnown forAssociationReference
David Davis DDavis.jpg Mar 9, 1815Jun 26, 1886Appointed to US Supreme Court by Abraham Lincoln Lived and died in Bloomington
Joseph W. Fifer Joseph.W.Fifer.jpg Oct 28, 1840Aug 6, 193819th Governor of Illinois Attended Illinois Wesleyan University, served as city attorney of Bloomington
John Marshall Hamilton John.Marshall.Hamilton.jpg May 28, 1847Sep 22, 190518th Governor of Illinois Lived in Bloomington.
Ward Hill Lamon WardhillLamon.jpg Jan 6, 1828May 7, 1893Personal friend and bodyguard of Abraham Lincoln
John Brown Lennon Oct 12, 1850Jan 18, 1923Labor union leader and American Federation of Labor treasurer
George Lincoln Rockwell George Lincoln Rockwell.jpg Mar 9, 1918Aug 25, 1967American Nazi leaderBorn in Bloomington
Rick Scott Official Portrait of Senator Rick Scott (R-FL).jpg Dec 1, 195245th Governor of Florida; United States Senator from Florida Born in Bloomington
Kelly Loeffler Senator Kelly Loeffler.jpg Nov 27, 1970 United States Senator from Georgia Born in Bloomington
Adlai E. Stevenson I Adlai Stevenson I by Saroney c1892-crop.jpg Oct 23, 1835Jun 14, 191423rd Vice President of the United States under Grover Cleveland; his wife Letitia Green was born in BloomingtonWas raised in Bloomington and attended Illinois Wesleyan University
Adlai E. Stevenson II AdlaiEStevenson1900-1965.jpg Feb 5, 1900Jul 14, 196531st Governor of Illinois, US presidential candidate, and US Ambassador to the United Nations Was raised in Bloomington and attended University High School

Sports

Baseball

NameImageBirthDeathKnown forAssociationReference
Bill Conroy Feb 26, 1915Nov 13, 1997Catcher for Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox Born in Bloomington
Jim Cox May 28, 1950Second baseman for Montreal Expos Born in Bloomington
Bill King Oct 6, 1927Oct 18, 2005Radio sports announcer for Oakland Athletics and Oakland/LA Raiders; Baseball Hall of Fame Born in Bloomington
Lyle Luttrell Feb 22, 1930Jul 11, 1984Shortstop for Washington Senators Born in Bloomington
Bernie Neis Sep 26, 1895Nov 29, 1972Outfielder for Brooklyn Robins, Boston Braves, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox Born in Bloomington
Jack Powell Jack Powell baseball card.jpg Jul 9, 1874Oct 17, 1944Pitcher for Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos, St. Louis Browns and New York Highlanders Born in Bloomington
Old Hoss Radbourn Radbourne charles 1.jpg Dec 11, 1854Feb 5, 1897Pitcher in Baseball Hall of Fame Lived and died in Bloomington
Curt Raydon Nov 18, 1933Mar 3, 2018Pitcher for Pittsburgh Pirates Born in Bloomington

Basketball

NameImageBirthDeathKnown forAssociationReference
Jim Crews Jim Crews Iraq (crop).jpg Feb 14, 1954NCAA basketball player and coachAttended University High School [ citation needed ]

Football

NameImageBirthDeathKnown forAssociationReference
Bump Elliott Bump Elliott (1961).png Jan 30, 1925Dec 7, 2019Player for Michigan and Purdue; head coach at Michigan (1959–1968); athletic director at Iowa (1970–1991); College Football Hall of Fame Raised in Bloomington
Pete Elliott Bump and Pete Elliott.png Sep 29, 1926Jan 4, 2013Quarterback of undefeated Michigan football teams (1947 and 1948); head coach at Nebraska, Illinois, Cal, and Miami; College Football Hall of Fame Born in Bloomington[ citation needed ]
Michael Hoomanawanui Michael Hoomanawanui.JPG Jul 4, 1988Tight end for New Orleans Saints Born in Bloomington
Brandon Hughes BrandonHughes.jpg May 23, 1986Former NFL cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles Born in Bloomington

Volleyball

NameImageBirthDeathKnown forAssociationReference
Ogonna Nnamani Ogonna Nnamani.jpg Jul 29, 1983US volleyball team member in the 2004 Olympics and 2008 Olympics (silver medalist); graduate of University High School Born in Bloomington

Australian football

NameImageBirthDeathKnown forAssociationReference
Don Pyke Dec 5, 1968Head coach of Adelaide Football Club in Australian Football League, [2] player for West Coast Eagles 1990s.Born in Bloomington

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McLean County, Illinois</span> County in Illinois, United States

McLean County is the largest county by land area in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 Census, it had a population of 170,954. Its county seat is Bloomington. McLean County is included in the Bloomington–Normal, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomington, Illinois</span> City in Illinois, United States

Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of McLean County, Illinois, United States. The 2020 census showed the city had a population of 78,680, making it the 13th-most populous city in Illinois and the fifth-most populous outside the Chicago metropolitan area. It is adjacent to the town of Normal, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area, which has a population of roughly 170,000. Bloomington is 135 miles (217 km) southwest of Chicago and 162 miles (261 km) northeast of St. Louis. Bloomington is home to Illinois Wesleyan University and the headquarters for State Farm and Country Financial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellsworth, Illinois</span> Village in Illinois, United States

Ellsworth is a village in Dawson Township, McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 184 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bloomington–Normal Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Normal, Illinois</span> Town in Illinois, United States

Normal is a town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 52,736. Normal is the smaller of two principal cities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area, and is Illinois' seventh most populous community outside the Chicago metropolitan area. The main campus of Illinois' oldest public university, Illinois State University, a fully accredited four-year institution, is in Normal, as is Heartland Community College, a fully accredited two-year institution. Chris Koos has been Normal's mayor since 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomington, Indiana</span> City in Indiana, United States

Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Indiana, United States. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 census. It is the seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area. It is the home of Indiana University Bloomington, the flagship campus of the IU System. Established in 1820, IU Bloomington enrolls over 45,000 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois State University</span> Public university in Normal, Illinois, US

Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of the top ten largest producers of teachers in the US according to the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Hockey League</span> North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league

The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which operated the league from 2000 to 2013, at which point it was purchased by the individual franchise owners. As of the end of its final season in 2014, three of the 30 National Hockey League teams had affiliations with the CHL: the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sambo (racial term)</span> Ethnic slur for someone of African ancestry

Sambo originally Zambo is a derogatory label for a person of African descent in the Spanish language. Historically, it is a name in American English derived from a Spanish term for a person of African and Native American ancestry. After the Civil War, during and after the Jim Crow era the term was used in conversation, print advertising and household items as a pejorative descriptor for black people. The term is now considered offensive in American and British English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall</span> Basketball arena at Indiana University Bloomington

Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall ,is a 17,222-seat arena on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the home of the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball and women's basketball teams. It opened in 1971, replacing the "New" IU Fieldhouse. The court is named after Branch McCracken, the men's basketball coach who led the school to its first two NCAA National Championships in 1940 and 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CEFCU Arena</span> Arena in Illinois, United States

CEFCU Arena, formerly known as Redbird Arena, is a 10,200-seat multi-purpose arena located in Normal, Illinois, on the campus of Illinois State University. Built in 1989, the building is notable for its use of a Teflon-coated roof that gives off a "glow" during night events. Three Illinois State Redbirds athletic teams use the facility as their home court: men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crow Creek Indian Reservation</span> Indian reservation in South Dakota, United States

The Crow Creek Indian Reservation, home to Crow Creek Sioux Tribe is located in parts of Buffalo, Hughes, and Hyde counties on the east bank of the Missouri River in central South Dakota in the United States. It has a land area of 421.658 square miles (1,092.09 km2) and a 2000 census population of 2,225 persons. The major town and capital of the federally recognized Crow Creek Sioux Tribe is Fort Thompson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomington Edge</span>

The Bloomington Edge was a professional indoor football team based in Bloomington, Illinois. While it was in operation, the team hosted home games at Grossinger Motors Arena. Originally named the Bloomington Extreme, the team was a member of United Indoor Football (UIF), and joined the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2009 during the UIF and Intense Football League merger. They left the IFL for the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) in 2013, and in 2015 the CPIFL merged with the Lone Star Football League (LSFL) to create Champions Indoor Football (CIF), where Bloomington did not follow and joined X-League Indoor Football (X-League). Following the 2015 season the Edge joined the CIF. The Edge then announced it had rejoined the IFL for the 2018 season, but a court ruling prevented the team from joining the league until 2019, however, they were not included in that season's schedule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Pyke</span> Australian rules footballer, born 1968

Donald Lachlan Pyke is a former Australian rules footballer who is the upcoming CEO of the West Coast Eagles having previously been an assistant coach at the Sydney Swans. He was formerly the senior coach of the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played for the West Coast Eagles from 1989 to 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois's 18th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Illinois

The 18th congressional district of Illinois covered central and western Illinois, including all of Jacksonville and Quincy and parts of Bloomington, Peoria, and Springfield. It was last represented by Republican Darin LaHood, who took office in September 2015 following a special election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crow Canyon Archaeological Center</span> School in Cortez, Colorado, United States

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is a 170-acre (69 ha) research center and "living classroom" located in southwestern Colorado, US, which offers experiential education programs for students and adults.

The following weekly polls comprise the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings that determined the top 25 teams at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level of college football for the 2007 season. The Sports Network poll is voted by media members while the Coaches' Poll is determined by coaches at the FCS level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midwest Professional Basketball Association</span>

The Midwest Professional Basketball Association (MPBA) was a professional men's basketball league that began play in January 2015. The six charter members were: Bloomington Flex, Champaign Swarm, Chicago Force, Gateway Steam, St. Louis RiverSharks and Windy City Groove.

The Northern League is a collegiate summer baseball league consisting of teams in Indiana. It was named the Midwest Collegiate League (MCL) from 2010 to 2021.

The 2004 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the Sports Network poll of Division I-AA head coaches, athletic directors, sports information directors and media members. This is for the 2004 season.

References

  1. Bearnson, Margaret S. "John Wesley Powell". Utah History Encyclopedia.
  2. "Pyke named new Crows coach". afc.com.au. Adelaide Crows. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.