Pittsburgh Notables

The Pittsburgh area has produced some amazing people. Whether by birth or circumstance, those who have experienced Pittsburgh long enough to call it home know its power to nurture, especially in close-knit neighborhoods like Polish Hill and the Serbian South Side. Working-class blood still pulses in Pittsburgh's veins, and its ethnic enclaves provide daily reminders of the immigrant backs and brawn that made this city work.

Still, although Pittsburgh is home to prestigious educational and arts institutions and counts many philanthropists and research scientists, lawyers, and other professionals among its population, the misconception lingers that the town's blue-collar roots are its only ones. A list of famous people associated with Pittsburgh would have to include:

Actors: F. Murray Abraham, Sharon Stone, Shirley Jones, Michael Keaton

Artists: Mary Cassatt, Andy Warhol, Philip Pearlstein

Authors: George S. Kaufman, Annie Dillard, Rachel Carson, August Wilson

Baseball players: Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente

Composers: Stephen Foster, Henry Mancini, Samuel Barber

Children's-show host: Fred "Mister" Rogers

Dancers: Martha Graham, Gene Kelly, and Paul Taylor

Entrepreneurs: Carnegie, Frick, Henry J. Heinz, and George Westinghouse

Film producer: David O. Selznick

Musicians: Erroll Garner, Billy Strayhorn, Earl "Fatha" Hines, George Benson

Quarterbacks: Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, and Dan Marino

Singers: Lena Horne, Patty Lupone, and Christina Aguilera