#1Writing & Arts
David Foster Wallace
1962–2008American fiction writer and essayist
56 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Ithaca
53 famous people were born in Ithaca, more of them scientists and doctors than in most towns
David Foster Wallace, the American fiction writer and essayist, is the most widely known, written about in 56 languages. The largest group, 27, was born between 1920 and 1969. Births span 1809 to 2002, from Charles P. Bush to Jennifer Yu. The list is still growing: 12 were born since 1970.
Born here
53
notable people
Best known
David Foster Wallace
in 56 Wikipedia languages
First
1809
Charles P. Bush
Youngest
2002
Jennifer Yu
Most common field
Writing & Arts
16 people
Also called it home
11
notable residents
What stands out about Ithaca’s famous people
A town of scientists and doctors13 of the 53 people born here are scientists and doctors, 4.1× the usual share.Known worldwideDavid Foster Wallace has a Wikipedia article in 56 languages.Still making namesThe most recent birth on the list came in 2002, among 26 since 1950.A chosen home11 more notable people chose to live here, Vladimir Nabokov among them.
★ What stands out · Known for
What Ithaca is known for
The field furthest above the usual share is scientists and doctors, at 4.1 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 Ithaca
Two of the three are writers and artists.
#1
#2Film, TV & Stage
Alex Haley
1921–1992American biographer, screenwriter, and novelist
49 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Writing & Arts
Susan Kare
born 1954American artist and graphic designer
31 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Through the years
When Ithaca’s famous people were born
The 1960s saw the most births of any decade: 7.
Writing & ArtsScience & MedicineSportsFilm, TV & StagePolitics & LawMusicNotableFaith
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Ithaca
Here are 50 more, born from 1809 to 2002.
Charles Frederick Millspaugh
1854–1923American botanist, botanical collector, scientific artist and journalist
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Allison Burnett
born 1958American screenwriter, director, producer and novelist
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
A chosen home
Also called Ithaca home
11 notable people born elsewhere made the town home, Vladimir Nabokov the best known.
Vladimir Nabokov
1899–1977Russian-American novelist, lepidopterist, professor
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Roald Hoffmann
born 1937Polish-American Nobel laureate chemist and playwright
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Thomas Sowell
born 1930American economist, social theorist, political philosopher and author
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Ralph Hosmer
1874–1963Hawaii's first territorial forester; head of the Department of Forestry at Cornell University
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
The town’s pick
Town Square →Who’s the most famous person from Ithaca?
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Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Close by, Danby counts 2 famous people, the most of its neighbours.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Ithaca 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 (22)
- David Foster Wallace: Steve Rhodes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alex Haley: University of Texas at Arlington Photograph Collection, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Susan Kare: Cooper Hewitt, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Margaret Geller: ServiceAT, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kyle Dake: National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dustin Brown: JulieAndSteve, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Caryn Davies: DRPeterJDavies, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Eugene Schuyler: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Louis Agassiz Fuertes: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tim Sale: Rootology, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alison Jolly: Andrew Chase, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Frederick Millspaugh: Field Museum of Natural History, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- George Dyson: Cirone-Musi (Festival della Scienza)Colours and editing by the uploader, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Steve Silberman: Peter, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jim Marshall: Office of the United States Institute of Peace, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ray June: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Vladimir Nabokov: Walter Mori (Mondadori Publishers), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Roald Hoffmann: . The original uploader was Xtreambar at English Wikipedia., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Sowell: Internet Archive Book Images, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jon Kleinberg: Gert-Martin Greuel, Copyright is MFO, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, Wikimedia Commons
- David Palmer: David_Palmer_Squash_Player.jpg: stevecubbins derivative work: Arteyu ? Blame it on me !, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Irving G. Vann: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons