A 13-time Emmy Award-winner and television production legend will present the commencement address for the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications during commencement at Penn State on May 7.
Don Roy King earned the awards during his tenure as director of “Saturday Night Live” for a decade and a half from 2007 to 2021. King — who has directed more hours of live U.S. TV than anyone — also earned eight awards from the Directors Guild of America for his work on the show.
King, a Penn State alumnus, earned his bachelor’s degree in 1969. His career spans more than five decades and his experience on live TV, from morning news programs to variety shows, makes him one of the most prolific directors of live shows in the history of the medium.
Along with “Saturday Night Live,” his mix of directing credits includes “The Mike Douglas Show,” “Good Morning America,” “CBS This Morning,” “Survivor,” “The Early Show,” “Criss Angel Mindfreak” and “The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.”
King, a consistently strong supporter of the Bellisario College and Penn State, has been honored as both a distinguished alumnus and as an Alumni Fellow. He has regularly visited campus for special events through the years and collaborated with students on special events, including a live sketch comedy effort between the livestreaming division of CommAgency and a group of student comedians this spring. He also conducted a live Zoom webinar for Bellisario College students in October 2020 and hosted a one-man show on campus in 2017.
In addition to his work on television, King is the creative director of Broadway Worldwide, which brings Broadway events to theaters and television.
King, a native of Pitcairn, Pennsylvania, started his career in in State College at WPSX-TV in State College before moving to other TV stations in the state of Pennsylvania and, later, California. He initially hoped to be an actor, and his love of Broadway at least in part influenced his decision to live in New York City.