Thomas Alton Pyle

Motion picture, instructional television, 501©3 executive: born Phoenix, AZ Sept. 8, 1933; parents, Thomas Virgil and Evelyn B. (Redden); married Victoria Bileck, April 21, 1957 (deceased). Mr. Pyle is survived by his wife, Marilyn, daughter Pamela Pyle, son Brett and daughter-in-law Jeanne, and grandchildren, Lauren, Kaitlyn and Jonathan.

Singer/Actor/Narrator, LA & NYC – over 1500 performances on Broadway, concerts, opera, stock, clubs, radio & TV throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Cuba – appeared with such notables as Leonard Bernstein, Fred Warring, Robert Shaw, Ralph Hunter 1949-1960. Under management to Red & Edna Skelton 1951-1955 and National Artists Corp. 1955-1960.

Freelance Unit Manager, Casting Director, & Pay Master in theatrical motion picture industry, NYC and LA for all major studios. Worked for Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Lumet, and Robert Wise on ten feature motion pictures with such stars as Cary Grant, Jack Lemon, Paul Newman, Rock Hudson, Joann Woodward, Doris Day, Sophia Loren, Debbie Reynolds and Lana Turner. Stunt double for Henry Fonda and double for Edward R. Murrow 1958-60.

Vice President Sales, Depicto Films (multi media), NYC 1960-65. Producer, John Sutherland Productions (PR & Info. motions pictures). LA and NYC 1965-67 – Vice President Marketing, Audio Productions (PR, training & Info. films), MYC 1967-68 – Executive Vice President Audio Educational Services (educational motion pictures), NYC 1969-71 – Executive Vice President, Marketing, Data-Plex Systems (data transmission and video technology), Greenwich, CT and NYC 1971-74. Division President/Executive Producer, Sterling Institute Video Productions (management development & sales trng.), Washington DC 1974-80 – Founder, President/Executive Producer Applied Video Concepts (trng. & educ.), Washington DC 1980-83 – President/CEO National Science Center Foundation, Burke, VA and Augusta, GA. Where he led a $44 million construction campaign, negotiated 99 yr. O&M agreement with the US Army, negotiated free ingress/egress and all utilities from the State of Georgia, and acquired a major land endowment for the Center 1983-85. Training and Educational Technology Consultant to industry, government, and the military, Washington, DC 1985-87. Served 98 clients of the Fortune 500, Mr. Pyle produced multi-media presentation, national meetings. Over 200 motion pictures, and developed over 3500 hours of network quality, interactive video programming and study materials, equivalent of 35,000 “classroom” hours.

Executive Director/CEO Network for Instructional TV, Inc. (NITV) (www.nitv.org), Reston, VA, Phoenix, AZ 1987-2005 Built and operated 88 new educational microwave television channels for K-12 urban centered schools nationally; established Video First as a full-time curriculum-based programming service (www.nitv.org/videofirst); started first high speed wireless delivery of Internet to urban public schools in 1997; launched www.teachersfirst.com, a free internet resource site for k-12 teachers in 1998; launched www.teachersandfamilies.com, an internet subscription service for teachers/parents/students, focused on pre-school, gifted and challenged children, in 2002, launched www.preschoolfirst.com in 2004 for parents of children from birth through age five, for preschool teachers, counselors, and pediatricians. Mr. Pyle retired from NITV in December 2004 to open his own consulting firm New Century Communications, serving educators and corporations in the wireless communications industry.

Mr. Pyle served on the following Boards of Directors: Network for Instructional TV, Inc.; National Instructional Television Fixed Service Association (NIA); Southern Florida Instructional Television (SFIT); Delaware Valley Educational Telecommunications Network; Instructional Opportunities, Inc., St. Louis, MO. A writer/director of education, training, information and public relations materials; was commissioned by the National Assoc. of manufacturers in 1962 to develop a motion picture on President John F. Kennedy; producer of a motion picture and video festival awards, including two Commendations from the White House in 1970, and two Academy Award nominations for Best Short Subject, in 1965 and 1966. Mr. Pyle was an acknowledged authority on increasing productivity through education, training and information relay, and an expert on their effects in the critical national areas of technology, science, communications and defense.

Mr. Pyle served as Vice President of the Dexter Park Civic Association in Spring Valley, NY and later as Vice President of the Solaridge Cluster Association in Reston, VA. He was a member for the New York Academy of Sciences, AASA, and the International Platform Association. He is listed in the Who’s Who: In America; the Southwest; Finance; and, In The World. Mr. Pyle authored two books; “Silver to Gold” on the growth of educational microwave television in the United States, and his memoir, “An ‘Almost Famous,’ Non-Compliant Son.”

Mr. Pyle passed away Feb. 20, 2011 in Phoenix, AZ.

A memorial service will be held on Wed., Feb. 23rd starting at 11:00 am at the Tempe First United Methodist Church, 215 E. University, Tempe, AZ 85281. The family will attend a graveside service at Tempe Double Butte Cemetery.

The Pyle family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Hospice of the Valley.