2002

Who: Dave Thomas
Major Accomplishment: The Guinness Book of World Records has recognized Thomas’s spots as the ”Longest-Running Television Advertising Campaign Starring a Company Founder.”
Legacy: Thomas became a leading champion for the adoption of foster children, arguing that they needed love in their lives. President George Bush named him as a national spokesman on adoption issues, and when President Clinton signed a bill in 1996 to give parents who adopt children a tax credit, he thanked Thomas for his leadership.

Who: Milton Berle
Major Accomplishment: Life magazine reported that in 1947 there were 17 television stations in the United States broadcasting to 136,000 sets. As a consequence of Milton Berle’s success by the end of 1948 there were more than 50 stations and 700,000 sets.
Legacy: Throughout his career he was known for his appearances on behalf of charities. He appeared at thousands and thousands of benefits. In 1984, he was one of the first seven pioneers to be inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

Who: Ann Landers
Major Accomplishment: At the time of her death, her column was carried in more than 1,200 newspapers around the world, with a readership of 90 million, according to Creators Syndicate, her distributor. A 1978 World Almanac survey named her the most influential woman in the United States.
Legacy: In 1971, she wrote about a bill awaiting the president’s signature that would allocate $100 million for cancer research. She asked readers to clip the column and send it to Washington. Buried under a million columns, President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act.

>>>NEXT: Looking back on 2003, including the much-missed Bob Hope…

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.