The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Bloomington, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Bloomington, Illinois.
Academics and writing
[edit]
Name
|
Image
|
Birth
|
Death
|
Known for
|
Association
|
Reference
|
Kate Charles
|
|
1950
|
|
Mystery writer
|
|
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Eyestone, Lura
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|
Oct 14, 1872
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Mar 9, 1965
|
Educator
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Born in Bloomington
|
|
Elbert Hubbard
|
|
Jun 19, 1856
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May 7, 1915
|
Essayist
|
Born in Bloomington
|
|
Frederic W. Goudy
|
|
Mar 8, 1865
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May 11, 1947
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Typographer
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Born in Bloomington
|
|
Gertrude Hull
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|
Nov 16, 1866
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Mar 22, 1947
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Teacher
|
Born in Bloomington
|
|
John Wesley Powell
|
|
Mar 24, 1834
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Sep 23, 1902
|
Naturalist
|
|
[1]
|
Harold Sinclair
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|
May 8, 1907
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May 24, 1966
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Novelist, jazz musician
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Born in Chicago, lived in Bloomington since age 8
|
|
Wilson Tucker
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|
Nov 23, 1914
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Oct 6, 2006
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Author
|
|
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Curtis White
|
|
|
|
Author, novelist, essayist, and theorist
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|
[citation needed]
|
Business and engineering
[edit]
Name
|
Image
|
Birth
|
Death
|
Known for
|
Association
|
Reference
|
George J. Mecherle
|
|
Jun 7, 1877
|
Mar 10, 1951
|
Founder of State Farm Insurance
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Lived and died in Bloomington
|
|
Marc W. Miller
|
|
1947
|
|
Award-winning game designer
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Lives in Bloomington
|
|
Verne Winchell
|
|
Oct 30, 1915
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Nov 26, 2002
|
Founder of Winchell's Donuts
|
Born in Bloomington
|
|
Name
|
Image
|
Birth
|
Death
|
Known for
|
Association
|
Reference
|
Wally Bishop
|
|
Aug 17, 1905
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Jan 15, 1982
|
Cartoonist
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Grew up in Bloomington
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|
Ryan Bliss
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|
|
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Digital artist; founder of Digital Blasphemy
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Tim Bradstreet
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|
Feb 16, 1967
|
|
Eisner Award-nominated artist and illustrator
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Graduated BHS, Class of 1985
|
[citation needed]
|
David S. Broder
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|
Sep 11, 1929
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Mar 9, 2011
|
Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalist
|
Worked for Pantagraph newspaper in Bloomington
|
|
Sidney Smith
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|
Feb 13, 1877
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Oct 20, 1935
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Million-dollar "Chicago Tribune" cartoonist of The Gumps
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Worked for The Sunday Eye newspaper in Bloomington
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|
John Campbell
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|
Jul 7, 1955
|
|
Jazz pianist
|
Born in Bloomington
|
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Rachel Crothers
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|
Dec 12, 1870
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Jul 5, 1958
|
Playwright
|
Born in Bloomington
|
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Joel Higgins
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|
Sep 28, 1943
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Actor (Edward W. Stratton, III on Silver Spoons)
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Born in Bloomington
|
|
Pawnee Bill
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|
Feb 14, 1860
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Feb 3, 1942
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Wild West showman
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Born in Bloomington
|
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Pokey LaFarge
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June 26, 1983
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Musician and songwriter focusing on the American roots genre
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Born in Bloomington
|
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Cleo Madison
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Mar 26, 1883
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Mar 11, 1964
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Silent-film actress and director
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Born in Bloomington
|
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Frederic Remington
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Oct 4, 1861
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Dec 26, 1909
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Artist and sculptor of the Old West
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Lived in Bloomington
|
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Paul Rhymer
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1905
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Oct 26, 1964
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Scriptwriter and humorist, creator of Vic and Sade
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Grew up in Bloomington
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McLean Stevenson
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Nov 14, 1927
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Feb 15, 1996
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Actor (Henry Blake on M*A*S*H)
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Grew up in Bloomington area
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Kathleen McClellan
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Apr 28, 1970
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Actress, Former Miss Illinois Teen USA in 1988
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Grew up in Bloomington
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Dawn Upshaw
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Jul 17, 1960
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Singer
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[citation needed]
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Name
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Image
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Birth
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Death
|
Known for
|
Association
|
Reference
|
Henry Blake
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|
|
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Character on the TV show M*A*S*H
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|
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Name
|
Image
|
Birth
|
Death
|
Known for
|
Association
|
Reference
|
Sharon K.G. Dunbar
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|
Jul 12, 1960
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US Air Force major general – graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in the 3rd class to accept females; commanded Air Force Basic Military Training; first female to command the Air Force District of Washington; highest ranking Korean-American general in the Air Force.
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Raised in Bloomington
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|
Ralph Eaton
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Aug 5, 1898
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May 1, 1986
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US Army brigadier general – graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point; WWII Chief of Staff 82nd Airborne Division, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit.
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Born in Bloomington
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James Harbord
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Mar 21, 1866
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Aug 20, 1947
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US Army general in World War I
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Born in Bloomington
|
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Marie Meyer (espionage)
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Apr 7, 1897
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Dec 1969
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US linguist who worked on Venona project
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Raised in Bloomington
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William Orme
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Feb 17, 1832
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Sep 13, 1866
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Union Army general in the Civil War
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Lived in Bloomington later half of life
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James I. Poynter
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Dec 1, 1916
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Nov 4, 1950
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US Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient for actions at The Battle of Chosin Reservoir in Korean War
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Born in Bloomington
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Sidney S. Wade
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Sep 30, 1909
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Nov 24, 2002
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US Marine Corps major general who commanded Marine Forces during 1958 Lebanon crisis
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Born in Bloomington
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Name
|
Image
|
Birth
|
Death
|
Known for
|
Association
|
Reference
|
David Davis
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Mar 9, 1815
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Jun 26, 1886
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Appointed to US Supreme Court by Abraham Lincoln
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Lived and died in Bloomington
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Joseph W. Fifer
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Oct 28, 1840
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Aug 6, 1938
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19th Governor of Illinois
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Attended Illinois Wesleyan University, served as city attorney of Bloomington
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John Marshall Hamilton
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May 28, 1847
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Sep 22, 1905
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18th Governor of Illinois
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Lived in Bloomington.
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Ward Hill Lamon
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Jan 6, 1828
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May 7, 1893
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Personal friend and bodyguard of Abraham Lincoln
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John Brown Lennon
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Oct 12, 1850
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Jan 18, 1923
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Labor union leader and American Federation of Labor treasurer
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George Lincoln Rockwell
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Mar 9, 1918
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Aug 25, 1967
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American Nazi leader
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Born in Bloomington
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Rick Scott
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Dec 1, 1952
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45th Governor of Florida; United States Senator from Florida
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Born in Bloomington
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Kelly Loeffler
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Nov 27, 1970
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United States Senator from Georgia
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Born in Bloomington
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Adlai E. Stevenson I
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Oct 23, 1835
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Jun 14, 1914
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23rd Vice President of the United States under Grover Cleveland; his wife Letitia Green was born in Bloomington
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Was raised in Bloomington and attended Illinois Wesleyan University
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Adlai E. Stevenson II
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Feb 5, 1900
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Jul 14, 1965
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31st Governor of Illinois, US presidential candidate, and US Ambassador to the United Nations
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Was raised in Bloomington and attended University High School
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Name
|
Image
|
Birth
|
Death
|
Known for
|
Association
|
Reference
|
Bill Conroy
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|
Feb 26, 1915
|
Nov 13, 1997
|
Catcher for Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox
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Born in Bloomington
|
|
Jim Cox
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|
May 28, 1950
|
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Second baseman for Montreal Expos
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Born in Bloomington
|
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Bill King
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Oct 6, 1927
|
Oct 18, 2005
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Radio sports announcer for Oakland Athletics and Oakland/LA Raiders; Baseball Hall of Fame
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Born in Bloomington
|
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Lyle Luttrell
|
|
Feb 22, 1930
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Jul 11, 1984
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Shortstop for Washington Senators
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Born in Bloomington
|
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Bernie Neis
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|
Sep 26, 1895
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Nov 29, 1972
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Outfielder for Brooklyn Robins, Boston Braves, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox
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Born in Bloomington
|
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Jack Powell
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|
Jul 9, 1874
|
Oct 17, 1944
|
Pitcher for Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos, St. Louis Browns and New York Highlanders
|
Born in Bloomington
|
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Old Hoss Radbourn
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Dec 11, 1854
|
Feb 5, 1897
|
Pitcher in Baseball Hall of Fame
|
Lived and died in Bloomington
|
|
Curt Raydon
|
|
Nov 18, 1933
|
Mar 3, 2018
|
Pitcher for Pittsburgh Pirates
|
Born in Bloomington
|
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