Frederick County is known for its national contributions to politics, the arts, music, sports, and so much more. Check out this comprehensive list of famous faces from the Maryland town:
John Stricker
Born in 1759, Stricker was a Maryland state militia officer who fought in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. He commanded the Baltimore Brigade in the Battle of North Point, which formed a larger part of the Battle of Baltimore and saved the United States, according to the National Museum of the U.S. Army.
Shadrach Bond
Though born in Frederick in 1773, Bond was the governor of Illinois from 1818 to 1822. He was a former representative of the Illinois Territory to the U.S. Congress.
Francis Scott Key
Born in 1779, the man behind the nation’s most famous song hailed from Frederick County, Maryland. Key, a lawyer, author, and amateur poet, wrote The Star-Spangled Banner in 1814 after witnessing the bombing of Fort McHenry in the Baltimore Harbor. His song officially became the national anthem more than 100 years later.
Charlie Keller
Born in 1916, the Middletown, Maryland, native was a left fielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers, as a left-handed batter and right-handed catcher.
Charles Mathias
Born in 1922, Charles McCurdy “Mac” Mathias Jr. was a Republican member of the U.S. Senate, representing the state of Maryland from 1969 to 1987. The three-term senator “often clashed with his fellow Republicans over court nominations, the Vietnam War, and social issues and was one of the last unabashed Senate liberals in the GOP,” according to his 2010 obituary in the Washington Post.
Lester Bowie
Born in 1941, the jazz trumpet player and composer was born in Frederick, Maryland. He co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago and was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He worked with prominent musicians and singers, including David Bowie.
Chuck Foreman
Born in 1950 in Frederick, Maryland, Foreman was a professional football player. After attending the University of Miami in Florida, Foreman became a running back for the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots.
Heath Schroyer
Born in 1972, the Walkersville, Maryland, native was a college basketball coach. Before committing to McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Schroyer coached at Portland State University in Oregon; University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming; and University of Tennessee-Martin in Martin, Tennessee.
Shawn Hatosy
Born in 1975, Hatosy is a television and film actor. The Ijamsville, Maryland, native stars in Animal Kingdom and has appeared in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Twilight Zone, Law & Order, ER, Hawaii Five-O, Criminal Minds, and Dexter. As for movies, he’s co-starred in Public Enemies (2009) with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans with Nicholas Cage.
He also appeared in Justin Timberlake’s music video with Scarlett Johansson and opposite Al Pacino and Anna Paquin in separate theater stints.
Clutch
A successful rock band, Clutch formed in Frederick in 1990. The quartet of rock and roll musicians released 11 studio albums since its inception.
Lucas Hull
Born in 1984, the Frederick native became the digital compositor for numerous Hollywood blockbusters, including Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), The Smurfs (2011), The Avengers (2012), The Wolverine (2013), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013).