Today I am asking you a favor. Please name a few of your favorite Americans over our last 250 years. One or two would be wonderful.
People to celebrate.
Here are a few of mine:
Eleanor Roosevelt, FDR, George O’Keeffe, Jackie Robinson, Jonas Salk, Barbara Jordan, Dwight Eisenhower, Judy Collins, Thomas Paine, Leonard Bernstein, James Baldwin, Edward R. Morrow, Rosa Parks, Abraham Lincoln, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Carter, Renee Good, Alex Pretti, John Lewis, MLK, Pete Seeger, Mark Rothko, Frederick Douglass, and Gutzon Borglum (the sculptor who created Mt. Rushmore).
The idea comes from my sparkling friend Joan Chandler in her July 4th blog. You can read her list and her brief post by clicking on the link.
There was a time when “naming names” referred to U.S. Congressmen who served on the House Committee on Un-American Activities in the 1940s and ’50s.
The members requested that Hollywood actors, writers, producers, and others identify prominent associates, including close friends, who attended left-wing meetings or joined the Communist Party.
Those who refused to do what the panel demanded, movie stars among them, suffered blacklisting. Being on such lists prevented them from finding work, practicing their craft, displaying their talent, and making a living.
It did not matter that Communism had been popular in the United States during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when the economy collapsed, and some believed democracy and capitalism failed them.
McCarthyism became a simultaneous anticommunist force, fueling fear and promoting loyalty oaths to establish patriotic citizenship. According to AI, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy and his cronies often made “baseless, sensationalized accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason, particularly concerning alleged communist infiltration.”
The 1950s were called the period of the Red Scare, referring to suspected communists as Reds.
Today is a different day, and the first iteration of the Red Scare is over, though serpents are not hard to find.
Let us praise and celebrate those Americans who have brought us honor thus far, 250 years since our founding.
Please allow me to add to my list a woman who fought against powerful men who made females second-class citizens, even before the Women’s Movement.
I forgot to mention her name earlier. She belongs on my roll call, for sure:
Joan Chandler.
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Freedom of Speech, the 1943 painting at the top of the page, was the first of four oil paintings titled Four Freedoms by Norman Rockwell.
Thank you, Dr. S! This took me some time, but this was fun! I’m just about to hit send as I hear the fireworks go off in my neighborhood (on the eve of July 4, 2026).
Some of my favorite Americans where were alive during my life (those I feel safe sharing here, that is, or with their first names):
I’ll list the few people I know personally or somewhat personally first, who have influenced me and/or helped me and/or been a somewhat constant positive in my life…
> Dr. Gerald Stein, PhD (met through blogs and comments, then again IRL)
> Evelyn Krieger (met through Dr. Stein’s blog initially, then hers, then online, then IRL)
> Eli (retired Naval Officer – best friend since 2024, known since 2023 from a veteran group)
> Clint (Naval Officer still serving past 20 years! – known since the 1990s through my sister)
> A few of my past therapists (won’t list them here), as they were very influential in my life – two of whom were also veterans
> A few people I knew in the Marines (won’t list them here), as they were very influential and helpful during my time of service with them
> Sally Boynton Brown (a friend who helped me through the pandemic and afterward)
> Nathaniel Boehme (a mentor who helped me through the pandemic by helping me stay active academically, and who also helped me learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion among the veteran population).
> About 4 or more pastors (won’t list them here, but there were specific times that they have been lifesavers to me)
> A few college professors (won’t list them here), who were helpful during a time I was a student and/or their mentee.
Presidents, Vice President, and First Lady/Former Secretary of State:
> President Barack Obama (2009–2017)
> President Joe Biden (2021–2025)
> Vice President Kamala Harris (2021-2025)
> President Bill Clinton (1993–2001)
> First Lady and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Famous American person who worked with our government, was an American China scholar, and had spoken years later of his diagnosis of Multiple Personality Disorder (which is now known as Dissociative Identity Disorder)
> Robert Bromley Oxnam (December 14, 1942 – April 18, 2024)
Famous American person (whom I got to interact briefly online just years before he passed away, and who stated that he still used the “comma” on occasion – which is a reference from the book “Mountains Beyond Mountains” [Kidder, Tracy. Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. Random House, 2003]).
> Dr. Paul Edward Farmer, MD (October 26, 1959 – February 21, 2022), who was an American medical anthropologist and physician.
My favorite American celebrities (I have a few favorite celebrities who aren’t Americans – at least not yet, too, but I won’t list them here):
> Family and celebrities: My daughter’s adoptive mom and adoptive dad (won’t list their names here)
> Mariska Hargitay
> Mandy Patinkin and his wife Kathryn Grody
> Kevin Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick
> Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson
> Tony Shalhoub and his wife Brooke Adams
> Ainsley Seiger
> Phil Collins
> Cyndi Lauper
> Betty White
> Mark Ruffalo
> Jennifer Garner
> Laverne Cox
My favorite Americans during my childhood (worded from “childhood memories” rather than actual names):
> NASA (those who died in the 1980s; I saw them on television during school hours)
> Teachers (who helped me during times I was deeply troubled)
My favorite Americans who existed before I was born (and also perhaps afterward):
> Upton Sinclair
> Martin Luther King, Jr.
> Rosa Parks
> Thurgood Marshall
> Women’s suffrage movement: Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
> Transgender rights movement: Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera
> Dr. Ronald E. McNair* (McNair Program)
These are all I can think of at the moment. I’m sure there are more on my list.
There are also those Americans whose name I cannot remember but who were nonetheless very helpful to me during my lifetime. I hold space here to remember those persons as well. I’m sure they have continued to help others, too.
Quite a list, Gayle! I am sure that those personal connections you mentioned will be touched by your recognition of them if they see what you have written. Thank you.
Thank you, Dr. S! Your list is also quite impressive! I love your blog entries. They have helped me tremendously throughout the years – nearly a decade, if I am adding the years correctly. 🙂
You are very kind, Gayle. I would have to check back into old posts, but I suspect that 10 years is close. I appreciated your recent interest and hope you find my current blogs worthwhile. All the best to you.
I find all of your blogs worthwhile, Dr. Stein! You have created a wonderful legacy for many, including (I’m sure) your family.
Thank you, Gayle. Very sweet of you to say so.
Santo cielo! what a difficult task, especially for an European like I am, who never visited USA and was always much more culturally bound to my continent…(And notice that a great number of 20th century artists I revere expatriated to United States because of both World Wars, and took then American nationality).
Let’s try:
— Dancers Martha Graham, Isadora Duncan, Fred Astaire
— Pianists Van Cliburn, Leon Fleisher, William Kapell, Byron Janis, Earl Wild
— Violinist Michael Rabin
— Photograph Ansel Adams
— Painters Georgia O’Keefe, Edward Hopper
— Conductor Leonard Bernstein
— Composers Philip Glass, John Cage, Scott Joplin
— Writers Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, Henry James, William Faulkner, Francis S. Fitzgerald, Ray Bradbury
— Directors Joseph Mankiewicz, John Ford, Jim Jarmush, Spyke Lee, Orson Welles
— Rosa Parks
— Actors Lauren Bacall, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart
— Jazzists and singers Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Elvis Presley, Josephine Baker, Billie Holliday, Louis Armstrong, Harry Connick Jr.
Yes, I’m perfectly aware almost ALL belong to 20th century. My generation more than 21th, sorry.
Having no North American accointances at all, may I add you to my list, Dottor Stein?!!
Not many classical music lovers who I know would include John Cage, but I am pleased that you did, Micaela. You have covered much more ground than I did on my own list and I am grateful for it. Thank you!
Shame on me!
Rereading Gayle’s list, will add Martin Luther King.
Certainly, Micaela.
I’m impressed, Micaela, given that you’ve never visited the USA! Beautiful list, by the way! PS: I love some non-USA entertainers, such as Ren Gill’s music (he was born on March 29, 1990, in Bangor, Wales), Rupert Friend’s acting (esp. in Showtime’s “Homeland”; he was born on October 9, 1981, in Cambridge, England) – just to name two on my mind.
Louis Armstrong
Thank you, Joanne. I should be ashamed for not including Armstrong. Much appreciated.
Mother Jones (Mary G. Harris Jones)
Thanks, Frank. I had heard her name connected with the magazine Mother Jones, but never bothered to know more. Now I know she was an Irish Immigrant to the US and a major labor organizer and more. Thanks for the nudge to educate myself!
“Naming names” in the best possible way. Although neither of these women are famous, the first two people who came to mind were Mary Taylor and Linda Lease — my kindergarten/first grade teacher and fifth grade teacher, respectively. I was fortunate enough to remain connected to them as an adult for many years. Long enough for them to hear how they made a difference in my life…in so many ways. Thank you for this opportunity to think about them and share their names with you, Dr. Stein!
Wonderful, Vicki! You bring to mind a 5th grade teacher, Paul Friedman, who was supportive to the point of double promoting me, allowing me to skip a half year of elementary school. It is remarkable that you maintained connections with the two teachers you mentioned. I am sure they appreciated your connection.Thank you for this.
How lovely to recall your teacher, Paul Friedman! ❤️😉❤️
Frances Perkins (born Fannie Coralie Perkins; April 10, 1880[1][2] – May 14, 1965) was an American workers-rights advocate who served as the fourth United States secretary of labor from 1933 to 1945, the longest serving in that position. Wikipedia.
Heather Cox Richardson, Historian and author of the Substack Letters From an American.
Splendid additions, Lori. Both great, by any standard. Thank you!
Great list, Dr. Stein. As a young woman in Guyana, my American heroes were the political activist Angela Davis and Martin Luther King.
Thank you for reminding me of Angela Davis, Rosaliene. I am sure many of us remember Martin Luther King and wish we could find someone like him,who would help us meet the challenges of our time.
You already mentioned one, Abraham Lincoln, so I’m going to add two more: Abigail Adams and Harriet Tubman.
Important names, for sure, Edward. Thank you.
You’re very welcome.