List of people from Elgin, Illinois explained

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

Authors and academics

• E.C. "Mike" Alft, historian, author, and former mayor of Elgin
• Nina Burleigh, journalist and author
• Paul Flory, chemist; Nobel Prize winner (1974)
• Lloyd Hall, chemist
• Donella Meadows, environmentalist
• Jessica Mink, astronomer; co-discover of the rings around the planet Uranus
• John Platt, computer scientist
• Tom Shales, journalist; Pulitzer Prize winner (1988)
• Carleton Washburne, educator; author
• Dwight Smith Young, physicist with the Manhattan Project

Business and invention

• Max Adler, vice-president of Sears & Roebuck; benefactor of Adler Planetarium
• Lawrence B. Hamlin, Hamlin's Wizard Oil purveyor
• Lysander Hamlin, co-originator with John Austen Hamlin of Hamlin's Wizard Oil
• Earl "Madman" Muntz, marketer, car stereo and 4-track cartridge pioneer
• James Roche, chairman of General Motors
• James P. Liautaud, industrialist, inventor and business theorist

Media and arts

• Dan Andriano, musician^[1]
• BarlowGirl, Christian rock band
• Joe Becker, musician
• Bruce Boxleitner, actor
• Josh Caterer, songwriter, musician, singer
• Daniel de Marbelle, songwriter who wrote When They Ring Those Golden Bells
• Citizen Way, Christian rock band
• Jim Gaffigan, comedian, actor, and author
• Mitzi Gaynor, actress and entertainer, lived in Elgin
• George Hamlin, opera singer and son of John Austin Hamlin^[2]
• John Austin Hamlin, magician
• Matt Hoffman, contestant on Big Brother 12
• Charles Ingalls, father of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie); spent part of his childhood in the nearby Campton Township
• Laurence Kaptain, recording artist; Dean at the College of Music and Dramatic Arts, Louisiana State University
• William LeBaron, playwright and movie producer
• Kevin Martin, musician
• Norman Mayell, musician (Sopwith Camel, Blue Cheer, Norman Greenbaum)^[3]
• Paleo, born David Strackany, folk singer-songwriter
• Jane Peterson, painter and artist
• John Qualen, actor
• Courtney Reed, stage actress, original Princess Jasmine in Aladdin on Broadway
• Marie Sidenius Zendt, singer

Military

• Harry Chamberlin, U.S. Army brigadier general and Olympic medalist in equestrian events^[4]

Politics and law

• Ray Barnhart, Texas State Representative
• Robert L. Bergman (1948-2013), Illinois State Representative^[5]
• DeGoy B. Ellis (1876-1949), Illinois state representative and lawyer^[6]
• Thomas W. Ferry (1843-1845) Acting Vice President, US Senator
• Peter Fitzgerald, US senator (R-IL)
• Barbara Giolitto, Illinois State Representative^[7]
• Adam Neylon, Wisconsin legislator^[8]
• Jeanette Ward, member of the Wyoming House of Representatives. She lived in Elgin until moving to Casper, Wyoming in 2021.^[9]

Sports

• Charlene Barnett (1928-1979), baseball player
• Ko Chandetka (born 1971), bodybuilder
• Earl Britton (1903-1973), football player
• Bethany Goldsmith (1927-2004), baseball player
• Harry Hanson (1896-1966), baseball player
• Hunkey Hines (1867-1928), baseball player
• Tony Kaufmann (1900-1982), baseball player
• Scott Kellar (born 1963), football player
• Ed McDonough (1886-1926), baseball player
• Lou North (1891-1974), baseball player
• Brian Oldfield (born 1945), Olympic shot putter
• David Otunga (born 1980) wrestler
• Erwin Renfer (1891-1957), baseball player
• Flynn Robinson (born 1941), basketball player
• Rick Short (born 1972), baseball player
• Roger Smithberg (born 1966), baseball player
• Ray Whipple (1893-1973), football player

Notes and References

1. News: Althea Legaspi. Alkaline Trio gets back to its roots in Chicago. Chicago Tribune. Singer-guitarist Matt Skiba and singer-bassist Dan Andriano took turns on mic .... March 1, 2010. 2011-06-15.
2. White, James Terry (ed.) (1924). "Hamlin, George John". The National Cyclopædia of American Biography, Vol. 19, pp. 59–60. James T. White and Company
3. http://www.sopwithcamel.com/norm.html Norman Mayell Autobiography
4. Book: 1941 . Historical and Pictorial Review, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Cavalry Division . Baton Rouge, LA . The Army and Navy Publishing Company . 27 . FamilySearch.
5. 'Illinois Blue Book 1977=1998.' Biographical Sketch of Robert L. Bergman, pg. 96
6. 'Illinois Blue Book 1919-1920,' Biographical Sketch of DeGoy B. Ellis, pg. 198-199
7. 'Illinois Blue Book 1993-1994,' Biographical Sketch of Barbara Giolitto, pg. 99
8. 'Wisconsin Blue Book 2013-2014,' Biographical Sketch of Adam Neylon, pg. 85
9. Web site: LaChance . Brendan . 2022-07-01 . Candidate Questionnaire: Jeanette Ward for House District 57 . 2023-01-18 . Oil City News . en-US.