This list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Wheaton, Illinois.
Business Elbert Henry Gary (1846–1927), lawyer, county judge and founder of U.S. Steel Dan and Ada Rice (Daniel 1896–1975; Ada 1898–1977), businesspeople, Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders, and philanthropists; owners of Kentucky Derby winner Lucky Debonair
Media and entertainment
Shane Acker (born 1971), filmmaker and animator Jane Adams (born 1965), film, television, and theatre actress Selamawi Asgedom (born 1976), author of Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy's Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard Bobbie Battista (born 1952), CNN anchor; attended high school in Wheaton Andrew Belle (born 1984), singer and songwriter Jim Belushi (born 1954), actor (According to Jim, K-9, Red Heat) John Belushi (1949–1982), actor (Saturday Night Live, The Blues Brothers, and Animal House) Wes Craven (1939–2015), horror film director (A Nightmare on Elm Street); alumnus of Wheaton College John Drury (1927–2007), Chicago television news anchor Dennis Dugan (born 1946), actor and director (Happy Gilmore and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry) Tami Erin (born 1974), actress and model (The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking) Danny Gonzalez (born 1994), YouTuber and former Viner A. Wilson Greene (born 1949), writer and historian Paul Hendrickson (born 1944), author, journalist and professor Clyde S. Kilby (1902–1986), author and professor at Wheaton College Ned Locke (1919–1992), Chicago TV and radio announcer Paul Maxey (1907–1963), actor who played character roles in films and television, starting in 1937 Brian McCann (born 1965), actor, writer, and comedian Robert R. McCormick (1880–1955), publisher of the Chicago Tribune Joseph Medill (1823–1899), Mayor of Chicago; co-owner and managing editor of the Chicago Tribune Everett Mitchell (1898–1990), radio announcer Gail O'Grady (born 1963), actress (NYPD Blue, American Dreams) Lorraine Olivia (born 1968), November 1990 Playboy Playmate of the Month; graduated from Wheaton Central High School (1986) Kate Pierson (born 1948), lead singer of the B-52s, past spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Janet Pilgrim (1934–2017), model and actress Rick Santelli (born 1953), on-air editor for the CNBC Business News cable network Sonal Shah (born 1980), actress (Scrubs) Sandra Smith (born 1980), reporter for Fox Business Network Bob Woodward (born 1943), author and reporter with The Washington Post; broke the Watergate scandal, co-writer of All the President's Men
Military
Mark S. Inch (born 1960), retired US Army Major General and ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (2017–2018); graduate of Wheaton College; son of Morris Inch, Wheaton ProfessorObituary of Morris Inch Robert James Miller (1983–2008), US Army Special Forces staff sergeant; Medal of Honor recipient; graduate of Wheaton North High School James Howard Monroe (1944–1967), US Army PFC; Medal of Honor recipient; graduate of Wheaton Central High School; namesake of James Howard Monroe Middle School
Music
Andrew Belle (born 1984), musician Steve Camp (born 1955), Christian singer Blake Judd (born 1982), musician; lead vocalist of Nachtmystium Ryan O'Neal (born 1983), musician; Sleeping at Last
Politics and law
Ralph H. Barger (1923–2002), Illinois state legislator and mayor of Wheaton'Illinois Blue Book 1989–1990,' biographical Sketch of Ralph H. Barger, p. 83 Joe Birkett (born 1955), Illinois Appellate Court justice; former DuPage County State's Attorney George Peter Foster (1858–1928), U.S. Congressman from Illinois, 3rd and 4th districts Amy Grant, member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2019–present) William L. Guild (1910–1993), Illinois Attorney General and jurist Randy Hultgren (born 1966), U.S. congressman, represented Illinois's 14th congressional district from 2011 to 2019. Jeanne Ives (born 1964), Illinois state legislator (2013–2018), and candidate for Governor of Illinois (2018). Robert Jauch (born 1945), Wisconsin state legislator John McCandish King (1927–2016), member of the Illinois House of Representatives; between 1951–2015, he held the record as the youngest person to serve in the Illinois General Assembly Prentice Marshall (1926–2004), U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois (1973–1996) Lewis V. Morgan (1929–2018), American judge, lawyer, and politician'Illinois Blue Book 1967–1968,' Biographical Sketch of Lewis V. Morgan, Jr., pp. 266–267 Evelyn Sanguinetti (born 1970), Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Albert W. Sherer Jr. (born 1916), American diplomat, Ambassador to the United Nations under President Gerald Ford, author of Human Rights Pact at Helsinki Samuel K. Skinner (born 1938), U.S. Secretary of Transportation and White House Chief of Staff under President George H. W. Bush
Religion
Jonathan Blanchard (1811–1892), pastor, educator, social reformer, and abolitionist; founder of Wheaton College Jim Elliot (1927–1956), evangelical Christian missionary to Ecuador who was killed while evangelizing to the Waodani people; alumnus of Wheaton College Billy Graham (1918–2018), Christian evangelist; alumnus of Wheaton College R. Kent Hughes (born 1942), author; pastor Emeritus of College Church Isobel Miller Kuhn (1901–1957), Canadian missionary to the Lisu people of Yunnan Province, China, and northern Thailand John R. Rice (1895–1980), Baptist evangelist and journalist Miles J. Stanford (1914–1999), Christian author Kenneth N. Taylor (1917–2005), translator of The Living Bible and founder of Tyndale House Publishers Phil Vischer (born 1966), creator of the children's show VeggieTales
Science and design
Edwin Hubble (1889–1953), astronomer after whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named Jarvis Hunt (1863–1941), architect and designer of Chicago Golf Club's clubhouse in Wheaton Grote Reber (1911–2002), amateur astronomer, radio engineer and pioneer of radio astronomy
Sports
Baseball
Herb Adams (1928–2012), outfielder for Chicago White Sox Don Bollweg (1921–1996), first baseman for St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics Mike Joyce (born 1941), pitcher for Chicago White Sox Chet Lemon (born 1955), outfielder for Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers; World Series champion (1984) J.C. Martin (born 1936), catcher for New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs; World Series champion (1969) Dave Otto (born 1964), pitcher for Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago White Sox; sports broadcaster Milt Pappas (1939–2016), pitcher for Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs Jimmy Piersall (1929–2017), outfielder for Boston Red Sox, broadcaster for Chicago White Sox, lived and died in Wheaton Lee Pfund (1919–2016), pitcher for Brooklyn Dodgers Sy Sutcliffe (1862–1893), catcher for Baltimore Orioles and Washington Statesmen Ollie Voigt (1899–1970), pitcher for St Louis Browns
Basketball
Katie Meier (born 1967), head coach of University of Miami women's basketball team Randy Pfund (born 1951), former head coach of NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and General Manager of Miami Heat
Boxing
Mike Lee (born 1987), light heavyweight boxerMike Lee bio page
Football
Jon Beutjer (born 1980), former professional football quarterback in the Arena Football League and Canadian Football League Corey Davis (born 1995), NFL wide receiver for the New York Jets Titus Davis (1993–2020), former American professional football player who was a wide receiver Scott Dierking (born 1955), former NFL running back Rick Fox, football head coach, Drake University Kent Graham (born 1968), quarterback for eight NFL teams; 1986 National High School Quarterback of the Year at Wheaton North Garland Grange (1906–1981), former Chicago Bears player and younger brother of Red Grange Harold "Red" Grange (1903–1991), running back for the Chicago Bears and New York Yankees (NFL); known as "the Wheaton Ice Man" A. J. Harris (born 1984), former Canadian football running back Pete Ittersagen (born 1985), former NFL and CFL cornerback Rick Johnson (born 1961), former CFL quarterback, actor and director Jim Juriga (born 1964), former guard for the Denver Broncos Tim Lester (born 1977), head football coach at Western Michigan University, from 2017–2022 Chuck Long (born 1963), College Football Hall of Fame quarterback; offensive coordinator of University of Kansas football Tony Moeaki (born 1987), tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills Todd Monken (born 1966), head coach of the Cleveland Browns Matt Rahn (born 1982), retired American football player and since 2020, the acting head coach of the College of DuPage Chaparrals football team Steve Thonn, American football coach Clayton Thorson (born 1995), American football quarterback who is a free agent Danny Vitale (born 1993), former American football fullback Bob Zeman (1937–2019), defensive back for the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos, later coach for several college and professional teams
Golf
Charles B. Macdonald (1855–1939), golfer; built the first 18-hole course in the US Kevin Streelman (born 1978), golfer on the PGA Tour Mark O'Meara (born 1957), golfer on the PGA Tour
Hockey
Alain Chevrier (born 1961), goaltender for five NHL teams Jacques Cloutier (born 1960), goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, and Quebec Nordiques Ryan Dzingel (born 1992), forward for five NHL teams Bobby Hull (1939–2023), forward for the Chicago Blackhawks Darren Pang (born 1964), goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks; commentator for the Chicago Blackhawks Wayne Presley (born 1965), right wing for five NHL teams Denis Savard (born 1961), Hockey Hall of Fame centre and head coach for the Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, and Tampa Bay Lightning Trent Yawney (born 1965), defenceman for the Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, and St. Louis Blues
Olympics
Adam Harris (born 1987), Olympic sprinter Thomas Jaeschke (born 1993), Olympic volleyball outside hitter; two-time bronze medalist Sean Rooney (born 1982), Olympic volleyball outside hitter; gold medalist Jim Spivey (born 1960), three-time Olympic 1500 meter and 5000 meter track and field athlete Nancy Swider-Peltz (born 1956), Olympic speedskater (1976, 1980, 1984, 1988); mother of Nancy Jr. Nancy Swider-Peltz Jr. (born 1987), Winter Olympian speed skater (2010)
Soccer Charlie Fajkus (born 1957), former professional soccer midfielder
Tennis
Tim Gullikson (1951–1996), tennis player; coach of no. 1 ranked Pete Sampras; lived in Wheaton
References