Elgin, Illinois

Elgin () is a city in Illinois in the United States. It is roughly 40 mi (64 km) northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 114,797. It is the sixth-largest city in Illinois. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. People from Elgin Authors and academics E.C. "Mike" Alft, historian, author, and former mayor of Elgin. Nina Burleigh, journalist and best-selling author. Paul Flory, chemist, Nobel Prize winner (1974). Lloyd Hall, chemist. Douglas J. Mink, astronomer, co-discover of the rings around the planet Uranus. John Platt, computer scientist. Tom Shales, journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner (1988). Carleton Washburne, educator, author of the Winnetka Plan. Business and invention Max Adler, vice-president of Sears & Roebuck, benefactor of Adler Planetarium. Lawrence B. Hamlin, violator of the Pure Food and Drug Act on claiming that his family's patent medicine could cure cancer. Lysander Hamlin, co-originator with John Austen Hamlin of Hamlin's Wizard Oil, father of Lawrence B. Hamlin. Jimmy John Liautaud, founder of Jimmy John's, benefactor of UIC's Liautaud Graduate School of Business. Earl "Madman" Muntz, marketer, car stereo and 4-track cartridge pioneer. James Roche, former chairman of General Motors. Media and arts Dan Andriano, musician. Bruce Boxleitner, actor. BarlowGirl, Christian rock band. Alyssa Barlow Becca Barlow Lauren Barlow Chelsea Brummet, actress. Chuck Harder, radio talk show host. John Austen Hamlin, magician, brother of Lysander Hamlin. Matt Hoffman, Big brother 12. Charles Ingalls, father of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie) spent part of his childhood in the nearby Campton Township. Laurence Kaptain, international performer/recording artist, and Dean, College of Music and Dramatic Arts, Louisiana State University. William LeBaron, playwright, movie producer. David Otunga, Harvard educated lawyer, reality show contestant on VH1's I Love New York 2, fiance of singer/actress Jennifer Hudson. Jane Peterson, painter and artist. John Qualen, actor. David Strackany, folk singer-songwriter aka Paleo, born in Elgin Military Harry Chamberlin, Brigadier General, equestrian, Olympic gold medalist (1932). Politics Ray Barnhart, Texas Republican politician Peter Fitzgerald, United States Senator (R-IL). Sports Charlene Barnett (1928-1979), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player and member of three champion teams. Brian Oldfield (born 1945), Olympic shot putter. Flynn Robinson (born 1941), basketball player for the Cincinnati Royals, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Baltimore Bullets. References