As TODAY celebrates its 75th anniversary, TODAY Archive It revisits legendary interviews, the stories that touched us, and other iconic moments from our 75 years on the air. These are the segments that shape TODAY and create a lasting legacy. Today, we look back at original host Dave Garroway, who took viewers on a tour of the studio on TODAY’s first episode on January 14, 1952.
How times have changed.
When TODAY premiered on January 14, 1952, the set looked a little different than the one we all know today. The newsgathering operation at the time included electric typewriters, telephoto machines, blackboards and a newspaper wall.
During this first episode, the show’s first host, Dave Galloway, took viewers behind the scenes to see how TODAY comes to life.
What Did Dave Garroway Show Audiences?
In the black-and-white clip, Garroway gave a “little tour” of how the news program was set up and operated.
“If you’re not busy for a minute, let me take you on a little tour and learn about some of the tools and some of the people working on it as the news comes out,” Garroway said. “This is definitely not a studio. This is a real working newsroom. The news is actually written here, put together right before your eyes, and it’s going to happen every morning.”
Garroway then made the rounds and introduced anchor Jack Lescoulie, who was holding a cigarette while sitting at a table where some of the news and features were created by “pretty girls like Mary Kelly” who were talking on the phone with the weather bureau.
Garroway also marveled at an innovation in front of Kelly that we know as the electric typewriter.
“This is a great machine,” he said before pressing the buttons and saying it sounded like a machine gun.
Dave Garroway Speaks to Overseas Correspondents
The tour continued with a demonstration of the tape recorders and telephoto machine before Garroway said hello to overseas news editor Buck Prince, who announced that calls from London and Frankfurt were ready. This prompted Galloway to chat with correspondent Romney Wheeler in Britain.
“We are delighted and proud to be part of this exciting new experiment here in London,” Wheeler said, referring to some of the ships in the storm off the coast of England.
Galloway later spoke to a reporter from Frankfurt, who said that snow in that part of the world was a big story.
Dave Garroway Shares TODAY’s Goal
After hanging up, Galloway reminded the audience that “We can take you anywhere in the world.” He then introduced news editor Jim Fleming and said he would provide updates 15 minutes before and after the hour.
Garroway revealed that the machines that received the news on the set, as well as newspapers from all over the country, were shut down to explain what TODAY’s mission was.
“If you don’t live in New York, this is not a program from New York to you,” he said. “This is a program that goes from America to America, so the man in one city knows what people in other cities are feeling and thinking. That’s why we fly in newspapers every day from the most important cities in America.”