List of people from Lowell, Massachusetts

As one of the largest and oldest cities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Lowell has produced many notable people in various fields:

Politicians

• Charles Herbert Allen, Representative to U.S. Congress, 4 March 1885 – 3 March 1889, Secretary of the Navy 1898–1900, Governor of Puerto Rico 1900–1902^[1]
• Adelbert Ames, Governor 1868–1870,1874–1876 and Senator from Mississippi 1870–1874, Union general in the Civil War and the Spanish–American War, son-in-law of Benjamin Franklin Butler^[2]
• Benjamin Franklin Butler, Congressman 1867–1879, Union general in the Civil War, Governor of Massachusetts 1883–1884, and Greenback Party presidential candidate 1884, for whom the Butler School is named^[3]
• Loren W. Collins, Minnesota jurist and legislator^[4]
• Benjamin Dean, Congressman 1878–1879^[5]
• Frederic Thomas Greenhalge, Congressman 1889–1891, for whom the Greenhalge Elementary School is named.^[6]
• Allen Hobbs, Charles H. Allen's grandson, 32nd Governor of American Samoa 1944–1945, 35th Hydrographer of the United States Navy 1948–1950s
• Marty Meehan, Congressman 1993–2007, current Chancellor of UMass/Lowell^[7]
• Rady Mom, Massachusetts House of Representatives
• Frank B. Morse, Republican; Congressman 1961–1972, for whom the Morse Elementary School is named^[8]
• Patrick O. Murphy, the youngest Mayor in the city's history, elected at age 29 in January 2012.^[9]
• John Jacob Rogers, Republican; Congressman 1913–1925^[10]
• Parlan Semple, Wisconsin State Assemblyman 1869–1871
• Ezekiel A. Straw, Governor of New Hampshire 1872–1874
• Paul Tsongas, Congressman 1975–1979, United States Senator 1979–1985, and Democratic presidential candidate 1992, for whom the Tsongas Arena is named^[11]

Inventors and business founders

• James Taylor Ames, born in Lowell, noted manufacturer^[12]
• Frederick Ayer (1822), industrialist, investor, first president of the American Woolen Company
• Dr. James Cook Ayer (1818), industrialist, patent medicine tycoon
• Kirk Boott (1790–1837), industrialist, for whom the Boott Mills and Kirk Street are named
• Milton Bradley, founded the Milton Bradley Company, developed board games
• Fred C. Church, founder of Fred C. Church Insurance
• Telemachus & George Demoulas, grocery store tycoons
• James B. Francis, pioneer of American civil engineering for whom the Francis Locks are named
• Daniel Gage, Gage Ice Company, for whom Gage Park and Gage Street are named
• Ted Leonsis, billionaire who worked at Wang labs
• Augustin Thompson, a physician, businessman and philanthropist who created the Moxie soft drink
• An Wang, inventor and businessman, for whom the Wang Middle School is named

Astronauts and astronomers

• George Bassett Clark, astronomer (reflective telescope)
• Helen Sawyer Hogg, astronomer
• Richard M. Linnehan,^[13] NASA astronaut 1992–present; five space missions to date, including Hubble Space Telescope upgrades and repairs

Authors and entertainers

• Michael Ansara, actor
• Nicholas A. Basbanes, author and cultural historian (A Gentle Madness, On Paper)
• Michael Casey, poet
• Michael Chiklis, Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning actor
• Bette Davis, Academy Award-winning actress
• George Washington Dixon, entertainer and newspaper editor
• Olympia Dukakis, Academy Award-winning actress (Moonstruck)
• Mark Goddard, actor (Lost in Space)
• Ray Goulding, radio comedian (of Bob & Ray)
• Deborah Hopkinson, children's author
• Nancy Kelly, Tony Award-winning actress, nominated for Academy Award and Emmy Awards (36 movies)
• Jack Kerouac, writer (On the Road), for whom the downtown park is named
• Elinor Lipman, writer, columnist The Boston Globe
• Ed McMahon, entertainer
• Matt Mira, comedian, The Nerdist Podcast
• Louis Phillips, author, poet, and dramatist^[14]
• Tom Sexton, writer
• Paul Sullivan, sports radio personality WBZ and columnist for Lowell Sun
• Robert Tessier, actor and stuntman
• Vince Vouyer, porn star

Musicians

• George Whitefield Chadwick, composer
• Rosalind Elias, opera singer
• Hell Within, hardcore/metal band from Lowell
• Boney James, jazz saxophonist
• Edward "Ned" Kendall, bandleader and musician (keyed bugle)
• PVRIS, alternative rock band

Designers and artists

• Charles H. Allen, painter
• Margaret Foley (1820–1877), sculptor
• Adelia Sarah Gates (c. 1823–1912), botanical illustrator and watercolorist
• Thomas B. Lawson (1807–1888), landscape painter
• Christopher Makos (1948- ), photographer, artist
• Willard Leroy Metcalf (1858–1925), Impressionist painter
• David Dalhoff Neal (1838–1915), portrait painter
• Alfred Ordway (1821–1897), landscape painter
• William Preston Phelps (1848–1917), landscape painter
• Frederick W. Stickney (1854–1918), architect^[15] master of stone architecture
• James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), painter and etcher
• Sarah W. Whitman (1842–1904), artist, illustrator, stained glass designer, and author

Sports

Gridiron football

• Steve Alexakos,^[16] lineman for Denver Broncos 1970, New York Giants 1971
• Bill Cooke,^[16] defensive line for Green Bay Packers 1975, San Francisco 49ers 1976–77, Detroit Lions 1978, and Seattle Seahawks 1978–1980
• John Blake Galvin, Jr.,^[16] linebacker for New York Jets 1988–1991
• Bruce Laird,^[16] Pro Bowl cornerback for Baltimore Colts 1972–1983
• Menil Mavraides,^[16] offensive lineman for Philadelphia Eagles 1954, 1957
• Ray McLean,^[16] halfback for Chicago Bears 1940–1948, Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers 1953,1958
• John Miller,^[16] lineman for Washington Redskins 1956–1960
• Anthony Prior, gridiron football player^[17]
• Ray Riddick,^[16] end for the Green Bay Packers from 1940–1946, for whom the High School Gymnasium is named
• Billy Sullivan, owner of New England Patriots from 1960–1988^[18]
• Robert Joseph Sullivan,^[16] running back for San Francisco 49ers 1948

Baseball

Many professional baseball players came out of Lowell in the late 1800s, including

• Charlie Snow (1874)^[19]
• Denny Driscoll (1880–1884)^[19]
• Frank McLaughlin (1882–1884)^[19]
• John Grady (1884)^[19]
• Jack Corcoran (1884)^[19]
• John Firth (1884)^[19]
• Art Sladen (1884)^[19]
• Bill Conway (1884–1886)^[19]
• Dick Conway (1886–1888)^[19]
• Marty Sullivan (1887–1891)^[19]
• Ed "Sleepy" Flanagan (1887–1889)^[19]
• Frank Bonner (1894–1903)^[19]
• Bill Merritt (1891–1899)^[19]
• Bob Ganley (1905–1909)^[19]

Modern Era:

• Mike Balas, pitched one game for the Boston Bees in 1938^[20]
• Johnny Barrett, outfielder for the Pittsburg Pirates, 1942–1946^[21]
• Skippy Roberge, infielder for the Boston Braves, 1941–1942, 1946^[22]

Hockey

• Jon Morris, center for New Jersey Devils 1984–1992, Boston Bruins 1993^[23]

Boxing

• Dicky Eklund, pro boxer 1975–1985, welterweight^[24]
• Tommy Ellis, boxer, 1952–1962, known for a long series of epic showdowns on Dumont Network Thursday Night Fights in Lowell against Tony "The Bus" Gilbrecki ^[25]
• Ralph Lally, New England Golden Gloves Champion, Light Heavyweight-175lbs., 1970^[26]
• Micky Ward, pro boxer 1985–2003, junior welterweight^[27]

Olympic athletes

• Ethan Thomas Brown, 2007 and 2008 U23 Triathlon National Champion^[28] 2012 USA Olympic development team roster^[29]
• Shelagh Donohoe, 1992 Barcelona, took silver medal in rowing (Women's Coxless Fours),^[30] current URI head coach
• Ernest N. Harmon, 1924 Paris, finished 31st in Modern Pentathlon (5th in shooting); U.S. Army Major General in World War II; President of Norwich University 1950–1956
• Nathaniel Jenkins, 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics Berlin 2009; 7th in 2008 USA Olympic Team trials^[31]
• Alfons Mello Travers, 1924 Paris, finished 5th in Men's Welterweight Boxing, turned pro and finished 37/10 with 18 KOs; retired as a restaurant owner in Lowell^[32]

Other sports

• Louis Cyr, French-Canadian strongman, lived in Lowell from 1878 to 1883
• Billy Pappas, professional foosball player
• Manny Santiago, professional skateboarder

Others

• Frederick Aiken, lawyer and Civil War veteran, defense attorney for Mary Surratt
• Reverend Frederick Foley,^[33] President of Providence College 1945–1947
• Thaddeus Mortimer Fowler, cartographer^[34]
• Gustavus Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy during the Civil War
• Maurice K. Goddard, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, a driving force in creating 45 Pennsylvania state parks in his 24 years in office
• Mary Hallaren, Director of Women's Army Corps
• Walker Lewis, African-American abolitionist and early Mormon Elder
• John McFarland, Medal of Honor recipient, Civil War, for whom the USS McFarland is named
• David H. McNerney, Medal of Honor recipient, Vietnam
• William Henry O'Connell, Cardinal, Archdiocese of Boston
• Alice Parker Lesser, 1880s-1900 lawyer who published many articles, and procured legislation for the property-owning rights of women^[35]
• Ryan M. Pitts, Medal of Honor recipient, Afghanistan ^[36]
• Charles Sweeney, USAF Major who piloted the B-29 Bockscar on its mission to drop the Fat Man nuclear weapon on Nagasaki
• Patrick Scannell, Prominent Union Representative who had a strong influence in collective bargaining laws

References

• "Howl Magazine - Music, Art, Life "Come Out and Play". Hhowlmag.com.