Not many people knew who Bob Keeshan was, but they did know the character he played by the name of Captain Kangaroo. Mr. Rogers and Bob Keeshan were friends and they both wanted to find ways to give children a positive experience to where they could grow intellectually but also to help them become more morally sound.
You must be old to remember this one, but Keeshan got his start playing Clarabelle the Clown, on the hit children’s show: It’s Howdy Doody Time. They didn’t have a clue that Clarabelle would end up being such a huge hit. Keeshan was like a magnet to kids. Before taking on this job he was in the Marine Reserves and then he went to Fordham University where he got a degree in Child Education.
Keeshan began working on some children’s television concepts with a long-time friend of his by the name of Jack Miller. They came up with the idea of Captain Kangaroo and submitted the concept to CBS, which was looking for innovative approaches to children's television programming. By the way, Keeshan was wearing a blue sports coat and it had huge pockets so Jack made fun of him and said that he could fit a kangaroo in one of the pockets; thus, Captain Kangaroo was born.
CBS approved the show, and Keeshan starred as the title character when it premiered on CBS on October 3, 1955. He described his character as based on "the warm relationship between grandparents and children". The show was an immediate success, and he served as its host for nearly three decades. I think only Sesame Street has had the longevity that Captain Kangaroo experienced.
To keep the length of this post down, I won’t mention all the awards Keeshan received but they were numerous including Four Emmy’s. Heart health became an issue, and he began backing down from the show but kept doing charity work up until his death in 2004 at 76 years of age.
Keeshan died in Windsor, Vermont, on January 23, 2004, at age 76. He was survived by three children: Michael Derek, Laurie Margaret, and Maeve Jeanne. His wife of 45 years, Anne Jeanne Laurie Keeshan, died February 25, 1996. Keeshan's grandson, Britton Keeshan, became the youngest person at that time to have climbed the Seven Summits by climbing Mount Everest in May 2004. He carried photographs of his grandfather on that ascent and buried a photo of the two of them at the summit.
Thank you, Captain Kangaroo, for improving so many lives. You were an extraordinary man. I’ll catch up with you at our home port.
You must be old to remember this one, but Keeshan got his start playing Clarabelle the Clown, on the hit children’s show: It’s Howdy Doody Time. They didn’t have a clue that Clarabelle would end up being such a huge hit. Keeshan was like a magnet to kids. Before taking on this job he was in the Marine Reserves and then he went to Fordham University where he got a degree in Child Education.
Keeshan began working on some children’s television concepts with a long-time friend of his by the name of Jack Miller. They came up with the idea of Captain Kangaroo and submitted the concept to CBS, which was looking for innovative approaches to children's television programming. By the way, Keeshan was wearing a blue sports coat and it had huge pockets so Jack made fun of him and said that he could fit a kangaroo in one of the pockets; thus, Captain Kangaroo was born.
CBS approved the show, and Keeshan starred as the title character when it premiered on CBS on October 3, 1955. He described his character as based on "the warm relationship between grandparents and children". The show was an immediate success, and he served as its host for nearly three decades. I think only Sesame Street has had the longevity that Captain Kangaroo experienced.
To keep the length of this post down, I won’t mention all the awards Keeshan received but they were numerous including Four Emmy’s. Heart health became an issue, and he began backing down from the show but kept doing charity work up until his death in 2004 at 76 years of age.
Keeshan died in Windsor, Vermont, on January 23, 2004, at age 76. He was survived by three children: Michael Derek, Laurie Margaret, and Maeve Jeanne. His wife of 45 years, Anne Jeanne Laurie Keeshan, died February 25, 1996. Keeshan's grandson, Britton Keeshan, became the youngest person at that time to have climbed the Seven Summits by climbing Mount Everest in May 2004. He carried photographs of his grandfather on that ascent and buried a photo of the two of them at the summit.
Thank you, Captain Kangaroo, for improving so many lives. You were an extraordinary man. I’ll catch up with you at our home port.
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