Cappy McGarr

Cappy McGarr is an American entrepreneur, fundraiser, author, and Emmy-nominated producer[1] based in Dallas, Texas.[2] He is a co-creator of the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor,[3] as well as the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.[4] He was appointed to the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by President Bill Clinton in 1996,[5] and re-appointed by President Barack Obama in 2011.[6] He has also produced several shows for PBS’s In Performance at the White House series.[7]

Cappy McGarr
Born (1951-08-01) August 1, 1951
San Angelo, Texas
OccupationEntrepreneur, producer, author
LanguageEnglish
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin
SpouseJanie Strauss McGarr
Children2
RelativesAnnette Strauss Robert S. Strauss

Early life and career

McGarr was born in San Angelo, Texas. He attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1973, a Bachelor of Journalism in 1975, and a Master's in Business Administration in 1977.[8]

In 1996, McGarr was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts's Board of Trustees for a six-year term.[9] During that time, McGarr helped create the inaugural Mark Twain Prize ceremony in 1998 honoring Richard Pryor.[10] McGarr then served as an executive producer on subsequent Mark Twain Prize ceremonies, extending after his term on the Kennedy Center board was complete.[11]

McGarr also co-created the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, which was first awarded in 2007 to Paul Simon, and has since been given to Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Hal David and Burt Bacharach, Carole King and more.[12]

For his work on the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize ceremony honoring George Carlin, McGarr received an Emmy Award nomination in 2009 in the category of Outstanding Special Class Programs.[13] He was also nominated for a 2010 NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Variety category for the 2009 Mark Twain Prize.[14]

President Barack Obama re-appointed McGarr to the Kennedy Center board in 2011, making McGarr one of only two people at the time to receive that appointment from multiple presidents.[15]

McGarr has served on the board of the Foundation for the National Archives[16] and currently serves on the board of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation[17] and the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors.[18] He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[19]

In 2021, McGarr published a memoir about his life and the founding of the Mark Twain Prize titled The Man Who Made Mark Twain Famous: Stories from the Kennedy Center, the White House, and Other Comedy Venues.[20]

Personal life

McGarr married Janie Strauss in 1978, and they live together in Dallas, Texas.[21] They have two children, Elizabeth McGarr McCue and Kathryn McGarr, as well as two grandchildren.[22]

Works
  • A Texas-Size Health Care Failure (The New York Times, 2009)[23]
  • Why Washington Needs a Laugh (Politico, 2011)[24]
  • Coronavirus Is No Joke, But It’s Why Comedy Must Go On (USA Today, 2020)[25]
  • The Man Who Made Mark Twain Famous: Stories from the Kennedy Center, the White House, and Other Comedy Venues (Simon & Schuster, 2021)[26]

References
  1. "Cappy McGarr". Television Academy. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  2. Wilonsky, Robert (October 12, 2007). "Get to Know Cappy McGarr!". Dallas Observer. Archived from the original on 2020-09-27. Retrieved September 8, 2001.
  3. Recio, Maria (October 24, 2014). "A Texan who helps make the Mark Twain humor award happen". McClatchy DC. Archived from the original on 2016-08-06. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  4. "Paul Simon To Be Awarded First Annual Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by Library of Congress". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  5. "Six are named trustees of JFK Performing Arts Center". clintonwhitehouse6.archives.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  6. "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 2/16/2011". whitehouse.gov. 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  7. Robinson, Jennifer. "Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance At The White House". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  8. "The Kennedy Center Presents: The 2005 Mark Twain Prize celebrating Steve Martin . About the Producers | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  9. "On Stage . The Mark Twain Prize 2004 - Lorne Michaels. Meet the Producers | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  10. "On Stage. Past Honorees | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  11. McGlone, Peggy (September 5, 2018). "Jerry Seinfeld and Tina Fey to appear at Mark Twain Prize honoring Julia Louis-Dreyfus". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2018-09-06. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  12. "Library of Congress Honors Carole King at Congressional Luncheon and Live Concert May 21". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  13. "George Carlin: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize". Television Academy. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  14. Finke, Nikki (2010-01-06). "41st NAACP Image Award Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  15. "Cappy McGarr | The Summit on Race in America". lbjsummitonrace.org. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  16. "Records of Achievement Award Ceremony and Gala" (PDF). National Archives Foundation. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  17. "Board of Trustees- LBJ Foundation | LBJ Presidential Library". www.lbjlibrary.org. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  18. "Board of Visitors & Advance Team". MD Anderson Cancer Center. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  19. "Council on Foreign Relations". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  20. "Cappy McGarr". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  21. "Meet Our Authors". New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane. Archived from the original on 2021-06-30. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  22. "Cappy McGarr | The Summit on Race in America". lbjsummitonrace.org. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  23. McGarr, Cappy (2009-10-06). "Opinion | A Texas-Sized Health Care Failure". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  24. Nussbaum, Jeff; Mcgarr, Cappy. "Why Washington needs a laugh". POLITICO. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  25. McGarr, Cappy. "Coronavirus is no joke, but it's why comedy must go on". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  26. The Man Who Made Mark Twain Famous. 2021-09-28. ISBN 978-1-63758-167-4.
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