Kermit Murdock (20 March 1908 – 11 February 1981) was an American film, television and radio actor known for his avuncular and professorial character portrayals. His more prominent character roles in major motion pictures included Dean Pollard in Splendor in the Grass (1961), Henderson in In the Heat of The Night (1967), and Dr. Robertson in The Andromeda Strain (1970). He is also well known for his voice acting in many episodes of the 1950s science fiction radio series X Minus One. He was in T ...