en.wikipedia.org Alfred Alistair Cooke KBE (20 November 1908 -- 30 March 2004) was a British/American journalist, television personality and broadcaster.Outside his journalistic output, which included Letter from America and Alistair Cooke's America, he was well known in the United States as the host of PBS Masterpiece Theater from 1971 to 1992. After holding the job for 22 years, and having worked in television for 42 years, Cooke retired in 1992, although he continued to present Letter from America until shortly before his death. Originally named Alfred, he changed his name to Alistair when he was 22. He was educated at Blackpool Grammar School, and won a scholarship to Jesus College, Cambridge, where he gained an honours degree (2:1) in English. He was heavily involved in the arts, was editor of Granta, and set up The Mummers, Cambridge's first mixed sex theatre group, from which he notably rejected a young James Mason, telling him to stick to architecture. Cooke became engaged to Henrietta Riddle, the daughter of Henry Ainley. However whilst he was attending Yale University and Harvard University on a Commonwealth fund fellowship, she deserted him. In 1937, Cooke moved to the United States, starting what was to become a permanent emigration.He became US citizen and swore the Oath of Allegiance on 1 December 1941, six days before Pearl Harbor was attacked. During this time, as well, Cooke undertook a journey through the whole United States, recording the lifestyle of ...