Broadcast Pioneers

Lowell Thomas (1892-1981) was an American writer, actor, radio broadcaster, and traveler remembered for publicizing T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). Thomas was a relentless self-promoter, and he persuaded railroads to give him free passage in exchange for articles extolling rail travel. When he visited Alaska, he hit upon the idea of the travelogue, movies about faraway places. He pioneered the use of motion pictures in reporting news with his multimedia shows on the First World War. Working with a new form of journalism—movie newsreels—was a natural step for him, specifically, Fox Movietone News in the 1940s.

Thomas helped establish the broadcast news format. The newscast’s steady factual style reflected his newspaper experience which was distinct from the sensational staccato of his contemporary, Walter Winchell whose background was from Broadway’s vaudeville. With clear elocution—owing to his doctoral degree in speech —and a worldly air, he calmly delivered the news along with nonpartisan commentary.

In 1945, Thomas received the Alfred I. duPont Award. In 1971, he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. Five years later, President Gerald Ford awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1989. The Thomas Mountains in Antarctica are named for him.