The following list includes notable people who were born, raised, or have lived in Rockford, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Rockford, Illinois.
Academics, science, and engineering
James Henry Breasted, scholar, first American teacher of Egyptology Griffith Buck, rose breeder Richard Bulliet, scholar of the Middle East Robert Clodius, educator, acting President of the University of Wisconsin–Madison James A. Davis, chair of sociology department, Harvard University, and professor, University of Chicago Arnold Krammer, historian, resided in Rockford from 1970 to 1974 while on the faculty of Rockford College; at Texas A&M University from 1974 to retirement in 2015 James Lindgren, law professor and sociologist, Northwestern University John Henry Manny, inventor, founder of Manny Reaper Works Fred Merkel, broadcast engineer for Premiere Networks and iHeartMedia Anna Peck Sill (1816-1889), educator Adaline Emerson Thompson, benefactor and educational leader Gordon Tullock, economist and one of the founders of public choice Janice E. Voss, astronaut and engineer; lived in Rockford Daniel Hale Williams, surgeon, first doctor to successfully complete open heart surgery; founder of the first integrated American hospital, Provident Hospital of Cook County
Business
Virgil Abloh (1980–2021), fashion designer and businessman Robert Greenblatt, Fox, Showtime and NBC producer and executive, and former Chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment. Albert Henry Loeb (1868–1924), attorney and business executive, Sears Pehr August Peterson (1846–1927), business executive, Sundstrand Corporation John Sall, co-founder of SAS Institute Albert Spalding (1850–1915), co-founder of Spalding; pitcher with Rockford Forest Citys; manager of Chicago White Stockings; executive of National League of Baseball Clubs; inductee in National Baseball Hall of Fame
Entertainment and media
Acting
Ginger Lynn Allen, porn actress Jodi Benson, voice actress, Ariel in The Little Mermaid Barbara Hale, actress, Perry Mason Kathryn Layng, actress, Doogie Howser, M.D. Natasha Leggero, comedian, actress Joseph Mantello, actor, director, Wicked, Take Me Out, Assassins Andra Martin, actress, Up Periscope, The Thing That Couldn't Die Marin Mazzie, Tony Award nominated actress and singer known for, Kiss Me, Kate (1999-2001), and her other work in musical theater. Aidan Quinn, actor, Desperately Seeking Susan, Elementary, Legends of the Fall Anthony Tyler Quinn, actor, Boy Meets World Betty Jane Rhodes, actress, singer, Sweater Girl, The Fleet's In Susan Saint James, actress, Kate & Allie, McMillan & Wife Linda Wallem, actress, writer, producer, Nurse Jackie Stephen Wallem, singer, actor, Nurse Jackie
Animation
Bill Kopp, animator
Cinematography
Declan Quinn, cinematographer, Leaving Las Vegas, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" Jay Bauman, founding member of Red Letter Media
Directing
Bing Liu, director, Minding the Gap
Music
Emily Bear, pianist, composer Bun E. Carlos, drummer, Cheap Trick Chuckey Charles, film composer and music producer Kurt Elling, jazz vocalist, composer, lyricist Katherine Tanner Fisk, contralto concert singer Swan Hennessy, classical composer Joie De Vivre (band), emo band Sarah Kelly, singer, songwriter Matthew McDonough, drummer for Mudvayne Lou Musa, guitarist, The Verve Pipe Ann Nesby, singer, producer, part of the urban Gospel group Sounds Of Blackness Rick Nielsen, lead guitarist for Cheap Trick Tom Petersson, bass guitarist for Cheap Trick Marty Ross, musician, songwriter and performer Jake Runestad, composer and conductor Nellie Strong Stevenson, pianist, music educator, clubwoman Shawn Wade, bass guitarist for 12 Stones Ryley Walker, guitarist Michelle Williams, singer and member of the R&B group Destiny's Child Robin Zander, vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Cheap Trick
Photography Alvin C. Jacobs Jr., documentary photographer and image activist
Special effects
Shaun Smith, visual effects
Television
Paris Bennett, contestant on Season 5 of American Idol Kelly Killoren Bensimon model, former cast member of Real Housewives of New York City Auntie Heroine, drag queen and contestant on Season 6 of The Boulet Brothers' Dragula Heather Nauert, television journalist; born in Rockford
Writing
Robert Lee Maupin Beck, writer, producer, Pimp: The Story of My Life Stewart Brand, writer, editor, publisher and environmentalist: The Whole Earth Catalog, The WELL, Long Now Foundation, and, Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto. Thomas Fleming, writer, editor, Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture John Ortberg, author, pastor Will Pfeifer, comic book writer Shawn Ryan, television producer, screenwriter (The Shield) Barbara Santucci, artist, poet, author Erica Spindler, author Leopold Tyrmand, novelist, editor, dissident; originally from Poland Kimberla Lawson Roby, New York Times bestselling author Cora Stuart Wheeler (1852–1897), poet, author
Politics and law
John B. Anderson, US Representative, US presidential candidate John Baumgarten, Illinois House of Representatives Debra Bowen, Secretary of State of California, 2007–2015 William Brown, Illinois House of Representatives John T. Buckbee, US Representative Robert R. Canfield, Illinois state legislator and lawyer James E. Cartwright, US Marine Corps general; Vice Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Ho Chung, Patent attorney Mary Lou Cowlishaw, Illinois House of Representatives Barbara Giolitto, Illinois House of Representatives Edolo J. Giorgi, Illinois House of Representatives Rodney Grams, Republican United States Senator, news anchor, WIFR 23 Rockford Elizabeth Hanson, CIA officer Joyce Holmberg, educator and Illinois state senator Alta M. Hulett, attorney, first woman admitted to the state of Illinois Bar Betty Ann Keegan, Illinois State Senator Julia Lathrop, social and political activist, subject of biography My Friend, Julia Lathrop (1935) by Jane AddamsLundin, Jon W. "Rockford An Illustrated History", Windsor Publications 1989 p. 84 Emma Octavia Lundberg, Swedish-American child welfare advocate. Donald A. Manzullo, United States Representative Lynn Morley Martin, United States Representative, United States Secretary of Labor Stanley Mosk, Justice, Supreme Court of California David Campbell Mulford, United States Ambassador to India; Vice-Chairman International, Credit Suisse Paula J. Raschke-Lind, Illinois state politician Bertil T. Rosander, Illinois state legislator and businessman Benjamin R. Sheldon, Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court Eric Sorensen, meteorologist and politician Steve Stadelman, Illinois state senator Fred E. Sterling, Illinois politician Thomas E. Ticen, Minnesota state legislator and lawyer
Sports
Baseball
Ross Barnes (1850–1915), second baseman, shortstop, Boston Red Stockings Aldine Calacurcio, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player, Rockford Peaches, born in Rockford Hal Carlson, pitcher for Chicago Cubs Jean Cione, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player, Rockford Peaches, born in Rockford Orville Jorgens, pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies Margaret Jurgensmeier, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player, Rockford Peaches, born in Rockford Gene Lamont, catcher, coach, manager, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox Berith Melin, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player, Rockford Peaches, born in Rockford Rodney Myers, pitcher, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers Hattie Peterson, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player, Rockford Peaches, born in Winnebago, Illinois Ken Rudolph, catcher, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles Jake Smolinski, outfielder, Texas Rangers; born in Rockford Harry Sullivan, pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals Ed Swartwood, player, umpire, Pittsburgh Pirates Charles Swindells, catcher, St. Louis Cardinals Daniel E. Tipple, pitcher, New York Yankees; born in Rockford
Basketball
Lorenzo Brown (born 1990), basketball player Bill Erickson, player for Illinois in 1949 Final Four John E. Erickson, coach, University of Wisconsin, and GM of Milwaukee Bucks Ernie Kent, coach, Washington State University and University of Oregon JP Tokoto (born 1993), basketball player Fred VanVleet, basketball player
Billiards
Dallas West, pool player; inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame (1996)
Boxing
Kenneth Gould, boxer, 1988 United States Olympics welterweight bronze medalist Sammy Mandell, boxer, World Boxing Association lightweight champion
Diving
Ronald Merriott, Olympic diver; 1984 bronze medalist
Football
John Blake, nose guard, coach, University of Oklahoma, Dallas Cowboys Merwin Hodel, fullback, New York Giants Jerry Latin, halfback, St Louis Cardinals Dean Lowry, American football player Ira Matthews, halfback, Oakland Raiders Walt McGaw, guard, Green Bay Packers Carlos Polk, linebacker, Dallas Cowboys Ken Roskie, fullback, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions Brock Spack, head coach, Illinois State University Jerry Stalcup, linebacker, Los Angeles Rams Vederian Lowe, American football player James Robinson, American football player
Golf Dave Barclay, golfer, 1947 national collegiate champion Jeff Mitchell, pro golfer
Ice skating
Alexe Gilles, champion figure skater Janet Lynn Nowicki, ice skater, 5-time national champion, 1972 Olympic bronze medalist Piper Gilles, Olympic figure skater
Mixed martial arts Corey Anderson, mixed martial artist Daniel Roberts, mixed martial artist
Motor racing
Chad Knaus, crew chief, Jimmie Johnson, seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion
Mountaineering
Ed Viesturs, high-altitude mountaineer
Soccer
Steve Cherundolo, defender who represented the United States national team and coach Peri Marosevic, forward for the Toronto FC Bryan Namoff, defender and midfielder for D.C. United Brad Ring, midfielder for the San Jose Earthquakes (2008-2013), midfielder for the Indy Eleven (2013-2018) R. T. Moore, defender for the Tampa Bay Mutiny (1998-1999) Tim Trilk, soccer goalkeeper
Wrestling
Stephanie Bellars, wrestling manager; married to Paul Caiafa of the Misfits
References