Famous People from Akron, Ohio
Akron has produced some big names in sports, entertainment, media, and politics over the years. See how many of these famous Akronites you recognize!
LeBron James
LeBron James is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in the history of the National Basketball Association. James played basketball for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron before going pro for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers. The four-time MVP has also won four NBA championships: two with the Heat, one with the Cavaliers, and one with the Lakers.
Stephen Curry
Another NBA great, Stephen Curry is widely recognized as one of the greatest shooters in the history of the league. He has played his entire professional career with the Golden State Warriors, winning four NBA championships, being named the NBA Most Valuable Player twice, and receiving ten All-NBA selections.
John R. Adams
John R. Adams is a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, appointed to the federal bench in 2003. Adams earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Akron School of Law, served as an assistant prosecutor in Summit County, and worked in private practice in Akron until 1999, when he became a judge for the Summit County Court of Common Pleas.
James E. Akins
Born and raised in Akron, James E. Akins served as the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He also served on the Council on Foreign Relations and the Iran Policy Committee. Akins attended the University of Akron for two years before serving in the Navy during World War II.
W. Apple, Jr.
W. Apple was a journalist and news editor who began his career with The Wall Street Journal before moving to NBC News. In 1963, Apple joined The New York Times, where he spent 30 years as a foreign correspondent, including serving as chief of the Times’s Vietnam bureau during the Vietnam War and as chief of its D.C. bureau in the 1990s.
E.T. Barnette
Akron native E.T. Barnett was the founder and first mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska, where he had traveled to participate in the Yukon gold rush. He also owned the Washington-Alaska Bank until its bankruptcy in 1911. Barnette and his family eventually resettled in Los Angeles, where he lived until his death.
Jim Boeke
Jim Boeke was a professional football player who played as an offensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and New Orleans Saints, with whom he played in the 1966 and 1967 NFL Championships.
Phil Boggs
Phill Boggs was a diver who won a gold medal in the three-meter springboard event on behalf of the United States in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Boggs was born in Akron and graduated from Firestone High School. He also served in the U.S. Air Force for five years.
Walter Hermann Bucher
Walter Bucher was a geologist and paleontologist who was born in Akron to Swiss-German parents. His family later returned to Germany, where Bucher grew up, and obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg. Bucher returned to the U.S., where he served on the faculties of the University of Cincinnati and Columbia University. Bucher also worked on the Manhattan Project and served as president of the American Geophysical Union and Geological Society of America.
Melina Kanakaredes
Melina Kanakaredes is an actress known for her roles on shows such as Providence, CSI: N.Y., and Guiding Light. She was born in Akron and graduated from Firestone High School. Her film credits include roles in 15 Minutes and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
Angie Everhart
Angie Everhart is an actress and model who has appeared in several issues of Sports Illustrated‘s swimsuit edition. She has also starred in movies such as Last Action Hero and TV shows such as Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. She has also appeared as a celebrity guest on game shows such as To Tell the Truth and Hollywood Squares.
James Ingram
James Ingram was a singer, songwriter, and record producer from Akron who attended East High School. He won the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 1982 for the song “One Hundred Ways” and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group in 1985 for “Yah Mo B There.” He also had two Academy Award nominations and two Golden Globe Award nominations for his songwriting.
John Magaro
John Magaro is an actor whose roles include films like Not Fade Away, The Big Short, Showing Up, and Past Lives. He also acted in the Netflix shows Orange Is the New Black and The Umbrella Academy, and the Amazon series Crisis in Six Scenes. Magaro was born in Akron and grew up in nearby Munroe Falls.
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