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Famous People
Dearborn’s namesake
 Major Gen. Henry Dearborn
Dearborn and Dearborn Heights are named after a Revolutionary War and War of
1812 hero: Major General Henry Dearborn (1751-1829), a patriot who played many
important roles in the early years of the United States.
Dearborn was a physician who answered the call to the service of his country as
a minuteman, then as an officer in George Washington’s army during the American
Revolution.
Later, he served for eight years as the secretary of war in the cabinet of
President Thomas Jefferson. During the War of 1812, he was the senior major
general in charge of the U.S. Army. Later, he served as the U.S. minister to
Portugal.
Other places bearing his name are Dearborn, Mo., and Dearborn County, Ind.
Chicago’s original name was Fort Dearborn.
The name Dearborn Heights was first used, according to available records, for a
Dearborn neighborhood association on the far west end of the city (the Dearborn
Heights Civic Association). The name dates to at least the late 1940s. Maurine
(Mrs. Walter) Williams is credited, according to early records, with being the
one who suggested the name Dearborn Heights for the new city.
Local famous people
 Henry Ford
Henry Ford was born in 1863 in a farmhouse that stood literally where the
Greenfield Road bridge over the eastbound lanes of Ford Road is now.
He attended the Scotch Settlement School and Miller School. As a young adult, he
moved to Detroit, where he eventually became chief engineer of what is today
Detroit Edison.
His rise to automotive fame began in 1896, when in a shed near his Detroit home
he built his first motor vehicle, the quadricycle, a combination bicycle and
buggy.
After two unsuccessful attempts at producing and marketing a Ford car, he
finally found the right combination of financing and partners to create the Ford
Motor Co. in 1903.
The first production plant was a small wooden building on Mack Avenue. He
introduced the Model T, the car which would change the face of history, in 1909.
In 1914, Ford instituted the then-startling idea of paying $5 per day to his
workers. Also that year, work began on Ford’s famous home, Fair Lane. It was
completed the following year.
In 1917, he opened the Rouge Eagle boat plant, which became the first part of
the massive Rouge complex.
Henry Ford died on April 7, 1947, at his home during one of the worst floods in
city history. The high waters of the Rouge River knocked out power to his house,
leaving him with the legacy of having been born by candlelight and having died
by candlelight.
Orville L. Hubbard
 Orville Liscumb Hubbard, Dearborn’s famed mayor, is one of the longest-serving
mayors of a large city in the history of the U.S., serving 1942-78.
He was born April 2, 1903, and raised on a farm near Union City, Mich.
Hubbard’s election in 1941 as mayor of Dearborn was his first successful
campaign in nine attempts in nine years for various offices: three times for
mayor of Dearborn, three times for state Senate and once each for Congress,
Dearborn City Council and township justice of the peace.
Hubbard was appointed Michigan assistant attorney general in 1940.
When Hubbard took office as mayor, he began a reign that would become legendary.
Hubbard’s failed attempts during his tenure are about as fantastic as his
successes.
Because of Hubbard, the city has Camp Dearborn, Dearborn Towers, an extensive
city parks system and numerous city services many other communities could only
dream about.
Hubbard also several times tried to create a much larger suburban city, eyeing
consolidations ranging from a four-city merger of Dearborn, Dearborn Heights,
Allen Park and Melvindale to most of suburban Wayne County. He also sought a
heliport for Dearborn, seriously looked at buying the Ambassador Bridge and
Detroit-Windsor Tunnel for the city and building a new Detroit Lions stadium
where Fairlane North is now.
Hubbard was elected mayor 15 times, his last in 1973. He suffered a massive
stroke Nov. 3, 1974. For the remainder of Hubbard’s term, the City Council
president served as mayor pro tem, running the city on a day-to-day basis.
Hubbard died Dec. 16, 1982. A statue of him stands outside Dearborn City Hall.
Also of Note
Michael Adray: Local philanthropist Michael Adray was the founder of Adray
Appliance, Photo and Sound Center in west Dearborn. He made numerous generous
contributions to local sports and arts programs and funded the Adray League
amateur baseball circuits.
Michael Berry: Berry, a prominent Dearborn lawyer, was a longtime chairman of
the Wayne County Road Commission. To honor him, the county named Metro Airport’s
international terminal the Michael Berry International Terminal when it was
built in 1974.
John Dahlinger: In 1977, John Dahlinger claimed he was Henry Ford’s illegitimate
son. His mother was Evangeline Cote Dahlinger, who allegedly had a 12-year
affair with Henry Ford beginning in the 1920s.
Robert F. Griffin: U.S. senator from Michigan and a 1941 graduate of Fordson
High School.
Ralph Guy Jr.: The Fordson High School graduate was a U.S. 6th Circuit Court of
Appeals judge.
Marian Illitch: The Fordson High School graduate and her husband, Mike, own
Little Caesars, the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Red Wings, the Fox Theatre and
Detroit’s Second City, among other properties.
Walter Reuther: The famed president of the United Auto Workers Union is a
graduate of Fordson High School.
Pvt. Eddie Slovak: Slovak, an Army private, was the last U.S. soldier to be
executed for desertion. He was executed on January 31, 1945 in France on orders
of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. His body was returned here in 1987 and buried
in Woodmere Cemetery next to his wife, Antoinette.
Edward A. “Eddie” Stintson: Edward A. “Eddie” Stintson was an aviation pioneer
and leader from Dearborn. He died Jan. 24, 1932, after his plane crashed into a
flagpole while making a forced landing in Chicago.
Authors/Photographers
Richard Bak: One of the most prolific book writers about Detroit-area sports,
Bak, a Dearborn resident, has written numerous books on various aspects of
Detroit sports and history in general.
J. Ross Baughman: Baughman won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography.
He grew up in Dearborn in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He at one time was a
Dearborn Guide photographer. He now works for the Washington Times.
James Finn Garner: Divine Child High School graduate, former resident of
Dearborn, author of the popular “Politically Correct Bedtime Stories” and
several sequels and other books.
Gary Paul Gates: Gates, a 1953 graduate of Fordson High School, was the author
of “Air Time: The Inside Story of CBS” (1978) and co-author with Dan Rather of
“The Palace Guard” (1975).
William Kienzle: This famed mystery writer, author of such books as “The Rosary
Murders,” used to be a pastor at St. Anselm Catholic Church in Dearborn Heights.
W.D. Snodgrass: This one-time Dearborn resident won the Pulitzer Prize for
poetry in 1960 for “Heart’s Needle.” He also wrote more than 20 books on poetry.
Local Mayors
Springwells/Fordson:
1925-28: Joseph M. Karmann
1928-29: Floyd Yinger
Dearborn: (Old)
1927-29: Clyde M. Ford
Dearborn: (Modern)
1929-36: Clyde M. Ford
1936-42: John Carey
1942-78: Orville Hubbard
1978-86: John B. O’Reilly
1986-present: Michael A. Guido
Dearborn Heights
1963-75: John L. Canfield
1984-86: Wesley Tennant
1975-78: John Harris
1978-80: Frank B. Swapka
1980-84: Donald Bishop
1986-92: Lyle Van Houten
1992-2003: Ruth Canfield
2004-present: Dan Paletko
Record Setters
Rick Byrnes: Byrnes, a Dearborn resident, set a world land speed record four
times for a one-mile run from a standing start. In 1997, he went in excess of
205 mph.
Dennis Martz: Martz, a Dearborn Heights resident, set the world’s stair-climbing
record June 26, 1978, by climbing the 1,600 stairs at the Plaza Hotel at the
Renaissance Center in 10 minutes, 24.5 seconds. The current accepted record is
1,336 stairs in 6 minutes, 55 seconds set in 1989.
S. Leroy Manning: S. LeRoy Manning of Dearborn set a world speed record for
tri-motor planes Sept. 29, 1930. His speed was 164.43 mph over a 100-kilometer
course at Ford Airport. He was the chief test pilot and operations manager for
the Ford Motor Co. Airplane Division at the time.
Dr. Jean Piccard: Dr. Jean Piccard and his wife, Jeannette, Oct. 23, 1934, set a
world record for height reached by a human, soaring up 10 miles in a Dow-metal
gondola of their stratosphere balloon. They launched from Ford Airport about
where the north side of Stout Middle School is now.
Kevin St. Onge: St. Onge, a Dearborn Heights resident, set a world record in
playing-card throwing June 12, 1979. He threw one 185 feet, 1 inch. This broke
his old record of 172 feet, set in 1978. The current record is 201 feet, set in
1992.
Hattie E. Wordon: Worden, 57, tried in fall 1948 to be the first woman to fly
around the world alone. She was a Canadian citizen living in Dearborn at the
time. She mortgaged her boat and Marvin Street home to buy the plane. She only
made it to the East Coast, flying from Dearborn to Ottawa to St. John to
Portland in November. There, the U.S. government impounded her plane, claiming
federal regulations prohibited non-citizens from owning or registering airplanes
in this country. Her choices were to find an American citizen who would register
the plane in his or her name or sell the plane outright. She sold the plane.
School Namesakes
(Note: Some schools were named for entire local pioneer families: Brainard,
Coonville, Daly, Dort, Miller, Roulo, Thayer, Whitmore, Bolles, etc.)
Ray Adams: Longtime Dearborn school superintendent.
Lafayette Allen Sr.: Believed to be the first African American in the country to
open, own and operate his own supermarket.
Iris Becker: Longtime Dearborn schoolteacher and city activist.
Oakley W. Best: Longtime District 7 superintendent.
Clara Bryant: Henry Ford’s wife.
William H. Clark: First president of the village of Dearborn 1893-95.
Leo DuVall: Longtime principal of his namesake school.
Thomas Edison: Famed inventor and close friend of Henry Ford.
Fred C. Fischer: Superintendent of Wayne County Schools 1946-54.
Edsel B. Ford: Henry Ford’s lone son.
Henry Ford: (See above.)
William Ford: Henry Ford’s father.
Clara B. Ford: Henry Ford’s wife.
Henry A. Haigh: Active early citizen and considered city’s first historian.
Col. Joshua Howard: First commander of the Detroit Arsenal. Howard is credited
with suggesting the name Dearborn for this area.
Louis B. Howe: Early active citizen and politician.
David B. Lapham: Established Dearborn’s first bank in 1896, a precursor to
today’s Comerica Bank.
Charles A. Lindbergh: Famed aviator and one of few schools in Dearborn or
Dearborn Heights named for someone with no direct local connection.
Samuel B. Long: Longtime director of Dearborn Board of Education and early
settler.
Harvey Lowrey: Longtime school superintendent 1922-46.
Fred C. Maples: Popular Fordson school board member and civic leader.
George T. Martin: Longtime Dearborn judge and valedictorian of Fordson’s first
graduating class.
John B. McDonald: Member of pioneer family of east Dearborn.
Leslie J. McNair: World War II hero killed in action.
John L. Mokersky: Longtime Dearborn Township and Dearborn Heights Justice of the
Peace.
William A. Nowlin: Early settler, author of “The Bark Covered House,” written
for nation’s centennial in 1876 depicting early life here.
Robert Oakman: Early land developer in northeast Dearborn and west Detroit.
Hamilton J. Robichaud: Longtime superintendent of Dearborn District No. 8
(Westwood).
Franklin D. Roosevelt: Former president of the United States.
Harry A. Salisbury: Longtime teacher, principal of Dearborn High School.
Ora Lynn Smith: Longtime active Dearborn school attorney and civic leader.
Edward Snow: Early physician and civic leader.
William B. Stout: Early aviator and founder of Stout Air Services, designer of
famed Ford Tri-Motor plane.
Conrad Ten Eyck: An early settler here, he operated a tavern in the early 1800s
at Michigan Avenue and the Rouge River. It was a regular stop for travelers
heading to and from Detroit. The state’s nickname, Wolverines, is credited with
being coined at his saloon.
William Thorne: Longtime township clerk and state representative.
John H. Tomlinson: Popular Dearborn District 8 (Westwood) school board
treasurer.
John Wallace: Early landowner who donated original building and land for first Wallaceville School in 1824.
Edith Wellever: Longtime teacher at Brainard School.
Albert Woodworth: Member of pioneer farmer in east Dearborn..
Sports Figures
(Due to space limitations, we are only including people with Dearborn or
Dearborn Heights ties who at one time played professionally in major sports,
participated in the Olympics or had similar noteworthy sporting achievements.)
Tom Anastos: This Fordson High School graduate spent one season with the
Montreal Canadiens organization. He is now commissioner of the Central
Collegiate Hockey Association.
Ryan Anderson: This Divine Child High School graduate was on the Seattle
Mariners roster as a relief pitcher for 2001, but was placed on the disabled
list for the year before the season started. He was a first-round draft pick in
1997 for Seattle.
Frankie Andreu: Andreu, a Dearborn High School graduate, was a cyclist on the
1988 and 1996 U.S. Olympic teams and raced several times in the Tour de France.
He was an alternate for the 2000 U.S. Olympic cycling team.
Tyji Armstrong: Armstrong, a Robichaud High School graduate, played tight end
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1992-95), Dallas Cowboys (1996) and St. Louis Rams
(1998). He played for the Chicago Enforcers in the XFL during its only season in
2000.
Jamie Arnold: Arnold, a Dearborn native, is a right-handed pitcher for the San
Francisco Giants (2001-present). He also played for the Chicago Cubs (2000) and
the Los Angeles Dodgers (1999-2000).
Ed Bagdon: The 1944 Fordson High School graduate was a guard and linebacker for
the Chicago Cardinals (1950-51) and the Washington Redskins (1952). While at
Michigan State University, he won the 1949 Outland Trophy as the nation’s top
lineman.
Bill Behm: A Dearborn resident, Behm was a longtime trainer for the Detroit
Tigers during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He was part of the World Champion
baseball teams of 1968 and 1984.
C. King Boring: Well-known for his local recreational involvement, Boring was
also the one-time owner of the Detroit Gems, a forerunner to the Los Angeles
Lakers, and the Vagabond Kings, a semi-professional basketball team that at one
time was a member of the National Basketball League, a forerunner to the NBA.
Jim Bunning: This popular Baseball Hall-of-Fame Detroit Tiger pitcher (1955–63)
was a one-time resident of the Dearborn Highlands neighborhood. He also pitched
for Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh through 1971. He is now a U.S.
senator for Kentucky.
Norm Cash: The longtime Detroit Tiger first-baseman lived in Dearborn during his
many years with the baseball team. He played for the Chicago White Sox 1958-59
and the Tigers 1960-74.
Jeff Chadwick: The Divine Child High School graduate was a wide receiver for the
Detroit Lions (1983-89), the Seattle Seahawks (1989-91) and the Los Angeles Rams
(1992).
Jim Cummins: The Edsel Ford High School graduate plays right wing for the
Anaheim Mighty Ducks (2000-present). He also played for NHL clubs in Montreal
(1999-2000). Phoenix (1997-99), Chicago (1994-95, 1995-98), Tampa Bay (1993-94,
1995-96), Philadelphia (1993-94), Atlanta (1993-94) and Detroit (1991-93).
Gary Danielson: The Divine Child High School graduate was a quarterback for 13
years in the NFL: for the Detroit Lions (1976-84) and the Cleveland Browns
(1985-88). He also played for New York Stars, Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Wind
during one season in the defunct World Football League (1974-75). He is a
football commentator for ABC Sports after several years on ESPN.
Tom Dohring: The Divine Child High School graduate was the eighth-round draft
pick for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1991. The offensive tackle played for the
Chiefs in 1992.
Jim Eliopulos: Eliopulos, born in Dearborn April 18, 1959, played football for
St. Louis in 1983 and the New York Jets in 1983-85.
Robert W. Goodenow: A Dearborn High School graduate, Goodenow is the executive
director of the National Hockey League Players Association.
Jon Hamood: Hamood, a Fordson High School graduate, played basketball for the
Houston Rockets.
Robert Herndon: Early land developer and founder of Dearborn Hills Golf Course,
now so named in his honor.
Mike Jolly: Jolly, a Sacred Heart High School alumnus, played safety for the
Green Bay Packers (1980, 1982-83). He was the New Orleans Saints 4th round draft
choice in 1980.
Leit Jones: Jones, a Robichaud High School graduate and now school’s principal,
played offensive guard for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football
League.
Fred A. Knorr: Fred A. Knorr, former owner of station WKMH (now WNIC), was
part-owner of the Detroit Tigers 1956-60. This allowed Dearborn’s WKMH to be the
flagship radio station for the ball club for a time.
Derek Lowe: The Edsel Ford High School graduate is a right-handed pitcher for
the Boston Red Sox (1997-present). He pitched for the Seattle Mariners in 1997,
and pitched the Red Sox to their first World Series victory in 85 years in 2005.
Phil (Dutch) Marion: A player with the NFL Detroit Panthers in 1925-26, Marion
died at age 83 in Dearborn in 1985.
Bill McCartney: McCartney, a former football and basketball coach at Divine
Child High School, coached the Colorado University football team to the 1990
national championship. He is founder of the religious group Promise Keepers.
Barney McCoskey: McCoskey lived in Dearborn during the 1940 and 1950s. He played
for the Detroit Tigers 1939-53 and for the Philadelphia Athletics, the Cleveland
Indians and the Cincinnati Reds.
“Kid” McCoy: Young “Kid” McCoy, aka Adam Pianga, a Fordson High School graduate,
was a state-champion welterweight boxer who was defeated for the national title
in the 1940s.
Frank Miotke: A wide receiver for the Houston Oilers in 1991, Miotke was born in
Dearborn Dec. 22, 1965.
Joe Nagi: Nagi was the first Dearborn resident and the first person from
Michigan to swim the English Channel. He did so in 17 hours, 3 minutes on Sept.
30, 1964.
Van Patrick: A one-time resident of Dearborn, Van Patrick was the longtime
announcer for the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Lions and University of Michigan
football. He and Red Barber did the first television broadcast of a World Series
game in 1948.
Brian Rafalski: This Dearborn native, born Sept. 28, 1973, is a defenseman with
the New Jersey Devils (1999-present). He is scheduled to be on the U.S. Olympic
hockey team in 2002.
Russ Reader: A Dearborn High School graduate, Reader was a halfback for the
Chicago Bears in 1947.
Mike Rucinski: Rucinski, a graduate of Dearborn High School, played defense for
the NHL Carolina Hurricanes 1997-99 and 2000-01. He was the Hartford Whalers 8th
round draft choice in 1995.
Tom Saidock: Saidock, a graduate of Fordson High School, was a tackle for the
Philadelphia Eagles (1957) and a defensive tackle for the New York Titans
(1960-61) and Buffalo Bills (1962).
Norbert Schemansky: Schemansky, a longtime Dearborn resident, won medals in
weightlifting in the Olympics four times, including a gold medal in 1952.
Jim Snyder: Snyder, a Fordson High School graduate, played for the Minnesota
Twins (1961-62, 1964) and was manager of the Seattle Mariners (1988).
Pete Stoyanovich: The Crestwood High School graduate is a kicker for the St.
Louis Rams (2000-present). He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs (1996-2000)
and the Miami Dolphins 1989-95.
Chris Tamer: The Crestwood High School graduate is a defenseman for the NHL
Atlanta Thrashers (1999-present). He also played for New York Rangers (1998-99)
and Pittsburgh Penguins (1993-98, 1998-99). He was Pittsburgh’s 3rd round draft
pick in 1990.
Gary Wayne: The Crestwood High School graduate was a left-handed pitcher for the
Minnesota Twins (1989-92), the Colorado Rockies (1993) and the Los Angeles
Dodgers (1994).
Tyrone Wheatley: The Robichaud High School graduate is a running back for the
Oakland Raiders (1999-present). He played for the New York Giants 1995-98.
Performing Arts
Edward Alexander: B: May 2, 1886, D: Aug. 15, 1962 in Dearborn. Hollywood actor
1913-20, including “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (1913).
Tom DeCerchio: DeCerchio, a graduate of Dearborn High School, directed the
motion picture “Celtic Pride,” among five other lesser-known major films.
William Dear: Fordson High School graduate, Hollywood director since 1975,
directing credits include “Harry and the Hendersons,” “Angels in the Outfield”
and “Wild America.” He also is a Hollywood writer and producer.
Chantel Dubay: B: Nov. 12, 1968, in Dearborn, one of the models on “The Price Is
Right” 1996-99. She also played Veronica in the movie “Rush Week.”
Chad Everett: B: June 11, 1936, as Raymond Cramton, Fordson High School
graduate, has a Hollywood career dating almost 40 years. He is best known as
star of the CBS television series “Medical Center” (1969-73).
Art James: Television game show host Art James is a graduate of Fordson High
School. Among the game shows he hosted were “Blank Check” and “Magnificent
Marble Machine.” He also appeared in the movies “Mall Rats” and “Felony.”
Don Matheson: B: Aug. 5, 1929 in Dearborn, actor starred in several movies and
television series, including as Mark Wilson in “Land of the Giants” and in movie
“Dragonfight” (1990).
George Peppard: B: Oct. 1, 1928 in Dearborn, Dearborn High School
graduate. Known for his TV role "Hannibal" from the show "A-Team" (1983-1987)
Most famous movie Breakfest at Tiffany's.
Suzanne Sena: Suzanne Sena (formerly Suzanne Woronchak), an Edsel Ford High
School graduate, is a correspondant on E! Entertainment cable network’s “E!
Daily News” and is featured on that network’s “Celebrity Homes.”
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