Tim Samaras

His mother talked him into watching The Wizard of Oz (1939) on his family's television when he was six years old. Samaras became fond of the tornado scene. After that scene ended, he had no interest in everything else from that musical film, not even the Wicked Witch. Samaras attended Lasley Elementary and O'Connell Junior High in Lakewood. His graduation was at Alameda International High School in 1976. In his twenties, he began to chase tornadoes for the science and humanity's safety every spring all over the United States until his tragic death.