Raymond St. Jacques

Short Biography

Raymond St. Jacques (March 1, 1930 – August 27, 1990) was an American actor, director and producer. He was the first African American actor to appear in a regular role on a western series, playing Simon Blake on Rawhide.Personal lifeSt. Jacques was lifelong bachelor. In August 1969, St. Jacques granted an interview to columnist Earl Wilson and told Wilson of his plans to adopt two African American boys who were 6 and 7 years old. The adoption apparently never happened but, by the early 1970s, St. Jacques claimed to have two older sons, Raymond St. Jacques, Jr. and Sterling St. Jacques. In a 1973 interview, St. Jacques claimed that Raymond, Jr. was living in Boston. In May 1972, Sterling, then reported to be 22 years old, made news after four men attempted to rob St. Jacques' Bel Air home. Sterling was the only person home at the time (St. Jacques was in Dallas at the time) and fled after calling police. The four men were apprehended after their getaway car stalled in St. Jacques' driveway. Sterling went on to appear in St. Jacques' 1973 film Book of Numbers. In the mid to late 1970s, Sterling St. Jacques became known as a high fashion model (he was briefly engaged to fellow model Pat Cleveland), dancer and a frequent New York City nightclub and society fixture.The adoption of Raymond, Jr. and Sterling was apparently never official. In his will, St. Jacques claimed that he had no children and named only Sterling, who he identified as his nephew, in his will. St. Jacques bequeathed Sterling $1 from his $750, 000 estate.