List of Estonian Americans

This is a list of notable Estonian-Americans.

List

Arts and Literature

*Alar Kivilo - member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences [ [http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2007/07.06.18.html Alar Kivilo @ MPAS] ] , cinematographer [ [http://www.cinematographers.nl/PaginasDoPh/kivilo.htm] "Born: 17 February 1953, Montréal, Canada. Moved to the USA in 1997. He is from Estonian descent."] [ _et. Alar Kivilo interview at [http://www.postimees.ee/?id=18877 postimees.ee] ]
*Bill Rebane - film director [ [http://ashlandwi.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=6&story_id=175630] "I still spoke with a strong European accent as I had immigrated to the United States only 10 years earlier as an Estonian refugee via Germany and was experiencing, in reality and the real sense of the word, "the American Dream.”"]
*Kristjan Järvi - symphony conductor [ [http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=806 IMG Artists] Estonian-born conductor Kristjan Järvi has forged a special connection with audiences across the globe.]
*Neeme Järvi - symphony conductor. Moved to the US in 1981 [ [http://www.neemejarvi.com/1970_eng.htm] "The Estonian-born Neeme Järvi led the work with utmost sensitivity..."]
*Paavo Järvi - current Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra [ [http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6031749/a/Sibelius:+Cantatas+%2FPaavo+J%E4rvi,+Estonian+National+SO,+et+al.htm] "Paavo Järvi, Estonian National SO"]
*Mark Kostabi - artist [ [http://www.markkostabi.com/loom06.html] "The most well-known of Estonian/American artists is the infamous Mark Kostabi..."] [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=lVBB1a0rC70C&pg=PA93&dq=%22born+to+Estonian+exiles+in+California%22&as_brr=0&ei=8q3ISKShEJ7QigHmkpT7Cw&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U2xn7foKvLwvrq6sFSx9XEfCxsK5g Eastern Europe By Richard C. Frucht -Page 93] ISBN 9781576078006 "born to Estonian exiles in California"]
*Paul Kostabi - artist, music producer [ [http://www.markkostabi.com/loom06.html] "The complete list is: Peeter Kolk, Dianne Bowen, Külliki Talp, Ilse Leetaru, Mark Kostabi, Paul Indrek Kostabi..."]
*Louis Kahn - architect, designer of the Salk Institute, Kimbell Art Museum, and others [ [http://evalu8.org/staticpage?page=review&siteid=6879] "Louis Kahn was an Estonian-born Jew..."]
*Priit Vesilind - author, photojournalist [ [http://depts.washington.edu/baltic/papers/travelaccounts/vesilind_1980.htm] "Thirty years after leaving his homeland of Estonia, Priit Vesilind returned for two months to document the landscape and the people with photographer Cotton Coulson."]
*Kiino Villand - photographer, musician [ [http://www.intersites.co.uk/91380/ Kiino Villand @ Famous People of Estonia] intersites.co.uk] [ [http://www.dcestonian.com/estonews/articles/05/villand121905.htm] "Where are you from?" "Born in Jersey, family is from Estonia." ]

cience

*August Komendant - Professor of Architecture at University of Pennsylvania (1959-74) [ [http://www.design.upenn.edu/archives/majorcollections/komendant.html University of Pennsylvania School of Design] ] , Structural Engineer for Louis Kahn [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=9lLtElb6hlsC&pg=PA91&vq=%22fellow+Estonian,+August+Komendant%22&source=gbs_search_r&cad=1_1&sig=ACfU3U00CvTWhLBoPMOYbcvf0JXhT7Jasw Integrated Buildings By Leonard R. Bachman; p. 91] ISBN 9780471467748 ] [ [http://www.moma.org/modernteachers/files/kahn_4.pdf MoMA The Museum of Modern Art; LESSON FOUR: Form and Function] "August Komendant, a structural engineer. Also a native of Estonia..."]
*Toivo U. Raun, Ph.D - Historian [ [http://newsinfo.iu.edu/sb/page/normal/614.html Toivo U. Raun @ Indiana University] ] [ [http://www.iub.edu/~bafsa/articles.html Toivo Raun, an Estonian-American historian @ BAFSA] ] the author of "Estonia and the Estonians" [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=MBLIHQAACAAJ&dq Estonia and the Estonians By Toivo U. Raun] ISBN 081799131X]
*Mare Taagepera Ph.D - Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Chemistry School of Physical Sciences, University of California, Irvine [ [http://sciences.academickeys.com/browse_whoswho_by_institution/University_of_California,_Irvine?sort=institution&start=300 Who's Who in Sciences Academia] ] , University of Tartu Estonia [ _et. Mare Taagepera [http://www.chem.ut.ee/ @ ut.ee] ] . Honorary Member of the Estonian Chemical Society [ [http://ecs.kbfi.ee/honor.html Mare Taagepera @ the Estonian Chemical Society] ]
*Rein Taagepera Ph.D - Research Professor, Political science, University of California, Irvine; Professor Emeritus, University of Tartu, Estonia [ [http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=2570 Rein Taagepera] @ University of California, Irvine] [ [http://www.uta.fi/laitokset/kirjasto/vaitokset/1999/2599.html] "According to leading Estonian-American political scientist Rein Taagepera..."]
*Alar Toomre, Jüri Toomre - astronomers and mathematicians [ [http://www.obs.ee/~erik/estonian_astro.html Remarkable Estonian astronomers @ Tartu Space observatory] ] [ [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/599461/Alar-Toomre Alar Toomre] @ Encyclopædia Britannica]
*Lauri Vaska - chemist

Entertainment

*Erika Eleniak - Playboy Playmate and actress [ [http://www.erikaeleniaksofficialsite.com/faq.html] "...My Mom is Estonian and German."]
*Mena Suvari - actress [ [http://www.ce-review.org/00/4/estonianews4.html] "Some Estonian media are joyous over the success the film American Beauty had at the Golden Globe Awards, especially co-star and sex symbol Mena Suvari - who happens to be half-Estonian."]
*James Tusty - Film director ["James Tusty is a first-generation American of Estonian descent" [http://www.examiner.com/a-1121785~Mart_Laar_and_James_Tusty__Putin_s_Russian_ambitions_are_eerily_familiar.html @ examiner.com] ] [ [http://www.singingrevolution.com/cgi-local/content.cgi?pg=1&p=3 James Tusty, who is of Estonian descent] ]
*Miliza Korjus - singer, actress [ [http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Du-Ha/Estonian-Americans.html] "Miliza Korjus was born ... to Estonian and Polish parents."]

ports

*Michael Roos - football player [ [http://www.titansonline.com/team/players/bio.php?PRKey=276] "Roos is believed to be the first Estonian native to play in the NFL..."]

Business

*Steve Jurvetson - Draper Fisher Jurvetson businessman [ [http://www.internationalreports.net/europe/estonia/2003/silicon.html] "Steve Jurvetson, the 34 year-old Silicon Valley venture capitalist extraordinaire, and second-generation Estonian American..."]

Politics

*Michael Josselson - the secretary general for the Congress for Cultural Freedom [ [http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=mN1&q=%22Michael+Josselson%2C+himself+of+Estonian+origins%22&btnG=Search JSTOR] "...Michael Josselson, himself of Estonian origins" ] [cite book |title=Not Without Honor |last=Powers |first=Richard |authorlink= |coauthors= |year= |publisher=Yale University Press |location= |isbn=9780300074703 |pages= 211 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=N_LbUSH0N1sC&pg naturalized American of Jewish-Estonian background]
*Aleksander Einseln - former Commander-in-chief of the Estonian army (dual U.S. and Estonian citizenship) [ [http://www.cis.org/articles/2001/paper20/renshontoc.html] Center For Immigration Studies: Dual Citizenship and American National Identity. Renshon, Stanley A.]
*Jaan Laaman - leftist activist, prisoner [ [http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:8RcnyBPhL5AJ:www.jerichoboston.org/Jaan_Laaman.pdf+jaan+laaman+estonian&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us] "Jaan Laaman grew up in Roxbury and Buffalo NY. Hisfamily emigrated to the U.S. from Estonia when he was a child."]
*Samuel H. Shapiro - governor of Illinois.
*Edmund S. Valtman - political cartoonist [ [http://arthistory.about.com/library/weekly/bl_2005obits.htm] "Estonian-born American editorial cartoonist..."]

References

External links

* [http://www.estosite.org/eng/index.htm Estonian American National Council]
* [http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Du-Ha/Estonian-Americans.html Estonian Americans]