Matt Salinger

Birth Name: Matthew Douglas Salinger

Place of Birth: Windsor, Vermont, United States

Date of Birth: February 13, 1960

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish (paternal grandfather), English, Scottish, Irish, German

Matt Salinger is an American actor and producer. He played Captain America in the 1990 film.

He is the son of legendary author J. D. Salinger, who wrote The Catcher in the Rye, and English psychologist Alison Claire Douglas. Matt is married to jewelry designer Betsy Jane Becker, with whom he has two children.

Matt’s paternal grandfather was from a Lithuanian Jewish family. After marrying his grandfather, Matt’s grandmother considered herself Jewish and was renamed Miriam. Matt’s father was raised Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony. Matt’s wife Betsy is also Jewish.

Matt’s paternal grandfather was Sol/Solomon Salinger (the son of Simon F. Salinger and Fannie Copland). Sol was born in Ohio, to parents from Lithuania. Simon was born in Taurogen, and was a rabbi for the Adath Jeshurun congregation, in Louisville, Kentucky. He was the son of Hyman Joseph Salinger and Dora “Doris” Shereshevsky. Fannie was born in Berrincki, the daughter of Morris Kaplan/Copland and Ida/Chaya Telser.

Matt’s paternal grandmother was Marie Jillich (the daughter of George Lester Jillich, Jr. and Nellie F. McMahon). Marie was born in Iowa, and had English, Irish, and German ancestry. She may have converted to Judaism. George was the son of George Lester Jillich and Mary Jane Bennett.

Matt’s maternal grandfather was art critic, lecturer, and author R. Langton Douglas (Robert Langton Douglas, the son of Robert Douglas and Annie Johnson). Matt’s grandfather R. Langton was born in Lavenham, and was director of the National Gallery of Ireland. Matt’s great-grandfather Robert was the son of Samuel Douglas and Hannah Stow. Annie was the daughter of Thomas Johnson and Harriet Baldwin.

Matt’s maternal grandmother was named Jean Stewart (the daughter of John Stewart). John likely was Scottish.

Sources: Genealogy of Matt Salinger – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Matt’s father – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Matt’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Matt’s father on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Matt’s paternal grandfather, Sol/Solomon Salinger, on the 1900 U.S Census – https://familysearch.org

Matt’s paternal great-grandfather, George Lester Jillich, Jr., on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Matt’s paternal great-great-grandfather, George Lester Jillich, on the 1860 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org