National Leaders
with roots in
DuPage County

Born on a farm in DuPage County, he lived in Wheaton until he was 51, during which time he was recognized as one of the foremost lawyers in Illinois. Because he served as DuPage County Judge, he was known even to Presidents as "Judge Gary." At the turn of the century, with New York financier J. Pierpont Morgan, he founded the United States Steel Corporation, America's first billion dollar corporation, of which he was chief executive until his death in 1928.

Born on a farm near present day West Chicago, Gates became a central figure in the development of the United States' agriculture, railroads, and industry. In 1901, he financed the drilling of one of the nation's first oil wells, Spindletop, in Texas. Gates founded the Texaco Oil Company.

After graduating from Wheaton College, Graham went on to become the foremost Christian evangelist in the world today. His famous Crusades have attracted millions and have been held on every continent. In the autumn of 1980, the Billy Graham Center was opened on the Wheaton College campus.

The nation's all time All American in football, even half a century after his playing days, is still a beloved sports hero. At the University of Illinois, Grange became the first nationally known football player, attracting millions of new fans both to college football and later to professional football. George Halas, storied owner of the Chicago Bears, often said, "Red Grange is our greatest football player. There will never be another." Grange's code of sportsmanship is reflected in the Football Philosopy of the Wheaton-Warrenville South High School Tigers.

Former owner and publisher of The Chicago Tribune. He held a Distinguished Service Medal for service in the United States Army in France during World War I. His Cantigny estate in Winfield, including his home and flower gardens, are open to the public.

A pioneer during the early years of radio, Mitchell announced the national Farm and Home Hour over NBC for 35 years. He earned enduring fame for his greeting, "It's a beautiful day in Chicago and I hope it is even more beautiful wherever you are," which cheered millions, especially during the depths of the depression and throughout World War II.

Taylor's translations of the Bible into the language of today began as a project to help his children better understand the Scriptures. His paraphrase of the Bible under the title of The Living Bible has sold more than 32 million copies, a record in the history of religious publication. Taylor still lives in Wheaton.

Inventor of the radio telescope, Reber built the first telescope in Wheaton with his own money. Reber has mapped the southern skies for NASA and is currently working on a map for the Northern hemisphere. The distinguished scientist now lives in Tasmania, an island off the south coast of Australia, because it is one of the best locations on earth to continue his research of our solar system.

One of the world's foremost baritones, Milnes was born and raised in Downers Grove and earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Drake University. Milnes has appeared in all the major opera houses around the world, but at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, he has performed sixteen new productions, ten national telecasts, and seven opening nights. Winner of multiple Grammy awards, he is the most recorded American opera singer.

Landon is the author of the popular book, Anna and the King of Siam translated into more than 24 languages. Her story was made into two motion pictures, a TV series, and a hit Broadway musical as The King and I. She was a graduate of Wheaton College, and after 10 years in Siam as the wife of a missionary, she moved back to Wheaton, where she began writing Anna and the King of Siam.

One of America's most outstanding astronomers, born in Missouri, Hubble grew up and graduated from Wheaton schools. As an astronomer he became noted for his outstanding contributions in the study of the universe. After classifying the various kinds of galaxies while at Mount Wilson Observatory, he discovered that the more distant a galaxy was from the earth, the greater its speed of recession, the discovery which became known as "Hubble's Law." According to a recent TIME magazine article, Edwin Hubble ranks as one of the 100 most influential people of the last century.

The Morton Arboretum, the largest in the Midwest and internationally famous for its collection of trees, shrubs, and vines, was founded in 1922 by Joy Morton (1855-1934), a wealthy and noted businessman. He headed the company now bearing his name and became known as America's salt king. His estate in the East DuPage River Valley is the site of the Arboretum, enjoyed by thousands of visitors annually.