James T. Aubrey, Jr.

James Thomas Aubrey, Jr. (December 14, 1918–September 3, 1994) was an American television and film executive. President of the CBS Television Network during the early 1960s, he put some of television's most successful series, including Gilligan's Island and The Beverly Hillbillies, on the air and consequently CBS dominated American television: during the 1963-1964 season, CBS had fourteen of the fifteen top-rated prime-time series. The New York Times Magazine in 1964 called him "a master of programming whose divinations led to successes that are breathtaking."

Early years

Born in La Salle, Illinois, Aubrey was the eldest of four sons of James Thomas Aubrey, Sr., an advertising executive with the Chicago firm of Aubrey, Moore, and Wallace, and his wife, the former Mildred Stever. He grew up in the tony Chicago suburb of Lake Forest and attended Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. He attended Princeton University and was a star on the football team, playing left end. He graduated in 1941 with honors in English and entered the Air Force. He rose to the rank of major. In the service, he taught actor Jimmie Stewart how to fly.

Related Topics:
La Salle, Illinois - Chicago - Lake Forest - Phillips Exeter Academy - Exeter - New Hampshire - Princeton University - 1941 - Air Force - Jimmie Stewart

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