List of people from Chicago

The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Chicago, Illinois or from the surrounding suburbs.

Politicians and government

• John Ashcroft, Attorney General.
• Rod Blagojevich, former congressman, governor of Illinois.
• James Bowler, alderman, congressman.
• Harris Burgoyne, mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
• Jane Byrne, mayor of Chicago.
• Anton Cermak, Chicago
• Wesley Clark, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, four-star general, presidential candidate (2004).
• Hillary Rodham Clinton, first lady, senator from N.Y., Secretary of State
• "Bathhouse" John Coughlin, alderman.
• Richard J. Daley, mayor of Chicago.
• Richard M. Daley, mayor of Chicago.
• Paul Douglas, alderman, senator, University of Chicago economist.
• Stephen A. Douglas, senator, presidential candidate, noted for debating Abraham Lincoln.
• Edward F. Dunne, governor of Illinois.
• Luis V. Gutiérrez, first Latino to be elected to Congress from the Midwest.
• John M. Harlan, Supreme Court justice.
• Carter Harrison, Jr., mayor of Chicago.
• Carter Harrison, Sr., mayor of Chicago.
• Jesse Jackson, minister, civil rights activist, presidential candidate.
• Janet Jagan, Prime Minister and President of Guyana.
• Peter Karađorđević, hereditary Prince of Yugoslavia.
• Joe Kernan, 48th governor of Indiana.
• Boris Lushniak, Assistant Surgeon General of the United States.
• Lisa Madigan, current Attorney General of Illinois.
• Michael Madigan, current Speaker of Illinois House of Representatives.
• Joseph Medill, newspaper editor, mayor of Chicago.
• John Gould Moyer, 31st governor of American Samoa.
• Barack Obama, former United States Senator and 44th President of the United States.
• William Butler Ogden, entrepreneur and first mayor of Chicago.
• Deval Patrick, governor of the Massachusetts.
• John Podesta, White House Chief of Staff for President Bill Clinton (1998–2001).
• Roman Pucinski, congressman, alderman.
• Charles H. Ramsey, former Chicago Police deputy superintendent, now Philadelphia Police Commissioner.
• Donald Rumsfeld, congressman, secretary of Defense.
• Robert C. Strong, U.S. diplomat.
• William Hale Thompson, last Republican mayor of Chicago.
• Amos G. Throop, city treasurer, temperance advocate.
• Elihu B. Washburne, secretary of state, minister to France.
• Harold Washington, first and only black mayor of Chicago.
• John Wentworth, congressman, mayor of Chicago.

Historical Figures

Edmund Dick Taylor

Marshall Field

George Pullman

• Louis Joliet, French explorer
• Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, early Chicago settler
• John Kinzie, early Chicago settler
• Edmund Dick Taylor, "Father of the Greenback", Banker, Senator, Railroad Executive, and entrepreneur.
• Marshall Field, entrepreneur
• Philo Carpenter, first Chicago pharmacist
• Potter Palmer, entrepreneur
• Bertha Palmer, socialite, philanthropist
• George Pullman, entrepreneur, inventor
• Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard, early Chicago developer
• Leonard Baldy Police officer, Chicago's first helicopter traffic reporter.
• Bob Bernard, entrepreneur
• W. Clement Stone, entrepreneur. Founder of what is known today as AON Corporation
• John Chancellor, journalist
• Bernard J. Cigrand, father of Flag Day in the United States
• Betty Ford, former First Lady
• Ada Sawyer Garrett, 19th Century socialite
• Mordecai Ham, 20th Century evangelist
• Helge Alexander Haugan, banking executive
• H. G. Haugan, railroad executive
• Max Henius, co-founder of American Brewing Academy^[1]
• John Anderson (Publisher), founder and publisher Skandinaven
• Matthew Laflin, early Chicago gunpowder manufacturer and philanthropist
• Charles Magnus Lindgren, Shipping Executive
• John R. Lindgren, Banking Executive
• Horatio G. Loomis, one of the organizers of the Chicago Board of Trade
• Philip Maxwell, early Chicago physician
• Jacques Marquette, missionary
• Eliot Ness, federal agent (Roseland)
• William S. Paley, CBS executive
• Captain George Streeter, riverboat captain and squatter
• Paulina Tayler, early Chicago settler
• Charles Yerkes, entrepreneur

Athletes, coaches, and related figures

• Flozell Adams, NFL player.
• Norm Amundsen, NFL guard.
• Marcelo Balboa, soccer defender, captain of the U.S. national team.
• Ernie Banks, MLB Hall of Famer, known as "Mr. Cub".
• Steve Bartman, infamous Cubs fan.
• Ed Bell, NFL guard and tackle.
• Lou Boudreau, MLB Hall of Famer.
• Doe Boyland, MLB player.
• Jack Brickhouse, TV and radio broadcaster.
• D'Lo Brown, professional wrestler.
• Shannon Brown, NBA guard for the Los Angeles Lakers
• Quinn Buckner, NCAA, NBA and Olympic basketball player.
• Dick Butkus, Hall of Fame linebacker for the Bears.
• Will Bynum, NBA player.
• Colt Cabana, professional wrestler.
• Bill Callahan, college and NFL coach.
• Larry Canada, NFL running back.
• Rene Capo, Olympic judo gold medalist.
• Harry Caray, TV and radio broadcaster.
• Joe Carey, NFL guard and tackle.
• Cesar Carrillo, MLB player.
• Jesús Chávez, world boxing champion.
• Chris Chelios, NHL player.
• Jerry Colangelo, owner of the Phoenix Suns and Diamondbacks.
• Steve Collier, NFL offensive tackle.
• Charles Comiskey, MLB player and team owner, namesake of Comiskey Park.
• Bart Conner, Olympic gymnastic gold medalist (1984).
• Jimmy Connors, professional tennis player.
• Larry Coutre, NFL halfback.
• Eddy Curry, NBA player.
• Shani Davis, Olympic speedskater.
• Andre Dawson, MLB Hall of famer.
• Mike Ditka, coach and player for the Bears, TV analyst.
• Bobby Dotter, NASCAR driver turned owner.
• Gene Dyker, NBA player.
• Dick Evans, NFL player.
• Fred Evans, defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins.
• Tom Finnin, NFL defensive tackle.
• Michael Finley, NBA player.^{[citation needed]}
• Tim Foley, Pro Bowl defensive back for the Miami Dolphins.^{[citation needed]}
• Ray Frankowski, NFL guard.
• Kevin Garnett, NBA player.
• Curtis Granderson, center fielder for the Yankees.
• Red Grange, halfback for the Bears.
• Laura Granville, professional tennis player.
• Ozzie Guillén, manager of White Sox.
• George Halas, coach of the Bears.
• Robert Halperin, 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.
• Dorothy Hamill, figure skater.
• Tim Hardaway, NBA player.
• Napoleon Harris NFL linebacker.
• James "Chico" Hernandez, professional Sombo wrestler.
• Hal Higdon, distance runner, running writer.
• Bobby Hull, NHL Hall of Famer.
• Pierre Thomas, NFL running back.
• Andrea Jaeger, professional tennis player.
• Mike Joy, NASCAR announcer on FOX.
• Maria Kanellis, former WWE Diva.
• Johnny Kerr, NBA Hall of Famer.
• Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski, college basketball coach.
• Larry Lauer, NFL center.
• Marv Levy, coach of Buffalo Bills.
• Herman Long, baseball player and manager.
• Al Lopez, NBA Hall of Famer.
• Corey Maggette, NBA player.^{[citation needed]}
• Shawn Marion, NBA player.
• Alex McCarthy, MLB player.
• John McGarry, NFL guard.
• Jim McMahon, quarterback for the 1985 Super Bowl champion Bears.
• Donovan McNabb, NFL quarterback.
• Rashard Mendenhall, NFL halfback.
• John Meyer, NFL coach.
• Ray Meyer, men's basketball coach at DePaul.
• Mrs. Lee Mida, the winner of the 1930 Women's Western Open
• George Mikan, NBA Hall of Famer.
• Stan Mikita, NHL Hall of Famer.
• Mark Mulder, MLB American League All-Star left handed pitcher, 2003 and 2004.
• Ray Nitschke, NFL Hall of Famer.^{[citation needed]}
• Candace Parker, WNBA All-Star for Los Angeles Sparks.
• Walter Payton, running back for the 1985 Super Bowl champion Bears.
• David Petway, NFL defensive back.
• Jack Phelan, NBA player.
• Cappie Pondexter, WNBA All-Star for the Phoenix Mercury.
• Jim Psaltis, NFL defensive back.
• Kirby Puckett, MLB Hall of famer.
• CM Punk, professional wrestler.
• Quentin Richardson, NBA player.
• Doc Rivers, NBA coach and player.
• Justin Roberts, ring announcer for the WWE.
• Knute Rockne, football coach at Notre Dame.
• Derrick Rose, player for the Chicago Bulls 2011 NBA MVP.
• Russ Rose, Hall of Fame women's volleyball coach at Penn State.
• Ryne Sandberg, second basemen for the Cubs.
• Ron Santo, third baseman for the Cubs, WGN broadcaster.
• Gale Sayers, NFL Hall of Famer.
• George Schmidt, NFL defensive end.
• Stuart Scott, ESPN analyst.
• Billy Sianis, creator of the Cubs Curse and founder of the Billy Goat Tavern.
• Mike Singletary, Hall of Fame linebacker for the Bears.
• Mike Shanahan, veteran NFL head coach and native of suburban Oak Park.
• Joe Skibinski, NFL guard.
• Sammy Sosa, right fielder for the White Sox and Cubs.
• Donald Spero, rower
• John Spilis, NFL wide receiver.
• Amos Alonzo Stagg, football coach.
• Isiah Thomas, NBA Hall of Famer.
• Michael Turner, running back for the Atlanta Falcons.^{[citation needed]}
• Chuck Ulrich, defensive tackle for the Chicago Cardinals.
• Dwyane Wade, NBA guard for Miami Heat.
• Antoine Walker, NBA player.
• Ken Wendt, NFL guard.
• Mike Wilbon, ESPN sports analyst, journalist.
• Billy Williams, MLB Hall of Famer.
• Chuck Winfrey, NFL linebacker.
• Chet Winters, NFL running back.
• Harry Wunsch, NFL guard.
• Joe Young, professional football player
• Tony Zale, boxing champion.

Musicians

Patti Smith

• The White Tie Affair, pop-rock band
• William Susman, composer
• Tim McIlrath, lead singer and guitarist for Rise Against
• Joe Principe, bassist for Rise Against
• Brandon Barnes, drummer for Rise Against
• Zach Blair, guitarist for Rise Against
• Warren Zevon, singer
• Plain White T's, rock band
• Emilie Autumn, Violindustrial singer, violinist, poet, and author.
• Nils Lofgren, former backing member for Neil Young and current member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.
• Emma Abbott, (1850–1891), born in Chicago, noted soprano^[2]
• Andy Hurley, drummer for Fall Out Boy (born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin)
• Patrick Stump, lead singer and guitarist for Fall Out Boy (Glenview)
• Joe Trohman, guitarist for Fall Out Boy (born in Hollywood, Florida) (Wilmette)
• Pete Wentz, bassist and lyricist for Fall Out Boy (Wilmette)
• Anastacia, singer
• Avant, singer
• William Beckett, lead singer of The Academy Is...
• Rachel Barton Pine, violinist
• Andrew Bird, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
• Bob Bryar drummer of My Chemical Romance
• Paul Butterfield, blues musician
• Marty Casey, frontman of the rock band Lovehammers
• Peter Cetera, former singer and bassist of Chicago
• Cashis, rapper
• Jimmy Chamberlin, The Smashing Pumpkins drummer
• Gene Chandler, singer
• Steve Coleman, saxophonist
• Nat King Cole, singer (born in Montgomery, Alabama) (Bronzeville)
• Steve Cole, jazz saxophonist
• Sam Cooke, singer (born in Clarksdale, Mississippi)
• Common, rapper
• Billy Corgan, singer and The Smashing Pumpkins frontman (Glendale Heights)
• James Cotton, blues musician
• Keke Palmer, singer actress
• Mishon Ratliff, singer actor
• Da Brat, rapper
• Jack DeJohnette, drummer, pianist
• Dennis DeYoung, fomer singer and keyboardist of Styx
• Bo Diddley, rock & roll guitarist, singer, songwriter
• Disturbed, rock group
• Willie Dixon, blues songwriter and record producer
• Do or Die or D.O.D., rappers
• Florence Kirsch Du Brul, classical pianist
• Phil Everly, singer
• Lupe Fiasco, rapper (Harvey)
• Harvey Fuqua, singer, songwriter, producer
• Benny Goodman, bandleader (Maxwell Street)
• Steve Goodman, singer
• Gene Greene, singer
• Buddy Guy, blues guitarist (born in Lettsworth, Louisiana)
• Jim Hager, singer
• Jon Hager, singer
• Eddie Harris, saxophonist
• Herbie Hancock, musician
• Lil Hardin Armstrong, musician, (pianist)
• Loleatta Holloway, singer
• Howlin' Wolf, musician (born in West Point, Mississippi)
• James Iha, former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist
• Jeremih, singer
• Syleena Johnson, singer (Harvey)
• Benn Jordan, electronic musician
• Terry Kath, former singer and guitarist of Chicago
• Brendan Kelly, bassist and vocalist of punk band The Lawrence Arms
• R. Kelly, singer (Roseland)
• Chaka Khan, singer
• Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi, rapper (born in Cleveland, Ohio)
• William Kimball, founder of Kimball Piano Company
• Gene Krupa, drummer, bandleader
• No I.D., hip hop and R&B record producer
• Robert Lamm, singer and keyboardist of Chicago, born in Brooklyn, New York, October 13, 1944; raised in Chicago
• Ramsey Lewis, jazz pianist, composer
• Ray Manzarek, keyboardist of The Doors
• Richard Marx, singer, songwriter
• Curtis Mayfield, songwriter, guitarist
• Tom Morello, guitarist
• Muddy Waters, blues musician
• Wayne Nelson, lead singer of Little River Band
• Jim O'Rourke, experimental musician
• Chuck Panozzo, bassist of Styx
• John Panozzo, former drummer of Styx
• Walter Parazaider, woodwind player of Chicago
• Tom Paxton, folk singer, songwriter, born in Chicago, October 31, 1937
• James Petrillo, musicians' union head
• Liz Phair, singer
• Lou Rawls, singer
• Minnie Riperton, singer
• Rhymefest, rapper
• Todd Sucherman, drummer of Styx
• Danny Seraphine, former drummer of Chicago
• Matt Skiba, lead singer of Alkaline Trio
• Patti Smith, singer, songwriter and poet
• Horatio Spafford, composer
• Mavis Staples, singer
• Shawnna, rapper
• Larenz Tate, actor
• Hound Dog Taylor, guitarist
• Koko Taylor, singer
• Kim Thayil, guitarist of Soundgarden (born in Seattle, Washington) (Park Forest, Illinois)
• Giorgio Tozzi, basso
• Jeff Tweedy, singer, songwriter
• Lennie Tristano, pianist
• Twista, rapper
• Eddie Vedder, lead singer for the band Pearl Jam (Evanston)
• Jon Walker, former bassist for Panic at the Disco
• Dinah Washington, singer (born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
• DeAndre Way, rapper
• Paul Wertico, jazz drummer
• Kanye West, rapper, producer (born in Atlanta, Georgia) (Oak Lawn)
• Wesley Willis, singer
• D'arcy Wretzky, former Smashing Pumpkins bassist
• James Young, guitarist for Styx
• Yung Berg, rapper
• Zim Zum, guitarist, songwriter for The Pop Culture Suicides
• Rise Against, punk-rock group
• Kill Hannah, rock group
• Cheap Trick, rock group

Entertainment figures

Bill Murray

• Gillian Anderson, actress
• Dominic Armato, voice actor
• Reiko Aylesworth, actress
• Barney Balaban, mogul, head of Paramount Pictures
• Bob Balaban, actor, director, producer
• Adam Baldwin, actor
• Ryan Bank, media producer
• Ike Barinholtz, actor, comedian
• Ralph Bellamy, actor
• James Belushi, actor, comedian (Wheaton)
• John Belushi, actor, comedian (Wheaton)
• Jack Benny, actor, comedian (Waukegan)
• Tom Berenger, actor
• Edgar Bergen, ventriloquist
• Shelley Berman, comedian
• Carlos Bernard, actor
• Michael Ian Black, comedian
• Budd Boetticher, film director
• Tom Bosley, actor
• Charles Boyce, syndicated cartoonist
• Andre Braugher, actor
• Buddy Bregman, composer, arranger
• Danny Pudi, actor
• Pat Byrnes, The New Yorker cartoonist
• Colt Cabana, professional wrestler
• Monique Calhoun, model
• Steve Carell, actor, comedian (born in Concord, Massachusetts)
• Allan Carr, producer
• Sarah Wayne Callies, actress
• Dan Castellaneta, actor, comedian (Oak Park)
• Kyle Chavarria, actress
• Anna Chlumsky, actress
• Stephen Colbert, comedian
• Cindy Crawford, model, actress (DeKalb)
• Joan Cusack, actress, comedian (Evanston)
• John Cusack, actor (Evanston)
• Clifton Davis, actor, composer, minister
• Elizabeth DeCicco, actress, model, singer, photographer
• Walt Disney, founder of The Walt Disney Company (Hermosa)
• Matt Doherty, actor
• Mike Douglas, talk show host
• Katie Doyle, castmember of MTV's Road Rules
• Tom Dreesen, actor, comedian (Harvey)
• Moosie Drier, actor, director
• Michael Clarke Duncan, actor
• Kevin Dunn, actor
• Dennis Farina, actor
• Chris Farley, actor, comedian (born in Madison, Wisconsin)
• Jon Favreau, actor, writer, director
• Tina Fey, actress, comedienne, writer (born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania)
• Michael Flatley, dancer
• Neil Flynn, actor
• Harrison Ford, actor
• Bob Fosse, director, choreographer
• Redd Foxx, comedian (born in St. Louis, Missouri) (Bronzeville)
• Dennis Franz, actor
• Kathleen Freeman, actress
• Marla Gibbs, actress
• Ira Glass, NPR broadcaster
• Arlene Golonka, actress
• Stuart Gordon, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer
• Michael Gray, actor
• Kathy Griffin, actress, comedienne (Oak Park)
• Michael Gross, actor
• Kevin Hagen, actor
• Daryl Hannah, actress
• Wood Harris, actor
• Hugh Hefner, publisher
• Marilu Henner, actress
• Charlton Heston, actor (Evanston)
• Mark Hollmann, Urinetown composer, lyricist, (born and raised in Belleville, Illinois)
• Terrence Howard, actor
• Jennifer Hudson, actress, singer (Englewood)
• John Hughes, film director/writer
• Bonnie Hunt, actress, comedian, director, producer
• Sam J. Jones, actor
• William James Jones, actor
• Philip Kaufman, film director
• Harvey Korman, actor, comedian
• Greg Kotis, Urinetown playwright
• Ron Livingston, actor
• Richard Long, actor
• Lar Lubovitch, choreographer
• Bernie Mac, actor, comedian
• Justina Machado, actress
• William H. Macy, actor, producer (born in Miami, Florida)
• Amy Madigan, actress
• John Mahoney, actor
• Karl Malden, actor
• John Malkovich, actor
• David Mamet, playwright, poet, screenwriter, director
• Michael Mann, film director, writer, producer
• Joe Mantegna, actor
• Ron Masak, actor
• Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, actress (Oak Park)
• Jenny McCarthy, actress, model (West Elsdon)
• LisaRaye McCoy, actress
• Frances McDormand, actress
• Laurie Metcalf, actress (born in Carbondale)
• Vincente Minnelli, Oscar-winning director
• Rick Moranis, actor, comedian
• Cindy Morgan, actress
• Read Morgan, actor
• Trevor Morgan,actor
• Jennifer Morrison, actress, producer
• Brian Doyle-Murray, actor
• Bill Murray, actor, comedian
• Bob Newhart, actor, comedian
• Nichelle Nichols, actress (Robbins)
• Ken Nordine, voiceover and Word Jazz recording artist
• Kim Novak , actress
• Donald O'Connor, actor, dancer
• Matt O'Leary, actor
• Keke Palmer, actress/singer (Harvey and Robbins)
• Mandy Patinkin, actor
• Melvin Van Peebles, director
• Jeannie Pepper, pornographic actress
• Jeff Perry, actor
• William L. Petersen, actor
• Jeremy Piven, actor (Evanston)
• CM Punk, professional wrestler
• Harold Ramis, actor, director, comedian
• Bill Rancic, winner of The Apprentice
• Robert Reed, actor
• John C. Reilly, actor
• Lucille Ricksen, actress
• John Ridgely, actor
• Justin Roberts, current WWE Raw ring announcer
• Craig Robinson, actor, comedian
• Jennifer Runyon, actress
• Michael Ryan, recording engineer
• Pat Sajak, game show host
• Horatio Sanz, actor, comedian
• Ryan Schreiber, Pitchfork Media founder
• Amy Sedaris, actress
• David Sedaris, radio broadcaster & author
• Sherri Shepherd, actress
• Gary Sinise, actor
• Susan St. James, actress (Rockford)
• Todd Stashwick, actor
• Michael Stoyanov, actor
• Joe Swanberg, film director, actor
• Gloria Swanson, actress
• Mr. T, actor
• Rea Tajiri, filmmaker
• Giorgio Tozzi, singer, actor
• Vince Vaughn, actor
• Douglas Walker, film critic/comedian
• Carol Wayne, actress
• Jason Weaver, actor, singer
• George Wendt, actor
• Raquel Welch, actress
• Orson Welles, actor, director, writer, producer (born in Kenosha, Wisconsin) (Woodstock)
• Robin Williams, actor, comedian
• Steve Wilkos, talk show host
• Oprah Winfrey, talk show hostess, actress, entrepreneur, philanthropist (born in Kosciusko, Mississippi)
• Sam Witwer, lead actor on the SyFy Channel show Being Human (North American TV series) and in the video game series Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Glenview, Cook County, Illinois)
• Robert Young, actor
• Billy Zane, actor
• Robert Zemeckis, director, producer, writer (Roseland)
• Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., empresario
• Adrian Zmed, actor
• Edward Zwick, director, producer, writer

Writers, thinkers, scientists, and cultural figures

Frank Lloyd Wright

Enrico Fermi

• Franklin Pierce Adams, columnist
• Sigvald Asbjornsen, Norwegian born American sculptor
• Jack Canfield, writer, Chicken Soup for The Soul
• Jane Addams, awarded Nobel Peace Prize
• Dankmar Adler, architect
• Mortimer Adler, writer and educational reformer
• Nelson Algren, writer
• Saul Alinsky, community organizer, writer and founder of the Industrial Areas Foundation
• K. A. Applegate, author
• Henry Moore Bates, attorney
• Saul Bellow, awarded Nobel Prize in Literature
• Emil Biorn, Norwegian-born, sculptor, painter and composer
• Allan Bloom, writer and translator
• Ray Bradbury, author
• Allan G. Brodie, orthodontics educator
• Gwendolyn Brooks, poet
• Algis Budrys, author
• Daniel Burnham, architect
• Edgar Rice Burroughs, writer
• Chris Bury, journalist
• Mother Cabrini, saint
• Jack Cafferty, journalist
• Marvin Camras, inventor
• Raymond Chandler, writer
• Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics
• Sandra Cisneros, author
• Daniel Cohen, children's writer
• Michael Crichton, writer
• James Cronin, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics
• James Gould Cozzens, novelist
• Clarence Darrow, attorney and civil libertarian
• Zachary Taylor Davis, architect
• Donald J. DePorter, philanthropist
• John Dewey, educational reformer
• Philip K. Dick, writer
• Charles Dickinson, writer
• G. Walter Dittmar, first president of the Illinois State Dental Society
• Mike Downey, newspaper columnist
• Vladimir Drinfeld, mathematician, winner of the Fields Medal
• E. Lloyd Du Brul, dental anatomist
• Helen Flanders Dunbar an important early figure in U.S. psychosomatic medicine.
• Finley Peter Dunne, writer, humorist (Mr. Dooley)
• Stuart Dybek, author
• Roger Ebert, film critic
• Dave Eggers, writer, editor, publisher
• Mircea Eliade, Romanian-born religious scholar and philosopher
• James T. Farrell, writer
• Kenneth Fearing, poet, writer
• Edna Ferber, author, playwright
• Enrico Fermi, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics
• Leon Forrest, writer
• Charles E. Fox, architect
• James Ingo Freed, architect
• Milton Friedman, winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
• Henry Blake Fuller, writer
• Larry Gelbart, comedy writer
• Edward Gorey, artist
• Marjorie Grene, philosopher
• Marion Mahony Griffin, architect
• Walter Burley Griffin, architect
• John Gunther, writer
• E. Gary Gygax, author
• George Ellery Hale, astronomer
• Lorraine Hansberry, playwright
• Paul P. Harris, lawyer, founder of Rotary International
• Reidar Rye Haugan, newspaper publisher and playwright
• Ben Hecht, author, journalist
• Larry Heinemann, novelist
• Ernest Hemingway, writer
• Robert Herrick, novelist
• John Augur Holabird, architect
• William Holabird, architect
• Helmut Jahn, architect
• William Le Baron Jenney, architect
• John Kass, journalist
• Leon Kass, writer and chair of The President's Council on Bioethics
• Dr. Fazlur Khan, civil engineer
• Anton LaVey, born Howard Stanton Levey, Writer of The Satanic Bible, Founder of The Church of Satan
• CJ Laity, publisher of ChicagoPoetry.com
• Ann Landers (Esther Pauline Friedman Lederer), columnist
• Adam Langer, novelist
• Leo Lerner, newspaper publisher, founder of Lerner Newspapers
• James Patterson Lyke, Franciscan friar & Roman Catholic bishop
• Catherine T. MacArthur, philanthropist
• George W. Maher, architect
• Tom Mandel, poet
• Benjamin H. Marshall, architect
• Maury Massler, dental educator
• Charles G. Maurice, dental educator
• Merrill C. Meigs, newspaper publisher
• Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, architect
• Michele Moody-Adams
• Frederick B. Moorehead, dental educator
• Charles Murphy, architect
• Susan Murphy-Milano, author, radio host, domestic violence victims' advocate
• Richard Nickel, photographer
• Charles Gilman Norris, author
• Frank Norris, novelist
• Frederick Bogue Noyes, dental educator
• Clarence Page, columnist
• Ruth Page, ballet dancer
• Sara Paretsky, novelist
• Ed Paschke, artist
• John Dos Passos, novelist and painter
• Cissy Patterson, journalist, newspaper editor
• Dwight H. Perkins, architect
• Frederik Pohl, author, futurist
• Henry Rago, poet and editor of Poetry Magazine from 1955 to 1969
• Theodore Regensteiner, inventor of the four-color litographic press
• Earl W. Renfroe, orthodontist and African-American activist
• Mike Resnick, author
• Shonda Rhimes, screenwriter, director, producer (creator and executive producer of Grey's Anatomy
• Martin Roche, architect
• John Wellborn Root, architect
• John Wellborn Root, Jr., architect
• Jonathan Rosenbaum, film critic
• Jim Roslof, fantasy artist
• Mike Royko, columnist
• Ernest Samuels, biographer, winner of the Bancroft Prize and the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography
• Carl Sandburg, poet
• Dan Savage, columnist
• Isaac Schour, president of the International Association for Dental Research
• Sidney Sheldon, playwright, screenwriter, novelist
• William L. Shirer, journalist and historian
• Shel Silverstein, poet, songwriter, and children's writer
• Dejan Stojanović, poet, writer, essayist, philosopher, businessman, and former journalist
• Leo Strauss, political philosopher
• Svend Rasmussen Svendsen, Impressionist artist
• Louis Sullivan, architect
• Stanisław Szukalski, artist and provocateur, friend of Ben Hecht, part of the Chicago Renaissance
• Lorado Taft, sculptor
• Maria Tallchief, ballet dancer, founder of the Chicago City Ballet
• Studs Terkel, broadcaster, author
• James Tiptree, Jr., author
• Stanley D. Tylman, dental educator, wrote Theory and Practice of Crown and Bridge Prosthesis
• Thorstein Veblen, economist and social critic
• Irving Wallace, writer
• Robert Woodrow Wilson, founder and first director of Fermilab
• Gene Wolfe, author
• Frank Lloyd Wright, architect

Criminals

• Al Capone, mobster
• John Dillinger, bank robber
• John Wayne Gacy, serial killer
• H.H. Holmes, early serial killer
• Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber
• Bugs Moran, mobster
• Jose Padilla, aka Abdullah al-Muhajir, alleged terrorist
• Jack Ruby, killed Lee Harvey Oswald
• Richard Speck, mass murderer
• Robert Hannsen, spy
• Larry Hoover, gangster
• Baby Face Nelson, mobster
• Jeff Fort, Nation Leader

Businesspeople

• Charles Deering
• William Deering
• William O. Goodman, lumber tycoon
• Peter Karter
• Ray Kroc
• Blythe McGarvie
• Abraham Lincoln Neiman

References

1. ^ American Brewing Academy - Tenth Anniversary Reunion (American Brewing Academy, 1901)
2. ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Marquis Who's Who. 1967.