List of Famous people who died in 1979

Jack MacKenzie was a British-born cinematographer who worked for most of his career in the United States. During the silent era Jack MacKenzie was employed in Hollywood. In 1930 MacKenzie was sent to London by RKO to work on two films for the company's British partner Associated Talking Pictures. MacKenzie then returned to America. While he occasionally worked on prestige films such as Mary of Scotland (1936) he was employed mainly on numerous low-budget productions and from 1951 in the developing television industry.

Kenneth Leon "Tug" Wilson was an American track and field athlete and amateur athletics administrator. He competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics, finishing tenth in the discus throw competition. Wilson served as the second commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, from 1945 to 1961, and as the president of the United States Olympic Committee from 1953 to 1965.

Rachel Yanait Ben-Zvi was an Israeli author and educator, and a leading Labor Zionist. Ben-Zvi was the wife of the second President of Israel, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi.

Louis Alexandre Chiron was a Monégasque racing driver who competed in rallies, sports car races, and Grands Prix.

Ben Oakland was an American composer, lyricist, and pianist, most active from the 1920s through the 1940s. He composed mainly for Broadway and vaudeville, though he also worked on several Hollywood scores including for the film My Little Chickadee.

William Chapman Revercomb was an American politician and lawyer. A Republican, he served two separate terms in the United States Senate representing the state of West Virginia.

John Laurence Wilcox, BSC was a British Cinematographer. He worked several times with director Freddie Francis; and photographed many popular British films, including Carve Her Name with Pride, Summer Holiday and Dr. Who and the Daleks.