The following is a list of notable residents, natives, and persons generally associated with the city of Chester, Pennsylvania, the first city in Pennsylvania.
A Al Alberts, lead singer of The Four Aces Samuel Anderson, U.S. congressman for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district William Anderson, major in the Continental Army and U.S. congressman Henry Graham Ashmead, journalist and historian of Delaware County, Pennsylvania
AverySunshine, soul singer
B J. Pius Barbour, executive director of the National Baptist Association, mentor to then-college student Martin Luther King Jr.
Thomas N. Barnes, first African-American chief master sergeant of the Air Force Joseph F. Battle Jr., 25th mayor of Chester, judge on Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Emerson Baynard, professional basketball player Ruth L. Bennett, social worker, first president of the Chester branch of the NAACP William H. Berry, 10th mayor of Chester and Treasurer of Pennsylvania The Beat Bully (Anthony Tucker), record producer and songwriter Jahlil Beats, music producer Marcus Belgrave, jazz trumpeter Crosby M. Black, Pennsylvania state representative for Delaware County, 7th mayor of Chester Ed Blizzard, prominent pharmaceutical injury attorney Louis A. Bloom, Pennsylvania state representative for Delaware County (1947–1952), judge on Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for Delaware County Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard, 27th mayor of Chester Stanley Branche, civil rights leader, founder of the Committee for Freedom Now Ethel H. Brewster, Swarthmore College professor and philologist Fran Brill, voice actress and Muppeteer Anna Broomall, obstetrician, surgeon and educator Wendell Butler Jr., mayor of Chester
C George Campbell, soccer player Lamar Campbell, former NFL defensive back Ted Cather, professional baseball player Dorothy Chacko, social worker, medical doctor, Padma Shri award recipient E. Wallace Chadwick, U.S. congressman Robert Chadwick, Pennsylvania state representative for Delaware County Joe Chambers, jazz drummer Tom Chism, Major League Baseball player Thomas Clyde, founder of the Clyde Line of steamers
George Clymer, Founding Father of the United States, signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, lived in Chester with his family during the British Army assault on Philadelphia Joseph R. T. Coates, 5th mayor of Chester and officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War Audrey B. Collins, United States district judge Lawrence A. Conner, Sr., Pennsylvania state representative for Delaware County (1953–1954) Bill Cottrell, professional football player Ted Cottrell, NFL player and coach Walter H. Craig, Pennsylvania state representative for Delaware County (1923–1925), Chester City Council member (1925–1937) John Price Crozer, textile manufacturer and philanthropist Helen Curry (1896–1931), stage actress
D Clamma Dale, opera singer Edward Darlington, U.S. congressman Ben Davis, Major League Baseball player, Philadelphia Phillies sports announcer Dux and Julie DeJohn, professional singers
Alfred O. Deshong, industrialist, philanthropist, and art collector John O. Deshong, businessman and banker Peter Deshong, businessman and banker Elaine Diacumakos, cell biologist and head of the cytobiology laboratory at Rockefeller University Franklin Archibald Dick, Missouri provost marshal general Fred Diodati, lead singer of The Four Aces Fred Draper, film and television actor Kathrynann Durham, Pennsylvania state representative for 160th district (1979–1996), judge on Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for Delaware County Jill Duson, lawyer, lobbyist and politician in Maine
E Samuel Edwards, U.S. congressman Carolyn J. Elmore, Maryland state representative Frederick K. Engle, rear admiral of the United States Navy Theodore Enslin, poet David Reese Esrey, businessman and banker
Tyreke Evans, professional basketball player
F Bill Fleischman (1939–2019), sports journalist and professor; Lenora Fulani, psychologist, psychotherapist and political activist
G J. R. Gach, talk radio host Margaret H. George, Pennsylvania state representative Fredia Gibbs, martial artist, kickboxer, boxer James Henry Gorbey, United States federal judge and 25th mayor of Chester Steve Gordon, screenwriter and film director Darrin Govens, professional basketball player Bud Grace, cartoonist Ralph Greenberg, mathematician John E. Gremminger, Pennsylvania state representative Frank Hastings Griffin, invented rayon manufacturing process
H John K. Hagerty, Pennsylvania state representative for Delaware County (1921–1922), Chester City Council member (1907–1918)
Bill Haley, rock-and-roll musician Robert Harland, actor Hubert R. Harmon, first superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy Herman Harris, professional basketball player Evalena Fryer Hedley, journalist, editor, and author Ron Henry, professional baseball player John B. Hinkson, lawyer, businessman, 6th mayor of Chester Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, professional basketball player Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Toronto Raptors forward John Martin Howard, U.S. Navy officer, namesake of mine disposal vessel USS John M. Howard Will Hunter, Minnesota Vikings safety and Syracuse University standout
J E. W. Jackson, Virginia politician and Christian minister Amaire Johnson, record producer and songwriter Walter Johnson, electrical engineer Derrick Jones Jr., Dallas Mavericks forward Edmund Jones, Pennsylvania state representative Kevin Jones, Detroit Lions Chicago Bears running back and former Virginia Tech football standout
K Carol Kazeem, Pennsylvania state representative John Ernst Worrell Keely, con man, inventor of the Keely Motor Muhammad Kenyatta, civil rights leader Lisa Kereszi, photographer Brian Joseph Kirkland, Pennsylvania state representative Thaddeus Kirkland, Pennsylvania state representative, 32nd mayor of Chester Wilbur Kirkland, professional basketball player Joe Klecko, lineman with New York Jets and Temple University; father of Dan Klecko of New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles
Mignonette Kokin, vaudeville dancer, comedian Lew Krausse Jr., professional baseball player Bob Kuberski, football player for Green Bay Packers
L Bob Lamey, radio announcer, play-by-play announcer for the Indianapolis Colts John Larkin, Jr., businessman, banker and first mayor of Chester Willie Mae James Leake, first African-American and female mayor of Chester John Linder, 31st mayor of Chester John Linehan, assistant basketball coach for the Saint Joseph's Hawks David Lloyd, attorney general of Pennsylvania, six-term speaker of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Harry Lyons (1866-1912), professional baseball player
M
John J. McClure, Pennsylvania state senator and leader of Delaware County Republican political machine Lee McLaughlin, film and television actor Kevin Michael, soul singer Nicholas K. Miller, middle guard, and defensive MVP for Ohio State Buckeyes John Mobley, Denver Broncos linebacker and former Kutztown University of Pennsylvania football standout Sylvanus Morley, archaeologist and Mayanist scholar Charles Morris, journalist and author John Morton, Founding Father of the United States, cast a key vote on the Declaration of Independence, buried in ChesterMorton was born in nearby Ridley Township and is buried in Chester. Danny Murtaugh, manager of Pittsburgh Pirates who guided team to World Series titles in 1960 and 1971
N John H. Nacrelli, 24th mayor of Chester, convicted of racketeering and bribery Jameer Nelson, professional basketball player Alex North, composer, 15-time Academy Award nominee Edward Nothnagle, Pennsylvania state representative for Delaware County (1926–1936), Chester City Council member
O Curly Ogden, professional baseball player Jack Ogden, professional baseball player Donnie Owens, singer, guitarist, producer and composer
P John M. Paxton, Jr., United States Marine Corps general officer Dominic Pileggi, Pennsylvania state senator Johnny Podgajny, professional baseball player Rudy Pompilli, saxophonist with Bill Haley and the Comets
David Dixon Porter, leading officer and reformer in the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War William D. Porter, flag officer in the U.S. Navy William G. Price Jr., commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Infantry Division Joe Pyne, radio and TV talk show host Caleb Pusey, early settler of Chester, friend and business partner of William Penn
R William T. Ramsey, Pennsylvania state representative and 16th mayor of Chester George Raymond, president of NAACP Chester branch 1942–1977 Ronald C. Raymond, Pennsylvania state representative Bertice Reading, actress, singer, revue artiste James W. Reese, U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipient in World War II John Roach, industrialist and shipbuilder V. Gilpin Robinson, Pennsylvania state representative Stefan Roots, mayor of Chester Bo Ryan, former head coach of Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team, coached UW-Platteville to four NCAA Division III national championships Matthew Ryan, singer-songwriter
S
William I. Schaffer, Pennsylvania attorney general Josiah Sleeper, founder of Sleeper's College Jerome Smith, professional football player James Ross Snowden (1809–1878), 67th speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, director of the U.S. Mint Dawn Sowell, professional track and field athlete William Cameron Sproul, 27th governor of Pennsylvania Brent Staples, editorial writer for the New York Times Joey Stefano, pornographic actor
T Robin Toner, national political correspondent for the New York Times David Trainer, textile manufacturer and banker Ellwood J. Turner, Pennsylvania state representative for Delaware County (1925–1948), 119th speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1939–1941)
W Horace Walker, professional basketball player Young Singleton Walter, Pennsylvania state representative and owner of the Delaware County Republican newspaper William Ward, U.S. congressman William Ward Jr., Pennsylvania State Representative and two-term mayor of Chester
Ethel Waters, Grammy-winning blues recording artist, Broadway performer, Academy Award nominee for Pinky (1949) George Watkins, U.S. congressman Brandi Wells, singer-songwriter Eleanor D. Wilson, Tony-nominated actress and artist Stephen M. Wolownik, Russian and Eastern European musician Jonathan Edwards Woodbridge, shipbuilder and naval architect Thomas Worrilow, Pennsylvania state representative Robert C. Wright, Pennsylvania state representative
References