Lucille Ball

Barrier-breaking comedian. Savvy businesswoman. Visionary for her hometown.

Lucille Ball made an impact on the entertainment industry that rippled for decades and can be seen firsthand in Jamestown, N.Y. Ball gave local officials in her hometown direction on how to celebrate her legacy, and now it is home to the first-of-its-kind National Comedy Center.

As “I Love Lucy” established itself as a major success in the 1950s, Ball shattered stereotypes of what was expected of women on screen at the time, and women in comedy in particular.

“Too often and most often women were cast as the objects of desire and that was really the extent of the depth of their characters,” said Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center. “Lucille Ball wasn’t afraid … to look silly.”

Ball’s success on screen preceded her role as a powerful businesswoman off screen. She became the first woman to run a major television studio when she launched Desilu Productions. Ball overruled an all-male board of directors to fund the pilot for “Star Trek,” which later turned into a cultural touchstone.

This year marks the 70th anniversary since the founding of Desilu Productions. 

“Lucille Ball was not just a force in comedy in terms of her comedic prowess, talent and timing,” Gunderson said. “She was a force in the business world of entertainment and effectively revolutionized entertainment in the way that she and Desi produced ‘I Love Lucy’ and built Desilu studios.”

— Brett Samuels