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Temple To Rename School Of Media And Communication After Philly Broadcast Pioneer Lew Klein

PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) — Temple University has announced it will rename its School of Media and Communication to honor Philadelphia broadcast pioneer Lew Klein.

The Lew Klein College of Media and Communication will be formally dedicated this spring as part of events marking the school's 50th anniversary celebration.

The university says the renaming is a tribute to Klein's more than six decades of teaching at the school, and recognizes a multi-million dollar gift to the school from Klein and his wife.

"Over many decades, Lew Klein has left an indelible imprint on the lives of countless Temple students who have gone on to build successful careers in media, communication and related fields," Temple University President Richard M. Englert said in a statement. "It's only fitting that we recognize Lew in an equally indelible way: through the naming of the Klein College of Media and Communication in honor of the legacy he has built in Philadelphia and across the nation."

Klein started teaching at Temple in 1952 while working as an executive at what is now WPVI-TV. He served as an executive producer for "American Bandstand" and helped launch the career of late host Dick Clark, as well as NBC's Matt Lauer and comedian Bob Saget.

Klein says he's "proud and thankful" for the honor.

"Thinking about the thousands of communications scholars who will graduate in future years, I am very optimistic about their success," Klein said in a statement. "They will be coming from one of the finest and most prestigious schools in the nation.

"I have been blessed with other examples of appreciation and recognition at Temple, and this is the culmination of them all."

(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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