Inducted 2006
Garroway attended University City High School in suburban St. Louis and then graduated from Washington University in 1935. He began his broadcasting career modestly, graduating from NBC’s school for announcers at twenty-third in a class of twenty-four. In his radio job at KDKA in Pittsburgh, Garroway became known for his eclectic on-air observations . His attention-grabbing style was in evidence from the beginning as he roamed the region, filing reports from a hot-air balloon, from a U.S. Navy submarine in the Ohio River, and from deep inside a coal mine. In the early days of TV, Garroway became the first host of “Today” on NBC-TV and attracted a large audience that enjoyed his easygoing and low-key personality. Even teaming him with simian “co-host” J. Fred Muggs didn’t appear to phase him. Garroway’s 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.
