Exhibits: Irish American Hall of History

Bob Newhart

b. 1929

Comedy, Television, Film

Bob Newhart was born into an Irish-Catholic family in Oak Park, Illinois. He initially was an accountant for many years before getting into comedy in the late 1950s. His act usually consisted of telephone monologues with a stammering style speech. His 1960 album The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart went to #1 on the charts beating out Elvis and The Sound of Music cast album. It set the standard for future comedy albums. His popularity continued through many appearances on TV in the 1960s. From 1972-1978 The Bob Newhart Show was one of America's most popular shows. He followed with another hit, Newhart, which ran from 1982-1990. He was a guest host for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show 87 times. In Film he is known for his roles in Catch 22 (1970)and First Family (1980) He married Virginia Quinn who is the daughter of actor Bill Quinn. Bob & Virginia have four children.

External Links

• Bob Newhart Web Site
• Bob Newhart - Wikipedia
• Bob Newhart - Museum of Broadcast Communications