The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Decatur, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Decatur, Illinois.
Authors and academics
| Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
| Charles J. Givens |
|
Feb 5, 1941 |
Jul 12, 1998 |
Financial lecturer and author |
Born in Decatur |
|
| James W. Loewen |
|
February 6, 1942 |
|
Author, historian, and sociology professor |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Richard Peck |
 |
April 10, 1934 |
|
Children's author; 2001 Newbery Medal winner |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Marvin A. Sweeney |
|
July 4, 1953 |
|
Author, biblical scholar, and professor |
Grew up in Decatur |
|
Commerce
| Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
| James Millikin |
|
Aug 2, 1827 |
Mar 2, 1909 |
Founder of Millikin National Bank and Millikin University |
Lived in Decatur |
|
Crime
| Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
| Charles E. Boles
(a.k.a. Black Bart)
|
80px |
1829 |
1888 |
Western outlaw |
Lived in Decatur |
|
Media and arts
| Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
| Chris Berry (broadcaster) |
|
Aug 11, 1960 |
|
Broadcasting Journalist and Management |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Jenny Lou Carson |
 |
Jan 13, 1915 |
Dec 16, 1978 |
Country singer-songwriter |
Born in Decatur |
|
| June Christy |
80px |
Nov 20, 1925 |
Jun 21, 1990 |
Jazz singer |
Grew up in Decatur |
|
| Loren Coleman |
|
Jul 12, 1947 |
|
Author, cryptozoologist, radio and television personality |
Grew up in Decatur |
|
| Dale Connelly |
|
Oct 4, 1955 |
|
Host of Minnesota Public Radio's Radio Heartland |
|
[1] |
| Brian Culbertson |
80px |
Jan 12, 1973 |
|
Jazz musician |
Born in Decatur |
|
| John Doe |
 |
Feb 25, 1954 |
|
Founder of L.A. punk band X |
Born in Decatur |
|
| CeCe Frey |
|
Jun 26, 1991 |
|
Pop singer featured on season 2 of The X Factor |
From Decatur |
|
| Chad Gray |
 |
Oct 16, 1971 |
|
Singer of alternative metal band Mudvayne |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Steve Hunter |
80px |
Jun 14, 1948 |
|
Guitarist with Mitch Ryder, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, and Peter Gabriel |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Alison Krauss |
 |
Jul 23, 1971 |
|
Country/Bluegrass singer and songwriter; most-awarded singer in the history of the Grammys[2] |
Born in Decatur |
|
| RonReaco Lee |
|
Aug 27, 1977 |
|
Actor (The Good Guys; Let's Stay Together) |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Jacqueline Logan |
80px |
Nov 30, 1904 |
Apr 4, 1983 |
Silent film actor, The King of Kings, A Blind Bargain, Java Head |
Buried in Decatur (Greenwood Cemetery) |
|
| Judy Martin |
|
Jul 23, 1917 |
Nov 17, 1951 |
Country and gospel singer; wife of Red Foley |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Nan Martin |
|
Jul 15, 1927 |
Mar 4, 2010 |
Actress (Mr. Sunshine; The Thorn Birds, Santa Barbara) |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Stephen Mason |
80px |
Jul 8, 1975 |
|
Guitar player for Jars of Clay |
Grew up in Decatur |
|
| Boots Randolph |
 |
Jun 3, 1927 |
Jul 3, 2007 |
Jazz saxophonist; composer of Yakety Sax |
Played with Dink Welch's Kopy Kats in Decatur (1948 to 1954) |
|
| Emitt Rhodes |
|
Feb 25, 1950 |
|
Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and recording engineer |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Herbert Ryman |
|
June 28, 1910 |
February 10, 1989 |
Artist and Disney Imagineer |
Grew up in Decatur |
|
| Jackie Spinner |
|
|
|
Author, journalist, college professor; Fulbright Scholar |
Grew up in Decatur |
|
Bands
Military
Philanthropist
Politics
Sports
Baseball
| Name |
Image |
Birth |
Death |
Known for |
Association |
Reference |
| Walter "Boom-Boom" Beck |
80px |
Oct 16, 1904 |
May 7, 1987 |
Pitcher for six Major League Baseball teams |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Chuck Dressen |
 |
Sep 20, 1894 |
Aug 10, 1966 |
Manager and coach for six Major League Baseball teams |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Harry East |
|
1862 |
1905 |
Infielder for the Baltimore Orioles |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Jeff Innis |
|
Jul 5, 1962 |
|
Pitcher for the New York Mets |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Kevin Koslofski |
|
Sep 24, 1966 |
|
Outfielder for the Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Hobie Landrith |
80px |
Mar 16, 1930 |
|
Catcher and coach for seven Major League Baseball teams |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Fred T. Long |
|
Jan 22, 1896 |
Mar 23, 1966 |
Baseball player in the Negro Leagues; college football coach |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Bill Madlock |
|
Jan 12, 1951 |
|
Third baseman for the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers |
Grew up in Decatur |
|
| Dan Porter |
|
Oct 17, 1931 |
|
Outfielder for the Washington Senators |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Kevin Roberson |
|
Jan 29, 1968 |
|
Outfielder for the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Art Scharein |
|
Jun 30, 1905 |
Jul 2, 1969 |
Infielder for the St Louis Browns |
Born in Decatur |
|
| George Scharein |
|
Nov 21, 1914 |
Dec 23, 1981 |
Shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Jack Sheridan |
|
1862 |
Nov 2, 1914 |
Umpire (1890–1914), worked at four World Series including Cubs' victory of 1908 |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Roe Skidmore |
|
Oct 30, 1945 |
|
Pinch-hitter for the Chicago Cubs, rare MLB player with batting average of 1.000 |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Brian Snitker |
80px |
Oct 17, 1955 |
|
Manager of Atlanta Braves' Triple-A team the Gwinnett Braves |
Born in Decatur |
|
| Del Unser |
|
Dec 9, 1944 |
|
Center fielder for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Montreal Expos and Philadelphia Phillies |
Born in Decatur |
|
Basketball
Other sports
References
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