b 1901, St. Petersburg, Russia; d May 15, 1973, Washington, DC.
Chemist; member of Manhattan Project; leader in international movement for nuclear arms control.
Raby, Al(bert) A.
b Feb. 19, 1933, Chicago; d Nov. 23, 1988, Chicago.
Civil rights activist; aide to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; campaign manager for Harold Washington mayoral run.
Race, Charles T.
b Nov. 1810, Greene, NY; d Apr. 20, 1888, Chicago.
Farmer; real-estate developer; organized Irving Park Land Co.
Raday, Harry
b Nov. 10, 1927, Chicago; d Oct. 1989.
General contractor; mayor of Midlothian (1961–1985).
Rader, Paul
b Aug. 24, 1879, Denver, CO; d June 19, 1938, Hollywood, CA.
Evangelist; pastor at Moody Church; founded Chicago Gospel Tabernacle; early radio evangelist.
Ragen, Frank M.
b Mar. 23, 1871, Chicago; d July 1, 1945, Chicago.
County commissioner; Democratic ward committeeman; founded Ragen's Colts, an athletic club active in 1919 riot.
Rainey, Ma [Gertrude Pridgett]
b Apr. 26, 1886, Columbus, GA; d Dec. 22, 1939, Columbus, GA.
Blues singer; songwriter; known as “Mother of the Blues”; recorded for Paramount Records in Chicago (1920s).
Raisa, Rosa [Raisa Burchstein]
b May 30, 1893, Bialystok, Poland; d Sept. 28, 1963, Pacific Palisades, CA.
Soprano; voice teacher; joined Chicago Opera Company.
Rakove, Milton Leon
b Oct. 30, 1918, Buhl, MN; d Nov. 5, 1983, Chicago.
Political scientist; professor at Univ. of Illinois of Chicago; author of Don't Make No Waves, Don't Back No Losers; expert on Richard M. Daley's city politics.
Ramanujan, A. K.
b Mar. 16, 1929, Mysore, India; d July 13, 1993, Chicago.
Poet; writer; Univ. of Chicago professor specializing in Indian literature.
Ramberg, Christina
b Aug. 21, 1946, Fort Campbell, KY; d Dec. 10, 1995, Naperville, IL.
Artist; professor at the School of the Art Institute; associated with Imagist movement.
Rand, Sally [Helen Gould Beck]
b Jan. 2, 1904, Elkton, MO; d Aug. 31, 1979, Glendora, CA.
Fan dancer; sensation at Century of Progress World's Fair.
Rand, Socrates
b ca. 1804, Franklin County, MA; d ca. 1890, Des Plaines, IL.
Early farmer; justice of the peace in Des Plaines.
Rand, William H.
b May 2, 1828, Quincy, MA; d June 20, 1915, New Canaan, CT.
Publisher; cofounded Rand, McNally & Co. in 1856.
Randall, Dudley
b Feb. 17, 1832, Stonington, CT.
Editor; worked for Aurora Beacon and various other Illinois newspapers.
Randolph, A. Philip
b Apr. 15, 1889, Crescent City, FL; d May 16, 1979, Manhattan, NY.
Founded Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; editor of the Messenger (NY).
Randolph, Paul Johnston
b Sept. 5, 1905, Beason, IL; d Nov. 19 or 20, 1990, on a cruise ship in Florida.
State representative; influential in creating Chicago's Transportation Authority.
Ransom, Anning S.
b 1795, NY; d 1883, Wheaton, IL.
Early farmer in Carol Stream area (1830s); soldier in War of 1812.
Ransom, Reverdy Cassius
b Jan. 4, 1861, Flushing, OH; d Apr. 22, 1959, Wilberforce, OH.
Bishop; civil rights leader; organized African Methodist Episcopal Institutional Church and Social Settlement.
Ransom, Will
b 1878, Saint Louis, MI; d May 24, 1955, Norman, OK.
Typographer; book artist; writer on the printing arts.
Rascher, Charles
b ca. 1844, Germany; d Nov. 8, 1900, Chicago.
Surveyor; mapmaker and map publisher, 1880–1892.
Rascoe, Burton
b Oct. 22, 1892, Fulton, KY; d Mar. 19, 1957, New York, NY.
Writer; editor; drama critic; worked for Chicago Tribune (1912–1920).
Rauch, John H.
b Sept. 4, 1828, Lebanon, PA; d Mar. 24, 1894, Lebanon, PA.
Physician; president of Illinois State Board of Health; park district advocate.
Rauhoff, John M.
b May 15, 1868, Russellville, AL; d Oct. 18, 1927, Tinley Park, IL.
Engineer; created “Ironite,” an additive for water- proofing cement used in the Hoover Dam.
Raupp, Melchior
b Mar. 11, 1814, Baden, Bavaria, Germany; d Jan. 8, 1891, Buffalo Grove, IL.
Moved to Buffalo Grove around 1840s.
Raycroft, Joseph Edward
b Nov. 15, 1867, Williamstown, VT; d Sept. 30, 1955, Trenton, NJ.
College basketball coach; coached Univ. of Chicago to four straight Big Ten championships.
Raymond, Benjamin Wright
b June 15, 1801, Rome, NY; d Apr. 6, 1883, Chicago.
Merchant; watch manufacturer in Elgin; mayor of Chicago (1839–40; 1842–43).
Read, Opie
b Dec. 22, 1852, Nashville, TN; d Nov. 2, 1939, Chicago.
Novelist; newspaper journalist; member of the Chicago Press Club.
Rebori, Andrew Nicholas
b Feb. 21, 1886, New York, NY; d May 31, 1966, Chicago.
Chicago architect; designed Madonna della Strada Chapel (1938–1939).
Redenbacher, Orville Clarence
b July 16, 1907, Brazil, IN; d Sept. 19, 1995, Coronado, CA.
Food manufacturer; introduced gourmet popcorn.
Redmond, James F.
b Sept. 13, 1915, Kansas City, MO; d Mar. 21, 1993, La Grange, IL.
Superintendent of Chicago Public Schools (1966–1975).
Reed, Charles
b Apr. 16, 1784, VA; d Aug. 26, 1863, Rockton, IL.
Founded Joliet.
Reed, Guy Euclid
b July 11, 1890, Holdrege, NE; d Jan. 2, 1959, Northbrook, IL.
Banker; president of Chicago Crime Commission; president of village of Long Grove.
Reed, Mathis James “Jimmy”
b Sept. 6, 1925, Dunleith, MS; d Aug. 29, 1976.
Blues musician; singer; songwriter; recorded for Vee-Jay Records.
Reeder, John
active 1840s.
Arrived in area known as Reeder Station (later Schererville, IN) around 1840.
Rees, James H.
b Apr. 24, 1813, PA; d Sept. 21, 1880, Chicago.
Built hotel in 1854 in Lake View (Lakeview House).
Reese, Michael
b Aug. 15, 1817, Hainsfurth, Bavaria, Germany; d Aug. 1, 1878, Wallenstein, Bavaria, Germany.
Financier; his heirs donated part of his fortune to build Michael Reese Hospital.
Regensteiner, Theodore
b May 17, 1868, Munich, Germany; d July 15, 1952, Chicago.
Founder and president of Regensteiner Corp.; pioneer in field of color printing.
Regnery, Henry
b Jan. 5, 1912, Hinsdale, IL; d June 18, 1996, Chicago.
Publisher; established trade publishing firm in Chicago; nurtured conservative authors.
Reich, John
b Sept. 30, 1906, Vienna, Austria; d Feb. 9, 1988.
Theater producer and director; led the Goodman Theatre (1957–1972).
Reinecke, Jean Otis
b July 9, 1909, Ft. Scott, KS; d Dec. 18, 1987.
Industrial designer; designed 1947 Toastmaster; established Barnes & Reinecke.
Reiner, Fritz
b Dec. 19, 1888, Budapest, Hungary; d Nov. 15, 1963, New York, NY.
Conductor; music director of Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1953–1962); conductor of several orchestras in the Eastern United States.
Reitman, Benjamin L.
b Jan. 1, 1879, St. Paul, MN; d Nov. 16, 1942, Chicago.
Physician; activist on behalf of hobo community; founded Hobo College.
Reitzel, Robert
b Jan. 27, 1849, Weitenau amt Schopfheim, Baden Germany; d Mar. 31, 1898, Detroit, MI.
German American poet; publisher; founded anarchist newspaper Der Arme Teufel; defended and eulogized Haymarket anarchists.
Revell, Fleming Hewitt
b Dec. 11, 1849, Chicago; d Oct. 11, 1931, Yonkers, NY.
Publisher of religious books; founded Fleming H. Revell Co.
Rexroth, Kenneth
b Dec. 22, 1905, South Bend, IN; d June 6, 1982, Santa Barbara, CA.
Poet; critic; translator; active in Dill Pickle Club; prominent during Beat movement.
Reynolds, George M.
b 1864 or 1865, Panora, IA; d Feb. 26, 1940, Pasadena, CA.
Banker; owned Continental & Commercial National Bank of Chicago.
Reznick, Hyman
b Jan. 15, 1904, Chicago; d June 6, 1973, Portland, OR.
Music director; founded Halevi Choral Society.
Rhea, Delbert “Dell” F.
b Apr. 27, 1907, Springfield, MO; d Oct. 16, 1992, Chicago.
Restaurateur; owned Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket restaurant in Willowbrook.
Rhode, Paul P.
b Sept. 16, 1870 or 1871, Wejherowo, Poland; d Mar. 3, 1945, Green Bay, WI.
Pastor of St. Michael's Catholic Church; first Polish bishop in Chicago and the United States (1908).
Rhodes, B.
b England; active 1840s.
Early landowner in Elmwood Park.
Rhodes, Richard S.
b Nov. 5, 1843, Providence, RI; d May 13, 1902, River Grove, IL.
Book publisher; president of Rhodes & McClure Publishing Co.
Rhodus, Charlotte C.
active 1910s.
President of Woman Suffrage Party of Cook County (1912).
Rhymer, Paul
b c. 1905, Fulton, IL; d Oct. 26, 1964, Chicago.
Comedy writer; wrote Vic and Sade radio serial.
Riccardo, Ric
b ca. 1903, Italy; d Oct. 11, 1954, Chicago.
Artist; restaurateur; owner Riccardo Studio restaurant.
Rice, John Blake
b May 28, 1809, Easton, MD; d Dec. 17, 1874, Norfolk, VA.
Actor; theater manager; state and national legislator; mayor of Chicago (1865–1869).
Rice, Joseph Mayer
b May 20, 1857, Philadelphia, PA; d June 24, 1934, Philadelphia.
Physician; education critic.
Richardson, Henry Hobson
b Sept. 29, 1838, St. James Parish, LA; d Apr. 27, 1886, Brookline, MA.
Architect; designed Marshall Field wholesale store and J. J. Glessner House.
Ricketts, Coella Lindsay
b May 24, 1859, Shepardstown, OH; d Feb. 19, 1941, Wilmette, IL.
Electric company executive; calligrapher; illustrator.
Rieck, Emilie
b May 1850, Hamburg, Germany; d Jan. 1, 1929? Chicago?
Brothel owner; operated Arena Hotel in Glen Ellyn.
Riley, Ida M.
d Mar. 7, 1901, Chicago.
Teacher; cofounded Columbia School of Oratory.
Riley, Jack H.
b June 13, 1909; d Mar. 22, 1993.
Wrestler; won Olympic silver medal (1932); All-American in football and wrestling at Northwestern Univ.
Riley, John D.
b Dec. 29, 1870, Blackburn, England; d Mar. 14, 1933, Chicago.
Superintendent, Chicago Bureau of Maps.
Risberg, Charles “Swede”
b Oct. 13, 1894, San Francisco, CA; d Oct. 16, 1975, Red Bluff, CA.
Professional baseball player for Chicago White Sox; involved in “Black Sox Scandal”; banned from baseball for life.
Robbins, Eugene S.
b Oct. 12, 1862, Jordan, NY; d Apr. 25, 1944, Chicago.
Real-estate agent.
Robbins, Henry
b Nov. 27, 1836, Brooklyn, MA; d Apr. 20, 1950, Chicago.
Real-estate agent.
Robbins, Samuel P.
active 1830s.
Farmer; arrived in Portage around 1838.
Robbins, William
b July 20, 1824, Oswego County, NY; d June 1889, Hinsdale, IL.
Early landowner in what is now Hinsdale.
Roberts, Eben Ezra
b 1865 or 1866, Boston, MA; d Aug. 4, 1943, Muskegon, MI.
Architect; designed homes in Oak Park; associated with Prairie style.
Robie, Frederick Carleton
b Aug. 14, 1876, Chicago; d Dec. 17, 1962, OH.
Merchant; inventor; home in Hyde Park notable for Frank Lloyd Wright design.
Robins, Margaret Dreier
b Sept. 6, 1868, Brooklyn, NY; d Feb. 21, 1945, Hernando County, FL.
Social reformer; labor leader; president of National Women's Trade Union League.
Robins, Raymond
b Sept. 17, 1873, Staten Island, NY; d Sept. 26, 1954, Brooksville, FL.
Progressive reformer; headed Northwestern Univ. Settlement; member of Chicago Charter Convention (1906–1909).
Robinson, Alexander [Che Che Pin Qua]
b ca. 1772, Mackinac, MI; d Apr. 22, 1872, Leyden, IL.
Potawatomi chief; government interpreter.
Robinson, Elisha
active 1880s.
Mapmaker; published real-estate atlas in 1886.
Robinson, Increase [Josephine Dorothea Reichmann]
b 1890, Chicago; d 1981.
Painter; gallery owner; state director of Federal Art Project (1935–1938).
Robinson, John
b England.
Swimming instructor at Chicago Athletic Association; introduced water polo to Chicago in 1893.
Robinson, John (Johnny) C.
b Nov. 26, 1903, Carabelle, FL; d Mar. 27, 1954, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Aviator; cofounded Robbins Airport; pilot of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie.
Roche, Martin
b Aug. 15, 1855, Cleveland, OH; d June 4, 1927, Chicago.
Architect; partner at Holabird & Roche; an originator of the skeleton skyscraper office building; designed Soldier Field, Palmer House, Board of Trade.
Rockefeller, John D.
b July 8, 1839, Richford, NY; d May 23, 1937, Ormond Beach, FL.
Oil magnate; philanthropist; owned Standard Oil Co.; endowed Univ. of Chicago.
Rockne, Knute Kenneth
b Mar. 4, 1888, Voss, Norway; d Mar. 31, 1931, airplane crash near Bazaar, KS.
Head football coach at Notre Dame (1918–1931).
Rodchenko, Alexander Mikhailovich
b Nov. 23, 1891, St. Petersburg, Russia; d Dec. 3, 1956, Moscow, Russia.
Artist; faculty member at Institute of Design.
Rodeheaver, Homer Alvan
b Oct. 4, 1880, Union Furnace, OH; d Dec. 18, 1955, Winona Lake, IN.
Evangelist, musician, musical director for Billy Sunday.
Roden, Carl B.
b June 7, 1870, Kansas City, MO; d Oct. 25, 1956, Palatine, IL.
Librarian; head librarian at Chicago Public Library (1918–1950).
Rodzinski, Artur
b Jan. 1, 1892, Spalato (now Split, Croatia); d Nov. 27, 1958, Boston, MA.
Conductor; music director, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1947–1948).
Roe, Clifford Griffith
b June 26, 1875, Rowling Prairie, IN; d June 28, 1934, Chicago.
Proprietor of tavern at Roe's Hill (later Rosehill Cemetery) around 1859.
Roebuck, Alvah Curtis
b ca. 1864, Lafayette, IN; d June 18, 1948, Evanston, IL.
Retail executive; cofounded Sears, Roebuck & Co.
Roeh, Hans
active twentieth century.
Community leader; elected president of Round Lake Beach in 1937.
Rogers, Henry Wade
b Oct. 10, 1853, Holland Patent, NY; d Aug. 16, 1926, Pennington, NJ.
Lawyer; educator; president of Northwestern Univ. (1890–1900); federal judge.
Rogers, James Gamble
b Mar. 3, 1867, Bryant's Station, KY; d Oct. 1, 1947, New York, NY.
Architect; designed downtown Chicago campus of Northwestern Univ.
Rogers, Jimmy [James A. Lane]
b June 13, 1924, Ruleville, MS; d Dec. 19, 1997, Chicago.
Blues guitarist; pioneer of Chicago electric blues; played with Muddy Waters.
Rogers, Phillip M.
b Aug. 15, 1812, Dublin, Ireland; d Dec. 13, 1856, Rogers Park, IL.
Evanston assessor; early landowner in Lakeview Township; purchased 1,600 acres of government land.
Rohl-Smith, Carl
b 1848; d Aug. 22, 1900, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Sculptor (Benjamin Franklin at World's Columbian Exposition; The Indian Massacre; General Sherman).
Rohn, Ferdinand
b ca. 1826.
Austrian truck farmer around South Shore; butcher.
Rokosz, Stanley
d Apr. 20, 1921, Chicago.
Labor leader; business agent for Butchers' Union; president of Polish National Alliance.
Rold, June D.
b Nov. 28, 1905; d Oct. 11, 1993.
Dance teacher; owner and operator of June Rold School of Dance for 50 years.
Root, George Frederick
b Aug. 30, 1820, Sheffield, MA; d Aug. 6, 1895, Bailey's Island, ME.
Composer; music educator; partner in music firm Root & Cady; wrote “Battle Cry of Freedom.”
Root, John Wellborn
b Jan. 10, 1850, Lumpkin, GA; d Jan. 15, 1891, Chicago.
Architect; collaborated with Daniel H. Burnham; best known for Montauk and Monadnock Buildings; consulted for World's Columbian Exposition.
Rosenthal, Benjamin J.
b Nov. 5, 1867, Chicago; d May 14, 1936, Chicago.
Businessman; founded Chicago mail-order company; built subsidized housing.
Rosenwald, Julius
b Aug. 12, 1862, Springfield, IL; d Jan. 6, 1932, Chicago.
Merchandiser; philanthropist; early partner of Sears & Roebuck; established Museum of Science and Industry; major donor to African American schools in rural South and to African American YMCAs.
Ross, Barney [Barnet David Rosofsky]
b Dec. 23, 1909, New York, NY; d Jan. 18, 1967, Chicago.
Lightweight and welterweight boxing champion; learned boxing on Chicago's West Side.
Ross, Norman DeMille
b Mar. 16, 1896, Portland, OR; d June 19, 1953, Evanston, IL.
Radio announcer; classical music disk jockey; won Olympic gold medal in swimming (1920).
Ross, Sam
b Mar. 10, 1911, Kiev, Ukraine; d Mar. 30, 1998.
Writer; member of Illinois Writers' Project.
Rossiter, Will
b Mar. 15, 1867, Wells, Somerset, England; d June 10, 1954, Oak Park, IL.
Music publisher; composer; wrote “I'd Love to Live in Loveland.”
Rouensa
b ca. 1650, Kaskaskia, IL.
Illinois tribal leader; chief of Kaskaskia tribe.
Rowe, Louise Osborn
b ca. 1889, Jacksonville, IL; d Mar. 26, 1962, Elgin, IL.
First Commissioner of Public Welfare (1915).
Royko, Michael Melvin
b Sept. 19, 1932, Chicago; d Apr. 29, 1997, Evanston, IL.
Newspaper columnist; wrote for Chicago Daily News, Sun-Times, and Chicago Tribune; won Pulitzer Prize in 1972.
Rubloff, Arthur
b June 25, 1902, Duluth, MN; d May 24, 1986.
Real-estate developer; philanthropist; president of Arthur Rubloff & Co.
Ruby, Jack [Jacob Rubenstein]
b ca. 1911, Chicago; d Jan. 3, 1967, Dallas, TX.
Assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald; grew up around Maxwell Street.
Rucker, Edward A.
b Jan. 24, 1822, Cook County, IL; d June 19, 1872, Chicago.
Pioneered title indexing; firm was forerunner of Chicago Title & Trust.
Rudowitz, Christian A.
b ca. 1873, Courland Province, Russia.
Latvian revolutionary; his U.S. extradition case set legal precedent.
Rueckheim, Frederick William
b Apr. 18, 1846, Japenzin, Germany; d Jan. 12, 1934, Chicago.
Popcorn manufacturer; created “Cracker Jack” snacks.
Ruml, Beardsley
b Nov. 5, 1894, Cedar Rapids, IA; d Apr. 18, 1960, Danbury, CT.
Economist; Social Science Division dean at Univ. of Chicago; originated pay-as-you-go income tax collection.
Rumsey, Julian S.
b Apr. 3, 1823, Batavia, NY; d Apr. 20, 1886, Chicago.
Grain merchant; county treasurer; president of Board of Trade; mayor of Chicago (1861–1862).
Russ, Alamondo B.
b ca. 1829, VT.
Undertaker; furniture dealer.
Russell, Charles Edward
b Sept. 25, 1860, Davenport, IA; d Apr. 23, 1941, Washington, DC.
Journalist; reformer; published Chicago American; wrote exposé of meatpacking industry; attended founding meeting of NAACP.
Russo, William Joseph
b June 25, 1928, Chicago; d Jan. 11, 2003, Chicago.
Jazz composer; founded Chicago Jazz Ensemble; initiated music department at Columbia College.
Ruud, Helga M.
b Dec. 28, 1860, Kongsberg, Norway; d Jan. 29, 1956, Chicago.
Doctor; taught at women's medical college of Northwestern Univ.
Ryerson, Edward L.
b Dec. 3, 1886, Chicago; d Aug. 2, 1971, Chicago.
Steel manufacturer; president of Inland Steel Co.
Ryerson, Joseph T.
b Mar. 25, 1813, Chester, PA; d Mar. 10, 1883, Chicago.
Iron merchant; founded Ryerson-Tull (later Inland Steel).
Ryerson, Martin Antoine
b Oct. 26, 1856, Grand Rapids, MI; d Aug. 11, 1932, Lake Geneva, WI.
Lumber executive; Art Institute trustee and patron.