List of people from Champaign, Illinois

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
1
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 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 Jan 12, 1964 Jimmy John's Owner, founder, & chairman
Anthony James Leggett Mar 26, 1938 Physicist; Nobel Prize winner in Physics Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
W. Dwight Pierce Nov 16, 1881 Apr 29, 1967 Entomologist Born in 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
Stephen Wolfram Aug 29, 1959 Founder of Wolfram Research, makers of Mathematica Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Tony Khan Oct 10, 1982 Founder of All Elite Wrestling Born in Champaign

Crime

Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference
Steven Phillip Kazmierczak Aug 26, 1980 Feb 14, 2008 Perpetrator in the Northern Illinois University shooting Attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Michael H. Kenyon Convicted criminal; nicknamed the "Enema Bandit" Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Karyn Hearn Slover Sep 27, 1996 1996 murder victim

Media and arts

Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference
David Ayer Jan 18, 1968 Filmmaker Born in Champaign. [1]
Irving Azoff Dec 12, 1947 Music promotion Attended UIUC. Started Blytham Ltd with Bob Nutt [2]
Marc Beeson Dec 20, 1954 Country music singer and songwriter Born in Champaign
Ian Blurton 1965 Canadian musician and record producer Born in Champaign
Tom Bodett Feb 23, 1955 Author, voiceover actor, and spokesman Born in Champaign
Harold Bradley Jr. Oct 13, 1929 Former American football player and actor, singer, artist, TV host (WCIA Channel 3, WICD Channel 15) and painter. Lived 19 years in Champaign
Iris Chang Mar 28, 1968 Nov 9, 2004 Author (The Rape of Nanking) Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Amy Chua 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 Journalist and author of The Myth of Heterosexual AIDS Born in Champaign
Mike Connolly 1914 Nov 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
Laura Kakoma

(a.k.a. Somi)

June 6, 1981 American singer, songwriter, actor and playwright Born in Champaign [3]
Megyn Kelly Nov 18, 1970 American journalist, political commentator, and former corporate defense attorney Born in Champaign
Alison Krauss Jul 23, 1971 Bluegrass singer Grew up in Champaign
Christopher Bridges

(a.k.a. Ludacris)

Sep 11, 1977 Rapper Born in Champaign
Marcella Martin Jun 5, 1916 Oct 31, 1986 Actress Born in Champaign
Jack McDuff Sep 17, 1926 Jan 23, 2001 Jazz musician Born in Champaign
Jeff Mondak Mar 26, 1962 Children's poet and songwriter Lives in Champaign
David Foster Wallace Feb 21, 1962 Sep 12, 2008 Author of Infinite Jest Lived in Champaign
George Will May 4, 1941 Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Born in Champaign
Douglas Wilson Interior designer and television personality (Trading Spaces) Graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Louise Woodroofe Jan 28, 1892 Feb 15, 1996 Painter and University of Illinois professor Born and grew up in Champaign, attended University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign

Bands

Name Image Founded Disbanded Music Association Reference
The Beauty Shop 1999 2008 Alt-country band Formed in Champaign
Braid 1993 Rock band Formed in Champaign
Champaign 1981 R&B, soft rock group Formed in Champaign
Headlights 2004 2012 Indie rock band Formed in Champaign
Hostyle Gospel 2003 Christian hip hop Formed in Champaign
Hum 1989 Alternative rock group Formed in Champaign
Pacifica Quartet 1994 2008 Grammy-winning string quartet Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Illinois School of Music, 2003–2012
Poster Children 1987 Rock group Formed in Champaign
REO Speedwagon 1967 Rock group Formed in Champaign
Starcastle 1969 2006 Rock group Formed in Champaign

Politics

Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference
Kamala Harris Oct 20, 1964 Vice President of the United States Lived in Champaign
Mark Kirk Sep 15, 1959 United States Senator Born in Champaign
Vashti McCollum Nov 6, 1912 Aug 20, 2006 Plaintiff in the landmark 1948 Supreme Court case McCollum v. Board of Education Lived and died in Champaign
William B. McKinley Sep 5, 1856 Dec 7, 1926 United States Senator, 1912 campaign manager for President William Howard Taft Lived in Champaign, attended University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign [4]

Religion

Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference
Henry Herman Meyer Nov 21, 1874 1951 American Methodist Episcopal clergyman and editor Born in Champaign

Sports

Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference
Chantal Bailey May 28, 1965 Olympic speed skater Born in Champaign
Walter "Boom-Boom" Beck Oct 16, 1904 May 7, 1987 Pitcher for six Major League Baseball teams Lived and died in Champaign
Bonnie Blair Mar 18, 1964 Speed skater, Olympic gold medalist Grew up in Champaign
Harold Bradley Jr. Oct 13, 1929 Apr 13, 2021 Former American football player and actor, singer, artist, TV host (WCIA Channel 3, WICD Channel 15) and painter. Lived 19 years 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
Jacob Bushue May 15, 1992 Soccer player Born in Champaign [5]
Dick Butkus Dec 9, 1942 Oct 5, 2023 [6] Football linebacker for the Fighting Illini Attended UIUC
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 Jan 26, 1982 Punter for the Cleveland Browns Born in Champaign Raised in Champaign, graduate of Centennial High School
Bershawn Jackson May 8, 1983 Olympic 400M hurdler Lives in Champaign
Rhaka Khan Dec 25, 1981 Wrestler with the WWE Born in Champaign
Jonathan Kuck 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
Jeremy Leman Mar 1, 1985 Linebacker for Illinois Illini and six NFL teams Born and lives in Champaign
Mikel Leshoure 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
Big Jeff Pfeffer Mar 31, 1882 Dec 19, 1954 Pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Beaneaters/Doves and Boston Rustlers Born in Champaign
Roy Radebaugh Feb 22, 1881 Jan 17, 1945 Pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals Born in Champaign
Katherine Reutter 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 Feb 26, 2023 Pole vaulter; Olympic gold medalist
Adam Seward Jun 15, 1982 Linebacker for the Carolina Panthers Born in Champaign
Emily Stevenson Jul 26, 1925 Dec 30, 2012 Backup catcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Born in Champaign

References

  1. ^ "MEET DAVID AYER: The hard-edged director of 'Suicide Squad'". Business Insider. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  2. ^ "Irving Azoff/Bob Nutt/Blytham Ltd". stlmusicyesterdays.com. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  3. ^ Ludwig, Jamie (October 9, 2024). "Champaign-born phenom Somi brings her African immigrant heritage to her vocal jazz". Chicago Reader. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  4. ^ "Twin Cities Traction - Chapter 18". friedman.cs.illinois.edu. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  5. ^ "Jacob Bushue". Indiana Hoosiers. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  6. ^ Williams, Jacob Lev,Ashley R. (October 5, 2023). "Dick Butkus, Pro Football Hall of Famer, dies at 80". CNN. Retrieved January 30, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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