Eugene Wesley Roddenberry

CREATOR OF THE STARTREK SAGA

EUGENE WESLEY RODDENBERRY
(1921 - 1991)





1. Life

1921 born in El Paso, Texas on August 19^th
1941 graduated from LA City College
volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps
Second Lieutenant, took part in 89 missions and sorties
Distinguished flying Cross and the Air Medal
1945 Commercial pilot for Pan Am Airlines
Los Angeles police officer
1953 Free lance author, Western "Have Gun Will Travel"
1963 Roddenberry sold his first own series "The Lieutenant"
1964 Making of "The Cage", first TOS pilot
1965 Making of "Where No Man Has Gone Before", 2^ndpilot
1966 StarTrek, The Original Series, was launched
1968 Uproar in the US: During the episode "Plato's Stepchildren": A white man kisses a black woman
1969 married Majel Barrett ("The Computer", "Nurse Chapel" from TOS and "Lwaxana Troi" in TNG and DS9)
1977 Doctor of Humane Letters from Emerson College in Boston, Mass., Doctor of Literature from Union College in Los Angeles
1981 Doctor of Science from Clarkson College in Potsdam, New York
1986 A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1987 Making of "Encounter at Farpoint", TNG pilot
TNG was launched
Peabody Award for the "Best of the Best." (TNG)
1990 Jack Benny Memorial Award for lifetime achievement
1991 On Thursday, October 24^th"Gene Roddenberry passed away and a world not so far away mourned the loss of one of television's foremost pioneers."[1]

Rick Berman and Micheal Piller continued the StarTrek Saga





2. StarTrek Series:

TOS - The Original Series (1966 - 1969)
TNG - The Next Generation (1987 - 1994)
DS9 - Deep Space Nine (1993 - )
VOY - Voyager (1994 - )




3. StarTrek Movies


I. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
II. The Wrath of Khan (1982)
III. The Search for Spock (1984)
IV. The Voyage Home (1986)
V. The Final Frontier (1989)
VI. The Undiscovered Country (1991)
VII. Generations (1994)
VIII. First Contact (1996)


4. The Message

While making Star Trek, Roddenberry's reputation as a futurist began to grow. His papers and lectures earned him high professional regard in that field. He spoke on the subject at NASA meetings, the Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress gatherings and top universities.

Some of the Science Fiction of StarTrek TOS is the science fact of today, some examples include: compact voice - activated computers, mobile hand - held communicators, computerized medical beds which help diagnose illness, and laser weapons. The famous scientist Stephen Hawking is working on the Warp drive theory for years, since he considers it to be possible.

StarTrek is seen in more than 100 countries and has been translated into dozens of languages.

"Trekkies," now called "Trekkers," are the only fans listed by name in the Oxford English Dictionary.

The first U.S. Space Shuttle, the "Enterprise," was given its name after NASA received 400,000 requests from StarTrek fans.

A 1993 study from Purdue University found that children learn more about science from StarTrek than from any other source.

StarTrek conventions are held every weekend of every year in at least four different U.S. cities, annually attracting more than 300,000 U.S. fans and an estimated one million fans worldwide.

"I will forever be in his debt, for showing us the way of life that could be ours if the rest of the world would try to live together as one. The ideals of StarTrek are not out of reach if we all try to emulate the model brought to us by Mr. Roddenberry. We are still a long way from that, but we have started down that path and I hope we continue, far into the future."[2]







Gene Roddenberry:

On StarTrek:

"Star Trek is my political philosophy, my social philosophy, my racial philosophy, my overview on life and the human condition"

On Women:

"I tried to get a woman as second in command, but that failed. I also tried to have a fifty - fifty split of men and women abroad the Enterprise. However, NBC turned the idea down because they thought there would be too much hanky panky between the sexes. We argued, and we eventually agreed on one - third women and two - thirds men. I thought to myself that a one - third crew complement of healthy women could handle the two - thirds men any day.
However, I did make a statement about women by having them run around in little skirts. (...) Although they were wearing these ridiculous little skirts, you have to
remember at the time that was a real badge of freedom. That was women saying 'I don't have to be a little mousy house wife. I can wear something attractive' (...)
Back then, I always thought that in the future it won't seem all that strange women are treated as equals."

On Religion:

"I once paid attention to a sermon when I was 14 years old, and that was about the only time I did. I found the things being talked about ridiculous. We should eat the body of Christ, and drink his blood? I would still like to know how Jesus became someone to be eaten. I remember my first impression was "This is a bunch of cannibals they've put me down among." So for the rest of my teen life I let religion slide. I saw no point in adopting it when it was so obviously phony."

On God:

"I believe we are all God, and God is the equation of the universe. (...) I basically believe God equals thought."

On the Human Race:

"I think of the human race as an eight or ten year old child. They are lovable at their best, and despicable at their worst - just like humans.(...) We are a young species. I think if we allow ourselves a little development, understanding what we've done already, we'll be surprised what a cherishable, lovely group that humans can evolve into."

On drugs:

"I believe the solution to the drug problem is legalization. If not legalization, then decriminalization. In other words, I believe we should make drugs a public health problem. I originally had this idea back in the 1950's when I was a cop, but I believe in it even more strongly now."




__________________________________________________________________________

Sources:
1) Kevin Atkinson; A Man Behind StarTrek (Interview); http://sunsite.unc.edu/kevina/pap456/roddenbe.htm; 12/10/97
2) Ralph Sander; Das StarTrek Univerum, Band 1; Munich, 1994
3) http://www.kristoffer.com/texts/stactors.txt
by Sonja Keerl, LK E, 12/16/97

Director's cut ; - )

CREATOR OF THE STARTREK SAGA

EUGENE WESLEY RODDENBERRY
(1921 - 1991)

1. Life


1921 born in El Paso, Texas on August 19^th
1941 graduated from LA City College studied three years of college pre - law and then transferred his academic interest to aeronautical engineering and qualified for a pilot's license.

volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps and was ordered into training as a flying cadet as the war began.

Emerging from Kelly Field, Texas, as a Second Lieutenant, Roddenberry was sent to the South Pacific where he entered combat at Guadalcanal, flying B - 17 bombers out of the newly - captured Japanese airstrip, which became Henderson Field. He flew missions against enemy strongholds at Bougainville and participated in the Munda invasion. In all, he took part in 89 missions and sorties. He was decorated with the Distinguished flying Cross and the Air Medal. He was involved in a crash as a bomber pilot in the South Pacific. His navigator and bombardier were killed, but he managed to survive

1945 Commercial pilot for Pan Am Airlines He was in another deadly crash in the Cyren Desert. A total of fourteen people died, and I was the only surviving flight officer.
Roddenberry later received a Civil Aeronautics commendation for his efforts during and after the crash. During this time, he also studied literature at Columbia University.
Los Angeles police officer as he found the drama of the streets interesting

1953 Free lance author, Western "Have Gun Will Travel"

1963 Roddenberry sells his first own series "The Lieutenant"

1964 Making of "The Cage", first TOS pilot NBC turned the pilot down. One of the things they did not like was the woman as second in command. Well hell, not even the women in the test audience bought it. They also didn't like the Spock character, because they thought he was too satanic - looking and would upset the women in the television audience. So, they ordered a second pilot, a television first

1965 Making of "Where No Man Has Gone Before", 2^ndpilot

1966 StarTrek, The Original Series, was launched Once on the air, however,
- l969 "Star Trek" developed a loyal following and has since become the first television series to have an episode preserved in the Smithsonian, where an 11 - foot model of the U.S.S. Enterprise is also exhibited on the same floor as the Wright brothers' original airplane and Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis."
We have to thank Leonard Nimoy for the Vulcan Spock. The original design of Spock was that he would be red, from Mars and would inject energy in a place in his stomach.

1968 Uproar in the US: During the episode "Plato's Stepchildren": A white man kisses a black woman

1969 married on August 6 his 2^ndwife Majel Barrett ("The Computer", "Nurse Chapel" from TOS and "Lwaxana Troi" in TNG and DS9)


1977 He held three honorary doctorate degrees: Doctor of Humane Letters from Emerson College in Boston, Mass., Doctor of Literature from Union College in Los Angeles

1981 Doctor of Science from Clarkson College in Potsdam, New York

1986 Roddenberry's fans presented him with A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the first writer/producer to be so honored.

1987 Making of "Encounter at Farpoint", TNG pilot
TNG was launched great success
Peabody Award for the "Best of the Best." (TNG) To date, the series has garnered a total of eleven prestigious Emmy awards.

1990 The March of Dimes honored Roddenberry with the Jack Benny Memorial Award for lifetime achievement

1991 On Thursday, October 24^th"Gene Roddenberry passed away and a world not so far away mourned the loss of one of television's foremost pioneers."[3]




2. StarTrek Series:

TOS - The Original Series (1966 - 1969)
TNG - The Next Generation (1987 - 1994)
DS9 - Deep Space Nine (1993 - )
VOY - Voyager (1994 - )



3. StarTrek Movies

I. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
II. The Wrath of Khan (1982)
III. The Search for Spock (1984)
IV. The Voyage Home (1986)
V. The Final Frontier (1989)
VI. The Undiscovered Country (1991)
VII. Generations (1994)
VII. First Contact (1996)








4. The Message

While making "Star Trek," Roddenberry's reputation as a futurist began to grow. His papers and lectures earned him high professional regard in that field. He spoke on the subject at NASA meetings, the Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress gatherings and top universities.

Some of the Science Fiction of StarTrek TOS is the science fact of today, some examples include: compact voice - activated computers, mobile hand - held communicators, computerized medical beds which help diagnose illness, and laser weapons. The famous scientist Stephen Hawking is working on the Warp drive theory for years, since he considers it to be possible.

StarTrek is seen in more than 100 countries and has been translated into dozens of languages

"Trekkies," now called "Trekkers," are the only fans listed by name in the Oxford English Dictionary.

The first U.S. Space Shuttle, the "Enterprise," was given its name after NASA received 400,000 requests from StarTrek fans.

A 1993 study from Purdue University found that children learn more about science from StarTrek than from any other source.

StarTrek conventions are held every weekend of every year in at least four different U.S. cities, annually attracting more than 300,000 U.S. fans and an estimated one million fans worldwide.

"I will forever be in his debt, for showing us the way of life that could be ours if the rest of the world would try to live together as one. The ideals of StarTrek are not out of reach if we all try to emulate the model brought to us by Mr. Roddenberry. We are still a long way from that, but we have started down that path and I hope we continue, far into the future."[4]


Gene Roddenberry[5]:

On StarTrek:

"Star Trek is my political philosophy, my social philosophy, my racial philosophy, my overview on life and the human condition"







On Women:

"I tried to get a woman as second in command, but that failed. I also tried to have a fifty - fifty split of men and women abroad the Enterprise. However, NBC turned the idea down because they thought there would be too much hanky panky between the sexes. We argued, and we eventually agreed on one - third women and two - thirds men. I thought to myself that a one - third crew complement of healthy women could handle the two - thirds men any day.
However, I did make a statement about women by having them run around in little skirts. (...) Although they were wearing these ridiculous little skirts, you have to
remember at the time that was a real badge of freedom. That was women saying 'I don't have to be a little mousy house wife. I can wear something attractive' (...)
Back then, I always thought that in the future it won't seem all that strange women are treated as equals."

On Religion:

"I once paid attention to a sermon when I was 14 years old, and that was about the only time I did. I found the things being talked about ridiculous. We should eat the body of Christ, and drink his blood? I would still like to know how Jesus became someone to be eaten. I remember my first impression was "This is a bunch of cannibals they've put me down among." So for the rest of my teen life I let religion slide. I saw no point in adopting it when it was so obviously phony."

On God:

"I believe we are all God, and God is the equation of the universe. (...) I basically believe God equals thought."

On the Human Race:

"I think of the human race as an eight or ten year old child. They are lovable at their best, and despicable at their worst - just like humans.(...) We are a young species. I think if we allow ourselves a little development, understanding what we've done already, we'll be surprised what a cherishable, lovely group that humans can evolve into."

On drugs:

"I believe the solution to the drug problem is legalization. If not legalization, then decriminalization. In other words, I believe we should make drugs a public health problem. I originally had this idea back in the 1950's when I was a cop, but I believe in it even more strongly now."












__________________________________________________________________________

Sources:
1) Kevin Atkinson; A Man Behind StarTrek; http://sunsite.unc.edu/kevina/pap456/roddenbe.htm; 12/10/97
2) Ralph Sander; Das StarTrek Univerum, Band 1; Munich, 1994
3) http://www.kristoffer.com/texts/stactors.txt
by Sonja Keerl, LK E, 12/15/97
[1] by Andrew Tong
[2] by Paul Campbell
[3] by Andrew Tong
[4] by Paul Campbell
[5] 1991, interviewed by Kevin Atkinson

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