James Dalton Trumbo Statue

James Dalton Trumbo was a controversial writer who penned quite a few Hollywood films in his era, including Roman Holiday (1953) and Spartacus (1960). He was one of ten left leaning directors and screenwriters that refused to testify before the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities Committees and as a result, was blacklisted. 

A Colorado native, Trumbo moved to Grand Junction in 1908 from his birthplace in Montrose. He graduated from Gran Junction High School, served as a reporter for the local paper, and attended CU Boulder.

He was a novelist, playwright and  screenwriter and won two Academy Awards. He was also famous for writing for hours at a time in his bathtub, a scene this statue commemorates.

The statue was the first in a series of installations commemorating the city's famous residents.