Ken Howard, the Emmy-winning star of the 1970s TV drama “White Shadow” and influential head of SAG-AFTRA, has died at age 71.
Howard was elected president of Screen Actors Guild in 2009 and reelected in 2011 on a pledge to unite Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
The merger effort, which often dominated attention in the entertainment and media industries, was overwhelmingly approved by members in 2012.
As the last president of the legendary Screen Actors Guild and the first elected president of post-merger SAG-AFTRA, Howard made history by leading the merged performers from a period of conflict to a stable, unified path toward the future.