Dave Garroway

Dave Garroway (1913-1982) was one of the original hosts of The Today Show. On April 10, 1961, he introduced Jim Henson and his Muppets, in their first of many appearances on the program over the years, and talked with Henson briefly.

Garroway's first brush with broadcasting was in 1938 as an NBC page before moving on to work at Pittsburgh and Chicago radio stations as an announcer and field reporter. After a stint in the navy during WWII, Garroway returned to Chicago, hosting various disc jockey series, and by 1955 he appeared on the launch of NBC's ambitious weekend magazine-format series Monitor as one of the first communicators (hosts/correspondents), hosting the Sunday evening portions until 1961.

In the interim, he made inroads on television with the early talk show series Garroway at Large and then as host of Today beginning in 1951. He left the series in 1961, appearing afterwards in the various anniversary shows, a few short-lived series, and the occasional acting role (voicing a reporter in the Rankin/Bass special Jack Frost).