Jim Henson

Jim Henson
Henson at the 1989 Emmy Awards
Born	James Maury Henson (1936-09-24)September 24, 1936 Greenville, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	May 16, 1990(1990-05-16) (aged 53) New York City, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Toxic shock syndrome and pneumonia
Resting place	Remains scattered near Taos, New Mexico, U.S.
Education	Northwestern High School
Alma mater	University of Maryland, College Park
Occupation	Puppeteer, artist, cartoonist, inventor, screenwriter, film director, producer
Years active	1954–1990
Known for	Creator of The Muppets (examples: Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear)
Political party	Democratic
Board member of	Jim Henson Foundation The Jim Henson Company Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Spouse(s)	Jane Nebel (m. 1959–90)
Children	Lisa Henson (born 1960) Cheryl Henson (born 1961) Brian Henson (born 1963) John Henson (1965–2014) Heather Henson (born 1970)
Parent(s)	Paul Ransom Henson Betty Marcella (née Brown)
Awards	Courage Conscience Award Emmy Award Disney Legend Award

James Maury "Jim" Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, artist, cartoonist, inventor, screenwriter, film director and producer who achieved international fame as the creator of the Muppets. Born in Greenville, Mississippi, and raised in Leland, Mississippi, and Hyattsville, Maryland, Henson began developing puppets while attending high school. While he was a freshman at the University of Maryland, College Park, he created Sam and Friends, a five-minute sketch-comedy puppet show that appeared on television. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in home economics, he produced coffee advertisements and developed some experimental films. Feeling the need for more creative output, Henson founded Muppets Inc. in 1958 (which would later become the Jim Henson Company).

Henson became famous in the 1960s when he joined the children's educational television program Sesame Street, and there helped develop characters for the series. He also appeared on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. In 1976, after scrapping plans for a Broadway show, he produced The Muppet Show. He won fame for his creations, particularly Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, and Ernie, and was involved with Sesame Street for over 20 years. Rowlf the Dog was a cast member on the Jimmy Dean Show in the early 60's. He also had frequent roles in Muppets films such as The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, and The Muppets Take Manhattan, and created advanced puppets for projects like Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth. During the later years of his life, he also founded the Jim Henson Foundation and Jim Henson's Creature Shop. His involvement in two television programs—The Storyteller and The Jim Henson Hour—led to Emmy Award wins.