Nationality American Name Paul Taff | Died January 3, 2013 | |
Born January 21, 1920 Glastonbury, Connecticut Occupation television executive, executive producer, television producer | ||
Paul Kenneth Taff (January 21, 1920 in Glastonbury, Connecticut – January 3, 2013) was an American television executive, executive producer, and television producer with PBS. His credits included Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Taff spearheaded the funding for Julia Child's first cooking show, The French Chef, which allowed the show to be aired nationwide and launched Child's television career.
He was one of seven children born to Benjamin Harrison Taff and Louise Ada Wehmeier. Taff graduated from Belleville High School and from Millikin University. He later received a master's degree from Northwestern University and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University of New Haven.
Taff became the first television broadcaster to appear on WTVP (now WAND) in 1953, In Decatur, Illinois.
Taff moved back to Connecticut, where he became the Director of the Children's Programs for National Education Television, which later became PBS. He helped acquire the broadcasting rights for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as an executive in PBS.
A resident of Glastonbury, Connecticut, Taff died on January 3, 2013, at the age of 92.