Fred Grandy

He has also stated that he is a vegan. Richard Sanders is best known for playing the quirky news anchorman Les Nessman on the classic TV sitcom, WKRP in Cincinnati. In 2003, Grandy was named co-host of The WMAL Morning News, a light current-events chat show on WMAL-AM in Washington, D.C. Grandy later served as president and CEO of Goodwill Industries from 1995-2000, became a political commentator on National Public Radio, and served as a Visiting Professor teaching a course on non-profit organizations at the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs. In 1994, he entered the race for Governor of Iowa against incumbent Terry Branstad; he lost the election by 4%.

During his four terms in Congress, he served on a variety of committees, including the House Ways and Means, Agriculture, Standards of Official Conduct, and Education and the Workforce. Although he tried to distance himself from his acting career, he told People magazine, "If there were no Gopher, there would be no Fred Grandy for Congress.". Grandy, who campaigned as a Republican, won the election in 1986 by 3,000 votes. He also served as a speechwriter for Congressman Wiley Mayne (R-Iowa).

Prior to college, he was the roommate of David Eisenhower (grandson of President Eisenhower) at Phillips Exeter Academy and later was best man at Eisenhower's wedding to Julie Nixon. He played the dimwitted Burl "Gopher" Smith for nine years on The Love Boat, but his political interests preceded his acting career. Grandy received his bachelor's degree in English from Harvard University in 1970, and is fluent in both French and Arabic. television series, The Love Boat, before his election in 1986 to the United States House of Representatives from the state of Iowa.

Fred Grandy (born June 29, 1948) was an actor on the U.S.