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.
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mystery writer | ||||||
| Eyestone, Lura | Educator | Born in Bloomington | ||||
| Essayist | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Typographer | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Teacher | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Naturalist | [1] | |||||
| Novelist, jazz musician | Born in Chicago, lived in Bloomington since age 8 | |||||
| Author | ||||||
| Author, novelist, essayist, and theorist | ||||||
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founder of State Farm Insurance | Lived and died in Bloomington | |||||
| Award-winning game designer | Lives in Bloomington | |||||
| Founder of Winchell's Donuts | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cartoonist | Grew up in Bloomington | |||||
| Digital artist; founder of Digital Blasphemy | ||||||
| Eisner Award-nominated artist and illustrator | Graduated BHS, Class of 1985 | |||||
| Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalist | Worked for Pantagraph newspaper in Bloomington | |||||
| Million-dollar "Chicago Tribune" cartoonist of The Gumps | Worked for The Sunday Eye newspaper in Bloomington | |||||
| Jazz pianist | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Playwright | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Actor (Edward W. Stratton, III on Silver Spoons) | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Wild West showman | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Musician and songwriter focusing on the American roots genre | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Silent-film actress and director | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Artist and sculptor of the Old West | Lived in Bloomington | |||||
| Scriptwriter and humorist, creator of Vic and Sade | Grew up in Bloomington | |||||
| Actor (Henry Blake on M*A*S*H) | Grew up in Bloomington area | |||||
| Actress, Former Miss Illinois Teen USA in 1988 | Grew up in Bloomington | |||||
| Singer | ||||||
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 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 | |||||
| US 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 | |||||
| US Army general in World War I | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Marie Meyer (espionage) | US linguist who worked on Venona project | Raised in Bloomington | ||||
| Union Army general in the Civil War | Lived in Bloomington later half of life | |||||
| US Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient for actions at The Battle of Chosin Reservoir in Korean War | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| US Marine Corps major general who commanded Marine Forces during 1958 Lebanon crisis | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appointed to US Supreme Court by Abraham Lincoln | Lived and died in Bloomington | |||||
| 19th Governor of Illinois | Attended Illinois Wesleyan University, served as city attorney of Bloomington | |||||
| 18th Governor of Illinois | Lived in Bloomington. | |||||
| Personal friend and bodyguard of Abraham Lincoln | ||||||
| Labor union leader and American Federation of Labor treasurer | ||||||
| American Nazi leader | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| 45th Governor of Florida; United States Senator from Florida | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| United States Senator from Georgia | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| 23rd Vice President of the United States under Grover Cleveland; his wife Letitia Green was born in Bloomington | Was raised in Bloomington and attended Illinois Wesleyan University | |||||
| 31st Governor of Illinois, US presidential candidate, and US Ambassador to the United Nations | Was raised in Bloomington and attended University High School | |||||
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catcher for Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Second baseman for Montreal Expos | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Radio sports announcer for Oakland Athletics and Oakland/LA Raiders; Baseball Hall of Fame | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Shortstop for Washington Senators | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Outfielder for Brooklyn Robins, Boston Braves, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Pitcher for Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos, St. Louis Browns and New York Highlanders | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Pitcher in Baseball Hall of Fame | Lived and died in Bloomington | |||||
| Pitcher for Pittsburgh Pirates | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Name | Image | Birth | Death | Known for | Association | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player for Michigan and Purdue; head coach at Michigan (1959–1968); athletic director at Iowa (1970–1991); College Football Hall of Fame | Raised in Bloomington | |||||
| Quarterback of undefeated Michigan football teams (1947 and 1948); head coach at Nebraska, Illinois, Cal, and Miami; College Football Hall of Fame | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Tight end for New Orleans Saints | Born in Bloomington | |||||
| Former NFL cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles | Born in Bloomington | |||||