Frazier Thomas

{{short description|American television personality (1918–1985)}} {{Infobox presenter | name = Frazier Thomas | image = Garfield goose reduced.jpg | image_upright = 1.1 | caption = Thomas on ''Garfield Goose and Friends'' | birth_name = William Frazier Thomas | birth_date = {{Birth date|1918|06|13|mf=yes}} | birth_place = Rushville, Indiana | death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|04|03|1918|06|13|mf=yes}} | death_place = Chicago, Illinois | show = ''I Cover the Movies'' ''Inside Radio'' ''BC Battle of the Bands'' ''Collect Calls From Lowenthal'' ''Morning Matinee'' ''The 50 Club'' ''What's The Answer''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qwcEAAAAMBAJ&q=frazier+thomas&pg=PT69|title=Polack Starts Well On Cincy Stand|date=21 February 1948|publisher=Billboard|access-date=12 March 2011}}</ref> ''Shopper's Special'' ''Meet the Little People'' ''The Frazier Thomas Show'' ''Musical Nite-cap'' ''Petticoat Party'' ''Garfield Goose and Friend'' ''Garfield Goose and Friends'' ''Family Classics'' ''Bozo's Circus'' | station = WLW, WLWT and WKRC-TV, Cincinnati WBKB/WBBM-TV, WBKB-TV/WLS-TV and WGN-TV, Chicago | network = | timeslot = | show2 = | station2 = | network2 = | timeslot2 = | style = | country = | prevshow = | parents = | spouse(s) = Ann Deeds Thomas | partner = | children = 2 | web = }}

'''William Frazier Thomas''' (June 13, 1918 – April 3, 1985) was a Chicago television personality. Although Thomas wrote nine children's books, he was best known for creating, hosting, writing and producing the long-running children's television program ''Garfield Goose and Friends'' on WGN-TV.<ref name=Thomas>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotelevision.com/frazier.htm|title=Frazier Thomas|publisher=Chicago Television|access-date=6 February 2011}}</ref><ref name=Popular>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i_ZGAAAAIBAJ&pg=5029,743245&dq=frazier+thomas&hl=en|title=Popular TV Children's Show Host Dies|date=4 April 1985|work=Times-Union|access-date=7 February 2011}}</ref><ref name=Visit>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=T8VDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1109,1738654&dq=frazier+thomas&hl=en|title=Frazier Thomas to Visit Area|date=31 July 1977|work=The Daily Sentinel|access-date=10 February 2011}}</ref>

==Magic and broadcasting== Thomas began performing as a magician at age 12 in his home town of Rushville; he was just a teenager when he wrote a book about magic.<ref name=Thomas/> As "Thomas the Magician and Company" he performed "the Mystic Revue, a full evening of magic, mirth, music and mystery" throughout the US. By 1935, he was writing a weekly syndicated newspaper column for children about magic, at first as "Thomas the Magician" and later as Frazier Thomas. The tips and tricks Thomas covered in his column were simple enough for young readers to perform successfully.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bfI0AAAAIBAJ&pg=1965,3967790&dq=thomas+the+magician&hl=en|title=Thomas The Magician Started Study Of Magic As Mere Boy|date=16 November 1935|work=Lewiston Evening Journal|access-date=12 February 2011}}</ref> His column appeared in newspapers from 1935 to 1940.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OXswAAAAIBAJ&pg=2033,1538420&dq=frazier+thomas&hl=en|title=Rising Card Is A Neat Trick Which Earns Girl A Prize|author=Thomas, Frazier|date=1 March 1940|work=The Owosso Argus-Herald|access-date=12 February 2011}}</ref> Thomas was a member of the Society of American Magicians and attended their national conferences.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lr5kAAAAIBAJ&pg=5906,4595757&dq=frazier+thomas&hl=en|title=Crowds Follow Magicians Hoping To See Impromptu Performances|author=Thomas, Frazier|date=19 August 1939|work=Saskatoon Star-Phoenix|access-date=12 February 2011}}</ref> By 1936, Thomas had an additional interest: radio; he became the host of a summer replacement show about movies for Cincinnati radio station WLW.<ref name=Popular/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=51-66}} A year later, he interviewed Edgar Bergen and became interested enough in ventriloquilism and dummies to visit the Chicago workshop of the man who produced Charlie McCarthy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cp81AAAAIBAJ&pg=2207,3662893&dq=thomas+the+magician&hl=en|title=Famous Dummy Of Edgar Bergen Has Been Big Success On Radio|author=Thomas, Frazier|date=16 October 1937|work=The Owosso Argus-Press|access-date=12 February 2011}}</ref> thumb|left|250px|Thomas and Ruth Lyons at WLW Radio's ''Morning Matinee'', 1948. Taken from a station-issued promotional calendar. He continued working at WLW, writing and creating his own shows: ''I Cover the Movies'' and ''Inside Radio'' and as a disk jockey for others, such as ''BC Battle of the Bands''.<ref name=Thomas/> He was then teamed with Ruth Lyons for ''Collect Calls From Lowenthal''. Still at WLW, the pair moved to a morning radio show, ''Morning Matinee'' (later called ''The 50 Club''), which Thomas co-hosted with Lyons for eight years. During this time he also did personal appearances with other WLW air personalities, serving as the announcer and as a magician.<ref name=Visit/><ref name=Lyons>{{cite book|title=Before Oprah: Ruth Lyons, the Woman Who Invented Talk TV|editor-last=Banks|editor-first=Michael A.|year=2009|publisher=Orange Frazer Press|pages=260|isbn=978-1-933197-49-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YIxVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6237,2911892&dq=frazier+thomas&hl=en|title=Rushville Suburb of Bentonville, Morning Radio Audience Learns|date=25 July 1946|publisher=National Road Traveler|access-date=10 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xIxVAAAAIBAJ&pg=5485,3109738&dq=frazier+thomas&hl=en|title=Bentonville Woman Dances With Frazier Thomas At Morning Matinee|date=15 July 1948|publisher=National Road Traveler|access-date=10 February 2011}}</ref> In 1949, he announced he would leave ''Morning Matinee'' to establish his own radio and television production firm.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OPYDAAAAMBAJ&q=frazier+thomas+wlw&pg=PA7|title=Thomas Quits WLW To Set Up Own Firm|date=26 February 1949|publisher=Billboard|access-date=12 February 2011}}</ref> He married Ann Deeds, a commercial artist for WLWT,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/09/22/bereavement-counselor-helps-survivors-deal-with-grief/|title=Bereavement Counselor Helps Survivors Deal With Grief|date=22 September 1993|author=Mills, Maryann Traficante|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=18 February 2011}}</ref> and together the couple hosted one of the station's first television shows: ''Shopper's Special''.<ref name=Thomas/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|p=53}}<ref name=Feder/> Thomas then moved to Cincinnati's WKRC-TV, where he hosted his first children's program, ''Meet the Little People''. In 1950, Frazier and Anne Thomas were among the top local television personalities in Cincinnati.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5x0EAAAAMBAJ&q=frazier+thomas&pg=PA9|title=Billboard Compiles List of Top Local TV Talent|date=18 November 1950|magazine=Billboard|access-date=12 March 2011}}</ref> Garfield Goose made his first television appearance in Cincinnati.<ref name=Thomas/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|p=53}}<ref name=Frazier/> {{clear|left}}

==Garfield Goose== [[File:GAR1edited.jpg|180px|thumb|left|Advertisement for ''Garfield Goose'' on WBBM-TV, from 1953.]] Thomas had the idea for Garfield Goose from attending bazaars as a boy. The local Catholic nuns used a sock puppet made into the form of a goose to ask children for charity donations. The children would "feed" the goose their pennies. He came up with the idea to use a goose puppet on his television show for giving prizes to children. The name of the goose was taken from the telephone number of the television station; at the time, all telephone exchanges had names as well as numbers. The name of the telephone exchange for the television station was Garfield.<ref name=Thomas/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=51-53}}<ref name=Frazier>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/04/04/frazier-thomas-kids-tv-pal-for-35-years/|title=Frazier Thomas, TV Kids' Pal For 35 years|author=Heise, Kenan|date=4 April 1985|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=18 February 2011}}</ref>

In 1951, Thomas was hired by Chicago television station WBKB for an afternoon variety show initially called ''The Frazier Thomas Show''. He also put in some time as the host of an evening music program, ''Musical Nite-cap''. Thomas' afternoon show was renamed ''Petticoat Party''; his announcer for it was Ray Rayner. Garfield Goose made his Chicago debut on ''Petticoat Party''.<ref name=Thomas/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=51-66}} It was not long before the station saw that Thomas and his goose puppet were the most popular parts of the program. On September 29, 1952, Frazier and Garfield went on their own in a show called ''Garfield Goose and Friend''; the show went on the air directly opposite NBC's ''Howdy Doody''.<ref name=Thomas/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=3, 51-53, 56}}

This was a time of great transition in Chicago television. WBKB was acquired by CBS in February 1953 and renamed WBBM-TV. The WBKB call letters were then picked up by what was previously WENR-TV, owned by ABC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotelevision.com/channels1XX4.htm|title=Changing Channels Part IV|publisher=Chicago Television|access-date=20 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotelevision.com/channels1XX5.htm|title=Changing Channels Part V|publisher=Chicago Television|access-date=20 February 2011}}</ref> A clause in the contract for the WBKB sale to CBS called for all programs currently on the station to remain on the air for one year after the sale. Before the transition period was over, Thomas and his goose moved to the new WBKB (now WLS-TV), now under ABC's management. One year later, in 1955, the pair found their permanent television home at WGN-TV, where they would be joined by the other characters, making it ''Garfield Goose and Friends''.<ref name=Thomas/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=51-66}} {{image frame|content={{Photomontage | photo1a = Garfield Goose 1953 book cover.jpg | photo1b = Garfield Goose 1953 book front page.jpg | photo1c = | photo2a = Garfield Goose 1953 book pages 1 and 2.jpg | photo3a = | photo3b = }}}} With the show's popularity among young viewers in the Chicago area by 1953, Thomas produced a book for them, ''Garfield Goose Memory Book''. Thomas told the story of Garfield Goose from his youth, including information about his family and his average day in the castle. Roy Brown illustrated the 32-page booklet, which was also intended to be used as a coloring book.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZRchAQAAIAAJ&q=personality+features+garfield+goose&pg=PA499|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1953: July–December|date=9 November 1953|author=Library of Congress. Copyright Office|access-date=12 November 2011}}</ref>

In addition to entertaining, Thomas also educated his young viewers, but never with a heavy hand. His guests were people like Dr. Lester Fisher of Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo and J. Bruce Mitchell of the Museum of Science and Industry whose visits were both fun and informative.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/09/20/if-the-face-looks-familiar-think-back/|title=If the face looks familiar, think back 25 years to...|author=Mueller, Jim|date=20 September 1998|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=18 February 2011}}</ref> Thomas also had a Hobby Corner feature where children would talk about and display things they were interested in.<ref name=Thomas/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=51-66}}

There were also subtle moral messages when Thomas needed to explain to Garfield why something he had done or wanted to do was wrong.<ref name=Frazier/><ref name=Stroke>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/04/02/frazier-thomas-suffers-stroke/|title=Frazier Thomas Suffers Stroke|date=2 April 1985|author=Schneidman, Dave|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=18 February 2011}}</ref> During the holidays, Thomas sang "Jingle Bells" in Latin, teaching the words and their meaning to his television audience. Children and their parents were invited to write for a copy of the words; it took Thomas weeks to mail all the replies.<ref name=Minister>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/05/19/the-childrens-prime-minister/|title=The Children's 'Prime Minister'|date=19 May 1985|author=Best, Patricia|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=12 February 2011}}</ref> On occasion, Thomas would take his Jew's harp from his pocket and begin to play. His goose friend would respond to the music by either retreating to another part of his castle or hitting Thomas on the head with his beak.<ref name=Thomas/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=51-66}} He also visited local schools to perform magic shows.<ref name=Minister/> The Chicago chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences did not begin awarding local Emmys until 1958; Thomas was the first winner of the award for Male Best Children's Performer, and won the award again in 1964 for his work with ''Garfield Goose and Friends'' and ''Family Classics''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chicagoemmyonline.org/files/2013/04/1958-1959.pdf|title=Chicago Emmy Awards|date=1958–1959|publisher=Chicago chapter-National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences|access-date=13 February 2011}} (PDF)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://chicagoemmyonline.org/files/2013/04/1964-1965.pdf|title=Chicago Emmy Awards|date=1964–1965|publisher=Chicago chapter-National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences|access-date=13 February 2011}} (PDF)</ref> {{clear|right}}

===Little Theater Screen Segments===

==Family Classics and other work==

thumb|250px|left|Frazier and Garfield join ''Bozo's Circus'' in 1976. Roy Brown (Cooky the Clown) and Bob Bell (Bozo) are also pictured. In 1961, WGN-TV had an extensive library of films which were suitable for family viewing, but were rarely aired. Fred Silverman, who was a WGN executive at the time, came up with an idea for putting the films to use.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/04/03/at-50-wgn-finds-the-tv-picture-and-audiences-have-changed/|title=At 50, WGN Finds The TV Picture and Audiences Have Changed|author=Johnson, Allan|date=3 April 1988|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=17 February 2011}}</ref> He wanted to air them when children and their parents could watch and enjoy them with Frazier Thomas as the show's host. Thomas agreed to host the program provided he had editing rights on the films, was able to choose them himself and also to refuse any titles he believed were not suitable for the show. A set designed by Thomas that resembled a cozy home library complete with a Roy Brown painting of Garfield Goose was built and he began his ''Family Classics'' weekly show on Friday evenings.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/wgntv-timeline-60simage19,0,6400592.photo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105194223/http://www.latimes.com/wgntv-timeline-60simage19,0,6400592.photo|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 November 2012|title=This classy portrait by Roy Brown of Garfield Goose adorned a wall on the set of "Family Classics."|newspaper=LA Times|access-date=26 June 2011}}</ref> ''Family Classics'' became so successful, it was beating many of the network programs in the Chicago market. The networks responded by purchasing new movies to air in the same time slot; this made it necessary for the program to move to Sunday afternoons.<ref name=Thomas/>{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=60-62}}<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D83ACkuGv_gC&q=family+classics+museum+of+broadcast+communications&pg=PA76|title=Chicago Television|editor-last=Berger|editor-first=Daniel|editor2-last=Jajkowski|editor2-first=Steve|others=For the Museum of Broadcast Communications; Foreword by Bob Sirott|year=2010|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|pages=168|isbn=978-0-7385-7713-5|access-date=18 February 2011}}</ref> The ''Family Classics'' set is now part of the Museum of Broadcast Communications' collection.<ref name=Thomas/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-06-12/entertainment/9202220166_1_museum-of-broadcast-communications-broadcasting-history-chicago-cultural-center/3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916154920/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-06-12/entertainment/9202220166_1_museum-of-broadcast-communications-broadcasting-history-chicago-cultural-center/3|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 16, 2011|title=Lights, Camera, Action...|author=Pridmore, Jay|date=12 June 1992|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=7 March 2011}}</ref>

Thomas also brought a movie camera on his vacations and the footage he shot became specials for the station. The Thomas family's vacation on an {{convert|85|foot|adj=on}} schooner became ''Sailing the Seas of Columbus'' and their trip to England resulted in ''The Legend of Arthur, the Phantom King''.{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=51-66}}<ref name=Frazier/>

By the 1970s the way Chicago children watched television had changed, and ''Garfield Goose and Friends'' moved to mornings on WGN. When Ned Locke, ringmaster of ''Bozo's Circus'' retired in 1976, Thomas was asked to become his replacement. This meant that the show would combine with ''Bozo's Circus''; ''Garfield Goose and Friends'' last aired on September 10, 1976.<ref name=TV>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvacres.com/child_frazier_thomas.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120917164339/http://www.tvacres.com/child_frazier_thomas.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 September 2012|title=Frazier Thomas|publisher=TV Acres|access-date=10 February 2011}}</ref><ref name=Timeline70>{{cite web|url=http://www.wgntv.com/station/bozotime/tln1970s.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001218093000/http://www.wgntv.com/station/bozotime/tln1970s.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 December 2000|title=Bozo Timeline-1970s|publisher=WGN-TV|access-date=16 February 2011}}</ref> Frazier's friends were off the air permanently on January 26, 1981, after changes to the Bozo program.<ref name=Frazier/><ref name=Timeline80/> He continued to work on the show as the circus manager and to host ''Family Classics''.<ref name=Thomas/><ref name=Feder/>{{sfn|Hollis|2001|p=97}}

==Death== Thomas suffered a stroke at the WGN-TV studios on April 1, 1985, and died on April 3, 1985.<ref name=Frazier/> He had hosted the local Easter Seals telethon the day before he was stricken.<ref name=Stroke/> He was survived by his wife, Ann, his daughter, Kitty, and his son, Jeff.<ref name=Popular/> Thomas received the Chicago Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Governors' Award for his television work posthumously in 1985.<ref name=Timeline80>{{cite web|url=http://wgntv.com/station/bozotime/tln1980s.htm|title=Bozo Timeline-1980s|publisher=WGN-TV|access-date=16 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010709002204/http://wgntv.com/station/bozotime/tln1980s.htm|archive-date=9 July 2001}}</ref> The Thomas family donated Garfield and the rest of the puppets, along with Thomas' uniform, to the Museum of Broadcast Communications.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sheptalk.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=304&whichpage=2|title=Photo-Frazier Thomas Uniform at Museum of Broadcast Communications|publisher=ShepTalk|access-date=10 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20110716053743/http://www.sheptalk.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=304&whichpage=2|archive-date=16 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/22729756@N00/4764101281/|title=Photo of Garfield Goose character puppets with Ali Gator at Museum of Broadcast Communications|publisher=Flick'r|access-date=13 February 2011}}</ref> The 2500 block of West Bradley Place in Chicago in front of WGN-TV's studios is honorarily named "Frazier Thomas Place" in his memory.{{sfn|Okuda|Mulqueen|2004|pp=51-66}}<ref name=Feder>{{cite web|url=http://www.wbez.org/blog/robert-feder/remembering-chicago-classic-frazier-thomas|title=Remembering a Chicago Classic:Frazier Thomas|author=Feder, Robert|date=2 May 2010|publisher=WBEZ Radio|access-date=6 February 2011|archive-date=28 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728171724/http://www.wbez.org/blog/robert-feder/remembering-chicago-classic-frazier-thomas|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2005, the Museum of Broadcast Communications awarded WGN-TV's Studio 1 a plaque to commemorate the forty years of children's television broadcast from the studio. ''Garfield Goose and Friends'' with a likeness of Thomas and Garfield, is on the plaque along with Ray Rayner with ''Ray Rayner and Friends'' and Bob Bell and ''Bozo's Circus''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://markdecarlo.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/img_0720.jpg|title=WGN-TV Studio 1 Plaque Photo|publisher=Mark DeCarlo|access-date=9 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museum.tv/newssection.php?page=304 |title=WGN-TV Studio 1 To Be Honored For Its Historic Role In Children's Television |date=5 December 2005 |publisher=Museum of Broadcast Communications |access-date=10 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628201728/http://www.museum.tv/newssection.php?page=304 |archive-date=June 28, 2011 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|40em}}

==Bibliography== *{{cite book|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/books/9781621034087|title=Hi There, Boys and Girls! America's Local Children's TV Programs|last=Hollis|first=Tim|year=2001|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|isbn=978-1-578-06396-3}} via Project MUSE {{subscription required}} *{{cite book|title=The Golden Age of Chicago Children's Television|last1=Okuda|first1=Ted|last2=Mulqueen|first2=Jack|publisher=Lake Claremont Press|year=2004|isbn=978-1-893-12117-1}}

==External links== *{{Find a Grave|20024}} *{{IMDb name|id=0858837|name=Frazier Thomas}} *[https://soundcloud.com/peter-mintun/rendezvous-with-ramona-i From Soundcloud] Thomas co-hosting ''Rendezvous with Ramona'' on WLW Radio, January 1948 (3 programs) *[https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/04/15/frazier-thomas-friend-and-more/ Frazier Thomas: Friend and More] Bill Granger, 15 April 1985, ''Chicago Tribune'' *[https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/04/18/tribute-to-thomas/ Tribute to Thomas] Thomas K. Brown, 18 April 1985, ''Chicago Tribune'' {{Commons}}

===Watch=== * [http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/index.php?c=3606 Rare off-air recording of ''Garfield Goose and Friends'', Circa 1971] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320090445/http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/index.php?c=3606 |date=2012-03-20 }} * [http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/index.php?c=4472 Rare off-air recording of ''Garfield Goose and Friends'', Airdate: 11-20-75] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205085543/http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/index.php?c=4472 |date=2015-02-05 }} * [http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/index.php?c=966 One of only a few existing studio recordings of ''Garfield Goose and Friends'', Airdate: 3-14-74] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205075030/http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/index.php?c=966 |date=2015-02-05 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Frazier}} Category:1918 births Category:1985 deaths Category:People from Rushville, Indiana Category:American television personalities Category:Writers from Chicago Category:American television hosts Category:20th-century American people