Countdown to Emmys: Betty White, a winner in 2010, reflects on her first Emmy win back in 1952!

Betty White won her seventh Emmy (including one Daytime Emmy) last weekend for her memorable stint guest-hosting Saturday Night Live. It made her the oldest Emmy winner in history!

The 88-year-old comedy legend, who won Emmys for her signature roles of Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rose Nyland on The Golden Girls, was working so was present to accept her latest Emmy in person. But she will on hand Sunday night to present at the Primetime Emmys and, I’m sure, be involved with some kind of comedy bit.

Miss White and Emmy have a long history – longer than most people imagine: She won her very first back in 1952 for the sitcom Life With Elizabeth.

She reflected on that win for The Hollywood Reporter’s Emmy issue. Here is an excerpt:

Most of what I can resurrect about that evening in 1952 was the total shock I felt when I won and Zsa Zsa Gabor lost.

I was nominated for lead actress in a comedy for my show “Life With Elizabeth,” a 30-minute comedy about a husband and wife. But back then, in all my wisdom, I decided to make each episode a series of three 10-minute ministories because I was certain a solid half-hour comedy show would never work.

On the day of the awards, I spent the morning working on my daytime talk program “The Betty White Show.” The Emmys weren’t a big thing back then — more like a little local awards show. So I worked in the morning and went home and got dressed as if I were just going to a dinner.

Everyone was so sure that Zsa Zsa was going to win for “Bachelor’s Haven,” I didn’t even think twice about winning. I was thrilled beyond words to be nominated and recognized, especially considering I’d been working six days a week — with no script!

When it came time to announce our category, Zsa Zsa took out her compact and lipstick to freshen up. Just as the presenter was about to announce the winner, she pushed out her chair to get up. And then the presenter announced my name!

Well, I almost fainted right there. And, believe me, Zsa Zsa was just as shocked. That’s how sure everyone was that she would win. It was a bit startling, but Zsa Zsa was wonderful about it and offered me congratulations.

There were no speeches then, so I just accepted my award and left. But I was really thrilled to take home that pretty statue. I have my first “golden girl” sitting on top of my dining room hutch alongside all her sisters. I’ve had to repair her a few times. She keeps dropping the globe she’s holding, so she’s been soldered back together. She’s almost as old as I am.