Howard McNear

Howard Terbell McNear (January 27, 1905 – January 3, 1969) was an American stage, screen, and radio character actor. McNear is best remembered as the original voice of Doc Adams in the radio version of Gunsmoke and as Floyd Lawson (Floyd the Barber) on The Andy Griffith Show (1961–1967). Career McNear studied at the Oatman School of Theater and later joined a stock company in San Diego. McNear also worked in radio from the late 1930s, including in the 1937–1940 radio serial Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police as ace operator Clint Barlow.<ref>[http://www.audio-classics.com/lspeedgibson.html Radio Broadcast Log Of: Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police]</ref> McNear could be effective in such authoritative roles, but he gravitated more toward character roles, often comic. He enlisted as a private in the United States Army Air Corps on November 17, 1942, during World War II. He created the role of Doc Charles Adams on CBS Radio's Gunsmoke (1952–1961). Before and during the run, he was featured in many other CBS radio programs, such as frequent roles on the popular radio detective series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar between 1955 and 1960. Other radio credits included appearances on the anthologies Escape and Suspense.