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Class of 1953 Lectureship rescheduled for May 2
Mar 22, 2005 12:24 PM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Tom Smothers, one half of the legendary musical comedy team the Smothers Brothers, will visit the School May 2, as the second speaker in the Class of 1953 Annual Lectureship Series. This Centennial event begins at 9 a.m. in the Van Es Arena of the A.J. Huffman ’67 Memorial Athletic Center, and will be followed by a student panel discussion with opportunities for questions and answers from the audience.
According to class agent Mike Luxenberg (’53), the lectureship was established in April 2003 to commemorate the class’ 50th reunion.
“It was a wonderful opportunity for each of us to help Darlington continue its tradition of providing an outstanding education for all students, and also a means for us to say ‘thank you’ for the fine education we received at Darlington,” said Luxenberg. “The inaugural lecture, given by former Darlington faculty member Roger Mudd, was a great success. This year, we look forward to another outstanding presentation.”
Often called masters of timing who were ahead of their time, the Smothers Brothers began their 46-year comedy career in 1959 at The Purple Onion in San Francisco. Three years later, they had their first national television appearance on the Jack Paar Show.
Over the next four decades, audiences experienced the pair in their own primetime comedy series; in guest appearances on numerous TV programs; in seemingly countless engagements in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe; in a video and 12 top-selling albums; and in concert with symphony orchestras nationwide.
In the 60s, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a variety program that drew a young audience by showcasing the world’s hottest rock acts. The brothers were considered cutting-edge for tackling subjects other television shows had never dared to: religion, recreational drugs, sex and political unrest. Although Tom and Dick were given complete creative control over the show, CBS censors fought and ultimately fired the duo. The ensuing court battle turned them into free-speech icons.
Their achievements were recognized by the Museum of Television and Radio in New York and with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Other honors include a reunion of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour at the USA Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, induction into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, an invitation to become artist members of the Board of Directors of the Wolf Trap Foundation, the 2003 Freedom of Expression Award presented at the annual Video Software Dealers’ Association in Las Vegas and honorary doctorate degrees from their alma mater, San Jose State University.
Tom Smothers is married to the former Marcy Carriker, and they have two children, Bo and Riley Rose. He also has a son, Tom Jr.
According to class agent Mike Luxenberg (’53), the lectureship was established in April 2003 to commemorate the class’ 50th reunion.
“It was a wonderful opportunity for each of us to help Darlington continue its tradition of providing an outstanding education for all students, and also a means for us to say ‘thank you’ for the fine education we received at Darlington,” said Luxenberg. “The inaugural lecture, given by former Darlington faculty member Roger Mudd, was a great success. This year, we look forward to another outstanding presentation.”
Often called masters of timing who were ahead of their time, the Smothers Brothers began their 46-year comedy career in 1959 at The Purple Onion in San Francisco. Three years later, they had their first national television appearance on the Jack Paar Show.
Over the next four decades, audiences experienced the pair in their own primetime comedy series; in guest appearances on numerous TV programs; in seemingly countless engagements in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe; in a video and 12 top-selling albums; and in concert with symphony orchestras nationwide.
In the 60s, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a variety program that drew a young audience by showcasing the world’s hottest rock acts. The brothers were considered cutting-edge for tackling subjects other television shows had never dared to: religion, recreational drugs, sex and political unrest. Although Tom and Dick were given complete creative control over the show, CBS censors fought and ultimately fired the duo. The ensuing court battle turned them into free-speech icons.
Their achievements were recognized by the Museum of Television and Radio in New York and with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Other honors include a reunion of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour at the USA Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, induction into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, an invitation to become artist members of the Board of Directors of the Wolf Trap Foundation, the 2003 Freedom of Expression Award presented at the annual Video Software Dealers’ Association in Las Vegas and honorary doctorate degrees from their alma mater, San Jose State University.
Tom Smothers is married to the former Marcy Carriker, and they have two children, Bo and Riley Rose. He also has a son, Tom Jr.
