The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Champaign, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Champaign, Illinois.
Business, science, and engineering
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Max Abramovitz |
|
May 23, 1908 |
Sep 12, 2004 |
Architect |
Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
|
Scott Anderson |
|
Jun 26, 1913 |
Oct 1, 2006 |
Physicist |
President of the Rotary Club of Champaign (1963 to 1964); founder of the Urban League of Champaign County |
|
Marc Andreessen |
|
Jul 9, 1971 |
|
Co-author of Mosaic and founder of Netscape |
Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
|
John Bardeen |
|
May 23, 1908 |
Jan 30, 1991 |
Electrical engineer and physicist; two time Nobel Prize winner in Physics |
Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
|
Steve Chen |
80px |
Aug 18, 1978 |
|
Co-founder of YouTube |
Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
|
Jawed Karim |
|
Jan 1, 1979 |
|
Co-founder of YouTube |
Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
|
Jimmy John Liautaud |
|
|
|
Founder of Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches |
|
|
Anthony James Leggett |
|
2005 |
2005 |
Physicist; Nobel Prize winner in Physics |
Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
|
Jerry Sanders |
|
Sep 12, 1936 |
|
Founder and CEO of Advanced Micro Devices |
Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
|
Lewis Hastings Sarett |
|
Dec 22, 1917 |
Nov 29, 1999 |
Inventor of synthetic cortisone |
Born in Champaign |
|
James Tobin |
|
Mar 5, 1918 |
Mar 11, 2002 |
Laureate of the Nobel prize in economics (1981) |
Born in Champaign |
|
David Foster Wallace |
|
Feb 21, 1962 |
Sep 12, 2008 |
Author of Infinite Jest |
Lived in Champaign |
|
Stephen Wolfram |
|
Aug 29, 1959 |
|
Founder of Wolfram Research, makers of Mathematica |
Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
|
Crime
Media and arts
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Marc Beeson |
|
Dec 20, 1954 |
|
Country music singer and songwriter |
Born in Champaign |
|
Tom Bodett |
|
Feb 23, 1955 |
|
Author, voiceover actor, and spokesman |
Born in Champaign |
|
Iris Chang |
|
Mar 28, 1968 |
|
Author (The Rape of Nanking) |
Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
|
Amy Chua |
80px |
Oct 26, 1962 |
|
Author (Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother) |
Born in Champaign |
|
Jeremih Felton |
|
Jul 17, 1987 |
|
R&B singer |
Attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
|
Hart D. Fisher |
|
|
|
Comic book creator and publisher |
Born in Champaign |
|
Michael Fumento |
|
|
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Journalist and author of The Myth of Heterosexual AIDS |
Born in Champaign |
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Trevor Martin |
|
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Famous YouTuber and Media Personality, Co-author of "Call of Duty: Ghosts" Signature Series Strategy Guide |
YouTube Channels "TmaTn" & "TmaTn2" |
Born in Champaign |
|
Mike Connolly |
|
1914 |
November 19, 1966 |
Magazine reporter and Hollywood gossip columnist for The Hollywood Reporter |
Attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was the city editor of the Daily Illini, the independent student-run newspaper, known for his 1937–38 crusade against prostitution in Champaign |
|
Bill Geist |
|
May 10, 1945 |
|
CBS News correspondent and author |
Born in Champaign |
|
Nathan Gunn |
|
Nov 26, 1970 |
|
Operatic baritone; one of People magazine's 2008 Sexiest Men Alive |
Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
|
Steven Hager |
|
May 25, 1951 |
|
Magazine editor |
Born in Champaign |
|
Bruce Hall |
|
Mar 5, 1953 |
|
Bass guitar player (REO Speedwagon) |
Born in Champaign |
|
Stuart Hamm |
|
Feb 8, 1960 |
|
Bass guitar player |
Grew up in Champaign |
|
Alison Krauss |
|
Jul 23, 1971 |
|
Bluegrass singer |
Born in Champaign |
|
Christopher Bridges
(a.k.a. Ludacris)
|
|
Sep 11, 1977 |
|
Rapper |
Born in Champaign |
|
Jeff Mondak |
|
Mar 26, 1962 |
|
Children's poet and songwriter |
Lives in Champaign |
|
George Will |
|
May 4, 1941 |
|
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author |
Born in Champaign |
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Douglas Wilson |
|
|
|
Interior designer and television personality (Trading Spaces) |
Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
|
Bands
Politics
Sports
Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
Chantal Bailey |
|
May 28, 1965 |
|
Olympic speed skater |
Born in Champaign |
|
Walter "Boom-Boom" Beck |
80px |
Oct 16, 1904 |
May 7, 1987 |
Pitcher for six Major League Baseball teams |
Lived and died in Champaign |
|
Bonnie Blair |
80px |
Mar 18, 1964 |
|
Speed skater, Olympic gold medalist |
Grew up in Champaign |
|
Fred Brainard |
|
Feb 17, 1892 |
Apr 17, 1959 |
Infielder for the New York Giants |
Born in Champaign |
|
Don Branson |
|
Jun 2, 1920 |
Nov 12, 1966 |
Indy-car driver |
|
[citation needed] |
Marianne Dickerson |
|
Nov 14, 1960 |
|
Long-distance runner; silver medalist at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics |
|
[citation needed] |
Steve Dunn |
|
Apr 18, 1970 |
|
First baseman for the Minnesota Twins |
Born in Champaign |
|
Matt Herges |
|
Apr 1, 1970 |
|
Pitcher for eight Major League Baseball teams |
Born in Champaign |
|
Reggie Hodges |
80px |
Jan 26, 1982 |
|
Punter for the Cleveland Browns |
Born in Champaign |
|
Bershawn Jackson |
80px |
May 8, 1983 |
|
Olympic 400M hurdler |
Lives in Champaign |
|
Rhaka Khan |
|
Dec 25, 1981 |
|
Wrestler with the WWE |
Born in Champaign |
|
Jonathan Kuck |
80px |
Mar 14, 1990 |
|
Speed skater and silver medalist in the 2010 Winter Olympics |
Attending University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
|
Don Laz |
|
May 17, 1929 |
Feb 21, 1996 |
Pole vaulter; Olympic silver medalist |
|
[citation needed] |
Jeremy Leman |
|
Mar 1, 1985 |
|
Linebacker for Illinois Illini and six NFL teams |
Born and lives in Champaign |
|
Mikel Leshoure |
80px |
Mar 30, 1990 |
|
Running back for the Detroit Lions |
Graduated from Centennial High School in Champaign |
|
Troy Mattes |
|
Aug 26, 1975 |
|
Pitcher for the Montreal Expos |
Born in Champaign |
|
Tyler McGill |
|
Aug 18, 1987 |
|
Swimmer, US Olympic team 2012 |
Born in Champaign |
|
Rashard Mendenhall |
|
Jun 19, 1987 |
|
Illini and NFL running back |
Played football for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
|
Big Jeff Pfeffer |
80px |
Mar 31, 1882 |
Dec 19, 1954 |
Pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Beaneaters/Doves and Boston Rustlers |
Born in Champaign |
|
Roy Radebaugh |
80px |
Feb 22, 1881 |
Jan 17, 1945 |
Pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals |
Born in Champaign |
|
Katherine Reutter |
80px |
Jul 30, 1988 |
|
Short track speed skater, Olympic silver medalist |
Born in Champaign |
|
Rayvonte Rice |
|
Jul 14, 1992 |
|
Starting guard for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team |
Born in Champaign |
|
Bob Richards |
|
Feb 20, 1926 |
|
Pole vaulter; Olympic gold medalist |
|
[citation needed] |
Adam Seward |
|
Jun 15, 1982 |
|
Linebacker for the Carolina Panthers |
Born in Champaign |
|
Emily Stevenson |
|
Jul 26, 1925 |
|
Backup catcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League |
Born in Champaign |
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References
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People |
- List of people from Champaign
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History and government |
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Education |
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Cultural places and events |
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Public transportation |
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Interstates and highways |
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