Not everyone enjoys Lewis Black’s particular brand of comedy.

But Chautauqua County residents should be able to agree that the south county has been the beneficiary of Black’s ties to the National Comedy Center. The noted stand-up comedian helped bring a week of laughs to the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater last week, curating a week of 10:45 a.m. lectures that brought some of the most noted names in comedy to Chautauqua Institution.

Black helped bring Pete Docter, Pixar chief creative officer and Academy Award winner; comedians Roy Wood Jr. and Paula Poundstone; Jen Flanz, The Daily Show Emmy winner and showrunner; and actors Tony Shalhoub and Brooke Adams to the institution while Black performed one of his famed “The Rant Is Due” performances during an 8:15 p.m. featured performance.

Black is a key piece of the yearly partnership between Chautauqua Institution and the National Comedy Center. Each week, the institution devotes a week to an exploration of comedy as part of the summer session in partnership with the Comedy Center. Every year, Black si a key part of the week. The New York City comic was one of the first comics to grab onto the concept of a National Comedy Center, performing here regularly, headlining comedy festivals, offering classes as part of festivals and serving on the Comedy Center’s Advisory Board. When the center was a scant few weeks away from opening its doors, Black appeared on national television wearing a National Comedy Center shirt. The Comedy Center may be here without Lewis Black, but Black’s efforts have helped generate exposure and open doors into the world of comedy that surely made establishing the National Comedy Center easier for the local team that took the comedy center from idea to reality.

We noted in this space recently the importance of Gabriel Iglesias’ visit to the National Comedy Center earlier this year. Having Iglesias give of his time for a free appearance with fans and announce the donation of his 1959 VW Bus that was featured in Iglesias’ famed show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles was indeed noteworthy.. But we’re not sure such visits would happen if it weren’t for Black and his unwavering support.

Not only does Black bring laughs when he visits Chautauqua County, he brings legitimacy as well.