LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the birth
of Jamestown Native Lucille Ball

WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to commemorate and
recognize those pioneers in the entertainment industry who have shared
their talents with other citizens of this great Nation and Empire State;
and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, this Legislative Body is justly
proud to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Lucille Desi-
ree Ball; and
WHEREAS, Lucille Ball was born on August 6, 1911, to Henry Durrell
Ball and Desiree Hunt Ball in Jamestown, New York; and
WHEREAS, Lucille Ball attended the John Murray Anderson-Robert Milton
Dramatic School in New York City with Bette Davis, but was discouraged
by the faculty to continue her studies there because of her shyness; and
WHEREAS, Determined to find success, Lucille Ball worked as a model in
New York City for fashion designer Hattie Carnegie and later as the
Chesterfield Girl for Chesterfield Cigarettes; and
WHEREAS, In the early 1930s, Lucille Ball moved to Hollywood after an
appearance in "Roman Scandals" as a
Goldwyn Girl in order to pursue an acting career; she appeared in
numerous films throughout the 1930s and 1940s, earning herself the title
"Queen of the Bs," in reference to the number of B-movies in which she
starred; and
WHEREAS, In 1940, Lucille Ball met and married Cuban bandleader Desi
Arnaz, and at the urging of her husband, she began work in radio, secur-
ing the lead role in the successful radio comedy "My Favorite Husband";
and
WHEREAS, Television executives at CBS, impressed with her radio
performance, asked Lucille Ball to develop the show for television; she
agreed to create a television show, but insisted that her husband be
included, a requirement that CBS would not meet; and
WHEREAS, The couple created a vaudeville act built on the same prem-
ise, with Lucille Ball cast as a zany housewife to Desi Arnaz; the act
was very successful, leading to another offer from CBS, this time meet-
ing the demands that Desi Arnaz be cast as the husband of her character
on the show; and
WHEREAS, The television show "I Love Lucy" debuted in 1951, shot on
film rather than the kinescope technology typically used for television
shows at that time; the stars of the show took a pay cut to cover the
extra cost of filming, under the condition that their company, Desilu
Productions, be granted the rights to the film once aired; this shrewd
business move allowed Desilu to make millions of dollars through
rebroadcasts of "I Love Lucy" in syndication; and
WHEREAS, "I Love Lucy" was a groundbreaking television show, including
story lines dealing with marital issues, women in the workplace and
suburban life; one of the most memorable story lines of "I Love Lucy"
was the pregnancy of the show's title character at a time when it was
unacceptable to show a pregnant woman on television, or to say the word
"pregnant" on the air; and
WHEREAS, The birth of her television son, Little Ricky, coincided with
the birth of Lucille Ball's son in real life, Desiderio Alberto (Desi)
Arnaz, Jr.; Desi Arnaz, Jr. was Lucille Ball's second child; his sister,
Lucie Desiree Arnaz was born two years earlier; and
WHEREAS, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz produced the most successful
television comedy of its time, ending "I Love Lucy" in 1957; Desilu
Productions continued to produce other successful shows, including "Our

Miss Brooks", "The Untouchables", "Star Trek", "Mission: Impossible",
"The Dick Van Dyke Show", and "The Andy Griffith Show", among others;
and
WHEREAS, In 1960, Lucille Ball's marriage to Desi Arnaz ended; she
married Gary Morton in 1962, and bought out her former husband's share
in the production company, making her the first woman to run a major
television production studio; and
WHEREAS, The beloved First Lady of Television, Lucille Ball continued
to act on the stage and on screens large and small; she was honored for
her work numerous times, receiving four Emmy Awards, including Best
Comedienne in 1952, and was the first woman to receive the International
Radio and Television Society's Gold Medal; she was inducted into the
Television Hall of Fame in 1984, and two years later, was awarded the
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Lifetime Achievement Citation;
and
WHEREAS, Lucille Ball died on April 26, 1989, at the age of 77; her
ashes were initially placed in Los Angeles, and in 2002, were moved to
the family plot at Lake View Cemetery in Jamestown, New York; and
WHEREAS, Even after her death, Lucille Ball was honored for her life-
time of achievements, and was presented posthumously with the Presiden-
tial Medal of Freedom in 1989, the Women's International Center Living
Legacy Award in 1990, and was recognized as one of the 10 Most Important
Women of the 20th Century by LADIES HOME JOURNAL, Top Female Entertainer
of the 20th Century by NEWSWEEK, and in 2001, was inducted into the
National Women's Hall of Fame; Lucille Ball remains one of America's
most beloved stars and one of its greatest television icons; and
WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to publicly recog-
nize and honor the lives of beloved citizens who have distinguished
themselves as pioneers in entertainment and business in this great
Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Lucille Ball, actress,
comedian, model and film executive; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Lucille Ball.