The Lambdin Kay Chair for the Peabody Awards

摘要

The most coveted prize in broadcasting and cable got its start in a small office on the top floor of Atlanta's historic Biltmore Hotel in 1938, when a pair of legendary visionaries were brought together by a University of Georgia graduate. That graduate, now 101 years old, is still an influential voice in the broadcasting industry. The National Association of Broadcasters had asked its awards chairman, Lambdin Kay, to create a broadcasting award to honor the nation's premier radio programs and performances, as the Pulitzer did for the print press. Kay, then the innovative general manger of WSB (AM) in Atlanta, summoned his continuity editor, Lessie Smithgall. "Mr. Kay called me into his office during a coffee break," says Smithgall, "and asked if there was a foundation at Georgia, my alma mater, where we would get help in establishing these awards. Well, Mr. Drewry was my mentor and a good friend at the university, and I suggested him to Mr. Kay." John Drewry was the legendary Dean of the School of Journalism at UGA, who served in the post for 46 years. Kay called him, and with the support of the University's Board of Regents and the NAB, together they founded the Peabody Awards.