Art Fleming

Arthur Fleming Fazzin (May 1, 1924 – April 25, 1995), better known as Art Fleming, was an American actor and television host. He is most notable for being the host of the original version of the television game show Jeopardy!, which aired on NBC from 1964 until 1975.

Early life

Fleming was born in New York City. His parents, William and Marie Fazzin, had emigrated to the United States from Austria. They were a popular dance team in Europe, who had brought their show to America. Their son Art was a varsity letterman football player at James Monroe High School in New York, standing 6 foot, 4 inches (1.93 m), weighing 220 pounds (99.79 kg). He later attended Colgate and Cornell universities, starring on the football team, as well as water polo teams at both colleges. Fleming was a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Navy for three and a half years as the pilot of a patrol bomber in the Atlantic.

Career

After leaving the Navy, Fleming became an announcer at a radio station in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Here, he first shortened his name to "Art Fleming". His radio career later took him to Akron, Ohio, and back home to New York. He was the first announcer to deliver the popular, grammatically controversial slogan "Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should" for Winston cigarettes.