List of people from Chester, Pennsylvania

The following is a list of notable residents, natives, and persons generally associated with the city of Chester, Pennsylvania, the first city in Pennsylvania.

A

*Al Alberts, lead singer of The Four Aces
*Samuel Anderson (Pennsylvania politician), Samuel Anderson, U.S. Congressman for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district
*William Anderson (Pennsylvania politician), William Anderson, major in the Continental Army and U.S. Congressman
*Henry Graham Ashmead, journalist and historian of Delaware County, Pennsylvania

B

*J. Pius Barbour, executive director of the National Baptist Association, mentor to then-college student Martin Luther King Jr.

*Thomas N. Barnes, first African-American Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
*Joseph F. Battle Jr., 25th Mayor of Chester and judge on Delaware County Court of Common Pleas
*Ruth L. Bennett, social worker, first president of the Chester branch of the NAACP
*William H. Berry, 10th Mayor of Chester and Treasurer of Pennsylvania
*Jahlil Beats, music producer
*Marcus Belgrave, jazz trumpeter
*Ron Bennington, host of XM Satellite Radio program ''The Ron and Fez Show''
*Crosby M. Black, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County and 7th Mayor of Chester
*Ed Blizzard, prominent pharmaceutical injury attorney
*Louis A. Bloom, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1947-1952), Judge on Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for Delaware County
*Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard, 27th Mayor of Chester
*Stanley Branche, civil rights leader, founder of the Committee for Freedom Now
*Ethel Hampson Brewster, Swarthmore College professor and philologist
*Fran Brill, voice actress and Muppeteer
*Anna Broomall, obstetrician, surgeon and educator
*Wendell Butler Jr., mayor of Chester

C

*George Campbell (soccer), George Campbell, soccer player for Atlanta United
*Lamar Campbell, former NFL defensive back
*Ted Cather, professional baseball player
*Dorothy Chacko, social worker, medical doctor, Padma Shri award recipient
*E. Wallace Chadwick, U.S. Congressman
*Robert Chadwick (Pennsylvania politician), Robert Chadwick, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County
*Joe Chambers, jazz drummer
*Tom Chism, Major League Baseball player
*Thomas Clyde (businessman), Thomas Clyde, founder of the Clyde Line of steamers

*George Clymer, Founding Father of the United States, signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, lived in Chester with his family during the British Army during the American Revolutionary War, British Army assault on Philadelphia
*Joseph R. T. Coates, 5th mayor of Chester and officer in the Union Army during the US Civil War
*Audrey B. Collins, United States District Judge
*Lawrence A. Conner, Sr., Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1953-1954)
*Ted Cottrell, NFL player and coach
*Walter H. Craig, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1923-1925), Chester City Council member (1925-1937)
*John Price Crozer, textile manufacturer and philanthropist
*Helen Curry (1896-1931), stage actress

D

*Clamma Dale, opera singer
*Edward Darlington, U.S. Congressman
*Ben Davis (baseball), Ben Davis, Major League Baseball player, Philadelphia Phillies sports announcer
*The De John Sisters, Dux and Julie DeJohn, professional singers

*Alfred O. Deshong, industrialist, philanthropist and art collector
*John O. Deshong, businessman and banker
*Peter Deshong, businessman and banker
*Elaine Diacumakos, cell biologist and head of the cytobiology laboratory at Rockefeller University
*Franklin Archibald Dick, Missouri provost marshal general
*Fred Diodati, lead singer of The Four Aces
*Fred Draper, film and television actor
*Kathrynann Durham, Pennsylvania State Representative for 160th district (1979-1996) and Judge on Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for Delaware County
*Jill Duson, lawyer, lobbyist and politician in Maine

E

*Samuel Edwards, U.S. Congressman
*Carolyn J. Elmore, Maryland State Representative
*Frederick K. Engle, rear admiral of the United States Navy
*Theodore Enslin, poet
*David Reese Esrey, businessman and banker

*Tyreke Evans, professional basketball player

F

*Bill Fleischman (1939–2019), sports journalist and professor
*Lenora Fulani, psychologist, psychotherapist and political activist

G

*J. R. Gach, talk radio host
*Margaret H. George, Pennsylvania State representative
*Fredia Gibbs, martial artist, kickboxer, boxer
*James Henry Gorbey, United States federal judge and 25th mayor of Chester
*Steve Gordon (director), Steve Gordon, screenwriter and film director
*Darrin Govens, professional basketball player
*Bud Grace, cartoonist
*Ralph Greenberg, mathematician
*John E. Gremminger, Pennsylvania State Representative
*Frank Hastings Griffin, invented rayon manufacturing process

H

*John K. Hagerty, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1921-1922), Chester City Council member (1907-1918)

*Bill Haley, rock-and-roll musician
*Robert Harland, actor
*Hubert R. Harmon, first superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy
*Herman Harris, professional basketball player
*Evalena Fryer Hedley, journalist, editor, and author
*Ron Henry (baseball), Ron Henry, professional baseball player
*John B. Hinkson, lawyer, businessman, 6th mayor of Chester
*Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, professional basketball player
*Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Toronto Raptors forward
*John Martin Howard, U.S. Navy officer, mine disposal unit, USS John M. Howard (IX-75) named in his honor
*Will Hunter, Minnesota Vikings safety and Syracuse University standout

J

*E. W. Jackson, Virginia politician and Christian minister
*Derrick Jones Jr., Dallas Mavericks forward
*Edmund Jones, Pennsylvania State Representative
*Kevin Jones (American football), Kevin Jones, Detroit Lions Chicago Bears running back and former Virginia Tech football standout

K

*Carol Kazeem, Pennsylvania State Representative
*John Ernst Worrell Keely, con man, inventor of the Keely Motor
*Muhammad Kenyatta, civil rights leader
*Lisa Kereszi, photographer
*Brian Joseph Kirkland, Pennsylvania state representative
*Thaddeus Kirkland, Pennsylvania State Representative, 32nd Mayor of Chester
*Joe Klecko, lineman with New York Jets and Temple University; father of Dan Klecko of New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles

*Mignonette Kokin, vaudeville dancer, comedian
*Lew Krausse Jr., professional baseball player
*Bob Kuberski, football player for Green Bay Packers

L

*Bob Lamey, radio announcer, play-by-play announcer for the Indianapolis Colts
*John Larkin, Jr. (businessman), John Larkin, Jr., businessman, banker and first mayor of Chester
*Willie Mae James Leake, first African-American and female Mayor of Chester
*John Linder, 31st Mayor of Chester
*John Linehan (basketball), John Linehan, assistant basketball coach for the Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball, Saint Joseph's Hawks
*David Lloyd (judge), David Lloyd, Attorney General of Pennsylvania, six-term Speaker of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court

M

*John J. McClure, Pennsylvania State Senator and leader of Delaware County Republican political machine
*Lee McLaughlin (actor), Lee McLaughlin, film and television actor
*Kevin Michael, soul singer
*Nicholas K. Miller, middle guard, and defensive MVP for Ohio State Buckeyes
*John Mobley, Denver Broncos linebacker and former Kutztown University football standout
*Sylvanus Morley, archaeologist and Maya civilization, Mayanist scholar
*Charles Morris (American writer), Charles Morris, journalist and author
*John Morton (American politician), John Morton, Founding Father of the United States, cast a key vote on the United States Declaration of Independence, Declaration of Independence. Buried in Chester.Morton was born in nearby Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, Ridley Township and is buried in Chester.

*Danny Murtaugh, manager of Pittsburgh Pirates who guided team to World Series titles in 1960 and 1971

N

*John H. Nacrelli, 24th Mayor of Chester, convicted of racketeering and bribery
*Jameer Nelson, professional basketball player
*Alex North, composer, 15-time Academy Award nominee
*Edward Nothnagle, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1926-1936), Chester City Council member

O

*Curly Ogden, professional baseball player
*Jack Ogden, professional baseball player
*Donnie Owens, singer, guitarist, producer and composer

P

*John M. Paxton, Jr., United States Marine Corps general officer
*Dominic Pileggi, Pennsylvania State Senator
*Johnny Podgajny, professional baseball player
*Rudy Pompilli, saxophonist with Bill Haley and the Comets

*David Dixon Porter, leading officer and reformer in the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War
*William D. Porter, flag officer in the U.S. Navy
*William G. Price Jr., commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Infantry Division (United States), 28th Infantry Division
*Joe Pyne, radio and TV talk show host
*Caleb Pusey, early settler of Chester, friend and business partner of William Penn

R

*William T. Ramsey, Pennsylvania State Representative and 16th mayor of Chester
*George Raymond, president of NAACP Chester branch from 1942 to 1977
*Ronald C. Raymond, Pennsylvania state representative
*Bertice Reading, actress, singer, revue artiste
*James W. Reese, U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipient in World War II
* John Roach (shipbuilder), John Roach, industrialist and shipbuilder
*V. Gilpin Robinson, Pennsylvania State Representative
*Stefan Roots, Mayor of Chester
*Bo Ryan, former head coach of University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team, coached UW-Platteville to four NCAA Division III national championships
*Matthew Ryan (musician), Matthew Ryan, singer-songwriter

S

*William I. Schaffer, Pennsylvania Attorney General
*Josiah Sleeper, founder of Sleeper's College
*Jerome Smith (American football), Jerome Smith, professional football player
*James Ross Snowden (1809-1878), 67th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Director of the U.S. Mint
*Dawn Sowell, professional Track and Field athlete
*William Cameron Sproul, 27th Governor of Pennsylvania
*Brent Staples, editorial writer for the New York Times
*Joey Stefano, pornographic actor

*AverySunshine, soul singer

T

*Robin Toner, national political correspondent for the New York Times
*David Trainer (textile manufacturer), David Trainer, textile manufacturer and banker
*The Beat Bully, Anthony Tucker, also known as The Beat Bully, record producer and songwriter
*Ellwood J. Turner, Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County (1925-1948), 119th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1939-1941)

W

*Horace Walker (basketball), Horace Walker, professional basketball player
*Young Singleton Walter, Pennsylvania State Representative and owner of the Delaware County Republican newspaper
*William Ward (Pennsylvania politician), William Ward, U.S. Congressman
*William Ward Jr., Pennsylvania State Representative and two term mayor of Chester

*Ethel Waters, Grammy-winning blues recording artist, Broadway performer, Academy Award nominee for ''Pinky (film), Pinky'' (1949)
*George Watkins (politician), George Watkins, U.S. Congressman
*Brandi Wells, singer-songwriter
*Eleanor D. Wilson, Tony-nominated actress and artist
*Stephen M. Wolownik, Russian and Eastern European musician
*Jonathan Edwards Woodbridge, shipbuilder and naval architect
*Thomas Worrilow, Pennsylvania State Representative
*Robert C. Wright (politician), Robert C. Wright, Pennsylvania State Representative

References

''References are on the article pages if not listed here.''

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of People From Chester, Pennsylvania
Lists of American people by populated place, Chester
Lists of people from Pennsylvania, Chester
People from Chester, Pennsylvania,