Notable People With Ties To Lamar
County, Texas
The Dash
- poem by Linda Ellis
- John Adams, professional golfer, resides in Paris.
- Alexander Mack Aikin, Jr., (October 9, 1905 – October 24, 1981), was an American politician who served in the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate as a Democrat. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1932, and after serving two terms was elected to the Senate in 1937. In total, he served for 46 years in the two chambers of the Texas Legislature, making him the longest-tenured legislator in the history of Texas at the time of his retirement in January 1979. He was known as "the Father of Modern Texas Education." He died in Paris and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
- Reuben Alexander "Rick" Adams, (December 24, 1878 – March 10, 1955) was a professional baseball player whose career spanned over 13 seasons, including one in Major League Baseball with the Washington Senators (1905), born and died in Paris.
- Duane Allen, member of The Oak Ridge Boys, born and raised in Taylortown, Texas.
- Tia
Ballard, actress for Funimation Entertainment, born and raised in
Paris
- Dr. Charles R. Baxter (November 4, 1930 - March 10, 2005) was an American medical doctor. Baxter was the doctor who unsuccessfully tried to save John F. Kennedy after he was shot in Dallas, Texas in 1963; he also operated on Texas Gov. John Connally, who had been wounded in the attack. He was also known for his amazing pioneering work in burn treatment which put Parkland Hospital on the map as a burn center. Born in Paris, Texas.
- Raymond Berry, (February 7, 1904 - June 6, 1999) professional football Hall of Fame Member as Baltimore Colts and head coach of the New England Patriots, graduated Paris High School
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- Eugene Black, (July 2, 1879 - May 22, 1975) was an American lawyer, teacher, and grocer who was the Democratic United States Representative from the First District of Texas from 1915 to 1929, born in Blossom.
- James Robert "Bob" Biard, (born May 20, 1931 in Paris) is an American electrical engineer and inventor who holds 73 U.S. patents. Some of his more significant patents include the first infrared light-emitting diode (LED),[1] the optical isolator,[2] Schottky clamped logic circuits,[3] silicon Metal Oxide Semiconductor Read Only Memory (MOS ROM),[4] a low bulk leakage current avalanche photodetector, and fiber-optic data links. He has been on the staff of Texas A&M University as an Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering since 1980.
- a href="http://texasescapes.com/TOWNS/Paris/Gibraltar-Hotel-Paris-Texas.htm" target="_blank">Richard H. Blyth, Edward Buford Norment and B. P. Bailey
were the founders and builders of the Gibraitar Hotel in Paris, Texas. It was located to accommodate travelers on the St. Louis-Dallas train line – a time when towns had street cars and real train service. Though damaged in the 1916 fire, the owners were optimistic enough to add a seventh story upon restoration. But like most downtown hotels, it fell out of favor with the traveling public, who wanted their lodgings close and convenient to the highways.
- Jerry Bywaters (1906-1989), artist who pioneered the style later termed "Lone Star Regionalism;" directed the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts (now the Dallas Museum of Art) for two decades beginning in 1943, was born in Paris, Texas - four murals by Jerry are displayed in the Paris Public Library.
- John
Simpson Chisum (1824-1884), cattle baron, born, lived and buried
in Paris
- Gary
B.B. Coleman (January 1, 1947 – February 14, 1994) was an
American soul blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer,
born in Paris
- William (Andy) Eudy, C-5 Galaxy Crew Chief, Amateur Bass Angler
- Lindsey
Gayle Evans, an American model and beauty queen, born in Paris
- David
J. Fielding, the original voice of Zordon in Mighty Morphin Power
Rangers; he was also the
face and head of the character
- Bobby
Jack Floyd (December 8, 1929-June 27, 2012) is a former fullback
in the National Football League, born in Paris, graduated from Paris
High School, and attended Paris Junior College where he is in the Paris
Junior College Hall of Fame.
- Charles
R. Floyd (April 25, 1881 - February 17, 1945), Democratic State
Senator who served three four-year terms; pioneer of the Texas Farm-to-market
road system and an original founder of Paris
Junior College
- Robert
Lawrence "Buck" Frierson (July 29, 1917 - June 26, 1996)
was an outfielder in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians,
born in Chicota
- Cas
Haley, singer/musician, NBC's Season 2 of "America's Got Talent"
runner-up, born in Paris.
- Frank James, brother of outlaw Jesse James, clerked in Paris Dry Goods Store, owned by George Settle.
- General
John P. Jumper (1945- ), Chief of Staff of the United States Air
Force from 2001 to 2005, born in Paris
- Glen
Keener, record producer and career musician, credited with signed
McEntire to a professional recording contract with Mercury Records,
lives in Pattonville
- Beverly Leech, actress portrayed Kate Monday on Mathnet, born in Paris
- Eugene "Gene" Lyons (1950-1998), a marketing director, producer
and actor. He had made appearances in "Homicide, Life on the Streets,"
"The Pelican Brief," "A League of Their Own," and
other shows. Buried in Rocky Ford Cemetery.
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Jack Clinton Maddox (1919-2006), was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball League for the Oshkosh All-Stars and Hammond Calumet Buccaneers between 1946 and 1949, then for the Indianapolis Jets in the Basketball Association of America in 1949 for one game.
- Samuel Bell Maxey (1825-1895), United States Senator and Confederate Major General, had his home here which is now a state historical site.
- William Johnson McDonald, (December 21, 1844 – February 8, 1926) was a Paris, Texas banker who left $850,000 (the bulk of his fortune) to the University of Texas System to endow an astronomical observatory -- The McDonald Observatory.
- Deon Minor, an American former track and field athlete who specialized in the 400 meter dash, born and raised in Paris.
- Jay Hunter Morris, American operatic tenor, born and raised in Paris.
- Blake
Neely, a composer nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys, born and raised
in Paris, graduated from Paris High School
- John Hillery Osteen (April 21, 1921 - January 23, 1999), father of evangelist Joel Osteen and founder of Lakewood Church in Houston, born in Paris.
- William
A. Owens (November 2, 1905 - December 9, 1990), was an American
author, folklorist and educator, born in Pin Hook.
- Dave Philley (May 16, 1920 - March 15, 2012), professional baseball player and holder of five MLB records, born and lived in Paris; was the oldest living Baltimore Oriole when he died.
- Noel Philley (Feb 26, 1918 - Nov 2, 2009), minor league baseball player for the Red Sox.
- Gene Rader, jewelry store owner, actor in 7 movies, including The Sugarland Express, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Liar's Moon.
- Bass Reeves (1838 - 1910), thought to be the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshal, served in Paris - bust unveiled
- Admiral James Otto Richardson (1898 - 1974), United States Navy Fleet Commander 1940–1941 at Pearl Harbor.
- H. B. Roach - patented new type washing machine, 1895.
- Eddie Robinson (1920- ), professional baseball player and four-time all-star, born in Paris; currently the oldest living Baltimore Oriole.
- Jack Russell (October 24, 1905 - November 3, 1990), professional baseball player and first relief pitcher selected to a Major League Baseball All-Star Game, born in Paris.
- Leslie
Satcher, country music recording artist, born and raised in Paris
- Scott Scudder, Major League Baseball pitcher, born and raised in Paris/Pattonville
- Gene Stallings, college and professional football coach for the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, born and lives in Paris.
- John Mark "Johnny" Stallings (June 11, 1962 - August 2, 2008), son of Gene Stallings and inspiration to all who knew himm
- Belle
Starr (1848-1889), frontier outlaw, lived in Paris; her husband,
Jim Reed, killed near Paris
- Hugh
Delane "Rocky" Thompson, an American professional golfer
who has played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, was mayor of
Toco, Texas in the 1990s
- Rob
Van Winkle (Vanilla Ice), musician, attended school in Paris
- Gene Watson, country singer, raised in Paris.
- David Floyd Weaver (May 12, 1941 - November 17, 2008), professional baseball player, lived in Powderly and died and is buried in Long Cemetery in Powderly.
- William
Barney White (June 25, 1923 - July 24, 2004), nicknamed "Bear,"
was an American infielder in Major League Baseball, born in Paris.
- Jack
William Wilson (November 20, 1917 - April 11, 2001), an American
football halfback in the National Football League, born in Paris.
- James
Richard "Ricky" Wright (November 22, 1958 - ), professional baseball player, born and raised in Paris.
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