~A~

Alten, Mathias J.
Well-known local Artist - painting with oils

Anderson, Gillian
Actress; "The X-Files"; student at Fountain Elementary and Grand Rapids City High.
 

~B~

Ball, Lucy

Bean, Gwenneth
Singer with Lyric Opera of Chicago

Belnap, Captain Charles E.
Civil War Soldier and Mayor of Grand Rapids

Bentley, Ray
Former NFL linebacker for Buffalo Bills, commentator for NFL on Fox

Benson, Johnny, Jr.
Race car driver

Bissell, Anna Sutherland
Co-Founder and President of the Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company

~C~

Chaffee, Roger B.
Astronaut Killed 1967 in Apollo 1 accident.
Grand Rapids Planetarium named in his honor.

Champlin, Stephen Gardner
Civil War Brigadier General

Claytor, Helen Jackson
Teacher and first black woman president of the YWCA

Cole, Emma
Noted 19th-century Botanist and Teacher

~D~

Debarge, Robert Louis
R & B Singer for Switch and DeBarge groups

DeJong, David Cornel
Author of novels, children's books, poetry and short stories

DeJong, Meindert:
Children's author, first American to win Hans Christian Andersen Award

DeVormer, Albert E.
Major League Baseball Player

Devos, Richard
Made Forbes 400 Richest list, October, 1998. Ada, Michigan (Amway).

DeVries, Peter
Author/humorist; attended Calvin College

Diemer, Brian
Well-known Local Runner

Dix, Eulabee
Miniature Portrait Artist

Duncan, Patrick Sheane
Author/director/screenwriter; "Opus" based on Duncan's childhood experience in West Michigan.

~E~

Eldering, Dr., Grace and Kendrick, Dr., Pearl
Whooping cough vaccine founders

Essink, Ron
Tackle for the Seattle Seahawks and championship wrestler

~F~

Ferguson, James, M. D.
Obituary of famous Grand Rapids Surgeon

Ford, Gerald Rudolph -
38th President of the United States
(1913 - 2006)

Elizabeth Bloomer Ford
First Lady of the United States

Foster, Wilder DeAyr
U. S. Congressman

~G~

Gentz, Edward W.
Well-known local artist

Gibson, Kirk
Detroit Tigers Baseball Player

Gingrich, Arnold
Late founder of Esquire magazine; author of "Cast down the Laurel" based on his Grand Rapids experiences. Esquire was founded in 1933 in Chicago by legendary editor Gingrich. Originally a men's apparel trade magazine, Esquire immediately established its name as a showcase for literary writers, most notably, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Granholm, Jennifer
Governor of Michigan, 2002-

Greene, Al
Soul and gospel singer; 1966 graduate of South High School

Griffith, Roberta
Established Organizations for the Blind

~H~

Henry, Paul B.
U. S. Representative and U. S. Senator from Michigan

Hockenberry, John
Voice on National Public Radio for over 15 years; correspondent for "Day One" ABC news magazine

Hogeboom, Gary
Quarterback for Indianapolis Colts

Huizenga, Wayne
Owner of Blockbuster video and Florida Panthers Hockey team; graduate of Calvin College.

~I~

Innes, William Power
Civil War General

~J~

Jonkman, Bartel John
U. S. Congressman

~K~

Kendrick, Dr., Pearl and Eldering, Dr., Grace
Whooping cough vaccine founders

Ketcham, Emily Burton
(1838-1907)
A very involved in the Woman's Suffrage Movement.

Ketchel, Stanley (Stanislaus Kiecal):
World Middleweight Boxing Champion born in 1886 on West Side. Killed by gunshot. Funeral largest ever seen in Grand Rapids with several thousand showing up at St. Adelbert's. 
Murder of Stanley Ketchel

~L~

LaFramboise, Madeline
French-Indian Early Fur Trader

Lousma, Jack R.
NASA astronaut.

Lubbers, Arend "Don"
President of Grand Valley State University
 

Luedtke, Kurt
Screenwriter, "Out of Africa" and "Absence of Malice."

~M~

Mayweather, Jr., Floyd
Boxer; 1996 Olympics bronze medal

Meijer, Hendrick
Made Forbes Family Fortunes list, October, 1998. Founded by Dutch immigrant, Hendrik Meijer and now run by Fred Meijer.

Merizon, Armand
Prominent Grand Rapids Painter

Meyer, Greg
Runner; 1983 Boston Marathon winner

Miller, Dean
Hollywood actor

Moore, Julia A.
Michigan Poet Laureate

Mueller, Fredrick Henry
Congressman and Furniture Business Owner

~P~

Patton, John, Jr.
U. S. Senator, filling out expired term, 1894 - 1895

Perkins, Lynn Rae
Author & Illustrator of children's books - 2006 Newbery Award winner

Byron Root Pierce
General in the Civil War

Francis Junior Pierce
U. N. Navy, WWII
Medal of Honor

Pipp, Wally Clement
Professional baseball player for the Tigers, Yankees and Reds

Platte, Alfred Frederick Joseph
Detroit Tigers Baseball Player

~R~

Rourke, Constance
Author and historian

Rowe, Mrs. Helen Baker   

Roy, Luther Franklin
Major League Baseball Player 

Rozema, Dave
Former pitcher for Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers

~S~

Sawyer, Harold Samuel
Lawyer, U. S. Congressman

Schrader, Paul
Motion picture producer/director/writer; including "Hard Core" which was partially set and filmed in Grand Rapids.

Secchia, Peter F.
Ambassador to Italy, businessman.

Smith, General Israel C.
Colonel in the 10th Michigan, Civil War

Smith, William Alden
U. S. Republican Congressman

Stanley, Mitchell Jack "Mickey"
Former center fielder for Detroit Tigers.

Steigenga, Matt
Played forward for Chicago Bulls.

Glendon Swarthout
Author, who wrote "Where The Boys Are"

~T~

Trotter, Mel
Evangelist and Founder of Missions

~V~

Vader, Randy
CEO for PraiseGathering Music Group

Van Andel, Jay
Made Forbes 400 Richest list, October, 1998. Ada, Michigan (Amway)

Van Allsburg, Chris
Writer and illustrator of children's books; winner of Caldecott Medal
Van Allsburg, Christopher Quimbley

Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg
(1884-1951)
U. S. Senator from Grand Rapids, Michigan

Richard Vander Veen
Democratic U. S. Representative replacing Gerald R. Ford in the U. S. House.
26 November 1922 - 3 March 2006

Van Regenmorter, William
Michigan State Representative and Michigan State Senator

Dirk J. Vlug
Congressional Medal of Honor winner for gallantry in World War II. Single-handedly destroyed five tanks and their crews in the Philippines with a rocket launcher and a pistol.

~W~

Wege, Peter M.
Made Forbes 400 Richest list, October, 1998. Grand Rapids, Michigan (Steelcase)

Weidenaar, Reynold
Well-known Artist, Printer of Grand Rapids, Michigan

Whitten, Chris
Professional golfer

Wilcox, Franklin L.
Civil War - Congressional Medal of Honor
U. S. Congressman

Wilkins, Roger
Pulitzer Prize winner and former assistant U.S. attorney general
Graduate of Creston High School

Wilson, Elizabeth
Actress ("The Graduate") and graduate of Central High School

~Y~

York, Dick
American Actor

~Z~

Zimmer, Kim
Actress and star of "Guiding Light", CBS soap opera.