Ed Gordonathletics competitor, later science teacher1932 Olympic long jump gold medalist who settled in Detroit later in life, earned a delayed college degree at Wayne State University, and taught science there until his death.DETROIT / A living lexicon / ¼
Famous Detroiters
People who were born here, moved here or built their careers in Detroit: musicians, carmakers, athletes, writers, inventors, civil-rights leaders and a few notorious names. With their dates, their Detroit story and the places where they lived, worked and played, closed ones included.
- 1,949 famous people
- 516 Detroit places
- 14 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
22 people
Clear filtersEd Gordonathletics competitor, later science teacher1932 Olympic long jump gold medalist who settled in Detroit later in life, earned a delayed college degree at Wayne State University, and taught science there until his death.
Politics · 1912–2003Martha Griffithslawyer, judge, politicianDetroit lawyer, first woman judge of the city's Recorder's Court and 20-year congresswoman who forced sex discrimination into the Civil Rights Act and pushed the ERA through the House.
Music · 1878–1936
Ossip Gabrilowitschpianist, conductor, composerRussian-born pianist who became the first music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and made the city build Orchestra Hall for it in 1919.
Sports · 1927–2016
Bill Gadsbyice hockey defenseman and coachHall of Fame defenseman who finished his career with the Red Wings, briefly coached them and spent the rest of his life in metro Detroit.Joe Girardcar salesman, author and motivational speakerDetroit east-sider who sold 13,001 Chevrolets at an Eastpointe dealership and holds the Guinness record as the world's greatest car salesman.
Religion · 1930–2024Thomas GumbletonCatholic auxiliary bishop, peace and social justice activistDetroit-born auxiliary bishop (1968–2006) and nationally known peace activist who spent decades as pastor of St. Leo's, a poor inner-city parish.
Sports · 1903–1993Charlie Gehringerbaseball player, second basemanMichigan-born Hall of Fame second baseman who played his whole 19-year career with the Tigers; his No. 2 is retired and his statue stands at Comerica Park.
Auto industry · 1881–1955
József Galambmechanical engineer, chief designer of the Ford Model THungarian engineer from Makó who became Ford's chief designer and drew up much of the Model T at the Piquette Avenue Plant.
Visual art · 1899–1973Maija Grotellceramic artist, teacherFinnish-born potter who led Cranbrook's ceramics department for 28 years and is often called the mother of American studio ceramics.
Literature · 1881–1959Edgar Guestpoet, newspaper columnist, radio and TV hostDetroit Free Press's 'People's Poet', who wrote some 11,000 homespun verses over six decades, syndicated nationally, and was Michigan's poet laureate.
Religion · 1866–1937Michael GallagherCatholic Bishop of Detroit (1918–1937)Bishop of Detroit during the boom years, who founded Sacred Heart Seminary and was the protector of radio priest Charles Coughlin.Donald GoinesnovelistDetroit-born pioneer of urban crime fiction who wrote 16 novels in five years, among them Dopefiend and Whoreson, before being murdered in Highland Park in 1974.
Politics · 1925–2016Roman Gribbslawyer, sheriff, mayor of Detroit, appeals judgePolish American prosecutor and Wayne County sheriff who was mayor in 1970–1974, created the notorious STRESS police unit, and was Detroit's last white mayor until 2014.
Politics · 1873–1953Alexander J. Groesbecklawyer, attorney general, governor of MichiganMacomb County-born Detroit lawyer who as governor (1921–1927) paved Michigan's roads with concrete; Groesbeck Highway is named after him and he is buried at Woodlawn.Morris Goodmanmolecular evolutionistWayne State University scientist whose protein and DNA comparisons showed how closely humans are related to chimpanzees and gorillas.
Press & broadcasting · 1917–1977Lou Gordontelevision interviewer, columnist, political reporterCombative Detroit TV interviewer whose Lou Gordon Program on WKBD (1966–1977) drew George Romney's 1967 'brainwashing' remark that sank his presidential hopes.Johnny GriffithkeyboardistDetroit-born Funk Brothers keyboardist who played the electric piano on "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and the organ on "Stop! In the Name of Love".Snow Flake Grigsbycivil rights activist, postal worker and trade unionistSouth Carolina-born postal worker who campaigned for five decades in Detroit for fair hiring and housing for Black residents through mass protest and community organizing.Gary Grimshawgraphic artist, rock poster designer, light-show artistLincoln Park–raised poster artist who designed the Grande Ballroom's very first poster in 1966 and gave Detroit's rock revolution its psychedelic look.Russ Gibbconcert promoter, disc jockey, teacherDearborn schoolteacher and DJ who opened the Grande Ballroom in 1966, turning a faded dance hall into the Midwest's most important rock stage.Earle Graserradio actorDetroit-raised Wayne University graduate who was the voice of the Lone Ranger on WXYZ from 1933 until his death in a Farmington car crash in 1941.
Business & brands · 1834–1894Stephen Benedict Grummondshipowner, marine industrialist, mayor of DetroitSt. Clair River sailor who built a Great Lakes shipping empire from Detroit, including the largest tug and wrecking business on the lakes, and was mayor in 1884–1885.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own. Famous people's places among the sights ↗
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