Sesame Street Co-Creator Lloyd N. Morrisett Dies at 93

By Spencer Perry

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization that produces Sesame Street and other shows, has announced that company co-founder Lloyd N. Morrisett has passed away. He was 93. After receiving his doctorate in experimental psychology, Morrisett served as Vice President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York in the 1960s which is where the seed that would become the Children's Television Workshop was planted. Working alongside Joan Ganz Cooney, the pair would craft the idea that lead to Sesame Street while pondering the potential for television as a tool for education, and ultimately changing the landscape of kid's programming forever.

Alongside Joan Ganz Cooney and Jim Henson, Morrisett was one of the original co-creators of Sesame Street. Morrisett would go on to serve as as Chairman of Sesame Workshop's Board of Trustees for thirty years, later working as Trustee and Chairman Emeritus and then Lifetime Honorary Trustee.

"He was fascinated by the power of technology and constantly thinking about new ways it could be used to educate," Sesame Workshop said in a statement. "We have been influenced by his passion, dedication, and firm belief in the transformative power of educational media. Lloyd's presence will forever be felt in our halls, in our hearts, and in our work on behalf of children and families around the world."

"Without Lloyd Morrisett, there would be no Sesame Street," fellow co-founder and friend Joan Ganz Cooney added. "It was he who first came up with the notion of using television to teach preschoolers basic skills, such as letters and numbers. He was a trusted partner and loyal friend to me for over fifty years, and he will be sorely missed." 

A key component of Morrisett's involvement in the creation of Sesame Street was securing the funding to produce the series, which was successful enough to build the biggest empire in children's television ever.

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