Don Herbert

"Mr. Wizard" redirects here. For his television shows, see Watch Mr. Wizard. For the albums, see Mr. Wizard (Vincent Herring album) and Mr. Wizard (R. L. Burnside album).

Don Herbert
Herbert in 1971
Born
Donald Herbert Kemske

(1917-07-10)July 10, 1917
Waconia, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedJune 12, 2007(2007-06-12) (aged 89)
Bell Canyon, California, U.S.
Known forMr. Wizard television programs
Spouse(s)Maraleita Dutton (1939–1972); Norma Kasell (1972–2007; his death)[1]

Donald Jeffry Herbert (July 10, 1917 – June 12, 2007), better known as Mr. Wizard, was the creator and host of Watch Mr. Wizard (1951–65, 1971–72) and Mr. Wizard's World (1983–90), which were educational television programs for children devoted to science and technology. He also produced many short video programs about science and authored several popular books about science for children.[2][3][4] It was said that no fictional hero was able to rival the popularity and longevity of "the friendly, neighborly scientist".[5]: 173  In Herbert's obituary, Bill Nye wrote, "Herbert's techniques and performances helped create the United States' first generation of homegrown rocket scientists just in time to respond to Sputnik. He sent us to the moon. He changed the world."[6] Herbert is credited with turning "a generation of youth" in the 1950s and early 1960s on to "the promise and perils of science".[7]

  1. ^ "Don Herbert". www.nndb.com. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  2. ^ Gilkey, George R. (1981). A History of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, 1909-1979. The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Foundation. p. 229. Archived from the original on August 18, 2010.
  3. ^ Rindfleisch, Terry (June 14, 2007). "A life remembered: 'Mr. Wizard' let kids experience science". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference nyt-obit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ LaFollette, Marcel Chotkowski (2013). Science on American television : a history. Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-226-92199-0.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference NyeObit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Halpern, Paul (2015). "On the Air". Distillations. 1 (2). Chemical Heritage Foundation: 44. Retrieved March 23, 2018.