LC#1
Science & Medicine
Laurel Clark
1961–2003NASA astronaut, medical doctor, United States Navy Captain, and Space Shuttle mission specialist
48 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Ames
Of the 45 famous people born in Ames, an unusual share are scientists and doctors
Best known of all is Laurel Clark, written about in 48 languages. The next two names are Peter Schickele and Joe Burrow. Between 1920 and 1969, 29 were born, the most of any period. Only 7 of the 427 towns in Iowa with anyone on record list more.
Born here
45
notable people
Best known
Laurel Clark
in 48 Wikipedia languages
First
1862
Billy Sunday
Youngest
2000
Snehalata V. Huzurbazar
Most common field
Sports
15 people
Also called it home
1
notable residents
What stands out about Ames’ famous people
A town of scientists and doctorsScientists and doctors make up 7 of the 45, 2.6 times the usual share.Known worldwideLaurel Clark is written about in 48 languages.Still making namesBirths since 1950 number 20, the most recent in 2000.45 notable peopleMore than most towns: 45 notable people were born in Ames.
★ What stands out · Known for
What Ames is known for
No other field is as far above the usual share as scientists and doctors, at 2.6 times.
The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
The best known
Born in Ames
By how many languages cover them, Laurel Clark comes first (48), then Peter Schickele (20) and Joe Burrow (19).
#2Music
Peter Schickele
1935–2024American composer, musical educator, and parodist
20 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Through the years
When Ames’s famous people were born
No decade has more births than the 1960s, at 9.
SportsPolitics & LawScience & MedicineWriting & ArtsMusicNotableFilm, TV & StageFaith
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Ames
42 more, from 1862 to 2000.
Ernst Bessey
1877–1957American mycologist, botanist and plant pathologist
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Anthony W. Norman
1938–2019Distinguished professor emeritus of biochemistry and biomedical sciences University of California, Riverside
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
A chosen home
Also called Ames home
Born elsewhere, Herman Quirmbach lived here.
The town’s pick
Town Square →Who’s the most famous person from Ames?
Pick one and say why. Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Your pick
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Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Close by, the fullest list is Nevada’s, at 2 names.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Ames and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.
Photo credits (7)
- Peter Schickele: Peter Hummers, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joe Burrow: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sara Paretsky: Slowking4, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jane Espenson: Ravenu, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Billy Sunday: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Meg Johnson: Meg Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Neva Patterson: CBS Television, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons