Most famous person in the valley?

24,409 Views | 72 Replies | Last: 8 yr ago by GLJ13
Swarely
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Random I know. My mom and I were talking over the holiday and the subject of who's the most famous person in the valley came up.

We pretty much agreed that Tim Smith would be that person. Y'all agree or disagree?

Also, in the upper valley I would argue that Fr Roy is pretty damn famous as well.
Charpie
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AG
You forget Father Nicolau.

And yeah, Tim would be up there, along with Rick Diaz
OXDL45
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quote:
You forget Father Nicolau.

And yeah, Tim would be up there, along with Rick Diaz

I think Charlie Clark may fall somewhere in the mix because of his commercials. Maybe not famous but at least recognizable.
Owlagdad
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Ty Cobb
PJYoung
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Tim Smith is who i immediately thought of. He has been here since 1981 and he had only planned to stay two years when he arrived fresh out of school from Indiana.
oldvalleyrat
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I'm am thinking about this and the names mentioned so far don't seem to fall into the famous department for me and I have been in the valley for a very long time. Tim Smith (the weather guy?) how is he famous? ...or Charlie Clark a car dealer. If you are going that route what about Janet Vackar/Bob (Bert Ogden) she is on thousands of car commercials and they have far more money, dale gas.

Or what about Othal Brand he put McAllen on the map. (like him or not)
PJYoung
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But he dead.
oldvalleyrat
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OK. I didn't realize that we were just talking about living folks.

I'm not sure that anyone in the valley is "famous", maybe well-known, but not famous. I guess the closest is Alonzo Cantu, even though I hate his politics.
Swarely
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I was talking about "valley famous". I would be shocked if someone outside the valley knew who Tim Smith was.
OXDL45
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AG
Freddy Fender.
dsvogel05
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AG
Tom Landry, Koy Detmer, Glenn Rouney, Joe Lamantia, Congressman Hinojosa?
oldvalleyrat
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All good examples.
Walter Kovacs
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if you read the valley morning star then the correct answer is the san benito school board
dsvogel05
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AG
Isn't Kicks Brooks from Brownsville, or is that Ronny Dunn? I'd also throw in the Hidalgo county sheriff too.
WildAg08
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AG
Kris kristofferson or Lupe Trevino
MosesHall_50cent
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Freddy Fender
Owlagdad
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Lloyd Bentsen, Clooney the clown
Rasslin Cheesehead
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Here's a few...
Kikka de la Garza
Otha's Brand
Tom Landry
Lloyd Bentsen
Gordon Bombay
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Captain Prontisimo or GTFO... If not him its the lady who says Dale Gas for Bert Ogden.
oldvalleyrat
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I vote for:

Tom Landry
Lloyd Bentsen

The Dale Gas lady is Janet Vackar, Bert Ogden's daughter.


EFE
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quote:
Freddy Fender.

Ahem. Es Baldemar Huerta, sonso.
RGV AG
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I would have to go with Harlon Block or Jose Lopez, especially Block.

In pop culture, Bill Haley called the RGV home and is buried in a secret grave in the Valley.
oldvalleyrat
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AG
I've not heard of Harlon Block, who is he?
PJYoung
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The thread said in the valley not from the valley.
RGV AG
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PJ:
Gotcha, tienes razon.

OVR, Block was one of the flag raisers on Iwo Jima and from Weslaco.

Currently? I don't know, I would probably go with Judge Hinojosa.

meat09
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Baldemar Huerta
aggie59
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Bobby Morrow,from the same town as Baldemar Huerta.
inozips
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Rat - Harlan is buried at the Marine Military Academy, just off their parade deck. He was in the picture we all remember of the flag raising on Iwo Jima. If I remember the story right he was unidentified in the picture for for some time but his mother saw it and picked him out. Also fairly certain he did not get off Iwo Jima alive. I need to reread Flag of Our Fathers. It has been a while but MMA use to have a parade on 2/19 & their museum has a great short film about the battle. When I was last there the museum ran on donations and if you like history is worth a visit.
RGV AG
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I was going to say Morrow as well, but I think he left the RGV at 18 and then nary returned, but I could be wrong on that.

Jesus Lopez the CMH winner from Mission is an interesting story as well.
oldvalleyrat
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Thanks inozips,

I am real familiar with MMA. I lived for two years (mid 70s)in Harlingen and taught Physics there. Somehow the name just slipped my mind (what is left of it after all these years). The museum is real nice.
Centerpole90
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I'm with Aggie59. Not known to many people IN the Valley -

but in his day and time Bobby Morrow was FAMOUS.

When I was a kid my mom would drag me to buy clothes in his El Mercado Mall shop where his gold medals were on display.

ETA - I didn't see your post RGV. BM did eventually return to the Valley and had a clothing store in Harlingen. His story is not at all a fairy tale - he has shunned spotlight and attention he received for his running. In his personal life he was victim to some less than upstanding individuals. I don't know him personally but I remember him when I was young and he was a kind and gentle man. Here is a Texas Monthly article from 1984 on one of the Valley's most 'famous':

http://www.texasmonthly.com/content/fastest-nice-christian-boy-world

quote:
"I have shunned publicity rather than sought it out. I like for people to know me for what I am, not what I've done. It was unbelievable. I was invited to address a joint session of the Texas Legislature in Austin, just because I was able to run. I hadn't done anything else. That's what I don't like. I want people to like me for what I am. But it's not that way. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce named me one of the nine Great Living Americans. Listen to the guys that were in there: Clare Boothe Luce, Cecil B. DeMille, Norman Rockwell. Just because I went to the Olympic Games and had the natural ability that my mother probably gave me through birth, why should I be named one of the nine Great Living Americans? Just because of my legs."


[This message has been edited by Centerpole90 (edited 1/6/2014 10:38a).]
RGV AG
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CP:
Question, did Morrow return to the RGV much or come back much? Maybe I mistakenly assumed he left young and did not get back much.

I didn't move to the RGV until the early 80's, but you are right in him being very famous. I remember my grandfather who had lived in Texas for a long while mentioning him often in regard to San Benny.

I believe he is the only RGV native to be on the cover of SI.
Centerpole90
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See above RGV. I was editing while you were typing.
Centerpole90
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Man. It's been years since I read that article. What a sad story. Hope he's happier now.

quote:
Does he truly believe his life has been less happy than if it had been more ordinary—a life, perhaps, in which a bumper crop, a successful clothing sale, or a big night at the video parlor might be counted a highlight?

"You bet it has. I'd never had gotten involved with all those crooks. They wanted the name, and the name was for running, not for anything else. I'd have been just another person on the street. Yeah, I'd have been a lot happier."

"Are you sorry it happened to you?"

Now, think about this one, Bobby. You could have called your clothing store the Smart Shop, and nobody but your friends would have known who owned it. You could have left the trophies at home instead of showing them off in those display cases. And remember how it felt to stand up there on that top box while they played "The Star-Spangled Banner?" Don't answer too quickly. Don't say something you don't want me to tell people.

He paused, then said, with no observable flicker of second thought, "Yeah, I am. I really am."
RGV AG
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Wow, thanks for that link CP, that was an interesting read.

I was wrong about Morrow not coming back to the RGV. I wonder if he is still up there?

One of my coaches in HS knew him and competed against him and it was from him that I remember hearing that he left and had not returned.
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