Famous and Infamous Census Records
One of the first records sets genealogists consult is the United States Decennial Census. The United States Census Bureau maintains a webpage for “Famous and Infamous Census Records” which highlights pages over the decades that list celebrities, both good and bad.
Amongst this listing we can find homosexuals, that may or may not have been “out” at the time this census record was created.
- 1880 U.S. Census
- Walt Whitman, age 61
- 1900 U.S. Census
- T.S. Elliot, age 11
- 1920 U.S. Census
- Willa Cather, age 37
- 1930 U.S. Census
- Truman Capote, age 5
- Bayard Rustin, age 17
- Thomas “Tennessee” Williams, age 19
- Langston Hughes, age 28
- 1940 U.S. Census
- Anthony Perkins, age 8
- Harvey Milk, age 9
- Rock Hudson, age 13 (as Roy Fitzgerald)
- Cary Grant, age 36. “Partner” of Randolph Scott.
- Edgar Hoover, age 45
Census records in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, as well as State Census can be invaluable at understanding the family structure of our LGBTQ ancestors. In next month’s post, I’ll discuss the term “Partner” as used in the US Census of the 20th century.
If I’ve missed anyone on this list, please let me know in the comments.
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