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Famous people · Red Oak

Fred Lawrence Whipple tops a list of 12 famous people born in Red Oak

Most widely known is Fred Lawrence Whipple, the American astronomer, with articles in 37 languages. The largest group, 6, was born in the age of mills and railroads. From Thomas Harlan Ellett in 1880 to Joni Ernst in 1970, the births cover 90 years. Only 39 of the 455 towns in Iowa with anyone on record list more.

#1 best knownFred Lawrence WhippleScience & Medicine · 1906–2004
+8more
Born here
12
notable people
Best known
Fred Lawrence Whipple
in 37 Wikipedia languages
First
1880
Thomas Harlan Ellett
Youngest
1970
Joni Ernst
Most common field
Politics & Law
3 people
The best known

Born in Red Oak

Languages with an article: 37 for Fred Lawrence Whipple, 34 for Joni Ernst, 21 for Raymond Hatton.

Fred Lawrence Whipple#1
Science & Medicine

Fred Lawrence Whipple

1906–2004

American astronomer

37 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Joni Ernst#2
Politics & Law

Joni Ernst

born 1970

American politician

34 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Raymond Hatton#3
Film, TV & Stage

Raymond Hatton

1887–1971

American silent film actor

21 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Through the years

When Red Oak’s famous people were born

No decade has more births than the 1880s, at 3.

Mills & railroadsThe American century19001950James R. BennettRobert TempletonRaymond HattonFred Lawrence WhippleJoni Ernst
Politics & LawFilm, TV & StageWriting & ArtsScience & MedicineFaithSports

Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.

Known for

What Red Oak is known for

Set against the usual town, performers come out 2.7 times as common.

The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.

Everyone

Everyone else born in Red Oak

The other 9 span the years 1880 to 1951.

Duane Thompson

Duane Thompson

1903–1970

American actress

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
James R. Bennett

James R. Bennett

1940–2016

American politician

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
DH

Dorothy D. Houghton

1890–1972

American activist

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
DK

Dick Kenworthy

1941–2010

American baseball player

Dennis Ashbaugh

Dennis Ashbaugh

born 1946

American painter and artist

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Robert Templeton

Robert Templeton

1929–1991

American artist

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
SS

Stephen Shortridge

born 1951

American actor, painter and author

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
TE

Thomas Harlan Ellett

1880–1951

American architect

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
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From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Red Oak 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)