List of Famous people who died in 1978

Eduard L. Stiefel was a Swiss mathematician. Together with Cornelius Lanczos and Magnus Hestenes, he invented the conjugate gradient method, and gave what is now understood to be a partial construction of the Stiefel–Whitney classes of a real vector bundle, thus co-founding the study of characteristic classes.

Thomas Albert Wofford was a United States Senator from South Carolina. Born in Madden Station, Laurens County, South Carolina, he attended the public schools and graduated from the University of South Carolina at Columbia in 1928, and from Harvard University Law School in 1931. He was admitted to the bar in the latter year and commenced the practice of law in Greenville. He was assistant solicitor of the thirteenth judicial circuit from 1935 to 1936, and was assistant United States district attorney from 1937 to 1944.

Bruce Bernard Geller was an American lyricist, screenwriter, director, and television producer.

Ann Shoemaker was an American actress who appeared in 70 films and TV movies between 1928 and 1976. She portrayed Sara Roosevelt, mother of Franklin D. Roosevelt, in both the stage and film versions of Sunrise at Campobello.

Olga Orgonista was a Hungarian pair skater. With partner Sándor Szalay, she was the 1930 and 1931 European Champion. They won two medals at the World Figure Skating Championships, a bronze in 1929 and a silver in 1931. They placed 4th at the 1932 Winter Olympics.

C. William O'Neill was an American Republican politician from Ohio.