Art Linkletter

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Art Linkletter
Sam Berman's caricature of Linkletter for NBC's 1947 promotional book.
Born	Gordon Arthur Kelly July 17, 1912 (1912-07-17) (age 97) Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
Occupation	Radio and television personality
Spouse(s)	Lois Foerster (1935 - present)

Arthur Gordon "Art" Linkletter^[1] (born July 17, 1912) is a Canadian-American radio and television personality and the former host of two of the longest-running shows in United States broadcast history: House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years. Linkletter was famous for interviewing children on House Party and Kids Say the Darndest Things, which led to a successful series of books quoting children.

Early life and career

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Linkletter was born Gordon Arthur Kelly in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. In his autobiography, Confessions of a Happy Man (1960), he revealed that he had had no contact with his natural parents or his sister or two brothers since he was abandoned when only a few weeks old. He was adopted by Mary (née Metzler) and Fulton John Linkletter,^[1] an evangelical preacher. Later moving to the United States, he graduated from San Diego State University (SDSU) where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He had previously planned to attend Springfield College, but did not for financial reasons. He later served for many years as a trustee at Springfield College, and donated money to build the swim center named in his honor.

In 1963, Linkletter became the endorser and spokesman for Milton Bradley's Game of Life. His picture appeared on the box with the statement "I Heartily Endorse This Game", and also on the $100,000 bills featured in the game.

Later years

In 2005, at the age of 93, he opened the Happiest Homecoming on Earth celebrations for the fiftieth anniversary of Disneyland. Half a century earlier, he commentated on the opening day celebrations in 1955. For this, he was named a Disney Legend in 2005.

Linkletter on The Jack Benny Show

Linkletter was once a spokesperson for National Home Life, an insurance company. In recent years, Linkletter, a Republican, has become a political organizer and a spokesman for the United Seniors Association, now known as USA Next, an alternative to the AARP. He is also a member of Pepperdine University's Board of Regents. He received a lifetime achievement Daytime Emmy award in 2003. Also, he was recently a member of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation (the council ended in November 2008).

Linkletter has received honorary degrees from a number of universities, including Pepperdine University and the University of Prince Edward Island.

In early 2008, Linkletter suffered a mild stroke.

Personal life

Linkletter has had one of the longest marriages of any celebrity in America. He married Lois Foerster on November 25, 1935, and they had five children: Arthur Jack (known as Jack Linkletter, a TV host), Dawn, Robert, Sharon, and Diane. He was a good friend of Walt Disney.

He lost two of his children to violent deaths. His 20-year-old daughter, Diane Linkletter, died on October 4, 1969, by jumping out of her sixth-floor kitchen window. Linkletter claimed that she committed suicide because she was on, or having a flashback from, an LSD trip. But toxicology tests done after the incident detected no signs of LSD use, and it is quite likely that the drug played no part in her suicide.^[2] LSD is eliminated from the body within a matter of hours, but "flashbacks", though rare, do occur.^[3] Linkletter spoke out against drugs to prevent children from straying into a drug habit. His record, We Love You, Call Collect, recorded before her death, featured a discussion about permissiveness in modern society. It featured a rebuttal by Diane, called Dear Mom and Dad. The record won a 1970 Grammy award for the "Best Spoken Word Recording".

His son Robert died in an automobile accident.

His son (Arthur) Jack Linkletter, born November 20, 1937(1937-11-20), died on December 18, 2007 (aged 70), of lymphoma.

References

External links

• Art Linkletter at the Internet Movie Database
• Disney Legends profile
• Retro Galaxy - Kids Say the Darndest Things!
• Interview with Art Linkletter
• Collection of quotes
• 2000 interview with Larry King
• Critical article about Linkletter's view on federal drug policy
• Fansite biography