Roddenberry, Gene

Roddenberry, Gene (Eugene Wesley Roddenberry), 1921–91, American television writer and producer, b. El Paso, Tex. After being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal for flying 89 missions and sorties in World War II, Roddenberry worked as a pilot and police officer. He joined the television industry as a scriptwriter, eventually becoming head writer for the series Have Gun, Will Travel. In 1966 he created Star Trek, which became a cultural icon. The show spawned several feature films and further television series.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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