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Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry, (August 19, 1921 October 24, 1991) was an American screenwriter and producer. He became best known as the creator of what would become the science fiction universe of Star Trek. He would also become one of the first people to be "buried" in space. Roddenberry was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Roddenberry was sometimes referred to as the "Great Bird of the Galaxy" in reference to his role in Star Trek.
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Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry, (August 19, 1921 October 24, 1991) was an American screenwriter and producer. He became best known as the creator of what would become the science fiction universe of Star Trek. He would also become one of the first people to be "buried" in space. Roddenberry was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Roddenberry was sometimes referred to as the "Great Bird of the Galaxy" in reference to his role in Star Trek.
Personal life
Born in El Paso, Texas, to Eugene Edward Roddenberry and Caroline Glen, Roddenberry spent his boyhood in Los Angeles, California, where his family had moved so his father could pursue a career with the Los Angeles Police Department. Following in his father's footsteps after high school, Roddenberry took classes in police studies at Los Angeles City College, and headed that school's Police Club. In that role, he was a liaison with the FBI, thanking them for sending speakers and securing copies of the FBI Code and publications for club use, and took fingerprint records of the college community for the FBI's Civil Identification Division.
Following his graduation from Los Angeles City College, Roddenberry attended Columbia University, the University of Miami, and the University of Southern California.
He later transferred his academic interest to aeronautical engineering and qualified for a pilot's license. Roddenberry joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941 and became an aviator. He flew many combat B-17 Flying Fortress missions in the Pacific Theatre with the 394th Bomb Squadron (H), 5th Bomb Group, whose members called themselves the "Bomber Barons." Roddenberry was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal.
After leaving the service, he was a commercial pilot for Pan American World Airways. He received a Civil Aeronautics commendation for his efforts following a June 1947 crash in the Syrian desert, while on a flight to Istanbul from Karachi.
Roddenberry left Pan Am to pursue writing for television in Los Angeles. In order to provide for his growing family, he fell back on his early training and joined the Los Angeles Police Department on February 1, 1949, when he took an oath of office and was assigned LAPD badge number 6089. During his seven-year service with the LAPD, Roddenberry would rise to become a police sergeant. He resigned from the police force to concentrate on his writing career on June 7, 1956.Alexander, op. cit., p.141
In his brief letter of resignation, Roddenberry wrote:
- "I find myself unable to support my family at present on anticipated police salary levels in a manner we consider necessary. Having spent slightly more than seven years on this job, during all of which fair treatment and enjoyable working conditions were received, this decision is made with considerable and genuine regret."
