Johnny Thomas Allen (1905 - 1959)

John Thomas Allen (September 30, 1904 – March 29, 1959) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers, and New York Giants.  Born in Lenoir, North Carolina, Allen reached the Yankees in an unusual way. While working as a bellhop in a hotel, […]

George Trenholm Allen (1914 - 2000)

George Trenholm Allen (July 27, 1914 – March 27, 2000) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played Left Wing in the National Hockey League, mostly for the Chicago Black Hawks.  Allen began his career playing in various locations in the east, until he joined the North Battleford Beavers of the Northern Saskatchewan Senior […]

George Allen (1918 - 1990)

George Allen Allen was born in Nelson County, Virginia, the son of Loretta M. and Earl Raymond Allen, who was recorded in the 1920 and 1930 U.S. census records for Wayne County, Michigan as working as a chauffeur to a private family. He earned varsity letters in football, track and basketball at Lake Shore High […]

Forrest Clare “Phog” Allen (1885 - 1974)

Allen was born in the town of Jamesport, Missouri. His father, William Allen, was among the 30 people who originally incorporated Jameson Missouri in 1879 and the doctor who delivered Allen lived in James. However, William Allen also had strong ties to Jamesport where he was town clerk, collector, and constable. Biographies of Allen usually […]

Ethan Nathan Allen (1904 - 1993)

Ethan Nathan Allen (January 1, 1904 – September 15, 1993) was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball from 1926 to 1938. He played for the Cincinnati Reds (1926–30), New York Giants (1930–32), St. Louis Cardinals (1932–33), Philadelphia Phillies (1934–36), Chicago Cubs (1936), and St. Louis Browns (1936–38).  Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and an […]

Grover Cleveland Alexander (1887 - 1950)

Alexander was born in Elba, Nebraska, in the first term of President Grover Cleveland and was one of thirteen children. He played semi-professional baseball in his youth, signing his first professional contract at age 20 in 1907 for $50 per month. In 1909 he played for the Galesburg Boosters in the Class D Illinois–Missouri League […]

Victor “Vic” Aldridge (1893 - 1973)

Born in Indian Springs, Indiana, Vic Aldridge attended Central Normal College in Danville, Indiana, and taught school in Miami County. He was married to Cleta B. Wadsworth of Indian Springs.  Aldridge was a dependable second or third starter throughout most of his career. He was known for his curveball and pinpoint accuracy. Aldridge batted and […]

Darrel Akerfelds (1962 - 2012)

Akerfelds graduated in 1980 from Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado and played baseball at the University of Arkansas and Mesa State College. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round with the seventh overall pick in the 1983 Major League Baseball Draft. Just over five months later, he was traded to […]

Eddie Aikau (1946 - 1978)

Born in Kahului, Maui, Aikau was the third child of Solomon and Henrietta Aikau. Aikau first learned how to surf at Kahului Harbor on its shorebreak. He moved to Oʻahu with his family in 1959, and at the age of 16 left school and started working at the Dole pineapple cannery; The paycheck allowed Aikau […]

Henry John “Hank” Aguirre (1931 - 1994)

Nicknamed “Mex” because he was of Mexican descent, Aguirre was born on January 31, 1931, in Azusa, California to Jenny Alva and Joseph Aguirre. Joseph was born in Jalisco, Mexico in 1902 and emigrated with his family during the time of the Mexican Revolution. Joseph and Jenny had seven children. Henry (Hank) Aguirre worked in […]

Samuel Lester Agnew (1887 - 1951)

Samuel Lester (Slam) Agnew (April 12, 1887 – July 19, 1951) was a catcher in Major League Baseball. From 1913 through 1919, he played for the St. Louis Browns (1913–15), Boston Red Sox (1916–18) and Washington Senators (1919). Agnew batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Farmington, Missouri.  Agnew debuted with the St. Louis […]

Harry Agganis (1929 - 1955)

Agganis’ family origins were from Longanikos near Sparta, Greece. Born in Lynn, Massachusetts from a large Greek family which includes four brothers and two sisters. He was a star football and baseball player at Lynn Classical High School as well as a strong student, being named as “All-Scholastic” from the state of Massachusetts. Aggainis enrolled […]

Alex Agase (1922 - 2007)

Agase was born in Chicago, Illinois to an Assyrian father and an Armenian mother. He attended Evanston Township High School, but only played on the school’s varsity football team in his senior year. After graduating, he attended the University of Illinois and played college football there as a right guard in 1941 and 1942. In […]

William Fritz “Dick the Bruiser” Afflis (1929 - 1991)

Born in Delphi, Indiana, Afflis grew up in Lafayette, Indiana, graduating from Lafayette Jefferson High School where he played football and wrestled. Afflis played varsity football at Purdue University and played for the Green Bay Packers in the early 1950s, as a lineman, before he became a pro wrestler.  In the late 1950s, Dick the […]

Patrick Swayze (1952 - 2009)

Patrick Swayze was born on August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas, the second child of Patsy Yvonne Helen (née Karnes; 1927–2013), a choreographer, dance instructor, and dancer, and Jesse Wayne Swayze (1925–1982), an engineering draftsman. He had two younger brothers, actor Don Swayze (born 1958) and Sean Kyle (born 1962), and two sisters, Vickie Lynn […]

Astrid Allwyn (1905 - 1978)

Astrid Allwyn (November 27, 1905 – March 31, 1978) was an American stage and film actress.  She studied dancing and dramatics in New York and later joined a stock company. Allwyn made her Broadway debut in 1929 in Elmer Rice’s Street Scene. On the strength of her performance in Once in a Lifetime, she was […]

Christopher Allport (1947 - 2008)

Allport was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His acting life began at the age of nine in New Canaan, Connecticut at the Children’s Theatre. While at Northwestern University, he worked with Paul Sills and Story Theatre. He performed in New York with the Public Theater at Lincoln Center, and with Ensemble Studio Theatre; and in Los […]

Elvia Allman (1904 - 1992)

Elvia Allman (September 19, 1904 – March 6, 1992) was a character actress and voice over performer in Hollywood films and television programs for over 50 years. She is best remembered for her semi-regular roles on The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction and for being the voice of Walt Disney’s Clarabelle Cow. Her mark in […]

Claud Allister (1888 - 1970)

He was born William Claud Michael Palmer, in London, England. After receiving his education at Felsted School in Essex, he began his career as a stockbroker’s clerk in the City of London, but gave up a life in the Square Mile on deciding that he preferred the stage, upon which he made his debut in […]

Nick Adenhart (1986 - 2009)

Nicholas James Adenhart was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, the only son of Janet and Jim Adenhart, a former United States Secret Service officer. His parents divorced and Janet later remarried Duane Gigeous, with whom she had a son named Henry, who is a pitcher at the University of Oregon. Adenhart played Halfway Little League […]

Tom Addison (1936 - 2011)

Addison attended the University of South Carolina and was drafted by the NFL Baltimore Colts and the Canadian Football League Ottawa Rough Riders, but chose to sign in 1960 with the Boston Patriots of the newly formed American Football League, playing his entire pro career with the Patriots. Considered a leader of the newly formed […]

Grant Adcox (1950 - 1989)

Adcox’s Winston Cup career started in 1974, running a handful of races for father Herb Adcox with sponsorship backing from the family’s Chevrolet dealership in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In that year’s Winston 500 – considered one of the crown jewels of the sport – held at the fastest track on the circuit, the Talladega Superspeedway, Adcox […]

Joe Wilbur “Joe Bill” Adcock (1927 - 1999)

Joseph Wilbur “Billy Joe” Adcock (October 30, 1927 – May 3, 1999) was a major league baseball player, best known as a first baseman and right-handed slugger with the powerful Milwaukee Braves teams of the 1950s, whose career included numerous home run feats. A sure-handed defensive player, he also retired with the third highest career […]

Scott Adams (1966 - 2013)

Professional Football Player. For six seasons (1992 to 1997), he played at the guard and tackle positions in the National Football League with the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons. He attended Columbia High School in Florida and played collegiate football at the University of Georgia. He distinguished […]

Platt Adams (1885 - 1961)

He was born in Belleville, New Jersey on March 23, 1885. He had a brother, Benjamin Willard Adams, also an Olympic athlete. In 1908 he finished fifth in the triple jump competition as well as in the standing high jump event. In the standing long jump competition he finished sixth. He also participated in the […]

Jack Adams (1895 - 1968)

Born in Fort William, Ontario, Adams began his career with the Fort William Maple Leafs in 1914 of the NMHL, and played for the Calumet Miners a year later. In 1916, he joined the intermediate Peterborough 247th Battalion of the Ontario Hockey Association and the next season moved up to the senior Sarnia Sailors. His […]

Gaines Adams (1983 - 2010)

Adams was born in Greenwood, South Carolina. He attended Fork Union Military Academy in 2001 and recorded 58 tackles, 22 sacks, and two interceptions in 10 games. He was a three-year starter at Cambridge Academy, a small private school which only had an 8-man football team, where he was a dominant wide receiver and defensive […]

Earl John “Sparky” Adams (1894 - 1989)

Adams made his Major League debut with the Cubs on September 18, 1922. He played 11 games during the 1922 Chicago Cubs season. He spent the following two seasons as the team’s shortstop, splitting time at the position with Charlie Hollocher. In the 1923 Chicago Cubs season, he hit four home runs in 311 at-bats […]

Chris Adams (1955 - 2001)

Chris Adams was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, the oldest son of Cyril and Jean Adams. Beginning at the age of nine, he was involved in judo, training in it exclusively for fourteen years. He and his younger brother Neil went on to win national and world championships in judo, with Neil going on to win […]

Bud Adams (1923 - 2013)

Born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on January 3, 1923, Adams was the son of K. S. “Boots” Adams and Blanch Keeler Adams. He became an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation by virtue of his maternal line. Two of his great-grandmothers were Cherokee women who married European-American men: Nelson Carr and George B. Keeler, who played […]