Maurice James "Mac" McGarry (June 15, 1926 – December 12, 2013) was the longtime host of the television quiz show ''

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'', which airs in

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-owned

WRC-TV WRC-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Washington, D.C., airing programming from the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Class A Telemundo outlet WZDC-CD (channel 44 ...

. He hosted the show for five decades, from October 7, 1961, when it first aired, until June 25, 2011.

Early life and career

Born in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, in 1926, he attended Regis High School in New York City. McGarry attended college at Fordham University. McGarry joined NBC in 1950 for station WNBW, located in the Wardman Park Hotel. There he worked as the announcer for the NBC radio show ''American Forum of the Air''. During this time, he was also making his first forays into television covering

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

's presidential inauguration events for NBC-TV and appearing regularly on NBC's ''The Big Preview''. From that time until the onset of illness in 2011, he hosted numerous talk shows, including ''In Our Town'', the first weekly television program to be broadcast in color. Some of McGarry's first assignments included announcing news of the start of the

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and introducing President Truman from the White House. In the early 1950s, he was involved in early color television experiments. During the 1970s/80s, he was the

announcer An announcer is a voice artist who relays information to the audience of a broadcast media programme or live event. Television and other media Some announcers work in television production, radio or filmmaking, usually providing narration ...

for '' NBC News Updates'' originating in Washington, D.C., and over the years also did live booth announcing work for WRC-TV.

Later years, retirement and death

In September 2011, McGarry temporarily took a leave of absence when he was suffering from a lingering cold. Hillary Howard, a news anchor for

WTOP-FM WTOP-FM (103.5 FM) – branded ''WTOP Radio'' and ''WTOP News'' – is a commercial all-news radio station licensed to serve Washington, D.C. Owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, the station serves the Washington metropolitan area, extending its ...

, began filling in for him. Although McGarry's intentions were to continue hosting the 51st season of ''

'', he announced his retirement in early November 2011 due to health issues. Howard subsequently continued on as the permanent host. McGarry died of complications from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

on December 12, 2013, aged 87, at his home in

Potomac, Maryland Potomac () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named after the nearby Potomac River. Potomac is the seventh most educated small town in America, based on percentage of residents with postsecondary deg ...

and was survived by his wife, Babette, and their four children.

Awards

McGarry was a charter member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' (NATAS) Silver Circle. Other honors include: * Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement * Several Mass Media Awards from the American Association of University Women * The Board of Governors Award from the DC chapter of NATAS * The America's Role Model 2004 Award from the Olender Foundation *

Marymount University Marymount University is a private Catholic university with its main campus in Arlington, Virginia. Marymount offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. It has approximately 3,897 students enrolled, representing approximately 45 states an ...

conferred the degree Doctor of Humane Letters, ''honoris causa'', on McGarry in recognition of his commitment to academic excellence, encouragement of young scholars, and outstanding dedication to his profession and community.

References

External links

*
Mac McGarry radio credits
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGarry, Mac 1926 births 2013 deaths American game show hosts American television talk show hosts NBC network announcers Deaths from pneumonia in Maryland People from Atlanta Fordham University alumni People from Potomac, Maryland Regis High School (New York City) alumni