Ken Howard
A towering actor who moved from Broadway's Thomas Jefferson to television's groundbreaking coach in 'The White Shadow' with equal authority.
1944–2016 (age 72)·American actor·Birthday: March 28·The Silent Generation
Biography
Ken Howard possessed a commanding, everyman presence that made him equally believable as a Founding Father and a high school gym teacher. His career launched on stage, winning a Tony Award early for 'Child's Play.' He brought a dignified vitality to Thomas Jefferson in the film version of '1776,' but it was television where he created an enduring cultural touchstone. As Coach Ken Reeves in 'The White Shadow,' he played a retired pro basketball player guiding an inner-city high school team. The show was a quiet revolution, one of the first dramatic series with a predominantly Black cast, and Howard's grounded performance gave it heart. He worked steadily for decades, later earning an Emmy for 'Grey Gardens,' and served as president of the actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, advocating for his peers with the same steady resolve he brought to his roles.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Ken was born in 1944, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ken Was Born
The biggest hits of 1944
#1 Movie
Going My Way
Best Picture
Going My Way
Ken's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1944Born
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1949Started school
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1957Became a teenager
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Could drive
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1962Could vote
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Turned 21
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1974Turned 30
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 40
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 50
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 60
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 70
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Died at 72
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- Won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in 'Child's Play' in 1970.
- Starred as Coach Ken Reeves in the pioneering TV drama 'The White Shadow,' which broke ground for its diverse casting.
- Received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for playing Phelan Beale in 'Grey Gardens.'
- Served as the national president of the Screen Actors Guild and later the merged SAG-AFTRA from 2009 to 2012.
Did You Know?
He stood 6 feet 6 inches tall and was a skilled basketball player in his youth.
He was the voice of the father in the animated children's series 'Thomas & Friends' for several years.
He played Ted Turner in the 1995 TV movie 'The Last Days of Patton.'
“I'm not a star; I'm a working actor.”
