Comedian Richard "Red" Skelton was born here in 1913. As a teenager, he performed locally in minstrel shows and as a clown in a circus. By the 1930s he was performing on vaudeville stages and became famous for skits such as "dunking donuts." MGM signed Skelton to a film contract in 1940, advancing his comedy career. He solidified his fame in 1941 with the debut of his national NBC radio show. During World War II, Skelton served in the U.S. Army and performed numerous comedy shows for troops. In 1951, he helped popularize television with The Red Skelton Show, which aired for 20 years and won multiple Emmy Awards. He was remembered for on-screen characters like Freddie the Freeloader and for his iconic interpretation of the Pledge of Allegiance. He died in 1997.
