William Emmett Forrest, Jr. (September 3, 1927 – January 12, 2013) was an American pop culture collector, museum founder, and longtime friend of actor Andy Griffith.
Forrest used his collection to found the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, North Carolina, which opened to the public on September 26, 2009.
[1][6] Forrest partnered with the Surry Arts Council to plan a museum dedicated to Griffith career, one of Hollywood's best known actors, singer, and television producers.
[1] Forrest's vast array of memorabilia formed the basis for the Andy Griffith Museum permanent collection, which he opened in Mount Airy, North Carolina, in 2009.
[6] Emmett Forrest died from a long illness on the morning of January 12, 2013, at the Joan and Howard Woltz Hospice Home in Dobson, North Carolina, at the age of 85.