This Is My Home: Famous Philadelphians Through the Ages (Part One)
Almost every city in America, down to the smallest hamlets, can claim their hometown heroes. When a city is a.) very large, or b.) very old, it generally fosters a LOT of famous people. Philadelphia, being both big and about as old as it gets, is a city that has birthed many a famous athlete, actor, politician, activist, or other celebrity through its hundreds of years of existence.
This list is far from exhaustive, but will hopefully teach you a little bit about some of Philly’s best-known children. Let’s start with some of the city’s best-known businessmen!
Business
- Amar Bose – founder of Bose, professor and lifelong donor to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- David L. Cohen – Executive Vice President of Comcast, businessman, attorney, and local political figure
- Kenneth Frazier – CEO of Merck & Co. Came up through the company as an attorney helping lead the pharmaceutical giant’s defense of the drug Vioxx.
- Solomon R. Guggenheim – philanthropist and art collector, best known for establishing the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City.
- John Leamy – colonial merchant who pioneered trade with Spanish Empire; founder of the Insurance Company of North America and the Hibernian Society
- Jim Murray – co-founder, Ronald McDonald House Charities; former general manager, Philadelphia Eagles, sports promoter and marketer
- Pat Olivieri – founder of Pat’s King of Steaks, may or may not be the person who invented the cheesesteak sandwich
- Felix Rappaport – CEO of Foxwoods Resort & Casino, casino entrepreneur in Las Vegas for four decades
- Justus Strawbridge and John Wanamaker – eponymous department store founders and early marketing pioneers
- William Wrigley Jr. – “chewing gum industrialist;” founder of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
As people of business, these men helped to shape not just Philadelphia, but the country we live in today. Keep reading to enjoy later installments of “Famous Philadelphians” in lots of other fields!
