Sesame Street co-creator Lloyd Morrisett has died at the age of 93

The creator of Sesame Street as well as Sesame Workshop, Lloyd Morrisett, has sadly died.

There are countless people all over the world who would have grown up watching the iconic children's show.

The likes of Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Bert & Ernie, and countless others have been entertaining audiences for decades.

His death was confirmed in a statement on the Sesame Workshop social media pages.

"Sesame Workshop mourns the passing of our esteemed and beloved co-founder Lloyd N. Morrisett, PhD, who died at the age of 93," the statement read.

"A Lifetime Honorary Trustee, Lloyd leaves an outsized and indelible legacy among generations of children the world over, with Sesame Street only the most visible tribute to a lifetime of good work and lasting impact.

"A wise, thoughtful, and above all kind leader of the Workshop for decades, Lloyd was fascinated by the power of technology and constantly thinking about new ways it could be used to educate.

"We have been influenced by his passion, dedication, and firm belief in the transformative power of educational media.

"Lloyd’s presence will forever be felt in our halls, in our hearts, and in our work on behalf of children and families around the world."

The statement also included a message from Lloyd's close friend and Sesame Workshop co-founder Joan Ganz Cooney.

Joan wrote: “Without Lloyd Morrisett, there would be no Sesame Street.

"It was he who first came up with the notion of using television to teach preschoolers basic skills, such as letters and numbers.

"He was a trusted partner and loyal friend to me for over fifty years, and he will be sorely missed.”

9News says Morrisett got the idea for Sesame Street back in the 1960s when he was watching his three-year-old daughter glued to the television.

He wondered whether he could produce a television show that could be educational.

And thus, Sesame Workshop and eventually Sesame Street was born.

The Facebook page said about the legend: "An experimental psychologist by training, Lloyd was a Vice President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York when he posed the question that would revolutionize children’s media: Could television be used to educate?

"In 1968, with fellow visionary Joan Ganz Cooney, he created Sesame Workshop, where the answer was proven to be a resounding 'yes'."

Featured Image Credit: dpa picture alliance / Alamy Stock Photo. Sesame Workshop/Instagram

Topics: News

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Senior Journalist at LADbible. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign. He is in charge of the LADbible Australia editorial content and social presence.

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