Yale Summers Passes On

Yale Summers, an actor perhaps best known as conservationist Jack Dane on Daktari, passed on 6 May 2012 at the age of 78. The cause was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Yale Summers was born on 26 July 1933 in New York City. He earned a bachelors degree in business at Cornell University. Following his graduation he served in the United States Army, where he attained the rank of lieutenant.

Mr. Summers made his film debut in a bit part in Mad Dog Coll (1961). He made his television debut in a 1962 episode of The Dick Powell Theatre. Throughout the Sixties he would guest star on such shows as The Gallant Men, Cheyenne, The Untouchables, The Donna Reed Show, Channing, The Lieutenant, My Favourite Martian, The Outer Limits, 12 O'Clock High, The Bold Ones, and Land of the Giants. From 1964 to 1965 he was a regular on General Hospital. It was in 1966 that he was cast as Jack Dane on Daktari. He remained with the show until 1968. In the Seventies Yale Summers appeared on such shows as The Smith Family, O'Hara-U.S. Treasury, McMillan & Wife, My Three Sons, The Blue Knight, Quincy M.E., and 240-Robert. From 1972 to 1974 he was a regular on Return to Peyton Place.

Yale Summers was very active in the Screen Actors Guild. He was a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild Awards Committee. He served as a producer of the Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony from 1995 to 2008. He was also very active in the the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.