From the archives: Bob Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo, dies

This story was originally published in Newsday on January 24, 2004

Bob Keeshan, who as Captain Kangaroo became one of the most beloved figures in the history of television, died Friday at his home in Vermont. He was 76 and had been ill for some time, according to a statement from his family.

A cause of death was not given. Keeshan, a Lynbrook native, maintained close ties to Long Island for much of his life.

Keeshan was one of the most beloved figures in the 75-year history of television and an icon at CBS. He defined the network's golden age almost as much as Walter Cronkite and Lucille Ball.

With his oversized coat full of pockets - from whence the "Kangaroo" came - and his pageboy wig, Keeshan cut a figure every bit as recognizable to several generations of children as Fred Rogers, who died last year. And depending on one's age and powers of recollection, the memory of the gentle man who directed a studio full of fantastic figures like Mr. Whispers and (of course) Mr. Green Jeans remains for many people one of the most indelible of their childhood.

The reason is that "Captain Kangaroo" was not merely a show, but an institution, which aired continuously for nearly 30 years. It debuted in 1955, born just after the dawn of the TV age, and was finally canceled by CBS in 1984, when children's television was about to be transformed by product tie-ins and the growth in advertising. (An edited version later aired on PBS.)

But Keeshan's influence was not limited to "the Captain," as he forever would be known, but to an even earlier era, when he played Clarabell, the silent clown, on "Howdy Doody" for five years.

"The best thing about Captain Kangaroo is that he was available to kids on the air Monday through Friday [mornings], when no one else of any value was available to children except 'Mister Rogers,'" said Peggy Charren, a visiting scholar at Harvard University. Charren founded the now-disbanded Action for Children's Television when a Boston TV station threatened to cut "Captain Kangaroo" to 30 minutes. (She prevailed; the show remained an hour long.)

"Everything in a child's life seems designed to sell them something, and that wasn't true in the days of Captain Kangaroo, and to CBS' credit, they kept it on so long," she added.

Among his honors over the years were six Emmy Awards and three Peabody Awards. Keeshan also received the Frances Holleman Breathitt Award for Excellence from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters' Hall of Fame in 1998.

Keeshan was recalled Friday by another longtime CBS legend, former anchor Cronkite. "When I was starting on the morning news, he did a couple of promotional spots and we'd see each other occasionally in the halls," Cronkite said in a phone interview. "He was always a cheerful guy, and I don't know what there was about him, but he was really Mister Santa Claus. He was kind of a joy to man."

Unlike "Sesame Street," which became the linchpin of a worldwide licensing industry, "Captain Kangaroo," which was produced by Keeshan, never adapted to the marketing revolution overtaking children's television. Keeshan also sold off the rights to the show (and his character) in the 1960s, in part to fund his children's college education.

Gene Jankowski, former president of the CBS Broadcast Group, said Friday, "He was very gentle in every sense of the word. He knew the world was changing around him and the industry was changing around him."

In a statement issued by his son Michael, Keeshan's family said: "Our father, grandfather and friend was as passionate for his family as he was for America's children. He was largely a private man living an often public life as an advocate for all that our nation's children deserve."

Born in Lynbrook on June 27, 1927, to a grocery store manager and a housewife, Keeshan was educated in the New York City public school system. At Forest Hills High School, teachers recognized in his voice a nascent talent for broadcasting and pushed him toward a radio career. He joined the Marine Corps in 1945.

Keeshan, who moved to Vermont in 1990, continued to advocate for children after his retirement, writing books, lecturing and lobbying on behalf of children's issues.

Keeshan was critical of today's TV programs for children, saying they were too full of violence. And he spoke wherever he went about the importance of good parenting.

"Parents are the ultimate role models for children," he said. "Every word, movement and action has an effect. No other person or outside force has a greater influence on a child than the parent."

He also was a tireless advocate for changes in what the TV networks were aiming at children.

"I think people today probably need more of this kind of programming than they did years ago," Keeshan insisted in 1987 in discussing shows like his. "Children have become our principal underclass. We're doing less for them than we should be."

In 1987, Keeshan and former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander co-founded Corporate Family Solutions, an organization that provided day-care programs to businesses around the country.

Keeshan's wife, Jeanne, died in 1990. He has three children and six grandchildren.

A Captain's Life

The life and career of Bob Keeshan, children's television's "Captain Kangaroo,'' who died Friday at 76.

1927: Born in Lynbrook.

1948-53: Was the original Clarabell the clown on "Howdy Doody.''

1953: Hosted "Time for Fun'' and "Tinker's Workshop'' on WABC / 7.

1955: "Captain Kangaroo'' debuts weekday mornings at 8 on CBS.

1956: A Saturday "Captain Kangaroo'' is added. The show would run six days a week until 1968.

1981: Show is renamed "Wake Up With the Captain.''

1984: "Captain Kangaroo'' leaves CBS; Keeshan starts hosting "CBS Storybreak.''

1991: PBS begins airing "Captain Kangaroo.''

Late 1990s: In his retirement, Keeshan becomes advocate for quality children's programming.

1998: Inducted into National Association of Broadcasters' Hall of Fame.

2004: Dies in Vermont.

HIS CONTEMPORARIES

Some other memorable children's television personalities:

SANDY BECKER (1922-1996),  "Wonderama'' creator of quirky characters Hambone and Norton Nork

"OFFICER'' JOE BOLTON (1910-1986), Faux cop hosted Ch. 11's "Three Stooges."

HUGH BRANNUM (1910-1987),  "Mr. Green Jeans'' had a three-decade professional relationship with Keeshan.

RAY HEATHERTON (1909-1997),  "The Merry Mailman'' delivered the goods during the 1950s for metro-area kids.

SHARI LEWIS (1933-1998),  Puppeteer who created Lamb Chop and Charlie Horse

FRED ROGERS (1928-2003), Gentle, cardigan-wearing host of PBS' "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood''

SOUPY SALES (1926-), Made bad puns, danced the Mouse, and was on the receiving end of hundreds of well-thrown pies.

BOB SMITH (1918-1998,  Buckskin-clad host of "Howdy Doody.''