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The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Elgin, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Elgin, Illinois.
Authors and academics
- E.C. "Mike" Alft, historian, author, and former mayor of Elgin
- Nina Burleigh, journalist and author
- Paul Flory, chemist; Nobel Prize winner (1974)
- Lloyd Hall, chemist
- Donella Meadows, environmentalist
- Jessica Mink, astronomer; co-discover of the rings around the planet Uranus
- John Platt, computer scientist
- Tom Shales, journalist; Pulitzer Prize winner (1988)
- Carleton Washburne, educator; author
- Dwight Smith Young, physicist with the Manhattan Project
Business and invention
- Max Adler, vice-president of Sears & Roebuck; benefactor of Adler Planetarium
- Lawrence B. Hamlin, Hamlin's Wizard Oil purveyor
- Lysander Hamlin, co-originator with John Austen Hamlin of Hamlin's Wizard Oil
- Earl "Madman" Muntz, marketer, car stereo and 4-track cartridge pioneer
- James Roche, chairman of General Motors
- James P. Liautaud, industrialist, inventor and business theorist
Media and arts
- Dan Andriano, musician
- BarlowGirl, Christian rock band
- Joe Becker, musician
- Bruce Boxleitner, actor
- Josh Caterer, songwriter, musician, singer
- Daniel de Marbelle, songwriter who wrote When They Ring Those Golden Bells
- Citizen Way, Christian rock band
- Jim Gaffigan, comedian, actor, and author
- Mitzi Gaynor, actress and entertainer, lived in Elgin
- George Hamlin, opera singer and son of John Austin Hamlin
- John Austin Hamlin, magician
- Matt Hoffman, contestant on Big Brother 12
- Charles Ingalls, father of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie); spent part of his childhood in the nearby Campton Township
- Laurence Kaptain, recording artist; Dean at the College of Music and Dramatic Arts, Louisiana State University
- William LeBaron, playwright and movie producer
- Kevin Martin, musician
- Norman Mayell, musician (Sopwith Camel, Blue Cheer, Norman Greenbaum)
- Paleo, born David Strackany, folk singer-songwriter
- Jane Peterson, painter and artist
- John Qualen, actor
- Courtney Reed, stage actress, original Princess Jasmine in Aladdin on Broadway
- Marie Sidenius Zendt, singer
Military
- Harry Chamberlin, U.S. Army brigadier general and Olympic medalist in equestrian events
Politics and law
- Ray Barnhart, Texas State Representative
- Robert L. Bergman (1948-2013), Illinois State Representative
- DeGoy B. Ellis (1876-1949), Illinois state representative and lawyer
- Thomas W. Ferry (1843-1845) Acting Vice President, US Senator
- Peter Fitzgerald, US senator (R-IL)
- Barbara Giolitto, Illinois State Representative
- Adam Neylon, Wisconsin legislator
- Jeanette Ward, member of the Wyoming House of Representatives. She lived in Elgin until moving to Casper, Wyoming in 2021.
Sports
- Charlene Barnett (1928-1979), baseball player
- Ko Chandetka (born 1971), bodybuilder
- Earl Britton (1903-1973), football player
- Bethany Goldsmith (1927-2004), baseball player
- Harry Hanson (1896-1966), baseball player
- Hunkey Hines (1867-1928), baseball player
- Tony Kaufmann (1900-1982), baseball player
- Scott Kellar (born 1963), football player
- Ed McDonough (1886-1926), baseball player
- Lou North (1891-1974), baseball player
- Brian Oldfield (born 1945), Olympic shot putter
- David Otunga (born 1980) wrestler
- Erwin Renfer (1891-1957), baseball player
- Flynn Robinson (born 1941), basketball player
- Rick Short (born 1972), baseball player
- Roger Smithberg (born 1966), baseball player
- Ray Whipple (1893-1973), football player
References
- Althea Legaspi (March 1, 2010). "Alkaline Trio gets back to its roots in Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
Singer-guitarist Matt Skiba and singer-bassist Dan Andriano took turns on mic ...
- White, James Terry (ed.) (1924). "Hamlin, George John". The National Cyclopædia of American Biography, Vol. 19, pp. 59–60. James T. White and Company
- Norman Mayell Autobiography; sopwithcamel.com. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
- Historical and Pictorial Review, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Cavalry Division. Baton Rouge, LA: The Army and Navy Publishing Company. 1941. p. 27 – via FamilySearch.
- 'Illinois Blue Book 1977=1998.' Biographical Sketch of Robert L. Bergman, pg. 96
- 'Illinois Blue Book 1919-1920,' Biographical Sketch of DeGoy B. Ellis, pg. 198-199
- 'Illinois Blue Book 1993-1994,' Biographical Sketch of Barbara Giolitto, pg. 99
- 'Wisconsin Blue Book 2013-2014,' Biographical Sketch of Adam Neylon, pg. 85
- LaChance, Brendan (2022-07-01). "Candidate Questionnaire: Jeanette Ward for House District 57". Oil City News. Retrieved 2023-01-18.