Norman Felton has always been a storyteller. After stints as a child laborer, stevedore, and truck driver, he wrote a play that launched both his academic and his professional careers. Take a look at the credits for some of the more distinguished and influential moments in radio and TV and you'll often find Norman Felton's name as producer, writer, director. Among his radio hits were Author's Playhouse, Vic and Sade and a docudrama for National Brotherhood Week that aired on all three radio networks simultaneously.

On election night, 1948, NBC-TV found itself short of directors and Mr. Felton was called in to avert a crisis, thus launching his television career. From there he went on to write, produce and direct for The Dave Garroway Show, The Robert Montgomery Hour, Hallmark Playhouse, The U.S. Steel Hour, Alcoa Presents, Goodyear Playhouse, Playhouse 90, Studio One, Dr. Kildare, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., as well as many mini-series and made-for-TV movies. He has been honored with many awards including an Emmy and several Christophers. And his commitment to using television to enrich and enlighten led to Mr. Felton's being honored by the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society and the March of Dimes.

Simply put, Mr. Felton is to 50s, 60s and 70s TV what Steven Bochco and David Kelley are to the 80s and 90s TV.

An article in the newspaper in 1986 led Felton to Media&Values magazine and what has become a long-lasting relationship with the Center for Media Literacy and the field of media literacy education. In 1997, he agreed to fund the development of an experimental teacher training program: the Felton Media Literacy Scholars Program. With Felton's generous support, the CML has helped shape the professional development agenda in media education nationally and continues its pioneering role in developing creative and effective training programs for teachers from kindergarten to college. In 1999, CML awarded him its first "Visionary" Award for his unwavering support of CML and to the spread of media literacy through teacher training.

Norman Felton, who will be 90 years young in 2003, lives in the Los Angeles area and continues to be active in the Producer's Guild of America, to write scripts and plays and to be actively consulted for his television instinct and expertise. He stays in touch with die-hard U.N.C.L.E. fans, is an avid movie-goer and always votes in the Academy Awards. At CML we treasure his friendship, value his advice and admire and appreciate his commitment to media literacy education and to the Center.