Marist Celebrates Lowell Thomas’ 134th Birthday

A cardboard cut out of Lowell Thomas at his birthday party. Photo by Cara Lacey '26

Nearly 45 years after his passing, legendary broadcaster and entertainer Lowell Thomas was honored with his first birthday party on the Marist University campus. 

The Lowell Thomas Communications Center is named after a man of many trades and a pioneering journalist who hosted a daily network news program, Lowell Thomas and the News. 

Known best as  “L.T.” within the Marist community, Thomas was celebrated on what would have been his 134th birthday. He lived in Pawling, New York, for more than 50 years and maintained strong connections within the Hudson Valley. 

During his time in Dutchess County, he became close friends with former president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who lived in Hyde Park. In fact, the two started a celebrity softball league together in Dutchess County before World War II to raise money for local charities and children's causes. 

FDR’s team was named the “Packers,” a reference to FDR’s attempt to pack the Supreme Court, and Thomas’ team was called the “Nine Old Men.”  

In addition to FDR, Thomas befriended former Marist presidents Richard Foy and Dennis Murray. Their relationship began through his interactions with Marist students during his time at CBS. 

“As Thomas worked for CBS, he was very impressed with all the student interns and asked where they were from. Turns out they were all Marist communications students,” said John Ansley, the director of archives and special collections. 

In 1981, Thomas received an honorary degree from Marist and gave the commencement speech that same year. Today, the Marist archives house 40,000 photographs, one million documents, 3,000 cans of motion picture film, hundreds of hours of audio and hundreds of personal objects from Thomas, including the crutches he used when he broke his hip. 

The Lowell Thomas Communications Center, which officially opened in 1987, was never seen by Thomas himself, but the construction would not have been possible without him. Thomas’ son, Lowell Thomas Jr., knew that his father wanted his legacy to live on at Marist. 

The celebration coincided with communication events around campus, including the Senior Comm Awards, Comm Capping and Honors Thesis presentations, each reflecting the spirit of storytelling and innovation that defined Thomas’ career.