Contact: Christina Rucinski Park Public Relations Email: [email protected] Tel: 502-550-7820

ITHACA/TOMPKINS COUNTY COVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU FAMOUS ITHACANS FACT SHEET

ABOUT ITHACA: Ithaca, New York, is home to waterfalls, wineries, students and gorges. The city of Ithaca is situated on the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, the Finger Lakes’ largest lake. With Cornell University to the east and Ithaca College to the west, there have been many impressive and famous people to live in Ithaca throughout the years.

1892 Unitarian reverend John Scott and church treasurer Chester Platt invented the first Ice Cream Sundae on a Sunday afternoon. They met at the Platt & Colt Pharmacy after service, ordering two bowls of ice cream and topping each with cherry syrup and a candied cherry.

1955 Toni Morrison is an American novelist, editor and professor known for her epic themes, vivid dialogue and detailed African-American characters. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. Morrison graduated from Cornell University with a Master of Arts Degree.

1963 The Cornell University poultry science and food science professor developed the chicken nugget. Baker created a way to keep the breading attached to the nuggets during the frying process.

1969 Bill D’Elia is a television screenwriter, producer and director, who has won eight Emmy Awards. He is known for directing “Grey’s Anatomy” and “How to Get Away with Murder” on ABC. D’Elia graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Television and Radio.

1973 Robert “Bob” Iger is an American business person who is chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Co. Iger graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Television and Radio.

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Famous Ithacans Fact Sheet Page 2 of 2

1977 William “Bill” Nye, popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American science communicator and television presenter. Billy Nye graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

1981 Mae Jemison is the first African-American woman to travel to space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on Sept. 12, 1992. She obtained her doctorate in medicine at Cornell Medical College.

1981 Juan Pablo Galavis was born in Ithaca. He was chosen as the first Latino star of the ABC-TV reality show “.” Galavis was a former professional soccer midfielder.

1984 Ann Coulter is an American conservative social and political commentator, writer and lawyer. Her conservative interested deepened while studying history at Cornell University, where she helped found The Cornell Review.

1995 David Muir is an American journalist and television anchor for ABC World News Tonight. Muir has won multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards for his journalism. He attended Ithaca College, graduating with a Bachelor of Art degree in Journalism.

ADDRESS: 904 East Shore Drive Ithaca, NY 14850

TELEPHONE: 607-272-1313 or Toll Free 800-28-ITHACA

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October 2017