Lowell Thomas, 'So long'

August 31, 1981

Lowell Thomas, the journalists-author-explorer who passed on Saturday, was the longest-operating newscaster in broadcasting history, bringing accounts of his adventures -- including the story of lawrence of Arabia -- to Americans for more than 46 years. As the "Voice of Movietone," Mr. Thomashs face became as well known as his voice in newsreels before the television era.

Mr. Thomas is probably best remembered as the man with the crisp voice and marvelous adventures, who began his broadcasting career in 1930 with a jaunty "Hello, everybody!" and continued helloing everyone on what became the oldest continuous program on the air.