Historian offers program on Betty White

On Tuesday, April 24, McHenry County College will welcome Barry Bradford, nationally recognized speaker and award-winning historian.

He will present "Betty White: America's Favorite Potty-mouthed Grandma," a multimedia presentation, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. and 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the college's Luecht Conference Center, 8900 Route 14 in Crystal Lake.

Bradford's charming and funny presentation will delve into the life of Betty White, who has been voted one of America's most beloved entertainers of the year multiple times.

People know her as the seemingly polite, but secretly scheming Sue Anne Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," the naive and trusting Rose on "Golden Girls," and the outrageous and somewhat loopy Elka on "Hot in Cleveland."

White has been a staple on talk shows, game shows and has performed in some popular movies.

What some people may not know about Betty White is that she was a pioneer in television, being the first woman to produce her own show.

Born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1922, her family later moved to Los Angeles. After some years working in radio, she got her own radio show, "The Betty White Show."

In 1949, she joined L.A. disc jockey Al Jarvis on his daily live TV variety show called "Hollywood on Television." Three years later, after Jarvis left the show, she co-founded Bandy Productions and became one of the first female producers in Hollywood.

White is a best-selling author and tireless advocate for animals.

Bradford will talk about how White is widely considered to be one of the nicest people in all of show business.

The presentation also will feature hilarious video clips and stories about Betty White.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Walk-ins are welcome; no registration is required.

For more information, contact the MCC Luecht Conference Center office at (815) 479-7570 or visit conferencecenter@mchenry.edu.