Selman Abraham Waksman

(July 22, 1888, Priluky, Ukraine-August 16, 1973, Woods Hole, Massachusetts). Ukrainian-American biochemist. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1952.

George Wald

(November 18, 1906, New York, New York-April 12, 1997, Cambridge, Massachusetts). American scientist. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1967.

Irving Wallace

(March 19, 1916, Chicago, Illinois-June 29, 1990, Los Angeles, California). American best-selling author. Father of David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace. Among others, noted for The Prize (1963); The Word (1972); and The Fan Club (1974).

Otto Wallach

(March 27, 1847, Konigsberg, Germany-February 26, 1931, Goettingen, Germany). German chemist. Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1910.

Bruno Walter

(September 15, 1876, Alexanderplatz, Germany-February 17, 1962, Beverly Hills, California). German conductor and composer. General Music Director, Bavarian State Opera, 1913-1922. Principal Conductor, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, 1929-1933. Music Director, New York Philharmonic, 1947-1949.

Barbara Jill Walters

(September 25, 1929, Boston, Massachusetts-Alive). American broadcast journalist. Anchor, The Today Show, 1962-1976. First female television evening news anchor. Anchor, ABC Evening News, 1976-1978. Host, 20/20, 1984-2004. Noted for her interview technique.

Irving Price Wanger

(March 5, 1852, North Coventry, Pennsylvania-January 14, 1940, Norristown, Pennsylvania). U.S. Representative (R-PA), 1893-1911.

Otto Heinrich Warburg

(October 8, 1883, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany-August 1, 1970, Berling, Federal Republic of Germany). German physiologist and medical doctor. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1931. Father was Jewish, but converted to Christianity.

Zerach Wahrhaftig

(February 2, 1906, Vaukavysk, Belarus-September 26, 2002). Israeli Rabbi and politician. Also known as Zorach Warhaftig, Za'rach Varhatfig, or Zerach Varhaftig. Made Aliyah, 1947. Signer, Declaration of Independence of israel, 1948. United Religious Front Member, Knesset of Israel, 1948-1981. Deputy Minister of Religions, 1951. Minister of Religion of Israel, 1961-1974.

Sheldon A. Wasserman

(August 5, 1961, Milwaukee, Wisconsin-Alive). American politician. Democratic Member, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1995-Current.

Wendy Wasserstein

(October 18, 1950, Brooklyn, New York-January 30, 2006, New York, New York). American playwright. Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 1989 (The Heidi Chronicles).

Henry Arnold Waxman

(September 12, 1939, Los Angeles, California-Alive). U.S. Representative (D-CA), 1975-Current. An influential liberal noted for his work on health care and government reform.