about Boston’s parade celebrating the feats of the John Glenn’s Mercury orbit. Swayze was fairly frequently mentioned on the television series The Golden Girls. In episode 805 of Mystery Science Theater 3000, when the watch of a character in the movie The Thing That Couldn't Die is found in a traderat's nest, Tom Servo exclaims: "John Cameron Traderat". In the 1940s scene of the 1994–present version of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, John extols the virtues of television, stating "I kind of like it, you know? A guy named John Cameron Swayze gives us all the news and then they have all this singing and dancing. A lot of fluff, but it's fun." For over 20 years, Swayze was the spokesman for Timex watch commercials and was one of the most recognized personalities on television. Swayze’s line at the end of each commercial, "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking," became an iconic phrase and part of American pop culture. Honors In 1950 Swayze received the Alfred I. duPont Award. Personal life Swayze was the son of Jesse Ernest Swayze and Christine Cameron, aka Camerona (cited by some sources). His father's name is of Norman French origin and dates back to Dorset, England in the early 17th century. He married Beulah Mae Estes in 1935. He died in Sarasota, Florida, on August 15, 1995. Swayze and the actor-brothers Patrick Swayze and Don Swayze were sixth cousins once removed. Both John and Patrick's father were descendants by seven generations of Judge Samuel Swayze and his wife, Penelope Horton. Judge Swayze was the son of Joseph Swasey and his wife Mary Betts. Mary Betts was the daughter of Captain Richard Betts and his wife, Joanna Chamberlayne. Other noteworthy relations descending from the Betts or Swayze lineages are actors William Holden and Tom Hulce, and Evgenia Citkowitz, wife of actor Julian Sands. References External links 1906 births 1995 deaths American radio journalists American television news anchors Culver Academies alumni ABC News personalities NBC News people Writers from Wichita, Kansas People from Atchison, Kansas Writers from Kansas City, Missouri Writers from Los Angeles Television personalities from New York City People from Sarasota, Florida University of Kansas alumni 20th-century American journalists American male journalists