Francis J. Bellamy
Francis J. Bellamy (May 18, 1855-August 28, 1931) was born in Mount Morris, NY (near Rochester), and moved to Rome with his family when he was two years old. His father was a minister at the First Baptist Church in Rome. Bellamy graduated as valedictorian from RFA 1872.
Grace Carpenter
Grace Carpenter was most likely Rome’s first true patron of the arts. She was born Grace Selden Van Wagenen in 1880 in Oxford, New York, and moved with her family to Rome in 1886. She married Rome industrialist Arthur Carpenter and together they created a magnificent Tudor style home located on West Bloomfield Street which in 1967, became the Rome Art and Community Center.
John F. Flaver
John Flaver was born March 4, 1925 in Islen, PA. Shortly afterwards he moved with his family to Rome, N.Y. He was educated in the Rome city Schools. While in school, he studied clarinet with Eustachio Pinti and performed with the Liberty Club Band and the RFA Band.
Flo Hoppe
Flo Hoppe is a full-time studio artist, teacher, lecturer, and author. She was born Flo Fries in Chicago in 1942. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in textile and clothing design from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. With her husband, Don who was in the Air Force, she moved 8 times in 5 years and had three children in two different countries. Their last posting, before being transferred to Rome in 1971, was for three years in Japan.
Janet Foote
Janet Foote came to Rome with her Air Force Family at age 13 in 1956. In 1971 she met and married Rod Foote when they worked together on productions at the Rome Community Theater, forming a partnership that led to the founding of The Chatham Theatre Company in 1982.
Rod Foote
Rod Foote was born in New York City in 1938 and came to Rome in 1955 as an air traffic controller at Griffiss Air Force Base. Once here, he began a lengthy relationship with the Rome Community Theater. He was twice RCT’s president and several years on its board of trustees as well as an award winning actor, director, and designer. He was also active in other upstate theater and opera companies as an actor and director.