This is a list of notable people whose lives were significantly associated with Albany County, New York.
Chronological list
edit18th century
edit- Peter Van Brugh Livingston (1710–1792), born in Albany; politician who supported the American Revolution; presiding officer of the first New York provincial congress in 1775[1]
- Philip Livingston (1716–1778), born in Albany; local merchant; delegate to the Continental Congress; signer of the Declaration of Independence[1]
- William Livingston (1723–1790), born in Albany; newspaper publisher; member of the Continental Congress; first Governor of New Jersey[1]
- Henry Bogart (1729–1821), signer of the Sons of Liberty Constitution in 1766; elected representative of the first ward on the Albany Committee of Correspondence
- Abraham Cuyler (1742–1810), born in Albany; former mayor of Albany, merchant, land owner and British loyalist
- John Tayler (1742–1829), businessman and politician; represented Albany County in the New York State Assembly (1777–1779, 1780–1781, and 1785–1787); appointed city recorder (deputy mayor) of Albany in 1793; justice of the Court of Common Pleas in 1797; represented Albany in the New York Senate 1802–1813; lieutenant governor (1811–1822); acting governor in 1817; died in Albany and is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands
- Peter W. Yates (1747–1826), lawyer and Continental Congressman; grew up in Albany and developed a prosperous legal practice there; served on the Albany City Council and in the county militia at the start of the American Revolution; represented Albany in the New York State Assembly and the Continental Congress
- Peter Gansevoort (1749–1812), colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War; born and died in Albany[1]
- Isaac Mitchell (1759–1812), born in Albany; journalist, author, and editor of the Poughkeepsie Guardian, Albany Republican Crisis, and Poughkeepsie Republican Herald[1]
- Alexander Boyd (1764–1857), U.S. congressman; born in Albany[1]
- James Cochran (1769–1848), U.S. congressman from New York; journalist; born in Albany[1]
- Jacob Cuyler (1773–1854), born in Albany; British officer involved in the settlement of the 1820 Settlers to the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Harmanus Bleecker (1779–1849), U.S. congressman; born in Albany[1]
- Herman Knickerbocker (1779–1855), U.S. congressman; born in Albany[1]
- John Duer (1782–1858), born in Albany; jurist; author; chief judge of New York Superior Court[1]
- Harmanus Peek (1782–1838), born in Albany; U.S. congressman from New York[1]
- Gerrit Y. Lansing (1783–1862), born in Albany; U.S. congressman; bank and insurance company president[1]
- John K. Kane (1795–1858), born in Albany; politician, attorney, and jurist[1]
- Joseph Henry (1797–1878), born in Albany; inventor of low- and high-resistance galvanometers; first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution[1]
- Robert Sanders (1705–1765), mayor of Albany from 1750 to 1754[2]
19th century
edit- James Montgomery Bailey (1841–1894), journalist and author; founder of newspapers Danbury News and Danbury Evening News; native of Albany[1]
- William Bliss Baker (1856–1886), landscape artist in the Realism movement
- William Barnes Sr., attorney and Republican Party organizer[3]
- Nicholas F. Beck (1796–1830), Adjutant General of New York[4][5][6]
- Herman Bendell (1843–1932), physician; Civil War surgeon; superintendent of Indian Affairs Arizona Territory; American Consul Elsinore, Denmark; native of Albany
- James H. Blessing (1837–1910), mayor of Albany from 1900 to 1901[7]
- William Henry Bogart (1810–1888), member of the New York Legislature; author[1]
- Francis Putnam Burns (1811–?), piano maker in Albany[8]
- Joseph Bradford Carr (1828–1895), born in Albany; Union Army general; Secretary of State of New York[1]
- Robert Carter (1819–1879), born in Albany; author and editor; involved in the foundation of the Republican Party[1]
- Nanette Comstock (1866–1942), born in Albany, stage actress[9]
- Roscoe Conkling (1829–1888), United States congressman and United States senator from New York; born in Albany[1]
- John G. Farnsworth (1832–1895), Adjutant General of New York[10]
- William Jermyn Florence (1831–1891), born in Albany; actor; comedian; improvisationalist[1]
- Joseph R. Grismer (1849–1922), actor, playwright and theatrical producer; born in Albany[11]
- Abraham Oakey Hall (1826–1898), born in Albany; mayor of New York City; author[1]
- Thomas W. Harman (1807–1848), born in Albany, Adjutant General of New York[12]
- Learned Hand (1872–1961), United States judge and judicial philosopher
- Henry James Sr. (1811–1882), born in Albany; Swedenborgian theologian; father of William James, Henry James, and Alice James[1]
- Lucy Stedman Lamson (1857–1926), businesswoman, educator
- Daniel Manning (1831–1887), born in Albany; journalist and later United States Secretary of the Treasury[1]
- Homer Dodge Martin (1836–1897), born in Albany; painter whose talent was not recognized until his death[1]
- Selden E. Marvin (1835–1899), Adjutant General of New York[13]
- James Campbell Matthews (1844–1930), New York's first African-American law school graduate and judge of Albany's Recorder's Court[14]
- Henry Strong McCall (1819–1893), moved to Albany; educator, lawyer, and writer[15]
- John McKeon (1808–1883), born in Albany; district attorney for New York County and Southern New York; US congressman from New York[1]
- Henry B. Metcalfe (1805–1881), born in Albany; prosecuting attorney, judge, and US congressman from New York[1]
- John Pitkin Norton (1822–1852), born in Albany; chemist and educator; helped found the Sheffield Scientific School[1]
- Emily Sullivan Oakey (1829–1883), born in Albany; educator, author, poet, hymnist[16]
- John Rathbone Oliver (1872–1943), born in Albany; psychiatrist, medical historian, author, and priest
- Annie L. Y. Orff (1861–1914), journalist; magazine editor and publisher
- William Page (1811–1885), born in Albany; considered the leading American painter of his time[1]
- Rufus Wheeler Peckham (1809–1873), lawyer, judge, and U.S. congressman; born in Rensselaerville; the county's district attorney, 1838–1841; served on the New York Supreme Court, Third Judicial District (1861–1869) seated in Albany, then on the New York Court of Appeals (1870–1873); was lost at sea; his cenotaph is in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands
- Rufus Wheeler Peckham (1838–1909), New York state court judge and U.S. Supreme Court justice; son of Rufus Wheeler Peckham (1809–1873)
- Wheeler Hazard Peckham (1833–1905), lawyer and defeated nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court; son of Rufus Wheeler Peckham (1809-1873)
- John F. Rathbone (1819–1901), industrialist and Adjutant General of New York[17]
- Cy Seymour (1872–1919), native of Albany, major league baseball player[18]
- Theobald Smith (1859–1934), born in Albany; epidemiologist, bacteriologist, pathologist and professor
- Gilbert R. Spalding (1812–1880), showman and circus owner
- Samuel Stevens (1794–1854), Adjutant General of New York[19]
- Frances E. Townsley (1850–1909), Baptist minister
- Luther Tucker (1802–1873), publisher of The Cultivator and Country Gentleman
- Oren Elbridge Wilson (1844–1917), mayor of Albany from 1894 to 1895[20]
- Alice Ames Winter (1865–1944), litterateur, author and clubwoman
20th century
edit- Adam Aleksic, linguist and content creator on YouTube and TikTok[21]
- Philip Amelio (1977–2005), actor and teacher; graduated from the University at Albany and received a master's degree in education from the College of Saint Rose in Albany
- Norman C. Armitage (1907, as Norman Cudworth Cohn–1972), Olympic medalist saber fencer
- Robert Alan Beuth (b. 1957); actor, playwright and sculptor
- Rita Chatterton (b. 1957), professional wrestling referee[22]
- William Barnes Jr. (1866–1930), newspaper publisher and Republican Party leader[23]
- Talor Battle (b. 1988), basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for Northwestern Wildcats
- Greg Chevalier (b. 1985), soccer player and coach[24]
- Ann Curless (b. 1963), Exposé singer
- Edmund L. Daley (1883–1968), U.S. Army major general[25]
- Kirsten Gillibrand (b. 1966), U.S. senator for New York[26]
- Kevin Graber (b. 1969), pro baseball coach[27]
- Kevin Huerter (b.1998), NBA player for the Sacramento Kings and the Chicago Bulls
- William Kennedy (b. 1928), writer and journalist; wrote several books based in Albany, including Pulitzer Prize-winning Ironweed
- Thomas D. Kinley (b. 1945), US Army major general[28][29]
- Mary Mellish (1890–1955), soprano at the Metropolitan Opera; born and died in Albany[30]
- Howard C. Nolan Jr. (1932–2023), former member of the New York State Senate
- Martha Quinn (b. 1959), an original video jockey on MTV
- Emanuel Rackman (1910–2008), born in Albany, Modern Orthodox rabbi; President of Bar-Ilan University
- Walter G. Robinson (1879–1940), Adjutant General of New York[31][32]
- Andy Rooney (1919–2011), radio and television writer; 60 Minutes
- Shoenice, (b. 1969 as Christopher Schewe), YouTuber and competitive eater
- Elise Stefanik (b. 1984), U.S. representative for New York[33]
- Israel Tsvaygenbaum (b. 1961), Russian-American artist
- Beth Van Duyne (b. 1970), U.S. representative for Texas and mayor of Irving, Texas[34]
- Anthony Vinciquerra (b.1954), former CEO of Fox Networks and current CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, born in Albany
- Franklin W. Ward (1870–1938), adjutant general of New York[35][36]
- Edward J. Westcott (1873–1926), adjutant general of New York[37][38]
Alphabetical index
edit- Adam Aleksic, linguist and content creator on YouTube and TikTok[21]
- Philip Amelio (1977–2005)
- James Montgomery Bailey (1841–1894)
- William Bliss Baker (1856–1886)
- William Barnes Jr. (1866–1930)
- William Barnes Sr. (1824–1913)
- Talor Battle, basketball player who last played for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli League
- Nicholas F. Beck (1796–1830)[4][5][6]
- Herman Bendell (1843–1932)
- Harmanus Bleecker (1779–1849)
- William Henry Bogart (1810–1888)
- Alexander Boyd (1764–1857)
- Joseph Bradford Carr (1828–1895)
- Robert Carter (1819–1879)
- Greg Chevalier (b. 1985), soccer player and coach[24]
- James Cochran (1769–1848)
- Roscoe Conkling (1829–1888)
- Edmund L. Daley (1883–1968)
- John Duer (1782–1858)
- John G. Farnsworth (1832–1895)[10]
- William Jermyn Florence (1831–1891)
- Peter Gansevoort (1749–1812)
- Abraham Oakey Hall (1826–1898)
- Learned Hand (1872–1961)
- Thomas W. Harman (1807–1848)
- Joseph Henry (1797–1878)
- Henry James Sr. (1811–1882)
- John K. Kane (1795–1858)
- William Kennedy (born 1928)
- Thomas D. Kinley (born 1945)
- Herman Knickerbocker (1779–1855)
- Gerrit Y. Lansing (1783–1862)
- Peter Van Brugh Livingston (1710–1792)
- Philip Livingston (1716–1778)
- William Livingston (1723–1790)
- Daniel Manning (1831–1887)
- Selden E. Marvin (1835–1899)[13]
- Homer Dodge Martin (1836–1897)
- John McKeon (1808–1883)
- Henry B. Metcalfe (1805–1881)
- Isaac Mitchell (1759–1812)
- Howard C. Nolan Jr. (1932–2023)
- John Pitkin Norton (1822–1852)
- William Page (1811–1885)
- Rufus Wheeler Peckham (1809–1873)
- Rufus Wheeler Peckham (1838–1909)
- Wheeler Hazard Peckham (1833–1905)
- Harmanus Peek (1782–1838)
- John F. Rathbone (1819–1901)[17]
- Walter G. Robinson (1879–1940)
- Cy Seymour (1872–1919)
- Samuel[19]
- John Tayler (1742–1829)
- Franklin W. Ward (1870–1938)
- Edward J. Westcott (1873–1926)
- Beth Van Duyne (b. 1970), U.S. representative for Texas and mayor of Irving, Texas[34]
- Peter W. Yates (1747–1826)
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
- ↑ Reynolds, Cuyler (1906). Albany Chronicles: A History of the City Arranged Chronologically. Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon Company. p. 244 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ New York State Bar Association (1913). Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting. Albany, NY: The Argus Company. pp. 713–716 – via Google Books.
- 1 2 Smith, J. V. C.; Smith, Edward Sutton, eds. (October 22, 1856). "Biographical Sketch of the Late Theodoric Romeyn Beck, M.D., LL.D." The Medical World. Boston, Massachusetts: Damrell & Moore and George Coolidge. p. 85 – via Google Books.
- 1 2 "Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989, Baptism Record for Nicholas Fairly Beck". Ancestry.com. Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com, LLC. December 11, 1796. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
- 1 2 "Death Notice, Nicholas F. Beck". The Times-Union. Rochester, New York. July 5, 1830. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Fitch, Charles Elliott (1916). Encyclopedia of Biography of New York. New York, NY: American Historical Society. p. 42 – via Google Books.
- ↑ Makers of the Piano: 1820-1860, Martha Novak Clinkscale, Oxford University Press, 1993, page 68. ISBN 9780198166252.
- ↑ Miss Nanette Comstock, 68, Retired Actress. The New York Times, June 24, 1942, p. 19
- 1 2 Parker, Amasa J. Jr. (1897). Landmarks of Albany County, New York (PDF). Syracuse, New York: D. Mason & Co. pp. 128–130 – via Wikimedia Commons.
- ↑ Browne, Walter & Koch, E. De Roy-Who's Who on the Stage, 1908; pg. 209-210 accessed July 5, 2012
- ↑ O'Brien, John F. (1904). Manual for the Use of the Legislature of the State of New York. Albany, New York: Evening Union Company. p. 632 – via Google Books.
- 1 2 Parker, Amasa J. (1897). Landmarks of Albany County, New York. Syracuse, New York: D. Mason & Co. pp. 18–20 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ Simmons, William J. (1887). Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. Cleveland, OH: Geo. M. Rewell & Co. p. 964.
- ↑ "Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale College" (PDF). Yale University. June 1893. p. 163. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ Herringshaw, Thomas William (1914). Herringshaw's National Library of American Biography: Contains Thirty-five Thousand Biographies of the Acknowledged Leaders of Life and Thought of the United States; Illustrated with Three Thousand Vignette Portraits ... (Public domain ed.). American publishers' association.
- 1 2 Parker, Amasa J., ed. (1897). Landmarks of Albany County, New York. Syracuse, New York: D. Mason & Co. p. 119 – via HathiTrust.
- ↑ Reichler, Joseph L., ed. (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8.
- 1 2 Orsillo, Nick. "The Gravestone of Samuel Stevens". REL 167K/HIST 167K: Speaking Stones. Rochester, New York: University of Rochester, Department of Religion & Classics. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. XVII. New York, NY: James T. White & Company. 1927. p. 7 – via Google Books.
- 1 2 Aleksic, Adam (December 2, 2020). "Viewpoint: Albany should adopt a new flag. Here's why". Times Union. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ Riesman, Abraham (June 27, 2022). "The First Female Referee in WWE Says Vince McMahon Raped Her". New York Magazine. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ↑ Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting.
- 1 2 "Greg Chevalier". Atlanta Silverbacks FC. Archived from the original on August 18, 2008. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ↑ Brown, Horace M. Jr., ed. (Spring 1970). "Obituary, Edmund Leo Daley". Assembly. West Point, NY: Association of Graduates, U.S.M.A. pp. 105–106 – via Google Books.
- ↑ "GILLIBRAND, Kirsten". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Cubs announce Minor League coordinators". MLB.com. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ General Officer Management Office (October 31, 1996). "Biography, Major General Thomas D. Kinley". Senior Leader Management Office. Arlington, VA: National Guard Bureau. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ↑ "Funeral Tomorrow for Banker's Wife". Times Union. Albany, NY. September 28, 1965. p. 15 – via GenealogyBank.com.
- ↑ "Opera Has Lost: Mary Mellish". Opera News. Vol. 19, no. 17. February 28, 1955. p. 28.
- ↑ "Smith–Quillinan Wedding Guests". Albany Evening News. Albany, New York. June 2, 1928. p. 11 – via GenealogyBank.com.
- ↑ New York National Guard (1940). "New York Military Service Cards, 1816-1979, Entry for Walter G. Robinson". Ancestry.com. Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com, LLC. p. 2. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
- ↑ "STEFANIK, Elise M." Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- 1 2 Samuels, Alex (December 17, 2020). "Beth Van Duyne could be the GOP's antidote to high-profile progressives when she joins Congress". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ↑ Suavet, Henry E., ed. (December 1934). "Adjutant General Ward Retires From the National Guard After a Service of 46 Years" (PDF). The New York National Guardsman. New York, New York: National Guard of the State of New York. p. 4.
- ↑ "Major-General Ward to Be Buried in Arlington Plot". Daily Sentinel. Rome, New York. Associated Press. March 18, 1938. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Waterbury, Fred M., ed. (February 1926). "Death Calls Adjutant General Westcott" (PDF). The New York National Guardsman. New York: National Guard of the State of New York. p. 9 – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Gen. Westcott, State Adjutant Dies In Albany". The Post-Star. Glens Falls, New York. Associated Press. February 10, 1926. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.