Birth Name : Arthur Fleming Fazzin
Birth Date  : May 1, 1924
Death        : April 25, 1995
Birth Place: New York City

Art Fleming was the son of Austrian immigrant parents, Marie and William Fazzin (both forming a popular dancer’s team). In James Monroe High School (New York), Fleming was a varsity letterman football player. This feat he continued along with water polo, being the member of both his college teams (He went to Cornell and Colgate universities).

A World War II veteran (U.S. Navy), Fleming, served as the pilot of a patrol bomber in the Atlantic for about three and a half years.

After serving the Navy, he took up the job as an announcer in a Rocky Mount, radio station in North Carolina, thus shortening his name to “Art Fleming.” His career took him to Akron (Ohio), and also to his home place, New York.

Acting began for Fleming, when he was four and worked in a Broadway play. On television he worked first as stunt double in the series ‘Man Against Crime’, followed by appearances on International Detective and The Flying Tigers etc. Another role of significance was of Jeremy Pitt in The Californians.

He also was involved in many ad campaigns, and it was on a commercial for Trans World Airlines that Mery Griffin (The very famous creator of TV shows) spotted him and subsequently found him suitable for the job of hosting Jeopardy!, the show which Fleming hosted from its start in 1964 up till 1975 and again from 2nd October, 1978 up till 2nd March, 1979. Fleming got two Emmy Award nominations for the extremely popular quiz show.

Fleming’s career in television spanned around 5000 episodes, while he appeared in about 48 motion pictures. He came back into acting after Jeopardy! went off air in 1975 and appeared in movies like MacArthur, television shows like Starsky and Hutch, Kingston: Confidential and also The Moneychangers ( TV miniseries).

On radio, Fleming hosted College Bowl (for CBS), Monitor (1972), When Radio Was, Trivia Spectacular etc, besides hosting a daily talk show in KMOX, St. Louis (1979-1992). He also played the role of hosting Jeopardy! in music videos and movies, besides hosting mock versions of the show at conventions and events.

Fleming had a wife Rebecca, and Kimberly and Timothy were his two stepchildren from whom he has four grandchildren. After retiring in 1992, he moved to (Crystal River) Florida with his wife. He was involved with charity work for the Citrus Abuse Shelter Association and even hosted a television show called Senior America (for senior citizens).

Art Fleming died due to pancreatic cancer at his home in Florida. As a mark of honor the Studio 25 of the NBC Burbank Studios has been named after him.