Lloyd Morrisett, creator of Sesame Street and co-founder of Sesame Workshop, dies at 93
Sesame Street creator and Sesame Workshop co-founder Lloyd Morrisett has died at the age of 93… as the cause of death has yet to be revealed
- Sesame Workshop’s Instagram account revealed the sad news on Tuesday but did not reveal the cause of death.
- Together with Joan Ganz Cooney he founded Sesame Workshop in May 1968.
- Sesame Workshop, then called the Children’s Television Workshop (CTW), created the legendary television show Sesame Street, which began airing in November 1966.
- The idea for the series began in December 1965 when Morrisett noted how committed his three-year-old daughter was to the family television, which led him to consider whether it could be used to educate children.
- He apparently talked to Cooney about it at a dinner a few months later and the rest is history.
Lloyd Morrisett, who co-founded Sesame Workshop and founded Sesame Street, passed away at age 93 on Monday.
The Sesame Workshop Instagram account broke the sad news on Tuesday but did not disclose the cause of death.
It was posted with a statement that read: ‘Sesame Workshop mourns the passing of our esteemed and beloved co-founder Lloyd N. Morrisett, PhD, who died at the age of 93.
Icon: Lloyd Morrisett, who co-founded Sesame Workshop and founded Sesame Street, has died at 93
‘As an honorary lifetime trustee, Lloyd leaves a huge and indelible legacy among generations of children around the world, with Sesame Street being only the most visible tribute to a lifetime of good work and lasting impact.
“A wise, thoughtful and, above all, kind leader of the Workshop for decades, Lloyd was fascinated by the power of technology and constantly thought of new ways it could be used to educate.”
He, along with Joan Ganz Cooney, founded Sesame Workshop in May 1968 when the statement ended with a quote from his 93-year-old former business partner.
It was posted with a statement beginning: “Sesame Workshop mourns the passing of our esteemed and beloved co-founder Lloyd N. Morrisett, PhD, who died at the age of 93.”
He concluded: ‘Joan Ganz Cooney, his co-founder and close friend, put it best. “Without Lloyd Morrisett, there would be no Sesame Street. He was the one who first came up with the idea of using television to teach preschoolers basic skills like letters and numbers. He was a trusted partner and loyal friend to me. for over fifty years, and will be greatly missed.
Sesame Workshop, then called the Children’s Television Workshop (CTW), created the legendary television show Sesame Street, which began airing in November 1969.
The idea for the series began in December 1965 when Morrisett noted how committed his three-year-old daughter was to the family television, which led him to consider whether it could be used to educate children.
Dynamic duo: He, along with Joan Ganz Cooney, founded Sesame Workshop in May 1968, as the two are seen from left to right alongside US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the Kennedys Honors in Washington DC in December 2019.
He apparently talked to Cooney about it at a dinner a few months later and the rest is history.
Morrisett was president of Sesame Workshop from 1970 to 2020 and remained on the board of trustees from 1970 until his death.
He was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma as the son of Jessie Watson and Lloyd Newton Morrisett.
The family moved to New York City in 1933 to escape hardship resulting from the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.
They later moved to California, where Morrisett met Julian Ganz, who would later introduce him to Joan Ganz Cooney.
Morrisett also received his bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and later graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles and earned his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology at Yale University.
In total now: front row from left, Susan Pompeo, 2019 Kennedy Center Honorees Michael Tilson Thomas, Linda Ronstadt, Sally Field, Joan Ganz Cooney, Lloyd Morrisett, and Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter, back row From left to right, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, 2019 Kennedy Center Honorees Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, “Sesame Street” characters Abby Cadabby, Big Bird and Elmo, Kennedy Center President David M. Rubenstein, Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss at the Kennedy Honors in December 2019