Tim and Tom were an American comedy duo made up of

Tim Reid Timothy Lee Reid Sr. (born December 19, 1944) is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–82), Marcel "Downtown" Br ...

and

Tom Dreesen Tom Dreesen (born September 11, 1939) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Life and career Dreesen grew up in Harvey, Illinois, a south suburb of Chicago.Kathy O'Malley. "Crazy white boy; Tom Dreesen does comedy about blacks in black club ...

. DuPont marketing manager Reid and insurance salesman Dreesen met at a

Junior Chamber of Commerce The United States Junior Chamber, also known as the Jaycees, JCs or JCI USA, is a leadership training service organization and civic organization for people between the ages of 18 and 40. It is a branch of Junior Chamber International (JCI). ...

meeting near

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

''WKRP'' vet Reid, standup Dreesen's previous life
an October 2008

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

article in 1968. They were "put together to promote an anti-drug program in the local schools" and, prompted by a comment from a child, decided to form a comedy team. The team, later billed as "Tim & Tom", was the first interracial

comedy duo A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act, often highlighting differences in their characters' ...

(Reid is African-American and Dreesen is white). Years later, Reid and Dreesen co-wrote a book about those years called ''Tim & Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White'' (, co-written with sports writer Ron Rapoport). A 1970 '' Jet'' article stated that the comedy duo were good examples of racial cooperation and had received national attention "in persuading young people against the use of drugs"."Talking About." '' Jet''.

Johnson Publishing Company Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. (JPC) was an American publishing company founded in November 1942 by African-American businessman John H. Johnson. It was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. JPC was privately held and run by Johnson until his de ...

, February 12, 1970. Vol. 37, No. 19. . p
43
"Windy City interracial comedy team, Tim and Tom, which, like the nationally prominent black and white Steve Rossi and Slappy White comedy duo, is real soul in action. Not only have Tim and Tom received national attention for their efforts in ..."

References

External links

* {{authority control American comedy troupes American comedy duos