Narrator: Joseph Belsky
Date Recorded: 08/15/07
Interviewed by: Betsy Reid
Topics: Japan
Bibliographical Note:
Dr. Joseph Belsky moved to Ridgefield in 1961 and started his medical practice on Catoonah Street. He was active in town politics and served on the School Building Committee and the Board of Education in the 1960s. Dr. Belsky and his family moved to Japan in 1969 where he worked for three years on the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission in Hiroshima/Nagasaki, Japan. In this clip Dr Belsky recalls the Board of Education considering a request for a young black man named Prince Chambliss, from Birmingham Alabama, to attend high school here in 1964. In spite of the controversy Mr. Chambliss did attend Ridgefield high School and graduated in 1966. Mr. Chambliss wrote about his experience in his book titled Prince of Peace: A Memoir of an African American Attorney, Who Came of Age in Birmingham during the Civil Rights Movement. The Ridgefield Historical Society has a copy of his book in its lending library.
Joseph Belsky
More Posts
Scott House Journal, February 2026
This edition of the Scott House Journal features the nation’s Centennial and how Ridgefield marked the nation’s 100th birthday, as well as how the town dealt with the ‘Centennial Burglars.
Ridgefield Voters Approve East Ridge Historic District
Residents extended historic protections to the town’s third ridge and affirmed the community’s longstanding commitment to preserving the architectural character that defines Ridgefield’s past, present, and future.
The Story of the Goodwill Baptist Church in Ridgefield
A moving Black History Month program at the Ridgefield Historical Society explored the founding, legacy, and lasting significance of the Goodwill Baptist Church, Ridgefield’s first Black church, and the faith,
Battle of Ridgefield Archaeology Project Blog Entry #5: Reflectance Transformation Imaging
This winter, archaeologists are using advanced imaging technology to reveal new details from metallic artifacts recovered during the Battle of Ridgefield investigations, offering fresh insight into what happened on April