List of Estonian Americans explained

This is a list of notable Estonian-Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants. To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Estonian American or must have references showing they are Estonian American and are notable.

Arts and literature

• Alar Kivilo (born 1953) — member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,^[1] cinematographer^[2]
• Lisa Kivirist (born 1967) — author
• Kristjan Järvi (born 1972) — symphony conductor^[3]
• Neeme Järvi (born 1937) — symphony conductor. Moved to the US in 1981
• Paavo Järvi (born 1962) — current Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra^[4]
• Tõnu Kalam (born 1948) — pianist and symphony conductor^[5]
• Mark Kostabi (born 1960) — artist^{[6] [7]}
• Paul Kostabi (born 1962) — artist, music producer^[8]
• Louis Kahn (1901–1974) — architect, designer of the Salk Institute, Kimbell Art Museum, and others^[9]
• Ilse Lehiste (1922–2010) — linguist and author
• Alexander Nelke (1894–1974) — artist
• Dennis Nurkse (born 1949) — poet
• Raymond Pettibon (born 1957) — artist, designer of the iconic Black Flag (band) bars^[10]
• Bill Rebane (born 1937) — film director^[11]
• Ene Riisna (born 1938) — television producer
• Jerry Saltz (Estonian father) (born 1951) — art critic^[12]
• Helen Tobias-Duesberg (1919–2010) — composer^[13]
• Priit Vesilind (born 1943) — author, photojournalist^[14]
• Kiino Villand (born 1969) — photographer
• Arthur Võõbus (1909–1988) — theologian, orientalist and church historian

Science

• Nicole Aunapu Mann (born 1977) — astronaut and test pilot
• August Komendant (1906–1992) — Professor of Architecture at University of Pennsylvania (1959–74),^[15] Structural Engineer for Louis Kahn^[16]
• Pearn P. Niiler (1937–2010) — oceanographer
• Jaak Panksepp (1943–2017) — neuroscientist and psychobiologist^[17]
• Hillar Rootare (1928–2008) — physical chemist
• Rein Taagepera (born 1933) — Research Professor, Political science, University of California, Irvine; Professor Emeritus, University of Tartu, Estonia^{[18] [19]}
• Riho Terras (1939–2005) — mathematician
• Alar Toomre (born 1937), Jüri Toomre — astronomers and mathematicians^{[20] [21]}
• Karen Uhlenbeck (born 1942) — mathematician and founder of geometric analysis
• Lauri Vaska (1925–2015) — chemist^[22]

Entertainment

• Erika Eleniak (born 1969) — Playboy Playmate and actress
• Greg Ginn (born 1954) — guitarist of Black Flag^[23]
• Miliza Korjus (1905–1980) — coloratura soprano opera singer
• Karolyn Nelke (born 1948) — stage actress
• Mena Suvari (born 1979) — actress (Estonian father)
• Ivan Triesault (1898–1980) — actor^{[24] [25]}
• Johann Urb (born 1977) — actor and former model^[26]

Sports

• Jaan Ehlvest (born 1962) — chess player^[27]
• Margus Hunt (born 1987) — football player^[28]
• Chris Jogis (born 1965) — badminton player
• Ingrid Neel (born 1998) — tennis player^[29]
• Michael Roos (born 1982) — football player^[30]
• John Roosma (1900–1983) — basketball player
• Sven Salumaa (born 1966) — tennis player
• Warren Cummings Smith (born 1991) — alpine skier^[31]
• Ralph Tamm (born 1966) — football player
• Katie Vesterstein (born 1999) — alpine skier^[32]

Business

• Elisabeth Murdoch (born 1968) — businesswoman
• James Murdoch (born 1972) — businessman
• Steve Jurvetson (born 1967) — Draper Fisher Jurvetson businessman^[33]

Politics

• Michael Josselson (1908–1978) — secretary general for the Congress for Cultural Freedom^[34]
• Jaan Laaman (born 1948) — leftist extremist^[35]
• Samuel H. Shapiro (1907–1987) — governor of Illinois.
• Edmund S. Valtman (1914–2005) — political cartoonist^[36]
• Melissa F. Wells (born 1932) — diplomat and former ambassador

Military

• Aleksander Einseln (1931–2017) — former Commander-in-chief of the Estonian army (dual U.S. and Estonian citizenship)^[37]
• Tiiu Kera (born 1945) — retired United States Air Force (USAF) major general^[38]
• Edward Masso — retired United States Navy Rear Admiral and ambassador to Estonia

External links

• Estonian American National Council
• Estonian Americans

Notes and References

1. http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2007/07.06.18.html Alar Kivilo @ MPAS
2. Estonian: Alar Kivilo interview at postimees.ee
3. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703597204575483890541413982
4. http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Jarvi-Paavo.htm
5. Web site: Tonu Kalam — UNC Music Department . 2010-07-14 . 2010-06-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100612195803/http://music.unc.edu/faculty/facultyandstaffdirectory/facultystaffmember.2005-10-03.8145307527 . dead .
6. http://www.markkostabi.com/loom06.html
7. https://books.google.com/books?id=lVBB1a0rC70C&dq=%22born+to+Estonian+exiles+in+California%22&pg=PA93 Eastern Europe By Richard C. Frucht -Page 93
8. http://www.markkostabi.com/loom06.html
9. https://books.google.com/books?id=YbPgJ3iyWFwC&dq=%22Louis+Kahn%22+%22Estonian+American%22&pg=PA77
10. http://noar.eu/en/kumu-to-exhibit-works-by-iconic-punk-rock-artist-raymond-pettibon/
11. http://ashlandwi.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=6&story_id=175630
12. News: Jerry Saltz and the Future of the Critic-Artist artnet News. 2016-12-09. artnet News. 2017-07-12. en-US.
13. http://savannahnow.com/accent/2010-12-04/cantata-carries-estonian-family-legacy
14. http://lakeshorepressbooks.com/pdf/books/when_the_noise_had_ended.pdf
15. http://www.design.upenn.edu/archives/majorcollections/komendant.html University of Pennsylvania School of Design
16. https://books.google.com/books?id=9lLtElb6hlsC&q=%22fellow+Estonian,+August+Komendant%22&pg=PA91 Integrated Buildings By Leonard R. Bachman; p. 91
17. Panksepp . J . A critical role for "affective neuroscience" in resolving what is basic about basic emotions. . Psychological Review . 99 . 3 . 554–60 . 1992 . 1502276 . 10.1037/0033-295X.99.3.554 .
18. http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=2570 Rein Taagepera
19. http://www.uta.fi/laitokset/kirjasto/vaitokset/1999/2599.html
20. http://www.obs.ee/~erik/estonian_astro.html Remarkable Estonian astronomers @ Tartu Space observatory
21. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/599461/Alar-Toomre Alar Toomre
22. http://chemistry.about.com/od/historyofchemistry/a/vchemists.htm
23. http://www.preamped.com/artists/greg_ginn/bio.aspx
24. Web site: E.E.L Kiriku Tallinna Jaani Koguduse I pihtkonna Personaalraamat. V. National Archives of Estonia. 27 February 2013. Tallinn St. John's Church's congregation. 188.
25. Web site: III pihtkonna I personaalraamat. National Archives of Estonia. 27 February 2013. 9.
26. Web site: Johann Urb: becoming an actor just happened to me – but it clearly needed to happen. Sten. Hankewitz. 21 June 2018. Estonian World. 13 March 2021.
27. Book: Ehlvest, Jaan . The Story of a Chess Player . Arbiter Publishing . 2004 . 0-9763891-0-X.
28. http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013/profiles/margus-hunt?id=2539310
29. Web site: Vaba Eesti Sõna - Vaba Eesti Sõna.
30. Web site: Official Site of the Tennessee Titans . 2006-05-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060517023531/http://titansonline.com/team/players/bio.php?PRKey=276 . 2006-05-17 . "Roos is believed to be the first Estonian native to play in the NFL..."
31. Web site: Warren Cummings Smith - Estonia's Secret Weapon on the Slopes?. 31 January 2014.
32. News: Vesterstein's Olympic dream started in Duluth, reaches Beijing, with Estonia in the middle. Duluth News Tribune. February 1, 2022. February 5, 2022.
33. Web site: InternationalReports.net : Estonia 2003 . 2006-05-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060425082930/http://www.internationalreports.net/europe/estonia/2003/silicon.html . 2006-04-25 . "Steve Jurvetson, the 34-year-old Silicon Valley venture capitalist extraordinaire, and second-generation Estonian American..."
34. Book: Powers, Richard . Not Without Honor . January 1998 . Yale University Press . 978-0-300-07470-3 . 211 . naturalized American of Jewish-Estonian background
35. https://web.archive.org/web/20070122144113/http://www.jerichoboston.org/Jaan_Laaman.pdf
36. https://books.google.com/books?id=9Xx1AAAAMAAJ&q=%22Edmund+Valtman%22+%22Estonian%22 The Estonians in America, 1627-1975: a chronology & fact book
37. http://www.cis.org/articles/2001/paper20/renshontoc.html
38. http://www.asburymethodistvillage.org/lifestyle/resident-profiles/village-life-kera-wolfe Astbury Methodist Village