Fresno in Fresno County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

William Saroyan

August 31, 1908 - May 18, 1981

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 19, 2011

1. William Saroyan Monument

Inscription.
Born in Fresno, California at 621 Broadway
Son of Armenian immigrants

Writer - Playwright

First American playwright to win both the
Pulitzer Prize and
Drama Critics' Circle Award
in the same year:
"The Time of Your Life", 1940

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Oscar for Writing: (Best Original Story),
"The Human Comedy", 1943

..."I came to see from the perspective of far away cities, some of the charm and some of the depth, dimension, and potential of Fresno..."
William Saroyan

Dedicated May 1, 1988

Erected 1988 by The William Saroyan Festival Committee and Supporting Businesses and Friends.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical date for this entry is May 18, 1981.

Location. 36° 44.104′ N, 119° 47.341′ W. Marker is in Fresno, California, in Fresno County. Marker is at the intersection of Van Ness Avenue and Tulare Street, on the right when traveling west on Van Ness Avenue. Memorial is near the south corner of the county courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fresno CA 93721, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Honoring the Ex-Braceros and Their Contributions

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(within shouting distance of this marker); Purple Heart Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fresno County Courthouse (about 300 feet away); Lao Hmong American War Memorial (about 500 feet away); Fresno (about 500 feet away); David of Sassoon (about 600 feet away); Site of the Fresno Free Speech Fight (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fresno.

Regarding William Saroyan. William Saroyan (1908-1981) was a Fresno-born award-winning author and playwright. The monument features a bronze relief of Saroyan's face adorning the top half of a 30-inch-wide slab of the darkest granite on earth, which was imported from India and is the same material used in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The monument faces one of the street corners where Saroyan is said to have sold newspapers as a boy. [From Historical Fresno County Courthouse Park Walking Tour]

Also see . . .
1. William Saroyan.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 19, 2011

2. William Saroyan Monument

(Submitted on March 22, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. The William Saroyan Society. (Submitted on March 22, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Historical Fresno County Courthouse Park Walking Tour Brochure. (Submitted on March 22, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

William Saroyan Monument Sponsors image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 19, 2011

3. William Saroyan Monument Sponsors

William Saroyan Festival Committee image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 19, 2011

4. William Saroyan Festival Committee

William Saroyan in the 1970s image. Click for full size.

Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. Photographer not credited.

5. William Saroyan in the 1970s

Credits. This page was last revised on February 26, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 22, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,384 times since then and 47 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week May 16, 2021. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 22, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 5. submitted on May 1, 2021, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.