List of Estonian Americans

This is a list of notable Estonian-Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Estonian American or must have references showing they are Estonian American and are notable.

List

Arts and Literature

• Alar Kivilo – member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,^[1] cinematographer^[2]
• Kristjan Järvi – symphony conductor^[3]
• Neeme Järvi – symphony conductor. Moved to the US in 1981^[4]
• Paavo Järvi – current Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra^[5]
• Tõnu Kalam - pianist and symphony conductor^[6]
• Mark Kostabi – artist^[7][8]
• Paul Kostabi – artist, music producer^[9]
• Louis Kahn – architect, designer of the Salk Institute, Kimbell Art Museum, and others^[10]
• Bill Rebane – film director^[11]
• Ene Riisna is an Estonian-born American award-winning television producer, known for her work on the American news program 20/20.
• Helen Tobias-Duesberg – composer^[12]
• Priit Vesilind – author, photojournalist^[13]

Science

• Matti Kaups, Ph.D -- professor of geography at the University of Minnesota-Duluth^[14]
• Theodor Kolobow, M.D. - Scientific Inventor Thoracic Surgeon and Section Chief at National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (1962-2007),^[15] Inventor of Spiral Lung ^[16] His invention was patented in January 1970 as an “Artificial Organ for Membrane Dialysis of Biological Fluids” and has been in production in various applications for over 40 years. In the 1970s, he improved flow across membranes in the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator (ECMO) ^[17]
• August Komendant – Professor of Architecture at University of Pennsylvania (1959–74),^[18] Structural Engineer for Louis Kahn^[19]
• Toivo U. Raun, Ph.D – Historian^[20][21] the author of Estonia and the Estonians^[22]
• Mare Taagepera Ph.D – Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Chemistry School of Physical Sciences, University of California, Irvine,^[23] University of Tartu Estonia.^[24] Honorary Member of the Estonian Chemical Society^[25]
• Rein Taagepera Ph.D – Research Professor, Political science, University of California, Irvine; Professor Emeritus, University of Tartu, Estonia^[26][27]
• Alar Toomre, Jüri Toomre – astronomers and mathematicians^[28][29]
• Lauri Vaska – chemist^[30]
• Eeric Truumees, MD - Spine Surgeon, researcher, and educator.

Entertainment

• Erika Eleniak – Playboy Playmate and actress
• Greg Ginn – guitarist of Black Flag^[31]
• Mena Suvari – actress (Estonian father)
• Miliza Korjus – singer, actress
• Johann Urb – actor and former model
• Maire Aunaste – TV show host, lived sometime in USA

Sports

• Jaan Ehlvest – chess player^[32]
• Michael Roos – football player^[33]
• Margus Hunt – football player^[34]
• John Roosma - Basketball Hall of Famer
• Ralph Tamm -- football player

Business

• Steve Jurvetson – Draper Fisher Jurvetson businessman^[35]

Politics

• Aleksander Einseln – former Commander-in-chief of the Estonian army (dual U.S. and Estonian citizenship)^[36]
• Michael Josselson – the secretary general for the Congress for Cultural Freedom^[37][38]
• Jaan Laaman – leftist activist, prisoner^[39]
• Samuel H. Shapiro – governor of Illinois.
• Edmund S. Valtman – political cartoonist^[40]

References

1. Alar Kivilo @ MPAS
2. Estonian: Alar Kivilo interview at postimees.ee
3. "...under the rising 38-year-old Estonian-American conductor Kristjan Järvi..."
4. "Estonian-American conductor Neeme Jarvi..."
5. "The Estonian-American conductor, Paavo Järvi..."
7. "The most well-known of Estonian/American artists is the infamous Mark Kostabi..."
8. Eastern Europe By Richard C. Frucht -Page 93 ISBN 978-1-57607-800-6 born to Estonian exiles in California
9. "The complete list is: Peeter Kolk, Dianne Bowen, Külliki Talp, Ilse Leetaru, Mark Kostabi, Paul Indrek Kostabi..."
10. "As the great Estonian-American architect wrote..."
11. "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.”"
12. "But in the last years of her life spent in Savannah, the Estonian-American composer came around to see things differently."
13. "Mai sought out an old Geislingen playmate, Estonian-American Priit Vesilind..."
14. "TLÜAR väliseesti isikud". isik.tlulib.ee. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
18. University of Pennsylvania School of Design
19. Integrated Buildings By Leonard R. Bachman; p. 91 ISBN 978-0-471-46774-8 "Louis Kahn's engineer and fellow Estonian..."
20. Toivo U. Raun @ Indiana University
21. Toivo Raun, an Estonian-American historian @ BAFSA
22. Estonia and the Estonians By Toivo U. Raun ISBN 0-8179-9131-X
23. Who's Who in Sciences Academia
24. Estonian: Mare Taagepera @ ut.ee
25. Mare Taagepera @ the Estonian Chemical Society
26. Rein Taagepera @ University of California, Irvine
27. "According to leading Estonian-American political scientist Rein Taagepera..."
28. Remarkable Estonian astronomers @ Tartu Space observatory
29. Alar Toomre @ Encyclopædia Britannica
30. "Estonian/American chemist"
31. "...his mother was an immigrant from Estonia."
32. Ehlvest, Jaan (2004). The Story of a Chess Player. Arbiter Publishing. ISBN 0-9763891-0-X.
33. "Roos is believed to be the first Estonian native to play in the NFL..."
34. "Hunt got drafted to NFL in 2013."
35. "Steve Jurvetson, the 34-year-old Silicon Valley venture capitalist extraordinaire, and second-generation Estonian American..."
36. Center For Immigration Studies: Dual Citizenship and American National Identity. Renshon, Stanley A.
37. JSTOR ...Michael Josselson, himself of Estonian origins
38. Powers, Richard. Not Without Honor. Yale University Press. p. 211. ISBN 978-0-300-07470-3. naturalized American of Jewish-Estonian background
39. "Jaan Laaman grew up in Roxbury and Buffalo NY. Hisfamily emigrated to the U.S. from Estonia when he was a child."
40. The Estonians in America, 1627-1975: a chronology & fact book

www.spine.org/Pages/AboutNass/Board/Truumees_Bio.aspx

External links

• Estonian American National Council
• Estonian Americans