03/14/2026
Emmy Award presented to Dick Schneider (1921-2007)
Director & Producer who had 11 Wins and 22 Nominations!
Dick Schneider was born on March 7, 1921 in Cazadero, California, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Jeopardy! (1984), Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1982) and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1991). He died on October 16, 2007 in Salisbury, Connecticut, USA.
Richard N. “Dick” Schneider is best known for his work on television, directing programs such as Jeopardy, and national broadcasts like The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and The Rose Bowl Parade. “He was a Drama major in college, before serving as a Naval officer during WWII. After the war, he moved to New York and worked at NBC Television for the next 20 years. He started out as a page, eventually working his way up to becoming a producer,” remembers his life partner, Jim Maher.
“Dick’s work in television has earned him numerous awards, including 11 Emmys. He’s worked with five presidents, one of them being President Ronald Reagan during the 1981 Rose Bowl Parade,” Maher recalls. “That day, Dick asked Reagan if he’d like to wish a Happy New Year message to everyone, and he did. It was a really nice presentation.”
To be the man behind some of the most viewed live national broadcasts and most beloved television programs makes him an unseen figure and fixture in the homes of so many Americans. “One night at about 7:30, we were in a plane flying over the United States and he looked down and said, ‘Just imagine, America’s watching Jeopardy right now. I’m so happy that I could be a part of it and bring happiness to so many people.’ It was quite a powerful statement.”