Dave Garroway

David Cunningham Garroway (July 13, 1913 – July 21, 1982) was an American television personality. He was the founding host and anchor of NBC's Today from 1952 to 1961. His easygoing and relaxing style belied a lifelong battle with depression.<ref name="Troubling"/> Garroway has been honored for his contributions to radio and television with a star for each on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the city where he spent part of his teenaged years and early adulthood.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Early life

Born in Schenectady, New York, Garroway was of Scottish descent.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By the time he was 14, he had moved with his family 13 times, finally settling in St. Louis, Missouri, where he attended University City High School and Washington University in St. Louis, from which he earned a degree in abnormal psychology.<ref name="Time">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Obit">Template:Cite news</ref> Before going into broadcasting, Garroway worked as a Harvard University lab assistant, book salesman, and piston ring salesman.<ref name="Shotgun">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> After not being able to successfully sell either, Garroway decided to try his hand in radio.<ref name="Works">Template:Cite news</ref>

Career

Early years

Garroway began his broadcasting career at NBC as a page in 1938; he graduated 23rd in a class of 24 from NBC's school for announcers.<ref name="News">Template:Cite book</ref> Following graduation, he landed a job at Pittsburgh radio station KDKA in 1939.<ref name="Obit"/> As a station reporter, he filed reports from a hot-air balloon, a U.S. Navy submarine in the Ohio River, and deep inside a coal mine. His early reporting efforts earned Garroway a reputation for finding a good story, even in unusual places.<ref name="Works"/> The "Roving Announcer", as he was known, worked his way up to become the station's special-events director, while still attending to his on-air work.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After two years with KDKA, Garroway left for Chicago.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Radio

Garroway at Chicago's WMAQ in 1951 with Connie Russell and Jack Haskell

When the United States entered World War II in 1941, Garroway enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving as a line officer.<ref>Garroway, David Cunnigham, LT Together We Served. Retrieved March 4, 2023.</ref> While stationed in Honolulu, he hosted a radio show when he was off duty, playing jazz records and reminiscing about the old days back in Chicago.<ref name="Troubling"/> After the war, Garroway went to work as a disc jockey at WMAQ (AM) in Chicago.<ref name="News"/><ref name=Fisher>Template:Cite book</ref> Over time, Garroway hosted a series of radio programs, such as The 11:60 Club, The Dave Garroway Show, and Reserved for Garroway.<ref name="Works"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> One oddity Garroway introduced on his radio shows was having the studio audience respond to a song number not by applauding, but by snapping their fingers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Garroway also worked to organize jazz concerts, creating a "Jazz Circuit" of local clubs in 1947, bringing back interest in this music genre.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> His fellow disc jockeys voted him the nation's best in the 1948 and 1949 Billboard polls.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He won the award again in 1951.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>

Garroway was the first "communicator" on NBC Radio's Monitor when the program first aired on June 12, 1955.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He continued as the Sunday-evening host of the news and music program from 1955 to 1961.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Garroway worked on the air at WCBS radio in 1964 and briefly hosted the afternoon rush-hour shift at KFI in Los Angeles from late 1970 to early 1971.<ref name="Billboard"/><ref name="Switch"/> Template:Clear

Television

Garroway's signature upraised hand while saying "Peace"

Garroway and crew on the Today show set (1952)

Garroway as host of Wide Wide World (1957)

Garroway was introduced to the national television audience when he hosted the experimental musical variety show Garroway at Large, telecast live from Chicago.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was carried by NBC from June 18, 1949, to June 24, 1951.<ref name="Dave Garroway">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Video file downloads-The Best of Garroway at Large</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Garroway's relaxed, informal style when on the air became part of his trademark. In 1960, reviewer Richard F. Shepard of The New York Times wrote, "He does not crash into the home with the false jollity and thunderous witticisms of a backslapper. He is pleasant, serious, scholarly looking, and not obtrusively convivial". On television, Garroway was known for his signoff, saying "Peace" with an upraised palm.

Along with Arthur Godfrey, Arlene Francis, Steve Allen, and Jack Paar, Garroway was one of the pioneers of the television talk show. Television commentator Steven D. Stark traces the origins of the style to Chicago.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Garroway, Studs Terkel, and Hugh Downs all hosted relaxed, garrulous, extemporaneous shows in that city in the early 1950s. Earlier radio and television voices spoke with an authoritative "announcer's" intonation, resembling public oration, often dropping about a musical fifth on the last word of a sentence. Garroway was one of the broadcasters who introduced conversational style and tone to television, beginning some broadcasts as though the viewer were sitting in the studio with him, as in this November 20, 1957, introduction for the Today show: "And how are you about the world today? Let's see what kind of shape it's in; there is a glimmer of hope".

Pioneering NBC president Sylvester "Pat" Weaver chose Garroway as the host of his new morning news-and-entertainment experiment, the Today show, in 1952.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was joined by news editor Jim Fleming and announcer Jack Lescoulie when the show debuted on Monday, January 14, 1952.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Though initially panned by critics, Garroway's style attracted a large audience that enjoyed his easygoing presence early in the morning.<ref name="Shows"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> His familiar "cohost", a chimpanzee with the puckish name of J. Fred Muggs, did not hurt his genial manner, but his concurrent seriousness in dealing with news stories and ability to clearly explain abstract concepts earned him the nickname "The Communicator" and eventually won praise from critics and viewers alike.<ref name="News"/>

At the same time he did Today, Garroway also hosted a Friday-night variety series, The Dave Garroway Show, from October 2, 1953, to June 25, 1954.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> On October 16, 1955, he began hosting NBC's live Sunday-afternoon documentary Wide Wide World, continuing with that series until June 8, 1958. Another Friday-evening variety show, Dave's Place, was on the air in 1960.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> He also hosted a radio show, Dial Dave Garroway, that went on the air as soon as Today wrapped up each morning.<ref name="Shows">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Dial Dave Garroway had begun in 1946 when Garroway was still working for WMAQ in Chicago.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Garroway took Today to various locations during his tenure - Paris in 1959 and Rome in 1960; car shows and technology expos; plays and movies; and aboard an Air Force B-52 for a practice bombing run. Through television, Garroway gave viewers access to a variety of people that included politicians, writers, artists, scientists, economists, and musicians.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In his role as Today host, Garroway acted as pitchman for several of the show's sponsors. Among them were Admiral television sets, Alcoa, and Sergeant's dog food. Most of the appearances were in the form of print ads in newspapers and magazines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By 1960, a board game called "Dave Garroway's Today Game" also was produced.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1961, Garroway hosted a special filmed program for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association that traced Billy Graham's crusades from 1949 to 1960.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>

Garroway's relaxed demeanor on TV hid his depression. Toward the end of his professional career, he began to have disagreements with staff members; some days, Garroway would disappear in the middle of the Today broadcast, leaving colleagues to finish the live program. When Garroway's second wife, Pamela, died of a prescription-drug overdose on April 28, 1961, Garroway sank into a deeper emotional malaise.<ref name="Troubling">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In late May 1961, Garroway resigned, announcing his intention to leave Today—either at the end of October when his contract was finished or sooner, if possible — to spend more time with his children.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> On June 16, 1961, Garroway left the morning show he helped pioneer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Later career

After leaving Today, Garroway returned to television on National Educational Television (the forerunner of PBS) with a science series called Exploring the Universe in late 1962.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Later, he went back to working in radio, doing "split-shift" shows called Garroway AM (midmornings) and Garroway PM (midafternoons) for WCBS (AM), New York.<ref name="Billboard">Template:Cite book</ref> Garroway also started a magazine, National FM-Radio; the venture was a costly failure, with Garroway realizing he was not cut out to be a businessman.<ref name="Era"/> While he was in the publishing business, Garroway began reading various law books to try to understand what his lawyer was saying. His attorney told him that he had done enough legal reading to pass the New York State bar exam. On a bet, Garroway sat for and passed the written exam.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In April 1969, Garroway launched a daytime talk show on WNAC-TV, Tempo Boston, which he hoped would be picked up for national syndication. Stations in New York and Philadelphia agreed to pick up the show, but by early 1970, the small-scale syndication ended and Tempo was cancelled. The show had promise, but management instead decided to fill its time slot with old movies instead of more expensive local programming.<ref name="Time" /> After leaving the Boston airwaves, Garroway traveled to Southern California, hosting a music-and-talk show on KFI radio in Los Angeles.<ref name="Switch">Template:Cite news</ref> He planned to re-enter the television world with a CBS summer replacement show, Newcomers, but the show never made it past the summer of 1971.<ref name="Obit"/><ref name="California">Template:Cite news</ref> While in Los Angeles, Garroway began to take acting workshops; he had a role in an episode of the Western series Alias Smith and Jones as a judge in 1972.<ref name="Era">Template:Cite news</ref>

Garroway appeared sporadically on other television programs without achieving the success and recognition levels he enjoyed on Today. He largely remained out of the public eye for the rest of the 1960s and 1970s, although he did re-emerge for Today anniversaries. His final such appearance was on the 30th-anniversary show, on January 14, 1982.<ref name="Shotgun"/>

Other media

Garroway narrated a compilation of romantic songs performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra, Getting Friendly with Music, in 1956. He also served as narrator for special albums, including 1964's The Great Campaigners, 1928–1960 and 1960's Names From the Wars.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1960, Garroway wrote Fun on Wheels, an activity book for children on road trips. The book was revised and reissued in 1962 and 1964.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Toward the end of his life, Garroway planned to write an autobiography. The book never made it past the research stage; the surviving notes, manuscripts, audio tapes, and news clippings were sent to former Today researcher Lee Lawrence. Upon Lawrence's death in 2003, the boxes were turned over to the Library of American Broadcasting, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries, where they remained as of 2009.<ref name=papers>Template:Citation</ref>

Personal life

The Garroways at home in 1960. From left: Garroway with David Jr., wife Pamela, daughter Paris, and son Michael seated on the floor

Marriages and children

Garroway was married three times and had three children. His first marriage was to Adele Dwyer, whom he married in 1945. The couple had a daughter, Paris, before divorcing the following year.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref><ref name="franklin">Template:Cite news</ref> He married former actress and ballerina Pamela Wilde in 1956. They had a son, David Cunningham Garroway Jr., in 1958.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Garroway later adopted Wilde's son Michael from her first marriage.<ref name="franklin" /> Wilde died of a prescription-drug overdose on April 28, 1961.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Garroway married astronomer Sarah Lee Lippincott in February 1980. They remained married until Garroway's death in 1982.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Interests

Garroway at the wheel of his favorite car, a 1938 SS Jaguar 100, which he restored

Garroway was very interested in astronomy, and during a tour of Russian telescopes, he met his third wife, astronomer Sarah Lee Lippincott. In his final years, he attended astronomy symposia at Swarthmore College and spent time at Sproul Observatory.<ref name="Obit"/><ref name="California"/>

Garroway was also an automobile enthusiast, and one of his hobbies was collecting and restoring vintage luxury and sports cars. He was especially fond of his 1938 SS Jaguar 100, which he also raced in his spare time.<ref>Template:Cite book (PDF)</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Garroway was featured in several automobile commercials, including the first Chevrolet Corvette in 1953, and the Ford Falcon in 1964.Template:Citation needed

Garroway, a music lover and amateur drummer, lent his name to a series of recordings of jazz, classical, and pop music released in the late 1950s and early 1960s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Among them were Wide, Wide World of Jazz,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 1957's Some of My Favorites,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and 1958's Dave Garroway's Orchestra: An Adventure in Hi-Fi Music.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Death

In 1981, Garroway underwent open-heart surgery, as a result of which he contracted a staph infection. On January 14, 1982, Today broadcast its 30th-anniversary special, which featured all of the important living, former, and current staff members. Garroway, who had recently undergone drug rehabilitation for an amphetamine addiction, appeared to be cheerful and in good spirits during the show. He also indicated that he would be present for the show's 35th anniversary in 1987.

A few months later, however, Garroway began suffering complications from the infection he had contracted during surgery. He spent some weeks in and out of hospitals and had an in-home nurse tending to him. On July 21, he was found dead of a self-inflicted shotgun wound at his Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, home. No suicide note was found and Garroway's nurse did not recall him being unusually depressed in the final day of his life.<ref name="Shotgun"/><ref name="News"/> Garroway's son Michael said that his father had been experiencing complications from his heart operation and he had "unfortunately succumbed to the traumatic effects of his illness".<ref name="Daily Times" /> In addition, he was extremely depressed at his inability to resurrect a TV career, saying to friends and family "I'm old hat, old news. Nobody wants old Dave anymore".<ref name="Daily Times">Template:Cite news</ref> His family held a private graveside service for him in Philadelphia on July 28.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The July 22 edition of Today was mainly a remembrance of Garroway. His colleague Jack Lescoulie, news editor Frank Blair, and former consumer reporter Betty Furness offered tributes on the show.<ref>NBC News Today rundown, July 22, 1982</ref> Garroway's death was noted on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw and Roger Mudd. Commentator John Chancellor was the man who had replaced Garroway on Today 21 years earlier.<ref>NBC Nightly News rundown, July 21, 1982</ref> On NBC News Overnight, host Linda Ellerbee closed the program with "Peace" instead of her usual "And so it goes".<ref>NBC News Overnight rundown, July 21, 1982</ref>

Because of Garroway's dedication to the cause of mental health, his third wife, Sarah, helped establish the Dave Garroway Laboratory for the Study of Depression at the University of Pennsylvania.<ref name=papers/>

Parodies and fictional representations

Template:Unreferenced section Robert McKimson's 1960 cartoon Wild Wild World depicts "Cave Darroway" (voiced by Daws Butler impersonating Garroway) presenting footage from the Stone Age.

Mad spoofed him in one issue (issue #26, from November, 1955) as "The Dave Garrowunway Show".

In Robert Redford's 1994 film Quiz Show, Garroway was portrayed by Barry Levinson.

Listen to

• Boxcars711: Dave Garroway narrates Names from the Wars (1960)

External links

• Dave Garroway papers, 1947–1989 | American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
• Template:IMDb name