Robert Keeshan Biography

Fast Facts

• Won three Peabody Awards, in 1958, 1972 and 1979 respectively
• In 1991, he was honored with the American Medical Association Distinguished Service Award
• Was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998
• Attended Fordham University courtesy of the GI Bill
• Enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve during World War II
• Quote: "Violence is part of life, and there is no getting away from it․ But there is also gentleness in life, and this is what we have tried to stress on our shows․"
• Best known for playing the gentle, grandfatherly Captain Kangaroo on the children's television program of the same name during its 30-year run
• His children's programing was nonviolent, and contained lessons about kindness, sharing and honesty
• His portrayal of Captain Kangaroo was so convincing that when his youngest daughter visited the set, she later told him that he had missed seeing Captain Kangaroo
• His memoirs, "Good Morning, Captain," were published in 1995