Editing Akron, Ohio (section)

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from Akron, Ohio}}
[[File:Judy Resnik STS-41-D.jpg|thumb|alt=Mission Specialist Judith Resnik|Mission Specialist [[Judith Resnik]] on the middeck of ''[[Space Shuttle Discovery|Discovery]]'' during [[STS-41-D]]]]
Akron has produced and been home to a number of notable individuals in varying fields. Its natives and residents are called "Akronites". The first postmaster of the Connecticut Western Reserve and president of its bank, General [[Simon Perkins]] (1771–1844), co-founded Akron in 1825. His son, [[Colonel Simon Perkins]] (1805–1877), while living in Akron during the same time as abolitionist [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]] (1800–1859), went into business with Brown. [[Wendell Willkie]], the Republican nominee for president in 1940, worked in Akron as a lawyer for Firestone. Pioneering televangelist [[Rex Humbard]] rose to prominence in Akron. Beacon Journal publisher [[John S. Knight]] ran the national Knight Newspapers chain from Akron. Broadcaster [[Hugh Downs]] was born in Akron. In the mid- to late 1940s, pioneering rock 'n' roll DJ [[Alan Freed]] was musical director at Akron's WAKR. Watergate figure [[John Dean]] was born in Akron.
[[File:LeBron James Lakers.jpg|thumb|170px|[[LeBron James]]]]
Noted athletes to have come from Akron include multi-time [[National Basketball Association]] Champions and MVPs [[LeBron James]] and [[Stephen Curry]], [[Basketball Hall of Fame]]rs [[Gus Johnson (basketball)|Gus "Honeycomb" Johnson]] and [[Nate Thurmond|Nate "The Great" Thurmond]], [[Major League Baseball]] player [[Thurman Munson]], [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]]r [[Gorilla Jones]], WBA Heavyweight Boxing Champion [[Michael Dokes]], Houston Texans linebacker [[Whitney Mercilus]], former [[Northwestern University]] and [[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]] coach [[Ara Parseghian]], and [[Butch Reynolds]], former world record holder in the [[400 metres|400 meter]] dash. Former [[National Football League|NFL]] linebacker [[James Harrison (American football)|James Harrison]] was born in Akron, as was former Tennessee Titans head coach and current New England Patriots Head Coach, [[Mike Vrabel]]. [[Clayton Murphy]], professional middle-distance runner and 2016 Olympic Games bronze medalist, competed in cross country and track & field for the [[Akron Zips]].
[[File:Stephen Curry dribbling 2016.jpg|alt=Stephen Curry|thumb|289x289px|[[Stephen Curry]]]]
Performing artists to come from Akron include bands such as [[Ruby and the Romantics]]; [[Devo]]; [[The Black Keys]]; [[The Cramps]], whose lead singer, [[Lux Interior]], was a native of the town; rapper [[Ampichino]]; [[The Waitresses]]; and [[1964 the Tribute]]; singers [[Vaughn Monroe]]; [[Chrissie Hynde]], lead singer and main composer with British New Wave band [[The Pretenders]]; [[James Ingram]]; [[Joseph Arthur]]; [[Jani Lane]]; [[Rachel Sweet]]; and [[outlaw country]] singer [[David Allan Coe]]; Actors [[Frank Dicopoulos]], [[David McLean (actor)|David McLean]], [[Melina Kanakaredes]], [[Elizabeth Franz]], [[William Boyett]], [[Lola Albright]], [[Ray Wise]] and [[Jesse White (actor)|Jesse White]]. [[Clark Gable]] and [[John Lithgow]] also lived in Akron.

Poet [[Rita Dove]] was born and grew up in Akron. She went on to become the first African-American [[United States Poet Laureate]]. Many of her poems are about or take place in Akron, foremost among them [[Thomas and Beulah]], which earned her the 1987 [[Pulitzer Prize for Poetry]].

Owner of over 400 patents, native [[Stanford R. Ovshinsky]] invented the widely used [[nickel-metal hydride battery]]. [[Richard Smalley]], winner of a [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] for discovering [[buckminsterfullerene]] (buckyballs) was born in the city during 1943. Another native, the second U.S. female astronaut in [[Outer space|space]], [[Judith Resnik]], died in the 1986 [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster]] and has the [[Resnik (crater)|Resnik Moon crater]] named in her honor.

The [[Silver screen|Silver Screen]], which came to symbolize Hollywood's movie entertainment industry, was invented by Kenmore resident and projectionist Harry Coulter Williams. First used in Akron's Majestic Theater and then Norka Theater, the "Williams Perlite" tear-proof, vinyl plastic indoor motion picture screen was installed in all the major movie houses, including the rapidly expanding theaters built by Warner Bros. of nearby Youngstown OH. Williams' unique silver-painted screens were adapted for CinemaScope, VistaVision, and later 3-D movies. They provided a brighter picture at all angles with top reflectivity at direct viewing and extra diffusion for side seats and balconies.<ref>Price, Mark J. (2015) Lost Akron</ref>

[[Carol Folt]], the 11th chancellor and 29th chief executive, of [[the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] was born in Akron in 1951. She was previously provost (chief academic officer) and interim president of [[Dartmouth College]]. She assumed her duties on July 1, 2013, and is the first woman to lead UNC.

The philosopher and logician [[Willard van Orman Quine]] was born and grew up in Akron.