Gene Roddenberry

OBITUARY NOTICE: Born Eugene Wesley Roddenberry, August 19, 1921, in El Paso, TX; died of a heart attack, October 24, 1991, in Los Angeles, CA. Creator of Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry took the concept of television Westerns, turned it inside out, and created an innovative science fiction series that amassed a huge following. Retaining its popularity in syndication in the 1990s, Star Trek centers around a multicultural group from a United Nations-type organization that journeys into the future, confronting such issues as imperialism, war, diplomacy, and intergalactic sexual relations. When the show---which exhibited the pioneer spirit featured in Westerns---was almost canceled in 1968, nearly one million letters from fans poured into the offices of NBC-TV, winning the series another season....