Slovene Americans or Slovenian Americans are

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Law of the United States, U.S. federal law does not equate nationality with Race (hu ...

of full or partial Slovene or Slovenian ancestry. Slovenes mostly immigrated to America during the Slovene mass emigration period from the 1880s to

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

History

The first Slovenes in the United States were

Catholic missionary Missionary work of the Catholic Church has often been undertaken outside the geographically defined parishes and dioceses by religious orders who have people and material resources to spare, and some of which specialized in missions. Eventually, p ...

priests in the early 19th century.Roger Daniels, ''American Immigration: A Student Companion'' (Oxford University Press, 2001), pp. 247–248. Two of the earliest such missionaries were Anton Kappus and Frederic Baraga. Many of these early immigrants were bilingual Slovene-

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

speakers. Baraga's sister

Antonija Höffern Antonija Höffern (; 4 February 1803 – 21 May 1871) was a Slovenian noblewoman and educator who is credited as being the first Slovenian woman to immigrate to the United States, doing so in 1837. After spending two years working as a missionary ...

became the first Slovene woman to immigrate to the United States in 1837. The peak of emigration from what is now Slovenia was between 1860 and 1914; during this period, between 170,000 and 300,000 left areas that are now part of Slovenia. By 1880 there were around 1,000 Slovene Americans, many of whom worked in the Upper Midwest as miners; within 30 years, about 30,000 to 40,000 Slovenian immigrants lived in the area of

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

, the center of Slovene American culture. The early waves of migrants were predominantly single men, many of whom (over 36% in the period 1899–1924) returned home after earning money in the United States,Thaddeus C. Radzilowski & John Radzilowski, "East Europeans" in ''A Nation of Peoples: A Sourcebook on America's Multicultural Heritage'' (ed. Elliott Robert Barkan: Greenwood, 1999), p. 194. mostly in unskilled labor. Many stayed, however, and Slovene women followed in settling in the United States. In 1914, Cleveland was the third most-populous Slovene city in the world, after

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

and

Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...

.Leopoldina Plut-Pregelj & Carole Rogel, ''The A to Z of Slovenia'' (Scarecrow Press, 2010), pp. 64–66. Within Cleveland, Slovene Americans developed their own cultural and social institutions, including Slovene-owned groceries, bars, furniture stores, clothing shops, and other businesses; Catholic parishes and elementary schools; mutual aid and fraternal societies; and even a Slovene bank (established in St. Clair, Cleveland in 2010). By the 1930s, five out of 32 members of the

Cleveland City Council Cleveland City Council is the legislature, legislative branch of Local government in the United States, government for the Cleveland, City of Cleveland, Ohio. Its chambers are located at Cleveland City Hall at 601 Lakeside Avenue, across the str ...

were Slovene. Most Slovene Americans living in Cleveland eventually moved to the city's suburbs, although cultural institutions within the city limits remain significant. The

Cleveland metropolitan area The Cleveland metropolitan area, or Greater Cleveland as it is more commonly known, is the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Cleveland in Northeast Ohio, United States. According to the 2020 census results, the six-county Cleveland, OH ...

remains home to the largest population of Slovenians in the world outside of Slovenia. Later Slovene arrivals migrated to the industrial cities or to mining towns in the

Upper Midwest The Upper Midwest is a northern subregion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed upon, the region is usually defined to include the states of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wi ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. Two later periods of increased immigration to the United States were the years immediately after World War I (1919–1923) and World War II (1949–1956). Slovene post–World War II migrants consisted primarily of political refugees fleeing

Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito ( ; , ), was a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and politician who served in various positions of national leadership from 1943 unti ...

's communist regime in

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

; this group of migrants was generally older and better educated than earlier waves of Slovene migrants. Among Slovene immigrants, some were devoutly

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, while others were secular and

anticlerical Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historically, anti-clericalism in Christian traditions has been opposed to the influence of Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, ...

, with some holding liberal or socialist views. The division between the two groups was a prominent feature of Slovene-American communal life for much of the 20th century. A minority of Slovene immigrants practiced the

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

faith. In the state of Michigan there are Baraga County,

Baraga, Michigan Baraga ( ) is a village in Baraga County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,883 at the 2020 census. The village is named after Bishop Frederic Baraga. The village is located in Baraga Township on the Keweenaw Bay on Lake Supe ...

, Baraga Township,

Baraga Correctional Facility Baraga Correctional Facility (AMF) is a Michigan prison, located in Baraga, for adult male prisoners. While it includes a Level I security facility, it is primarily a maximum security prison. Facility The prison was opened in 1993 and has 7 hous ...

and Baraga State Park which are named after the Slovene missionary Frederic Baraga. The town of St. Stephen, Minnesota, was initially called ''Sveti Štefan v gozdu'' or ''Sveti Štefan v gozdovih'' (literally, 'Saint Stephen in the Woods'); its roots date back to the 19th century, when it was founded by Slovene immigrants to the United States. It later became the city of Saint Stephen northwest of Minneapolis.

Demographics

Large concentrations

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

Chisholm, Minnesota Chisholm is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,775 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city has been called "The Heart of the Iron Range" due to its location i ...

Eveleth, Minnesota Eveleth is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,493 at the 2020 census. Eveleth is part of the Quad Cities, with Virginia, Gilbert, and Mountain Iron. U.S. Highway 53 and State Highway 37 (MN 37) are ...

Ely, Minnesota Ely ( ) is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,268 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Vermilion Range (Minnesota), Vermilion iron range, Ely once ha ...

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

The Slovene population in the United States has been historically concentrated in the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

and

Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States (also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. Located on the East Coast of the United States, ...

including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Colorado. Three quarters of Slovene Americans live in six states: *

– 80,000 *

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

- 20,000 *

– 15,000 *

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

– 12,000 *

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

– 7,000 *

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

- 6,500

Numbers

1910 census The 1910 United States census, conducted by the Census Bureau on April 15, 1910, determined the resident population of the United States to be 92,228,496, an increase of 21 percent over the 76,212,168 persons enumerated during the 1900 census. ...

reported 183,431 people of Slovene mother tongue living in the United States. By the time of the

1920 census The 1920 United States census, conducted by the Census Bureau during one month from January 5, 1920, determined the resident population of the United States to be 106,021,537, an increase of 15.0 percent over the 92,228,496 persons enumerated d ...

, that figure had increased to 208,552. Following the enactment of restrictive immigration laws in the 1920s, the number of Slovenes immigrating to the United States declined. The 1990 census reported 124,437 Slovene-identifying people. According to the data for the year 2000, 175,099 persons identified themselves as Slovenian, which indicates a (positive) shift in self-image or the perception of Slovenian identity. It is estimated that in the USA live around 300,000 Americans of Slovene descent.

Fraternal, benevolent, social and cultural organizations

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Slovene Americans established a variety of social groups, including fraternal organizations,

mutual insurance A mutual insurance company is an insurance company owned entirely by its policyholders. It is a form of consumers' co-operative. Any profits earned by a mutual insurance company are either retained within the company or rebated to policyholders ...

, and self-help societies,Irene Portis-Winner, ''Semiotics of Peasants in Transition: Slovene Villagers and Their Ethnic Relatives in America'' (Duke University Press, 2002), pp. 109–111. and cultural and educational institutions, such as choral and drama societies,

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

groups, and Slovene-language newspapers. The establishment of Slovene American insurance companies allowed immigrants to protect themselves against discrimination and fraud. A number of mergers and name changes took place during the 20th century, Some Slovene American fraternal, benevolent, social, and cultural organizations include: * Jugoslovenska katoliška jednota (South Slavic Catholic Union), founded in Ely, MN in 1898, became American Fraternal Union (AFU) in 1941. * Kranjsko-slovenska katoliška jednota, (Carnolan Slovene Catholic Union) founded in Joliet in 1894, became the ''Ameriško-slovenska katoliška jednota'' or American Slovenian Catholic Union (KSKJ). * Slovenska narodna podporna jednota, founded in Chicago in 1904, became Slovene National Benefit Society (SNPJ). * Zahodna slovanska veza, founded in 1908, became Western Slavonic Association (WSA). * Indianapolis Slovenian National Home, founded in 1918. * Slovenska dobrodelna zveza (Slovenian Mutual Benefit Association), founded in Cleveland in 1910; became American Mutual Life Association (AMLA) in 1966. * Slovenski Narodni Dom (Slovenian National Home), Cleveland; founded in 1914. * Progresivne Slovenke Amerike ( Progressive Slovene Women of America) (PSWA), founded in 1934. * Slovenska ženska zveza Amerike, founded in Chicago in 1926, became

Slovenian Women's Union of America Slovenian Union of America (SUA) is an ethnic fraternal benefit and social organization for Slovene immigrants and their descendants in the United States. Founded in 1926 as Slovenska ženska zveza Amerike (Slovenian Women's Union of America), ...

(SWUA), and now Slovenian Union of America (SUA). * Slovenian Catholic Center, also known as Slovenian Cultural Center, Lemont, IL * Slovenian Cultural Society Triglav, Norway, WI; founded in 1952. * National Cleveland-style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland * American Slovenian Club of Fairport Harbor, Fairport Harbor, OH * Slovene Home for the Aged, Cleveland * Slovenian Museum and Archives, Cleveland * Slovenska Pristava, Harpersfield, OH; Slovenian Catholic recreation and retreat center * Slovensko društvo New York (Slovenian Society New York) * Slovenian National Home, Chisholm, MN (closed) The Slovenian Genealogy Society, International helps members trace their Slovene roots.

Slovene churches and choirs in the United States

A total of 39 Slovene parishes were established in the United States. The first Slovene

national parish National parish is a type of Catholic parish distinguished by liturgical rites or nationality of the congregation; it is found within a diocese or particular Church, which includes other types of parishes in the same geographical area, each parish ...

with a Slovene priest was formed in 1891 in Chicago. Four Slovene parishes were subsequently established on the east side of Cleveland: St. Vitus's (''Sveti Vit'') (established 1893); St. Lawrence (established 1901); St. Mary of the Assumption (1905), and St. Christine's (1925). St. Vitus's eventually grew to encompass a school and convent; a large new church in the

Lombard Romanesque The term Lombard refers to people or things related to Lombardy, a region in northern Italy. History and culture * Lombards, a Germanic tribe * Lombardic language, the Germanic language spoken by the Lombards * Lombards of Sicily, a linguisti ...

style, was built in 1932. St. Cyril Roman Catholic Church in the

East Village, Manhattan The East Village is a neighborhood on the East Side (Manhattan), East Side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. It is roughly defined as the area east of the Bowery and Third Avenue, between 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street on the ...

, was established in 1916 as a Slovene parish. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church was established in 1908 in

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City (commonly known as KCK) is the third-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As ...

by immigrants from

Lower Carniola Lower Carniola ( ; ) is a traditional region in Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south an ...

. The Slovenian Chapel of Our Lady of Brezje, in the

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic minor basilica and national shrine in Washington D.C. It is the largest Catholic church building in North America and is also the tallest habitable building in Wa ...

, Washington, D.C., is the dedicated Slovenian National Marian Shrine, founded in 1971. Multiple Slovene choruses have been formed, including The Singing Slovenes in

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

(founded in 1980), the Ely Slovenian Chorus in

(founded in 1969 by Mary Hutar, final performance in 2009); the Fantje na vasi (Boys from the Village) men's

a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

choir in Cleveland (founded in 1977); and the Zarja Singing Society, Cleveland (founded in 1916).

Slovene schools in the United States

* St. Vitus Child Slovenian Language School, Cleveland * St. Mary Slovenian Language School, Cleveland * Slomškova slovenska šola / Slomšek Slovenian School, Lemont, IL

Media

The first newspaper established by Slovene Americans was ''Ameriški Slovenec'' (American Slovene), which was published in Chicago beginning in 1891 and subsequently in Cleveland. It originally had three versions: a Slovene-language edition, a standard English edition, and an English edition with Slovene

phonetic spelling A phonemic orthography is an orthography (system for writing a language) in which the graphemes (written symbols) correspond consistently to the language's phonemes (the smallest units of speech that can differentiate words), or more generally ...

. The newspaper continues today as a weekly. Between 1891 and the 1990s, more than a hundred other Slovene-language newspapers and publications were established in the United States; only a handful were in print for more than a few years. The University of Minnesota Libraries has catalogued some 45 Slovene-language newspapers published in the United States in a variety of locations, including Pueblo, Denver, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and New York.

Notable people

* Joe Kenda - detective lieutenant *

George(Jurij) Kraigher George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Giorgi ...

- pilot * Anna Clobuchar Clemenc - trade unionist *

Lana Rhoades Lana Rhoades is an American internet personality, podcaster and former pornographic film actress. She has appeared in publications such as ''Hustler (magazine), Hustler'', ''Penthouse (magazine), Penthouse'' and ''Playboy''. Early life Rhoades ...

– internet personality, podcaster and former pornographic film actress *

Michael Lah Michael Richard Lah (September 1, 1912 – October 13, 1995) was an American animator of Slovene origin. He is best remembered for his work at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio, primarily as a member of Tex Avery's animation unit. He first w ...

- animator *

Melania Trump Melania Knauss Trump (born Melanija Knavs, April26, 1970) is a Slovenian and American former model who is married to U.S. President Donald Trump. Since 2025, Melania Trump has served as the first lady of the United States, a role she previous ...

First Lady of the United States First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is a title typically held by the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never been Code of law, codified or offici ...

and former model *

Barron Trump Barron William Trump (born March 20, 2006) is the fifth and youngest son of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, and his third wife, First Lady Melania Trump; he is the sole child of said marriage. Barron was an ...

- son of Donald and Melania Trump

Actors

* Ami Dolenz – actor *

George Dolenz George Dolenz (born Jure Dolenc; akas: Giorgio Dolenz and George Dolentz; January 5, 1908 February 8, 1963) was an American film actor born in Trieste (then part of Austria-Hungary, now Italy), in the city's Slovene community. Biography Un ...

– actor *

Frank Gorshin Frank John Gorshin Jr. (April 5, 1933 – May 17, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He made many guest appearances on television variety and talk shows, including '' The Ed Sullivan Show'', '' Tonight Starring Steve Allen' ...

– actor *

Željko Ivanek Željko Ivanek (; ; born August 15, 1957) is a Slovenian-American actor of Croat descent. Ivanek's film credits include '' Courage Under Fire'' (1996), '' Donnie Brasco'' (1997), '' Hannibal'', '' Black Hawk Down'' (both 2001), '' Unfaithful'' ( ...

– actor *

Audrey Totter Audrey Mary Totter (December 20, 1917 – December 12, 2013) was an American radio, film, and television actress and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s. Early life Audrey – some sources indicate "Audra" – Totter w ...

– actress *

Alida Valli Baroness Alida Maria Laura Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg (31 May 1921 – 22 April 2006), better known by her stage name Alida Valli, or simply Valli, was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, span ...

- actress * Andrea True - actress *

Francine York Francine York (born Francine Yerich; August 26, 1936 – January 6, 2017) was an American actress and model. She also used her birth name Francine Yerich in her occupation. Early life Francine Yerich was born to Frank and Sophie Yerich in the s ...

- actress * Donna Anderson - actress * Ursula Parker - actress * Rozalija Sršen - actress *

Laura La Plante Laura La Plante (born Laura Laplante; November 1, 1904 – October 14, 1996) was an American film actress, whose more notable performances were in the silent era. Early life La Plante was born in St. Louis, Missouri on November 1, 1904, the daug ...

- actress *

Mira Furlan Mira Furlan (7 September 1955 – 20 January 2021) was a Croatian-American actress and singer. Internationally, she was best known for her roles as the Minbari Ambassador Delenn in the science fiction television series ''Babylon 5'' (1993–1998 ...

- actress

Astronauts

Jerry Linenger Jerry Michael Linenger (born January 16, 1955) is a retired Captain in the United States Navy Medical Corps, and a former NASA astronaut who flew on the Space Shuttle and Space Station Mir. Background Born January 16, 1955, and raised in East D ...

- astronaut * Ronald Sega - astronaut *

Sunita Williams Sunita Lyn "Suni" Williams ( Pandya; born September 19, 1965) is an American astronaut and a retired U.S. Navy officer. Williams served aboard the International Space Station as a participant in Expedition 14, a flight engineer for Expedition ...

- astronaut *

Randolph Bresnik Randolph James "Komrade" Bresnik (born September 11, 1967) is a retired officer in the United States Marine Corps and an active NASA astronaut. A United States Marine Corps Aviation, Marine Aviator by trade, Bresnik was selected as a member of NA ...

- astronaut

Bishops

* Friderik Baraga - missionary * Ignacij Mrak - bishop * Janez Vertin - bishop * Janez Stariha - bishop * Jakob Trobec - bishop and missionary

Army

* Ferdinand Chesarek - general * John Stephan Lekson - general * Warren Joseph Pezdirtz - major-general * Stanley Gorenc - major-general and army pilot * Frank Gorenc - general and army pilot * Ronald Zlatoper - admiral * Jerome Edward Rupnik - rear admiral * William F. Petrovic - admiral

Politicians

Frank Lausche Frank John Lausche (; November 14, 1895 – April 21, 1990) was an American Democratic politician from Ohio. He served as the 47th mayor of Cleveland and the 55th and 57th governor of Ohio, and also served as a United States Senator from Ohi ...

- governor, mayor and senator *

George Voinovich George Victor Voinovich (July 15, 1936June 12, 2016) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from Ohio from 1999 to 2011. He previously served as the 65th governor of Ohio from 1991 to 1998 and as the 54th mayor of Clev ...

- governor, mayor and senator * John Blatnik - congressman *

Tom Harkin Thomas Richard Harkin (born November 19, 1939) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Iowa from 1985 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Pa ...

- senator * Dennis E. Eckart - politician *

Philip Ruppe Philip Edward Ruppe (born September 29, 1926) is an American retired politician from Michigan who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for six terms from 1967 to 1979 before running, unsuccessfully for the United Stat ...

- politician *

Jim Oberstar James Louis Oberstar (September 10, 1934 – May 3, 2014) was an American politician and Congressman who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2011. Hailing from Minnesota and a member of the state's local Minnes ...

- congressman *

Paul Gosar Paul Anthony Gosar ( ; born November 27, 1958) is an American politician and dentist who has represented in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2023 and represented from 2013 to 2023. A Republican, he was elected in 2010 to represent the ...

- politician *

Amy Klobuchar Amy Jean Klobuchar ( ; born May 25, 1960) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Minnesota, a seat she has held since 2007. A member o ...

- senator

Writers

* Louis Adamič - writer * Ivan Molek - writer * Jože Grdina - writer

Engineers

Joe Sutter Joseph Frederick Sutter (March 21, 1921 – August 30, 2016) was an American engineer for the Boeing Airplane Company and manager of the design team for the Boeing 747 under Malcolm T. Stamper, the head of the 747 project. '' Air & Space/Smithso ...

- engineer * Dušan Petrač - physicist * Anton Mavretič - engineer * Zvonko Fazarinc - computer scientist * France Rode - engineer and inventor

Painters

* Bogdan Grom - painter * Gregor Perušek - painter

Comedy

* Anthony Jeselnik – comedian

Musicians

Karen Kamensek Karen Kamensek (born January 2, 1970, in Chicago) is an American orchestral and opera conductor. Biography Kamensek's parents immigrated from Kamnica, Maribor, Kamnica pri Mariboru, Slovenia to the United States, eventually settling in the Lou ...

– orchestral and operatic

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

* Joey Miskulin –

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

- winning musician and

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

* Frankie Yankovic –

- winning musician, known as "America's

Polka Polka is a dance style and genre of dance music in originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though generally associated with Czech and Central European culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the ...

King", popularized

Slovenian-style polka Slovenian-style polka (also known as Cleveland Style polka) is an American style of polka in the Slovenian tradition. It is usually associated with Cleveland and other Midwestern cities. Instruments The Slovenian style polka band always includes ...

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing Comedy music, comedy songs that often Parody music, parody specific songs by contempo ...

–

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

performer known for his parodies of popular music *

Micky Dolenz George Michael Dolenz Jr. ( ; born March 8, 1945) is an American musician and actor. He was the drummer and one of two primary vocalists for the pop rock band the Monkees (1966–1970, and reunions until 2021), and a co-star of the TV series ''T ...

– musician and actor (Drummer/Singer of

The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

)

Sports

Mike Adamle Michael David Adamle (born October 4, 1949) is an American former professional football player and sports broadcaster. He played professionally as a running back in the National Football League (NFL). Adamle was a sports anchor at other Chicago ...

–

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

player –

Northwestern Wildcats The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, located in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and one of two private universities in the conference, the other ...

and

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

– also a television and radio sports reporter and

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

wrestling announcer * Tony Adamle – American football player –

Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, ...

and

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

(member of 1950 and 1954

NFL Championship Throughout its history, the National Football league (NFL) and other rival American football leagues have used several different formats to determine their league champions, including a period of inter-league matchups to determine a true national ...

teams) *

Frank Brimsek Francis Charles "Mr. Zero" Brimsek (September 26, 1913 – November 11, 1998) was an American professional ice hockey goaltender who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks. He w ...

–

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

player * Bob Golic – American football player (

Notre Dame Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 26 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...

and

–

, among other teams) – also an actor '' Saved by the Bell: The College Years'' *

Mike Golic Michael Louis Golic Sr. (; born December 12, 1962) is an American television host and former professional football player. He played as defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). Golic is well known for his 25-year association wi ...

– American football player (

and

–

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

, among other teams) – also

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

radio personality and host on Mike and Mike in the Morning *

Randy Gradishar Randolph Charles Gradishar (born March 3, 1952) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 10 seasons with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s and 1980s. A native of Ohio, Gr ...

– American football player (

and

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

) * John Gruden – ice hockey player * Luke Hochevar – Major League Baseball pitcher * Frank Hribar – NFL Washington Redskins * Wally Judnich –

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

player *

Joe Kuhel Joseph Anthony Kuhel (June 25, 1906 – February 26, 1984) was an American professional baseball player and manager. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he was a first baseman who played in the Major Leagues from 1930 to 1947, primarily for the Washington ...

– baseball player and manager * Les Kuntar – ice hockey player *

Sepp Kuss Sepp Kuss (born September 13, 1994) is an American professional cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam . He won the 2023 Vuelta a España, becoming the first American to win a Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tour since Chris Horner in 2013 Vuelta a Espa ...

– professional cyclist *

Dan Majerle Daniel Lewis Majerle (; born September 9, 1965), also known by the nickname "Thunder Dan", is an American former professional basketball player and former coach of the Grand Canyon Antelopes. He played 14 years in the National Basketball Associat ...

– basketball (NBA) player *

Ken Novak Ken Novak (born July 3, 1954) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) in the 1970s. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers football, ...

– American football player * Anton Peterlin – soccer player *

Peter Vidmar Peter Glen Vidmar (born June 3, 1961, in Los Angeles) is an American gymnast and two-time Olympic gold medalist. He was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and won gold in the team final and pommel horse, and si ...

– gymnast, U.S. team captain and winner of two gold medals and a silver medal in the 1984 Olympics, was the highest scoring gymnast in U.S. history (with a 9.89 average) * Fritzie Zivic – boxer * Mark Zupan – athlete, wheelchair rugby team captain

References

External links

SNPJ Slovenian Heritage Center
Museum in Pennsylvania {{Authority control European diaspora in the United States American

History

Demographics

Large concentrations

Numbers

Fraternal, benevolent, social and cultural organizations

Slovene churches and choirs in the United States

Slovene schools in the United States

Media

Notable people

Actors

Astronauts

Bishops

Army

Politicians

Writers

Engineers

Painters

Comedy

Musicians

Sports

See also

References

Further reading

External links