A popular singer and actor, Bing Crosby is best known for his crooning style and the song "White Christmas." He also starred in numerous comedy films with Bob Hope. Birthplace: Tacoma.
Former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, William O. Douglas was appointed a Supreme Court Justice in 1939. Douglas believed in individual rights and wrote the majority opinion in the case of Griswold versus Connecticut, which eliminated anti-birth control laws. Douglas was raised in Yakima and went to college in Walla Walla. Birthplace: Maine, Minnesota.
A respected author and drama critic, Mary McCarthy wrote both novels and non-fiction. Her best-known work, "The Group", is a novel about eight graduates of Vassar. Birthplace: Seattle.
A controversial former governor of Washington, Dixy Lee Ray was an expert on scientific issues and specialized in marine biology. Ray was also the former head of the Atomic Energy Commission. Birthplace: Tacoma.
