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Notable Natives
Famous (and infamous) People From Oak Cliff

  

Oak Cliff has had its share of famous and infamous characters. Here are a selection of some of these memorable people who were from Oak Cliff or lived (or live) here. We've tried to check out the facts in these stories but if you know some additional information, we'd like to hear from you. Click on comment and send us information about these or any other Oak Cliff personalities that you know about.

Please visit some of the other pages on the Oak Cliff site that include trivia, remembrances and history contributed by web site readers.


A-C  D-F  G-K  L-P  Q-Z


Jessie Jessie Armstead
(Sports )

Jessie Armstead graduated from Carter High School in 1989, went to college at Miami (Fla) and then on to the NFL Carolina Panthers (#59) as a linebacker.


Rocky Rocky Athas
(Sports )

By age 23, Kimball '73 graduate Rocky Athas was honored as one of Texas’ Ten Best guitarists as an inductee to BUDDY Magazine’s TexasTornadoes.  He holds this honor with such noted guitarists as ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Eric Johnson, Bugs Henderson, Johnny Winter, John Nitzinger, and Jimmy Vaughan. For more check out his web page at http://www.rockyathas.com/rocky.html

For more information: http://www.rockyathas.com/rocky.html


Bonnie Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow
(Infamous )

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow met and hung around Oak Cliff in the early 1930s. On a crime spree that covered Texas and surrounding states, the pair committed 13 murders, numerous kidnappings, and several burglaries and robberies. They were gunned down in Bienville Parish, Louisiana by a posse of men led by Texas Ranger Frank Hamer on May 23, 1934. A movie about their escapades was made in 1967, starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. Clyde is buried in the Western Heights Cemetery on Ft. Wort


Tony Tony Battie
(Sports )

Tony Battie (NBA-Orlando Magic) attended Sarah Zumwalt (1988-1990) and South Oak Cliff (1990-94). He grew from 6'5 to 6-10 during his Sophomore and Junior years in high school. He also attended Texas Tech before leaving for the NBA and getting drafted by T he Denver Nuggets in 1997


Robert L. Bob Bearden
(Creative Arts )

Former Reagen & Adamson HS student: Robert L. Bob Bearden "To D-Day and Back" published by Zenith Press 9/07 first run 4m sold out in first month. www.boblbearden.com. Presently working on two books: "Dear Mom, I'm Coming Home SOBER" and "From Stalag IIIC To Doing UT or How to Get a Four year-Degree In Five" Bob entered the Texas National Guard in July, 1940, was called up into Federal Service with the 36th Infantry Division in November 1940 and missed Adamson graduation. After returning from Ge


Edwin Edwin Ford Beckenbach
(Service )

Edwin Ford Beckenbach - was born in Oak Cliff (on Page Street) in 1906 and was valedictorian of his graduating class from Oak Cliff High School (now Adamson).  I think he graduated in 1924. His major contributions, besides being a Professor of Mathematics at UCLA, were the establishment of the Pacific Journal of Mathematics, the establishment of the Institute for Numerical Analysis (which was one of the original nodes for the computer network that grew into the internet), and the numerous high s


Kittie Kittie Beletic
(Creative Arts )

Kittie Beletic, who currently lives near the Bishop Arts District, is the author of 50 musicals and over 500 songs. She is co-founder of Repertory Company Theatre in Dallas, Texas, now in its 20th season. Her new book, What Color is Your Dream? offers a wh imsical journey through the creative process and is available online as well as in bookstores, September 17, 2007. She is President of Kittiebgoods, a company committed to fine artisans celebrating Art and Life. She continues to do artwork, act


Rebecca Rebecca Bently
(Creative Arts )

Rebecca Bently --  born and raised in Oak Cliff and graduated from David W. Carter in January, 1970.  (went to Kimball High School with Steve Tobolowsky in 1967)  During the past two decades, she's been reporting news, traffic and weather on several radio stations.  She was with Bo & Jim on KZPS from 1998-2001, until they got fired.  She's been on KZPS since Feb. 2004. For awhile, she did traffic reporting as “Anita Wrecker” for KSCS and  was also news reporter “Rebecca Bentley” on WRR.


Mary Loving Blanchard
(Creative Arts )

Mary Loving Blanchard- In addition to working with the City of Dallas to create a memorial honoring former slaves, Mary Loving Blanchard, a poet who has been an Oak Cliff resident since 1975, has also published a bibliographical text on American poets.  Th e text, titled Poets for Young Adults: Their Lives and Works, provides biographical and bibliographical information on seventy-five poets.  See the text at http://www.greenwood.com or your local library.

For more information: http://www.greenwood.com


Parris Afton Bond
(Creative Arts )

PARRIS AFTON BOND (Maiden name Wilkes.  Kimball ’62) – Authored many“historical novels” in the 1980’s.


Chris Bosh
(Sports )

Chris Bosh plays for the Toronto Raptors, and he graduated from Lincoln High School class of 2003 and played college ball at Georgia Tech.


Billy Lee Brammer
(Creative Arts )

Billy Lee Brammer was born April 21, 1929, in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from Sunset and then from North Texas State College in 1952 with a degree in journalism. Brammer was a reporter for the Corpus Christi Caller Times and the Austin Statesman , where h e won a press award for excellence in writing in 1952. In 1954, he won the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors Contest for a feature sports story written for the same paper (newly titled the Austin American-Statesman ). As the Statesman rep


Edie Brickell
(Creative Arts )

Edie Brickell was born in '66 and raised in Oak Cliff. She was born in '66. She broke out in '89 after playing in Deep Ellum with her band Edie Brickell and the Bohemians. Their album went platinum. While performing on Saturday Night Live, she met Paul Sim on. They married and she put her recording career on hiatus to have her 3 children. Her, Paul and their 3 kids currently live in New York. When asked where she's from, she doesn't say "Dallas", she says, "I'm from Oak Cliff, Texas"


Stockton Briggle
(Creative Arts )

Actor/producer Stockton Briggle (Sunset '53)


Red Bryan
(Business )

Red Bryan attended Oak Cliff High School in the 20s and play on the state championship football team. He also started and ran the best barbeque place in Texas (on Jefferson in the 1950's.) His son (Sonny Bryan) also went to Sunset High School followed in h is father's foot steps. Sonny's son, William Jennings Bryan was the pastor at the Lovers Lane United Methodist Church.


Patricia Burroughs
(Creative Arts )

Patricia Burroughs -  Novelist and screenwriter. Adamson High School grad.  In 2001 she received a Nicholl Fellowship from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

For more information: http://patriciaburroughs.com


Ross Bush
(Sports )

Ross Bush of Sunset became the National High School Record Holder in the 880-yard Dash with a time of 1:56.9 in 1933.


Henry Henry Calvin
(Creative Arts )

Henry Calvin (nee Wimberly Goodman in 1917 or 1918) -- Starred as the endearing Sgt. Miguel Demetrio Lopez Velasquez Garcia on the television series Zorro. The rotund Henry was a favorite and beloved Hollywood character actor. He was born in Dallas and att ended Winnetka Grade School and Sunset High School. He also attended Southern Methodist University. He passed away in 1975.


Tevin Campbell
(Creative Arts )

Tevin Campbell, musician, attended Carpenter Elementary and Oliver W. Holmes Middle School as well.


David Chalk
(Sports )

David Chalk, 1968 Kimball HS grad, played college ball at UT, was drafted in the first round by California Angels, was selected to the American League All-Star Team in 1974 and 1975, and played in the 1980 World Series with KC. http://www.baseball-referenc e.com/c/chalkda01.shtml, 1968 Kimball HS grad, played college ball at UT, was drafted in the first round by California Angels, was selected to the American League All-Star Team in 1974 and 1975, and played in the 1980 World Series with KC. http

For more information: http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/chalkda01.shtml


Tom Tom Chandler
(Sports )

Tom Chandler (1925-2001) graduated from Adamson High School and ended up as the Head Coach of baseball at Texas A&M for over 26 years (1959-84).  His start in baseball was as the Head coach at Adamson in the early 50's   He coached players such as Gaylord Perry, Davey Johnson, and many others.  He was a great man who was respected through out college baseball and major league baseball. 


Jerry Cobb
(Sports )

Jerry Cobb of Sunset was named to the High School All America Basketball Team in 1957.


Leonora Leonora Corona
(Creative Arts )

Leonora Corona operatic soprano, was born in Dallas on October 14, 1900. She attended Oak Cliff High School (W. H. Adamson) and lived at huge frame residence at 232 North Marsalis Avenue (which was later known as the John Tierney house and burned down in 1 931). Her family moved to Seattle while she was still a teenager. After becoming interested in opera she wrote a brief opera entitled 'The Egyptian Tragedy' (which was performed in Seattle.) With encouragement from prominent opera performers of


Yvonne Yvonne Craig
(Creative Arts )

Yvonne Craig -  Best known as television's Original Batgirl went to both Adamson and Sunset High School. Born in 1937 in Illinois, her family moved to Dallas around 1950. She began her dancing career touring with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She moved to LA in 1957 and her first film role was in the movie The Young Land. She did two movies with Elvis Presley, It Happened at the World's Fair and Kissin Cousins. She appeared in 19 movies and about 90 TV shows, including Star Trek, The Man from

For more information: http://www.yvonnecraig.com.


Paula Craig (Williams)
(Creative Arts )

Paula Craig (Williams), Sunset Class of '56, also made her mark.  She started a Montessori school in Oak Cliff and was a popular and talented supper club singer/entertainer through the years.


For more Oak Cliff Notables go to the next page


Those Who Served -- We're working on a memorial to Oak Cliff men and women who died in the service to America. If you have any information, comments, ideas or pictures, let me know.
 
Do you know some Oak Cliff trivia or a famous Oak Cliffite? Do you have corrections or additions to any of the bios I've listed here?  

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This page was last edited on April 04, 2008