Betty Marion White Ludden (January 17, 1922 - December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian, with the longest television career of any entertainer, spanning 80 years. Regarded as a pioneer of television, she was one of the first women to have control both in front of and behind the camera and is recognized as the first woman to produce a sitcom (Life with Elizabeth), which contributed to her receiving the honorary title Mayor of Hollywood in 1955. White was known for her award-winning roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore …