Raymond Burr would star in the television series "Perry Mason". Although the network wanted Burr to continue work on "Fort Laramie" as well, the TV series required an extraordinary commitment and the radio show ended. Known for his loyalty and consciousness of history, Burr went out of his way to employ his radio colleagues in his television programs. Some 180 radio celebrities appeared on "Perry Mason" during the first season alone. Burr emerged as a prolific television character actor in the 1950s. He made his television debut in 1951, appearing in episodes of "Stars Over Hollywood", "The Bigelow Theatre", "Family Theater" and
Raymond Burr nominated twice, in 1969 and 1972, for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama. A benefactor of legal education, Burr was principal speaker at the founders banquet of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, in June 1973. The Raymond Burr Award for Excellence in Criminal Law was established in his honor. Burr was ranked #44 on "TV Guide"s 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time in 1996. Completed in 1996, a circular garden at the entrance to the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum in Sanibel, Florida, honors Burr for his role in establishing the