Profile Text
Birth Name: Eugene Westley Roddenberry
Date of Birth: August 19, 1921
Place of Birth: El Paso, Texas, United States
Date of Death: October 24, 1991
Place of Death: Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Ethnicity: English, along with Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Irish, Scottish, Swiss-German, and Welsh, remote Dutch and French
Gene Rodenberry was an American television producer and screenwriter. He created the show Star Trek , and its mythos, and was also its showrunner. He also created the shows The Lieutenant , Star Trek: The Animated Series , Star Trek: The Next Generation , all of which he was a showrunner for; Earth: Final Conflict , and Andromeda . He was a writer for all his shows, other than Andromeda , and also wrote for the shows Highway Patrol , Mr. District Attorney , I Led Three Lives , The West Point Story , Boots and Saddles , Have Gun – Will Travel , Jefferson Drum , The Detectives , Whiplash , and Shannon . He wrote the film Pretty Maids All in a Row , and the made-for-tv movie Genesis II , and co-wrote the made-for-tv movies The Questor Tapes , Planet Earth (1974), and Spectre (1977). He is the first television writer to have received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was also credited as Robert Wesley.
Gene was the son of Caroline Glen (Golemon) and Eugene Edward Roddenberry, who worked in policing. His family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1923. He flew 89 combat missions in the Army Air Forces during WWII, and was later a commercial pilot, and LAPD officer, for a time. He was married to actress and producer Majel Barrett (born Majel Leigh Hudec), until his death. He had two children with his former wife Eileen-Anita Rexroat; and a son, television producer Rod Roddenberry, with Majel. Rod heads Roddenberry Entertainment.
Gene’s paternal grandfather was Leon E. Roddenberry (the son of Henry Jackson Roddenberry, Jr. and Novenia Adella Sheffield). Leon was born in Charlton County, Georgia. Henry was born in Ware County, Georgia, the son of Henry Roddenberry and Nancy Ellis. Novenia was born in Camden County, Georgia, the daughter of John Sheffield and Sarah Ann Cook.
Gene’s paternal grandmother was Clara May Cushing (the daughter of William Wallace Cushing and Malina E. Bourn/Bourne). Clara was born in Massachusetts. William was born in Calais, Washington, Maine, the son of Elijah Cushing and Eunice Finney, who was born in Midgic, Westmorland, New Brunswick, Canada. Malina was born in Somerset, Bristol, Massachusetts, the daughter of John Bourn/Brown and Clarissa H. Morrison.
Gene’s maternal grandfather was William Wesley Golemon (the son of Jacob Golemon and Caroline Matilda Walker). William was born in Mississippi, to parents who were also born there. Jacob was the son of William Golemon and Nancy Sumrall. Caroline was the daughter of James Walker.
Gene’s maternal grandmother was Lydia Ann McDonald (the daughter of Christopher C. McDonald and Zylphia McCandless). Lydia was born in Alabama, to parents who were also born in the state. Zylphia was the daughter of Catherine Jane.
Sources: Birth record of Gene Rodenberry – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogies of Gene Rodenberry – https://famouskin.com https://www.geni.com https://www.findagrave.com https://www.wikitree.com