List of people from Chester, Pennsylvania explained
The following is a list of notable residents, natives, and persons generally associated with the city of Chester, Pennsylvania, the first city in Pennsylvania.
A
B
- J. Pius Barbour, executive director of the National Baptist Association, mentor to then-college student Martin Luther King Jr.
- Thomas N. Barnes, first African-American Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
- Joseph F. Battle Jr., 25th Mayor of Chester and judge on Delaware County Court of Common Pleas
- Ruth L. Bennett, social worker, first president of the Chester branch of the NAACP
- William H. Berry, 10th Mayor of Chester and Treasurer of Pennsylvania
- Jahlil Beats, music producer
- Marcus Belgrave, jazz trumpeter
- Ron Bennington, host of XM Satellite Radio program The Ron and Fez Show
- Crosby M. Black, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County and 7th Mayor of Chester
- Ed Blizzard, prominent pharmaceutical injury attorney
- Louis A. Bloom, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1947-1952), Judge on Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for Delaware County
- Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard, 27th Mayor of Chester
- Stanley Branche, civil rights leader, founder of the Committee for Freedom Now
- Ethel Hampson Brewster, Swarthmore College professor and philologist
- Fran Brill, voice actress and Muppeteer
- Anna Broomall, obstetrician, surgeon and educator
- Wendell Butler Jr., mayor of Chester
C
- George Campbell, soccer player for Atlanta United
- Lamar Campbell, former NFL defensive back
- Ted Cather, professional baseball player
- Dorothy Chacko, social worker, medical doctor, Padma Shri award recipient
- E. Wallace Chadwick, U.S. Congressman
- Robert Chadwick, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County
- Joe Chambers, jazz drummer
- Tom Chism, Major League Baseball player
- Thomas Clyde, founder of the Clyde Line of steamers
- George Clymer, Founding Father of the United States, signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, lived in Chester with his family during the British Army assault on Philadelphia
- Joseph R. T. Coates, 5th mayor of Chester and officer in the Union Army during the US Civil War
- Audrey B. Collins, United States District Judge
- Lawrence A. Conner, Sr., Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1953-1954)
- Ted Cottrell, NFL player and coach
- Walter H. Craig, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1923-1925), Chester City Council member (1925-1937)
- John Price Crozer, textile manufacturer and philanthropist
- Helen Curry (1896-1931), stage actress
D
- Alfred O. Deshong, industrialist, philanthropist and art collector
- John O. Deshong, businessman and banker
- Peter Deshong, businessman and banker
- Elaine Diacumakos, cell biologist and head of the cytobiology laboratory at Rockefeller University
- Franklin Archibald Dick, Missouri provost marshal general
- Fred Diodati, lead singer of The Four Aces
- Fred Draper, film and television actor
- Kathrynann Durham, Pennsylvania State Representative for 160th district (1979-1996) and Judge on Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for Delaware County
- Jill Duson, lawyer, lobbyist and politician in Maine
E
F
G
- J. R. Gach, talk radio host
- Margaret H. George, Pennsylvania State representative
- Fredia Gibbs, martial artist, kickboxer, boxer
- James Henry Gorbey, United States federal judge and 25th mayor of Chester
- Steve Gordon, screenwriter and film director
- Darrin Govens, professional basketball player
- Bud Grace, cartoonist
- Ralph Greenberg, mathematician
- John E. Gremminger, Pennsylvania State Representative
- Frank Hastings Griffin, invented rayon manufacturing process
H
- John K. Hagerty, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1921-1922), Chester City Council member (1907-1918)
- Bill Haley, rock-and-roll musician
- Robert Harland, actor
- Hubert R. Harmon, first superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy
- Herman Harris, professional basketball player
- Evalena Fryer Hedley, journalist, editor, and author
- Ron Henry, professional baseball player
- John B. Hinkson, lawyer, businessman, 6th mayor of Chester
- Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, professional basketball player
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Toronto Raptors forward
- John Martin Howard, U.S. Navy officer, mine disposal unit, USS John M. Howard (IX-75) named in his honor
- Will Hunter, Minnesota Vikings safety and Syracuse University standout
J
K
- Carol Kazeem, Pennsylvania State Representative
- John Ernst Worrell Keely, con man, inventor of the Keely Motor
- Muhammad Kenyatta, civil rights leader
- Lisa Kereszi, photographer
- Brian Joseph Kirkland, Pennsylvania state representative
- Thaddeus Kirkland, Pennsylvania State Representative, 32nd Mayor of Chester
- Joe Klecko, lineman with New York Jets and Temple University; father of Dan Klecko of New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles
L
- Bob Lamey, radio announcer, play-by-play announcer for the Indianapolis Colts
- John Larkin, Jr., businessman, banker and first mayor of Chester
- Willie Mae James Leake, first African-American and female Mayor of Chester
- John Linder, 31st Mayor of Chester
- John Linehan, assistant basketball coach for the Saint Joseph's Hawks
- David Lloyd, Attorney General of Pennsylvania, six-term Speaker of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
M
- John J. McClure, Pennsylvania State Senator and leader of Delaware County Republican political machine
- Lee McLaughlin, film and television actor
- Kevin Michael, soul singer
- Nicholas K. Miller, middle guard, and defensive MVP for Ohio State Buckeyes
- John Mobley, Denver Broncos linebacker and former Kutztown University football standout
- Sylvanus Morley, archaeologist and Mayanist scholar
- Charles Morris, journalist and author
- John Morton, Founding Father of the United States, cast a key vote on the Declaration of Independence. Buried in Chester.[2]
- Danny Murtaugh, manager of Pittsburgh Pirates who guided team to World Series titles in 1960 and 1971
N
- John H. Nacrelli, 24th Mayor of Chester, convicted of racketeering and bribery
- Jameer Nelson, professional basketball player
- Alex North, composer, 15-time Academy Award nominee
- Edward Nothnagle, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1926-1936), Chester City Council member
O
P
R
- William T. Ramsey, Pennsylvania State Representative and 16th mayor of Chester
- George Raymond, president of NAACP Chester branch from 1942 to 1977
- Ronald C. Raymond, Pennsylvania state representative
- Bertice Reading, actress, singer, revue artiste
- James W. Reese, U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipient in World War II
- John Roach, industrialist and shipbuilder
- V. Gilpin Robinson, Pennsylvania State Representative
- Stefan Roots, Mayor of Chester
- Bo Ryan, former head coach of Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team, coached UW-Platteville to four NCAA Division III national championships
- Matthew Ryan, singer-songwriter
S
T
- Robin Toner, national political correspondent for the New York Times
- David Trainer, textile manufacturer and banker
- Anthony Tucker, also known as The Beat Bully, record producer and songwriter
- Ellwood J. Turner, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1925-1948), 119th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1939-1941)
W
- Ethel Waters, Grammy-winning blues recording artist, Broadway performer, Academy Award nominee for Pinky (1949)
- George Watkins, U.S. Congressman
- Brandi Wells, singer-songwriter
- Eleanor D. Wilson, Tony-nominated actress and artist
- Stephen M. Wolownik, Russian and Eastern European musician
- Jonathan Edwards Woodbridge, shipbuilder and naval architect
- Thomas Worrilow, Pennsylvania State Representative
- Robert C. Wright, Pennsylvania State Representative
References
References are on the article pages if not listed here.
Notes and References
- News: Bill Fleischman, 80, versatile journalist. Barkowitz. Ed. May 2, 2019. Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A38.
- News: Bill Fleischman; covered Flyers in Stanley Cup years. Barkowitz. Ed. May 2, 2019. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. B8.
- Morton was born in nearby Ridley Township and is buried in Chester.
Web site: Old Chester, PA: Cemeteries - St. Paul's Burying Ground . 2007-10-22.
