“When the bank asks me about my assets, I include my friendship with Regis Philbin.”
– Lou Holtz
Many college sports are known to have a “program face”.
For approximately six decades, Regis Philbin He was “the face of Notre Dame” on television unlike anyone else in history. The 1953 Notre Dame graduate died on Friday (July 24) at age 88.
In 2004, the Guinness Book of World Records celebrated Philbin for having the most hours on television in the United States, which at the time was 15,188 (eclipsing the previous standard of Hugh downs) That total would rise to more than 17,000.
Many of those hours were spent as an ambassador for his beloved alma mater, and they even spent a few minutes connecting Blue and gold illustrated, unsolicited and free, during television broadcasts.
This happened regularly in the 1990s, and from many phone calls to the office we would know how old and new subscribers have heard about us on Live! With the Regis and Kathie Lee show (with Kathie Lee Gifford replaced by Kelly Ripa in 2001).
That was a time when print media was still in vogue, and our goal in BGI it was “having enough subscribers to fill the Notre Dame stadium.” With the help of such free advertising, also provided by ESPN Beano Cook – We did, just to see the place expand from a capacity of 59,075 in 1996 to just over 80,000 in 1997 (no, we never got close to that).
More importantly, Philbin became a promoter of Notre Dame and became a favorite media personality, talk show host, game host, actor, and singer.
Born on August 25, 1931, the Bronx native grew up in a strong Catholic home and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School before enrolling at Notre Dame in 1949, when he was head coach. Frank Leahy guided the Irish football team Fighting to its third national title in four years.
After earning his sociology degree in 1953 and serving in the Navy, Philbin’s show business career began as a page on The Tonight Show in the 1950s before hosting his own talk show in San Diego and then breaking into on network television in 1967 as the partner for The Joey Bishop Show. Eventually, he returned to his roots in New York City as a presenter on a morning show that morphed into his alliance with Gifford.
From 1999 to 2002, Philbin was also the original host of the blockbuster game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Other hosting credits included Million Dollar Password, the first season of America’s Got Talent, and a co-host with Rachael Ray.
He was honored with the Daytime Emmy Awards for being the host of an exceptional talk show for Live! in 2001 and 2011, in addition to the leading game host for Who wants to be a millionaire.
In 2003 he was immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2008 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008.
Regular on the Notre Dame campus, especially for soccer games, he donated $ 2.75 million to create the Regis Philbin Studio Theater at the Marie P. DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts which opened in 2003.
Prior to that gift, Philbin had received an honorary doctorate in law from Notre Dame in 1999 in recognition of his previous gifts in support of scholarships in conjunction with his service as host of an annual fundraising broadcast on behalf of the Center for Home in South Bend.
Similarly, Philbin was a generous benefactor to Cardinal Hayes while leading capital campaigns there.
Married twice, Philbin is survived by his wife of 50 years, Joy. One daughter, Jennifer, graduated from Notre Dame in 1996 and is currently a Hollywood screenwriter, while another, Joanna, received her master’s degree from Notre Dame and is an accomplished author.
Philbin’s first marriage produced daughter Amy and son Daniel, who had a spinal cord defect that confined him to a wheelchair. He worked for the Defense Department and died in 2014 at age 49.
