Lowell Thomas

Lowell Thomas had many claims to fame, not the least was his spreading story of Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence - the now iconic "Lawrence of Arabia" - to the world. What was particularly odd for the time was that Lowell first told T. E.'s story not via books (those non-electronic devices with white flappy things in the middle), but through what can honestly be called the world's first electronic multi-media extravaganza. This was the theatrical production With Allenby in Palestine and Lawrence in Arabia - complete with all the high tech gadgets of the era: slides, films, and yes, even, an oriental dancing girl. In 1919, there was no sound with film and so Lowell had to provide live narration. Starting off with aerial motion pictures of the Great Pyramids of Giza and following with films shot on location in Jerusalem, Cairo, and Arabia, within a few months the show had made Lowell rich and famous. It made T. E. famous.

It was only in 1930 that Lowell kicked off his nightly news broadcasts. Beginning with "Good evening, everybody" and always signing off (or almost always signing off) with "So long until tomorrow!", he kept the nation informed of the doings of the great, not-so-great, and simply items interesting and entertaining for nearly half a century. Lowell finally hung up his microphone on March 14, 1976.

To learn more about Lowell you should read his autobiography in two (and quite well written) volumes titled (what else?) Good Evening, Everybody and So Long Until Tomorrow. Or you can learn a little more about Lowell if you just click here.