Born in Pomona, California, Steve Thomas Rooney was the youngest of six children. He inherited his passion for fixing old homes from his father who was also a skilful carpenter. While he was studying philosophy at Evergreen State College in Olympia, he supported himself by working as a licensed painting contractor and carpenter. After obtaining his bachelor degree he continued to work as a carpenter, and in 1977 he went to work on a construction in Antibes, France.

Next, Steve Thomas Rooney logged more than 30,000 blue-water miles on a variety of sailing ships.  He wrote his critically acclaimed book "The Last Navigator" in 1987, which served as the basis for a documentary for PBS's Adventure series in 1988. The following year, the "Adventure" series publicist who also worked for This Old House contacted him and offered him the position of the show’s host. From 1989 to 2003 he hosted the show making it the highest rated home improvement series in television history, and the most-watched ongoing series of all time.

He has been awarded a 1997-1998 DayTime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Service Show Host", and has appeared on television shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986), Today (1952), Entertainment Tonight (1981) and Good Morning America (1975). After leaving This Old House, Steve Thomas Rooney has contributed to programming on The History Channel, hosting and producing the Save Our History series, including one program showing George Washington's estate, and another in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. He is currently the spokesperson for Habitat For Humanity International, and resides in St. George, Maine, with his wife and their son. 

Location

Olympia, WA

Disciplines

• Creative Writing
• Film Studies
• History
• Philosophy
• Sociology
• Urban Studies

Website

http://www.dailymotion.com/stevethomasrooney