News

150 people from the suburbs who made history

Posted October 04, 2022 1:00 am

Daily Herald Staff

Marlon Brando Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The suburbs have been home to some of the greatest writers, actors, sports stars and business pioneers of the past 150 years.

Our list includes Oscar winners, Olympians and important historical figures - from the presidential candidate who came closest to shattering "that highest and hardest glass ceiling" for women to the reporter known for exposing Watergate.

There are dozens of other names we could have included. But we did our best to highlight a wide range of people who were born or lived in the area during influential periods of their lives. Some you know well; others might surprise you.

If you feel we missed someone important, tell us at youcandobetter@dailyherald.com.

In no particular order, here they are. Read and enjoy.

Hillary Clinton - The former Park Ridge resident's impressive political resume includes serving as first lady, a U.S. senator from New York and two terms as U.S. Secretary of State under Barack Obama. Her history-making presidential bid ended in a loss to Donald Trump.

Marlon Brando - Once a resident of the Libertyville area, Brando was nominated for eight acting Oscars and won for "On the Waterfront." He won again in 1973 for "The Godfather" and shocked the crowd when he sent a woman in Native American dress to decline the award.

Walter Payton - "Sweetness" is considered by some to be the best running back of all time. Every off-season he trained on a hill in Arlington Heights. Payton ranks second all time in rushing yards, third in yards from scrimmage and fifth in rushing touchdowns.

Ray Kroc - He was a milkshake machine salesman living in Arlington Heights when he bought a franchise of a California hamburger restaurant called McDonald's and opened one in Des Plaines. Kroc later bought the company and turned it into a global chain.

Harrison Ford - The actor, who grew up in Park Ridge, created two of the most beloved film characters of the past half-century: "Star Wars" rogue Han Solo and action hero Indiana Jones.

Bob Woodward - The Wheaton native, one of the nation's foremost journalists, rose to prominence as a Washington Post reporter assigned along with Carl Bernstein to cover the Watergate investigation of President Richard Nixon.

John W. "Bet-A-Million" Gates - Born in what is now West Chicago, Gates rose from a barbed-wire salesman to founding the Texas Fuel Co., which became Texaco.

Ernest Hemingway - The Oak Park native penned some of the best-known classics in American Literature including "The Sun Also Rises," "A Farewell to Arms" and "The Old Man and the Sea."

Michael Jordan - Named by ESPN as the greatest basketball player of all time, MJ, who lived in Highland Park, led the Bulls to six championships and became a global icon. He still holds the record for most points per game and most points in a single playoff game.

Edwin Hubble - The late astronomer and one-time resident of Wheaton is known for Hubble's law, which implies that the universe is expanding. The Hubble Space Telescope is named for him.

Melissa McCarthy - The star of the TV sitcom "Mike & Molly" and the hit movie "Bridesmaids" grew up in Plainfield.

Brian McBride - One of the greatest American soccer players is from Buffalo Grove. He logged 16 seasons in the MLS, Germany and England. McBride played for the U.S. at three World Cups.

Orson Welles - The actor/director, who attended school in Woodstock, is best known for directing "Citizen Kane," considered by many critics to be the greatest film ever made.

Jackie DeShannon - The one-time Batavia resident created a string of 1960s hits, belting out "What the World Needs Now Is Love" and writing and singing the smash hit "Put a Little Love in Your Heart."

Billy Graham - A North Carolina native, the Rev. Graham's storied career as one of the world's foremost Christian evangelists began with his entry to Wheaton College in 1940.

Max Adler - Born in Elgin, Adler became a vice president and investor in Sears, Roebuck and Co. After retiring in 1928, he turned his attention to building the Adler Planetarium, the first in the U.S.

Rock Hudson - Born Roy Harold Scherer Jr. in Winnetka, the late actor went on to became a major leading man in the 1950s and later one of the first celebrities to disclose his AIDS diagnosis.

Donald Rumsfeld - The New Trier High School graduate's public service career spanned more than 40 years and began in congress. He served as Secretary of Defense twice - under President Gerald Ford and under President George W. Bush.

Frank Lloyd Wright - The famed architect lived in Oak Park, and the town is still home to the largest collection of his buildings.

Phil Crane - The Wauconda conservative was elected to the U.S. House in 1968 and served there 35 years. He ran for the Republican nomination for president in 1980, eventually giving way to his idol Ronald Reagan.

Carl Sandburg - The poet lived for years in Elmhurst, where he wrote poetry, children's books and "Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years," a two-volume biography.

Marlee Matlin - The Hersey High School grad beat out Hollywood veterans in 1987 to become the first deaf best actress Oscar winner for her role in "Children of a Lesser God."

Ray Bradbury - After growing up in Waukegan, Bradbury went on to write "The Martian Chronicles," "Fahrenheit 451," "Dandelion Wine" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes."

John Belushi - After rising to fame on "Saturday Night Live," Belushi, who grew up in Wheaton, created memorable characters in "Animal House" and "The Blues Brothers."

Jim Belushi - John's brother - a star in his own right - has starred in TV, movies and his own reality show about his life as a cannabis farmer.

Richard Duchossois - The businessman - who died earlier this year at the age of 100 - bought Arlington Park Race Track in 1983, and rebuilt it after a devastating fire in 1985.

Fred Lorenzen - The "Elmhurst Express" was an early star of stock car racing. He won an incredible 18 races from 1963 to 1965, including the 1965 Daytona 500, and is a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Candace Parker - Leading Naperville Central to two state titles was only the beginning for this basketball great. She won two NCAA championships at Tennessee, two Olympic gold medals, was named WNBA MVP twice and earned her second WNBA title after joining the Chicago Sky last year.

Adlai Stevenson II - A prominent Democratic politician, the one-time Libertyville resident served as Illinois governor in 1949 and twice challenged Dwight D. Eisenhower unsuccessfully for the presidency.

Adlai Stevenson III - Stevenson II's son, a former congressman and Illinois treasurer, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1970. He would later be mentioned as a candidate for U.S. vice president and president.

Red Grange - "The Galloping Ghost" earned 16 varsity letters during four years at Wheaton High School. He played football at the University of Illinois, then signed with the Chicago Bears in 1925.

Stuart R. Paddock Jr. - The grandson of Paddock Publications Inc. founder Hosea Paddock is credited with helping to define suburban journalism as he led the transformation of the Daily Herald from a small weekly into a regional daily.

Evan Lysacek - The Neuqua High School grad from Naperville won the Olympic gold medal in men's figure skating at the 2010 Vancouver Games, a year after landing gold in the World Championships.

Gary Sinise - The former Glen Ellyn and Highland Park resident was nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Forrest Gump." Sinise is active in supporting the troops and first responders.

Veronica Roth - The best-selling author of the "Divergent" novels, set in a dystopian Chicago and turned into movies, grew up in Barrington and graduated from Barrington High School.

"Macho Man" Randy Savage - The Downers Grove North alum played minor league baseball by his given name, Randall Poffo, in the Cardinals organization for a few years before becoming one of the biggest stars of pro wrestling.

Al Larson - In 32 years as Schaumburg village president and 12 as village trustee, Larson helped lead the development of the village into an economic engine of the suburbs, centered on the emergence of Woodfield Mall.

Steve Chen - The co-founder of YouTube moved from Taiwan to Prospect Heights when he was 7 and graduated from the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora.

Eileen Fisher - The fashion designer's namesake line has become associated with comfortable but elegant women's clothes. The New York Times in a recent article dubbed the Des Plaines native "the queen of slow fashion."

Dave Corzine - After leading Hersey High School downstate in 1974, Corzine helped push DePaul to its most successful era, reaching the Elite Eight in 1978. He then logged 13 seasons in the NBA, playing with the Bulls from 1982 to 1989.

Jimmy Garoppolo - The Rolling Meadows grad from Arlington Heights won the Walter Payton Award while at Eastern Illinois University, where he set school records for passing yards and passing TDs. He threw 27 TD passes for San Francisco in 2019 and led the 49ers to the Super Bowl.

Frederick Louis Maytag - Born in Elgin, the businessman went on to found the Maytag Washing Machine Company in Iowa.

Chester Gould - The cartoonist - creator of the world-famous Dick Tracy comic strip - worked for years out of his Woodstock home.

Dick Locher - The editorial cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize winner joined Chester Gould in 1957 to draw the Dick Tracy comic strip. Locher moved to Naperville in 1969 with his wife and lived there until his death in 2017.

Jack Benny - The comedian - star of vaudeville, radio, film and TV - grew up in Waukegan and has a middle school there named after him.

Rob and Rex Ryan - The Stevenson High School alums and twin sons of Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan became successful NFL coaches and won Super Bowls as assistants. Rex was head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, taking the Jets to two AFC title games.

Rick Santorum - The conservative two-term U.S. senator from Pennsylvania is a graduate of Carmel High School in Mundelein. He mounted strong but unsuccessful campaigns for the GOP nomination for president in 2012 and 2016. He later became a commentator for CNN, before being released for comments considered demeaning to Native Americans.

Ken Anderson - Growing up in Batavia, Anderson moved on to a 16-year career in the NFL as a third-round pick in 1971. He topped the league in passing rating four times, won the 1981 MVP Award and led the Cincinnati Bengals to their first Super Bowl in 1981.

Henry Paulson - The Barrington Hills native built a successful career in banking, including as CEO for Goldman Sachs. As Secretary of the Treasury under President George W. Bush, he was a key figure in helping stabilize the economy after the 2008 meltdown.

John Hughes - The acclaimed filmmaker and Glenbrook North High School grad set and shot many of his most beloved films - including "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Home Alone" - in Chicago and the suburbs.

Henry Hyde - The Wood Dale lawmaker earned a national reputation over the course of 32 years in the U.S. House for his opposition to abortion. He served on the House Judiciary Committee and led the prosecution in the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton.

Laurie Anderson - The Glen Ellyn native is a world-famous performance artist, musician and composer. She's also an inventor, having created multiple electronic musical instruments.

Edgar Rice Burroughs - The prolific author, who was born in Chicago in 1875 but lived for years in Oak Park, is best known as the creator of Tarzan.

Cynthia Rowley - A native of Barrington, the fashion designer is known for a look described as "pretty-meets-sporty." She appeared as a guest judge on "America's Next Top Model" and "Project Runway."

Eugenia Chapman - Among the highlights of the Arlington Heights woman's 18 years as a Democrat in the Illinois House of Representatives, she introduced the bill that created the state's community college system, and she helped found Harper College.

Paula Zahn - The 1974 graduate of Naperville High School is one of America's foremost broadcast journalists. Among her credits, she was co-anchor of World News This Morning on ABC-TV and later of CBS This Morning. She also has worked for Fox News and CNN.

Sean Hayes - The actor, who grew up in Glen Ellyn, was nominated for eight Emmys - and won two - for playing Jack in the groundbreaking sitcom "Will & Grace."

Floyd Brown - The longtime Elgin resident and WGN Radio broadcaster was the first Black signed by a major national network, NBC. He hosted "The Floyd Brown Show" for more than 29 years.

Jeffrey Skilling - The West Aurora High School grad and former chief executive officer of Enron Corp. was found guilty of conspiracy, insider trading, making false statements to auditors and securities fraud.

Terry Moran - The senior news correspondent for ABC News based in Washington, D.C., grew up in Mount Prospect and Barrington Hills.

Vince Vaughn - The actor has a wide resume that includes starring as Norman Bates in the 1998 "Pyscho" remake, but the former resident of Buffalo Grove is best known for his roles in comedies such as "Wedding Crashers" and "The Break-Up."

Bob Mariano - His namesake grocery store chain has spread rapidly across the suburbs. The first opened in Arlington Heights, where he grew up.

Jim Lovell - The astronaut lived in Lake Forest from the early 1980s until this year. He was the leader of the Apollo 13 mission, and the amazing rescue of the astronauts on board was made into a hit movie with Tom Hanks as Lovell.

Helmut Jahn - The German-American architect, who lived in Campton Hills, rose to prominence with projects that include Chicago's Thompson Center.

Leo Burnett - The Chicago-born ad man - who founded the eponymous Chicago advertising firm responsible for the Marlboro Man, the Jolly Green Giant, the Pillsbury Doughboy and Tony the Tiger - lived on a farm near Lake Zurich from 1942 until his death in 1971.

Sean Payton - The Naperville North standout played quarterback for the Huskies and later at Eastern Illinois. He landed with the Bears for a season and then went on to a long coaching career with New Orleans, leading the Saints to the franchise's first Super Bowl in 2010.

Billy Corgan - Corgan, who grew up in Glen Ellyn, is a singer-songwriter, professional wrestling promoter and tea shop owner, but he's best known as the frontman for the alt-rock band Smashing Pumpkins.

James J. Liautaud - The Arlington Heights native founded the Jimmy John's sandwich chain after graduating from Elgin Academy in 1982.

Tom Morello - Raised in Libertyville, the musician rocked with Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave and Prophets of Rage. He's ranked 40th in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists.

Gary Cole - The actor from Rolling Meadows has done both drama and comedy, with the latter giving him the chance to play Lumbergh in "Office Space," Reese Bobby in "Talladega Nights" and 1960s TV dad Mike Brady in "The Brady Bunch Movie."

Charlie Kirk - The Wheeling High School graduate is one of the most prominent young voices in Republican and conservative politics today. An author and radio talk show host, he co-founded the nationwide advocacy group Turning Point USA.

Sherri Shepherd - The comedian, sitcom star and former co-host of the TV talk show "The View" grew up in Hoffman Estates. Her new daytime talk show "Sherri" recently debuted on Fox.

Leon Lederman - He lived near West Chicago while he was director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory from 1979 to 1989, and afterward. In 1988, he was a tri-winner of the Nobel Prize in physics for his study of neutrinos. Lederman also founded the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora.

Dan Issel - One of the more underrated players in NBA history, the Batavia native ranks No. 12 on the list of combined ABA/NBA scorers. A member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Issel won an NBA title with the Kentucky Colonels in 1975 and coached the Denver Nuggets for six seasons.

Ann-Margret - The actress-entertainer - star of "Bye Bye Birdie," "Viva Las Vegas" and "Carnal Knowledge" - was born in Sweden, but wound up in the suburbs where she attended New Trier High School.

Bob Atcher - The late country music performer and radio show host was the first mayor of Schaumburg when it incorporated in 1958. He served until 1975, during a period of tremendous growth from farm fields to a business hub.

Bob Odenkirk - As an actor, writer and producer, Odenkirk, who grew up in Naperville, has earned 18 Emmy nominations - including a number for his recently wrapped AMC series "Better Call Saul."

Jeffery Deaver - The best-selling author of more than 40 novels, including the Lincoln Rhyme series of mysteries, is a native of Glen Ellyn.

Dick Portillo - The businessman founded the Portillo's restaurant chain in 1963, in a trailer in Villa Park.

Bill Murray - The actor from Wilmette got his big break on "Saturday Night Live" before going on to star in a number of beloved films, including "Caddyshack" and "Ghostbusters." He received an Oscar nomination for "Lost in Translation."

Dave Kingman - The Prospect High School alum ranks 43rd on MLB's all-time home run list with 442, which includes a career-high 48 for the Cubs in 1979.

Ted Nugent - A product of Palatine, the rocker's biggest hit was "Cat Scratch Fever." He's also known for his conservative and often controversial politics, support of gun rights and books about hunting.

Rachel Brosnahan and Alex Borstein - The dynamic duo behind Midge and Suzy in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" grew up in the 'burbs: Highland Park for Brosnahan and Deerfield for Borstein.

Betty White - Considered a national treasure, the comedy legend and star of "The Golden Girls" was born in Oak Park and was mourned across the country when she died late last year just days before her 100th birthday.

Don, Tony and Cammi Granato - An impressive hockey family from Downers Grove, Don is head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, Tony played 13 years in the NHL and is now head coach at Wisconsin, Cammi won an Olympic gold medal in 1998 and is the all-time leading scorer for the women's national team.

Aaron Williams - At Rolling Meadows High School, he often played a supporting role to Mike Lipnisky, but Williams spent 15 seasons in the NBA as a center and power forward. He played in the NBA Finals twice with New Jersey in 2002-03.

Clive Cussler - The best-selling Aurora-born novelist penned more than 80 books but was best known for his Dirk Pitt series.

James Breasted - The famous archaeologist, who grew up in Downers Grove, was the first professor of Egyptology in the U.S. Breasted, who died in 1935, worked on excavating the tomb of Tutankhamen and founded the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago.

Mike Wagner - One of the early Carmel High School graduates went on to play safety for the famed "Steel Curtain" defense and won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He led the NFL in interceptions in 1973.

John Avildsen - The Oscar-winning director of "Rocky" hailed from Oak Park. He also directed "The Karate Kid" and two sequels.

Maud Powell - The internationally renowned violinist grew up in Aurora in the late 19th century. Her instrumental recordings on the Victor Talking Machine Co.'s "Red Seal" records set the standard for violin performance.

Jimy Sohns and the Shadows of Knight - The rocker and his band hit it big in the 1960s with "Gloria." He grew up in Mount Prospect and was living in Roselle when he died this summer.

Chris Collins and Jon Scheyer - Two legendary Glenbrook North Spartan basketball players went on to play at Duke and become prominent coaches. Collins is heading into his 10th year at Northwestern, while Scheyer is about to take over at Duke.

Jim Gaffigan - The comedian, who spent part of his childhood in Elgin and Barrington, boasts an impressive resume as standup comedian, actor, writer, best-selling author and sitcom star.

Joe Walsh - Then living in McHenry, Walsh was swept into the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 as a Tea Party Republican. He was defeated two years later by Tammy Duckworth and moved on to a career as a prominent conservative voice in broadcasting. He even flirted with a run for president.

Jennifer Morrison - The star of "House" and "Once Upon a Time" grew up in Arlington Heights and graduated from Prospect High School.

Gary Fencik - The Barrington High School grad played college ball at Yale, then starred for the Bears from 1976 to 1987. The safety holds a franchise record for interceptions with 38.

Denise Richards - The Downers Grove model/actress is known for her roles in "Starship Troopers," "Wild Things" and as Bond girl Christmas Jones in "The World Is Not Enough."

Brett Butler - A product of Libertyville, Butler was a triples machine during his 17-year career with the Dodgers, Cleveland, Giants, Braves and Mets. Butler led the league in triples four times and ranks 78th all-time with 131.

Daryl Hannah - The Chicago-born star of "Splash," "Wall Street" and "Steel Magnolias" grew up in Long Grove. She's married to music icon Neil Young.

Gower Champion - The dancer-choreographer, born in Geneva, directed the hit Broadway musicals "Bye Bye Birdie," "Hello Dolly," and "42nd Street."

Jason Kipnis - The second baseman from Glenbrook North played 10 years with Cleveland and the Cubs. Kipnis was a two-time all star for the Guardians.

Rick Nielsen - The guitarist and songwriter for Cheap Trick, might be considered one of Rockford's favorite sons, but he was born in Elmhurst.

Andrea Jaeger - After winning the state title as a freshman at Stevenson High School, the tennis player turned pro and was soon battling Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova in the late rounds of major tournaments.

Chris Redd - The former "Saturday Night Live" cast member grew up in Naperville. Other credits include the sitcom "Kenan" and the movie "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping."

Mike Marshall - The power-hitting outfielder/first baseman from Buffalo Grove played 11 major league seasons with the Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox and Angels. In 1985, Marshall batted .293 and had 28 home runs and 95 RBI for Los Angeles.

Tamika and Tauja Catchings - These sisters won back-to-back Illinois Ms. Basketball awards as Stevenson High School won state titles in 1995-96. While Tauja starred in college at Illinois, Tamika went on to win an NCAA title at Tennessee, four Olympic gold medals, a WNBA title for Indiana and was WNBA MVP in 2011.

Virginia Hayter - A dominant political figure in Hoffman Estates, Hayter was elected village president in 1973, becoming one of the first female mayors in the Northwest suburbs. She helped clean up a village that had been rocked by a zoning scandal.

Sebastian Maniscalco - The Arlington Heights native is a popular stand-up comic, but he's also taken on serious acting rules in "Green Book" and "The Irishman."

Harris Fawell - A graduate of West Chicago High School and North Central College in Naperville, Fawell served for 14 years in the Illinois Senate, later gaining election in 1984 to the first of seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Beverly Fawell - A member of one of DuPage County's most prominent political families, Fawell, of Glen Ellyn, was known for her advocacy for the disabled. She served briefly in the Illinois House before being elected to the state Senate in 1983, where she remained until 1999.

Jalen Brunson - The local basketball star led Stevenson High School to a state title in 2015, then won two NCAA championships at Villanova. This summer Brunson jumped from the Dallas Mavericks to the New York Knicks as a high-profile NBA free agent.

Lamorne Morris - The Glenbard South and College of DuPage grad played Winston on Fox's "New Girl" sitcom and Keef on Hulu's "Woke."

Tom Shales - The Elgin native was entertainment critic for The Washington Post for 33 years and won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1988. He has written several books, including, with Andrew Miller, "Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live."

Sheila Schultz - The first woman village president of Wheeling became a prominent leader for years in Northwest suburban political affairs.

Virginia Macdonald - The late Arlington Heights resident helped draft the Illinois Bill of Rights that banned discrimination in housing and hiring. She was a leader on issues including delivery of Lake Michigan water to the Northwest suburbs and creation of property tax caps in the suburbs.

Kirk Dillard - Current chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority, Dillard, of Hinsdale, was chief of staff for Gov. Jim Edgar and served more than two decades in the state Senate. He ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for Illinois governor in 2010 and 2014.

Jim Ryan - Ryan served three terms as DuPage County prosecutor, followed by two terms as Republican Illinois attorney general. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2002.

Robert Hall McCormick III - The heir to the prominent founder of the Chicago Tribune moved into an Elmhurst home designed by legendary architect Mies van der Rohe in 1952 with his wife.

Reinhold Weege - The Prospect High School alum wrote for popular TV shows including "Barney Miller" and created the sitcom "Night Court."

Don Totten - The longtime activist in Schaumburg Township Republican politics served four terms in the Illinois House and one in the Senate. He worked on Ronald Reagan's presidential campaigns and led the Illinois campaign for Jack Kemp in 1988.

Diablo Cody - The Benet Academy grad won a best original screenplay Oscar for 2007's "Juno" and a Tony for "Jagged Little Pill."

Tom Higgenson - The Villa Park native and his band Plain White Ts had a No. 1 hit with the Grammy-nominated "Hey There Delilah" and did music for Broadway's "SpongeBob SquarePants: The New Musical."

Grace Mary Stern - The political pioneer from Highland Park would become the first woman elected to the Lake County Board since the Civil War, served 12 years as Lake County clerk and served one term as a state senator. She was candidate for lieutenant governor with Adlai Stevenson III.

David Eigenberg - The Naperville Central graduate had starring roles in the hit shows HBO's "Sex in the City" and NBC's "Chicago Fire."

Billie Roth - The village president of Streamwood has served for 33 years and is one of the longest-serving mayors in suburban history.

Gary Rydstrom - The former Elmhurst resident has been nominated for an Oscar 20 times in the sound editing and mixing categories and won seven trophies, including two for his work on "Saving Private Ryan."

Bernard J. Cigrand - For three decades, Cigrand of Batavia traveled around the U.S. promoting patriotism and respect for the flag. The dentist is often credited as the "Father of Flag Day."

The Rev. Clyde Brooks - The director of the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Rights, Brooks, of Arlington Heights, began his civil rights work marching alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and leading the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Chicago office.

Adeline Geo-Karis - Born in Greece, Geo-Karis moved to Lake County and become a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve. She was a lawyer, Zion mayor and one of the first women to seek statewide office in Illinois, serving three terms in the House and 25 in the state Senate.

William LeBaron - The Elgin native produced 1931's "Cimarron," an early best picture winner. LeBaron was also a songwriter, composer and author.

Jim Spivey - The Fenton High School track star owned the state cross country time record and was a member of three Olympic teams.

Paul Sereno - The noted Naperville paleontologist discovered several species of dinosaurs and crocodiles, as well as the largest archaeology site in the Sahara. He is a paleontology and archaeology professor at the University of Chicago.

Paul Butler - He founded the village of Oak Brook so Hinsdale and Elmhurst could not annex the pastoral area. He founded the Oak Brook Polo Club, the Butler National Golf Club, riding trails and an airstrip.

Jami Gertz - The actress from Glenview starred in a variety of films and sitcoms over the years. She owns the Atlanta Hawks basketball team with her businessman husband.

Sondra Radvanovsky - The soprano from St. Charles has sung some of the greatest roles in opera. She's a regular at New York's Metropolitan Opera and performs around the world.

William F. Friedman and Elizebeth Smith Friedman - The cryptographers developed the principles of modern cryptology at Fabyan's Riverbank Laboratories in Geneva.

Kaskade - Northbrook's Ryan Raddon, better known as Kaskade, is an EDM superstar and seven-time Grammy nominee.

Nancy Swider-Peltz - The Maine South grad made four Olympic teams from 1976 to 1988. At one point, she even competed against her daughter, who shares the same name, graduated from Wheaton North and made the 2010 Olympic team.

Derek Shelton - The son of longtime Warren baseball coach Ron Shelton is in his third season as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ian Brennan - The Mount Prospect native based the hit show "Glee" on his days in show choir at Prospect High School.

Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg - The married couple, who live in St. Charles, rose to fame via different routes. McCarthy has made a name as a model, actress, TV show host and reality show judge. Wahlberg, a Boston native, climbed the charts with the band New Kids on the Block and currently stars as tough cop Danny Reagan in TV's "Blue Bloods."

Hillary Clinton Associated Press

Ray Kroc

Walter Payton Daily Herald file photo

John Belushi Courtesy of UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

Harrison Ford Courtesy of Lucasfilm

Marlee Matlin Associated Press

Jim Lovell Daily Herald file, 1985

Cynthia Rowley Bloomberg photo

Steve Chen Daily Herald file photo

Candace Parker Associated Press

Red Grange Courtesy of Robert Gallagher

Ernest Hemingway

Joy Morton

Jenny McCarthy, left, and Sherri Shepherd

Rachel Brosnahan, left, and Alex Borstein Courtesy of Amazon

Evan Lysacek Associated Press

Floyd Brown

Maud Powell, who was born in Peru, Ill., and grew up in Aurora, is considered America's first great master of the violin. Courtesy of ESO

Villanova guard Jalen Brunson (1) goes to the basket against Marquette guard Sam Hauser. Associated Press, 2018

Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings cheers on her team against the Chicago Sky. Daily Herald File, 2006

The Rev. Clyde Brooks

Betty White Associated Press, 2009

Ann-Margret Associated Press, 2017

Randy “Macho Man” Savage, AKA Randall Poffo. Courtesy of WWE/Via Associated Press

Harold “Red” Grange Courtesy of Robert Gallagher

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