Arthur Rosenblum, TWI Co-Founder and Endeavor Exec, Passes Away at 104

Arthur Rosenblum, founder and executive at TWI (and the third hire by IMG legend Mark McCormack), and figurehead in Endeavor’s history, passed away at the age of 104 on March 25, 2023.

Born in 1918, Arthur grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Upon graduation from high school, he attended college the University of Virginia and New York University and then joined the military, serving in the army during World War II reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant.  In the army, Arthur first found his passion for production, serving as an editor helping to produce inspiring movies to rally the United States Armed Forces and supporters in the US.

When he returned from service, he began his professional career as an editor and then as a live production director, for such hits as The Howdy Doody Show. He went on to own and run a production company, working with the likes of ABC Sports, and made the move from New York to Los Angeles in 1968 with his wife, Lucienne.

Arthur was Mark McCormack’s third hire in 1971. He was a founder and executive of Trans World International, which was part of IMG.  He built TWI, along with Jay Michaels, Barry Frank, Bill Lacy and Howard Katz, into a television production powerhouse.  He helped create and execute live primetime shows, working with all the major networks, including Battle of the Network Stars (ABC), Us Against The World (NBC), and Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes (CBS).  He served as an executive producer of hundreds of shows throughout his career, including World’s Strongest Man, SuperStars, Golf and Tennis majors highlight films and plenty of live events ranging from ice skating to tennis to skiing.

In the 1980s, Arthur headed to London at Mark’s request to build out TWI’s London office, and he expanded the office from 13 employees to over 1,300. After success in London, he returned to Los Angeles to continue as a senior executive in Los Angeles. He drove himself to the Brentwood office almost every day through the beginning of 2020 when the pandemic hit. He took great pride in serving as a mentor and confidante to the younger generations of IMG and now Endeavor, and believed coming to work every day kept him “young” even though he was in his 100s.

Arthur Rosenblum passed away late last month at the age of 104.

Onsite or in the office, Arthur was always clad in neatly pressed clothes and shined buckle shoes, and occasionally with a cowboy hat where he earned the nickname “Tex Rosenblum.” Until the last month of his life, he loved his lingering lunches with his colleagues, a daily glass of red wine or scotch and The New York Times crossword. He used his iPad and iPhone regularly and enjoyed FaceTime with his great-grandchildren and receiving texts with pictures and videos of their antics. And, to be clear, he was unhappy that he was planning to give up his driver’s license at 105, as he promised his wife years ago.

But more than his career accomplishments, his family and close friends will remember Arthur for his listening ear followed by steadfast and honest guidance. He helped many current and former colleagues cultivate their careers, and Arthur’s true legacy to the television industry is the individuals who flourished because of his loyal investment in each of them.

He is survived by his wife, Lucienne;  his son Jeffrey (Meryl); grandchildren, Michael (Jennifer) and Jaclyn Hill (Brad) and great-grandchildren, Zachary, Joseph, Matthew and Emma and many of his beloved colleagues.