Betty White, the First Lady of Television

On Dec. 31, 2021, Betty White, known as the female entertainer with the longest career and one of the world’s most accomplished and recognized actresses sadly passed away. At the age of 99, her lifetime was filled with incredible work both in front and behind the camera with a career spanning several decades. Less than three weeks away from her 100th birthday, this pioneer of entertainment and representation will live on through the countless hearts she has touched through her numerous incredible works.

Betty White’s most notable roles include her portrayal of Sue Ann RIvens in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and her role as Rose Nylund in “The Golden Girls”. These performances along with the rest of the unforgettable characters that she brought to life earned her a well deserved plethora of various awards. Her impressive list of awards includes 5 Emmys in various categories as well as 21 total nominations, a Grammy award, and 3 Screen Actors Guild Awards. White’s work has also earned her a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and she was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995. She has also been adorned with various titles such as “The First Lady of Television” and “The First Lady of Game Shows”. 

Long before she was crowned “The First Lady of Television”, Betty White began her career working various radio jobs soon after the second World War ended. Bouncing between various radio programs such as Blondie and This is your FBI, she eventually settled on a live television show called Hollywood on Television. In 1952, White made big advancements in her career when she began solo-hosting Hollywood on Television as well as co-founding Bandy Productions. White and the other co-founders would go on to produce a sitcom titled Life with Elizabeth, which was the first sitcom produced by a woman. For her performance as the title character, White was awarded with a Los Angeles Emmy Award in 1952. Through the 1960s, White appeared in a wide collection of game shows such as Password and To Tell the Truth. 

Beyond her catalog of characters and acting experiences accumulated throughout her career, Betty White’s true legacy lives on through the television industry that she was essential in developing. When White began her career, television was still a new concept nowhere near the pillar of entertainment that it represents today. With such a new medium, White was able to help propel the advancement and popularization of television, as well as set industry standards. Without  Betty White, perhaps television would have remained another passing novelty forgotten to the modern world. 

Article by Steven Wang of Montgomery Blair High School

Photo courtesy of @BettyMWhite on Twitter