Politics · 1904–1971
Ralph Bunchediplomat, political scientistThe first Black Nobel laureate (Peace, 1950) was born in Detroit's Delray neighborhood and spent most of his early childhood in the city.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
- 21 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
22 people
Clear filtersPolitics · 1904–1971Ralph Bunchediplomat, political scientistThe first Black Nobel laureate (Peace, 1950) was born in Detroit's Delray neighborhood and spent most of his early childhood in the city.
Music · 1935–1998Sonny Bonosinger, songwriter, producer, politicianDetroit-born half of Sonny & Cher, who later became mayor of Palm Springs and a U.S. congressman; the family left Michigan for California when he was a boy.
Sports · born 1943Dave Bingbasketball player, businessman, politicianHall of Fame Pistons guard of 1966–1975 who built a Detroit steel company after his playing days and served as the city's 74th mayor from 2009 to 2014.
Sports · 1931–2017Jim Bunningbaseball pitcher, later U.S. SenatorHall of Fame pitcher who spent nine seasons with the Tigers, throwing a no-hitter and a 20-win season, before a Hall of Fame career and later the U.S. Senate.
Politics · born 1964Dave Bratpolitician, economist, diplomatEconomics professor and Virginia congressman who unseated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in 2014; born in Detroit and raised in Alma, Michigan.
Politics · born 1954Suzanne Bonamicilawyer, politicianDetroit-born lawyer who has represented Oregon's 1st congressional district, covering western Portland and its suburbs, since 2012.
Politics · born 1942James Blanchardlawyer, congressman, governor of Michigan, diplomatDetroit-born, Ferndale-raised Democrat who led the 1979 Chrysler loan guarantee through Congress and governed Michigan through the 1980s recovery (1983–1991).
Politics · 1814–1892Henry P. Baldwinshoe merchant, banker, governor of Michigan, U.S. senatorDetroit boot and shoe wholesaler and banker who built St. John's Episcopal Church on Woodward, served as governor (1869–1873) and gave Hazen Pingree his first Detroit job.
Politics · born 1945David Boniorpolitician, labor advocateDetroit-born Macomb County congressman (1977–2003) who rose to House Democratic whip and led labor's fight against NAFTA.
Politics · born 1977Jocelyn Bensonlawyer, law school dean, Michigan secretary of stateElection-law scholar who came to Detroit to clerk for Judge Damon Keith, became the youngest woman to lead an accredited law school at Wayne State, and has been Michigan's secretary of state since 2019.Mary V. Becklawyer, politicianUkrainian-American lawyer of Lemko descent who in 1949 became the first woman elected to Detroit's city council and later served as its president and as acting mayor.
Politics · 1792–1859John Biddlearmy officer, mayor of Detroit, territorial delegatePhiladelphia-born officer who commanded Fort Shelby, served as Detroit's mayor in 1827–1828 and founded the estate that became the city of Wyandotte.
Politics · 1832–1881John J. Bagleytobacco manufacturer, governor of MichiganTeenage tobacco-shop apprentice who built Detroit's Mayflower Tobacco Company and became a reforming governor (1873–1877); his rediscovered statue turned up in DIA storage in 2019.
Politics · 1884–1957Charles Bowleslawyer, judge, mayor of DetroitKlan-backed candidate who nearly won the 1924 mayoral race as a write-in, later became mayor in 1930 and was recalled within six months amid charges of tolerating crime.
Business & brands · 1864–1941Philip Breitmeyerflorist, FTD co-founder, mayor of DetroitDetroit-born florist who co-founded Florists' Telegraph Delivery (FTD), served as parks commissioner and was Republican mayor in 1909–1910.
Politics · 1914–1972Cora Brownsocial worker, policewoman, lawyer, state senatorCass Tech graduate, Detroit social worker and policewoman who in 1952 became the first African American woman elected to any state senate in the United States.
Politics · 1773–1813Elijah Brushlawyer, mayor of Detroit, territorial treasurerEarly Detroit lawyer and second mayor (1806) whose ribbon farm beside the town became Brush Park; Brush Street carries his family name.
Business & brands · 1819–1875Kirkland C. Barkertobacco manufacturer, mayor of DetroitFounder of Detroit's KC Barker & Company (American Eagle Tobacco), mayor in 1864–1865, sportsman and friend of George Armstrong Custer.
Politics · 1810–1873Asher B. Bateslawyer, mayor of Detroit, Hawaiian royal officialDetroit lawyer who finished Augustus Porter's mayoral term in 1839 and later became a privy councillor and legal adviser to King Kamehameha III of Hawaii.
Politics
Bill Bazzipolitician, engineer, diplomatLebanese-born Marine veteran and Ford engineer who became mayor of Dearborn Heights in 2021 and was later appointed US ambassador to Tunisia.
Business & brands · 1810–1894Christian H. Buhlindustrialist, banker, mayor of DetroitHatter and fur trader who became one of Detroit's leading industrialists and bankers and served as mayor at the outbreak of the Civil War (1860–1861).
Business & brands · 1806–1890Frederick Buhlfurrier, businessman, mayor of DetroitHatter-turned-fur-trader who with his brother Christian built one of Detroit's great fortunes and served as mayor in 1848.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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