List of people from Illinois

This is a list of people whose career was all or part in Illinois; people are not included if they left the state before beginning a career. Darryl Haugan is a dick lover.

A

John Ashcroft

• Flozell Adams, offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Jane Addams, social worker, teacher, peace activist, Nobel Peace Prize recipient
• George Ade, author
• Paul Adelstein, television actor; Prison Break, Private Practice
• Dankmar Adler, architect
• Abraham Adrian Albert, mathematician
• Nelson Algren, author
• Saul Alinsky, founder of modern community organizing and writer
• Joan Allen, actress, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Supremacy, Face/Off
• Karen Allen, actress, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Tony Allen, swingman for the Memphis Grizzlies
• Justin Allgaier, sports, 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Champion
• Samuel Allison, prominent physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project
• John Peter Altgeld, politician (Democrat), Illinois Governor and workplace safety advocate
• Philip Warren Anderson, Nobel Prize-winning physicist
• Ann-Margret, Emmy-winning actress, singer and dancer
• Philip Danforth Armour, businessman-Founder of Armour and Company
• Matthew John Armstrong, television actor; Heroes, American Dreams
• Louis Armstrong, jazz musician
• John Ashcroft, politician (Republican), U.S. Attorney General, Missouri Senator, Missouri Governor
• Jason Avant, wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Bill Ayers, founder and former member of the Weather Underground
• Reiko Aylesworth, actress, Michelle Dessler on 24

B

Jennifer Beals

File:Saul Bellow, 1990.jpg

Saul Bellow

Lou Boudreau

Shannon Brown

• Chantal Bailey, Olympic Speedskater
• Bob Balaban, actor and director
• Adam Baldwin, actor, voice actor, blogger, Chuck, Jackie Chan Adventures, The Cape
• Paris Barclay, Emmy-winning and DGA Award-winning TV director, In Treatment, NYPD Blue, Cold Case
• John Bardeen (1908–91) winner of two Nobel Prizes in Physics
• Brandon Barnes, rock musician in the band Rise Against
• John Barrowman, actor, singer, dancer
• Peter Bartlett, actor, One Life to Live, The Princess and the Frog
• Hank Bauer (1922–2007), right fielder and manager with the New York Yankees and Kansas City Athletics; also a decorated World War II U.S. Marine
• Jennifer Beals, actress, The L Word, The Chicago Code, The Book of Eli
• Edward Beecher, theologian and abolitionist
• Darryl M. Bell, actor, A Different World, Homeboys in Outer Space
• Josh Bell, third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles
• Saul Bellow, Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer
• Louis Bellson, jazz drummer, bandleader and musician
• James Belushi, actor, comedian, According to Jim, Saturday Night Live, The Defenders
• Jack Benny, actor and comedian
• Tom Berenger, actor, Platoon
• Emily Bergl, actress, Men in Trees
• Shelley Berman, comedian, actor, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Boston Legal, Meet the Fockers
• Joseph Bernardin (1928–96), Cardinal Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago
• Edward Allen Bernero, TV writer, producer, and director, co-creator of Third Watch
• Black Hawk, Sauk Indian Chief
• Edwin Black, syndicated columnist, journalist, author of IBM and the Holocaust
• Zach Blair, musician Rise Against
• Rosa Blasi, actress, Strong Medicine, Make It or Break It, Hitz
• Robert Bloch, writer, author of Psycho
• Sidney Blumenthal, journalist, aide to President Bill Clinton
• Michael Boatman, actor, writer, Spin City, China Beach, Arliss
• Samuel Bodman, politician (Republican), U.S. Secretary of Energy, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department
• Eric Bolling, anchor at the Fox Business Network, host of Follow The Money
• Lou Boudreau, (1917–2001) Hall of Fame baseball player
• Michael Bowden, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox
• Bruce Boxleitner, actor, science fiction novelist, Babylon 5, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, the Tron films
• Lara Flynn Boyle, actress, The Practice, Twin Peaks, Men in Black II
• Lydia Moss Bradley, philanthropist and founder of Bradley University
• Mark Staff Brandl, art critic, reviewer for Art in America
• Mac Brandt, actor, Prison Break
• Andre Braugher, actor, Homicide: Life on the Street, Hack, Men of a Certain Age
• Wendy Braun, actress, General Hospital
• Anthony Braxton, jazz
• Josh Brent, nose tackle for the Dallas Cowboys
• Paul Brittain, actor, comedian, cast member on Saturday Night Live
• David Broder, journalist, author, Washington Post columnist
• Phil Brooks, professional wrestler under the ring name "CM Punk"
• Patrick Brown, offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins
• Shannon Brown, guard for the L.A. Lakers
• William Jennings Bryan, politician (Democrat), lawyer, US Secretary of State
• Bob Bryar, musician My Chemical Romance Drummer
• Bryan Bulaga, offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers
• Richard Bull, actor, Little House on the Prairie, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
• Daniel H. Burnham, architect
• Heather Burns, actress, Bored to Death, Miss Congeniality and its sequel
• Drew Butera, catcher for the Minnesota Twins
• Will Bynum, point guard for the Detroit Pistons
• Tim Byrdak, relief pitcher for the New York Mets

C

Al Capone

Hillary Clinton

Cindy Crawford

• Jack Cafferty, political commentator for CNN
• L. Scott Caldwell, actress, Lost, Queens Supreme
• Frances Callier, actress, comedian, I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here!
• Joe Cannon, politician (Republican) and Speaker of the US House of Representatives
• Al Capone, gangster and bootlegger
• Brian Cardinal, forward for the Dallas Mavericks
• Steve Carell, actor and comedian
• Terrence C. Carson, actor, voice actor, Living Single, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Life with Louie
• James Cartwright, USMC general, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Dan Castellaneta, actor, The Simpsons, The Pursuit of Happyness, Happy Feet
• Anton Cermak, politician (Democrat) and Mayor of Chicago
• George Chandler (1898–1985), actor
• Jay Chandrasekhar, actor, comedian, film director
• Brenda Chapman, animator and film director, The Prince of Egypt
• Maurice Cheeks, former NBA point guard and current assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder
• Judy Chicago, feminist artist and author
• Anna Chlumsky, actress
• Amy Chua, professor at Yale Law School and author of World on Fire and Day of Empire
• Danny Clark, linebacker for the New Orleans Saints
• Hillary Rodham Clinton, attorney and politician (Democrat), former First Lady, New York Senator and current U.S. Secretary of State
• Gary Cole (born 1956), actor, The Brady Bunch Movie, Office Space, Talladega Nights
• James M. Cole, U.S. Deputy Attorney General under President Barack Obama
• Doug Collins, head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers
• Sherron Collins, former NBA point guard
• Common, rap musician, songwriter, producer, actor
• Brian Cook, power forward for the Los Angeles Clippers
• Martin Cooper, the inventor of the modern cell phone
• Billy Corgan (born 1967), rock musician from Alternative Rock band The Smashing Pumpkins
• John Coughlin, Politician (Democrat) and Chicago Alderman
• Cindy Crawford (born 1966), supermodel
• Adrianne Curry, model and America's Next Top Model, Cycle 1 winner
• Eddy Curry, former NBA center
• Ann Cusack, actress, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Maggie
• Joan Cusack, (born 1962), actress
• John Cusack, (born 1966), actor

D

Richard J. Daley

Miles Davis

• John Francis Daley (born 1985), actor, Bones, The Geena Davis Show, Freaks and Geeks
• Richard J. Daley (1902–1976), Politician (Democrat), Member of the Illinois State Assembly, Chicago Mayor (1955–1976)
• Richard M. Daley (born 1942), Politician (Democrat), attorney, Illinois State Senator, Chicago mayor (1989–2011), son of Richard J. Daley
• Owen Daniels, tight end for the Houston Texans
• Randy Daniels, politician (Republican), Secretary of State of New York, Deputy Mayor of New York City, educator, journalist
• Erik Darnell (1982–), NASCAR driver for Roush Fenway Racing
• Lisa Darr, actress, Popular, Life As We Know It, Flesh 'n' Blood
• Clarence Darrow, attorney
• Andrew Davis, film director, The Fugitive
• Miles Davis, jazz musician, bandleader and composer
• Clinton Davisson, Nobel Prize-winning physicist who discovered electron diffraction
• John Deere, inventor and manufacturer, founder of Deere & Company
• Oscar Stanton De Priest (1871–1951), politician (Republican), U.S. Representative, civil rights advocate, first African American to be elected to Congress in the 20th century
• John Dewey, philosopher
• Bo Diddley, rock and blues musician and composer
• David Diehl, offensive tackle for the New York Giants
• Ryan Diem, offensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts
• Paul Dinello, actor, comedian, Strangers with Candy, Exit 57, The Colbert Report
• Everett Dirksen (1896–1969), politician (Republican), United States Senator, Senate Minority Leader
• Walt Disney, film director, producer and animator
• Dorothy L. Dodson, track and field athlete
• Stephen Douglas, politician (Democrat), Member of the US Senate and House of Representatives, author of the Kansas-Nebraska Act
• Susan Downey, film producer, Sherlock Holmes, Iron Man 2, Due Date
• Theodore Dreiser, author and social activist
• Dennis Dugan, director, actor, Big Daddy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
• Michael Clarke Duncan, actor, Kung Fu Panda, Armageddon, Planet of the Apes
• Nora Dunn, actress, comedienne, Saturday Night Live, Sisters, Bruce Almighty
• Finley Peter Dunne, author and journalist
• Chad Durbin, relief pitcher for the Cleveland Indians
• Dick Durbin, politician (Democrat), U.S. Senator, Majority Whip, U.S. Representative
• Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, settler, founder of Chicago
• Dick Van Dyke, actor, producer and writer

E

• Wyatt Earp (1848–1929), American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer
• Roger Ebert (1942–present), Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, film critic and author
• Buddy Ebsen, actor, The Beverly Hillbillies, Barnaby Jones
• Ninian Edwards, politician (Democratic-Republican) and Governor of Illinois
• Dave Eggers, writer, editor, and publisher, author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
• David Eigenberg, actor, Steve Brady on Sex and the City
• Deborah Eisenberg, short story writer, actress
• Brett Eldredge, country music singer
• Larry Ellison, co-founder and chief executive of the Oracle Corporation
• John Ely, starting pitcher for the L.A. Dodgers
• Melvin Ely, center and power forward for the Denver Nuggets
• Rahm Emanuel, Politician (Democrat), former US Congressman, White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama
• Larry English, outside linebacker for the San Diego Chargers
• John Erlander, founder of Rockford Union Furniture Company.
• Richard Estes, photorealistic painter
• Fred Evans, defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings

F

• Louis Farrakhan, Nation of Islam leader
• James T. Farrell, author
• Enrico Fermi (1901–1954), nuclear physicist and Nobel Prize in Physics winner
• Lupe Fiasco, Rapper, musician
• Eugene Field, author
• Marshall Field, businessman, department store founder and philanthropist
• Marshall Field III, Banker, publisher and philanthropist
• Crista Flanagan, comedic actress, MADtv
• Dan Fogelberg, folk/rock musician and composer
• Harrison Ford, actor, the Indiana Jones films, the original Star Wars trilogy
• Thomas Ford, politician (Democrat) and Illinois Governor
• Dennis Franz, actor, NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues, Die Hard 2
• Jonathan Fraser, actor
• Jason Frasor, relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays
• John T. Frederick, literary scholar, critic and professor
• Kathleen Freeman, actress
• Betty Friedan, writer, activist, feminist, author of The Feminine Mystique
• William Friedkin, director, The Exorcist
• Francis Fukuyama, philosopher, political economist, author
• R. Buckminster Fuller, scientist, architect, inventor and author

G

• John Wayne Gacy (1942–1994), serial killer
• Lyman J. Gage, Politician (Republican), Banker and US Secretary of The Treasury
• Johnny Galecki. actor, Roseanne, The Big Bang Theory, American Dreamer
• Elbert Henry Gary, lawyer, county judge, corporate officer, key founder of U.S. Steel
• Willie Geist, host of MSNBC's Way Too Early with Willie Geist and co-host of Morning Joe
• Jami Gertz, actress, Still Standing, Sibs, Twister
• Tavi Gevinson, blogger and feminist Teenage girl
• Emily Giffin, novelist
• Joe Girardi, manager of the New York Yankees
• Stephen Glass, former journalist for The New Republic fired for serial fraud in his articles
• Caroline Glick, journalist, deputy managing editor for the Jerusalem Post
• Godfrey, comedian, actor
• Jaslene Gonzalez, model and America's Next Top Model, Cycle 8 winner
• Stuart Gordon, director, writer, producer
• Curtis Granderson, center fielder for the New York Yankees
• Red Grange, college and professional football player
• Ulysses S. Grant, Civil War General and 18th President of the United States 1869–1877
• Bonita Granville, film actress, television producer
• Andrew Greeley (born 1928), Roman Catholic priest, sociologist and author
• Shawn Green (born 1972), former Major League Baseball 2-time All-Star right fielder
• Kathy Griffin, actress, stand-up comedian, television personality, author, star of My Life on the D-List
• Frank W. Gunsaulus, educator, orator and minister
• Luis Gutiérrez, politician (Democrat), U.S. Representative
• Buddy Guy, blues guitarist and composer

H

• Gene Hackman, screen actor and Academy Award winner, The French Connection, The Firm, Superman, The Birdcage
• Michael G. Hagerty, actor, Lucky Louie, The George Carlin Show, Friends
• Jerry Hairston, Jr., utility player for the Washington Nationals
• George Halas, (1895–1983) sports, co-founder of National Football League and longtime coach-owner of the Chicago Bears
• DeMarlo Hale, bench coach for the Boston Red Sox
• Robert Halperin (1928–85), Olympic and Pan American Games yachting medalist, college and professional football player, one of Chicago's most-decorated World War II heroes, and Chairman of Commercial Light Co.
• Richard Hamming, prominent mathematician, inventor of the Hamming code and Hamming window
• Herbie Hancock, jazz musician
• Daryl Hannah, actress, producer
• J. A. Happ, pitcher for the Houston Astros
• Luke Harangody, power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers
• Clay Harbor, tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Erika Harold, model, 2003 Miss America, conservative activist, attorney
• William Rainey Harper, educator and first president of the University of Chicago
• Carter Harrison, Sr., politician (Democrat), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Member fo the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Mayor of Chicago
• Carter Harrison, Jr., politician (Democrat) and Mayor of Chicago
• Dennis Hastert, teacher, politician (Republican), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker of the House, 1998–2006
• Helge Alexander Haugan, (1847–1909) – Chicago businessman and bank founder
• H. (Hauman) G. Haugan, railroad executive and brother of Helge A. Haugan
• Reidar Rye Haugan (1893–1972) – Chicago newspaper publisher
• Kelvin Hayden, cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts
• Reggie Hayes, actor, Girlfriends
• Luther Head, shooting guard and point guard for the Sacramento Kings
• George Peter Alexander Healy, painter
• Ben Hecht, author, activist, Academy Award winning screenwriter
• Hugh Hefner, magazine publisher
• Ernest Hemingway, Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning writer and journalist
• Rickey Henderson, Hall of Fame MLB left fielder who holds the major league record for career stolen bases
• Max Henius, biochemist and co-founder the American Academy of Brewing in Chicago
• Whitey Herzog, Hall of Fame baseball manager, primarily with the St. Louis Cardinals and former outfielder
• Charlton Heston, Oscar-winning actor, political activist
• Jim Hickey, pitching coach for the Tampa Bay Rays
• Michael Hitchcock, actor, MADtv, Wild Hogs
• Craig Hodges, former NBA guard, played primarily with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls
• Isabella Hofmann, actress, Dear John, Homicide: Life on the Street, JAG
• William Holabird, architect
• Raymond Hood, architect
• Henry Horner, politician (Democrat) and Illinois Governor
• Juwan Howard, power forward for the Miami Heat
• Terrence Howard, actor, Iron Man, Big Momma's House, Sparks
• Reginald Hudlin, film and television director, screenwriter
• Warrington Hudlin, film director, producer
• Jennifer Hudson, R&B singer
• Rock Hudson, actor
• Brandon Hughes, cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Robert Maynard Hutchins, lawyer, educator and President of the University of Chicago

I

• Andre Iguodala, swingman for the Philadelphia 76ers
• Robert G. Ingersoll, Illinois Attorney General, orator, social reformer
• Samuel Insull, businessman and industrialist
• Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts
• Tom Irwin, actor, Saving Grace, My So-Called Life, Related
• Burl Ives, actor and folk musician

J

• Jesse Jackson, political activist and Baptist minister
• Colombe Jacobsen, chef and actress
• Peter Jacobson, actor, House, Transformers
• Brian James, assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers
• Peter Francis James, actor, voice-over artist
• Dave Jauss, bench coach for the New York Mets
• Mae Jemison, physician and astronaut
• Richard Jenkins, actor, Fun with Dick and Jane, Step Brothers, Six Feet Under
• William Le Baron Jenney, architect and engineer, originator of the metal-frame skyscraper
• Jeremih, R&B singer
• Armon Johnson, point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers
• Lynn-Holly Johnson, professional ice skater and actress
• J. J. Johnston, actor, boxing historian
• Charles "Buffalo" Jones, frontiersman
• Quincy Jones, musician, conductor, producer, arranger, composer, film composer

K

• Mike Kafka, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Harry Kalas (1936–2009), sportscaster, play-by-play for the Philadelphia Phillies
• Maria Kanellis, WWE Diva
• Henry Kaplan, radiologist who pioneered in radiation therapy and radiobiology
• Leon Kass, physician, scientist, educator, public intellectual
• Leslie Keeley, physician and founder of the Keeley Institute for addiction treatment
• Florence Kelley, social reformer, labor-rights advocate and founder of the National Consumers' League
• Robert Keohane, co-founder of the neoliberalism school of thought
• T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh, actress, That's So Raven, Cosby, In Living Color
• Fazlur Khan (1929–1982), structural engineer
• Sam Kinison (1953–1992), stand-up comedian, actor
• Terry Kinney, actor, Oz, The Unusuals, The Firm
• John Kinzie, Chicago settler
• Jason Kipnis, second baseman for the Cleveland Indians
• Chris Klein, actor, American Pie film series
• Frank Knox, newspaper publisher/owner and Secretary of the Navy
• Seana Kofoed, actress, Men in Trees
• Mort Kondracke, political commentator, columnist for Roll Call
• George Kontos, relief pitcher for the New York Yankees
• Olof Krans, Swedish-American Folk Art painter and artist.
• Ray Kroc, entrepreneur/owner of McDonald's fast food restaurants
• Alison Krauss, bluegrass musician and composer
• Ken Kwapis, film and television director, The Office, The Bernie Mac Show, Malcolm in the Middle

L

• Kyung Lah, Tokyo-based international correspondent for CNN
• Ray LaHood, Politician (Republican), former Member of the U.S. and Illinois House of Representatives, current U.S. Secretary of Transportation
• Gene Lamont, former MLB catcher, former MLB manager, current third base coach for the Detroit Tigers
• James Landis, noted power engineer
• Eric Lane, actor
• Norm Larsen, industrial chemist, inventor of WD-40
• René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, explorer
• Carol Lawrence, actress
• Natasha Leggero, stand-up comedienne, actress, judge on Last Comic Standing
• John D. LeMay, actor, Friday the 13th: The Series
• Harry Lennix, actor, Dollhouse, Commander in Chief, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions
• Thomas Lennon, actor, comedian, Reno 911!, The State, Viva Variety
• Rick Lenz, actor, Hec Ramsey
• Brian Levant, film director, The Flintstones
• Charles Levin, actor, Alice, Capital News
• Greg Lewis, wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings
• Jeffrey Lieber, TV writer and producer, Lost, Miami Medical
• Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, member of Congress
• Mary Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's wife
• Robert Todd Lincoln, attorney, U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, U.S. Secretary of War, President of the Pullman Company, Abraham Lincoln's son
• Charles Magnus Lindgren, Shipping Executive
• John R. Lindgren, Banking Executive, son of Charles M. Lindgren
• Vachel Lindsay, poet
• Shaun Livingston, point guard for the Charlotte Bobcats
• John A. Logan, politician (Democrat and Republican), U.S. Civil War General, member of the U.S. and Illinois House of Representatives, U.S. Senator
• Ramón E. López, space physicist
• Tony Lovato, musician, member of the band MEST
• Frank Orren Lowden, politician (Republican), member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Illinois Governor
• Jane Lynch, actress and comedienne; The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Alvin and the Chipmunks

M

• Bernie Mac, actor, stand-up comedian, The Bernie Mac Show, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Ocean's Eleven and its sequels
• Justina Machado, actress, Six Feet Under, Missing, Three Rivers
• Pete Mackanin, bench coach for the Philadelphia Phillies
• Earle S. MacPherson, automotive engineer that developed the MacPherson strut
• Amy Madigan, actress, Carnivàle
• Michael Madsen, actor, Die Another Day
• Virginia Madsen, actress, sister of Michael Madsen
• Ron Mahay, relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins
• John Mahoney, actor, Marty Crane on Frasier
• Terrence Malick, filmmaker
• John Malkovich actor, producer and director Con Air, In the Line of Fire
• David Mamet, screenwriter, playwright, director, producer, The Unit
• Harry Manfredini, film composer
• James Robert Mann, politician (Republican), attorney, Chicago City Alderman, U.S. Congressman
• Michael Mann, film director
• Joe Mantegna, actor, voice actor, Criminal Minds, Joan of Arcadia, The Simpsons
• Joe Mantello, actor
• Ray Manzarek, co-founder and keyboardist for The Doors
• Shawn Marion, forward for the Dallas Mavericks
• Richard Martini, writer, director
• Edgar Lee Masters, author and poet
• Marlee Matlin, Academy Award-winning actress, Children of a Lesser God
• George S. May, businessman, golf promoter
• Chi McBride, actor, The John Larroquette Show, Boston Public, Human Target
• Mercedes McCambridge, Academy Award-winning actress
• Jenny McCarthy, model, actress, author, activist
• Melissa McCarthy, actress, Gilmore Girls, Samantha Who?, Charlie's Angels
• Cyrus Hall McCormick, businessman and inventor of the McCormick Reaper
• Robert R. McCormick, newspaper publisher and philanthropist
• Elizabeth McGovern, actress
• Tim McIlrath, musician, Rise Against
• Sherrick McManis, cornerback for the Houston Texans
• Donovan McNabb, quarterback for the Washington Redskins
• John McNaughton, film and television director
• Marcus McNeill, offensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers
• Joseph Medill, newspaper owner and publisher, Mayor of Chicago
• Rashard Mendenhall, running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Alex Meneses, actress, model, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
• Charles Edward Merriam, political scientist, professor
• Laurie Metcalf, actress, Roseanne
• Robert H. Michel, (born 1923), politician (Republican), longtime member of Congress and former House Minority Leader
• Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969), modernist architect
• Bob Miner, co-founder of Oracle Corporation
• Bob Mionske, attorney and former Olympic and professional bicycle racer
• Nazr Mohammed, center for the Oklahoma City Thunder
• Harriet Monroe, poet
• Meredith Monroe, actress, Dawson's Creek, Criminal Minds
• Dwight L. Moody, evangelical minister and publisher
• William Vaughn Moody, dramatist and poet
• Stephen Moore, economic writer, policy analyst, founder of the Club for Growth
• Read Morgan, actor
• Jennifer Morrison, actress, model, House, How I Met Your Mother, Star Trek
• Mark Moses, actor, Desperate Housewives, Grand, Mad Men
• Markos Moulitsas, founder of the liberal blog Daily Kos, columnist for Newsweek and The Hill
• George Mundelein, Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn and Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago
• James Murtaugh, actor
• Bill Murray, actor, comedian, the Ghostbusters movies, Charlie's Angels, Tootsie
• Brian Doyle-Murray, comedian, actor, voice artist, Saturday Night Live, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, The Middle
• Joel Murray, actor, Dharma & Greg, Love & War, Grand
• John Musker, animation director, Aladdin, Hercules, The Princess and the Frog

N

• Ajay Naidu, actor, Office Space, LateLine
• Suzy Nakamura, actress, Deep Impact, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, The 40-Year-Old Virgin
• Heather Nauert, news anchor for the Fox News Channel
• Baby Face Nelson, bank robber and murderer in the 1930s
• Wayne Nelson, (born 1950) musician from classic rock's Little River Band
• Eliot Ness, Chief Investigator of the Prohibition Bureau
• Marisol Nichols, actress, Resurrection Blvd., 24, Blind Justice
• Alexa Nikolas, actress, Zoey 101, Hidden Hills
• Rob Ninkovich, linebacker and defensive end for the New England Patriots
• Ray Nitschke, Hall of Fame linebacker for the Green Bay Packers
• Frank Nitti, gangster
• Kim Novak, actress, Vertigo
• Robert Novak, syndicated columnist, journalist, TV personality, author, conservative political commentator
• Steve Novak, small forward and power forward for the San Antonio Spurs
• Mike Nussbaum, actor, Men in Black

O

• Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States, US Senator from Illinois, Illinois State Senator
• Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States, wife of Barack Obama
• Hugh O'Brian, actor, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
• Bob Ociepka, assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers
• Donald O'Connor, dancer, singer, actor, Singin' in the Rain
• Kevin J. O'Connor, actor, The Beast, The Others, The Mummy
• Bill Odenkirk, comedy writer, actor, producer, Mr. Show, The Simpsons
• Bob Odenkirk, actor, comedian, writer, director, Breaking Bad, Mr. Show, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
• Chris O'Donnell, actor, NCIS: Los Angeles, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin
• William Butler Ogden, politician (Democrat), businessman, first Mayor of Chicago
• Richard James Oglesby, politician (Republican), U.S. Army General, U.S. Senator, Governor of Illinois
• Matt O'Leary, actor
• Ken Olin, actor, director, producer, Thirtysomething, Brothers & Sisters, L.A. Doctors
• Diana Oughton, student activist, member of The Weathermen

P

• Curtis Painter, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts
• John M. Palmer, politician (Democrat, Republican, Free Soil), Civil War General, Illinois State Senator, Illinois Governor
• Phoebe Palmer, evangelist and author
• Potter Palmer, real estate developer, businessman, founder of the Palmer House Hotel
• Danielle Panabaker, actress, Shark
• Kay Panabaker, actress, Summerland, Phil of the Future
• Jannero Pargo, point guard for the Chicago Bulls
• Anthony Parker, guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers
• Francis W. Parker, education reformer
• Mandy Patinkin, actor and singer, The Princess Bride, Dick Tracy, Chicago Hope
• Danica Patrick, auto racing driver
• Tom Paxton, (born 1937) folk musician and singer-songwriter
• Sean Payton, head coach for the New Orleans Saints
• John Mason Peck, Baptist minister and author
• Michael Peña, actor, World Trade Center, Crash, The Shield
• Jeff Perry, actor, Nash Bridges, Grey's Anatomy
• Pehr August Peterson, Rockford, Illinois industrialist and philanthropist
• Father Michael Pfleger, controversial Roman Catholic priest
• Busy Philipps, actress, Dawson's Creek, Freaks and Geeks, ER
• Geoff Pierson, actor, Unhappily Ever After, Grace Under Fire, Dexter
• Tonya Pinkins, actress, All My Children, Enchanted
• John Podesta, White House Chief of Staff under Bill Clinton
• Ernest Poole, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist
• Michael Posner, Attorney, human rights advocate and Assistant Secretary of State under Barack Obama
• Joe Principe, musician, member of the band Rise Against
• Penny Pritzker, founder and current Chair of Classic Residence by Hyatt
• Richard Pryor, comedian and actor
• Kirby Puckett, Hall of Fame center fielder for the Minnesota Twins
• George M. Pullman, inventor and industrialist, founder of the Pullman Car Company
• Todd Purdum, national editor and political correspondent for Vanity Fair
• David Purcey, relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers

Q

• John Qualen, actor, Casablanca, The Grapes of Wrath, The Searchers
• Maeve Quinlan, actress, former tennis player, The Bold and the Beautiful, South of Nowhere
• Aidan Quinn, actor
• Declan Quinn, cinematographer
• Louis Quinn, actor, 77 Sunset Strip
• Pat Quinn, politician (Democrat), attorney, Illinois Treasurer and Governor of Illinois since January 2009
• Adolfo "Shabba Doo" Quiñones, actor, dancer, choreographer

R

• Henry T. Rainey, politician (Democrat), member and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Harold Ramis, actor, director, writer, Ghostbusters parts 1 and 2, As Good as It Gets, Analyze This, National Lampoon's Vacation
• Antwaan Randle El, wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Lou Rawls, soul, jazz and blues singer and actor
• James Earl Ray, assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Ronald Reagan (1911–2004), actor and politician (Republican), 40th President of the United States, Governor of California
• John C. Reilly, actor; Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, Chicago
• Denise Richards, actress, The World Is Not Enough, Denise Richards: It's Complicated
• Quentin Richardson, swingman for the Orlando Magic
• Andy Richter, actor, comedian, writer, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, the Madagascar films & cartoons
• Doc Rivers, former NBA point guard and head coach for the Boston Celtics
• Robin Roberts, Hall of Fame starting pitcher who played primarily with the Philadelphia Phillies
• Craig Robinson, actor, stand-up comedian, The Office, Lucky, Last Comic Standing
• George Lincoln Rockwell, founder of the American Nazi Party
• Richard Roeper, columnist, film critic, former co-host of At the Movies
• Carl Rogers, prominent psychologist
• Christina Romer, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama
• John Root, architect
• Adam Rosales, third baseman for the Oakland A's
• Derrick Rose, NBA player for the Chicago Bulls
• Julius Rosenwald, businessman and philanthropist, President of Sears, Roebuck & Company
• Ricco Ross, actor, Westbeach
• Larry Rothschild, pitching coach for the New York Yankees
• Carol Rowe, President of Rowe Consulting
• Donald Rumsfeld, politician (Republican), Secretary of Defense, White House Chief of Staff, U.S. Representative
• William A. Rusher, lawyer, columnist, publisher of National Review from 1957–1988
• Chuck Russell, director, The Mask, Eraser
• Ann Rutledge, friend of Abraham Lincoln
• Rex Ryan, head coach for the New York Jets
• Shawn Ryan, television producer and writer, The Shield, The Unit, Angel
• Marc Rzepczynski, relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays

S

• Jonathan Sadowski, actor, Live Free or Die Hard
• Craig Sager, sportscaster
• Pat Sajak, television game show host Wheel of Fortune
• Kiele Sanchez, actress, Married to the Kellys, Related, Lost
• Carl Sandburg, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and journalist
• Fred Savage, actor, director, The Wonder Years, Working, Austin Powers in Goldmember
• George Schaefer, television and stage director
• Lanny D. Schmidt, chemist, inventor, author, and professor
• Bill Schulz, regular panelist, writer, and producer on Fox News Channel's Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
• William Schutz, psychologist
• Rusty Schwimmer, actress, Twister, The Perfect Storm
• Edward Willis Scripps, newspaper publisher, founder of E.W. Scripps Company
• Richard Warren Sears, businessman, co-founder of Sears, Roebuck and Company
• Kevin Seitzer, former All-Star MLB third baseman and current hitting coach for the Kansas City Royals
• Michael Shannon, actor, Boardwalk Empire, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys II
• Bernard J. Sheil, Roman Catholic Archbishop and founder of the Catholic Youth Organization
• Derek Shelton, hitting coach for the Tampa Bay Rays
• Sam Shepard, actor, director and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Black Hawk Down, The Pelican Brief, The Right Stuff
• Sherri Shepherd, comedienne, actress, co-host of The View
• Brian Sherwin, art critic, curator, writer.
• Kiernan Shipka, child actress, Sally Draper on Mad Men
• William Shockley, (1910–1989), Nobel Prize-winning physicist and co-inventor of the transistor
• Bobby Short, cabaret singer and performer
• Brian Shouse, former MLB relief pitcher
• Casey Siemaszko, actor, NYPD Blue, Back to the Future parts 1 and 2
• Shel Silverstein, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books
• Bobby Simmons, small forward/shooting guard for the San Antonio Spurs
• James Singleton, power forward for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers
• Gary Sinise, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actor, director and musician CSI: NY, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13
• Gene Siskel, television journalist, film critic and author
• Jeffrey Skilling, former president of Enron, convicted of multiple federal felony charges
• Tom Skilling, meteorologist for WGN News
• John Slater, physicist
• Jerry Sloan, HOF former head coach and former NBA All-Star player for the Chicago Bulls
• Albion W. Small, sociologist and university professor
• Art Smith, actor
• Joseph Smith, Jr., prophet and founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
• Lonnie Smith, former Major League Baseball outfielder
• Sandra Smith, Business news reporter for the Fox Business Network
• Rafael Sorkin, physicist
• David Soul, actor and singer, Starsky and Hutch, Here Come the Brides, The Yellow Rose
• Soulja Boy, rapper
• John Spalding, Roman Catholic Bishop and co-founder of The Catholic University of America
• Lawrence Sperry, aviation pioneer
• Anthony Spilotro, mobster and enforcer for the Chicago Outfit
• Erik Spoelstra, head coach for the Miami Heat
• Jimmy Stafford, lead guitarist for Train
• Amos Alonzo Stagg, College Hall of Fame football coach and athlete, creator of the lateral pass and helmet
• Michael Stahl-David, actor, The Black Donnellys
• Dino Stamatopoulos, television comedy writer, actor, producer
• Ellen Gates Starr, social reformer and co-founder of Hull House
• Todd Stashwick, actor, The Riches
• Shelby Steele, columnist, documentary filmmaker, author of White Guilt
• James R. Stein, TV writer and producer, America 2-Night, Fernwood 2 Night, Son of the Beach
• Rick Stelmaszek, former MLB catcher and current bullpen coach for the Minnesota Twins
• Fisher Stevens, actor, producer, director, Early Edition, Key West
• John Paul Stevens, attorney, jurist, Supreme Court Justice
• Adlai Stevenson II, attorney, politician (Democrat), Illinois Governor, Ambassador to the United Nations, Presidential candidate in 1952 and 1956
• David Ogden Stiers, actor and orchestral conductor; M*A*S*H, The Dead Zone, Better Off Dead
• Dejan Stojanović, poet, writer, essayist, philosopher, businessman, and former journalist
• Melville E. Stone, newspaper publisher and manager of the Associated Press
• Lauren Storm, actress, Flight 29 Down
• John Stossel, consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author
• Michael Stoyanov, actor, TV comedy writer, Blossom
• The Brothers Strause, directing duo, special effects artists
• Barbara Stuart, television actress
• Patrick Stump, lead singer of the band Fall Out Boy
• Louis Sullivan, architect
• Daniel Sunjata, actor, Rescue Me, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Devil Wears Prada
• Lynn Sweet, Washington D.C. bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times, columnist for The Hill
• Gustavus Franklin Swift, inventor, meat-packing entrepreneur
• Keith Szarabajka, actor, The Dark Knight, We Were Soldiers, The Equalizer

T

• Jill Talley, actress, voice actress, Little Miss Sunshine, The Boondocks, Mr. Show
• Edmund Dick Taylor, "Father of the Greenback"
• Lili Taylor, actress, Six Feet Under, Deadline, Ransom
• Andy Tennant, actor, writer, film director, Hitch
• Felisha Terrell, actress, Days of our Lives
• Lynne Thigpen, actress, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, All My Children
• Roy Thinnes, actor, The Invaders, The Long, Hot Summer, Falcon Crest
• Josh Thole, catcher for the New York Mets
• Pierre Thomas, running back for the New Orleans Saints
• Theodore Thomas, violinist, orchestral conductor and founder of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Jim Thome, designated hitter for the Minnesota Twins
• Charles Tillman, cornerback for the Chicago Bears
• Gregg Toland, cinematographer
• David Tom, actor, The Young and the Restless, All My Children
• Lauren Tom, film & TV actress, voice actress, King of the Hill, Futurama, W.I.T.C.H.
• Nicholle Tom, actress, The Nanny, The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
• Tom Towles, actor
• Robert Townsend, actor and director, The Parent 'Hood
• Mary Ellen Trainor, actress, Roswell, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, the Lethal Weapon films
• Sam Treiman, theoretical physicist
• Lyman Trumbull, politician (Democrat, Republican), Illinois Assembly member, Illinois Supreme Court Justice, U.S. Senator, author of the Thirteenth Amendment
• Robin Tunney, actress, The Mentalist, Prison Break
• Jonathan Baldwin Turner, scholar, activist and advocate of land grant universities
• Evan Turner, shooting guard for the Philadelphia 76ers
• Michael Turner, NFL running back for the Atlanta Falcons
• Twista, rapper
• R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., founder and editor-in-chief of The American Spectator

U

• Kraig Urbik, offensive guard/tackle for the Buffalo Bills

V

• Virginia Valli, silent movie actress
• Danitra Vance, actress, Saturday Night Live cast member
• Wendelin Van Draanen, author of the Sammy Keyes children's novels
• Jerry Van Dyke, actor, comedian, Coach, My Mother the Car
• Brian Van Holt, actor, Cougar Town, John from Cincinnati
• Phillip Edward Van Lear, actor, Prison Break
• Melvin Van Peebles, director, screenwriter, actor, composer
• Vince Vaughn, actor, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Wedding Crashers
• Eddie Vedder, lead vocalist for Pearl Jam
• Nadine Velazquez, actress and model, My Name Is Earl
• Rachel Veltri, actress and model
• Mark Venturini, actor
• Jim Verraros, singer, actor
• Vince Vieluf, actor, Love, Inc.
• Steve Vinovich, actor

W

• The Wachowskis, filmmakers, the Matrix trilogy
• Dwyane Wade, NBA Star for the Miami Heat
• David Foster Wallace, author
• Eric Wallace, politician (Republican), entrepreneur, pastor
• Matt Walsh, actor, writer, comedian, Upright Citizens Brigade, The Hangover
• Kevin Walter, wide receiver for the Houston Texans
• Aaron Montgomery Ward, retail businessman and creator of the mail order catalog
• Muddy Waters, blues musician and songwriter
• Elmo Scott Watson, journalist and university professor
• Alvin M. Weinberg, nuclear physicist
• Robbie Weinhardt, relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers
• Raquel Welch, actress, author and sex symbol
• George Wendt, actor, Norm Peterson on the television show Cheers
• John Wentworth, politician (Democrat), U.S. Congressman, Mayor of Chicago and newspaper editor
• Pete Wentz, bass player of Fall Out Boy
• Jayson Werth, outfielder for the Washington Nationals
• Kanye West, rap musician, songwriter, producer
• Haskell Wexler, cinematographer, film producer, director
• Betty White, actress, comedian, The Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Proposal, Hot in Cleveland
• Richard Widmark, actor
• George Will, conservative Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, journalist, ABC news analyst, author
• Frances E. Willard, suffragist and social activist
• Cynda Williams, actress
• Jason Williams, inside linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys
• Robin Williams, actor, comedian, Night at the Museum, Mrs. Doubtfire, Aladdin
• Martez Wilson, linebacker for the New Orleans Saints
• Oprah Winfrey, television host, actress, producer, media magnate and icon
• Samuel Witwer, actor, Davis Bloome on Smallville
• Gary K. Wolf, author of the mystery novel that became the basis for Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• Ross Wolf, relief pitcher for the Houston Astros
• Garrett Wolfe, running back for the Chicago Bears
• Frank Lloyd Wright, architect, designer, writer and educator
• Julian Wright, small forward for the Toronto Raptors
• Alex Wurman, film and TV composer

Y

• Kevin Yagher, special effects technician
• Richard Yates Sr., politician (Republican), member of the Illinois and U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and Civil War-era Governor of Illinois,
• Richard Yates Jr., politician (Republican), attorney, U.S. Congressman Progressive Era Governor of Illinois
• Charles Yerkes, financier and mass-transit developer
• Philip Yordan, screenwriter
• John J. York, actor, General Hospital, Werewolf
• Robert Young, actor, Father Knows Best, Marcus Welby, M.D.
• Roger Young, TV writer/director, Lou Grant
• Victor Young, composer, arranger, violinist, conductor

Z

• Jacob Zachar, actor, Greek
• Paula Zahn, journalist, newscaster
• Naureen Zaim, model, actress, artist
• Katalin Zamiar, martial artist, sportswriter, actress
• Zana, porn actress
• Billy Zane, producer, director and actor, Titanic
• Lisa Zane, actress, L.A. Law, Biker Mice from Mars, Roar
• John Zaremba, actor, I Led Three Lives, The Time Tunnel, Ben Casey
• Robert Z'Dar, actor, producer
• Kara Zediker, actress
• Sam Zell, real estate entrepreneur
• Robert Zemeckis, film director, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, the Back to the Future films
• Warren Zevon, rock musician, singer-songwriter
• Howard Zieff, film and TV commercial director
• Florenz Ziegfeld, Broadway impresario
• Ben Ziff, actor, musician
• Adrian Zmed, actor, TV personality, T. J. Hooker, Goodtime Girls
• Ben Zobrist, second baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays
• Louis Zorich, actor, musician, Mad About You, Brooklyn Bridge
• Jim Zulevic, actor, comedian, radio host, TV writer
• Edward Zwick, film director, The Last Samurai, Defiance