Earlier today, Sesame Workshop shared the news that Lloyd Morrisett, Ph.D has passed away at the age of 93. Morrisett is probably less widely-known than some of the other important figures in Sesame Street history, but he was crucial to the show, having been there since its inception.
Alongside Joan Ganz Cooney, Morrisett founded the Children’s Television Workshop back in 1968 after realizing there was a need for high-quality educational children’s TV. As the story goes, Morrisett noticed how engaged his young daughter was with the family TV set, and asked Cooney the question “Do you think television could be used to teach young children?”
The two of them proceeded to collaborate with several other smart, talented people, and the show they ended up with was Sesame Street. It’s a good thing Morrisett asked the question, and a good thing he and his CTW colleagues figured out the answer. Generations of Sesame Street viewing alumni have enjoyed the results of his efforts for the past 53(!) years.
You can read more about Lloyd Morrisett, his life, and his impressive academic credentials on his Muppet Wiki page. You can also read more about his role in the creation of Sesame Street in Michael Davis’s book Street Gang, and see him in the 2021 documentary inspired by that book.
Click here to remember Lloyd Morrisett on the Tough Pigs forum.
by Ryan Roe – Ryan@ToughPigs.com
