The day after this special first aired, John Wayne was a guest on John Wayne (1972). On CBS Lucille Ball began her fifth season of Here's Lucy (1968), and James Arness began his 18th season of Gunsmoke (1955).
There were 121 honorees presented a silver medallion on behalf of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, although only 13 are awarded on the show. Two awards were given posthumously: Nat 'King' Cole and Edward R. Murrow. Los Angeles Police Commissioner Edward M. Davis accepts for Jack Webb and "Dragnet".
In his diaries, singer Perry Como mentions jetting to Las Vegas to appear on the show, but he is not in the cast nor is he mentioned as an honoree.