Sac History Happenings: In History's Spotlight: Larry Linville

Sac History Happenings

News and developments in Sacramento and California history

August 21, 2011

In History's Spotlight: Larry Linville

Born: Sept. 29, 1939
Died: April 10, 2000

Known for: Larry Linville, a veteran television actor who grew up in Sacramento, played Maj. Frank Burns on "M*A*S*H," one of the longest-running shows in television history (1972-83).

Background: Born in Ojai, Linville moved to Sacramento and graduated from El Camino High School. He studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Colorado before attending London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He appeared in dozens of television shows, including "Marcus Welby, M.D." and "Mannix" before landing the "M*A*S*H" role. He appeared in 115 episodes of the hit show before leaving in 1977. He continued to appear on TV shows, including "The Love Boat" and "Fantasy Island," through the late '90s. In 1998, he underwent surgery to remove part of his lung after doctors found a malignant tumor under his sternum.

A highlight: He was one of three Americans out of 300 applicants to win a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

In History's Spotlight profiles of Sacramento newsmakers were published originally in 2007 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of The Sacramento Bee. They were written by Anthony Sorci. Look for them every Sunday in Sac History Happenings.

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California and Sacramento have a long, rich, vibrant history. And our region is blessed with an abundance of historical resources maintained by museums, libraries, archives and societies. This blog aims to alert readers to the latest developments in local/state historical education and research.

Send tips concerning upcoming exhibits, tours, lectures and meetings, as well as new books, magazine articles and online collections to the blog's contributors.

The Contributors:

Michael Dolgushkin

Michael Dolgushkin is Manuscript Librarian at the California State Library History Section. He is co-author of San Francisco's California Street Cable Cars and is a frequent contributor to the California State Library Foundation Bulletin. Contact him at mdolgushkin@library.ca.gov.

Amanda Graham is a Certified Archivist working in the Sacramento Room of the Sacramento Public Library. She earned a BS in History from Southern Oregon University and a MS in Information Studies with an emphasis in archives from The University of Texas at Austin. Contact her at agraham@saclibrary.org.

Pete Basofin is Director of Editorial Research at The Sacramento Bee. He previously worked at The St. Petersburg Times and Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune. Contact him at pbasofin@sacbee.com.

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