Ken Howard, the Emmy Award winning actor and SAG-Aftra Union President, has passed away. His death was announced by Pamela Greenwalt, a spokesperson for the SAG-Aftra. He was 71 years old.

During a career that spanned 47 years, Howard appeared in 100 movies and TV shows. He was well known for his work on TV, specifically in the drama The White Shadow about a retired pro basketball player who becomes an urban high school coach, which ran from 1978 to 1981. Later in his career he appeared in 30 Rock as a corporate boss, from 2011 to 2013.

He got involved in the Screen Actors Guild in 2007 after learning that he had prostate cancer. SAG elected him president for two terms, beginning in 2009. As a unionist he had a moderate temperament, which he used to merge with American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The move gave more bargaining power to actors.

Howard was born on March 28, 1944 in El Centro, California. His family relocated to Long Island where he excelled on the basketball court. He attended Amherst College and joined the choral group then performed in musicals. He went on to study at Yale School of Drama.

His film and TV career began in 1969 on N.Y.P.D. He followed that with guest spots on Bonanza, Adam’s Rib, The Manhunter, It’s Not Easy, Dynasty, The Colbys, The Golden Girls, Murder, She Wrote, Melrose Place, The Practice, and Crossing Jordan. Howard’s film career included 1776, A Real American Hero, Clear and Present Danger, The Net, At First Sight, In Her Shoes, J. Edgar, The Judge, and his final role was in 2015’s Joy.