By Carol Fisher-Linn
Part I of Series
It is truly amazing how many famous people have been born, raised, or otherwise “come from” Western New York’s Southern Tier. Top of mind for me is my old, dear friend, Ray Evans, born and raised in Salamanca, who faithfully followed from his Beverly Hills CA home, his beloved Salamanca H.S. football team. Evans, 3X Academy Award winner, with his partner, Jay Livingston, wrote the familiar song, Que Sera Sera, and several award-winning songs and they rubbed shoulders with the Debbie Reynolds/Doris Day Hollywood set of his era. Yet he remained shy and humble, never forgot his Salamanca roots and returned home often. The theater in Salamanca is named after Ray Evans. Many thanks to his family and foundation for their continued support.
An even bigger name that the entire world knows is Lucille Ball, of “I Love Lucy” television fame and now celebrated at the Lucy-Desi Museum and the National Comedy Center in Jamestown. Lucy was an actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by Time Magazine in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for her work in all four of these areas. It’s because of Lucy’s stubbornness that the word “pregnant” was finally allowed to be used on television (and yes, she is a member if the National Women’s Hall of Fame). Not too bad for a kid born on 69 Stewart Avenue in Jamestown then later, on 59 West 8th Street (now Lucy Lane) in Celoron, NY. Lucy and Desi Arnaz, her celebrity husband, returned to Jamestown several times. Lucy is buried in Jamestown’s Lake View cemetery. Look for the large black monument with the word Ball inscribed within a large heart.
Louis Zamperini was born in Olean NY 1917, to Italian immigrant parents. Known for his running prowess, a race at Madison Square Garden was named the Louis Zamperini Invitational Mile. He was Grand Marshal in the 2015 Rose Parade, and in 2014 Olean dedicated a monument to Zamperini at War Veterans Park. Zamperini was named as the class exemplar for the USAF Academy Class of 2018 for his character and courage in service to his country. His biography, by Laura Hillenbrand Unbroken: A World War II Story of survival resilience and redemption was #1 NY Times bestseller and top nonfiction in 2010 by Time Magazine. It was also made into a 2014 movie, Unbroken, directed by Angelina Jolie.
Among the many political figures who have come from Western New York, a Jamestown H.S. student named Robert Houghwout Jackson (1892 – 1954) stands out. Jackson was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician who served as an associate justice of the US Supreme 1941-1954. He had previously served as US Solicitor General and US Attorney General and is the only person to have held all three of those offices. Jackson was also notable for his work at Nuremburg Trials prosecuting Nazi war criminals following WWII. Jackson developed a reputation as one of the best writers on the Supreme Court and one of the most committed to enforcing due process as protection from overreaching federal agencies. Several excellent books about RH Jackson can be found on Amazon and Thrift Books, or books/manuscripts are available at the Robert H. Jackson Center on 305 E. 4th Street in Jamestown.
Another standout for Salamanca is Charles Thomas “Chuck” Crist. He played for Salamanca H.S. and in his senior year he was named MVP on four separate sports teams. Because of his skill and domination in his athletic endeavors, Crist was recognized as the Southwestern New York Athlete of the Century by the Olean Times Herald. He was inducted into the Cattaraugus County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Crist played seven seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants (1972-74), New Orleans Saints (1975-77) and the San Francisco 49ers. Following his football career, Crist moved back to Western New York and began to show his athletic skills at yet another sport – golf. He won the club championship at Holiday Valley Resort six times. After his death from cancer, he was found to be one of at least 345 NFL players diagnosed with (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.
Please return to our next publication for more surprises about people from our region who could have been your neighbors, as Chuck (Patti) Crist was also both an Ellicottville and Bemus Point residents.
Please contact this paper if you know, or know of someone famous from our vicinity you think should be considered for this series. Simply log on to www.thevillagerny.com and click on the “General Submissions” tab.