A Manhattan native who is 55, he lives in Greenwich Village with his wife, Harriet Shelare, who works in public relations, and a 17-year-old son, Daniel.

"My goal is to do a program at every historic site on Long Island," said Mr. St. George, a Manhattan native who moved to Long Island as a teenager.

Mr. Bland, 66, is a Manhattan native who spent 30 years in the garment business as a salesman and store manager; after retirement, he said, boredom prompted him to make a second career.

It looked like it was happening in slow motion," said William Dowling, 35, a Manhattan native who had recently moved to Fredericksburg, Va. "It was like a frozen moment with everyone just looking up.

The selection of Mr. Bernstein, a Manhattan native who has spent his entire career in advertising, represents a departure for the league, which usually has chosen leaders with a background in entertainment.

A Manhattan native of Puerto Rican descent, he held bachelor's and master's degrees and a doctorate, which was in political science, all from Fordham.

Today, Mrs. Hoyte, a Manhattan native who taught in New York City public schools for 41 years, is the manager and tour guide of her museum, which officially opened in 1974.

Mr. Belil, a Manhattan native who moved to this quiet Monmouth County community nearly 20 years ago, served in the Air Force during the Korean War.

Mr. Weiner, 34, and Ms. Paulus, 33, Manhattan natives, met in a high school production of "Wonderful Town" 17 years ago.

It was an appealing project for Mr. Timpson, a 54-year-old Manhattan native who joined I.B.M. shortly after graduating from Harvard University in 1967 and, contrary to his initial expectations, never left.