The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Aurora, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Aurora, Illinois.
Arts and culture
Directing
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Jim McGuinn |
|
Feb 13, 1966 |
|
Radio program director |
Born in Aurora |
|
Paul Scheuring |
|
Nov 20, 1968 |
|
Screenwriter and director |
Born in Aurora |
|
Fine arts
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Ruth VanSickle Ford |
|
Aug 8, 1897 |
Apr 18, 1989 |
Owner of the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts |
Grew up in Aurora |
|
Journalism
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
John Drury |
|
Jan 4, 1927 |
Nov 25, 2007 |
Longtime Chicago news anchorman |
Raised in Aurora |
[1] |
Mary Foot Seymour |
|
1846 |
Mar 21, 1893 |
New York journalist, business woman, school founder |
Born in Aurora |
[2] |
Randy Shilts |
|
Aug 8, 1951 |
Feb 17, 1994 |
Pioneering gay journalist and author |
|
|
Music
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Gene Greene
(a.k.a. The Ragtime King) |
|
Jun 9, 1857 |
Apr 5, 1930 |
Entertainer, singer and composer |
Born in Aurora |
|
Kenneth W. Griffin |
|
Dec 28, 1909 |
Mar 11, 1956 |
Organist |
Lived in Aurora and is buried there |
|
Jackie De Shannon |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dave Johnston |
|
|
|
Banjoist, singer, Yonder Mountain String Band |
|
|
Jeff Olson |
|
Jul 14, 1962 |
|
Musician |
Raised in Aurora and taught music there |
|
Maud Powell |
|
Aug 22, 1867 |
Jan 8, 1920 |
Violinist |
Began violin and piano lessons in Aurora in 1874 |
[3] |
Carl Thomas |
|
Jun 15, 1972 |
|
R&B singer |
Attended East Aurora High School |
|
Ray White |
|
|
|
Soul vocalist and rock and blues guitarist; member of Frank Zappa's touring ensembles |
|
|
Business and administrative
Crime
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Edna Murray |
|
1898 |
1966 |
Depression-era outlaw |
|
|
Military
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
James H. Monroe |
|
Oct 17, 1944 |
Feb 16, 1967 |
Combat medic in the Vietnam War and recipient of the Medal of Honor |
Born in Aurora |
|
Walter E. Truemper |
|
Oct 31, 1918 |
Feb 20, 1944 |
Member of the US Army Air Forces in World War II and recipient of the Medal of Honor |
Born in Aurora |
|
Lester W. Weber |
|
Jul 30, 1948 |
Feb 23, 1969 |
US Marine and recipient of the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam |
Born in Aurora |
|
Politics and law
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Mark Catlin, Sr. |
|
Nov 12, 1882 |
May 16, 1956 |
State legislator Wisconsin; head football coach at University of Iowa |
Born in Aurora |
|
Thomas E. Coleman |
|
Feb 23, 1893 |
1964 |
Chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin |
Born in Aurora |
|
Ira Clifton Copley |
|
Oct 25, 1864 |
Nov 1, 1947 |
US congressman and founder of Copley Press |
Lived and died in Aurora |
|
Suzanne Deuchler |
|
Jul 21, 1929 |
|
Illinois state congresswoman |
|
|
Charles Henry Dietrich |
|
Nov 26, 1853 |
Apr 10, 1924 |
US senator from and 11th governor of Nebraska |
Born in Aurora |
|
Rita B. Garman |
|
Nov 19, 1943 |
|
Justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois |
Born in Aurora |
|
Dennis Hastert |
|
Jan 2, 1942 |
|
Speaker of the US House of Representatives |
Born in Aurora |
|
Phillip E. Johnson |
|
Jun 18, 1940 |
|
Retired law professor and author |
Born in Aurora |
|
Chris Lauzen |
|
Dec 30, 1952 |
|
Illinois state senator |
Born in Aurora |
|
Linda Chapa LaVia |
|
Aug 16, 1966 |
|
Illinois state congressman |
Born in Aurora |
|
Patricia Reid Lindner |
|
Nov 29, 1939 |
|
Illinois state congressman |
Born in Aurora |
|
Lewis M. Long |
|
Jun 22, 1883 |
Sep 9, 1957 |
US congressman |
Attended schools in Aurora |
|
Tim Mahoney |
|
Aug 16, 1956 |
|
US congressman from Florida |
Born in Aurora |
|
Scott B. Palmer |
|
Nov 22, 1950 |
|
Former Chief of Staff to US congressman Dennis Hastert |
Attended Aurora University |
|
Robert W. Pritchard |
|
Mar 31, 1945 |
|
Illinois state congressman |
Born in Aurora |
|
Charlotte Thompson Reid |
|
Sep 27, 1913 |
Jan 25, 2007 |
US congresswoman |
Lived and died in Aurora |
|
Frank R. Reid |
|
Apr 18, 1879 |
Jan 25, 1945 |
US congressman |
Born in Aurora |
|
Roy Solfisburg |
|
1912 |
1991 |
Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court |
Born in Aurora |
|
Tom Weisner |
|
1949 |
|
Mayor of Aurora |
|
|
Sports
Baseball
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Rich Becker |
|
Feb 1, 1972 |
|
Outfielder for several Major League Baseball teams |
Born in Aurora |
|
Michael Bowden |
|
Sep 9, 1986 |
|
Pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs |
Attended Waubonsie Valley High School |
|
Mark Grant |
|
Oct 24, 1963 |
|
Pitcher for six Major League Baseball teams |
Born in Aurora |
|
Bob Johnson |
|
Apr 25, 1943 |
|
Pitcher for five Major League Baseball teams |
Born in Aurora |
|
Ken Jungels |
|
Jun 23, 1916 |
Sep 9, 1975 |
Pitcher for Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates |
Born in Aurora |
|
Bob Kipper |
|
Jul 8, 1964 |
|
Relief pitcher for California Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins |
Born in Aurora |
|
Mario Ramos |
|
Oct 19, 1977 |
|
Pitcher for Texas Rangers |
Born in Aurora |
|
Jim Reninger |
|
Mar 7, 1915 |
Aug 23, 1993 |
Pitcher for Philadelphia Athletics |
Born in Aurora |
|
Basketball
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Kenny Battle |
|
Oct 10, 1964 |
|
Small forward for several NBA teams |
Born in Aurora |
|
Ryan Boatright |
|
Dec 27, 1992 |
|
Point guard UConn 2014 National Championship team |
Born in Aurora |
|
Bob Carney |
|
Aug 3, 1932 |
Nov 9, 2011 |
Shooting guard for the Minneapolis Lakers |
Born in Aurora |
|
Bob Lavoy |
|
June 29, 1926 |
Dec 18, 2010 |
NBA player of early 1950s |
Born in Aurora |
|
John Mauer |
|
Sep 4, 1901 |
Dec 20, 1978 |
Basketball head coach, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida |
Born in Aurora |
|
Jim Platt |
|
Mar 1, 1952 |
|
College basketball assistant and head coach |
Born in Aurora |
|
Billy Taylor |
|
Jun 12, 1973 |
|
Head coach at Ball State, Lehigh |
Valedictorian at West Aurora High School |
|
Bodybuilding
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Jennifer Abshire |
|
November 20, 1977 |
|
Professional bodybuilder |
Born in Aurora |
|
Drivers
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Bobby Z |
|
Sep 6, 1964 |
|
Monster truck driver |
|
|
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Marger Apsit |
|
Jun 5, 1909 |
Dec 22, 1988 |
Running back for four National Football League teams |
Born in Aurora |
|
Kurt Becker |
|
Dec 22, 1958 |
|
Guard for Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams; Super Bowl XX champion |
Born in Aurora |
|
Don Beebe |
|
Dec 18, 1964 |
|
Wide receiver for Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Green Bay Packers; Super Bowl XXXI champion |
Born in Aurora |
|
Brad Childress |
|
Jun 27, 1956 |
|
Pro and college football coach, head coach of Minnesota Vikings 2006-10 |
Born in Aurora |
|
Larry English |
|
Jan 22, 1986 |
|
Linebacker for San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Born in Aurora |
|
Ralph Galloway |
|
Aug 27, 1946 |
|
Guard in Canadian Football League 1969–79 |
Born in Aurora |
|
Andy Gustafson |
|
Apr 3, 1903 |
Jan 7, 1979 |
Head coach in College Football Hall of Fame |
Born in Aurora |
|
Roy Horstmann |
|
Dec 6, 1910 |
Jan 23, 1998 |
Running back for Boston Redskins and Chicago Cardinals |
Born in Aurora |
|
Joe Krakoski |
|
Nov 11, 1962 |
|
Linebacker for Washington Redskins |
Born in Aurora |
|
Randy Melvin |
|
Apr 3, 1959 |
|
Defensive line coach for Cleveland Browns |
Born in Aurora |
|
Andy Sabados |
|
Nov 24, 1916 |
July 5, 2004 |
Guard for NFL's Chicago Cardinals |
Born in Aurora |
|
Steve Thompson |
|
Jun 24, 1965 |
|
Defensive tackle for Washington Redskins |
Born in Aurora |
|
Golf
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Mike Small |
|
Mar 4, 1966 |
|
College coach and PGA Tour player |
Born in Aurora |
|
Track and field
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Tom Petranoff |
|
Apr 8, 1958 |
|
World record javelin thrower |
Born in Aurora |
|
References
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Schools | |
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Colleges and universities | |
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Landmarks | |
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Transportation | |
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People | |
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History | |
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