Harry Ackerman

Harry Stephen Ackerman (November 17, 1912 – February 3, 1991) was an American television producer known for creating or co-creating twenty-one series, seven of which were broadcast simultaneously. He played a significant role in producing popular sitcoms of the 1950s and 1960s, including Father Knows Best, Dennis the Menace, Leave It to Beaver, The Farmer's Daughter, Hazel, Bewitched, The Flying Nun, and Gidget. Ackerman, often referred to as the 'dean of television comedy', also contributed to the development of dramatic classics and documentaries, such as The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, The Day Lincoln Was Shot, and The 20th Century. Born in Albany, New York, Ackerman studied theater arts at Dartmouth College before starting his career as a writer and radio performer.