Family Life
On July 4, 1917, Sarnoff married Lizette Hermant, the daughter of a French immigrant family who settled in the Bronx. It was Sarnoff's good luck that the Hermants just happened to become one of his mother's neighbors. This 54-year marriage is said to have been the bedrock of his life. Mrs. Sarnoff soon learned that, in addition to a wife's more conventional roles, she also became the first person to hear her husband's new ideas as radio and television became integral to American home life.
The couple had three sons: Robert W. Sarnoff, Edward Sarnoff, and Thomas W. Sarnoff. Robert succeeded his father as RCA's Chairman in 1971; and the youngest of these sons, Thomas, became NBC West Coast President.
Sarnoff was the maternal uncle of screenwriter Richard Baer. Sarnoff is credited with sparking Baer's interest in television, as well as kick starting his career. According to Baer's 2005 autobiography, Sarnoff called a vice president at NBC at 6 A.M. and ordered him to find Baer "a job by 9 o'clock" that same morning. The NBC vice president complied with Sarnoff's request. Baer was hired as an assistant on the William Bendix sitcom, The Life of Riley, in 1953. Baer went on to write for more than 56 television series during his career.
David Sarnoff's first cousin was Eugene Lyons, U.S. journalist and writer. Lyons wrote a biography of Sarnoff.
Read more about this topic: David Sarnoff
Famous quotes containing the words family and/or life:
“Freud is all nonsense; the secret of neurosis is to be found in the family battle of wills to see who can refuse longest to help with the dishes. The sink is the great symbol of the bloodiness of family life.”
—Julian Mitchell (20th century)
“I wage not any feud with Death
For changes wrought on form and face;
No lower life that earth’s embrace
May breed with him can fright my faith.”
—Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)