Frances Horwich(1907-2001)
- Actress
Frances Horwich earned her Master's degree in education from Columbia
University, and her doctorate from Northwestern. She become the host of
one of the first educational programs for children, "Ding Dong School",
in 1952. She's credited with developing the approach (later adopted by
Mister Rogers and countless others) of talking to the viewers as though
they were right in front of her. In 1954, Dr. Horwich was promoted to
supervisor of all of NBC's educational programming for children. In
1956, however, "Ding Dong School" was canceled in favor of the game
show "The Price is Right", and Dr. Horwich resigned from NBC in
protest. Since she owned the rights to the show, she continued it in
sydication until 1965. On June 2nd, 2001, Dr. Frances Horwich was
inducted into the "Silver Circle" of the Chicago Chapter of the
National Academy of the Television Arts and Sciences, in recognition of
her work as an educational TV pioneeer.
